This portion begins with talks about the Israelites' suffering as Pharaoh's slaves in Egypt. Moshe confronts Pharaoh for the first time, and their suffering increases because Pharaoh's heart is hardened against HaShem. Since Pharaoh needs some convincing, the plagues are called down upon Egypt. This portion covers the first seven.
I never noticed this before -
"The first five plagues are accompanied by the passive formulation: 'then Pharaoh's heart was hardened,' because after they came upon him he refused to let the people go. Accordingly, the Holy Blessed One said: 'Henceforth, even if he should want now to let them go, I shall not let him.' For this reason, the text adds in the last five plagues, 'God hardened Pharaoh's heart.'"
From My Jewish Learning:
This commentary builds on the themes that I'm working on in my own life right now: overcoming self-doubt. I'm glad that I decided to start studying Torah; I hadn't planned on actually learning as much as I have. Originally, I liked the idea that the first Torah portion for the book of Exodus coincided with my birthday, and I thought that it would be a good time to make a resolution to enhance my Judaic studies. I anticipated a mostly academic experience, but in reality, it has been so much richer. I really needed to carefully read the story of Moshe and apply the lessons he learned to my life. So far, things have been, well, not easier, but at least I'm speaking up for myself and trying to improve my situation. Before, I would have simply accepted it as beyond my control and been unhappy.
Best quote: "Moshe, despite his absolutely extraordinary life, is also just like all the rest of us: called by God to be a partner in the work of Redemption, called by a God who has faith in us even when we don't have faith in ourselves."
