Vaera: "I Appeared"

This week's Torah portion begins with God speaking to Moses, and answering (though not really answering) Moses' question/complaint regarding why the Jewish people were suffering so much, since after all, he was sent by God Himself to redeem them. How could this lead to them suffering even more? The story continues to enfold, and progress is made. God sends miraculous plagues upon the Egyptians, with Pharaoh still stubbornly refusing to let the Jewish people go, all along the way.

The incredibly tragic events that took place and are still taking place in Haiti this week evoke many of the same themes as Vaera. They remind us of God's vast power as well as our vulnerability, and, perhaps more importantly, of the tremendous degree of unexplainable human suffering present in the world.

We cannot even pretend to understand why such tragedies take place. To try to find reasons for the Haitian people (including infants and children) to deserve such a tragedy would be simply inhumane. That is not our job - specially given all the suffering that we've been through ourselves throughout our history and especially in this past century. However, it is our job to feel the pain of our fellow men, and to help. We must ask God how He could do such a thing - even if we know we won't get immediate answers.

What we can be certain of, though, is that just as in Egypt, we and the entire world will be redeemed. It might take time, we might encounter Pharaohs such as the one now in Iran (who even claim divine inspiration!), but the bottom line is that we know that we will be made whole with miracles even greater than those encountered in Egypt.

There's a famous Jewish saying that states: "Kol Hatchalot Kashot." "All beginnings are difficult." (Rashi and Mechilta, Parashat Yitro). The main thing, as Rebbe Nachman of Breslov would say, is not to be afraid and not to give up. There is no such thing as giving up.

As we start this blog and we pass the beginning phases of ModernJewishHome.com, we know that there will be initial challenges, but we know we will also pull through, with the help of our Boss.