shalva
into the inner peace when we observe the Shabbos. We also see an allusion to God
uplifting us where we connect the two Parshas of Shemos and Vaeira. The Torah says the
following
said” (Exodus 6:1-2). The encircled letters in reverse spells
high, exalted. In fact, we see this word used by King David who says,
‘
interesting to note that this Psalm is dedicated to the Sabbath day and it is actually part of
our Sabbath liturgy.
Getting back to the theme of the Parsha, it is one of sin and retribution. As noted
previously , the Parsha of the week influences and controls weekly events. This week,
Pharaoh and his people are punished measure for measure for enslaving and treating the
children of Israel harshly. As Pharaoh noted at the end of the Parsha , “God is the
righteous one and I and my people are wicked (Exodus 9:27).”
The main news of the week (1/13/07) is the wicked weather that affected North America
and Northern Europe. It was only last week that we were basking in mild weather. New
York City boasted a high of 72 degrees and many ski resorts across Ontario laid off
workers due to the lack of snow. However, almost without warning, the weather did a
complete circle. An ice storm blew across North America and wreaked much havoc.
Due to the freeze, three quarters of the 1 billion dollar California crop was lost. In the
USA, over 60 lost their lives due to weather related accidents. In Europe, at least 9 people
lost their lives to the treacherous winds. If we only had a Moses who can give us accurate
predictions! In other news, Iran once again is threatening the world and now we learn
that the Chinese military did test firing and shot down satellites. Enough worries in one
week. However, this week’s Parsha tells us not to worry. Although things may look
gloomy, God metes out justice and if these people want war, God will fight for us and
give us true peace so that we can celebrate with God on the Shabbos day.
A refuah shlaima to my father, Yaacov Zev Ben Malka Blima who is recovering from a
stroke at Vanderbilt Nursing Home.