Happy Thursday once again everyone! Today’s Parsha is a pretty famous one- Va’era from Exodus. For a refresher:
The Parsha starts out with a reluctant Moshe informing the Israelites that G-d will soon free them. They are skeptical. Moshe’s next job is to go to Pharaoh, and tells him (through Aaron’s verbal assistance) to “let my people go”. Pharaoh requests Moshe prove G-d’s power. So Aaron throws down his rod down and it turns into a snake. Pharaoh brings out his magicians, and they are able to do the same. However, Aaron’s/G-d’s snake devours the others. Pharaoh refuses to let the Israelites go.
The rest of the Parsha takes us throught he first seven plagues, up through Barad, or hail. The plagues are Dam (blood), Tzefardia (frogs), Kinim (lice), Arov (wild animals), Dever (pestilance), Schechin (boils), Barad (hail), Arbeh (locusts), Choschech (darkness), Makkat Bechorot (death of first born).
After each plague Pharaoh's refuses to let the Israelites go. It also says that G-d hardens Pharaoh’s heart. There is a lot of ink spilled by our greatest philosophers on this “hardening the heart” thing with relationship to free will. Some say the plagues were too incredible and terrifying for Pharoah to make a moral choice of his own without the hardening of heart, so in this way G-d assisted him with free will. Others say it was a necessity for G-d’s broader plan. I have also read that the only free will we have is the way in which we do a thing, and our internal feelings about it.
At one point during one of the plagues (I think pestilence, but I’m having trouble sourcing it), which was incredibly hard on the Egyptians, his magicians beg him to relent. We had an interesting conversation in a Torah study group this week about what the implications of the request are. After all, if these folks are willing to recognize G-d’s power and sovereignty, and wish do to as G-d is telling them, how is it that punishing them for Pharaoh's actions is just? This issue has resonance throughout history.
In any case, lots to discuss, and lots that’s relevant to today. What do folks think? How is everyone doing? As always, this is our Thursday open thread for the Jewish community here. If you’re not Jewish, you’re still welcome, but please take this moment to listen more than speak.