Community Magazine January 2021

12 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE Words of Rabbi Eli J. Mansour לעילוי נשמתם של משה בן עליזה, יצחק הלל בן עליזה, והנרייט לאה בת עליזה, דוד בן גילה, רבקה בת גילה, יהושע בן גילה, משה בן גילה, שרה בת גילה, יעקב בן גילה, ואליאנה בת גילה. ולרפואה שלמה ליוסף בן אהובה מסעודה, שילת אהובה בת עליזה, ודניאל בן עליזה. Challenges are Opportunities “Here’s $100 million. I’m BEGGING you to take it. I’m PLEADING with you.” These words were probably never spoken since the beginning of time. Why would anyone have to beg somebody to accept an enormous fortune? Nobody would ever need to be begged to become rich, right? At the time our ancestors left Egypt, however, this is exactly what happened. As we read this month, Gd informed Moshe of the impending tenth and final plague which would be brought upon Egypt, and he presented a series of instructions in preparation for that night. These included, “ Daber na be’ozneh ha’am – Speak, please, to the people,” that they should ask their Egyptian neighbors for their riches before leaving the country (Shemot 11:2). Already the Gemara, in Masechet Berachot (9), noted that Gd seems here to “plead” with the people to take the Egyptians’ riches with them, adding the word “ na – please.” The Gemara comments that Gd was telling the people, “I am asking you, request from the Egyptians their silver and gold utensils.” He actually “begged” them to take the Egyptians’ riches! The Gemara explains that Gd had warned Avraham that his descendants would endure a period of slavery and persecution in a foreign country, from which they would emerge with a huge fortune. Gd “begged” Beneh Yisrael before the Exodus to ask their Egyptian neighbors for their riches, so that Avraham would not “accuse” Gd of fulfilling only the first part of the prophecy – about the slavery and oppression – but not the second – the promise of great wealth. This Talmudic passage seems very difficult to understand. Would Avraham, the bastion of unquestioning faith in Gd, who was prepared to slaughter his beloved son to fulfill Gd’s command, ever “accuse” Gd of anything? Additionally, as mentioned, why would Beneh Yisrael need to be begged to receive wealth? After so many years of suffering, would they not be overjoyed to become rich? Partnering With Gd Let us begin answering this question by going back to the very beginning of the Torah, to the time when Adam was created. The creation of the first human was introduced by Gd’s proclamation, “ Na’aseh adambetzalmenu kidmutenu – Let us make man in our image and in our form” (Beresheet 1:26). Surprisingly, Gd here speaks in the plural form – “Let us make man” – as though He “partnered” with somebody in this process. Indeed, our sages taught that by formulating the verse in this way, Gd knowingly ran the risk of pagans misinterpreting the story as indicating that there was more than one creator, Heaven forbid. The sages explained that Gd “consulted” with the angels before the creation of Adam, in order to teach us the importance of humility, and this is why He proclaimed, “Let us make man.” However, the Ba’al ShemTov offered an additional interpretation. He explained that in this proclamation, Gd is speaking to man himself, to us. He turns to each and every one of us and says, “Let us partner together to make you. I’m supplying a physical body, as well as vast potential. I’m giving you intelligence, skills, talents, and intuition. You have to do the rest. Together, we are going to create an outstanding being.”

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