My Weekly Drash (a mini D'var Torah) - Va'era
Posted by Daniel M. Kimmel on January 3, 2008 | Tags: Va'era
With all the action going on with the plagues you might gloss over Exodus chapter 6, verses 6-8 in this week's Parshah Va-era. That would be a mistake. God tells Moses that He is ready to enforce his covenant with the Israelites: "I will free you... and deliver you... I will redeem you... I will take you to be My people...." Sound familiar? It should. It's at the core of our Passover Seder, where God's fourfold promise is one of the reasons we drink four cups of wine. It is also a source for much discussion by the rabbis who do not see God repeating himself for emphasis, but making distinct points. It's not enough to be "freed" from being slaves, we must be "delivered" from the subservient mindset slavery has induced. We must be "redeemed" into thinking of ourselves as a free people and only then will God be able to fulfill the covenant of providing a homeland where we can be His people. It's a rich and evocative passage, and we shouldn't rush past it to get to the action part about the plagues.
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Daniel M. KimmelJoined: October 2, 2007 Daniel M. Kimmel is a Boston area film critic, lecturer and author. He does these weekly mini-lessons for the Mishkan Tefila Brotherhood's newsletter. You are free to use them for similar purposes. Divrei Torah (117) |
