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Pine Street Parsha 17 January 2015 26 Shvat 5775 Parashat Va-era
SIDRA 318 HAFTORAH 1149 1st Aliya: The year is 2448 and Moshe
had unsuccessfully confronted
Pharaoh. The situation had gotten
worse, not better, and Hashem (G-d)
reassured Moshe that in fact the
redemption was about to begin. The 4
statements of redemption are stated
for which we have the 4 cups of wine
at the Passover Seder.
2nd & 3rd Aliyot: Moshe's Yichus
(lineage) is established. He is 80 years
old and Aharon is 83.
4th Aliya: Moshe performed the
miracle of the "staff turning to a
serpent" and performed the first and
second plagues.
5th Aliya: Moshe performed the third
plague and forewarned Pharaoh about
the fourth.
6th Aliya: The fourth, fifth, and sixth
plagues were performed, and Moshe
forewarned Pharaoh regarding the
seventh.
7th Aliya: The seventh plague was
performed and Pharaoh "hardens his
heart" and refused to let the Jews go.
280 1097 This "gratitude exercise" will have a positive effect
when you practice it at least 10 times a day. It is
advisable to practice it at least once an hour for
the first week. You'll be grateful you did.
[Touch forehead]
"I am grateful for my mind to think good
thoughts."
[Touch near eyes]
"I am grateful for my eyes to see good things."
[Touch ears]
"I am grateful for my ears to hear good things."
[Touch near mouth]
"I am grateful for my mouth to speak good
things."
[Raise hands]
"I am grateful for my hands to do good things."
[Move feet slightly]
"I am grateful for my feet to walk to do good."
"I am grateful for all that I can be grateful for."
Zelig Pliskin.
Phone 011640 3101 fax 011485 2510 email [email protected] web www.pineshul.co.za Mazeltov to:
Gaby and Fay Lazarus on the birth of a great
grandson
Mrs Pearl Tobias on the engagement of a grandson
Gaby and Fay Lazarus on the engagement of a
grandson
Shiurim:
Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday
mornings – 7.15-7.45 Talmud Brachot
and breakfast
Refua Shleima to:
Abe Lurner, Alvin Aarons, Dave Lubner and Denise
Levitas
Celebrating a Simcha – For only
R540-00 you can have a plaque done
for our Simcha Board. Please call Sue
at the office for more details.
Kiddush is being co-hosted by
Joe and Charlene Tucker, and
Gaby and Fay Lazarus.
Seudah Shlishis is being hosted
by Kevin Klaff
We wish those families commemorating a Yahrzeit a long and good life
Friday 16 January 2015
Sid Hirschowitz – Mother
Shabbas 17 January 2015
Mary Kruger - Mother
Bernie Galgut – Father
Kevin Klaff – Illana
Peter & Paula Durbach – Illana
Jeanette Garlick – Father
Sunday 18 January 2015
Rhona Galgut – Gila’s father
Jonathan Davis – Father
Monday 19 January 2015
Debbie Burgin – father-in-law
Joy Hossy – Ian
Tuesday 20 January 2015
Roy Friedman – Uncle
Arthur Rosenberg - Jeffrey
Wednesday 21 January 2015
Henry Cohen – Father
Louis Cohen – Father
Thursday 22 January 2015
Maurice Donninger - Father
Ken Gruss – Mother
Eleanor Goodman – Father
Abe Lurner – Wife
Sandra GRuss – Mother
Susan Benjamin – Father
Friday 23 January 2015
Peggy Cohen – Father
Zelda Raff - Daughter
The Haftorah for Parshat Va’aira
Egypt’s punishment for betraying Israel
in the time of the destruction of the 1st Temple
(Ezekiel) 28:25-29:21
.
The connection of the Haftorah to the
Parsha: The Parsha and the Haftorah speak about
the punishment of Egypt. The Parsha speaks about
the plagues that befell the Egyptians in Moses’ time
and the Haftorah predicts that Babylon will conquer
Egypt in Pharaoh Chofra’s time. The difference in
time of when the Parsha took place and the
Haftorah is about a thousand years.
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The storyline of this week’s Haftorah: Yechezkel
begins by telling Bnei Yisroel that Hashem will
punish the Jewish Nation’s enemies. Then Hashem
will permit the
Jewish people to return to their homeland in the
future. Yechezkel then has a prophecy that Bavel
(Babylon) will conquer Pharaoh and Egypt. At the
time of this prophecy, Jerusalem was surrounded
by the Babylonians for approximately a year. The
Jews were hoping to receive help from the
Egyptians and Yechezkel’s prophecy shattered that
dream. Hashem was trying to convey to the Nation
of Bnei Yisroel that they should rely on Him, and
not other nations. The Haftorah then explains that
Egypt would be desolate for 40 years, and that the
people will be scattered among the nations. Egypt
deserves this punishment because the people of
Egypt promised to defend Israel against their
enemies, but when it came time to help, they did
not keep their word. The Haftorah concludes with
the idea that that Nebuchadnezzar, King of Bavel,
was allowed to conquer Egypt because of their
betrayal against Bnei Yisroel.
Yechezkel ben Buzi’s Biography:
The meaning of his name is “Hashem will
strengthen.”
He was a Kohen.
He prophesied just before the destruction of
Jerusalem on Tishah Be’av (The 9th of Av). He
was exiled in 597 B.C.E. Some of his visions were
while he was in exile. He was a major prophet that
recorded the warnings to the Jewish captives of
Babylon. He was among 8000 exiles taken to
Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon
soldiers. He died in Bavel.
He saw the divine vision of the Ma’aseh
Hamerkavah (Hashem’s Throne).
Yechezkel wrote his own book; his prophetic
ministry lasted 20 years.
I wish all the scholars and students
every success in their studies this
year.
We are all appalled by the recent
terror events in France. Please
doven for those who were injured,
consolation for bereaved families
and for G-d to bring an end to this
suffering.
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Gerson
Havdalah 7.39 pm Harry’s Quiz
Thursday 12 February
7.30pm
AT Pine Street Shul
Prizes
Food
and
drinks
All Welcome
Rabbi Berel Wein on Parshas Vaera
The extended, tension filled, confrontation between Moshe and Pharaoh forms the backdrop
for the story of the plagues and the redemption of the Jewish people from Egypt. Pharaoh,
from the outset, is unwilling to consider the request of Moshe to allow the Jewish people a
three day furlough to worship God in the desert. The commentators to the Torah differ as to
whether or not this was a sincere request by Moshe or simply a negotiating gambit to loosen
the grip of Pharaoh on the Jewish slaves.
We do not find that God specifically endorsed or instructed Moshe to make such a proposal to
Pharaoh. Nevertheless, all of these questions and difficulties are rendered moot by the fact
that Pharaoh never for a moment really considered giving in to the demands of Moshe.
Even later, after coming under the pressure of the plagues and the wishes of his own advisors,
and after agreeing to the three-day sojourn in the desert, Pharaoh refuses to allow the families
of the slaves to accompany them, thus obviating his seeming concession to Moshe.
Pharaoh’s stubbornness, his intransigence in the face of the reality of the plagues is
characteristic of people who view themselves as gods and superior beings. Pharaoh cannot
afford any show of compromise or accommodation to the demands of Moshe. By so doing, he
would admit to the fact that, in truth, he is not a god and thus his entire basis for rule over
Egypt would be threatened.
Complete dominion over others that is based upon a colossal lie of superhuman status
eventually is doomed to collapse. It may take centuries for this to occur but history has shown
us that it always does occur. It is Pharaoh’s false claim to superhuman qualities that motivates
his stubbornness and is what will doom him and Egypt to defeat and destruction.
Moshe, on the other hand, does possess superhuman qualities. But the one main quality that
the Torah itself most emphasizes in its description of Moshe, over his decades of leadership, is
a most human one – humility, modesty, and the realization of the difference between the
created and the Creator. The opening verses of this week’s parsha teach us this lesson of
humility.
The Jewish people and Moshe himself complained to God that somehow things were not
going according to the plan that they envisioned. God’s response is that one of the limitations
of humans is that they can never truly fathom God’s will and His direction of human affairs.
This is an important lesson that Moshe must learn and assimilate into his personality. As he
journeys through life, it is this quality that will eventually make him “the most humble of all
human beings.”
Someone who is able to communicate with Heaven freely, almost at will, and who can perform
miracles and bring plagues upon a mighty empire, can easily be seduced into believing in his
own powers and abilities. Thus the opening sentences of this week's Torah reading are vitally
important for they are the key to the humility of Moshe and thus to the salvation of the Jewish
people from Egyptian bondage.
We must always be wary of the great human being who slips into the belief that he is
somehow superhuman. It is this issue that highlights and contrasts the two antagonists –
Pharaoh and Moshe - in the drama of the Jewish redemption from Egypt.