Boulder Jewish News Arts, Culture, Events, Lifestyles, Holidays, Synagogues, Education
In this week’s Torah portion, we read about Hashem’s response to Moses’ complaint. G-d had sent Moses to the king of Egypt, Pharoh to demand the release of the Jewish people. However, the mission had an adverse effect and instead of letting the Jews go, Pharoh decided to increase the labor of the Jewish people. This caused Moses to complain to G-d for having sent him and he being the cause of the increased agony of the Jewish people.
G-d tells Moses that the reason the Jewish people have to go through such suffering is to prepare them for the giving of the Torah. The Torah contains within it a great G-dly revelation that has the ability to elevate the physical reality to holiness. In order for the Jews to be spiritually fit for this great mission, they needed to be purified through the hard labor in Egypt.
The Lubavitcher Rebbe has taught that we live in the generation of the coming of Moshiach. The commentaries tell us that just like there needed to be great change in the world before the giving of the Torah, so to, there will be great upheaval in the world before the coming of Moshiach. This is a comforting thought for our times when we see much turmoil, that there is also a positive component to the difficulties. May we witness the coming of Moshiach speedily!
