The Ten Plagues, which are the main subject of this week’s Parshah, have always excited the imagination. They have been divided into groups, explained scientifically and debated morally. Much attention has been paid to Pharaoh’s reaction to plagues and G-d’s hardening of his heart. But one group of people have escaped the microscope: Pharaoh’s religious advisors or the ‘magicians’. That is a pity, for not only do they play an important part in the story but even provide some light entertainment. The magicians are the ones who furnish, at least initially, the moral justification for Pharaoh’s obdurate attitude. By replicating, in substance if not in quantity, Moses’ ‘signs’, they enable Pharaoh to pretend he is dealing with normal phenomena that require no change of attitude. However, when it comes to the plagues, this replication has a slightly different effect. For, true to form, the magicians manage to replicate the first two plagues. In an almost comic parody, when Moses turns the water to blood they do the same and when Moses causes frogs to invade the land, the magicians create even more frogs. This, of course, is no help at all and indeed, Pharaoh decides to negotiate despite the magicians replication. Indeed, possibly because of it. After all, how much croaking can a man stand! So what is going on here? Don’t the magicians understand that replicating the plagues only makes them worse. Even obstinate Pharaoh understood that, while the magicians are still trying with the next plague! The real answer lies in the true motivation of these religious advisors. They are not really interested in the welfare of the Egyptians but in defeating Moses. The Egyptian populace can be croaked to death, as long as they get one up on the Jews. Unfortunately, in 3000 years nothing has changed. When we contemplate all these Scottish groups supporting the Palestinians we find the same phenomenon. They haven’t built schools or encouraged investment to help ordinary Palestinians; its often Jewish groups that have done that. No, what they are good at is attacking Israel and the Jews. The Palestinians can suffer, as long as their cause can be used to get at their true target – us. Like Pharaoh’s magicians, let us pray that they are utterly defeated and discredited; for both people’s sake.

ALIYAH BY ALIYAH SYNOPSIS

Rishon	G-d promises to redeem the people and bring them to the Promised Land.
Sheni	The genealogy of Moses and Aaron.
Shelishi	G-d instructs Moses to warn Pharaoh of the consequences of disobedience..
Revi’i	The river becomes blood and frogs plague the land.
Chamishi	Gnats annoy everyone.
Shishi	Flies swarm but not in Goshen, cattle die and boils burn.
Shevi’i	Hail smites the land.
Haftorah	Ezekiel: 28;55-29;21:  The judgement of Egypt by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar.

Sidra Statistics

Parshat Va’era

·         has 121 verses ;

·         is the 2nd in Exodus, 14th in the Torah

·         4th longest in Exodus, 18th longest in the Torah

·         has no mitzvot.