Rabbi Hillel Skolnik’s Torah Spark for Parashat Va’eira

07 Jan Rabbi Hillel Skolnik’s Torah Spark for Parashat Va’eira

This week we read from Parashat Va’eira in which we encounter the first seven of the ten plagues that God brought down upon Egypt. But before those plagues are brought Moshe, as instructed by God, makes a few first attempts at freeing the slaves (one of which took place already in last week’s parasha). As we know, those attempts don’t work and so the plagues are brought down. What makes the difference? Those opening acts were wonders not only brought on by Moses and Aaron but performed by them as well. It was only with the plagues that while they too were brought on my Moses and Aaron, they were clearly performed by God. It was only once there was the combination of these two elements, a human participation in Godly miracles that the stage was set for the redemption of our ancestors. We therefore remember that miracles in our world often require both a human participation as well as a Godly hand in any miracles we hope will take place.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Hillel Skolnik

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