Dvar Torah for Parshat VaEra

Based on Likutey Halakhot, Hilkhot Ribis 5:30-31

If you are not interested in Shovavim, please skip to the next paragraph. Last week I wrote that those who refrained from eating animal products did so for one 24 hour period during the week. My friend Gavriel corrects me and writes that they did so only from alot hashachar (the crack of dawn) to nightfall. I did some research and sure enough he's right. However, there was at least one Breslover chassid, Reb Shmuel Shapira (obm), who did refrain a full 24 hour period.

I will be in the United States from January 12th for a period of three weeks. If you don't here from me you'll know why. Please pray for me that I be worthy of fulfilling the mitzvah, "Teach them... and speak them... when traveling on the road... " (Deuteronomy 6:7). Thank you.

Now, without going too much into the question of theodicy (why good things happen to bad people as well as the ever popular why bad things happen to good people) we will echo the question that Moshe Rabbeinu (Moses) himself asked God, "...why do You mistreat Your people? Why did You send me" (Exodus 5:22)? You and I might express it this way, "Why do I deserve this?! Why is God putting me through this?!"

If your on your toes you realized that the verse quoted is from parshat Shemot. But it's answered in the opening verses of this week's parsha. "God [answered Moshe]... I revealed Myself to [the Patriarchs merely] as 'God Almighty,' but My [holiest] name YHVH I did not let them know" (ibid. 6:2-3). You're thinking, "That's a good answer for Moshe Rabbeinu (our teacher/master), but what does it mean for me?!"

Reb Noson writes that there are many shades and gradations of both falsehood and truth. As an example of the former he points to what was said in last week's Torah reading. When Moshe Rabbeinu returned to Egypt, he and his brother Aharon (Aaron) started to speak to the Jews about their upcoming redemption. As a result, Pharaoh increased the Jews' workload and spoke against the brothers. "[If they work harder] they will stop paying attention to false ideas" (ibid., 5:9). Reb Noson: "As if Moshe and Aharon's words - that the Jews should serve God - were false! Only [Pharaoh] wanted the "truth" - that the Jews should be his slaves!"

A second, more subtle lie was expressed by Datan and Aviram. When they were sent away by Pharaoh after protesting the additional workload, they met Moshe Rabbeinu and Aharon. Datan and Aviram berated them. "May God... judge you... for making us look bad in Pharaoh's eyes... [and for giving him] a sword with which to kill us" (ibid., 5:21). They claimed that the truth was on their side, that they were right, not Moshe. This despite the fact that they knew that Moshe Rabbeinu was God's choice to free the Jews! Moshe thought that perhaps they were right! And so he asked God what he did.

Moshe Rabbeinu knew the truth: that the jews deserved to be in exile, that taking them out of Egypt would be extremely difficult and despite all the miracles and receiving the Torah, the jews would sin horribly and be driven into exile again and again. So why make them suffer, why bring them out to sin and suffer more?

God's answer was that the truth of His ways in unknowable. Even the Patriarchs - who were the first to reveal the truth, that the world is run and controlled by a loving and kind Creator - did not know and understand His ways as fully as Moshe. But they understood and believed that God's love for man was infinite and His ways inscrutable. Thus they knew that God's unfulfilled promises to them would yet come true in the best possible way.

And that is our answer.

agutn Shabbos!
Shabbat Shalom!