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Biography of Yehuda Katz | Archives | This Week's Parsha

This Torah thought is being dedicated to my beloved father, Nachman Shimon ben Yehuda Meir Hakohan, Z"L.

VAERA

" ..............and fire burning amidst the hail......." (9:24)

The 7th plague that G-d sent on Egypt was the burning hail..................Rashi comments that fire and water had made peace to do the will of their Creator...........We can, Bezrat Hashem, learn a very powerfull lesson from the plague of burning hail. There are many Mitzvot of the Torah that require us to change our natural characteristics. For instance consider the following examples:(1)In Shemos 23:5, it states that its a Mitzvah to help unload another persons animal which has wearied under its burden, even to the animal of a foe, (2) In Shemos 20:13, it states that its forbidden to occupy ones mind with schemes to acquire what belongs to another,(3)In Vayikra 19:18, it states that its a Mitzvah to love every Jew.........................All these Mitzvot have an element of a person changing his natural tendencies....................However, what motivating factor can perhapes help us to be more apt to properly fullfill the dictates of the Torah? When analyzing the the 7th plague of burning hail , the answer becomes readily apparent....If water and fire can change their "natural" state for no other reason except for G-d Almighty, it seems that is reason enough for us to take a hint and change for the sake of our Creator...................The awareness of G-ds existance is so powerfull a concept, that this alone can perhapes elicite tremendous change in our own "natural" tendencies for the better........All water and fire (mortal opposites) needed to know was that G-d wanted them to unite for His glory, and the 7 th plague of burning hail came into being......Do we need to search any further for a primal motivating factor that will jolt us into the proper fullfillment of the Mitzvot other than the awareness of G-ds existance............? I think not!!!!! .....................Have a good Shabbos

 


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