In a recent conversation, I was asked how I could possibly affiliate with a particular political party. While I understood where the question was coming from, my honest response, was that I was more __x__ than __y__, and I couldn’t – wouldn’t – be dishonest about that. But distinctions are a hard thing in society. It often leads to an assumption that one group must be ascendant over the other(s). Once an attitude of “us versus them” forms, people begin to assume a belief (or at least the sentiment) that the them is bad or evil. It is interesting to notice, therefore, that much of this week’s Torah reading, Parshas Va’era, involves a very “black and white” type of group-building. And from this we can learn both the reasons that this can be necessary, and, at the same time, why such extreme thinking can blinding.
The dynamic of us-them is the heart of the story of the
Exodus. The Egyptians enslaved the Israelites and set them into a life of
oppression partially because they feared this small group who refused to give
up their unique identity. When Moshe came to Egypt with the Divine assignment
of freeing Bnei Yisrael, he had to enforce a clear distinction, which Hashem
made clear through exactly who was affected by the makkos (plagues). When
Pharaoh seems not to be understanding how much his obstinacy is hurting his
people, Hashem even instructs Moshe to spell it out for him: “I will make a
[deliberate] distinction between my people and your people” (Shemos 8:19).
Sometimes “us versus them” is necessary. This statement alone,
under the mores of modern society, is probably making some people grow
uncomfortable. When we speak about Moshe and the Exodus from Egypt we are
talking about another age, about a time when Hashem, the Creator of the
Universe and Ultimate Judge, showed clear signs to distinguish between nations.
This is why the Torah could include a commandment to wipe out Amaleck, but our
sages can tell later generations that we no longer have the ability to
recognize, with certainty, who Amaleck is. Even a hint of bringing such dire
judgement into one’s conversations today is uncomfortable because we have all
been carefully trained on how to not judge others. Most people I know have, at one time or
another, uttered a statement of their being opposed to labelling others. This
is, of course, a good thing because almost no individual fits into a perfect
box of definitions and many labels come with unfair judgements of good or bad.
While we speak of this value of not judging to our friends
and neighbors, each of us has to think how we as individuals and we as different
communities are actually handling the fact that society is full of interwoven
groups and types. Sadly, too often the message is given that such distinctions
mean WE are good and THEY are bad. Really,
however, such broad terms hide the truth. Bnei Yisrael may be the Chosen Nation,
but each individual member of the Jewish people is unique, and it is their
independent actions that determine if they are good or bad. And just as this is
so for our people, it is so for all other nations.
Hashem guided Moshe in his speech and in his actions as he
set the makkos upon the Egyptian people. We must learn something different from
Parshas Va’era. It would be easy to take a broad brush and state that all the
MItzri,the Egyptians, were evil, and many have done so. The Mitzri, however,
were also a nation of individuals. They had an exceedingly evil leader, yes.
They had necromancers and advisors who encouraged evil, yes. But they also had
an entire population of people who were not stuck in one box. The proof of this
is even in Shemos 9, on the eve of the plague of hail, the Torah states: “Whoever
among the servants of Pharaoh feared Hashem’s word brought their slaves and
livestock indoors to safety; but those who did not fear Hashem left their
slaves and livestock in the fields” (9:20-21).
The Mitzrim were not one giant mass of evil-minded people
set on destroying Bnei Yisrael. Some chose to believe in and fear Hashem.
Others, those referred to in 9:21, chose deliberately – the commentaries tell
us – to ignore the Divine warning. And, I would image, there were a whole lot
of Mitzrim who fell somewhere in-between.
“Us Versus Them,” broad definitions of the characters of
other groupings, and, at the same time, a general fear of labelling true evil,
are all issues that our societies are dealing with today. When we stop and look
at Parshas Va’era, perhaps we can be reminded that most groups are not
monolithic. True evil does, sadly, exist in this world, but (as far as I know)
none of us have the Divine guidance that Moshe was given when he stood before Pharaoh.
Our jobs are to look to ourselves and make certain that in every situation we
can fall into the people of Shemos 9:20, they who feared Hashem’s word, and
guide our actions thusly.
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