CANDLELIGHTING for
Friday, January 20, 2012 • 5:28 pm

• Our Portion for the Week •

VAERA – EXODUS 6:2 – 9:35
In this portion God reiterates His pledge to redeem His people from slavery and promises severe punishment for the Egyptians. A contest then ensues between the will of God and the will of pharaoh. Moses and Aaron make another appeal to pharaoh and in the process humiliate his magicians. The appeal, however, is again rejected. There follow the first seven of ten plaques that God must inflict on the Egyptians in order to achieve the release of the Israelites. The plaques of blood, frogs, lice, swarms of insects, pestilence, boils and hail (as well as locusts, darkness and the slaying of the first-born, which are related in the next portion) demonstrate God's ability to manipulate nature and to protect His people. Since a number of the plaques were directed against Egyptian divinities, we also have here the beginning of the Israelite war on polytheism.

• Our Question for the Week •

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, "When Pharaoh speaks to you and says, 'Produce your marvel [literally, produce a marvel for you],' you shall say to Aaron, 'Take your rod and cast it down before Pharaoh.' It shall turn into a serpent."
(Exodus 7:8-9)
Why did God choose to bring the Israelites out of Egypt by means of the ten plagues? Was it to make a theological point – there is only one true God? Was it justifiable punishment for what the Egyptians had done, with perhaps a bit of revenge? Was it midah keneged midah – measure for measure, making the punishment fit the crime? Were the plagues also intended to provide lessons for the Israelites? What were they, and we, meant to learn?