Va'eira: The Miracle of the Jews

Last week we read of Moshe's attempt to avoid taking the mantle of leadership. He pleaded that the Jews would not listen, Pharaoh would not listen, and that he was verbally disabled, and unable to perform the tasks of leadership. G-d would not take "no" for an answer and appointed
Moshe for the job.

This week, G-d again sends Moshe out to confront Pharaoh and Moshe again responds with a one line answer. He says, " I am of sealed lips, and how can Pharaoh hear me?" This time, rather than G-d responding to Moshe's excuses or getting angry as He did in last week's reading, Hashem does not respond at all. Moshe is left hanging with his question, "If even the Jews would not listen to me, why should Pharaoh listen to me?" There is no answer. He must confront the king of Egypt without knowing why he
would be heard or how he could be heard.

Rabbi Aharon Soloveitchik of Chicago said that this is typical of all of Jewish history. If the Jew asks, "How can we survive? We are only a small group?"- there is no answer. If we ask, "How can Netanyahu stand up to the President of the United States as he faces him this week?" - There is no answer.

The fact is, Jewish history makes no sense. If not for G-d's
intervention, we would long have ceased to exist. There is no logic to our history. It is one of the mysteries of the world. Let us hope that we can continue to survive  and thrive against all odds. Let us never ask "How can we go on?" Let us never ask, "What will be with us?" Let us hope for the best and trust that we will continue to defy all predictions and all the prophets of gloom. Let us never be daunted by
the challenges which face us, both nationally and personally.