TORAHPORTION

Palace Poxed

Shabbat Vaera:
Exodus 6:2-9:35;
Numbers 28:9-15;
Isaiah 66:1-24.

W

hat does it take to reduce
As in Mesoamerica, it seems that
a dominant civilization
illness and infestation played a
from its zenith of military larger role than did any conventional
and economic might to utter defeat?
weapons in the defeat of Egypt. But
This question is posed by Charles C.
the Exodus narrative is meant to be
Mann in his remarkable book 1491:
instructive. What message does it
New Revelations of the Americas
carry for us?
before Columbus.
The first and most obvi-
According to the lat-
ous lesson is that human
est historical studies, the
rulers, no matter how
Western hemisphere prior
powerful and revered they
to contact with European
may be, are fallible in both
explorers was a heav-
senses of the word: They
ily populated and highly
can be wrong, and they can
developed civilization.
be defeated.
For example, the Inca
Time and again, human
Empire had vast armies,
beings exalt their leaders
extraordinary cities and
Rabbi D aniel S.
to absurd heights, seeking
road systems, advanced
Ne vins
a figure to worship. The
science and religion. Yet it
Specia I to the
Torah teaches that God
was quickly destroyed by
Jewish News
alone is worthy of worship.
a combination of civil war,
A second lesson is that
bad luck and, most powerfully, cata-
oppression of the weak can cause the
strophic disease.
defeat of the mighty. A third lesson is
Historians and anthropologists are
that stubbornness can be our undo-
increasingly convinced that European- ing.
borne illnesses such as viral hepatitis
The Torah's teachings of compas-
and influenza devastated the popula-
sion, integritys and holiness are all
tion of the Americas on an appallingly about us. We hear God's word, but we
vast scale. Some scholars claim that
harden our hearts until we eventually
as much as 95 percent of the indig-
stop hearing the messages altogether.
enous population died of disease in
Pharaoh finally attains a fleeting
the decades following contact with the moment of comprehension: "I stand
Europeans.
guilty this time. The Lord is in the
Fewer than 500 years ago, an entire
right, and I and my people are in the
civilization, with ample portions of
wrong" (Exodus 9:27). If we can learn
both grandeur and decadence, sud-
his lessons and apply them to our-
denly disappeared, leaving hardly a
selves, then the experience of Egypt
trace to remember.
can be instructive even in our day.
In contrast, this week we read a
If not, then the entire Exodus story
detailed chronicle of the devastation
is purged of meaning, making this
of a mighty empire from over 3,000
just another ancient story of human
years ago. The reduction of Pharaoh
despair.
from a putatively divine ruler to a
whimpering loser is rapid and dra-
Daniel Nevins is a rabbi at Adat Shalom
matic.
Synagogue in Farmington Hills.
After giving Pharaoh one last
chance to release Israel from his
servitude, Moses and Aaron begin to
Conversations:
unleash the plagues: blood, frogs, ver-
If you could speak with the
min, beasts, pestilence, boils and hail.
president,
what lesson would you
Plague after plague crashes down on
want
him
to
draw from our Torah
Egypt, devastating the most powerful
portion?
nation on earth.

MAY 27 JUNE 8, 2007

For more information on how
to participate in this significant
Technion adventure, please contact
Jo Strausz Rosen 248.737i990
jo@ats.org • www.ats.or

January 18 . 2007

39