Parshat Va'Eira
When Moshe and Aharon brought forth the various plagues, we sometimes find that the Egyptian wizards performed the same plague so as to show that Moshe's plague was just plain witchcraft rather than an act of God.
We find examples of this in 7:22 and 8:3 among other places.
People choose to be blind. They choose to reject what they see and understand, if it is not convenient. Moshe and Aharon were not performing magic tricks. They were not saying look how pwerful we are, we can do this trick or that trick. They were transmitting messages from Hashem and the specific magic "tricks" they performed were messages, signs and warnings for Pharoah.
Yet Pharoah chose to ignore it all simply because his magicians were able to replicate some of the specific tricks.
Note that they were not able to reverse the "magic" and turn the Nile River back into water from blood, or remove the frogs. Just the fact that they could replicate, at least in part, the "magic" that allowed Pharoah to remain in denial and choose to ignore what he saw.
The old adage "Seeing is Believing" is not really true. A person sees what he wants to see and hears what he wants to hear. Hashem can be sending you direct messages, but if you refuse to open your eyes and your mind, you can deny having ever received them.
Showing posts with label Pharoah. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pharoah. Show all posts
Thursday, January 03, 2008
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Va'Yehi: knowing your place
Parshat Va'Yehi
In 50:4-5 we find Yosef asking Pharoah for permission to go and bury his dead father.
1. It says Yosef spoke to the house of Pharoah and requested they pass on his request to Pharoah.
Wasn't Yosef the "Second to the King"? Why did he have to go through Pharoah's secretary for this? why could he not just go right to Pharoah and ask for himself? Yosef just spent about 14 years running Egypt and saving it from collapse in the famine, you would think he had Pharoah's ear and could ask him what he wanted when he wanted...
2. Why did Yosef need Pharoah's permission to go bury his father? Yosef just saved Egypt from collapse. He is second to the king. He is responsible for making the most important decisions in Egypt over the past 14 years or so. And Yosef needs to ask permission to go bury his dead father?
My only suggestion is that despite Yosef's importance, when something becomes personal previous relationships do not matter. Pharoah was concerned to let Yosef leave Egypt. He was concerned about letting Yaakov be buried outside of Egypt. These possibilities held a threat, Pharoah perceived at least, to Egypt. So it did not matter how important Yosef was. With Pharoah perceiving a threat, Yosef's importance was insignificant to him. He made sure to let Yosef know that in this regard he could not move without Pharoah's permission.
It is an important lesson about knowing your place and not thinking you have a free pass based on previous actions.
Anybody have something better?
In 50:4-5 we find Yosef asking Pharoah for permission to go and bury his dead father.
1. It says Yosef spoke to the house of Pharoah and requested they pass on his request to Pharoah.
Wasn't Yosef the "Second to the King"? Why did he have to go through Pharoah's secretary for this? why could he not just go right to Pharoah and ask for himself? Yosef just spent about 14 years running Egypt and saving it from collapse in the famine, you would think he had Pharoah's ear and could ask him what he wanted when he wanted...
2. Why did Yosef need Pharoah's permission to go bury his father? Yosef just saved Egypt from collapse. He is second to the king. He is responsible for making the most important decisions in Egypt over the past 14 years or so. And Yosef needs to ask permission to go bury his dead father?
My only suggestion is that despite Yosef's importance, when something becomes personal previous relationships do not matter. Pharoah was concerned to let Yosef leave Egypt. He was concerned about letting Yaakov be buried outside of Egypt. These possibilities held a threat, Pharoah perceived at least, to Egypt. So it did not matter how important Yosef was. With Pharoah perceiving a threat, Yosef's importance was insignificant to him. He made sure to let Yosef know that in this regard he could not move without Pharoah's permission.
It is an important lesson about knowing your place and not thinking you have a free pass based on previous actions.
Anybody have something better?
Friday, December 14, 2007
Va'Yigash: a bold offer
Parshat Va'Yigash
45:18 - Yosef told the brothers to come live in the land of Goshen and he would support them. Pharoah went even further and promised that they would be given the best of the Land of Egyp and eat from the fat of the land.
It was pretty bold of Pharoah to promise such a luxurious lifestyle, and it was pretty daring of them to accept such a promise - Egypt was in the middle of the worst famine in its history. Where would they get "the fat of the land" to give the brothers when they barely had enough bread to feed their own citizens?
But they all had complete emunah in Hashem. They all knew the situation was temporary and even though it looked bleak, they knew there was a purpose and would be an end to it.
Pharoah knew, Yosef knew, and the brothers knew.
Therefore because of this great emunah they had, Pharoah was able to make such a generous and bold offer, and they were able to accept it.
45:18 - Yosef told the brothers to come live in the land of Goshen and he would support them. Pharoah went even further and promised that they would be given the best of the Land of Egyp and eat from the fat of the land.
It was pretty bold of Pharoah to promise such a luxurious lifestyle, and it was pretty daring of them to accept such a promise - Egypt was in the middle of the worst famine in its history. Where would they get "the fat of the land" to give the brothers when they barely had enough bread to feed their own citizens?
But they all had complete emunah in Hashem. They all knew the situation was temporary and even though it looked bleak, they knew there was a purpose and would be an end to it.
Pharoah knew, Yosef knew, and the brothers knew.
Therefore because of this great emunah they had, Pharoah was able to make such a generous and bold offer, and they were able to accept it.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
The end-game is near
Parshat Bo
By the plague of חשך - darkness, the plague brings thick darkness for three days. Then Pharoah calls Moshe and tells him that he has reconsidered and is letting them go to pray in the desert, but only with the animals they need for sacrificing to God. The rest of the cattle needs to stay behind in Egypt (sort of a gaurantee that they will come back). Moshe rejects that and insists that they be allowed out with no restrictions.
In 10:27, one verse later, Hashem hardens Pharoah's and Pharoah no longer wants to let them go, and then throws Moshe and Aharon out of the palace.
This whole discussion between Moshe and Pharoah must have taken place after the plague had already concluded. During the plague itself, we know nobody was able to move, so this could only have taken place after the plague had finished.
This is different than by all the other plagues. In the other plagues, while it was ravaging Egypt, Pharoah pleaded with Moshe to remove it, and he agreed to let them out and then changed his mind after the plague. Or Moshe removed the plague on his own and then brought a new plague, with no discussion between him and Pharoah.
For Pharoah to agree to his demands (in theory) after the plague had concluded is something new.
By the other plagues it was clear he was agreeing to let the Jews go just as a way of gettng the plague cancelled. When the plague was no longer, he was then open to having his heart hardened and change his mind.
This time is different as the plague concludes, then Pharoah agrees to Moshe, then he changes his mind. There is no change from when he agreed to when he changed his mind.
It is clear from the plague of darkness that all semblance of "free will" is gone. While Hashem has been hardening Pharoah's heart, until now He has done it in a way that looks natural. Now he is dropping all appearances. The end-game is near. The level has been ratcheted up a couple of notches. We are in the bottom of the ninth and it is time to get serious.
By the plague of חשך - darkness, the plague brings thick darkness for three days. Then Pharoah calls Moshe and tells him that he has reconsidered and is letting them go to pray in the desert, but only with the animals they need for sacrificing to God. The rest of the cattle needs to stay behind in Egypt (sort of a gaurantee that they will come back). Moshe rejects that and insists that they be allowed out with no restrictions.
In 10:27, one verse later, Hashem hardens Pharoah's and Pharoah no longer wants to let them go, and then throws Moshe and Aharon out of the palace.
This whole discussion between Moshe and Pharoah must have taken place after the plague had already concluded. During the plague itself, we know nobody was able to move, so this could only have taken place after the plague had finished.
This is different than by all the other plagues. In the other plagues, while it was ravaging Egypt, Pharoah pleaded with Moshe to remove it, and he agreed to let them out and then changed his mind after the plague. Or Moshe removed the plague on his own and then brought a new plague, with no discussion between him and Pharoah.
For Pharoah to agree to his demands (in theory) after the plague had concluded is something new.
By the other plagues it was clear he was agreeing to let the Jews go just as a way of gettng the plague cancelled. When the plague was no longer, he was then open to having his heart hardened and change his mind.
This time is different as the plague concludes, then Pharoah agrees to Moshe, then he changes his mind. There is no change from when he agreed to when he changed his mind.
It is clear from the plague of darkness that all semblance of "free will" is gone. While Hashem has been hardening Pharoah's heart, until now He has done it in a way that looks natural. Now he is dropping all appearances. The end-game is near. The level has been ratcheted up a couple of notches. We are in the bottom of the ninth and it is time to get serious.
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
making Pharoah a friar
Parshat Va'Eira
In Chapter 9 we encounter Moshe bring upon the Egyptians the plague of "Dever" - plague/disease . Moshe approaches Pharoah and warns him that if he refuses to "Let my people go" he will bring about the next in the series of plagues. He goes on to describe it saying the hand of God will smite your cattle, horses, etc., a very serious plague. In 9:4 we see Moshe add a discrimination. he says, "Hashem will distinguish betwene your cattle and the cattle of the Jews and none of the Jews' cattle will die".
Why did he have to add this remark? He never added it by any of the previous plagues, so why now? Anyway, Pharoah probably aready realized that no Jew would be affected, just as they were not affected by any of the previous plagues. So why did Moshe have to mention it this time?
After seeing Pharoah change his mind after each of the previous plagues, Moshe felt it was time to up the ante. Killing animals might not even have been such a big deal in Pharoahs eyes. Sure it is bad, and the financial loss could have been devastating, but thinking of what the Egyptians had already suffered through and were going to suffer through, the animals dropping dead does not seem like such a big deal.
It might well have been easier, at least psychologically, for Pharoah to have gotten through this one than any of the others.
So Moshe "dug it in". He rubbed salt in Pharoah's royal wounds. He told Pharoah that not only are your cattle and animals going to drop dead, but the Jews will not lose even a single head of cattle. That is an infuriating thing to be told. It would have enraged Pharoah. In today's terms, nobody wants to look like a "friar" and that is exactly what Moshe is doing to Pharoah.
That statement of Moshe's might have been even worse than the actual plague.
In Chapter 9 we encounter Moshe bring upon the Egyptians the plague of "Dever" - plague/disease . Moshe approaches Pharoah and warns him that if he refuses to "Let my people go" he will bring about the next in the series of plagues. He goes on to describe it saying the hand of God will smite your cattle, horses, etc., a very serious plague. In 9:4 we see Moshe add a discrimination. he says, "Hashem will distinguish betwene your cattle and the cattle of the Jews and none of the Jews' cattle will die".
Why did he have to add this remark? He never added it by any of the previous plagues, so why now? Anyway, Pharoah probably aready realized that no Jew would be affected, just as they were not affected by any of the previous plagues. So why did Moshe have to mention it this time?
After seeing Pharoah change his mind after each of the previous plagues, Moshe felt it was time to up the ante. Killing animals might not even have been such a big deal in Pharoahs eyes. Sure it is bad, and the financial loss could have been devastating, but thinking of what the Egyptians had already suffered through and were going to suffer through, the animals dropping dead does not seem like such a big deal.
It might well have been easier, at least psychologically, for Pharoah to have gotten through this one than any of the others.
So Moshe "dug it in". He rubbed salt in Pharoah's royal wounds. He told Pharoah that not only are your cattle and animals going to drop dead, but the Jews will not lose even a single head of cattle. That is an infuriating thing to be told. It would have enraged Pharoah. In today's terms, nobody wants to look like a "friar" and that is exactly what Moshe is doing to Pharoah.
That statement of Moshe's might have been even worse than the actual plague.
get rid of the pain
Parshat Va'Eira
Why did Pharoah agree to allow the Jews to leave and then change his mind, after a number of the plagues?
It is true that Hashem hardened his heart and made him unreasonably obstinate, as the passuk says. But why did he agree and then reverse his decision? Why not have his obstinacy all the way through the plague and never agree at all to let them go, rather than saying yes and then changing his mind?
When the plague was in progress, when we are in distress over something, it might be too much to handle and we need to make the problem go away. Sometimes we will even agree to anything just to make the pain go away. Just to get rid of the problem.
But once the pain subsides, once the troubles are gone, the memory fades. In hindsight, it does not seem like it was really that bad.
Only after the troubles have past, when one is in a calm state of mind with relative tranquility can he then think back and say it was not such a big deal and then reverse his decision. During the time it happens, he just wants to get rid of the pain.
Why did Pharoah agree to allow the Jews to leave and then change his mind, after a number of the plagues?
It is true that Hashem hardened his heart and made him unreasonably obstinate, as the passuk says. But why did he agree and then reverse his decision? Why not have his obstinacy all the way through the plague and never agree at all to let them go, rather than saying yes and then changing his mind?
When the plague was in progress, when we are in distress over something, it might be too much to handle and we need to make the problem go away. Sometimes we will even agree to anything just to make the pain go away. Just to get rid of the problem.
But once the pain subsides, once the troubles are gone, the memory fades. In hindsight, it does not seem like it was really that bad.
Only after the troubles have past, when one is in a calm state of mind with relative tranquility can he then think back and say it was not such a big deal and then reverse his decision. During the time it happens, he just wants to get rid of the pain.
another day
Parshat Va'Eira
Moshe and Aharon bring upon Egypt the plague of the frogs. It gets to be so bad that Pharoah calls Moshe and orders him to beseech from Hashem that He stop the plague. Moshe asks when he would like the plague to be cancelled. In 8:6 Pharoah responds and says, "ויאמר למחר" - - And he says Tomorrow.
Pharoah had the oppotunity to say stop it right now and Moshe would have. Yet he chose to request Moshe only cancel the plague the next day. Why did he do this? Why did he want to suffer for another day with the frogs?
The various commentaries tell us that Pharoah suspected Moshe was possibly a magician. If he would say cancel it right now, Moshe would be able to. By saying canel it tomorrow, he is making it more difficult and maybe Moshe would not be able to and he would prove Moshe to be a fraud.
Look at how destructive and harmful גאוה, haughtiness, can be. Pharoah was willing to suffer with the horrid frogs for an extra day just on the chance that he might be able to prove Moshe to be a charlatan and not a messenger of Hashem.
And don't think the plague was not so bad, not such a big deal, that he could just put up with it for another day. It must have been pretty horrible. It already brought Pharoah to his knees and made him agree to Moshe's demands. For that to have happened, it must have been pretty bad.
Yet despite that, he is willing to suffer for another day...
Moshe and Aharon bring upon Egypt the plague of the frogs. It gets to be so bad that Pharoah calls Moshe and orders him to beseech from Hashem that He stop the plague. Moshe asks when he would like the plague to be cancelled. In 8:6 Pharoah responds and says, "ויאמר למחר" - - And he says Tomorrow.
Pharoah had the oppotunity to say stop it right now and Moshe would have. Yet he chose to request Moshe only cancel the plague the next day. Why did he do this? Why did he want to suffer for another day with the frogs?
The various commentaries tell us that Pharoah suspected Moshe was possibly a magician. If he would say cancel it right now, Moshe would be able to. By saying canel it tomorrow, he is making it more difficult and maybe Moshe would not be able to and he would prove Moshe to be a fraud.
Look at how destructive and harmful גאוה, haughtiness, can be. Pharoah was willing to suffer with the horrid frogs for an extra day just on the chance that he might be able to prove Moshe to be a charlatan and not a messenger of Hashem.
And don't think the plague was not so bad, not such a big deal, that he could just put up with it for another day. It must have been pretty horrible. It already brought Pharoah to his knees and made him agree to Moshe's demands. For that to have happened, it must have been pretty bad.
Yet despite that, he is willing to suffer for another day...
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
time to move on
Parshat Sh'mot
In 1:8 we are told a new king arose who did not know Yosef.
Rashi brings two opinions as to what that might mean. One, that it was actually a new king and he did not know Yosef. The second, that after Yosef's death the old king simply changed his decrees and acted as if he did not know Yosef.
How could the Pharoah ignore Yosef like that? Even if it was a new king, how could he have been unfamiliar with Yosef - the guy who ran Egypt for so many years and saved it from famine and was responsible for it becoming a great empire? He had to know Yosef!
And if it was the same old king, how could he ignore Yosef? After all that Yosef had done for him, he simply wipes it all away as if it never happened?
Yosef died. He was no longer a political force. He was not someone to be reckoned with any longer. Once Yosef died, the attitude seems to have been that all previous alliances, all deals, all favors owed, etc.. are no longer relevant.
As soon as it was necessary, the (maybe new) Pharoah simply made all his new alliances with others and his new decrees. Nothing from history mattered, as it was time to move on.
In 1:8 we are told a new king arose who did not know Yosef.
Rashi brings two opinions as to what that might mean. One, that it was actually a new king and he did not know Yosef. The second, that after Yosef's death the old king simply changed his decrees and acted as if he did not know Yosef.
How could the Pharoah ignore Yosef like that? Even if it was a new king, how could he have been unfamiliar with Yosef - the guy who ran Egypt for so many years and saved it from famine and was responsible for it becoming a great empire? He had to know Yosef!
And if it was the same old king, how could he ignore Yosef? After all that Yosef had done for him, he simply wipes it all away as if it never happened?
Yosef died. He was no longer a political force. He was not someone to be reckoned with any longer. Once Yosef died, the attitude seems to have been that all previous alliances, all deals, all favors owed, etc.. are no longer relevant.
As soon as it was necessary, the (maybe new) Pharoah simply made all his new alliances with others and his new decrees. Nothing from history mattered, as it was time to move on.
Monday, December 18, 2006
A marriage of convenience
Parshat Miketz
We read about Yosef's meteoric rise to power and wealth. His interpretation of Pharoah's dreams and following advice finds favor in Pharoah's eyes and he appoints Yosef to the position of the minister responsible for averting the coming famine and implementing the ideas and policies they had discussed.
In 41:45 Pharoah changes Yosef's name to Tzafnas Pane'ah and gives him Osnat the daughter of Potiphar as a wife.
Yosef just got out of jail. He was sitting in jail for a few years after having been out there by Potiphar. He was accused of attempting to rape Mrs. Potiphar, after her really having attempted to seduce him (and failed) and therefore put in jail. Why would Yosef agree to marry Osnat, the daughter of the people who caused him so much pain?
This is not such a difficult question. Yosef saw with Ruah Ha'Kodesh that Osnat was the woman for him to marry, so he ignored all the side issues because he knew she was his bashert. It is like Yaakov marrying Lavan's daughters and Yitzhak marrying Lavan's sister. Despite knowing how evil the family was, they knew that these were the women meant to be the mothers of the Jewish Nation, so they ignored the family history and did what they had to do. So Yosef married Osnat.
But, my question is, what was wrong with Pharoah, Mr. Potiphar and Mrs. Potiphar?
Pharoah must have checked why Yosef was in jail (for sure after he took such a liking to Yosef befor he would be willing to appoint him as a minister he would want to know why he had been in jail). He must have been given the reports on the attempted rape of the wife of one of his top men. Why would Pharoah offer the daughter of Potiphar as Yosef's wife? Was there nobody else available for Pharoah to offer in marriage?
And Mr. and Mrs. Potiphar - how did they get involved in this? Mrs. Potiphar was a schemer and she knew Yosef did no worng, but Mr. Potiphar thought Yosef had tried to rape his wife and Mrs. Potiphar at least had to continue putting on the show. How could they agree to let Yosef marry their daughter?
The answer I can suggest is that they were very greedy people. Morals and all that did not make a difference. They saw Yosef was on the rise and they wanted part of the action. They could tell he was moving into a position of power and wealth so they forgot aout all the history and offered their daughter Osnat to be his wife (I would guess they suggested to Pharoah that he offer their daughter to Yosef).
If anybody has a better answer, post it in the comments.
We read about Yosef's meteoric rise to power and wealth. His interpretation of Pharoah's dreams and following advice finds favor in Pharoah's eyes and he appoints Yosef to the position of the minister responsible for averting the coming famine and implementing the ideas and policies they had discussed.
In 41:45 Pharoah changes Yosef's name to Tzafnas Pane'ah and gives him Osnat the daughter of Potiphar as a wife.
Yosef just got out of jail. He was sitting in jail for a few years after having been out there by Potiphar. He was accused of attempting to rape Mrs. Potiphar, after her really having attempted to seduce him (and failed) and therefore put in jail. Why would Yosef agree to marry Osnat, the daughter of the people who caused him so much pain?
This is not such a difficult question. Yosef saw with Ruah Ha'Kodesh that Osnat was the woman for him to marry, so he ignored all the side issues because he knew she was his bashert. It is like Yaakov marrying Lavan's daughters and Yitzhak marrying Lavan's sister. Despite knowing how evil the family was, they knew that these were the women meant to be the mothers of the Jewish Nation, so they ignored the family history and did what they had to do. So Yosef married Osnat.
But, my question is, what was wrong with Pharoah, Mr. Potiphar and Mrs. Potiphar?
Pharoah must have checked why Yosef was in jail (for sure after he took such a liking to Yosef befor he would be willing to appoint him as a minister he would want to know why he had been in jail). He must have been given the reports on the attempted rape of the wife of one of his top men. Why would Pharoah offer the daughter of Potiphar as Yosef's wife? Was there nobody else available for Pharoah to offer in marriage?
And Mr. and Mrs. Potiphar - how did they get involved in this? Mrs. Potiphar was a schemer and she knew Yosef did no worng, but Mr. Potiphar thought Yosef had tried to rape his wife and Mrs. Potiphar at least had to continue putting on the show. How could they agree to let Yosef marry their daughter?
The answer I can suggest is that they were very greedy people. Morals and all that did not make a difference. They saw Yosef was on the rise and they wanted part of the action. They could tell he was moving into a position of power and wealth so they forgot aout all the history and offered their daughter Osnat to be his wife (I would guess they suggested to Pharoah that he offer their daughter to Yosef).
If anybody has a better answer, post it in the comments.
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