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Why did Hashem (ה׳) choose the miracle of transforming a staff into a tanin when Pharaoh demanded a sign? The Midrash reveals that the staff was actually a serpent transformed—demonstrating that Pharaoh himself, symbolized by the tanin, is utterly powerless in Moshe's hand. The shiur explores the deeper symbolism: Moshe's mastery over water, Pharaoh's three threatened forms of execution, and the essential impotence of Egyptian power before divine authority.
This shiur examines a profound Midrash on Parshas Vaeira concerning the miracle Moshe performed when Pharaoh demanded a sign. The question posed is: Why specifically did Moshe take his staff and transform it into a tanin (serpent)? What message was this particular miracle meant to convey? The Midrash explains that Pharaoh himself was compared to a tanin—the great sea creature sitting in the midst of his rivers. When Moshe would leave Pharaoh's presence, Pharaoh would threaten: "If Ben Amram comes back, I'll kill him, I'll crucify him, and I'll burn him." Yet whenever Moshe entered, Pharaoh would immediately become like a mateh (staff)—docile and powerless. The miracle was designed to demonstrate this very dynamic.
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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 (Shemos 7:8-13)
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