Va'eira וָאֵרָא - And I Appeared
Torah Portion: Exodus 6:2-9:35
Reading #4 - Exodus 7:8–8:6
My Thoughts:
Snakes, blood and frogs. Moses first 3 miracles to the Pharaoh. Moses is conveying to Pharaoh what the Elohim of the universe is telling him -- to let His people go! But, just as Hashem warned Moses, the Pharaoh does not listen. Many people have to suffer and eventually lose their lives. All because they were not listening to the voice of Hashem.
Don’t we do that? At times in our life Hashem directly speaks to us. Maybe not audibly but we know it when He does. And many times we do not listen. Maybe His task seems too big, or unreal, or we doubt He even told us to do something. I can tell you from experience. Better to take a risk that what you feel Hashem has asked you to do -- you do it! Trust me, you will regret it forever if you don’t listen. He tells us things to do that are going to change the course of the world. We must listen.
Challenge:
I have challenged you before to practice listening to the voice of Hashem. This is so when He does call you to do or say something you recognize His voice! Sit quietly, pray and ask Him a question. See what you hear, write it down. If it feels like Hashem -- then do it! Keep practicing this. The more you try to listen, the more you will hear Him!
Reading #4 - Exodus 7:8–8:6
7:8 Hashem spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 9 “When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, ‘Perform a miracle!’ then you shall tell Aaron, ‘Take your rod, and cast it down before Pharaoh, and it will become a serpent.’”
10 Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and they did so, as Hashem had commanded. Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a serpent. 11 Then Pharaoh also called for the wise men and the sorcerers. They also, the magicians of Egypt, did the same thing with their enchantments. 12 For they each cast down their rods, and they became serpents; but Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods. 13 Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he didn’t listen to them, as Hashem had spoken.
14 Hashem said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is stubborn. He refuses to let the people go. 15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning. Behold, he is going out to the water. You shall stand by the river’s bank to meet him. You shall take the rod which was turned to a serpent in your hand. 16 You shall tell him, ‘Hashem, the Elohim of the Hebrews, has sent me to you, saying, “Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness. Behold, until now you haven’t listened.” 17 Hashem says, “In this you shall know that I am Hashem. Behold: I will strike with the rod that is in my hand on the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood. 18 The fish that are in the river will die and the river will become foul. The Egyptians will loathe to drink water from the river.”’” 19 Hashem said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your rod, and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, over their streams, and over their pools, and over all their ponds of water, that they may become blood. There will be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone.’”
20 Moses and Aaron did so, as Hashem commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and struck the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood. 21 The fish that were in the river died. The river became foul. The Egyptians couldn’t drink water from the river. The blood was throughout all the land of Egypt. 22 The magicians of Egypt did the same thing with their enchantments. So Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he didn’t listen to them, as Hashem had spoken. 23 Pharaoh turned and went into his house, and he didn’t even take this to heart. 24 All the Egyptians dug around the river for water to drink; for they couldn’t drink the river water. 25 Seven days were fulfilled, after Hashem had struck the river.
8 Hashem spoke to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh, and tell him, ‘This is what Hashem says, “Let my people go, that they may serve me. 2 If you refuse to let them go, behold, I will plague all your borders with frogs. 3 The river will swarm with frogs, which will go up and come into your house, and into your bedroom, and on your bed, and into the house of your servants, and on your people, and into your ovens, and into your kneading troughs. 4 The frogs shall come up both on you, and on your people, and on all your servants.”’” 5 Hashem said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your rod over the rivers, over the streams, and over the pools, and cause frogs to come up on the land of Egypt.’” 6 Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt.
