Boshes HaBayisShavua tov! Here is a thread of some random thoughts on last week's #parshah, Vaeira 🧵​ 1/
The parshah opens with God telling Moshe to bring tidings of the coming redemption to the Israelites', but the Israelites' are unable to believe Moshe because of the hard labor the Egyptians have subjected them to. God then commands Moshe to demand that Pharaoh release the Israelites, but Moshe is skeptical that Pharaoh will listen if not even the Israelites would. 🧵​ 2/
What follows is a scene which mirrors the events of last week's parshah when God speaks to Moshe at the burning bush. Moshe claims he cannot speak to Pharaoh because he has a speech impediment, while God assures him that Moshe will succeed and that his brother Aharon will assist him. 🧵​ 3/
God additionally gives Moshe and Aharon an identical sign to display to Pharaoh as he did at the burning bush: the transformation of a staff into a snake. It is worth noting that the first plague also parallels one of the signs that God gave Moshe at the burning bush: the transformation of water into blood. 🧵​ 4/
Why is this conversation between God and Moshe played out again? It is possible because at the burning bush God assured Moshe that the elders of Israel would heed his signs and come with Moshe to confront Pharaoh. But in the end, the harsh labor seems to prevent Israel from heeding Moshe's message and he and Aharon are left to confront Pharaoh alone. God must therefore reassure them he is still with them and reinforce the divine signs he gave them. 🧵​ 5/
When they do confront Pharaoh, he refuses to believe the miracles they perform are divine. He instructs his magicians to perform the same feats as proof that Moshe and Aharon and nothing more than practitioners of magic. 🧵​ 6/
Even though Aharon's snake-staff swallows those of Pharaoh's magicians and the magicians are unable to reverse the plagues of blood and frogs, Pharaoh still remains unconvinced that the plagues are divine. Only when the magicians are unable to reproduce the plague of lice do they finally admit "it is the finger of God". 🧵​ 7/
Pharaoh and his magicians clung to the belief that the workings of the world were ultimately under the control of man until they were forced to face the truth that there are some things that are beyond mankind's ability alone to control and can only be understood through the lens of the divine. 🧵​ 8/8