Parashas Va'eira

In this week’s parashah, Hashem tells Moshe how Pharaoh will refuse to release the Jews, and that He will bring plagues that will lead to the Jews’ redemption. “…And I will take out my legions, my nation, the Childen of Israel from Egypt with great judgments. And Egypt will know that I am Hashem as I stretch my hand over Egypt and I take out the Children of Israel from among them” (7:4-5).

This seems to tell us that the purpose of the plagues, of the miracles, and of the Exodus was for Egypt to recognize Hashem’s greatness.

However, at the beginning of Parashas Bo we are told that the reason for the plagues was “and so that you might recount in the ears of your children and your grandchildren that I toyed with the Egyptians…”.

The purpose of the miracles, then, was so that the Jews would acknowledge Hashem’s control of events.

It would seem that the Torah is teaching that each of these reasons would, in of itself, have been adequate reason to bring about the wondrous events that took place.

In Parashas Beshalach, we find that, only days after the Exodus, the Egyptians regretted setting the Jews free and pursued them to the Sea of Reeds. After the Jews crossed safely, the Egyptians all drowned.

Ultimately, then, the Egyptians recognized Hashem only for those few days and for their final moments as they drowned in the Sea (see 14:25). Yet the many miracles in Egypt and at the Sea were all worth doing just so that the Egyptians would acknowledge Hashem for those short periods of time.

Each day offers us countless opportunities to see and acknowledge Hashem. These parshios should encourage us to take advantage to those moments and use them to mekadesh Shem Shamayim by making a point of recognizing His greatness.

In that zechus, may we merit to the ultimate yisgadal v’yiskadash shmei rabbah, with the arrival of Mashiach.

Gut Shabbos.