Speech Impediment   Parashat Va'era Torah: Exodus 6:2 – 9:35 Maftir: Numbers 28:9-15 Haftarah: Isaiah 66:1-24 (Rosh Chodesh) 1 Shevat 5773 / 11-12 January 2013 Please feel free to pass this on to a friend, and please cite the source ---------------------------------------------------------------- Speech Impediment "The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 'Go, speak to Pharaoh, king of Egypt , that he should send the Israelites from his land.' And Moses spoke before the Lord, saying, 'Behold, the Israelites would not listen to me; why then should Pharaoh listen to me, a man of impeded speech?'" Exodus 6:10-12 Rashi: This is an example of a kal v'chomer (a rule of logic for Torah study, an inference from the less obvious to the more obvious - i.e., "if THEY won¹t listen to me, then for sure PHARAOH won¹t listen to me"). The question arises, what did Moses mean by "impeded speech"? The Hebrew says literally, "uncircumcised lips", and the Midrash says that Moses had a physical speech impediment that he developed as a child. However, the Sfas Emes, the third Gerer Rebbe, has a completely different understanding of Moses' statement. He says that if Jews do not listen to their leaders, there can be no leaders who are able to speak on their behalf. By refusing to listen to Moses, the Israelites made it impossible for Moses' words to reach Pharaoh's ear -­ they deprived him of his ability to lead and represent them - because they "impeded" his speech. We see this in our everyday lives, whether it has to do with political, business or spiritual leaders, teachers or parents, you name it. Anyone trying to lead another person in a particular direction can not lead if the other person will not listen. The leader¹s speech is impeded, and so is leadership. For that matter, perhaps after a time the leader is no longer able to properly hear those whom s/he would lead. Refusal to hear can “lead” to a kind of deafness on everyone’s part. The Sfas Emes quotes Psalms 50:7, "Pay heed my people, and I will speak." Only so long as there are those who will listen, can there be those who would speak. Sh'ma Yisrael ... Shabbat Shalom! Chodesh Tov! Rabbi Richard A. Flom - ZSRS '00 Blogging at: rav-rich.blogspot.com/ Visit me on Facebook "For the sake of Zion I will not be silent; for the sake of Jerusalem I will not be still." Isaiah 62:1 ----------------------------------------------- Rabbi Flom will be conducting services this Shabbat morning at Mishkon Tephilo, 206 Main Street, Venice 90291. Services begin at 9:30 am. This week we'll be welcoming children and families from the Preschool with songs and blessings. Torah study follows kiddush. Lunch and Learn is an ongoing program of Bet Midrash Shalom that meets most Tuesdays to discuss Jewish texts and other topics of Jewish interest. It is open to all regardless of affiliation. Next meeting is Tuesday, January 15, 12:00 noon, at Congregation Beth Meier, 11725 Moorpark St. , Studio City , CA 91604 . PLEASE DO NOT BRING ANY FOOD UNLESS IT IS IN ITS ORIGINAL SEALED CONTAINER AND BEARING A HEKHSHER AS DAIRY OR PAREVE. Refuah Shleimah: Connie Axelson, Bobbie Chasen, Selby Horowitz, Pamela Huddleston, Micah Kosche, Sara Lanxner, Emily Levin, Frank Markowitz, Yitzchak Simcha ben Bayla, Herman Rassp, Helen Reiter, Len Reiter, Adin Ring, Gil Robbins, Rachel Robbins, Judith Sakurai, Helen Tomsky, Betty Varon and Seymour Waterman.