פרשת בא
This week’s Parsha describes the final three plagues which Hashem brought upon the Egyptians before they agreed to release the Jewish people from their bondage. However, if one pays attention, one notices an interesting phenomenon throughout the entire saga of the plagues. It was precisely the same events which were disastrous for the Egyptian people, that were concurrently a source of great blessing for the Jewish people. For example, while the Egyptians were fumbling around in the plague of darkness, the Jews were able to enter the Egyptian homes, and determine the precise whereabouts of all their valuables so that they could later claim them as severance pay for 210 years of manual labor. Or during the plague of blood, when the Nile River was rendered completely unfit for human consumption, the Jews were able to sell the same water to the Egyptians for a hefty sum, (which became purified when they drew it from the river), and the Midrash says that the Jews became quite wealthy from this first plague of blood. Hashem designed the plagues in such a way that the identical events which proved to be devastating for the Egyptian race, were actually the selfsame events which brought about the deliverance and ultimate redemption for the Jewish race.
Truthfully, the Holy Zohar expounds on this principle by citing the verse in Ezekiel, (19:22) which says that sometime, Hashem does things which are both extremely damaging, and therapeutic at the same time. The Zohar resolves this apparent contradiction by using the example of the plagues, which were simultaneously harmful for the Egyptians, and beneficial for the Jews. Why is it that Hashem chose such an interesting method of both punishing the Egyptians, and showing favor to the Jews with the very same events? What is the Torah trying to teach us, as opposed to allowing these two effects to happen on separate occasions?
The Rebbi from Apta, known as the “Ohev Yisroel”, offers a very nice explanation. He opens by asserting that God is completely good, and therefore everything He does is by definition good. Therefore, Hashem wishes to demonstrate that even though there are seemingly “bad” consequences that occur in this world, as a result of sin, even those consequences are not inherently evil, but rather have the potential for good. The way Hashem chose to portray this principle poignantly was by using the very same events to concomitantly do good for the righteous, and punish the wicked. By doing this, He showed unequivocally that all His actions are inherently good, and each individual’s actions will determine whether or not he will be able to receive Hashem’s goodness, or be forced to accept that goodness in the from of evil.
Similarly, there is a Gemora in Avoda Zara (3b) which prophesizes that in the end of days, Hashem will remove the sun from its sheath, as it were, and the world will be exposed to the raw heat of the sun. The righteous will bask in this radiance, and the wicked inhabitants of the earth will be burned by this awesome luminous display. Again, we see from this Gemora a perfect example of how Hashem desires to pour forth light during every moment of existence. However, the very same light can be a tremendous source of brilliance, if one has fostered the proper tools to appreciate it, or a powerful cause for anguish, if one is not adequately prepared to handle it.
When a person has drawn close enough to his Creator to feel his own connection with eternity, he will live with a tremendous sense of enlightenment at all times. The verse in Mishle (1:5) says “The sun rises and the sun sets and it ultimately returns to its place”. Rashi explains that King Solomon is teaching us that just as the sun rises, and burns strong in the sky for a number of hours, ultimately it will always set. Similarly, the wicked people of this earth, because they came from darkness, meaning – they have no connection with eternity, and all their goals are ephemeral, even though they may prosper for awhile, they will ultimately fade away into darkness. And even when they seem to be enjoying a blessed life, they are truly living in darkness because their lives are empty of any real content. On the other hand, the righteous of this earth, because their sole desire is to cling to their Master who is eternal, even if they may look like they are not succeeding, they are truly enlightened at all times because of their connection to infinity.
It is crucial that we inculcate this understanding into our hearts, and never cease to contemplate upon it. Very often in this world, things seem upside down. It seems like the wicked flourish and the righteous founder, but King Solomon, the wisest of all men, is teaching us that this situation is only on the surface, and additionally, it is only temporary, for in the end, the sun will only be shining for the righteous, and even now, they enjoy a deep sense of tranquility knowing the great significance of their lives. When a person lives a life in which he clings to his creator, this understanding will be innate in his being because of his connection with the living God and all that that implies. The world may have its ups and downs, but when a person “lives with God”, nothing ever changes for him, and he is able to constantly see the light pouring forth into the world at every moment. Indeed, our Rosh Yeshiva is fond of saying that if a person could see what is really going on in the world, he would see the world in Technicolor, and not in black and white as most people do. Even though it is the same world, depending on a person’s outlook, he will be able view things completely differently if he is just willing to cling to Hashem!
I would just like to conclude with a practical piece of advice on how to achieve this lofty status in which a person feels connected with his Creator at all times. The Chazon Ish would tell his students that a person can often find himself so busy performing the commandments, that he forgets to “invite” Hashem into his life. The day-to-day chore of studying Torah, and performing the Mitzvos can be so tedious, that a person may neglect to think about the very purpose of that service. If a person takes a small amount of time out to contemplate God during the day, and even ask Him for help with his daily responsibilities, this will undoubtedly be extremely effective in fostering the type of relationship that we are referring to, one in which we “live with Hashem”, and are able to experience His great light in all that befalls us.
May we all merit to live with Hashem and see His light in all that we do!