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By Rabbi Naftoly Bier
In פרק י, פסוק א-ב, Chapter 10, verse 1-2, it states: “…So that I (Hashem) can put these signs of Mine in his midst. And so that you may relate in the ears of your and your son’s son that I made a mockery of Egypt and my signs that I placed among them- that you may know that I am Hashem.”
The Torah teaches us that we are to relate from generation to generation that G-d is in control of His world, the name that is used here is the one that denotes ויהיה ,הוה ,היה, He was, He is, and He will be… He is eternal. This is manifested by all of the miracles He has performed.
But what is the idea of “I made a mockery of Egypt”; what is being taught here?
The Ramban, Nachmanides, explains, “For I play with Egypt, I harden Pharaoh’s heart and I take “revenge”… as it states, (Psalms 2:4) ‘He who is enthroned in heaven laughs, Hashem mocks at them.’”
Imagine a person who is in great pain due to something they did; they cry out to some- one, “please, please help me.”
A benefactor selflessly helps the person, whereupon the needy person immediately returns to doing what initially caused the trauma. How ridiculous can that person be!
Pharaoh, his people, his land, are being struck over and over again with plagues, destruction, and decimation. He screams, “I sinned, I am terrible. I am so far removed from the truth that there is a G-d who runs the world”… and he sincerely means it. But a minute later, he is a different person, completely unaware of what has just transpired!
It’s all a game by him! And it reflects that Hashem is “in charge” of a world where we’re all “playing a game”, and He goes along with it, מדה כנגד מדה.
The lesson of Egypt is that intellectual belief or thought does not shape a person’s personality, their life journey and ambitions. It doesn’t promise clarity and relentless pursual of one’s “well thought out” life convictions!
Our אמונה, our true, valid connection of living with Hashem is dependent on the perception, on the reality that Hashem is in control.
We are all dependent every moment on His beneficence, our aim and goals, our desires and our expression of our needs are not realized without Hashem’s “partnership”. More so, our perception of who we are, what our standing in society is, is very often an illusion.
The רמב”ן, Nachmanides repeatedly teaches us (שמות פרק י”ג – ט’, ט”ז) that it is imperative that one constantly focus on the fact that Hashem took us out of Egypt, there being many מצות that we do to imbue the idea of Hashem being the Creator, Supervisor, Sustainer and Governor of all that transpires. Our תפילין and מזוזות are inscribed with the story of our Exodus, to inculcate a constant appreciation of these aforementioned ideas. One is also constantly inculcating that Hashem is our supreme benefactor and that He communicates with us through His prophets. This all leads to a clarity, a life where due to this constancy of thought and action, we are naturally due to habit, always asking, “What does Hashem obligate me?”.
Pharaoh considered himself as a powerful, superior, supernal, fantastic, one of a kind! He thought he had control over his world. Hashem mocked him and said, “No, sir – I will play games with you. You play with Me, I’m joining the game!” Hashem is ויהיה ,הוה ,היה, He is involved every moment in this mundane world, always was and always will be.
Yes, He created the world, but more so, He is involved with His world every moment. When one disassociates oneself from Hashem, even temporarily, one forfeits this vital connection and loses true clarity. This explains how one can be driven by the need for fame, power, attention, or the fulfillment of desires, lusts, and infatuations – for if I am not with Hashem; I am as a person in a canoe without oars, Hashem being the One who truly guides and enables one. This is the meaning ofהבא לטהר מסייען אותו , one who seeks the true path of life is helped by Hashem; לו פותחין לטמא הבא, one who deserts Hashem, the path is opened to him by Hashem, to slide precipitously.
