This week's Torah reading, Va'era, as hinted in its name [in Hebrew meaning, "and I showed"], is connected to the idea of "seeing" or "being shown". In fact, the first message of the parasha tells us that this week our service to G‑d should be focused on seeing revelations - allowing nothing to remain hidden. But we will get to that later....

Vayera actually begins, interestingly enough, in the middle of a proclamation by G‑d. Moses has returned to G‑d to complain that his demands of Pharaoh to release the Jewish nation have caused their slavery to become harsher, not better. Last week's parasha, Shemot, ends with G‑d's statement to Moses, "Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh because of a strong arm he will send them out and with a strong arm he will chase them out of his land!" This week's portion begins with the continuation of G‑d's discussion with Moses, with G‑d [this time referred to as Elo-him rather than the name Havayah, as before] saying, "I am G‑d [Havayah]; And I have shown Myself ['Va'era'] with the name 'E-l Sha-dai', to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob, but by my name Havayah I was not known to them." The purpose of the Egyptian exile is specifically to reveal G‑d's four-letter name Havayah …

The first point to note is the change in G‑d's mood. G‑d is reprimanding Moses. He is saying, "Yes, I will save the Jewish people, but you, Moses, have questioned My methods even though your ancestors, Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob did not." Still, what is that extra dramatic phrase, "I am G‑d" doing there? And why do we draw the name of the parasha from the second verse and not the first? Chasidut answers that, in fact, "I am G‑d" is the real answer to the questions posed by Moses earlier - Why did you make it (the slavery) worse? Why did you send me? G‑d is informing Moses that the purpose of the Egyptian exile is specifically to reveal G‑d's four-letter name Havayah.

What is it about this name that is so important that we have to go through exile and slavery to reveal it? This specific divine name refers to the omnipotent aspect of the Al-mighty that transcends time and space. Our names describe the parts of ourselves that we share with others. The different names that each of us use can be closer or farther from our essence. For example, there is the title "mister", a proper name like "Jon" and even an intimate pronoun like "you". Similarly, this particular name of G‑d, more than any of the divine names, is the most personal, exalted of the divine attributes that are shared with us. We had to feel very far away from G‑d to experience feeling very close…

Rashi explains, in the context of these verses, that the four-letter name denotes that He is faithful to fulfill His promises. In other words, in order to merit this lofty revelation, there first had to be a very difficult two-fold exile with both difficult physical conditions and a blackout from spiritual consciousness. We had to feel very far away from G‑d to experience feeling very close. Because the Egyptian exile and redemption was the prototype for all of the other exiles, these verses tell us something about our own times - this last and final exile with the imminent arrival of the Mashiach, the Moses for our generation. Just as the Egyptian redemption was not only a physical but a spiritual redemption that eventually enabled us to serve G‑d in the most complete way, so also this coming redemption will be all-encompassing. It will be both a redemption from physical hardship (sweating for our livelihood) and spiritual hardship (our negative inclinations that push us away from the truth). Thus, it will also bring about the revelation of the highest conceivable portion of G‑d that can be revealed through the most holy name. Even in the greatest darkness he can serve his creator without being affected by all the obstacles…

This first verse is immediately followed by the verse which contains the name of the parasha, Va'era. The Alter Rebbe, Rabbi Shneur Zalman, the first Rebbe of Chabad (whose yahrzeit, the 24th of Tevet, is this week), explains that Va'era can be interpreted in two ways. The simplest is the past tense, "I showed myself to the Forefathers." But, it can also be translated as a future tense, which in our time is actually the present, "I will show myself to the Forefathers." This refers to the inherited essence of the Forefathers within each of us. With this essence we will always be capable of seeing G‑dliness. So why are we now in this exile? Why are we surrounded by all of this confusion? What was G‑d's answer to Moses, the greatest prophet of all time, literally an incarnation of the Divine Wisdom? The answer was that yes, from an intellectual perspective, there is room to say, "Why did you make it worse?" Even further, yes, the darkness of the exile can and sometimes does lead to a spiritually depressed state. The service of a Jew, however, has to be such that G‑dliness is not only revealed to him in his intellect but is openly seen by him in all things. The result is that even in the greatest darkness he can serve his creator without being affected by all the obstacles.

In closing, we find in this week's reading an interesting discrepancy. G‑d previously promised Moses that the Jewish people will listen to him. How can it be, then, that this week we read, "Moses spoke to the children of Israel but they did not listen because of an impatient spirit and the hard work". (Ex. 6:9) Is it possible that the Torah records an event in which G‑d's will was not fulfilled? The Kotzker Rebbe answers as follows: G‑d did not promise that they would listen to what Moses said. G‑d only guaranteed that the Jews would listen to his voice - the voice of a person who spoke with an impediment, no matter how difficult it was to understand him. [In Hebrew this is the difference between "le'kolcha" - "to your voice", and "b'kolcha" - "in your voice"]. G‑d did not guarantee, however, that they would understand Moses' words and draw them into their hearts because of the well known principle that "all is in the hands of heaven except for fear of heaven". The desire to be redeemed, the will to be freed from servitude and slavery, is a commandment. Therefore, full free choice is given to each of us to decide as we wish.

Shabbat Shalom, Shaul

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