Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Shmot
- Va'era
The 7th plague (Hail) destroys the crops of Egypt. But the wheat & spelt are saved, as the pasuk says, "Ki Afilot Hayna." Rashi explains: These 2 species bloom later, & because they were soft & not yet standing, they survived the hail. But Rashi also brings a Medrash on the unusual word, "Afilot" & relates it to Pele-miracle, saying that this aspect of the plague was indeed a wonder of wonders, a miracle of miracles! (Apologies to Mottel Kamzoil).
Rav Moshe Feinstein asks: Was the fact that the wheat & spelt were spared deserving of such extreme hyperbole, a "miracle of miracles?!" And so he maintains that this was G-d holding back His attribute of Justice, refraining by Divine decision from exercising the full force of the plague, & that is a momentous thing indeed. Perhaps He did this to offer Paro an out (Paro could say the plague was not 100% effective & so remain obstinate); perhaps it allowed the Egyptians to continue their oppression, so as to be brought completely to their knees later on ("When the wicked grow as grass, it is so that they may be totally cut down in due time," says Tehilim 92).
But I see another profound lesson at work here. We Jews live in a world where we are constantly under threat. Half the world directly attacks, assaults or condemns us, while the other half sits by & is deathly silent in the face of these obscenities. We ask: Why doesn’t Hashem punish them? Why are they free to carry out their Barbaric, Despicable, Sickening (BDS) actions? Why does G-d hold Himself back from dispensing the justice due them?
Perhaps G-d hopes the world will do Teshuva. Perhaps He waits for just the right moment to strike the evil-doers. Or perhaps He wants us to realize just how blessed we are, that our People, small in number but giant in stature, can withstand any & all forces arrayed against us, & still continue to thrive & flourish. Virtually the entire planet can harbor ill will towards us, yet we go on & on, unstoppable. That may just be the greatest of all miracles.
The essential question is: Do we ourselves recognize the ongoing miracle in which we live?!
DO WE DESERVE REDEMPTION? “Blood, Covenant, and Return”- Parshat VaEra
Rabbi Ari Shvat | Tevet 5786
Parashat Hashavua: “With a Strong Hand He Will Expel Them from His Land
Harav Shaul Yisraeli – from Siach Shaul, p. 205-6
Rabbi Yossef Carmel | Tevet 5785
Present or Inheritance... or Both?
Various Rabbis | Tevet 5768
The Reluctant Hero
Rabbi Stewart Weiss | Shvat 1 5781
Rabbi Stewart Weiss
Was ordained at the Hebrew Theological College in Skokie, Illinois, and led congregations in Chicago and Dallas prior to making Aliyah in 1992. He directs the Jewish Outreach Center in Ra'anana, helping to facilitate the spiritual absorption of new olim.
Shul “etiquette:” can we honor Hashem while respecting our fellow congregants?
Iyar 5783
In My Life, I’ve Loved Them All
20 Elul 5783
What Is the Connection Between Jews and Almonds?
Sivan 29 5781
