CONGREGATION MELECH YISRAEL OF TORONTO

Reading this portion of Scripture in the context of the conversation that was taking place between HaShem and Moshe, you would think that as HaShem was speaking to Moshe on the mountain, he could look over and see his brother Aharon in the distance, walking to meet him. However, when you continue to read thirteen passages later you learn that it was not the case.

Yes, HaShem said; "behold, he comes forth to meet you," in verse 14, but in fact Aharon did not come to meet Moshe at that particular time. Moshe had brought his father-in-law’s sheep to graze in the fertile valley by Mt. Horeb. In order to do so, he had to drive them some distance, away from his home, through the wilderness. After speaking with G-d, Moshe obviously walked with the sheep back through the wilderness, back to Yitro. There, after getting his permission to leave and go back to Mitzrayim Moshe packed-up his wife and two sons and travelled back through the wilderness. Once again this time, he passed Mt. Horeb, where miraculously he meets his brother Aharon at Mt. Horeb, the mountain of G-d, who himself had passed through the wilderness, coming from the opposite direction.

Notice here the sovereignty G-d. Even before Aharon ever thought of going for a walk in the wilderness, HaShem was speaking into his heart to take a walk in the wilderness towards Mt. Horeb. Do you think they thought this was a chance meeting? Moshe surely did not! G-d had already told him that he was going to meet his brother and that Aharon would be his spokesman to Pharaoh. Aharon on the other hand must have definitely thought this was a chance meeting. He, after all, did not find out what was taking place until he met Moshe, who explained to him everything HaShem had told him.

I said it before and I will say it again; noting happens in our lives by accident. In fact, the word accident should not be part of a believer’s vocabulary. HaShem arranges every circumstance in our lives, to achieve His will and to bring Himself glory. Happily, everything G-d does in our lives is for our benefit and not for our harm.

Yermiyahu (Jeremiah) {29:11} For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says HaShem, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

Stop fighting G-d! Many of us complain about our lives, we complain about other people, we complain about our jobs, or our lack of a job; we complain about our spouses, our children; we talk badly about other people and put other people down when all the while it is really G-d we are complaining about. He after all is the one who is doing it.

This is just another verse from this week’s Parasha, which emphasises my point. G-d even controlled the heart of Pharaoh so that He might be glorified by the exodus of bnei Yisrael (the children of Israel). Bnei Yisrael had no idea that they would be leaving Mitzrayim for good, but HaShem did, and He was preparing all the circumstances for their departure, and the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart was one of them.

Stop fighting G-d because you will not win!!

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Baruch HaShem
Rabbi Jack (Ya'acov) Farber