I was fluctuating between sadness and inspiration when I finished reading Rohinton Mistry’s.”A Fine Balance.” I have yet to shed the horrible cruelties powerfully described. The caste system, misuse of power, the desperate search for work, forced castration, and the hopeless lives of the masses helped me understand what the Children of Israel experienced in Egypt. Each nightmarish scene contains a powerful expression of the drive to live and the sweetness of kindness. I hear echoes of people being rallied to support a new government, suffering under the leaders they supported, and the merit of the women who kept the family alive under the worst conditions.

A week later, I realized that it was the goodness that made the deeper impression. I experienced the power of good over evil. So inspired, I gave the book to one of my daughters, who is quite upset with me for suggesting she read such a horrible story. When we last spoke, my daughter was struggling with finishing the book with its historically accurate descriptions of suffering in 1975 India. “How could you ask me to read such a horrible story?”

My daughter sounds just like Moses: “My Master! Why have You done evil to this people (Exodus 5:22).” I’ll respond as God did to Moses:

“The Lord spoke to Moses and said to him, ‘I am God’ (6:2).” Lord, or, Elokim, is the Name we associate with Justice, often harshness. God, or, Hashem, speaks of God’s compassion. Elokim, Justice, says to Moses, “I am Hashem, compassionate – find the goodness hidden in the folds and creases of the suffering. Moses cannot become a complete leader until he can find the power of good and the drive for life that motivate the people to move forward.

In his fury, Moses failed to see how the foremen assumed the extra burden imposed on the slaves. He could have challenged God by calling on such compassion and demanding that their good earn them redemption. Moses continued to speak of Israel as victims, not the heroes they were. Moses would have to learn to treasure the extraordinary kindness that softened every scene of suffering. (See, “Respectful Compassion.”)

I want my daughter, all my children and students, to mine through the horrible and treasure the good. We see and read of horrible things happening in the world and our communities, and we hear Elokim, God’s Judgment speaking. We have to pay attention to God’s message to Moses, “I am Hashem, compassionate and kind – I want you to find the good that is hiding underneath the suffering.”

A long ago friend, Dennis Prager, once convened a gathering that focused on Altruism: “The Altruistic Personality – Rescuers of Jews in Nazi Europe.” I recall Dennis challenging the audience to remember the names of the heroes who stepped forward in moments of ugly tragedy – the name of the Secret Service agent who stepped in front of a bullet meant for President Reagan, the name of the man who jumped into the freezing Potomac to save victims of a plane crash. No one knew the names.

We focus on the bad, not the good. We focus on Elokim, not Hashem. We read “A Fine Balance,” and shiver in horror. We study the Exodus story and wait for the miracles to find Hashem, the Compassionate One, and miss the scenes of human kindness that are so much more powerful than the evil.

“I may be Elokim, but you must always search for Hashem, so that you will become a force of kindness and compassion that will overcome the bad.”

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Learn & discover the Divine prophecies with Rabbi Simcha Weinberg from the holy Torah, Jewish Law, Mysticism, Kabbalah and Jewish Prophecies. The Foundation Stone is the ultimate resource for Jews, Judaism, Jewish Education, Jewish Spirituality & the holy Torah.

When I heard a rabbi describe himself as, “the Rav Moshe Feinstein of our generation,” I realized that it’s not just presidential candidates who claim to be the reincarnation of Lincoln or Reagan, but people in all areas of life who claim to lead as did a great person from the past.

It’s not always so blatant; I observe rabbis imitating their teachers when responding to a halachic question, using their teacher’s words and mannerisms. People imitate those they admire. They appear to lead as did their teacher. I always heard my grandfather zt”l consider how his rebbi, the Alter of Slabodka, would have responded to a situation, but he never tried to be his teacher; he was who he was; deeply rooted in the past, but highly sensitive to the present and future. Yesterday, my sister and I were discussing how extraordinary it was for a man so rooted in the Yeshiva world of Europe to be so aware of the different needs of American students.

What happens when a situation demands an entirely new type of leader? The Rambam was unlike anyone before him; his approaches disconcerted the established rabbinic authorities of his time. The Baal Shem Tov responded to the unique demands of the post Shabtai Tzvi and Chelministki pogroms with an entirely new approach. He certainly shook up the establishment! We then have the iconoclasts who define themselves as such in imitation of the Baal Shem Tov. They present themselves as “unique” in imitation of someone else!

Which takes us back to Moshe: His generation, the slaves in Egypt, needed a leader who was different from the Patriarchs and Joseph. We suggested in “All in the Family,” that when the people “forgot” Joseph they were severing a link to the past. Perhaps, it was an expression of a deeper sense of disconnect; a sense that even Joseph would be unable to save them from their current situation. No wonder Moshe insists to God, “They will not believe in me!” They need a leader who will carry them as an alate protector, “On the wings of eagles,” not someone with a speech impediment!

Even if he can perform a bunch of miracles and claim them as signs; What kind of leader is Moshe projecting? We know that he wants to insert God into their vocabulary, (see “Debate Performance”) and succeeds only to disappoint them when their situation gets worse. Moshe begins to wonder what kind of leader he will be (“A Leader’s Spirit.”)

We will explore his decision making as we began in “Moment to Decide,” and attempt to diagnose the symptoms exhibited by the nation he was to lead.

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Learn & discover the Divine prophecies with Rabbi Simcha Weinberg from the holy Torah, Jewish Law, Mysticism, Kabbalah and Jewish Prophecies. The Foundation Stone™ is the ultimate resource for Jews, Judaism, Jewish Education, Jewish Spirituality & the holy Torah.

Moshe and Aaron threaten Pharaoh with the plague of blood, and they leave. We are not privy to Pharaoh’s response. What did he say in response?

Moshe and Aaron threaten Pharaoh with the plague of frogs and they leave. We are not told what Pharaoh said. Did the two brothers make their threat and simply walk out without waiting for an answer? Did they turn to leave wondering if Pharaoh would say, “Hold on a minute, let’s negotiate”?

There is a pause in the Torah’s text; a “Petucha” an open paragraph, indicating some time in between. Pharaoh and his magicians were left wondering. No one said a word. The servants were far too intimidated to raise their questions to their Pharaoh. The king could not laugh off the possibility that Moshe’s threats were very real. Egypt had barely survived the first plague, the blood.

Moshe was as good as his word. The frogs came.

Did Pharaoh wonder whether his royal court was beginning to question his sanity?

Did the palace guard begin to wonder about what was next?

Did the people begin to realize how much of their suffering was self-imposed?

When did this switch from a simple battle to preserve an important part of the Egyptian economy to becoming a battle of wills?

Perhaps these questions are the reason that the Haggadah teaches us that each plague was actually 4 or 5 plagues.

There’s more…

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Learn & discover the Divine prophecies with Rabbi Simcha Weinberg from the holy Torah, Jewish Law, Mysticism, Kabbalah and Jewish Prophecies. The Foundation Stone™ is the ultimate resource for Jews, Judaism, Jewish Education, Jewish Spirituality & the holy Torah.

Did you hear the one about the guy who walks into the throne room of the most powerful emperor on earth and say, “My God demands that you destroy your economy and acknowledge His power?” The emperor says, “Who let this guy in? Whoever it was, kill him!”

You haven’t heard it, well, neither have I. In fact, that is not exactly what happened. Yes, Moshe did walk enter and make demands, but Pharaoh deals with it strategically and makes things worse for the Children of Israel.

How did Moshe get into the palace for the second time for his ill-fated snake trick? He claims to be speaking for the Greatest Power and all he can pull off is the old stick turns into snake trick! Harry Potter could do that.

What was Pharaoh thinking this entire time? Would a powerful emperor allow someone into his palace to threaten him?

I can imagine his adopted grandson, Moshe being allowed into Pharaoh for the first time in 40 or more years since grandpa wanted Moshe dead. We do not read of Pharaoh trying to kill Moshe. I would have.

Did his astrologers not tell him that someone would come to topple him? Did Moshe not fit all the criteria? What was Pharaoh thinking?

Pharaoh was intrigued. Moshe walks in, claiming to speak for this Infinite Power, and yet, the Power wants Pharaoh to cooperate. The Power is not threatening to force the freedom. God wants Pharaoh to grant his permission. Why?

If God has such power, why is he even asking me?

Pharaoh was intrigued. Moshe was granted entry to the throne room.

That is exactly how God “strengthened” Pharaoh’s heart, long before God “hardened” the king’s will.

There’s more…

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Antonio Stradivarius, wandering in Venice one day, came upon a pile of broken, waterlogged oars, out of which he made some of his most beautiful violins.

“I do not seek, I find,” was Picasso’s famous dictum.

A lucky find gave Picasso one of his most famous sculptural creations: Guess how I made that head of a bull. One day, in a rubbish heap, I found an old bicycle seat, lying beside a rusted handlebar and my mind instantly linked them together. The idea for this Tete de Taureau came to me before I even realized it. I just soldered them together. (Picasso 157)

While Stradivarius and Picasso celebrated the hermaion – “a gift of Hermes, whose gifts entail both finding and losing, I celebrate a different sort of finding in this week’s portion.

I find it difficult to get the idea of the similarity between Motzi – to take out, as in “take out of Egypt, and Motzei – to find. Perhaps, I too, am simply soldering them together, but am convinced that the portion – Vaeira – and I appeared – is not only about God appearing to the Egyptians, but also about Moshe appearing to himself and all the Children of Israel finding themselves; something they must do before they can leave.

The plagues described in this week’s portion do not directly address Israel at all. It seems as if they were not asked to do anything, even think or reflect, and yet, what happened to them as they observed Moshe striking their masters on God’s behalf, and the fact that they were perfectly safe? What were they thinking? How did they feel?

Did Moshe change from the man who argued, “Who am I to go to Pharaoh,” to a more confident leader? Did he find new parts of himself?

As Moshe found himself, and as the Children of Israel found themselves, the process of Yetzia – leaving – began with the finding.

I want to explore the inner process of the Jews in this week’s portion with the few hints we are given.

Please join me.

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Learn & discover the Divine prophecies with Rabbi Simcha Weinberg from the holy Torah, Jewish Law, Mysticism, Kabbalah and Jewish Prophecies. The Foundation Stone™ is the ultimate resource for Jews, Judaism, Jewish Education, Jewish Spirituality & the holy Torah.

I once watched a drunken man running down the street in the rain, weaving from one side to the other. When I asked him what he was doing, he responded, “I’m running through the raindrops!”

I’m not drunk. I’m not even running. I can walk, even stand between the hailstones. They just won’t fall on me.

It all began yesterday. Egyptians were running around warning each other that another plague was on its way, and that Moses promised that whoever was inside, and all animals that were brought inside, would be safe. Pharaoh’s Royal Guards are trying to stop anyone from bringing their animals inside. “Anyone who brings his animals inside will be prosecuted for treason!” They have large chariots with megaphones passing up and down every street warning the Egyptians not to hide their animals.

My next-door neighbor is terrified. He doesn’t know whether to ignore Pharaoh’s troops, who have been decimated by the plagues, and to acknowledge God’s power and hide his animals, or to remain loyal to Pharaoh.

There is a civil war brewing. They hate each other now as much as they hated us. My neighbor went with God. He was too scared to ignore the warning. He doesn’t have any faith in Pharaoh’s ability to protect or even hurt him. Some diehards painted “Traitor!” all over his house.

We woke up to a perfectly quiet morning. When I went to the local Starbucks I saw that there was a cloud of hail over each Egyptian, his home and animals, while the sky was perfectly clear for me.

The hail was incredible: there were actually flames burning inside each hailstone! The Egyptians were running around like that drunken man, but their clouds followed them wherever they went.

They are all covering their ears because they hear a constant terrifying thunder. Interesting, because I don’t hear anything.

They are standing at their windows yelling out to us; “Forgive us! Please!” Rumor has it that even Pharaoh has acknowledged his sins and declared that God is righteous.

It won’t be long before this is all over. Their crops are destroyed. Most of their flocks have been decimated. The BNN reported that Egypt will have to import food for the first time in centuries. The food basket of the world, developed by Joseph, whom they chose to “forget,” has become a basket case.

I still don’t understand why God is waiting for Pharaoh to let us go. If He is so powerful, why does He need Pharaoh’s permission? If He keeps all this up, even those of us who want to stay in Egypt, won’t be welcome. The Egyptians will force all of us to leave.

Do you think that’s why God is dragging this out?

There is Moses walking outside the city. He’s stretching out his hands to God, The thunder stopped. The hailstones are not moving and just floating in the air. It’s perfectly still. Nothing is moving. It’s as if God is telling us that nothing has changed.

Is He waiting for us?

One minute; Moshe’s representatives are running through the streets announcing a gathering of all the Jews. I’ll let you know what he says. You’ll have to wait till after Shabbat.

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We were gathered outside at the local well discussing Moses’s most recent lecture on The Patriarchs, and everything that has happened and changed over the last few months. All of a sudden a dark cloud filled the sky and dust began to fall over the Egyptians and everything they owned.

The way God protected us from lice was awesome, but I have to tell you that when even dust falls only on Egyptians and not on us, it is even more mind blowing. It was as if the dust was directed by radar! How does God do these things?

The dust, soot actually, stopped falling. We watched the Egyptians brush the dust off their faces and clothes. They were spooked. As we watched, blisters and boils just popped out all over their skin. It’s gross.

At this point, we are no longer frightened of catching anything from them, but we stayed far away. The Egyptians looked so disgusting that we couldn’t even go near them, although they have been doing their best to stay far away from us ever since these plagues began. Even their animals are covered in those horrible, pus-filled boils.

We can hear their moans and cries coming from their homes. They can barely move. Once in a while an Egyptians limps outside to get water from the well, and we can see that their boils are steadily increasing in number and size. I’ve known these people all my life, and I can’t even look at them.

One guy said to me, “Do you remember how they would look at us as less than human? They would pretend not to see us, as if we were less than human. Even the “nice” ones would look away to pretend that there were no concentration camps in their neighborhood. I hope they understand what it’s like when someone won’t even look at you as a human being!”

I find it very interesting that in last night’s lecture, Moshe compared what happened to the animals in the previous plague, when God separated between the Egyptian and the Jewish flocks, to when Jacob and Laban separated their herds. He explained that Jacob always acted in a way that would compel people to see themselves. He acted like Eisav so that Eisav would experience what it was like to interact with Eisav. Jacob did the same thing with Laban.

That is exactly what is happening with the boils: The Egyptians are experiencing all the things they did to us. We lived in filthy conditions and got lice, boils and blisters and now it’s happening to them.

I think that God has a great sense of humor, but I must admit that I am nervous because what will happen to me when I do something wrong?

Last night, Moshe said that when God separated our flocks from the Egyptians’, He was teaching us that we must act differently from the Egyptians. Are these punishments what will happen to us if we don’t act differently?

God is awesome. God is powerful. God protects us, but I’m beginning to question how we will have to live in order to preserve that protection.

Some of my friends disagree: “What have we done to earn these miracles and this protection? God will always protect us!”

There are already divisions among us. Some people are planning to go with Moshe wherever he leads them. Some are too frightened of God to follow Moshe. Others, such as myself, have yet to make up our minds.

What would you do?

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Learn & discover the Divine prophecies with Rabbi Simcha Weinberg from the holy Torah, Jewish Law, Mysticism, Kabbalah and Jewish Prophecies. The Foundation Stone™ is the ultimate resource for Jews, Judaism, Jewish Education, Jewish Spirituality & the holy Torah.

My children had always dreamed of visiting the Royal Egyptian Zoo. They would watch with envy, as the Egyptian School Chariots would take each grade to visit Pharaoh’s private zoo. It bothered them even more when they would see families crowd into their station wagons for a visit to that magical place.

To be honest with you, I think it bothered me even more than it bothered my children. I always wanted to be able to take my family on a trip, but I worked six days each week, and, quite frankly, slaves weren’t welcome in the Royal Zoo.

Well, the zoo came to us! We woke up to all sorts of roars and growls, and were too scared to go outside. My five-year old son was sure that the wild beasts marauding through the streets wouldn’t bother any of the Jews, so he, despite his mother’s desperate yells, went outside. I am watching my sullen, quiet boy change into a confident and self-assured young man.

He was right. The animals stayed away from our property and from us. The Egyptians are watching us through their windows as we play with and pet the lions, tigers and crocodiles. They think we have become supermen!

Moses and Aaron have been discussing our potential to become “great” in their lectures, and we all, not just my boy, have a different self-perception. Moses and Aaron keep on telling us that a relationship with God will empower us. We will always have the opportunity to feel that He cares for us as individuals, and will help us achieve our potential.

They also remind us that we must leave Egypt and head toward Israel with a stop at some mountain along the way, in order to fully achieve this potential.

I didn’t want to leave Egypt. I was happy once the slave work ended, but everything has changed. My wife is already planning for the move. For some reason, she went to the music store to buy a small drum for her to use when she sings about God’s miracles. The kids are dreaming about the most elaborate miracles happening when we leave. For them, it’s not “if,” but “when.”

Would a responsible father just follow Moses and Aaron out of Egypt? What do you think I should do?

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The Egyptians have been outside since the Wild Beasts disappeared. They are learning how to do their own work, and they are not doing a very good job: their animals are dying. Some of them are pulling their animals into their barns. I hear conflicting reports: A rabbi named Rashi is saying that only animals that are outside are dying. Some other rabbis, Ramban and Rabbeinu Bachya, are saying that even the animals inside are dying.

It was a little scary today. We were outside taking care of our animals when Pharaoh’s personal troops came marching into our neighborhood. The children have this magical belief in God and aren’t frightened. I’ll admit that I was terrified. These guys are monsters!

I almost fainted when they knocked at my door. “Sweetheart, you don’t have to be scared,’ said my wife, “they never knocked before. They would just barge in. Answer the door.”

I opened the door and there was this giant soldier with his helmet in his arm facing me. He looked more scared than did I!

“Excuse me sir.”

“Sir,” I wondered. One of Pharaoh’s elite troops is calling me sir?

“May we check your animals?”

“Why? None of our animals are sick.”

“None of your animals,” he asked.

“That’s right. Not a single one. You won’t find a single Jewish family that lost an animal to this disease.”

“Thank you, sir. Pharaoh is searching for a single Jewish animal that died.”

“Why?”

“Because he refuses to believe that God can protect you so well and that this isn’t a normal case of mad cow disease.”

“Are you telling me that the great Pharaoh is looking for a single animal to die in order to prove to himself that this isn’t a Divine plague?”

“Yes sir,” he replied with a sheepish grin. “I think he’s desperate.”

When the soldiers left, my wife remarked, “Even his own soldiers know that he is a fool. I wonder why they remain loyal.”

It was embarrassing to hear my wife describe Pharaoh as a fool. Look at how long it took me to believe in God and Moses. Was I being a fool?

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Learn & discover the Divine prophecies with Rabbi Simcha Weinberg from the holy Torah, Jewish Law, Mysticism, Kabbalah and Jewish Prophecies. The Foundation Stone™ is the ultimate resource for Jews, Judaism, Jewish Education, Jewish Spirituality & the holy Torah.

When we walked outside this morning, we saw all the Egyptians scratching away. They were covered with lice. We all immediately ran to the local Sam HaChaim Pharmacy to pick up lice shampoo and sprays, only to find a large crowd gather around Aaron, Moses’ brother. Chaim the pharmacist was placing large cases of Nix and Licenex shampoos in front of his store.

“I hope the Egyptians do business with you,” Aaron said to him, “none of the Jews will need it.”

“Excuse me rabbi,” Chaim responded, “but you can never be too careful with lice.”

Aaron smiled, “Do you see anyone here scratching their heads? People start itching when they just see others scratching. Not a single Jew will get lice, or even itch.”

We looked around at each other and quickly realized that it was true; no one was scratching. “But, how…” we wondered.

“God is not only punishing the Egyptians, He is protecting each one of you,” said Aaron. “By the way, my brother and I will be lecturing on our heritage this evening at the local slave union office,” and he walked away.

Chaim the pharmacist was upset about all the business he lost, but Aaron turned back and said something very strange, “You will leave Egypt with a fortune of money. All of you. Don’t worry. See you at the lectures.”

This was becoming stranger by the moment. Even the Egyptians were responding differently to this plague than they had to Blood and Frogs. It seems that even their great sorcerers were stumped by this plague. Our former “masters” now looked at us with respect. It’s funny, because I can see that we are all walking with more confidence and hope.

This feeling of God protecting us is remarkable. It’s actually mind-boggling. How can He control even tiny lice and make sure that not a single one lands on a Jew? I’m going to tonight’s lecture. Hope to see you there.

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Learn & discover the Divine prophecies with Rabbi Simcha Weinberg from the holy Torah, Jewish Law, Mysticism, Kabbalah and Jewish Prophecies. The Foundation Stone™ is the ultimate resource for Jews, Judaism, Jewish Education, Jewish Spirituality & the holy Torah.