(ל) וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר אַהֲרֹ֔ן אֵ֚ת כָּל־הַדְּבָרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיַּ֥עַשׂ הָאֹתֹ֖ת לְעֵינֵ֥י הָעָֽם׃ (לא) וַֽיַּאֲמֵ֖ן הָעָ֑ם וַֽיִּשְׁמְע֡וּ כִּֽי־פָקַ֨ד יְהוָ֜ה אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל וְכִ֤י רָאָה֙ אֶת־עָנְיָ֔ם וַֽיִּקְּד֖וּ וַיִּֽשְׁתַּחֲוּֽוּ׃
(30) Aaron repeated all the words that the LORD had spoken to Moses, and he performed the signs in the sight of the people, (31) and the people were convinced. When they heard that the LORD had taken note of the Israelites and that He had seen their plight, they bowed low in homage.
But then things start to go wrong, and continue going wrong.
(ד) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֲלֵהֶם֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרַ֔יִם לָ֚מָּה מֹשֶׁ֣ה וְאַהֲרֹ֔ן תַּפְרִ֥יעוּ אֶת־הָעָ֖ם מִמַּֽעֲשָׂ֑יו לְכ֖וּ לְסִבְלֹתֵיכֶֽם׃ (ה) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר פַּרְעֹ֔ה הֵן־רַבִּ֥ים עַתָּ֖ה עַ֣ם הָאָ֑רֶץ וְהִשְׁבַּתֶּ֥ם אֹתָ֖ם מִסִּבְלֹתָֽם׃ (ו) וַיְצַ֥ו פַּרְעֹ֖ה בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֑וּא אֶת־הַנֹּגְשִׂ֣ים בָּעָ֔ם וְאֶת־שֹׁטְרָ֖יו לֵאמֹֽר׃ (ז) לֹ֣א תֹאסִפ֞וּן לָתֵ֨ת תֶּ֧בֶן לָעָ֛ם לִלְבֹּ֥ן הַלְּבֵנִ֖ים כִּתְמ֣וֹל שִׁלְשֹׁ֑ם הֵ֚ם יֵֽלְכ֔וּ וְקֹשְׁשׁ֥וּ לָהֶ֖ם תֶּֽבֶן׃
(4) But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you distract the people from their tasks? Get to your labors!” (5) And Pharaoh continued, “The people of the land are already so numerous, and you would have them cease from their labors!” (6) That same day Pharaoh charged the taskmasters and foremen of the people, saying, (7) “You shall no longer provide the people with straw for making bricks as heretofore; let them go and gather straw for themselves.
(כא) וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ אֲלֵהֶ֔ם יֵ֧רֶא יְהוָ֛ה עֲלֵיכֶ֖ם וְיִשְׁפֹּ֑ט אֲשֶׁ֧ר הִבְאַשְׁתֶּ֣ם אֶת־רֵיחֵ֗נוּ בְּעֵינֵ֤י פַרְעֹה֙ וּבְעֵינֵ֣י עֲבָדָ֔יו לָֽתֶת־חֶ֥רֶב בְּיָדָ֖ם לְהָרְגֵֽנוּ׃
(21) and they said to them, “May the LORD look upon you and punish you for making us loathsome to Pharaoh and his courtiers—putting a sword in their hands to slay us.” Complaints from the Jewish taskmasters the 'capo's complain to Moshe.
We sens the pressure Moses is under. After his first setback, at the end of Parashat Shemot, he turns to G-d and bitterly
(כב) וַיָּ֧שָׁב מֹשֶׁ֛ה אֶל־יְהוָ֖ה וַיֹּאמַ֑ר אֲדֹנָ֗י לָמָ֤ה הֲרֵעֹ֙תָה֙ לָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֔ה לָ֥מָּה זֶּ֖ה שְׁלַחְתָּֽנִי׃ (כג) וּמֵאָ֞ז בָּ֤אתִי אֶל־פַּרְעֹה֙ לְדַבֵּ֣ר בִּשְׁמֶ֔ךָ הֵרַ֖ע לָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֑ה וְהַצֵּ֥ל לֹא־הִצַּ֖לְתָּ אֶת־עַמֶּֽךָ׃
(22) Then Moses returned to the LORD and said, “O Lord, why did You bring harm upon this people? Why did You send me? (23) Ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has dealt worse with this people; and still You have not delivered Your people.”
(א) ל מה זה שלחתני. אם היו ראוים לזה הפורענות, למה גלגלת אותו על ידי:
(1) למה זה שלחתני?, if they were guilty of suffering such problems why did You make me the one to be the immediate cause of it?
Even after G-d reassures Moshe, Moshe still doesn't believe that he will succeed. He doubts his own leadership.
(יב) וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר מֹשֶׁ֔ה לִפְנֵ֥י יְהוָ֖ה לֵאמֹ֑ר הֵ֤ן בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לֹֽא־שָׁמְע֣וּ אֵלַ֔י וְאֵיךְ֙ יִשְׁמָעֵ֣נִי פַרְעֹ֔ה וַאֲנִ֖י עֲרַ֥ל שְׂפָתָֽיִם׃ (פ)
(12) But Moses appealed to the LORD, saying, “The Israelites would not listen to me; how then should Pharaoh heed me, a man of impeded speech!”
It can sometimes be easy to succeed. the conditions may be favourable. The economic, political, or personal climate is good. When there is an economic boom, most businesses flourish. In the first moths after a general election, the successful leader carries the charisma of victory. In the first year, most marriages are happy. It takes no spcial skill to succeed in good times.
But then the climate changes. Eventually, it always does. That is when many businesses and politicians and marriages fail. there are times when even the greatest people stumble. At such moments, character is tested. The great human beings are not those who never fail. THey are those who survive failure, who keep on going, who refuse to be defeated, who never give up or give in. They keep trying. They learn from every mistake. They treate failure as a learning experience. And from everry refusal to be defeated, they become stronger wiser, and more determined. This is the story of Moses's life in Parashat Shemot and Va'eira.
But then the climate changes. Eventually, it always does. That is when many businesses and politicians and marriages fail. there are times when even the greatest people stumble. At such moments, character is tested. The great human beings are not those who never fail. THey are those who survive failure, who keep on going, who refuse to be defeated, who never give up or give in. They keep trying. They learn from every mistake. They treate failure as a learning experience. And from everry refusal to be defeated, they become stronger wiser, and more determined. This is the story of Moses's life in Parashat Shemot and Va'eira.
Jim Collins on Leadership: "the signature of the truly great versus the merely successful is not eh absence of difficulty, but the ability to come back form setbacks, even cataclysmic catastrophes, stronger than before.....success is falling down, and getting up oe more time, without end.
Rabbi Hutner: Certainly you will stumble and will stumble again, and in many battles you will fall lame. I promise you, though that after those losing campaigns, you will emerge from the war with the laurels of victory on your head. ...The wist of man said: "A righteous man falls seven times, but rises again". Folls believe the intent of the verse is to teach us that the righteous man falls seven times, and despite, this, he rises. But the knowledgeable are aware that the eseence of the righteous man's risingagain is because of his seven falls.
(טז) כִּ֤י שֶׁ֨בַע ׀ יִפּ֣וֹל צַדִּ֣יק וָקָ֑ם וּ֝רְשָׁעִ֗ים יִכָּשְׁל֥וּ בְרָעָֽה׃
(16) Seven times the righteous man falls and gets up, While the wicked are tripped by one misfortune.
"כי שבע יפול צדיק וקם - כי הצדיק, הגם שייפול שבע פעמים, יקום על-ידי עזרת ה', אבל הרשעים (הגם שיהיו רבים) ייכשלו ברעה שיכינו על הצדיק, ובה ייפלו ולא יקומו.