Vaera
In Parashat Vaera we begin to read about the plagues that G-d sent down to the Egyptians prior to the exodus of the Jewish people from Egypt. Parashat Vaera writes the first 7 of the ten plagues. The last plague in our Parasha is ‘Barad’, which means hail stones, and we read that Moshe Rabenu forewarns Pharaoh about the onset of this plague. The pasuk writes in the ninth Perek, in the 18th pasuk that ‘behold tomorrow at this time I shall rain a very heavy hail.’ Rashi asks on this, what does it exactly mean that tomorrow at this time hail will start? So Rashi explains that Moshe made a marking on the wall, and Moshe told Pharaoh that the hail shall start once the sun passes that mark the next day.
Pharaoh’s advisors surely must have thought that Moshe Rabenu over extended himself in this decree. On days of hail and storm it is cloudy outside, and so how would the sun cross that mark on the wall if clouds were present? How could Moshe’s declaration that the sun would cross the line come true if it were cloudy, or how could Moshe’s declaration of hail come true if it were sunny?
There was a miracle within a miracle. The Chachamim tell us that the miracle of Barad, the miracle of hail came about on a sunny clear day. The Egyptians had no forewarning of the impending hail storm. The Egyptians were walking about in the street, laughing and enjoying the beautiful day thinking a hail storm would not occur for it was a clear and sunny day. But sure enough, just as Moshe stated, a storm of hail, water, and fire came upon the Egyptians just as the sun crossed that mark on the wall. So it was a miracle from within a miracle. Number one that the hail stones came down, and number two that the hail storm came on a day of sun and tranquility without meteorological expectation.
We saw a similar manifestation of the hand of G-d in last week’s disaster in South East Asia. The day that the earthquake and Tsunami struck was a beautiful sunny day. People were sitting on the beach, people were relaxing, and no one had any inclination as to the disaster that was about to befall upon them. According to last count, more than 150,000 people perished on that beautiful sunny day. There was no prediction and no expectation.
We learn a great lesson from these events how powerful the hand of G-d is. One might think that we have come a long way with technology and are able to make predictions and forecasts. But here you can see that Hashem’s power goes beyond today’s technology. Bore Olam caught the entire world off guard with this wide encompassing sudden catastrophe, just as he brought sudden unexplainable hail storms in Egypt. This shows that when Bore Olam wants to accomplish something, nobody can stop him, nobody can tell him what to do, and it can come when you least expect it.
Let this be a great lesson and reminder to us all of Hashem’s mighty hand. This re-awakening should motivate us all to do more kindness, give more charity, and to learn more Torah. Let our fear of Hashem be strengthened by our actions, for at one moment it can be sunny and beautiful, and the next moment be filled with disaster and gloom.
Chachamim say this is how it will be when the final day of redemption comes (when the Mashiach comes). There will be a tremendous settling of accounts as evil doers will suffer the consequences of their actions. At one moment they will be reveling in their glory and at the next moment be paying the price by the hand of G-d.
