Parsha Paragraphs
Rabbi Naftali Moshe Kassorla
Parshat Va’eira 5779
Unreflective Reflexes
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Sra Frida Ferdose bat Rivka
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This week's Parsha begins the מכות that Hashem will bring down upon Egypt. Hashem commands Moshe to confront פרעה with a miracle – turning his staff into a snake – to show that Moshe is Hashem’s shaliach. פרעה summons the חרטומים - the “wise men and sorcerers” (7:11) and they manage to copy Moshe. Later, Moshe and Aharon, confront פרעה and warn him of the first plague: the changing of the Nile to blood, and the death of the fish in it. Aharon strikes the Nile and it turns to blood. Again פרעה has the חרטומים copy this.
In describing פרעה’s reaction to the מכה, the Torah tells us: ויפן פרעה ויבא אל־ביתו ולא־שת לבו גם־לזאת - “Pharoah turned and went home, and he paid no heed, even to this.” Rashi explains, “ולא־שת לבו: to the נס of the staff which was changed into a snake and also not to that of the blood” (7:23).
However, we already know from the previous pesukim that when the חרטומים copied the miracles: “פרעה’s heart stiffened and he did not heed them…” (7:11) and “when the Egyptian sorcerers did the same with their spells, פרעה’s heart became hard, and he did not heed them…” (7:22)
What is the Torah adding by telling us again that פרעה did not take listen or care? And what connection is there between the beginning of the verse “פרעה turned and went home..” to the end of the verse that “he paid no heed.”
I believe the answer lies within ourselves. There are times in life when we are inspired to overcome a challenge or a bad habit, to finally make that change that we know we so desperately need.
Yet so often, those feelings which have grabbed us seem to vanish. This can leave us feeling without direction, and dejected - the feeling of helplessness and incapability only solidified further.
But the most important thing to do - to keep that moment, is to quickly act upon it: to write a note, or do something concrete - immediately.
But what ends up happening? What do we do that kills that moment? We return to our daily routine, unchanged. We miss opportunities to grow when we go back to what feels familiar, to our “comfort-zone”. There we can forget and ignore the inspiration we experienced.
With this in mind we can now, understand the parsha. Upon seeing ניסים גלויים that only a fool could ignore, פרעה should have taken a moment to stop and reflect. Even after his own sorcerers copied Moshe, he could have seen Hashem’s יד. The Sforno says that פרעה should have questioned what he saw. For the makkah of Moshe killed the fish. But the חרטומים only changed the color of the water. If only Pharaoh had stopped and thought a bit, he would have noticed this obvious difference.
Yet, what does פרעה do? Does he take a minute to stop and think? No, instead he turns and goes home; he returns to his comfort-zone, his familiar surroundings, and ultimately, to the same self as before. This seemingly insignificant action, of ויבא אל־ביתו inevitably led to: ולא שת ליבו גם לזאת. That moment, that chance to reflect, was lost. Thus, it was only natural that פרעה would not take anything to heart. But not only that, this refusal to think, ultimately would be his undoing.
For ourselves, all too often, we allow moments of התעוררת to slip away. But when we realize that it's in our hands to seize them and build on them we can actually grow. Unlike Pharoah, we have the desire to become better, can then use these moments to achieve our goals.
Shabbat Shalom
