Moshe Rabbeinu and Pharaoh - Va'era

Parshas Va’eira describes in great detail the first seven of the ten plagues that brought Mitzrayim to its knees.  A major feature of the Plagues is the behavior of Pharaoh in reaction to the destruction of his nation.  When Moshe Rabbeinu and Aaron bring about the first plague of blood, the passuk tells us that Pharaoh was not impressed because his sorcerers could also turn water into blood: “..And Pharaoh hardened his heart and he did not listen to them..”  The next verse states that, “Pharaoh turned and went to his home, and also did not pay attention to this.^[1]”  The commentaries ask, what does the Torah refer to when it says that ‘he did not pay attention to this’ - the previous verse already stated that  Pharaoh did not listen to the arguments of Moshe and Aaron.  One of the later Torah commentators, the Netsiv zt”l explains that the second verse is telling us that Pharaoh was also unmoved by the pain that his people were suffering through the plague, and did not seek out any ways in which he could ease their pain. 

 

The plague of blood was the only plague in which the Torah alludes to Pharaoh’s indifference to the suffering of his people - why is this the case?  The Medrash HaGadol provides the key to answering this question: “The wicked Pharaoh was not afflicted by the plague of blood.^[2]”  The plague of blood was the only one which did not harm Pharaoh.  It was in this plague where he was most immune to the suffering that it caused his people because he did not experience the pain himself and so it was this plague where his apathy to the pain of his people was most pronounced.

 

We see a stark contrast to Pharaoh’s cruel indifference in the reaction of Moshe Rabbeinu to the pain of the Jewish people.  Moshe grew up in the home of Pharaoh, separate from his people and unaffected but he slavery.  Nonetheless, he went out and looked at the suffering of his brothers and empathized with their pain^[3] - he even persuaded Pharaoh to give them a day of rest^[4]. 

 

The verses that describe Moshe’s tremendous concern for his people are  preceded by the words, “vayigdal Moshe.”  This does not mean that he grew up because an earlier verse already stated that.  Thus, the commentaries explain that it refers to becoming a great person - and the indicator of that greatness was his concern for others^[5].  Why does the trait of empathy in particular represent ‘gadlus’ (greatness)?   One of the great Rabbis in the first half of the 20^th century, Rabbi Shimon Shkop zt”l explains that a ‘Gadol’ is a person who expands his definition of self to include others - he is not considered a mere individual, rather part of a larger whole, and consequently he himself becomes a ‘bigger’ person^[6].  Pharaoh, in contrast, is described by the Gemara as being a very small person^[7].   The commentaries there explain that this refers to his spiritual standing - he was on a very low level^[8]. Perhaps one aspect of his lowliness was his apathy to the pain of his own people, he only cared about himself, and therefore he did not expand his self-definition beyond his own self and remained a ‘small’ person.

 

How can a person avoid the apathy of Pharaoh and emulate the concern of Moshe Rabbeinu - it is particularly difficult to empathize with people who are in a situation that does not effect us.  When the verse says the Moshe saw the suffering of his people, Rashi elaborates; “he focused his eyes and heart to feel pain for them.^[9]”  My Rebbi, Rabbi Yitzchak Berkovits Shlita explains that first he looked at their faces to see the pain that they were in.  He then ’focused his heart’ by trying to relate to their pain, to feel what they were feeling.  So too when we hear of a person in difficulty we should first try to notice their facial expressions in order to make real the pain that they are in.  Secondly, we should try to feel what it must be like to be in such pain.  In a similar vein, for example, that when we hear of a terrorist attack in which people are killed, we should take out a few moments to imagine what the victims and their families must be going through.  It is not enough to merely sigh and move on - we must strive to avoid becoming immune to other people’s pain.

 

Such empathy is not restricted to Jews who share the same lifestyle and outlook as us:  Rabbi Yechezkel Levenstein^[10] zt”l taught this lesson in his talks in Ponevitz throughout the Six Day War.  As the way began he told his talmidim, “in a time of war we must feel the danger of our soldiers.  The loss of one Jewish soldier, even when measured against the destruction of thousands of our enemies, is incalculable.  And for every soldier who arrives home from battle alive our joy must be unbounded.”  After the victory he exhorted his talmidim to identify with the people who lost family in the conflict:  “Hand-in-hand with our victory another reality was created; thousands of Jewish lives have been lost.  How many thousands of families are bereft with a pain that is so great that it cannot now be consoled?  How many dear ones have been killed?  How much this must weigh upon every Jewish soul.  How much must we feel their pain - actually feel it as our own.  More than our rejoicing over our enemies we must feel the pain of our grieving brothers and sisters.^[11]”

 

It is also instructive to make some kind of gesture to show that the suffering of our fellow Jew truly concerns us even if we cannot directly help them.  During the Holocaust the Steipler Gaon^[12] zt”l undertook to give up smoking as a small token to show that the tremendous suffering of his brethren meant something to him.  Whilst Rabbi Chaim Soloveitchik^[13] zt”l was Rabbi of Brisk half the city was burnt down leaving hundreds of Jews homeless.  Rav Chaim promptly moved out of his home and slept on a bench in a beis medrash.  When asked why he was doing so he exclaimed, “how can I sleep in a comfortable bed when so many people do not have a roof covering them?!^[14]”

 

This message is most apt at a time when the Jewish people find themselves engulfed in conflict, with enemies striving to destroy our  lives.  Many of us are fortunate to be out of range of the missiles that rain down on Israel, but we can still do our utmost to feel the pain of our fellow Jews who are in such danger.

 

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^[1]   Va’eira, 6:22-23.

^[2]   Medrash HaGadol, Shemos, 7:29.

^[3]   Shemos, 2:11.

^[4]   Shemos Rabbah, 1:27. This comparison of Moshe to Pharaoh was heard from Rav Moshe Zeldman Shlita, senoir lecturer for Aish HaTorah, Yerushalayim.

^[5]   Shaarei Simcha; also heard from Rav Yissochor Frand Shlita.

^[6]   Hakdama to Shaar Yosher.

^[7]   Moed Katan, 18a.

^[8]   Iyun Yaakov, ibid.

^[9]   Shemos, 2:11.

^[10] The Mashgiach (spiritual leader) of two of the great Yeshivos, Meer and Ponovech.

^[11] Kasnett, ‘Reb Chatzkel’, p.344.

^[12] One of the ‘Gedolim’ in the second half of the 20^th Century.

^[13] One of the ‘Gedolim’ in the first half of the 20^th Century.

^[14]  Heard from Rav Yissochor Frand Shlita.

Giving For The Sake Of Giving - Shemos

“G-d benefited the midwives - and the people increased and became very strong.  And it was because the midwives feared G-d that He made them houses. [1]”

Yocheved and Miriam risked their lives to save Jewish baby boys from being murdered by the Egyptians.  Hashem rewarded them by making them ‘houses’ - Rashi explains that they merited to be the mothers of the lines of Kohanim, Leviim and Melachim.  Rav Moshe Feinstein zt”l asks that if there main reward was these ‘houses’ then why does the clause, “and the people increased and became very strong” interrupt the description of their reward - since the ‘houses’ were the benefit described, it would seem that they should follow immediately afterwards and the passuk should have said, |”G-d benefited the midwives and made them houses.”   He answers that their main reward was not the houses but rather the increase of the people since their true desire and joy was no more than the expansion of the Jewish population.  Consequently after the passuk states that Hashem benefited them it immediately mentions the resultant expansion of the Jewish people - that was their main reward, the houses were merely a secondary bonus for their great yiras shamayim [2].

 

There can be a number of different reasons why a person performs an act of kindness -  it may be because he knows it is a mitzvo to do chesed; it may be because he owes this person a favor, or it may be due to numerous other possible factors.  We learn from Rav Feinstein’s pshat that the main kavanna we should have when we help someone (as well as the general intent to do a mitzvo) is that they benefit from our action.  Yocheved and Miriam did not care about what reward they would receive for saving Jewish lives - they merely wanted the lives to be saved.  Hashem rewarded them by enabling their actions to succeed and the Jewish people grew as a result.

 

Yocheved’s son, Moshe Rabbeinu inherited this same dedication to others.  He saw the suffering of his people and risked his life to help them.  He persuaded Pharaoh to give them a rest day so that they could observe Shabbos and furthermore he showed great concern for the sheep in his flock.  It was in the merit of these actions that Hashem spoke to him at the Burning Bush and made him leader of the Jewish people.  He wanted nothing more than to release them from the crushing slavery in Egypt, and his reward was that he merited to be the one to take them out. 

 

This lesson is relevant in many areas of our lives, but perhaps is most important with regard to our careers.  Many people are fortunate to be involved in a job which involves helping others, however it is quite easy to focus primarily on the money that they receive for providing their service.  Rav Pam zt”l was once being treated by a dentist and he remarked at how much this dentist helped people in his profession.  The dentist replied that this was a nice side-benefit to his job, implying that the main reason that he did it was to earn a living.  Rav Pam replied that actually the money he earned was the side benefit but the ikar tachlis should be to help people have healthy teeth. 

 

Unfortunately the tendency to over emphasize the financial aspect of maasim tovim can even creep into the most kadosh of activities such as learning and teaching Torah.  The Mishna in Avos stresses how  undesirable such an attitude is when it enjoins us “do not make it [the Torah] a crown to attain greatness with or a spade to dig with." [3] Many commentaries argue that the Mishna is not saying that it is forbidden to earn money through learning or teaching Torah for money however they all agree that this should not be the primary motive.  The Rambam in particular emphasizes the abhorrence of being involved in Torah in order to earn a parnasa.  However even he does not rule out learning or teaching if a person has the ideal kavannas.  In Hilchos Shemitta v’Yovel he writes that Shevet Levi are separated from everyone else so that they can “serve Hashem and teach His just ways and His righteous laws to the public, as it says, ‘they will teach the laws to Yaakov and Your Torah to Israel.[4]’”  He continues that such a role is not limited to Leviim alone, but that anyone who is willing to learn Torah with similar motives is worthy of assuming the same function.  The Chofetz Chaim zt”l writes that such a person is allowed to receive money for his learning Torah and it would seem that the reason for this is because there is no danger in his being motivated by ulterior motives[5].

 

We know that the ultimate reward for Yocheved and Miriam would be in Olam HaBa - the consequence of their pure motives.  If a person does chesed with such motivations then he can assure himself of ample benefit in Olam HaBa.  The Atler of Slobodka once noted the mesiras nefesh of bakers - in that time the baker would rise very early in the morning in order to provide bread for the community.  They were performing an incredible act of kindness by getting up so early in order that people would have this vital commodity.  However, he commented that if the baker is doing it solely in order to earn a livelihood then he is losing his main source of Olam HaBa.  Performing acts of kindness is a great thing and merits great reward, but let us not lose focus of what our kavanna should be - to help others.  The side benefits will come, but improving the lives of our fellow Jew is ample reward in and of itself.  

[1]     Shemos, 1:20-21.

[2]     Darash Moshe, Parsha Shemos.

[3]   Avos, 4:5.

[4]   Hilchos Shemittah v’Yovel, Ch.13, Halacho 12-13.

[5]   Biur Halacha, Simun 156.