בס”ד
Parashat Vaera In this week’s reading we start learning about the Ten plagues. Each one of the was a step to break the inner and external exile the Jewish People were suffering in Egypt. In this class, we analyze the spiritual meaning of the first plague: Blood. Based on Likutei Sichot, vol. 1, p. 119
This week’s Torah portion is called Va’era, and it is a direct continuation of the previous portion. In the previous reading, Moshe Rabbeinu came to the Jewish people with the news that they were going to be redeemed from Egypt. They were so thankful; they praised G-d and expressed their gratitude. But now, things started to become more difficult. At the end of the previous portion, Moshe went back to G-d and essentially asked, “Why have You done harm to this people?”
At the beginning of this portion, G-d responded to him and said, “I appeared to the forefathers, but My essence—My truest essence—I did not reveal to them. Yet, I kept My promise to them. Now, you will see: I will take the Jewish people out of Egypt.”
The Shift in the Jewish People’s Response
Moshe returned to the Jewish people and conveyed G-d’s message, telling them that everything would be fine and that G-d would take them out of Egypt. But the Torah says they did not listen to Moshe Rabbeinu because of their hard labor and harsh servitude.
This is striking because, in the previous portion, they had listened, rejoiced, and thanked G-d. But now, because things became so difficult, they no longer heard. Their suffering was so intense that they were unable to internalize the message.
Faith Amid Exile
Let’s imagine for a moment: the Jewish people still believed in G-d. In fact, our sages teach that it was in the merit of their faith that they were redeemed from Egypt. There were other merits as well, but this faith is one of the core reasons for their redemption. They had already heard G-d’s promises through Moshe and believed them. Yet when things became harder, they could no longer hear. They were too immersed in their exile—both spiritually and physically.
This internal exile and the external, physical exile were so overwhelming that something drastic needed to happen to break it.
Breaking the Exile: The Purpose of the Plagues
In this week’s portion, we begin reading about the plagues. What were the plagues? Essentially, they were a tool, a “package,” sent by G-d to break the grip of exile and enable the redemption of the Jewish people. Without this intervention, it would have been too difficult to achieve freedom.
The first plague was blood. All the waters of Egypt turned to blood, including the waters of the Nile River, which was the primary object of Egyptian idolatry.
Now let’s go deeper: what is the nature of water? Water is naturally cold. This physical property of water can also be understood as a spiritual attitude. There can be a certain coldness in a person’s heart toward something. However, this coldness can manifest in two opposite ways.
Two Types of Coldness
One type of coldness is toward holiness—toward a connection with G-d, prayer, commandments, and spiritual growth. On the other hand, there can be coldness toward things that oppose G-d’s will—toward improper behavior, distractions, and actions that take us away from our divine purpose.
These two types of coldness are indirectly proportional. The more coldness a person has toward holiness, the more “heat” and enthusiasm they will have for unholy pursuits. Conversely, the more coldness a person has toward unholiness, the more warmth, energy, and enthusiasm they will feel toward Godly matters.
The Spiritual Message of the First Plague
This is the deeper meaning of the first plague: the water of the Nile, the symbol of Egypt’s idolatry and spiritual coldness, was transformed into blood. Blood represents heat, energy, and vitality.
G-d was teaching the Jewish people a fundamental lesson through this plague. They needed to examine where they applied their natural coldness and where they focused their enthusiasm. Were they enthusiastic about physical things, or did they find their passion and life energy in connecting with G-d?
Eating and drinking, for example, are essential because G-d created us to need physical sustenance. But where is the enthusiasm? Is the excitement in the food itself, or in the G-dly energy within the food that sustains us and gives us the strength to serve Him?
Through the transformation of water into blood, G-d was showing the Jewish people that they must redirect their spiritual focus. They needed to learn to be cold toward idolatry—toward anything that distanced them from G-d—and to be enthusiastic and alive toward Godly matters.
How to Stay Enthusiastic About the Old
The obvious question is: how can one develop this enthusiasm, especially for something that might feel repetitive or old?
Our sages teach that every day, the words of the Torah should feel new to your eyes. In fact, there’s a version of this teaching that says the words of Torah must not just feel new—they must be new every single day.
But how can something that’s been studied for over 3,000 years feel new?
The answer lies in learning and understanding the deeper meanings of each mitzvah (commandment) and each teaching of Torah. When you delve into the profound wisdom and guidance that the Torah provides, you realize that G-d is constantly creating and recreating the world. This includes you—yourself. Every moment, G-d is giving you a fresh opportunity to connect with Him.
Every commandment, every word of Torah, is a new path to G-d. This realization brings vitality and enthusiasm, even to things that seem old or repetitive.
Conclusion: Breaking the Exile Within and Without
This is the first step in breaking both internal and external exile. When we learn to find excitement and life in our connection to God, we begin to destroy the exile within ourselves. Ultimately, this paves the way for the complete redemption with the coming of Mashiach, speedily in our days.
Talk from Rabbi Tuvia Serber
The above is a representation of the spoken text converted to written text.
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