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Parshas Vaera - The Parsha in Chesed – Va’era: The Hippopotamus in the Room

By BJLife/Rabbi Avraham Leventhal

Posted on 12/30/21

Parshas HaShavua Divrei Torah sponsored by
Dr. Shapsy Tajerstein, DPM - Podiatry Care.
(410) 788-6633

During the 1970’s, Western Africa was hit with severe
drought and famine. One of the hardest hit countries was Gambia, a tiny coastal
country dominated by the Gambia River which flows through its center.



Scores of ecologists were brought in to conduct studies
and evaluations. While limited rainfall was a major contributor, the scientists
were surprised by another factor.



Several years prior, the Gambian government enacted a law
permitting the hunting of hippopotami. Due to the diminished hippopotami
population, the agriculture in Gambia suffered increasingly.



As one ecologist wrote…



Hippos are ecosystem engineers. Because of their massive
size, they create new paths and channels as they move through the water and
between water and land. Water flows through these channels during the wet
season, which creates new habitat and shelter for birds, insects, and other
species. And in the dry season, the lagoons left behind provide a safe haven
for small fish and other creatures. Hippos are also critical to the health of
wetland ecosystems because of the role they play, through defecation, in
fertilizing the water. Thanks hippos.



Believe it or not, this tidbit of trivia relates to our
Parsha. And not to the plague of ערוב(wild
animals)!



The exodus from Egypt was precipitated by the 10 Makkot
(plagues) .



Each plague was preceded with several weeks of warning
followed by the plague itself.



The execution of the first 3 plagues differed from the
others by way of who executed the punishment.



While Moshe was commanded to give warning and execute the
plagues, when it came to blood, frogs and lice, it was Aharon,
and not Moshe who was instructed to strike the water or sand.



The reason given is that it would not be proper for Moshe to
strike the water which saved him as a baby. Similarly, the sand concealed the
corpse of the Egyptian overlord whom Moshe killed in defense of a slave being
mercilessly attacked.



By instructing Aharon to carry out the plague, Moshe would
be displaying true Hakarat HaTov (appreciation) for how the water and
sand benefitted him.



One could certainly ask, “would the water even know
it was hit? Does sand have feelings?” Why emphasize this detail of
Aharon striking rather than Moshe as part of the narrative?



There are so many better examples of Hakarat HaTov involving
people. Why does the Torah use cases of inanimate objects to teach us about
showing appreciation?



Perhaps the answer lies within the term Hakarat HaTov
itself. Hakarat Hatov means the recognition of the good one benefits from. If
Hakarat HaTov applied to people only, it would be more correct to “express
appreciation”. The beneficial party is able to feel the good will received.



Herein lies the beauty of Torah philosophy. Each person and
everything has the potential to contribute to society. Even when the benefactor
is an inanimate object, such as water, sand or a piece of furniture, we should
recognize how it affects our lives for the better. Hence the word Hakarat,
recognition, is the key to appreciation. A desk that enables one to learn or to
serve guests or the car that makes life more convenient, are deserving of our
praise.



The lesson of the water and sand is simple. We are required
to recognize even something that can’t feel our gratitude. If so,
it is certainly incumbent upon us to constantly acknowledge the good that we
receive from the people in our lives.



There is abundant good that we constantly receive from our
spouses, parents, relatives, neighbors, friends and strangers. And these people
have the ability to accept and feel our gratitude.



Great service in a restaurant or store should be complimented
with a “thank you”, tip and smile. Our mail carriers, garbage collectors, military
personnel, police, medics and firemen enable us to have a better and safer
quality of life. They deserve our appreciation, even if it’s a simple thank you
or smile.



Our name “Yehudim” (Jews) imbues within us the obligation to
constantly appreciate the good that we receive.



Benevolence comes in many forms, from Above, from those
around us and even sometimes from the water, sand and hippos that frolic
in them.



By conditioning ourselves to recognize and acknowledge all
of the gifts in our lives, we can and become better, happier and more fulfilled
inhabitants of this great world.





Shabbat Shalom