Parasha will be 5782
"Everything has its price"
Shemot - Exodus 6:2 - 9:35
The Pharaoh only compressed the spring!
In the plague of hail, Pharaoh said: “I have sinned in this instance; God is righteous, but I and my people are wicked.” (Shemot 9:27).
Then the verse says, “And he sinned again and hardened his heart.”
How can this be? Pharaoh had just said that he understood that Hashem is righteous!
Rather, Rabbi Eliahu Dessler explains:
A person who pushes aside his Evil Inclination but does not nullify it, even though he was able to overcome it just a moment ago, has done nothing more than 'compress the spring'. The more he compresses it, the more forcefully he will be able to shoot toward the opposite goal. This is what Pharaoh did; he did not return in true repentance; he only 'compressed' his Evil Inclination for a short time and recognized the truth; therefore, he later returned to his evil with greater force, and through his immense stubbornness, he hardened his heart.
“I will harden Pharaoh’s heart” Shemot-Exodus 7:3
The plagues were meant to force Pharaoh to let our people leave Egypt, but the ten plagues came as punishment and in response to specific actions:
Blood - for not allowing Jewish women to maintain their purity, thus trying to prevent procreation.
Frogs - The Egyptians forced the Hebrews to bring them reptiles to eat, HaShem caused all of Egypt to be invaded by frogs.
Lice - They forced the Hebrews to act as sweepers, and the land of Egypt was turned into lice.
Wild beasts - They brought bears and lions to play with, Hashem filled their cities with wild beasts.
Plague - They sent the Hebrews to the mountains to herd sheep, cattle and camels, thus trying to avoid the presence of men in their homes, so that families would not grow.
Blisters (scabies) - They made the Jews heat and cool things for them, they were punished with blisters which did not allow them to do anything
touched their bodies.
Hail - They forced the Jews to plant trees, but the hail came and destroyed everything.
Lobster - They were forced to sow
their fields, the locust came and devastated all the fields.
Darkness - Unfortunately, in Egypt, there were Jews who communed with Egypt and did not want to accept HaShem and freedom. If HaShem had punished them in the sight of the Egyptians, it would have been a disgrace to HaShem, who would have said that HaShem also kills his children. Therefore, those who were due to die, HaShem eliminated them during the days of darkness.
As our Sages say "Meda negued mida" (measure for measure), We must always be careful even with the smallest action or word, because everything will be rewarded, or the opposite. Likewise, when we are faced with the task of doing Teshuvah (repentance), let us work to overcome that evil inclination to avoid the "spring effect" at all costs, because that is part of our mission in this life.
(Dedicated to the health and speedy recovery of all the sick in Am Israel and throughout the world, and that we may all be strengthened in Emuna and Bitachon (Authentic Faith and security in the Blessed Creator).
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