A Thought on Parshas Va'era

"...HaShem HaTzadik..." "...G-d is Just..." (9:27) HaShem has been very patient with Pharaoh and the Egyptians. He has had Moshe alert them about impending plagues. He has stopped the plagues when they have claimed that they cannot handle anymore, and when they have pledged to allow their Jewish slaves to go free. HaShem has watched them renege time and again on their promises. What happens here, in our verse, that leads Pharaoh to proclaim that he now concedes that HaShem is just and righteous? This is the same Pharaoh who has asserted that he does not "know" the G-d of the Hebrews. Now, somehow, Pharaoh has a different take on things. He has suffered the onset of excessive hail, thundering and fiery, smashing trees and devastating crops and striking people and livestock. He hales Moshe and Aaron and acknowledges that he and his people have been wrong, and that HaShem is the Tzadik! That is quite a leap he takes, conferring this title onto the same HaShem he had not known. The Gan writes that the key here is an earlier verse. Prior to the onset of this plague, Moshe was told by HaShem to alert the Egyptians to round up their cattle and shelter them, as a means of saving those animals. The Egyptians disregarded this, and in large part, they stood by as the fire and hail put an end to their ranches and livestock. This is what impressed Pharaoh. He now realized that HaShem had truly wanted to minimize the impact of the impending plague. Had they protected their animals, the effect of the hail would not have been as costly and damaging. This was the workings of "a Tzadik", one who seeks to do what is necessary but not to exceed boundaries and limits. This is the momentary insight which Pharaoh formulated, and he declared this. "HaShem is indeed Just and had tried to spare us from further loss." The Gan adds that there is a similar theme in next week's parsha: prior to the onset of the plague of locusts, the Egyptians were again warned that this danger was imminent. They could have taken preemptive steps to protect their possessions, but again ignored that helpful information. Only later, amidst the destruction, did Pharaoh recognize this, declaring "I have sinned against you and against HaShem" (10:16). This meant, says the Gan, "you tried to be kind by forewarning me, and I did not reciprocate that kindness". At times, it is only after-the-fact that we have the clarity of seeing the many loving signs that HaShem gave us along the way that, had we heeded them, would have made our journey an easier one. HaShem HaTzadik! Good Shabbos. D Fox