Shemot - Lfum Tzara Agra - Success Comes with a Price

Shemot
Lfum Tzara Agra - Success Comes with a Price

This week we begin the book of Shemot (Exodus). The story of the servitude in Egypt and our subsequent Exodus to the promised land is the subject of the Passover Seder and  Haggadah. Our portion of Shemot begins with the story of the Jews being subjugated and enslaved. The Torah also describes how Pharaoh proposed Infanticide (killing of Jewish babies) after his initial plan of stemming the Jewish growth failed. Pharaoh called in the Jewish midwives and commanded them to kill the baby boys, while allowing the baby girls to live. The Jewish midwives refused to obey this command, and the nation prospered.

The verse states (Shemot 1:17), But the midwives feared G-d and they did not do as the king of Egypt spoke to them, and they caused the boys to live". G-d rewarded these brave women as the Torah states (1:20), "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" (of royalty and priesthood).

According to our commentaries, these midwives were none other than Yocheved and Miriam, the mother and sister of Moshe and Aharon. 

The Or Ha'Chaim Ha'Kadosh (1696-1740) explains that when G-d sees that a person desires to serve Him at a great personal sacrifice, He enables him to succeed. So it was with the midwives, these heroines who had risked their lives for the Jewish people, and their risk paid off. G-d rewarded them that they merited to see the Jewish people grow and prosper.

So it is in life. We are often required to make deep personal sacrifices and commitment to do the things that are meaningful and worthwhile. Anything that comes easy is usually not worth much. Without the hard work and investment, there is no reward.

We learn from this portion, that when we invest and give of ourselves to a noble cause, G-d blesses us to see the work of our hands fulfilled.

Shabbat Shalom

Hear O Israel - Vayechi

Hear O' Israel
Parshat Vayechi

This week we read the final portion of Genesis. The portion of Vayechi chronicles Jacob's blessings to his children prior to his passing. The portion also documents the passing of all the tribes and the transition to the servitude which we read about in the book of Exodus.

The Torah describes how Yackov gathers his children to bless them. The verse states, (Genesis 49:1) "Then Yackov called for his sons and said, "Assemble yourselves and I will tell you what will befall you in the End of Days. Gather yourselves and listen, O sons of Yackov and listen to Israel your father".

According to the Midrash Rabbah (Bereishit Rabah), Yackov wished to bless his children and tell them when the Moshiach (Messiah) would arrive. G-d did not want him to divulge this information and withheld the knowledge from Jacob. When Jacob realized that G-d was withholding this prophecy from him, he was concerned that perhaps one of his sons was unworthy and a non-believer. When he expressed his concern to his sons they responded with the famous words "Hear O' Israel (their father), the Lord is our G-d, the Lord is One - Shema Yisrael, Hashem Elokeinu, Hashem Echad". Jacob then responded, "Blessed be the name of His glorious kingdom for ever and ever-Baruch Shem Malchuto Leolam Vaed". It was then that Jacob realized that G-d just did not want him to reveal the Messianic time. 

This fascinating explanation of the verses traces the root of what became the most central prayer in all of Judaism. The Shema Yisrael is also in the Torah itself later on in the book of Devarim (6:4). The Shema Yisrael prayer is the highlight of the Yom Kippur service, the weekly and shabbat prayers, and also the final prayer a Jew says prior to their passing from this world. From a young age, children are taught the Shema Yisrael as it holds such a special place in Jewish liturgy and history.

Perhaps there is also a parenting lesson in this. Sometimes we worry excessively about our children and whether they are doing well or not. We concoct in our own minds so many scenarios and possibilities of how they are not doing well or how they may be failing.

Perhaps the message is that we must have some faith in our children. While we must certainly be vigilant and parent well, we must also have trust in our children and students. We must believe in the education and the love we have given them. Sometimes, we just need to really listen to our kids as they say, "Listen mom and dad, we're really ok".

Shabbat Shalom