VaEra: Hester Panim and Gilui Ohr Panav

Rav Johnny's original thoughts on the weekly parsha

Parshat VaEra begins with what is understood as a rebuke of Moshe (see Rashi on Shemot 6:2) who had previously challenged God (see Shemot 5:22) with the claim that his petitions to Pharoh, which God had instructed him to make, had actually led to a worsening of the treatment of Bnei Yisrael by the Egyptians. In His reply, God tells Moshe how He, “appeared to Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov but My name the Lord I did not make known to them…And I made a covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land where they lived as strangers” (Shemot 6:3-4) and that Bnei Yisrael will soon be freed from their enslavement.

As we know, this is what happened. But why was Moshe rebuked by God for what seems to be a very reasonable complaint that what God said would happen had not yet happened? Additionally, why does God repeat the fact that He appeared to Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov have previously told Moshe that “I am the God of your forefathers… Avraham… Yitzchak… and Yaakov” (Shemot 3:6).

Rabbi Shimon Schwab addresses these questions (in ‘My Rebbe Rav Schwab’ by R’ Dr. Chaim Ehrman), and in so doing, he teaches us some profound messages which are particularly relevant to our current situation. Here is a summary of what he says.

When God spoke to Moshe at the burning bush and said, “I am the God of your forefathers… Avraham… Yitzchak… and Yaakov” (Shemot 3:6), God was communicating to Moshe the idea of hester panim (the hidden face of God) which refers to the times when it appears as if God is looking the other way and ignoring our suffering and pain. Given this, the burning bush conveyed the deep message that even though the Jews in Egypt were suffering and being tortured, God was with them and was aware of their suffering. And why mention the patriarchs in that moment? Because while God promised them the land of Israel for their children, none of them saw that promise come to fruition. Still, even while the fulfilment of this promise was not seen in the lifetime of our patriarchs, they nevertheless had faith that God would keep His word.

However, as Rav Schwab explains, ‘in Parshat VaEra, the entire modus operandi changed’ at which point, God no longer operated through hester panim. Instead, ‘God showed His greatness and gilui ohr panav Yitbarach.’ True, Bnei Yisrael were not yet free. However, already from the start of the ten plagues, the slavery of Bnei Yisrael was over.

This then brings us back to what God said to Moshe as a rebuke that, “I appeared to Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov but My name the Lord I did not make known to them…And I made a covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land where they lived as strangers” (Shemot 6:3-4). As Rav Schwab explains, ‘they lived during a time of hester panim. Avraham had to leave Eretz Yisrael because of a hunger; Yitzchak was chased away by the Pelishtim, Yaakov had to pay a hefty sum of money to Shechem just to acquire a small tract of land. The Avot accepted their lot without complaining even though it was during hester panim. Moshe, however, would witness the beginning of glui ohr panav Yitbarach and a termination of suffering for the Jewish people. This entire change of God’s hanhagah required that He reveal Himself anew to Moshe to tell him that the Jews would experience a whole new way of God’s conducting the world.’

With this in mind, Rav Schwab then adds: ‘Chazal tell us in Midrash Shochar Tov that the redemption of Bnei Yisrael from Egypt is a blueprint for the future geulah, for the coming of Moshiach. When the time of geulah arrives, speedily and in our time, we’ll also receive a new revelation. Yeshayahu 40:5, 10 says that God will awaken from His slumber. Then, the awesomeness and great omnipotence of God will be evident. The days of Moshiach are days of God’s gilui panim.’

Shabbat Shalom!

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