Two Minute Torah Podcast

Vaera 5769 by Dr. Shuly Rubin Schwartz

In this week's Parashah, Pharaoh repeatedly refuses to allow the Israelites to leave Egypt. The Torah tells us that Pharaoh hardened his heart, indirectly leading God to inflict plagues on the Egyptians. Pharaoh's stubbornness ends up punishing both his friends and his foes.

Stubbornness is a quality to which all of us can relate. We know how easy it is to fall into a negative pattern of behavior and how it becomes incrementally more difficult at each subsequent moment to change. We argue with a friend, then feel too embarrassed by our behavior to call or email, acknowledge their birthday or show up at the party of a mutual friend. Months go by and we become estranged, even when we no longer remember what caused the initial argument.

The Torah describes this irreversible intransigence by telling us after the first five plagues that God hardened Pharaoh's heart. What does this mean? Maimonides explained that God did not force Pharaoh to do evil to Israel. Rather, Pharaoh became more and more hard-hearted, until he forfeited his right to repent.

With Pharaoh, we see the overwhelmingly negative consequences of hardening one's heart. But the opposite is also true. We can also condition our hearts to do good, and in so doing, we can make a real difference.

My late husband Rabbi Gershon Schwartz, z"l, was a vocal advocate of organ donation. He tried to convince everyone he knew to check off the organ donor box on their driver's licenses.

When Gershon died four and a half years ago, we arranged for a heart transplant. Because Gershon had conditioned his heart metaphorically to such an extent during his lifetime, we knew exactly what he would literally want us to do with it. This made it possible for his heart to continue to do good beyond his life. As the recipient wrote to us, this heart "was a miracle for myself and my family."

How poignant that the recipient used the word "miracle" to describe his new heart, for Va-Era recounts the first seven plagues, events commonly referred to as "miracles." This reminds us that while a hardened heart caused God to send "miracles" that inflicted suffering and death; a softened, good heart gave life, bringing immeasurable joy to others.

In this week's Parashah, Pharaoh repeatedly refuses to allow the Israelites to leave Egypt. The Torah tells us that Pharaoh hardened his heart, indirectly leading God to inflict plagues on the Egyptians. Pharaoh's stubbornness ends up punishing both his friends and his foes.

Stubbornness is a quality to which all of us can relate. We know how easy it is to fall into a negative pattern of behavior and how it becomes incrementally more difficult at each subsequent moment to change. We argue with a friend, then feel too embarrassed by our behavior to call or email, acknowledge their birthday or show up at the party of a mutual friend. Months go by and we become estranged, even when we no longer remember what caused the initial argument.

The Torah describes this irreversible intransigence by telling us after the first five plagues that God hardened Pharaoh's heart. What does this mean? Maimonides explained that God did not force Pharaoh to do evil to Israel. Rather, Pharaoh became more and more hard-hearted, until he forfeited his right to repent.

With Pharaoh, we see the overwhelmingly negative consequences of hardening one's heart. But the opposite is also true. We can also condition our hearts to do good, and in so doing, we can make a real difference.

My late husband Rabbi Gershon Schwartz, z"l, was a vocal advocate of organ donation. He tried to convince everyone he knew to check off the organ donor box on their driver's licenses.

When Gershon died four and a half years ago, we arranged for a heart transplant. Because Gershon had conditioned his heart metaphorically to such an extent during his lifetime, we knew exactly what he would literally want us to do with it. This made it possible for his heart to continue to do good beyond his life. As the recipient wrote to us, this heart "was a miracle for myself and my family."

How poignant that the recipient used the word "miracle" to describe his new heart, for Va-Era recounts the first seven plagues, events commonly referred to as "miracles." This reminds us that while a hardened heart caused God to send "miracles" that inflicted suffering and death; a softened, good heart gave life, bringing immeasurable joy to others.

This Parashah reminds us that choices we make can have an impact well beyond anything we might imagine. Though our control over our destiny is limited, we have the awesome privilege as well as the tremendous responsibility to make the best possible choices. May we all exercise that power wisely. This Parashah reminds us that choices we make can have an impact well beyond anything we might imagine. Though our control over our destiny is limited, we have the awesome privilege as well as the tremendous responsibility to make the best possible choices. May we all exercise that power wisely.