Parshas Va'eira

This week’s Parshas is called, Parshas Va’eira.

In this week’s Parsha by Hashem’s word Moses and Ahron go before the pharaoh again, Pharaoh and told him that G-d had spoken with them and wanted the Jewish people to be set free. Pharoah responded “provide a wonder for yourselves” (to prove yourselves worthy). So like Hashem commanded, Ahron threw his staff down and it became a snake. When the pharaoh saw this he summoned his magicians and had them turn their staffs into snakes just like Ahron did. Then Ahron’s staff swallowed all the other staffs.

Hashem told Moses and Ahron to strike the Nilas (Nile River) and it will turn to blood. So Ahron took his staff and hit the water and it became blood and for seven straight days no water was to be found in all of Egypt. When Pharaoh realized his situation he told Moses that he would free the Jews as soon as he stopped the plague, and when Moses stopped the plague the Pharaoh changed his mind.

Hashem then told them to strike the river again and an infestation of frogs would befall Egypt. So Ahron did as Hashem said and when he struck the river one frog hopped out. The Pharaoh and his officers began laughing at the “infestation” of a single frog, so they approached the frog and stepped on him and when they did he multiplied and every time they would step on or hit a frog it would spit into more frogs. They stepped on the frogs so many times that there were frogs jumping and croaking everywhere. Again, Pharaoh realized his situation he told Moses that he would free the Jews as soon as he stopped the plague, and when Moses stopped the plague the Pharaoh changed his mind.

Next, Hashem told Moses and Ahron to strike the dust. Ahron did and the dust turned into lice. It is brought down that there was so much lice that the Egyptians were walking on three feet of lice and lice were just everywhere! Again the Pharaoh told Moses he would free the Jewish people and when the plague ended he went back on his word.

Then Hashem told Moses and Ahron to warn the Pharaoh that if he would not let them go Hashem would bring a mixture of wild beasts that would destroy their homes and fields. They issued the warning and it was ignored so Hashem brought the wild beasts who ran rampant and destroyed everything in their path. Again pharaoh said the same thing.

The fifth plague was death of animals. During this plague every animal suffered from a terrible epidemic, and just about all of the animals belonging to the Egyptians died. Again Pharaoh begged Moses to stop the plague and that he would free the people, but didn’t hold up to his word.

The sixth plague was blisters. Every Egyptian became covered in large aching blisters.

The seventh and final plague in this week’s Parsha was hail. Now this hail wasn’t just normal hail, this hail was burning balls of ice about the sizes of softballs. Ouch! That’s got to hurt, and trust me I’m sure it did.

Amazingly during all of these plagues the Jewish people were completely unharmed and completely unaffected. Not one of them was even inconvenienced by the plagues. Coincidence? I think not! In school, children near Bar Mitzvah age are taught that nothing is a coincidence and nothing happens because of “luck.” To even believe in luck is to believe in a power other than Hashem. Instead, everything that happens to us is by Hashem’s intervention.

May we all learn that everything that happens to us is hand picked from Hashem our Father in Heaven and when we need some “luck” we should turn our prayers toward our Creator and not rely on anything else. May we embrace everything that comes our way because it’s all a gift from Hashem! –Amen!

HAVE A GREAT SHABBOS AND WEEKEND!

Stay tuned for next week’s Parsha called, Parshas Bo as we learn about the last three plagues – they are heavy duty.