Rabbi Yosi Gordon: Vaera From Hard Servitude to Open Ears

Rabbi Gordon writes about the Israelites who didn’t listen to Moses, out of shortness of spirit and hard servitude. He asks: What are the workarounds for shortness of spirit and hard servitude? They are not like cell phones that can be silenced. He references Exodus Rabbah 6:5, which explains that the Israelites joined the idolaters because their status as slaves was fixed, and God didn’t seem to help.

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks z/l: Vaera Freedom and Truth

Rabbi Sacks comments on the fact that Moses implies the people will leave for 3 days to worship Adonai, when in fact the intention is to leave entirely. He recalls Jacob, who left Laban behind his back, and made an excuse not to travel together with Esau later on. Jacob was also misleading in the situation with the Shechemites when he proposed circumcision. Abraham and Isaac pretended their wives were sisters when leaving home because of famine.