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Drash for Shabbat Bo By Russell Cohen - January 26, 2007 The "straw that broke the camel's back." What does that really mean? We might relate this phrase, which many of us frequently use when pushed to a defined limit, to this weeks Torah portion. Pharaoh had endured seven plagues, none of which changed his unyielding stubbornness to let the Israelites leave Egypt. Despite the attempts of Moses and Aaron to gain freedom for their people, Pharaoh remained defiant subjecting himself and others to horrific plagues. It was likely his absence of belief in God and the notion that God could control the universe and everything therein that led to his defiance. Locusts and darkness, both of which caused Pharaoh's guiding light to be obscured, failed to sway his decision for freedom of the Israelites. It was not until the slaying of the first born of all creatures, human and otherwise, that Pharaoh ultimately succumbs to the ravages of the Ten Plagues. It was this devastating plague that finally made him realize that God was in control and that in fact there was someone other than himself that ruled the Universe. Why is it that such devastation is necessary for us to realize right from wrong? Modern society continues to push the limits, test the waters and learn the hard way before realizing what is right. It is human nature to learn by trial and error, and where better can we see that than with our own children. A parent's experience is rarely enough to instill our teachings in our children, but rather a child’s desire to learn by experiencing the "world" is usually necessary. On a grander scale, the world has seen many rulers and dictators act similarly to Pharaoh, all ultimately succumbing in much the same way. It is unfortunate that we cannot learn life’s lessons in a simpler way. Our lives don’t need to be pushed to the limit of breaking, and perhaps it was Pharaoh's experience that led to the concept of "the straw that broke the camel's back." Shabbat Shalom.
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