Parshat Va'era: Shattering the Illusion of Idolatry
In the Book of Exodus (7:14-15), the Creator commands Moses to embark on a mission with precise timing and location: "Go to Pharaoh in the morning; behold, he is going out to the water, and you shall stand to meet him on the bank of the Nile." Rashi explains the hidden reason behind this early meeting: Pharaoh presented himself as a god, claiming that as a divine being, he did not have physiological needs like flesh and blood. To maintain this lie, Pharaoh would rise early to go to the Nile in secret, unseen by any eye, to relieve himself there. Pharaoh knew well that he was but flesh and blood, yet, he fabricated false myths and spread them so his people would follow him blindly. Why did G-d choose to send Moses specifically to this spot at this exact hour?
The command…
Beautifully written. I like the reference to idolatry, which is, as described one of the main prohibitions of the Noahide laws. In my experience, the more one purifies their activities regarding anything that could even remotely be perceived as idolatry, the clearer one can see what the correct path is. And the more one purifies their behaviour the trickier and more freeing it gets. The Rabbis I talk to often mention that "leaving Mitzrayim" can be an allusion to overcoming one's tendency to indulge in even permitted activities too much, i.e. as if someone has an addiction to something that by itself is permitted.