Va'era - Keeping the Faith

 

When it was finally time for Bnei Yisrael to leave Egypt after 210 years of slavery, Hashem told Moshe to pass the message on to the nation. One would expect such exciting news to be received well, however, this was not the case.

 "ו:ט) "וַיְדַבֵּר משֶׁה כֵּן אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְלֹא שָׁמְעוּ אֶל משֶׁה מִקֹּצֶר רוּחַ וּמֵעֲבֹדָה קָשָׁה)

"Moses spoke thus to the children of Israel, but they did not hearken to Moses because of [their] shortness of breath and because of [their] hard labor." (6:9)

Where was the excitement? Where was the hope and belief? What was it that interfered with Bnei Yisrael’s ability to listen to Moshe? According to the Midrash (Shemot Rabbah), it was idolatry. After 210 years of slavery, Bnei Yisrael no longer had faith in Hashem saving them. They had moved on from Hashem, and Moshe’s news meant nothing to them. Although they eventually returned to Hashem and were saved, this was a very low point for Bnei Yisrael. This loss of emunah, faith, is an easy and common response to tough situations, but not the best one. Despite any difficult situation one may be in, keeping belief in Hashem and his plans is crucial, despite the difficulty.

 

Written by Zev Narrowe