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THE SINAI GUILD

Torah Portion

Learning From Our Mistakes
Creates A Greater Insight

Is delighted to present

Betty Rollin, author of

First, You Cry AND Last Wish

At our
Women in Philanthropy Luncheon
for B REAST CANCER AWARENESS

E

Please save this date.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2001

To find out how you can

help with this fundraising

event, please call The Sinai

Guild at 248-723-9081.

Affiliated with the

Detroit Medical Center

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jealous, so power-hungry as to go to
such lengths to convince us to
believe in and fear the Divine? Isn't
there a more merciful way God
could have accomplished the same
goals?
Other commentators, including
the 15/16th-century Italian Obadiah
very year when this Torah
ben Jacob Sforno, argue that God
portion comes along, I am
hardened Pharaoh's heart in order ro
troubled by the same ques-
teach Pharaoh and the Egyptians a
tion: Why does God
lesson. Sforno wrote that God's goal
declare to Moses, "And I will harden
in hardening Pharaoh's heart was to
Pharaoh's heart and I will multiply
inspire the wicked Egyptians to
My signs and My wonders in the
repent honestly and fully:
land of Egypt" (Exodus 7:3)?
"... had Pharaoh's heart not
It seems from this state-
been hardened, there is no
ment that God's intent was
doubt he would have let
to purposely make Pharaoh
the Israelites go, but not
even more resolved not to
out of sincere repentance
set us free. Why would God
and submission to God;
add to Pharaoh's stubborn-
rather because he could no
ness? What was God trying
longer bear the suffering of
to prove, and why did God
the plagues."
have to bring 10 devastating
Therefore, continues
plagues to do so?
Sforno,
"hardening
RABBI AMY
According to Rashi, God
Pharaoh's
heart" means
RUTH
hardened Pharaoh's heart in
increasing
his ability to
BOLTON
order to prove a point to
endure
suffering.
God for-
Special to the
Israel. Rashi believed that
tified Pharaoh's resistance
Jewish News
God's "signs and wonders,"
to the plagues so that he
the plagues, were ultimately
would let us go not out of
intended to insure that we, still
an inability to endure more suffer-
enslaved and still not truly a Jewish
ing, but out of his own free will, out
nation, recognize God's might:
of true teshuvah, return from his evil
"This is a characteristic of the
ways.
Holy One, Blessed is He: God brings
In contrast to Rashi's understand-
punishments upon the nations so
ing that God was making Pharaoh
that Israel will take heed and be fear-
more stubborn in his resolve to keep
ful, as it says 'I have destroyed
us enslaved and thus Pharaoh was
nations, their towers have been laid
more of a sinner, Sforno argued that
desolate, etc., I thought that you
God was ultimately helping Pharaoh
would fear Me, that you would learn
rise from sin. Again, however, this
a lesson' (Zephaniah 3:6-7)."
seems a drastic measure to prove a
God deliberately hardened
point. Was it necessary to bring
Pharaoh's heart so that the only rem-
repeated destruction upon an entire
edy would be awesome plagues, that
nation in order to prove that God
only these signs and wonders would
desires the repentance of even the
convince Pharaoh to let us go. God
most wicked people?
orchestrated this situation in order to
At the same time that I am trou-
show us, the Jews, how mighty God
bled by these questions, I am also
is. According to Rashi, God hoped
forced by this Torah portion to con-
that this display of divine power
front the realities of human nature,
would inspire us to fear and obey
God.
In the spirit of the great commen-
tators who were in dialogue with
What do you think God's moti-
Rashi, I find his interpretation dis-
vation was for hardening
turbing. What kind of a way is this
Pharaoh's heart? Do you think
to curry our favor and support for
we pay more attention to nega-
God? Could God be so worried, so
tive or positive signs in our lives?
Rabbi Amy Ruth Bolton serves with
Why? What "wakeup calls" make
the Jewish Hospice and Chaplaincy
you aware of God's presence in
Network and is an educator who leads
your life?
the Eilu v' Eilu women's Kedushat
HaHodesh learning minyan.

Shabbat Vaera:
Exodus 6:2-9:35;
Ezekiel 28:25-29:21.

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