Kinder Torah© Parashas Va’eira seventy years, and if we are mighty, Honor Going Up! eighty years.’ (Tehillim 90:10). Therefore, Moshe and Aharon were at an age when W ho can contemplate the terrible “S halom Imma, I’m home from their strength should have been waning. deeds that Paroh did? Rav Leib Chasman school!” Did they slow down and take it easy? in his sefer Ohr Yohel illustrates as fol- “Shalom Chaim! How was your day?” Chas v’shalom (Heaven forbid)! That is lows. Paroh spoke with chutzpah against “Very interesting, Imma.” not the way of Klal Yisrael. Our wise and Hashem. “Who is Hashem that I should “Please tell me about it, Chaim.” elderly people put more effort into their listen to His voice to send out Israel? I do “Well Imma, Avi and I were walking learning and tikkun ha’middos (character not know Hashem and I will not send out through the park on our way home from improvement) with each passing year.” Israel” (Shemos 5:2). He tortured the school. We came to a group of park “That is wonderful, Imma.” Jewish people with back breaking labor benches, and sat down. Next to us were and horrible atrocities. For this, he was two elderly men, sitting and chatting abut here would the world be without punished with the eser makkos (ten “W retired life. It was fascinating.” these two tsaddikim? Two thirds of their plagues). Each makko was more humiliat- “What did they say?” lives had passed, a period of time when ing than the next. “One said that he goes fishing almost lesser people would be taking it easy. Yet every day. He sometimes spends hours in they stood up to Paroh, the world’s most ry to imagine the makko of tse- T a boat, waiting for a fish to bite his powerful leader! They led Klal Yisrael out fardeah (frogs). They were everywhere, of Mitzraim and took them through the in the homes, in the ovens, even in peo- hook.” ple’s stomachs. The noise from their sea! Moshe received the Torah on Har croaking was deafening. Paroh, the King Sinai! Where would the world be without of Egypt, in his entire splendor, is sitting Torah? Stuck in idolatry and witchcraft. on his throne in his royal garments, sur- Our two great leaders did not spend their rounded by his officers. He opens his later years relaxing. They rose to the high- mouth to speak, but you cannot hear his est spiritual levels ever achieved!” voice. It is drowned out by the croaking “What an inspiration, Imma! An entire of the frogs in his stomach. Can you life filled with accomplishment. That is imagine anything more disgraceful than what I want.” that? Is there any honor to his kingship? “Chaim, Hashem should fulfill your re- quest.” H ow was Moshe Rabbeinu was com- manded to treat Paroh? After nine mak- Kinderlach . kos, Paroh had the chutzpah to say to We are on our way up. We can look at Moshe Rabbeinu, “On the day that I see ourselves as if we are near the bottom of a your face you will die” (Shemos 10:27). stairwell of a very tall building. Every time Moshe Rabbeinu left Paroh’s presence in we do a mitzvah, we go up a step. If we burning anger (Shemos 11:8). Before he do it with real enthusiasm, we go up two left, however, he described the last or three steps. Our goal is to keep moving plague of makkos bechoros (killing of the up. Some steps are harder than others are. first-born). It would be so horrifying that Sometimes we are tired, and climbing the all of Paroh’s servants will come running steps takes more effort. When we get to Moshe, begging him to take the Jewish older, everything takes more effort. Just people out of Egypt. Rashi comments that remember one thing - NEVER STOP GO- Moshe did not say that Paroh himself ING UP! Take your time, go at your own would come running to him. Why? “What did the other man say?” pace, but KEEP GOING. That is the way of Moshe still had to honor to the kingship “He spends a lot of time just sitting on Klal Yisrael. We are always in the rise. of Paroh (Shemos 11:8). He was such an the park bench, watching the people go evil king, and he performed acts so horri- Nothing stops us. Kinderlach, use every by. He said that he worked hard his ble that he was terribly punished. Yet, he moment that Hashem gives you to do His whole life, and now he wants to spend still was deserving of honor. Rav Chas- mitzvos with great enthusiasm. See you on man points out that this is a powerful his last years just relaxing and taking it the 120th floor! lesson in respecting the honor of a human easy.” being. If Moshe Rabbeinu had to honor “Chaim, we are very fortunate that the evil Paroh, how much more so do we Moshe Rabbeinu and Aharon HaKohen Parasha Questions have to honor our fellow Jews. did not think that way.” • Which grains were destroyed by the “What do you mean, Imma?” barad, and which were not? Why? Kinderlach . (9:31,32 and Rashi) Do you see how careful we must be to “T hey accomplished tremendous • Which servants of Paroh brought their speak to others with kovod (honor)? You things during the years when most people cattle into their homes, and which did may think that this is difficult. If you think retire. The verse states that Moshe was not? (9:20,21) about the other person’s good points, eighty years old and Aharon was eighty- • Which miracles occurred when Moshe then honoring him comes naturally. He is three when they spoke to Paroh (Shemos threw the ashes to begin makkas older, wiser, wealthier, more patient, or 7:7). Rav Zalman Sorotzkin points out shechin? (Rashi 9:8) has more mitzvos or fewer sins than you that in those days, people’s life span was • In what way were the makkos similar to have. Honoring others is the basis of true shorter than in previous generations. a war waged against an enemy? (Rashi derech eretz and the sign of a real Dovid HaMelech writes this in his ‘Tefil- 8:17) mensch. lah L’Moshe.’ ‘The days of our years are Kinder Torah © Copyright 2006 ! All rights reserved to the author Simcha Groffman ! P.O.B. 5338, Jlm, 91052, Israel ! Tel: (02) 585-2216 Kinder Torah is distributed each week in Ashkelon, Bat Yam, Bayit Vegan, Beit Shemesh, Beit Yisrael, Beitar, Bnai Brak, Boston, Cleveland, Detroit, Effrat, Eilat, Ezras Torah, Gateshead, Geula Givat Shaul, Givat Ze’ev, Gonen, Gush Shemonim, Haifa, Har Nof, Ilford, Istanbul, Izmir, Johannesburgh, Kfar HaRif, Kiryat Sefer, Kosel Maaravi, Los Angeles, Maale Adumim, Maale Amos, Maalot Dafna, Machane Yehuda, Manchester, Mattersdorf, Mattisyahu, Modiin, Neve Yaakov, North Miami Beach, Peduel, Philadelphia, Psagot, Ramot, Rechovot, Rommema, San Simone, Sanhedria HaMurchevet, Telz Stone, Toronto, Unsdorf, Yishuv Eli, Zichron Yaakov and other cities. Subscribe for yourself or sponsor your shul. Just 120₪ per year. 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