Lev melachim b'yad Hashem, a leader, a king, a president is selected and guided by G-d, but is responsible for and accountable to those who look to him for sustenance as well as to the Creator who chose him for the task.
A true leader will both inspire and be inspired.
We know this to be true in the religious world, but we can only hope and pray that it is the case politically.
However, Pharaoh, questioned Hashem's power and openly asking “Who is the Creator?” until he was reminded by the makkos just who the true Ruler really is.
Dovid was the manager of a large factory in Eretz Yisroel that was in danger of financial collapse. 1,500 families depended on his business. The final hour of this large enterprise was nearing, but new hope arose. Dovid got word of a gvir in Europe who would surely be sympathetic to his cause. After writing the gvir receiving an appointment, Dovid journeyed with a heavy heart but high hopes.
Dovid knocked on the door, and a man wearing distinguished clothes answered. "Who is the baal habayis here? I have come to talk with him about an important matter." "I am the baal habayis." the man responded. Dovid was fearful, as the man did not have generosity in his eyes. From down the corridor, a voice could be heard "Excuse me, what are you asking?" Dovid watched when the man who had answered the door shrunk in shame and watched as the hands of the real master of the household tapped the "imposter" on the back. "I am sorry sir. It was all a joke. I was pretending to be the owner of this house." "I apologize”, the gvir told Dovid, “it is just one of my workers pretending to be in charge."
Throughout the parshiyos of yetzias Mitztayim, Pharaoh too was just joking, deluding himself that he is in charge, hiding his human attributes each morning at the Nile and defying Hashem and His messengers until he realized through the outstretched arm of Hashem that the true message of the makkos, was that he, Pharaoh was really not in charge at all.
We all go through the same tests when we achieve success, does our success come about through the strength of our own effort?
The most powerful lesson of our Parsha comes to us via its name, Vaera. which means literally: Hashem revealed His presence to our world. As the Kotzker Rebbe observed. “Where is G-d in the world today? Wherever we let him in.”
May this parsha, and all the parshiyos of shovavim, strengthen our emunah and help us bring the shechina into our lives as we absorb its lessons in a most meaningful and lasting way and may all the “deals” we are witness to come out for the good of our people. And more importantly may we learn to act with reverence and yiras shomayim towards our Torah leaders for this is the true behavior of an am kadosh.
Written by R’ Avrohom Hillel Reich based on a lesson and story by Harav Ben Tziyon Sneh Shlita
