Weekly On-line Rabbi's D'var-Torah
January 23, 2025
25 Tevet 5785
Parashat Vaera
So, three hostages were released last weekend. Three more are (hopefully!) going to be released on Saturday. And, there is supposed to be a health status report on the 30 hostages who are a part of this first stage of the ceasefire.
While the photos of the three mother-daughter reunions last weekend made me smile from ear to ear, it’s simply not enough. Not enough hostages being released. Not quickly enough.
But we Jews know that when someone’s heart is hardened, it’s hard for them to change. It’s a story as old as time. Our Torah portion this week preserves just such a story.
In Chapter 7 of the Book of Exodus, Moses began the process of negotiating with the Pharaoh. After three plagues, there was no movement whatsoever. After plague #4 (insects—arov)—the Pharaoh finally said, “Go and sacrifice to your God within the land (8:21).” Of course, that wasn’t enough.
After plague #7 (hail—barad), the Pharaoh said, “I will let you go; you need stay no longer (Exodus 9:11).” But, before Moses and the Israelites could take a step, the Pharaoh changed his mind.
In next week’s portion, we’ll read how after plague #8 (locusts—arbeh), the Pharaoh said that the men could go, but no women or children (Exodus 10:11). That was not enough. Then after plage #9 (darkness—choshech) the Pharaoh said that the women and children could go, but they had to leave behind the cattle and livestock (Exodus 10:24). That was still not enough.
Only after the tenth plague did the Pharaoh agree to let them all go.
I don’t know exactly where we are in the story today. I don’t know what it will take for the Hamas terrorists to let the hostages go. I can’t understand how the two youngest children are still in captivity. How hard must their hearts be to hold a 2-year-old and a 5-year-old as hostages for over a year of their lives?
But, like many generations before us, the story of the Exodus gives us hope that a better day is coming.
Until then, we continue to recite the “Acheinu” prayer: “Our family, the whole house of Israel, who are in distress and captivity—whether they are found in the sea or in dry land—may God have mercy on them, and bring them out from distress to comfort, from darkness to light, from slavery to redemption, now, swiftly, and soon.” That’s the only thing that would be enough.
Shalom,
RAF.
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