EXODUS VI:2-IX:35

WHEN THE GOODNESS OF OTHERS IS RECOGNIZED

The feeling of the Hebrews for the Egyptians was surely ambivalent. On the one hand, they had been enslaved, but it should not be forgotten that during the period of famine that reigned in the region, Egypt had welcomed Patriarch Yaakov(Jacob) and his descendants in the lands of Goshen.

With the succession of the pharaohs, the extraordinary managerial work of Yosef (Joseph) was forgotten, who knew how to direct the Egyptian economy in such a way that the abundance stored during the years of the “fat cows” served to feed the population during the lean period.

Hakarat HaTov, recognizing the goodness, of one’s neighbor is a moral imperative in Judaism. In that regard, Rabbi Yaakov Ruderman of Yeshiva Ner Israel highlighted the biblical account of how God told Moshe (Moses) to tell his brother Aharon (Aaron) to take his staff and hit the Nile River.

Why did Moshe not receive  this commission? According to Rashi (an expositor of the biblical text), that river had protected baby Moshe when he was placed in a basket; therefore, it was not right for him to use a staff to strike at the very thing that had protected him in the past. Hakarat HaTov’s attitude shines through again in the case of the plague of lice with which God scourged the Egyptians.

At the same time, it should be remembered that, in addition to serving as a teaching to the Egyptians and all peoples that no human being should be enslaved, the plagues were a demonstration of God’s might. This time Moshe did not participate directly, as he did in the other plagues, he did not beat the earth so that insects would arise that invade and devour the skin, because the earth had served to hide the Egyptian overseer that he had eliminated when he mistreated one of the Hebrew slaves. He could not strike the earth that allowed him to hide the body of the Egyptian who brutally punished a Hebrew slave.

Moshe was multifaceted and excelled in different fields. Above all, he was the legislator and teacher par excellence. Moshe Rabbeinu is the term we usually use, and it emphasizes that study and teaching are the basic spiritual tools of Judaism. But at the same time, he was a warrior, a strategist who knew how to lead the people through the sands of the desert and face all the kings and kingdoms that opposed their heading to their historical destination: the conquest of the Promised Land.

In the case of the confrontation with Midyan, Moshe did not hesitate to order the battle against that people, but this time he refrained from leading the troops because he had lived there for many years, after having had to flee from the anger of the Pharaoh over the episode of the Egyptian foreman.

The laws of Maaser and Bikurim, tithing and first fruits, serve to demonstrate gratitude for the generosity of the earth that responds to man’s labor. Harvesting is not a necessary consequence of sowing. The harvest is produced thanks to the design of the Almighty, who renews his creation day by day.

On the other hand, in a moment of anger, Moshe referred to the people as rebellious and ungrateful “Mamrim,” (rebels) for their constant complaints about any discomfort during the years of the desert pilgrimage. One cannot remain indifferent to kindness and generosity. Even at the time of the loss of a loved one, the Beracha Dayan HaEmet, the recognition of Divine Justice – which surely considers elements that are unknown to us – at the same time invites us to reflect on life, the years that the bereaved accompanied his family and contributed to the well-being of society.  that are a reason for gratitude to the Creator.

While gratitude is a moral obligation, anticipating it to a meritorious action takes away some of the gallantry that should accompany actions. For this reason, the tradition considers the nobility of Chesed shel Emet, any kind action that is done to a deceased, because he cannot repay it. Although Judaism is based on the Din, the strict observance of the Law, there is no doubt that a characteristic like Hakarat HaTov adds a deeper spiritual dimension to the person who practices it.