13 Jan VAERA: BELIEVING IN THE FUTURE

Parashat Vaera begins with
Hashem’s response to
Moshe Rabbenu, who, in
the final pesukim of last
week’s parashah,
expressed his angst over the
plight of Beneh Yisrael in
Egypt. Hashem had sent him to Pharoah
to demand that he allow Beneh Yisrael to
leave, but Pharaoh not only refused, but
made things much worse – ordering that
Beneh Yisrael would now have to find
their own straw for bricks but produce the
same number of bricks every day. Moshe
cried to Hashem, and Hashem replied:
Hashem told Moshe that he had appeared
to the avot – Avraham, Yitzhak and
Yaakov – with the Name Kel Shakai, but
not with the Name Havayah (the Name
spelled yud, heh, vav and heh).
Most of the commentators explain that
Havayah is the Name of Hashem that
signifies His mercy and compassion, and
this was not shown to the avot. Hashem
made promises to each of the avot,
assuring them that a great nation would
emerge from them, which would reside in

the Land of Israel. But none of the avot
ever saw this happen; each of them died
well before there was an Am Yisrael
residing in Eretz Yisrael. Nevertheless,
they did not question or challenge
Hashem. They lived with firm belief that
these promises would eventually be
fulfilled.
The secret to this faith can be found in a
pasuk in last week’s parashah, Parashat
Shemot.
When Hashem first appeared to Moshe in
the burning bush and commanded him to
return to Egypt and inform Beneh Yisrael
that they would soon be leaving, He told
Moshe to convey to them that His Name
was Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh – “I shall be that
which I shall be” (3:14). What is the
meaning if this Name – Ehyeh Asher
Ehyeh?
The word Ehyeh is in the future tense. It
means that whatever is happening now,
things will be better in the future. This
Name holds the secret of Jewish optimism.
Hashem was telling Moshe that even in
the darkest periods, the Jewish People
must continue holding onto this belief –

that things can and will turn around for the
better. We have always lived with this
spirit of hope and positivity, knowing that
no matter what we’re going through,
Hashem is holding our hand and will get
us through it. We don’t break or give up.
We hold our heads high, and handle
whatever life throws our way with the
confidence that a brighter future awaits.
This is the secret to the faith of the avot.
They did not see the fulfillment of
Hashem’s promises, but they believed
with all their hearts that these promises
would eventually be fulfilled.
I saw this optimism on full display when I
visited Israel in the midst of the war,
several months after October 7th. I visited,
among other places, the ruins of Be’eri,
the site of the Nova festival massacre, and
the ward of Tel Hashomer hospital where
wounded soldiers are treated – many of
whom are missing limbs. Wherever I
went, I was amazed by the spirit of the
Israeli people, by their hope and optimism.
Despite all they had gone through, they
were smiling. I spoke with a wounded
IDF soldier who had lost a leg and who

told me with a big smile that he was so
grateful to be alive, and that he wished he
could return to battle to continue the fight.
This is the meaning of Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh
– the unwavering belief that no matter
how bad things seem now, no matter what
we’re struggling with, Hashem is with us,
and He will get us through this and turn
things around for the better.
Let us try to cling to this faith, to always
believe in the future even when today is
challenging, and to trust that Hashem is
always holding our hand and helping us at
every step along the way.