Shabbat Table Topics – Parashat Vaera
Questioning Our Assumptions
The story of the Exodus is told so often that many of us come to the text with certain preconceived assumptions. Challenge your family with the following questions:
- Who was afflicted by the Plagues? Although it is natural to assume that only the Egyptians were affected by the Plagues, some commentators suggest that in the plagues which make no explicit mention of distinction between the nations, the Israelites suffered as well.
- What might motivate this stance?
- How does the approach affect one's understanding of the purpose of the Plagues or of the relative roles of the natural and supernatural in the story?
- How many plagues were there? Most people would answer that there were ten plagues ("עֶשֶׂר מַכּוֹת"). However, neither the number ten ("עֶשֶׂר") nor the word ("מַכּוֹת") are ever found in the story of Sefer Shemot, and a case can be made for a series of anywhere from 9 to 12 wonders.
- How do the different possibilities affect how one thinks about the Plagues as a whole?
- What difference might it make if we refer to the series as "plagues", "wonders", "signs", or "judgments"?
See How Many Plagues and Patterns in the Plagues.
- What exactly are תַּנִּין, צְפַרְדֵּעַ, and עָרֹב? While many people would define these respectively as a snake, frogs, and wild animals, others suggest a sea monster, crocodiles, and dog-flies. It turns out that some of the plagues we think of as relatively harmless might have actually been life-threatening, and vice-versa.
- Bring lexical and/or conceptual support for each of these possibilities.
- How do these identifications affect our understanding of the process of the Plagues as a whole?
See תנין – Serpent or Sea Monster, צפרדעים – Frogs or Crocs, and עָרֹב – Beasts or Bugs.
Hardened Hearts
Throughout the beginning of Sefer Shemot, we read how Paroh stubbornly refused to let the Children of Israel go free. The Torah attributes this to Hashem's hardening of his heart.
- Think of examples of modern "Paroh's" who similarly refuse to capitulate in the face of definite defeat, knowing that it will lead to the destruction or suffering of their nations. What leads these modern figures to "harden their hearts"? Can the hardened hearts of Biblical characters be explained in the same way? For more, see Hardened Hearts.
- There are many events that we attribute to Hashem, saying, "it was the hand of God" or the like. Are all such actions really miraculous workings of God or are they natural events that we nonetheless attribute to Hashem? If the latter, why then do we speak of them as Hashem's doing?
- Sforno explains that the purpose of hardening of Paroh's heart was to ensure that he had an opportunity to truly repent. He emphasizes how Hashem does not discriminate against non-Jews, but rather gives them the same chances for change as he gives Jews. Do you think that the gift of repentance is a universal one or not?
Disabilities
Use Moshe's Speech Impediment as an entrée into a discussion of disabilities in general. Consider examples of people who have managed to succeed despite their handicaps, and think of ways to help those individuals who still struggle.
- Many celebrities have struggled with speech impediments but have still managed to shine in their chosen careers. How many famous "stutterers" can you name?1
- Although we often think of some significant physical or mental defect when we hear the word disability, almost of all of us have something which we might term a "handicap". What are your personal "disabilities"? How have you overcome them?
The Purpose of Punishments
Discuss with your family the various potential goals of administering punishment. To what extent should the goal be: a) deterrence, b) restitution, c) retribution, d) rehabilitation, or e) protection of potential future victims?
Which of these, if any, was the purpose of the Plagues? How well did the Plagues succeed in accomplishing the goal? For more, see Purpose of the Plagues.
More...
For more, see: Parashat Vaera Topics.