parshas va'era

when somebody's God forbid suffering or going through a difficult time and they inevitably ask the question why God why are you doing this to me the one thing you don't want to do is answer that question because how could you justify somebody's pain what you want to do is not answer people's questions which essentially means justifying their pain or explaining why that pain is relevant or even explaining why that pain is there tracing the reasons for issues isn't helpful you do want to do is give people hope this is exactly what Hashem does in this week's paraa in last week's paraa God told mbu that you're going to go to pyro you're going to let him know that the Jewish people need to be free and Pyro responds by making the workload more difficult and Misha says why are you being evil why are you being so bad to this nation and God's response which is in this week's paraa is a little cryptic but when we unpack it and see it through the lenses of MAF farim it actually makes a lot of sense's response is tells God speaks to M and he says I'm God and I've appeared I've appeared to as God him but my name God I have not yet made known to them well how does that answer the question main is complaining to God that his people are in pain his people are suffering his people are going through a very difficult time and God seems to be going on this tangent saying well I have appeared to our for thank you how is that relevant so the truth is Rashi answers this question but again very cryptically or seemingly it seems to be cryptic but when we unpack this Rashi it actually makes a lot of sense if you look at the word v and appeared what does Rashi say El I've appeared to the fathers to the forefathers to the Patriarchs and again commentaries wonder what is the point in that commentary the verse literally says and I've appeared to abam to and to Y why consolidate and summarize to the forefathers to the Patriarchs we know our Patriarchs were aware of that already I saw from theas sh there's a lot of on this there's a g there's M there's there's there's a lot of different ma that that have different takes in what Rashi was exactly trying to accomplish but I saw from the he says a doesn't have to only mean Patriarchs the word a has another meaning comes from the word AA which means to desire God says I appeared to those who desire me essentially saying these people are in pain and what's really bothering you is how could they ever hope for something better when they're in so much pain I've appeared to those who desire me I could appear to those who want to connect to me even when in pain even when somebody's in pain you don't have to answer their pain they can have hope they could have hope for something better whenever somebody has pain and they voice that pain what they want to something different don't limit them to not being able to hope for something different I've appeared to AO Abraham and yob were a were people that desired God despite having pain Abraham had a very difficult life and had a lot of had a lot of uh challenges trials and tribulations so did y so did yob each of their trials and tribulations were unique yet they all wanted God despite the pain people can have hopes and dreams despite having pain the AL writes in that the word and I've appeared in the in the English translations they translated as and I've appeared but the truth is it has two meanings and both are true one meaning is and I have appeared in the past tense but you can also translate it as and I will appear in the future tense God is telling I've appeared to the Patriarchs to aice implying also though I will appear to the Patriarchs I've appeared in the past and I'll appear in the future Rashi consolidates and says aice as as fathers because despite their unique qualities that enabled them to Merit an appearance from God what they all have in common is the fact that they are aice they are our Patriarchs if they are our Patriarchs they are our aice our fathers we are their children and if we're their children we've inherited qualities from them they have the ability to desire God despite pain they have the ability to hope and dream for something incredible despite pain despite suffering despite difficulties despite trials and tribulations they have that capability well they are our ofice that's what Rashi is trying to tell us they are our fathers they have bequeathed those qualities to us we've inherited those qualities from them don't believe that these people are incapable of hoping and dreaming for something bigger despite the pain that they're in Hashem is not explaining why there's pain hashm is not explaining why there's suffering what he's saying is that there can be hope there can be a heart that is open to Dreaming for Redemption dreaming for G despite the difficulties despite the pain that's why V is past tense it's also future tense God is saying I'm going to appear to them in the future to those who are of voice to those who desire it to those who are children and have inherited those qualities each one of these people that are in slavery have inherited those qualities we have an obligation as Jewish people to not believe that the world is doomed and when people watch the news when people watch the media it's very easy to believe that the world is doomed that there's too much suffering there's too much pain there's too much War there's too much incompetence there's too much political incompetence people think how are we ever going to have mssiah how are we ever going to have this world where God is Comfortably part of if people don't even seem to want it and the answer is don't look at people that way because people can want it despite what they're going through despite distractions despite difficulties despite trials and tribulations people can want something better don't give up on people and when it seems that God is being evil toward people remember God's response these people can dream I might not have answers to your questions but I can help you hope and I can help you dream for something big for something incredible and for much better times that's my story and I'm sticking to it