Vaeira - Rabbi Rokeach 5776.pdf

The Torah portion of Va'eira reveals that the plagues sent by God were a Divine plan to teach the Egyptians and the world that Jewish blood is not cheap, with each plague serving as a measure for measure punishment. The plagues demonstrate God's unlimited power and reveal a God of love and compassion, rather than vengeance and hate, with warnings given to Pharaoh before some of the plagues. This compassion is also seen in the story of Noah, where God burdens him with building an ark to warn others of the impending flood. The book of Bereishit shows God's power in creating the world, while the book of Shemot shows God's power in decimating a section of the world with the ten plagues. God is reluctant to inflict pain and hesitates to destroy, punishing only with the hope that those affected will learn from their mistakes. This attitude of kindness, compassion, and mercy is emulated by the Israeli Defense Forces, which warns civilians before bombing enemy areas and treats injured Arab patients in Israeli hospitals.