Parasha Overview: Va’era (Videos)
Weekly Sidra: Va’era (and I appeared)
Torah Portion: Shemot / Exodus 6:2 – 9:35
Haftorah: Yechetzkel / Ezekiel 28:25 – 29:21
Va’eira, Va’era, or Vaera (וארא — Hebrew for “and I appeared” the first word that God speaks in the parshah, in Exodus 6:3) is the fourteenth weekly Torah portion (parshah) in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading and the second in the book of Exodus. The title comes from the first words of the second verse of the reading, which says, “And I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as God Almighty” (Exodus 6:3). It constitutes Exodus 6:2–9:35. Jews in the Diaspora read it the fourteenth Sabbath after Simchat Torah, generally in January.
In last week’s parsha, Shemot, the Jewish people became enslaved in Egypt with hard bondage and Moshe Rabeinu was appointed by God to say "Let my people go" to Pharaoh. When Moshe first announced the redemption to the people of Israel and to Pharaoh, conditions initially became worse, i.e. they were in an even darker golut (exile).
Note: On the Shabbat the Torah Reading is divided into 7 sections. Each section is called an Aliya [literally: Go up] since for each Aliya, one person “goes up” to make a bracha [blessing] on the Torah Reading. Here are this week`s aliyot:
1st Aliya: The year is 2448 and Moshe had unsuccessfully confronted Pharaoh. The situation had gotten worse, not better, and HaShem (God) reassured Moshe that in fact the redemption was about to begin. The 4 statements of redemption are stated for which we have the 4 cups of wine at the Passover Seder.
God says the patriarchs didn’t know God’s name of Havayah. (The previous use of the name "Elokim" was God’s name in the language of gevurah [judgment] and limitation — e.g. creation of a world that looks natural happens with the name "Elokim". The Divine name of Havayah is the language of chesed [kindness] and limitless.
2nd & 3rd Aliyot: Moshe’s lineage is established. He is 80 years old and Aharon is 83. Moshe is told to go speak to Pharaoh, with Aharon as spokesman, telling Pharaoh that he should let God’s people go. He is further told that God will harden Pharaoh’s heart in order to multiply God’s wonders in Egypt such that Egyptians should know that God is HaShem.
4th Aliya: Moshe performed the miracle of the "staff turning to a serpent" and performed the first and second plagues: blood and frogs. The river and all the water in Egypt (including in vessels) turns to blood and all the fish die. Next, the plague of frogs begins, where frogs come out of the river and cover the land, enter all the houses, and their ovens and their bowls.
5th Aliya: Moshe performed the third plague and forewarned Pharaoh about the fourth. Then two more plagues happen in this aliyah: God tells Moshe to tell Aharon to smite the dust of the earth so that it becomes lice. Pharaoh doesn’t change his mind, so God tells Moshe to warn Pharaoh about the next plague, which will be the plague of noxious animals. Serpents and scorpions will cover Egypt and fill their houses, but they will leave alone the land of Goshen, where the people of Israel live.
6th Aliya: The fourth, fifth, and sixth plagues were performed, and Moshe forewarned Pharaoh regarding the seventh. God starts the plague of noxious animals with serpents and scorpions swarming into Pharaoh’s palace and everyone else’s house in Egypt, and the land is ruined except for the land of Goshen. Pharaoh calls Moshe and Aharon and tells them that the people of Israel can sacrifice to God. The plague ends and Pharaoh changes his mind and reneges on his promise.
Next is the plague of heavy pestilence on the Egyptians’ cattle, horses, donkeys, camels, herds and flocks. All of these animals die, but none of the people of Israel’ animals are affected. Next is the plague of extremely painful leprous boils that cover all Egyptian men and beasts; but Pharaoh still doesn’t release the people of Israel.
7th Aliya: The seventh plague was performed and Pharaoh "hardens his heart" and refused to let the people of Israel go. God warns that every man or beast found in the field will be smitten with a most grievous hail. Those that fear God bring themselves and their cattle in from the field. Moshe stretches his rod toward heaven and a fiery hail comes down to earth such as never had been seen before. Everything that is in the field, both man, beast, and every herb and tree is destroyed except in the land of Goshen where there is no hail. Pharaoh now admits his sin and says that he recognizes the righteousness of God. The plague stops, but Pharaoh changes his mind again.
Categories: Parasha Vaera, Torah, Torah Video
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