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“And afterwards, Moshe and Aharon came and said to Pharaoh, “So says the L-rd...”
Before going to Pharaoh, Moshe and Aharon went to the Jewish People to tell them that Hashem was about to redeem them. They performed the signs they were commanded to, and the people believed them. Afterwards, they went to speak to Pharaoh, telling him that Hashem commanded the Jews to go three days into the Wilderness and sacrifice to Him.
The word, “and afterwards,” stands out, and clearly it must be teaching us something of importance. We learn many things from it, such as the fact that when it came time to go to Pharaoh, one by one the elders slipped away so only Moshe and Aharon arrived at his palace. Although the elders were there before, they were not there “after.” The Midrash says “after” tells us that it was Pharaoh’s birthday and all the kings came to pay homage to him. The guards assumed Moshe and Aharon came to honor Pharaoh since they came after all the other kings.
Some commentaries however, find different significance in this word. They say that the word after is coming to tell us about what came before, the prerequisite for Moshe’s going to Pharoah. That prerequisite was the Emunah, the faith and trust the Jewish People had in Hashem and His salvation.
The Tzror HaMor says that Moshe was not ready to put his life on the line by going to Pharaoh until the Jews exhibited their faith. This is because one who trusts in Hashem is protected, and once they showed they trusted in Hashem, Moshe, as their messenger, would be protected.
The Ohr HaChaim points out that earlier in the Parsha (3:18), Hashem told Moshe, “They will hear your voice, and you will come before the king of Egypt.” The fact that there is a pause after the word voice indicates that their listening and believing Moshe’s words would happen first, before Moshe went to Pharoah.
It gives us something to think about. Why did the belief have to come before Moshe went to Pharaoh? If it was just coming from Moshe, as the Tzror HaMor implies, that makes sense. But if Hashem was telling Moshe the sequence of events, why was it necessary for Moshe to go to Pharaoh only after the Jews heard Hashem’s message?
Likely, the two commentaries are really bringing forward the same concept. Faith and trust in Hashem is not merely a passive state, wherein I can’t do anything about something so I just accept that Hashem has a plan.
Rather, bitachon is a positive action, and when a person CHOOSES to trust in Hashem, s/he is activating tremendous power in the Universe. The Jews were supposed to be taken from Egypt. Hashem had heard their cries and seen the atrocities of their enemies, but one thing was missing. They needed to trust in Hashem as their Redeemer.
When the Jews believed Moshe’s words and bowed to Hashem, they lit the fuse on their own salvation. Only after that happened were they fully worthy of being redeemed. We, too, are suffering from enemies all around us. Perhaps all that is left is to put our faith in Hashem and know that He will soon redeem us.
The fields were parched and brown from lack of rain, and the crops lay wilting from thirst. Days turned into arid weeks. No rain came.
The local religious leaders called a gathering at the town square the following week, requesting everyone to bring an object of faith for inspiration. The leaders were touched to see the variety of objects clutched in prayerful hands -- prayer books, photos of tzaddikim, Tehillims.
When the hour ended, as if on magical command, a soft rain began to fall. Cheers swept the crowd as they held their treasured objects high in gratitude and praise. From the middle of the crowd one faith symbol seemed to overshadow all the others.
One man had brought an umbrella.
©2023 – J. Gewirtz
