Parashas Shmos

In tradition with the original theme of The Family Jewels this weeks vort is dedicated to the memory of my great aunt, Aunt Gert, Chavah Golda Bas Yitzchak, may this and all the other Torah we learn and mitzvos that we do be an aliyah for her neshama. Also in honor of my second son Moshe Pinchas's birthday. May he grow to be a true tzadik like Moshe Rabeinu one of his namesakes.

"Vayamas Yosef v'chol achav v'chol hador ha'hoo/And Yosef died, and all of his brothers, and that entire genration." The holy Ohr Hachaim explains that the enslavement of the Jews by the mitzrim happened in three stages. First Yosef died, the Jews lost their power. Then the brothers died. As long as even one of the brothers was alive, the mitzrim still honored them. Even afterwards as long as the members of that first generation were alive, the mitzrim considered them important and were not able to treat them as slaves.

Rabbi Chayim Shmuelevitz zt"l said that there are two aspects to learn from here. One is on the side of the mitzrim. They were unable to treat the Jews as slaves as long as they considered them important. The other aspect is on the side of the Jewish people themselves. As long as they considered themselves important and worthy of respect, the mitzrim were not able to treat them in an inferior manner. Only when they considered themselves in a lowly manner could they be subjugated by others.

Rav Chayim goes on to say that this is one of the yetzer harah's favorite weapons. Once he gets a person to feel inferior and guilty, that person is easy prey for the many traps and tricks that the yetzer has up his sleeve. Ah, but we already know the antidote! Gevalt! Ein yeiush baolam clall!!!!!/There is no despair in the world at all!!!!" We will always be the sons and daughters of the King. We are all princes and princesses. All those bad feelings, feelings of guilt, are the yetzer harah!!! When we realize this we will see all of the other nations fall at our feet and the true grandeur and kingship of the Jewish people will return.

This week we say goodbye to Yosef ha'tzadik and his brothers and are introduced to Moshe Rabeinu the epitome of the Tzadik Ha'emes. I remember something the chief rabbi of Moddin Rav Lau said by M.P.'s shalom zachor. When Moshe saw the burning bush, Hashem introduces Himself and gives Moshe the mission of going back to mitzrayim and leading the Jewish people out. Instead of jumping at the opportunity, Moshe refuses Hashem for a week saying "Mee ani/who am I." We know that Moshe was the most humble man, but to refuse Hashem for a week? (Especially after the first lesson we learned here.) There must be a lesson to learn here that Moshe was trying to teach the generations to come, that Moshe Rabeinu, Moshe our rabbi, our teacher was trying to teach us. Who am I? Maybe we can say that the lesson besides to be humble is that we should all start saying "Mee ani?/Who am I?" instead of always looking at everyone else. If we all started looking more at ourselves and what we are doing and not doing and asking Hashem to help us improve, to help us be the princes and princesses that we really are, then we will be able to all leave our personal mitzrayims and also the collective one that we are all in. We will then bring the Mashiach out of hiding so that he could help us build the third and final Beis Hamikdash speedily in our days!!!! Amen!!!

Have a great Shabbos!!!
Peace and Joy,
Etan