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Why does the Torah (תורה) repeat that Moshe and Aharon were righteous after they already encountered Pharaoh and faced backlash from the Jews? The shiur explains that authority corrupts—even tzaddikim become ruined when they see themselves as principals rather than agents. Moshe and Aharon's greatness was that they remained shluchim, servants of the people, never losing sight of their mission despite opposition.
The shiur opens with a textual question: Parshas Vaeira repeats that Moshe and Aharon were the ones who spoke to Pharaoh to take the Jews out of Egypt, and Rashi (רש"י) comments that they were righteous "from beginning to end." Why does the Torah (תורה) emphasize their righteousness at this particular juncture, after they had already been chosen by Hashem (ה׳) at the burning bush and had begun their mission? Rabbi Zweig offers an initial answer: perhaps the Torah is highlighting that they remained tzaddikim even after encountering fierce opposition. After Moshe and Aharon went to Pharaoh, the situation worsened—Pharaoh increased the Jews' burden, and the people turned against them, saying "Hashem should judge you; you made our smell bad in Pharaoh's eyes and gave him a sword to kill us." This criticism was so intense that Moshe himself complained to Hashem. The Torah may be teaching that remaining righteous when facing ingratitude and backlash—when your noble efforts are not only unappreciated but blamed—requires extraordinary strength of character.
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Parshas Vaeira
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