Vaera: G-d Teaches Moses
Vaera: G-d Teaches Moses

"And G-d spoke to Moses and said: 'I am Hashem. I appeared to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as El Shad-ai; but the

He said, "Enough!" to the waters, so they stopped from overflowing and flooding the land.

name Hashem I did not make known to them."



A strange statement from our portion's opening verse, isn't it? Certainly, G-d did use the 4-letter name (in Hebrew)  of "Hashem" to the three Forefathers. But whether He did or not, what's the point of saying it here?



This portion begins where the last left off: Moses was complaining to G-d that things had only gotten worse for the Jews since he came on board; now, they had to collect their own straw, and their work load was doubled.



So He has to gently rebuke Moses and teach the teacher a valuable lesson. The name "El Shad-dai, says the Midrash, derives from the word "dai," or "enough." That is, Hashem had to carefully control the "flow" of Creation, so that it would be just the right amount. He said, "Enough!" to the waters, so they stopped from overflowing and flooding the land.

Without G-d masterfully manipulating the elements, so that the precise mix was established, we could not have survived an instant. So, too, the human body has exactly the right temperature, tolerance and amount of blood, bone, muscles and nerves to sustain us throughout life.



Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as well as Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah - underwent tremendous trial and testing. They had to endure famine, war, infertility, kidnapping and poverty. And yet, says Hashem, they stayed with Me. They knew I was dispensing exactly the right prescription for their good, the good of the Jewish nation. In the end, all of the seemingly negative things which happened to them turned out to be part of My plan, which resulted in their immortality and that of the Jewish People. They knew I was Shad-dai - doing just enough - no more, no less - to make it turn out right.



"But you, Moses - you who grew up in the palace and did not spend a day in bondage, who enjoyed a privileged status and a royal upbringing - you experienced the grace and glory associated with my persona of 'Hashem' - the Merciful One. So now you must be taught that even - perhaps especially - when My people is suffering, it is

One day, G-d will say, "Enough!"

precisely to bring them to a more lasting and lofty triumph."



Our Sages,  in Ethics of the Fathers, teach us, "according [of equal weight] to the tribulation is the treasure."

The anxiety and angst - not to mention the physical hardships we endure - will all translate into Hashem's blessing upon us. One day, G-d will say, "Enough!" Then hardship will cease and we shall be rewarded in like measure for all we have endured.

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