Va 'eira

Torah Thoughts    Parsha Va ‘eira

Shabbat     Tevet  24/25,5774    December 27/28,2013

“And I shall bring you out of bondage and slavery under the burdens of Egypt, and I will save you from their bondage.” 6:6

In this Torah portion (Parsha), we experience the plagues cast upon Pharaoh and his people for not allowing “Let my people go”,  thus NOT freeing the Israelites from bondage, slavery and persecution.  The Pharaoh did not budge, until plague after plague affected him directly and his land, then and only then he granted Moses and Aaron wishes, with some help from G-d! 

With Pharaoh’s granting of freedom, the burdens of slavery to the Israelites were lifted, and they were saved from bondage and entered the first of two parts of liberation.  Having the physical restraints lifted allowed the Israelites their physical freedom, although the true burden still remained mentally.  Mentally, the attitude was that of a slave and all the facets connected. 

One may be freed from physical barriers and parameters, but most definitely still have the burden embedded deeply of mental subservience.   The ‘burden’ had been so emotionally tattooed deeply with in, in reality, they were not free.  The Israelites had gradually ‘accepted’ The Egyptian lifestyle and the manner of slavery, and harsh treatment, acceptance with repulsion under intolerable circumstances.

 G-d told Moses, not only would his people be taken out of the bondage of the land of Egypt, but also from their mental and spiritual bondage.  This ‘TRUE’ freedom does not only mean liberation from physical servitude to that of a slave master, but the beautiful ability to be allowed to make proper, sound, and  solid decisions that are not influenced by values that are foreign to Torah and it’s ethical teachings.   This is the definition of true freedom.

Today, we read, watch, and hear in the media, the sad, horrific, but truth about sex trafficking, modern day slavery and this runs very parallel.   In modern times, this occurs as it did many years back, in biblical times, and in fact in part of the USA with in the past 100 years, we practiced slavery, and even had camps, at one point.  Utterly disgraceful, and of disbelief, but unfortunately true!  Horrid!!!

Fact: Every race, creed, color, religion, life-style has been enslaved, burdened, persecuted in one manner or another.  It’s not right, it’s not humane, and it does not reflect the teaching of the Torah.  

Once freed physically, the real work begins by making choices to allow us to rid the enslaved and burdensome attitude that has caused havoc on our spirit and our soul, and only when this happens, the true liberation has finally just been reached, and the really work begins.  This dual liberation is the TRUE essence of our freedom.  

-Amen-