Parashat 14 VaErá In English

VAÉRA Elohim reveals himself to Moshe. Using the "four expressions of redemption," He promises to bring the Children of Israel out of Egypt, redeem them from their bondage, and then acquire them as His chosen people at Mount Sinai; He would then take them to the land He promised the patriarchs as His eternal legacy. Moshe and Aaron speak to Pharaoh repeatedly to demand, in the name of Elohim, "Let My people go out, that they may serve Me in the wilderness." Pharaoh refuses every time. Aaron's staff becomes a serpent and swallows the magic of Egyptian sorcerers. Elohim sends a series of plagues upon Egypt. The waters of the Nile River turn to blood; a plague of frogs plagues the earth; lice infest all men and beasts; hordes of wild animals invade the cities; plague kills pets; Painful blisters afflict the Egyptians. The seventh plague, fire, and ice combine to descend from the sky like devastating rain. Still, "Pharaoh's heart hardened, and he would not let the Children of Israel go, as Elohim had said to Moshe.