Reflections on Va'era

We are only a few hours away from the dawn of 2011. The media are blaring out New Year's advice in every form - "4 Money-Making Investments!" "6 Steps to Six-Pack Abs!"
"8 Solutions to Household Clutter!"
How about "7 Ways to Get Out of Egypt!" This item isn't from CNBC or "The Martha Stewart Show," but from this week's Parsha, Va'era. Following God's command, Moses and Aaron repeatedly ask Pharaoh to free the Israelite slaves. Each time, Pharaoh's heart is "stiffened" and he refuses to allow the slaves to go. At each refusal, God causes a plague to afflict the Egyptians - blood, frogs, lice, swarms of insects, cattle disease, boils, hail. God's power is demonstrated over and over to the Egyptians. Yet, at the end of Va'era, we read, "So Pharaoh's heart stiffened and he would not let the Israelites go, just as the Eternal had foretold through Moses." * (Exodus 9:35)

We learn from Va'era that the Israelites' struggle to break free from slavery is an arduous one that demands courage, extreme determination, and faith in God's help.
In 2010 (soon to be 2011), we're no longer slaves in the Egypt of the pharaohs. Still, many of us are not free. We err and manage to create our own personal "Egypts." We're enslaved by oppressive emotions and desires such as anger, hatred, envy, guilt, fear, greed - to name a few of the 21st century "Pharaohs." To confront and break free from these spiritual "Pharaohs" demands courage, extreme determination, and faith in God's help.

Shabbat Shalom - Rest and Renew

*From The Torah: A Modern Commentary - General Editor, W. Gunther Plaut