The Power Of God
In Powerful Events

DR. RICHARD C. HERTZ SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

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DATEBOOK

SATURDAY
JANUARY 8

Sit Down Kiddush with Rev. Joseph Baras

SATURDAY
JANUARY 15

Federation Shabbat with Guest Speaker Mark Schlussel

FRIDAY
JANUARY 21

Family Shabbat Dinner

SATURDAY
JANUARY 22

Youth Department Shabbat Hanoar and Luncheon

SATURDAY
JANUARY 22

Club Chayim Movie Marathon

SUNDAY
JANUARY 23

Sisterhood-Men's Club Joint Breakfast with Guest Speaker,
Michelle Kaufman, Detroit Free Press Sports Columnist

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his week's portion deals
with the 10 plagues recit-
ed in the Passover Hag-
gadah and told from gen-
eration to generation as the
miraculous events that made
such an impact on Israel's his-
tory. The miracles were the ex-
traordinary events which God
brought about in order to
demonstrate His power and will
to Pharaoh.
The plagues described in this
portion were meant to coerce
Pharaoh to accept the divine
command and let the Israelites
go. Biblical miracles like the
plagues were designed to save
Israel. Their purpose went far
beyond the mere proof of divine
power.
The subject of miracles was
a troublesome one, yet one of
the most important in the writ-
ings of medieval Jewish philos-
ophy. Maimonides, Nahmoni-
des and Crescas all wrestled
with the problem of the ulti-
mate purpose of these miracles.
They were supposed to impart
faith to unbelievers and to
strengthen the faith of believ-
ers. These miracles became im-
portant tools by which God re-
vealed His infinite power.
The 19th century philosopher
Samuel Hirsch wrote that God
revealed Himself to Israel by
means of miracles in order to
demonstrate that He was above
nature and that nature was not
omnipotent, an idea which the
Israelites had acquired in
Egypt. The essence of the mir-
acle does not lie in its being con-
tradictory to nature but in hav-
ing a particular significance in
history.
The miracles of the plagues
were accepted as having hap-
pened precisely in the manner
described in our sedrah. The
medieval philosophers wrestled
with the theological problem,
assuming that the plagues oc-
curred exactly as recorded,
when actually the story was es-
sentially legendary.
Since the release of the Is-
raelites from slavery was un-
precedented, the only explana-
tion possible was to give credit
to God. His signs and wonders
were experienced by the Is-
raelites who saw themselves in
a special relationship to God.
The story of the plagues became
the legendary framework for
the ultimate miracle of Israel's

Dr. Richard C. Hertz is rabbi
emeritus of Temple Beth El.

redemption from slavery in
Egypt caused by God.
The 10 plagues form a sym-
metrical and regularly unfold-
ing scheme. The Hertz com-
mentary describes how the first
nine plagues consists of three
series of three each — blood,
frogs, gnats, then fleas, murrain
and boils, then hail, locust and
darkness. In each series the
first plague is announced to
Pharaoh beforehand. The sec-
ond group was sent without
warning, until the series rises
to a climax and becomes the

Shabbat Va'era:
Exodus 6:2-9:35
Ezekiel 28:25-
29:21.

prelude to the 10th plague, the
death of the first born.
Here the natural and the su-
pernatural are woven together.
The plagues in miraculously in-
tensified form become the pun-
ishment meted out to Egypt be-
cause of Pharaoh's hardness of
heart.
The sedrah concludes with
the stage now set for the last,
impending and decisive inter-
vention of God with the next se-
drah. The extraordinary chas-
tisement the 10 disasters that
struck Egypt in the course of a
year became popularly known
as the 10 plagues.

❑

Annual Shabbat
For Federation

Federation Shabbat will carry
the message of Jewish unity
into Detroit-area congregations
Jan. 14-15.
The special annual Shabbat
observance focuses on the Jew-
ish Federation of Metropolitan
Detroit and its Allied Jewish
Campaign, Detroit Jewry's ma-
jor fund-raising appeal. Also
highlighted during this year's
Federation Shabbat is Opera-
tion Exodus II, the special cam-
paign to rescue and resettle
Jews from the former Soviet
Union and Ethiopia.
Federation and Campaign
leaders speaking at area con-
gregations Jan. 14 are: United

