Blood and Frogs and Lice, Oh My!

Parashat Va'era
Exodus 6:2-9:35

This portion begins with God reviewing the covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  "I have heard the cries of the Israelites," God says, "and I will now fulfill my promise to them, redeeming them from slavery and bringing them into the land which I promised to their ancestors" (6:5).

When Moses tells all this to the Israelites, they will not listen.  So Moses appeals to God, claiming that if the Israelites will not heed him, how can he hope to convince Pharaoh?  God tells Moses that Aaron will be the spokesperson before Pharaoh, and that though God's signs and wonders will be many, Pharaoh will, in the beginning, refuse to give in.  This is because God is going to harden Pharaoh's heart.

When Pharaoh does refuse to allow the Israelites to journey into the wilderness to worship God, the plague of blood and frogs occur.  However, the magicians of Pharaoh duplicate these occurrences.  When the third plague, lice, afflicts the land, the magicians become fearful and tell Pharaoh that this act is the finger of God.  But it is only with the fourth plague, swarms of insects, that Pharaoh begins to show signs of softening, offering to allow the Israelites to worship God within the land of Egypt.  Once the plague abates, however, Pharaoh changes his mind, and the fifth, sixth, and seventh plagues (cattle disease, boils, and hail) follow in swift succession.

Table Talk Questions:

1. "Vaera" means "I appeared."  The portion opens with God using this word to reveal himself to Moses.  What is the first thing you usually tell someone about yourself?  Do you tell them what you like to do in your free time?  Who your parents are?  Where you live?  What do you not want others to know about you right away?
2. We see the beginning of the plagues from the Passover story in Vaera.  Do you think the plagues were only for the Egyptians?  What might the Israelites have gained by witnessing these events?
3. Throughout the Torah, we see different versions of God.  Sometimes God acts like a parent.  Sometimes God acts with anger and punishes.  How would you describe God as God appears in this portion?

This week's Torah cartoon: