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Why did Moshe remove each plague before securing the Jews' release, allowing Pharaoh to renege repeatedly? The struggle wasn't about freeing the Jews—God sought Pharaoh's submission to divine authority, not coercion. True leadership of Jews requires being a mirror for self-reflection, not a controller, because Jews instinctively resist control due to their greatness as God's children.
Rabbi Zweig explores a fundamental tension in Parshas Vaeira through a Midrash about a lion (king), fox, and donkey. When the donkey demands taxes from the king, insisting the money goes to the king anyway, the lion kills him. The fox observes that the donkey had no "heart"—if he did, he wouldn't have told the king what to do. This seems to contradict a Gemara (גמרא) where a king willingly pays taxes to set an example. The resolution: control. When paying taxes was the king's idea, he embraced it; when imposed by the donkey, he violently rejected it—not because of the substance, but because of who controlled the decision. This insight illuminates the plagues narrative. Why did Moshe repeatedly remove plagues before Pharaoh released the Jews, allowing Pharaoh to change his mind? The goal wasn't merely extracting the Jews from Egypt—God could have kept the plagues until the Jews were safely away. Rather, God sought Pharaoh's voluntary submission to divine authority. Removing the plague and then demanding release was a test of control: would Pharaoh submit when not coerced? The entire Exodus narrative is a battle for control between God and Pharaoh, not simply a rescue operation.
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Why does the Midrash connect Pharaoh's expulsion of the Jews to the mitzvah of shiluach hakan? The shiur develops a chiddush that Pharaoh's sin wasn't only drowning the children, but the insensitivity of expelling the parents afterward. The deeper analysis reveals that Pharaoh may have valued the Jews greatly and wanted to control them—making his expulsion an act of tremendous cruelty, not liberation.
Why does Moshe respond to the splitting of the sea with shirah rather than praise or thanksgiving? Rashi's use of "al libo" reveals that shirah is an emotional expression—a response of love to love. When Hashem shows personal care, the only adequate response is "I love You too," not mere gratitude or praise, and this principle applies to all relationships.
Parshas Vaeira
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