Va’eira
Reflection by Gilad Shavit, Or HaLev Teacher
Where does liberation start for you?
“Parashat Va’eira opens at a moment of collapse. Moshe brings hope to the people and they cannot hear it. The Torah explains why: Mikotzer ruach, shortness of breath, ve'avoda kasha, hard work.
So if you'd like I invite you to take a moment now to notice your breath.
And see if you can let the inhalation arrive a little bit deeper. Maybe allow the exhalation to soften the body. To rest a little bit more.
When life is too harsh or stressful, the breath becomes shallow, and even good news feels impossible.
God responds not with force but with presence, revealing another divine name, Yud Kei Vav Kei. This name is about the past, the present, and the future. Much like our breath.
We sense the breath in the present moment. Each inhalation we create a new future, new cells, new possibilities. And with each exhalation we release the past, letting go of what is no longer needed. This name is not about control or boundaries but about presence, living breath.
The redemption begins before freedom arrives. In this parasha there are seven plagues. They are not only punishments, they are disruptions, meant to soften a hardened heart. Inside Pharaoh and inside of us.
Va’eira teaches that liberation starts in the body. Before we can leave Egypt, our constricted places, breath has to expand. And when breath returns, aspiration returns. Da’at, embodied knowing, returns. And then freedom becomes possible.
Shabbat Shalom."