Abracadabra - The Magic of Life
Parshat Va'era
Our weekly Torah portion discusses how Pharaoh refuses to heed Hashem's command "let my people go" and is now faced with retribution, in the form of the Ten Plagues.
When looking closely at the the dialogue between Moshe and Pharaoh we see something interesting. Moshe is told by Hashem to perform "signs" before Pharaoh and his court, to demonstrate G-d's power. Indeed, when Pharaoh asks for a sign, Moshe tells Aaron to throw his staff to the ground and it turns into a snake. Pharaoh is unimpressed with the magic trick, and has the Egyptian magicians and sorcerers do the same. Egypt was after all the center of sorcery and Pharaoh essentially tells him "are you going to bring coals to New Castle"? Yet, as the story unfolds the Torah tells us (Exodus 12:7) "Each cast down his staff and they became snakes; and the staff of Aaron swallowed their staffs".
Pharaoh in unmoved by the signs. He is convinced they are but an illusion or powerful magic.
The commentaries offer different opinions on this episode. Rashi (France 1040-1105) and the Mizrachi (Ottoman Empire 1455-1525) explain that Aaron's staff first turned back into a staff and only then swallowed the other staffs. This was to show Pharaoh that it was not a magic trick as it was out of nature (even in the nature of magic). The Ibn Ezra (Spain 1089-1167) explains that Pharaoh was not impressed as he thought it was just a more powerful magic than his sorcerers were able to perform.
What's the fascination with magic? Why do children and adults alike so enjoy the magic acts and illusions of the likes of David Copperfield or Harry Houdini? Is it the excitement of the unknown or perhaps the thrill of seeing the impossible. Or perhaps, the amazement at the illusions that our eyes and minds are subject to?
A couple of years back, I had one of the most powerful moments of my life. It came as my wife and I walked our eldest daughter to the Chuppah (marriage ceremony). I was overcome with pride and gratitude. I started falling apart internally. It was a crushing moment of emotions and thanks to Hashem for all His wonderful blessings. It was a beautiful ceremony and a magical moment.
I was caught off guard by it and it left me processing for many months afterwards. I wondered to myself "when all our guests saw our daughter, the beautiful and radiant bride, what did they see? Can they possibly see the decades of love, sweat, tears, hopes, aspirations, worry and joy? No, I concluded, they see a beautiful bride, but they don't see work and dedication that brought us to this point. In other words, they enjoy the magic trick and excitement of the moment, but they don't really understand or see what's behind it all.
Education is not magic. Raising kids is not a trick (though we may wish it was sometimes). It requires incredibly hard work, perseverance and dedication. It takes years and decades to realize the gains we are hoping for. There are many bumps and detours along the road and sometimes our GPS system doesn't seem to be working at the exact moment when we need it most. The illusion of a perfect life, perfect spouse, perfect family, and perfect kids, is exactly that, an illusion. Illusions or magic tricks are something that you purchase a ticket for the show, have the wow moment and then go home. Real life and education is the constant work and toil, day in and day out. Teachers and educators get that. It is about the small, seemingly insignificant steps; day after day, semester after semester. It really does all add up in the end.
Perhaps, G-d was trying to impress on Pharaoh that in life, magic or an illusion is nice for Vegas show or for a TV special. But to reap the blessings of life and achieve the Nachas (joy) we desire so much, it's actually really hard work and we need G-d's blessings and guidance. It just isn't magic.
Shabbat Shalom.
Rabbi Y. Marrus
Rabbi Y. Marrus
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