B"H

Monday, Tevet 27, 5784 / January 8, 2024

This week’s Parsha, Va’eira, begins with G-d commanding Moshe to tell the Jewish people, "I am G-d, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgment; and I will take you to me for a people and I will be to you a G-d… And I will bring you to The Land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I will give it to you as an inheritance. I am G-d.”

However, when Moshe spoke to the Jewish people and gave them G-d’s message, “They didn't listen to Moshe due to impatience of spirit and cruelty of their bondage." 

Following this, G-d says to Moshe, "Go speak to Pharaoh, King of Egypt that he shall send away the Children of Israel from his land."

Q.  Why does G-d order Moshe to command Pharaoh to free the Children of Israel immediately after we are told that the Children of Israel, didn't listen to Moshe due to impatience of spirit?

A.  We can understand this with the following story about Rabbi Schneur Zalmen, the first Rebbe of Chabad-Lubavitch (1745-1813).  His Yartzeit was last Friday, 24th of Tevet. Rabbi Schneur Zalmen had a Chasid who was a wealthy wine merchant.  Once, the Chasid was notified that two hundred wagons of wine were confiscated by Russian officials at the border.  Upon hearing this he fainted. He had invested everything he owned in this transport and now he would be ruined. They tried to revive him, but each time he remembered his misfortune he fainted again.

When Rabbi Schneur Zalmen heard this, he said, "Tell the merchant not to worry.  His wine is safe." 

The merchant was a strong believer in his Rebbe and as soon as he heard that the Rebbe said that his wagons of wine were safe, he calmed down.  Indeed, they were found safe near the border.

The Chassidim asked the Rebbe, "You claim that you don't perform any miracles, yet we see that you knew that the merchant's wine was safe! Isn't this a miracle?"

The Rebbe answered, "This is no miracle!  Our sages tell us that G-d never gives a person more pain than he can handle.  When I heard that his suffering was beyond his level of endurance, I knew that it was a mistake and that his wine must be safe!"

This explains the above question. When G-d saw that the pain and suffering of the Jewish people was beyond endurance and tolerance, to the extent that they didn't even listen to Moshe about their redemption, G-d immediately told Moshe to go to Pharaoh and tell him to let the Children of Israel out of Egypt!

This is a very important lesson for us.  Whenever we are faced with a difficult situation, we have to remember that G-d doesn’t test us unless He gives us the ability to handle it.

WITH SPECIAL PRAYERS FOR OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN ISRAEL

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY