Va'eyra 5774: Where’s That Hat?

By Rabbi Joshua (suppressingly known as The Hoffer) Hoffman

Dedicated by Dr. Larry Bryskin, in memory of his mother, Tziporah bas Mayer Yitzchok, whose yahrzheit fell earlier this week, on the twenty second of Teves. May her memory be for a blessing.

            At the end of parshas Shemos, Moshe complained to God that the condition of the slaves had worsened since he went to Pharaoh to demand their freedom, and, that being the case, he asked, why had he been sent on the mission altogether. God replied, “Now you will see what I shall do with Pharaoh, for with a strong hand will he send them out” (Shemos 6:1). Rashi comments that the words “now you see" imply an exclusion. God was telling Moshe that he will see what happens now, but he will not see what will happen to the Kings of Canaan when the nation enters the Holy Land, because he will not enter it. The obvious difficulty here is that it seems fairly clear, in the books of Bamidbar and Devarim that the reason for Moshe not being allowed into Eretz Yisroel was his reaction to the people’s request for water at Mei Merivah.  How, then, do we understand Rashi’s assertion that this punishment was done to Moshe’s complaint in Egypt? We have suggested, in the past, that Moshe, in his complaint, demonstrated the seeds of the mistake he would make later. The midrash, and, more elaborately the Rambam in his Shemonah Perakim, says that Moshe erred by displaying inappropriate anger, when he said to the people, after they asked for water, “Listen now you rebels.” The seeds of this character trait of anger already existed in Egypt, and ultimately led to Moshe’s punishment.  This explanation can shed light on the continuation of God’s response to Moshe, as recorded in the beginning of parshas Va'eyra.

            The Torah tells us, at the beginning of Va'eyra, “God spoke to Moshe and said to him, “I am the Lord” (Shemos 6:2). Rashi notes that the first expression of speech used here, “vayedaber,” denotes harsh words, which God spoke to Moshe because he had spoken harshly in his complaint. The name of God used in conjunction with this expression, here, is Elokim, which refers to God’s attribute of strict justice. The second expression of speech in this verse, however, is “vayomer,” which denotes a softer use of language, and the name of God used is that of the attribute of mercy.  Rav Shlomo Ganzfried, in his Aperion, asks why there is such verbosity in this verse, and what accounts for the switch from God’s attribute of strict justice to that of mercy? He answers based on a comment cited by Rav Moshe Alshich in his commentary to Parshas Noach, in regard to Moshe’s plea for mercy for the nation after the sin of the golden calf. The Torah tells us there, “And God reconsidered regarding the evil that he declared he would do to his people” (Shemos 32:14). God was acting here, as a merciful father who becomes angry with his child. Rather than punishing him out of hand, he first speaks of what he will do, and, through speaking it out, his anger subsides, and he forgives the child. Here, too, God first declared what he would do to the people, and then reconsidered that declaration. In regard to Moshe, as well, says Rav Ganzfried, God first spoke harshly, reflecting His attribute of justice, and then quickly changed to His attribute of mercy.

            Based on Rav Ganzfried’s explanation we can suggest that God, recognizing Moshe’s character trait of anger, and knowing the dire consequences it could ultimately cause, demonstrated to him a form of anger management, through His own reaction to Moshe’s complaint. By first displaying His attribute of strict justice, he allowed time for His anger to subside, and, in the end, switched to His attribute of mercy. Interestingly, the psychologist, Dr. David Pelcovitz, reported that the family of the great tzaddik and Torah scholar, Rav Boruch Ber Leibowitz, recalled a practice of their father that whenever he was about to get angry, he would take out a special “anger hat,” and in the time that it took to find the hat and put it on, he was able to suppress that anger. Dr. Pelcovitz said that this was an important form of anger management, that of delaying the anger long enough to rethink the situation and thereby control oneself. This is what God was trying to teach Moshe, so that he could better serve as the leader of the Jewish people.