Friday, December 27, 2013

Daily Aliya for Vaeira, Shvii (7th Aliya)

Aliya Summary: Plague Seven: Moshe warned Pharaoh that a catastrophic hail would descend upon the land. Man or beast that would remain in the field would be killed by the hailstones. Moshe stretched his rod toward heaven and hail poured down—with fire blazing inside the icy hail. Aside for damage to humans and animal, the hail destroyed all vegetation and trees. Pharaoh summoned Moshe and Aaron. "I have sinned this time," he declared. "The Lord is the righteous One, and I and my people are the guilty ones. Entreat the Lord, and let it be enough of God's thunder and hail, and I will let you go..." Moshe prayed. The hail stopped. And Pharaoh changed his mind yet again.

When Moshe tells Par'o that the plague of Hail will end, he says that the thunder will stop and the hail will no longer be. The terminology implies that the thunder will temporarily stop but the hail will completely end. And so it was, points out the Baal HaTurim, the hail did in fact cease, but the thunder returned to accompany the awe-inspiring events of the Sinai Experience.

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