D’var Torah: Va’era 2026/5786 וארא

Dara Lester, Grade 8

This week's parsha is Parshat Va'era. Parshat Va'era is a chapter in the Passover story. Parshat Va'era begins with Moshe feeling upset and insecure about himself. This is because in the previous parsha, Moshe went to Pharaoh and said “Let my people go,” and Pharaoh said “No.” Understandably, Moshe is not feeling so great about himself. His confidence is shaken—how will he ever make Pharoah listen? God tries to make Moshe feel more secure by revealing a new name to him. God tells him that he only appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as El Shaddai but now, he appears to Moshe as Adonai. But even with God sharing a new name, just for him, Moshe still doesn’t feel ready for this big task of freeing the Israelites and leading them out of Egypt. He makes excuses, saying things like, "I’m not a good speaker,” or "The Israelites won’t listen to me.” Moshe is overwhelmed with self-doubt and anxiety. 

So what happens? How does Moshe overcome these doubts? Well, God gives Moshe the courage and support he needs. He tells Moshe, "I will be with you." God doesn’t leave Moshe alone in his anxiety. Instead, he gives Moshe a partner, his brother Aharon, to help him. God also reassures Moshe by giving him signs, like turning his staff into a serpent and back into a staff, and making his hand temporarily turn leprous and then heal. These signs show Moshe that with God’s help, he can do what seems impossible. And little by little, Moshe finds the strength to stand up to Pharaoh. 

Parshat Va'era shows us that we have to face our struggles, but we don’t have to face them alone. Sometimes it can be hard to reach out for support, especially when you have a lot of self-doubt and anxiety, like Moshe did. Reaching out may make you feel ashamed or embarrassed, or even upset. Personally, reaching out for help has always given me anxiety. I have worried about what people will think of me if they see me needing support. I thought that maybe people would see me as weak, needy, or as a non-independent person. Even reaching out to teachers or friends for help gave me anxiety. My parents pushed me to reach out for help if I needed it, and once I finally stopped resisting, my struggles became a lot easier to deal with. I realized that everyone in my community was supportive and there to help. My friends helped me with projects, my teachers helped me with schoolwork, and my family worked with me to make sure that I could get the help I needed when facing struggles. One thing I’ve learned about community, especially the Schecter community, is that community doesn’t leave you alone during hard times, they help you and support you along the way of facing challenges. Just like Aharon and God were there to help Moshe, community is there to help us during struggles. So, as we move into this week, remember that no one needs to be alone during hard times, so don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it, because no one goes through the hardest struggles alone.