In Parshas VaEira, Hashem commanded Moshe to first warn Pharaoh about the impending plague. Moshe told Pharaoh that if he refused to free the Jews to serve Hashem, “so said Hashem, ‘In this you shall know that I am Hashem.’ Behold I am going to strike with the staff that is in my hand upon the water that is in the river, and it shall turn to blood.” After warning Pharaoh, Moshe is then commanded, “Tell Aharon, ‘Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt…’” Why does Hashem specify that Aharon be the one to initiate the plague? In addition, this pattern is repeated with the next two plagues – Frogs and Lice.
Rashi explains that it was inappropriate for Moshe Rabbeinu to strike the Nile for the plagues of Blood and Frogs. After all, this same river provided refuge for him as a baby. In the same vein, Moshe Rabbeinu could not strike the sand to bring the plague of Lice. The Egyptian sand protected Moshe when he used it to bury the Egyptian that he killed. Hashem’s message to Moshe Rabbeinu is clear. Striking the Nile River or the Egyptian sand would show a lack of appreciation for how they had helped him, and such an action would tarnish his hakaras ha’tov. Rather, Aharon should initiate these plagues, since he never benefited from the water or the sand to the same extent.
Rashi’s explanation lends new insight into the dimensions of hakaras ha’tov. Gratitude is not because someone did something for you, but rather if you benefited. If you benefited from somebody or something, you must show gratitude (from the book N’sivei Or, pg. 165, by Rabbi Nissim Yagen). That’s why it is said by Moshe that he was not allowed to hit the Nile River, and he had to ask Aharon to do it. A river has no feelings and does not care whether Moshe lived or died. But since Moshe benefited from the river, so then he has to have gratitude and he can’t strike it.
Rabbi Eliyahu Dessler further explains that it is irrelevant if our beneficiary (e.g., the Nile River) might have been an inanimate object. Our emotional reality is that when we strike something, its value is lowered in our eyes. It becomes inferior and we become superior. If we previously benefited from it, then our midah of hakaras ha’tov certainly diminishes. Moshe’s Divine mandate was to diligently preserve his midah of hakaras ha’tov, since it is so critical for avodas Hashem (service of G-d).
List of People Who Need a R’fuah Sh’leimah (a complete recovery)
Please recite Psalms 20, 30, 88, 121, and 130.
Boris Baruch ben Frecha Frida
Shimshon Shimon ben Mazal
Aharon Mordechai ben Sharon
Yaakov Yisrael Pinchas ben Tovah
Yisachar Dov ben Chayah Brachah
Tinok ben Chanah
Azriel ShemTov ben Brachah Esther
Shmuel Aryeh ben Sarah Rachel
Ronny Tzalach ben Simchah
Shmuel Aryeh ben Sarah Rachel
Moshe ben Devorah
Yehoshua ben Miriam
Yosef ben Leah
Nisan ben Yael
Efrayim Gavriel ben Esther
Chaim Yehudah HaLevi ben Sarah
Refael Meir HaLevi ben Esther
Mordechai ben Evelyn
David Chaim ben Rivkah
Moshe Leib ben Chanah Breindel
Eynav ben Tziporah
Yair ben Sarah
Moshe ben Zlata
Yishai Shimon ben Sigal
Shmuel ben Nazima
Yaakov Yisrael Pinchas ben Tovah
Nissim ben Miriam
Levi ben Malkah
Yigal ben Nina
Arthur Avraham ben Bella Berta
Ezra Refael ben Taoos Miriam
Yosef Chai ben Leah
Shmuel ben Moonavar
Chaim Shaul ben Pessel
Ariel Yehudah ben Esther Victoria
Evon bas Sally
Luna bas Rachel
Malkah bas Miriam
Tovah Yocheved bas Esther Bukas
Ruchamah Perel Malkah Leah bas Chanah Serel
Esther Hadassah bas Devorah
Ronit bas Rivkah
Mahnaz bas Nosrat
Sylia bas Rachel
Karen bas Rachel
Shoshanah Shurah bas Zin
Sonia bas Raya Rachel
Tinok bas Chanah Moriyah
Brachah Chanah bas Sarah
Devorah bas Esther
Batya bas Moonavar
Sarah bas Alizah
Chavah bas Bayla
Bella Berta bas Raya Rachel
Taliah Tanya bas Nina Nekadam
Raya Rachel bas Esther
Alizah Sima bas Sheina Brachah
Rivkah bas Sarah
Rachel bas Yaffah
Mehrnaz bas Malkah Molouk
Gittel Feige bas Miriam Sarah
Sally Ronit bas Taoos Miriam
Masha bas Ansha Beila
Miriam bas Ina Pesya Yocheved
Chanah Elianah bas Naomi
Zoya bas Sarah
Rivkah Sarah bas Alizah
To add names of individuals who need a r’fuah sh’leimah to next week’s T’hilim column, please email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and complete the Google form.