Rabbi Yitzhak's Blog

Our Sages note that in the first three plagues, it was Aharon rather than Moshe who performed the act through which the plague surfaced. Before the plague of blood, for example, Hashem commanded Aharon to lift his staff upon the river, which then turned to blood. The plague of frogs similarly began when Aharon lifted his staff over the river, and the third plague, lice, came about when Aharon struck the earth with his staff. In all three instances, Hashem instructed that Aharon, rather than Moshe, be the one to bring about the plague.

Our sages explain that it would have been inappropriate for Moshe to smite the river or the earth, because of the protection they had granted him. As an infant, Moshe was placed in a basket in the river where he escaped the Egyptian officials who had come to kill him. Later, Moshe killed an Egyptian taskmaster who was beating a Hebrew slave, and he covered the Egyptian's body with earth so that he would not be discovered. Since Moshe benefited from the river and the earth, he was not allowed to bring about the first three plagues, which entailed hitting the river and the earth.

This concept, of course, requires clarification. While we can all easily understand the importance of “Hakarat Hatov” – extending gratitude – this should seemingly apply only to people; we should show appreciation to people who acted kindly to us. But why should we show gratitude to inanimate objects, like rivers and dust? Would they have been insulted had Moshe afflicted them with plagues?

Rav Eliyahu Dessler explains that had Moshe struck the river or the earth, this would have diminished – if only slightly – from his sensitivity toward the importance of gratitude. The character trait of “Hakarat Hatov” is so central and so significant that we cannot allow ourselves to lose even the slightest degree of sensitivity to this value. Of course, the river would not have been affected at all had Moshe struck it with his staff. But this might have dulled his sensitivity toward “Hakarat Hatov” and the importance of recognizing and feeling grateful for all that others have done for him.

Feeling appreciation and gratitude towards other people is a critical first step toward feeling gratitude to Hashem. We read in last week’s Parasha that “a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Yosef” (1:8). The Midrash comments that this failure to “know” Yosef, to recognize and appreciate all that Yosef had done for Egypt, is what led Pharaoh to later declare, “I do not know G-d” (5:2). If a person does not accustom and train himself to appreciate what others do for him, then he will also fail to recognize and feel grateful for all that G-d does for him. And when one cannot appreciate everything that G-d does for him, he is unlikely to ever feel happy and content. If a person focuses his attention only on what he does not have, rather than feeling grateful for what he does have, then he will be bitter and frustrated, and never experience contentment.

Our Sages therefore impressed upon us the importance of gratitude – of feeling genuinely grateful for all that we have, for all that other people and Hashem do for us, so that we can experience true joy and contentment throughout our lives.

Adapted from the lectures of Rabbi Eli Mansour