Two-Line Torah: Vaeyra 5776–Real and Ideal

Our parashah, “Vaeyra”, in Shemot 7:1, states: “The Lord said to Moses: See! I have made you E-lohim (a lord) over Pharaoh, and Aaron, your brother, will be your speaker”.

Moshe comes with the ideas, the principles. Aharon, his brother, conveys the idea, translating it to the level of Pharaoh’s understanding. Moshe states the ideal, and Aaron executes it.

Our world is the same. There are ideals, concepts; and there is their execution. The ideal is heavenly, while the execution is planted in the ground.

In university we emphasize on the concepts and sometimes even fight for the ideals. But in the real life, which is difficult and demanding, implanting the ideals requires patience.

Moshe and Aharon were brothers, equally responsible for achieving their goal. Similarly, the real world should never make us forget the ideals. And on the other hand, we must aspire to apply them in this world.

Shlomo Geller is OU-JLIC Educator at University of Wisconsin Hillel.