Parashas Va’eira
Redeeming Gerim – Through the One You Will Send
Rabbi David Katz
Parashas Va’eira packs a heavy punch of redemption much like a championship bout between the favorite and an underdog, in a lopsided affair that although thrilling, leaves us with a feeling that we didn’t quite get our money’s worth, for the opposition appears to be without much fight at all. Hashem begins his vicious assault upon Pharaoh and Egypt with relentless blows [plagues] that utterly leaves the opposition without even a sense of dignity. They were warned after all, and had been given every opportunity to fulfill, “Let my people go!” But as the story will go on to tell, this unfortunately will not be the final redemption, exile will come back again, and we all [still] await our final redeemer and final end to exile. This is not a new concept by any means at this point of the Exodus saga, for just “last week” we had Moses proclaim to Hashem, “Please! Send through the hand of the one who you WILL send!” Moses begs Hashem to bring not an Exodus, but a Final Redemption – one that will consummate with the final redeemers, Messiah and Elijah in place of Moses and Aaron. [Notice that Moses and Aaron begin their names with “mem” and “alef” parallel to “mem” and “alef” that begins Messiah and Elijah] The Torah says that the righteous dictate and Hashem fulfills, and so it is, for the very “next week” [parsha] Hashem has delivered the goods in Exodus 6:25 – “the daughters of Putiel, who gave birth to Pinchas,” and thus the final redemption/redeemer was sent just as Moses requested.
To put this matter bluntly, the Arizal [Shaar Gilgulim Parashas Pinchas] point blank lets the identity of the Messiah be known, as he relates to us that he is Pinchas the son of Aaron the Priest. Messiah has MANY functions and facets, yet as he explains, it is the unique expansive qualities of soul of Pinchas that allows him to be the “Messiah – vessel” to contain all other elements, as we will show in some detail from the rest of the point of view in this article. If Moses is the soul who is related to all souls, then it is Pinchas that can contain them within his........
