Parshas Va'era

REFUAH SHELEIMA FOR DEVORAH LEAH BAS BAILA

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Another great Parsha with many ideas for your Parsha Party. REMINDER - THIS IS A SPRINGBOARD OF IDEAS. YOU CAN CHOOSE ONE IDEA OR A FEW. AND HAVE THE KIDS GUESS THE CONNECTIONS.

Parsha Overview (Feel free to skip straight to the Party below - simply click the arrow next to this text and the overview will disappear.)

VA'ERA

• Hashem speaks to Moshe and tells him “I am Hashem!” The same Hashem that appeared to Avraham Yitzchak and Yaakov but never with this name of Hashem (Yud Kay Vav Kay). He tells Moshe, I heard the cries of Bnei Yisrael and you should go tell them that I will bring them out of the slavery.

I will save you. I will redeem you with an outstretched arm. I will take you out of Mitzrayim myself and bring you to the land I promised the Avos.

(These are the 4 expressions of the redemption that we mention at the Pesach Seder – “Vehotzaisi, Vehitzalti, Vegaalti, Velakachti).

• Moshe goes to tell the Bnai Yisrael but they did not listen because of their shortness of breath and hard work.

• Hashem then sends Moshe to Paraoh to tell him "Let the Jewish People go".

Moshe does not want to go. He says “How will Paraoh listen when the people did not listen? They see that my lips are closed.” (Rashi says this is one of the ten “Kal Vechomers” mentioned in the Torah. If Bnai Yisrael won’t listen to me, Kal Vechomer, Paraoh won’t listen to me!)

• The pesukim then stop to tell us the family tree of Moshe and Aharon who came from Shevet Levi.

*Levi has 3 sons, Gershon, Kehas, and Merari.

*Kehas has a son Amram who marries his Aunt Yocheved daughter of Levi.

*Amram has his sons Moshe and Aharon.

*Aharon marries Elisheva bas Aminadav, who is the sister of Nachshon. (Rashi – check out the brothers of a girl when you are looking into a shidduch!)

*They have 4 sons, Nadav, Avihu, Elazar, and Issamar.

*Elazar has a son Pinchas.

• Also mentioned in the pesukim here is Korach ben Yitzhar, Moshe’s cousin that will come up in a later Parsha.

• After telling us the history of who Moshe and Aharon, the pesukim return to tell us that Hashem spoke to Moshe and Aharon to go to Paraoh, and told Moshe that Aharon will go with you and speak for you. But it won’t be easy… Hashem will harden Paraoh’s heart and bring many signs to show the power of Hashem and wreak havoc on Mitzrayim with the Hand of Hashem.

• And so, Moshe and Aharon follow Hashem’s command and go to Paraoh. Moshe is 80 years old at the time and Aharon is 83.

• Hashem tells them that Paraoh will ask for a sign. They should take their stick and throw it to the ground and it will become a “Tanin” – snake. They do this. But Paraoh is not impressed. He calls his wise men and magicians and they all throw their sticks to the ground and they turn to snakes. But Aharon’s stick swallows all their snakes (after it already turned back into a stick!) But Paraoh’s heart remains hardened and the Makkos begin…

• THE MAKKOS

Dam -Hashem tells Moshe and Aharon to meet Paroah at the Nile, where he went each morning, and warn him that because he refused to let the people go, Aharon would strike the river and all the water in the land would turn to blood. Aharon does so, and every source of water becomes blood, leaving the Mitzriyim unable to drink. Paroah hardens his heart, however, because his magicians are able to do the same. The makka lasts seven days.

Tzfardeya – Moshe warns Paroah that if he refuses to let the people go, frogs will swarm up from the Nile, filling the land, invading homes, bedrooms, beds, ovens, food, and even people themselves. Aharon strikes the Nile, and a great frog comes up; Rashi explains that when the Mitzriyim hit the big frog, swarms of frogs poured out. The magicians are also able to bring up frogs from the Nile, but this time the plague overwhelms Paroah. He calls Moshe and promises to let the people go if the frogs are removed the next day. Moshe davens, the frogs die, and they are piled into terrible smelling heaps. Once the relief comes, Paroah hardens his heart and changes his mind.

Kinim – Aharon stretches out his hand over the dust of the earth, and the dust turns into lice, covering both people and animals throughout Mitzrayim. This time the magicians try to copy the plague but cannot; Rashi explains that their powers did not work on something smaller than a barley grain. The magicians admit to Paroah, “It is the finger of Hashem,” yet Paroah once again hardens his heart and refuses to listen.

(The first three Makkos were brought about by Aharon because Moshe did not want to hit the water or land which protected him as a baby and from the Mitzri that he killed).

Arov – Paroah is warned that wild animals will swarm throughout Mitzrayim, invading even their homes. Hashem declares that Goshen, where Bnei Yisrael live, will be protected, as a sign that they are separate. The wild animals come, and Paroah calls Moshe for help, offering to let the people bring sacrifices to Hashem within Mitzrayim. Moshe refuses, explaining that their sacrifices would disgust the Mitzriyim, who worship sheep, and they would stone them. He insists on a three-day journey into the Midbar. Paroah agrees, Moshe davens, and Hashem removes the plague. Once again, Paroah hardens his heart.

Dever – Hashem tells Moshe to warn Paroah that if he does not let the people go, all the Mitzriyim’s animals will die—their horses, donkeys, camels, cows, and sheep—while the animals of Bnei Yisrael will not be harmed. This is exactly what happens, yet Paroah hardens his heart and still refuses to let the people go.

Shechin – Hashem tells Moshe and Aharon to take double handfuls of soot from a furnace and throw it up into the sky in front of Paroah. It comes down like dust and brings painful boils that blister on the people and on the animals. The magicians cannot even come before Moshe because they are covered in boils. But Paroah hardens his heart again.

Barad – Moshe is sent early in the morning to warn Paroah about the next plague. Hashem says these plagues are coming so everyone will know that no one is as great as Hashem. If Paroah does not let the people go, Hashem will send a terrible hail, worse than anything ever seen. Paroah is warned to bring any animals he wants to save inside, or they will die. Some Mitzriyim who now fear Hashem bring their animals in, but others leave them outside, and they are killed.

Moshe stretches out his stick to the sky, and thunder crashes, with hail made of ice mixed with fire falling from the sky. Everything it touches is destroyed, but there is no hail in Goshen. Paroah calls Moshe, admits he sinned, and promises to let the people go if the hail stops. The flax and barley are destroyed, but the wheat and spelt are not, because they are not ripe yet. Moshe leaves the city, davens, and the hail stops.

And whaddaya know? Paroah changes his mind again. This time, Hashem hardens his heart.

This ends the makkos of this parsha.

(Adapted partially from In a Nutshell by Chabad.org, The Pesukim and Rashi)

And now for the fun part

PARSHA PARTY

SNACKS LISTED FIRST SO YOU CAN TRY AND GUESS TOO!

• Mini grape juice bottles and kiddush cups

• Go Go candies or applesauce

• Dum-Dum lollies

• Dots candy

• Breath mints

• Lip candies

• Finger cookies

• Grapes

• Animal crackers

• Red punch or Powerade and blue punch or Powerade

• Huggy Bears

• Boiled sweets

• Blue sour belts and red sour belts

• Fizz candy or powder candy

• Gummy frogs (Haribo)

• Hot sauce chips

• Jelly fish

• Red Gushers

• Dunkees

• Frozen cherry sours in ice blocks

• Mike and Ikes

• Candy spray

• Pesach candies

• Sour drops

• Snake spray candy

• Sour sticks with a lion picture

• Air Heads

• Ice pops

• Pretzel rods

• Wild Cherry Pepsi or seltzer

• Frootie animal sours

• Popcorn

• Oodles

• Heart lollies

• Sprinkles or sprinkle cookies or nonpareils

• Green sour sticks

• Popping candy

• Green jelly beans

• Cherry sours

• Flappy taffy

• Sour hearts

• Gummy rattlesnakes

• Laffy Taffy ropes

• Corn Pops

This week’s Candy ideas were also contributed by Tzvi, Shalom, and Avigail Wahl

THE PARSHA PARTY ANSWER LIST!

Mini Grape Juice bottles and Kiddush cups – The 4 expressions for the 4 cups at the seder

Breath Mints – They had shortness of breath

Go Go candies or Applesauce – Let my people Go

Lip Candies – Moshe said his lips were closed

Heart Lollies and Sour Hearts – Hashem will harden Paraoh’s Heart

Pretzel Rods (chocolate with sprinkles if you can make) and Laffy Taffy Ropes – The sticks turned into snakes

Gummy rattle snakes and Snake Spray candy – The sticks turned to snakes. Also for Wild animals.

Dum-Dums – Dam is Blood

Blue Sour Belts and Red Sour Belts / Red Punch or Powerade and Blue Punch or Powerade

– The blood for Mitzriyim and Water for the Jews

Red Gushers – the water turned to blood that “gushes”

Jelly fish – the fish died in the water

Gummy Frogs (Haribo) - Tzfradeya

Green Jelly beans – Jumping Frogs

Popping Candy – The frogs were popping everywhere. Also for the popping Hail.

Sprinkles or sprinkle cookies, Nonpareils – Tiny little lice

Candy Spray – Spray the lice to try to get rid of them

Oodles – Small like barley – the magicians couldn’t make kinim because they were smaller than barley

Mike and Ikes – little lice

Fizz Candy / Powder Candy – the dust of the earth became lice

Soursticks with a lion picture – Arov wild animals

Animal Crackers, Wild Cherry Pepsi / Seltzer, Frootie Animal Sours, Huggy Bears, - Wild animals

Dunkees – Donkeys died in Dever

Marshmallows – (Make sheep out of them) Sheep died in Dever

Air Heads – The animals died and their heads were full of air

Cherry Sours and Boiled Sweets – Boils for Shechin

Dots Candy – Dots all over their bodies from boils

Grapes – Round like Boils

Finger Cookies – The magicians said it is the Finger of Hashem

Sour Drops – Barad dropped on their heads

Hot Sauce Chips – The hail had hot fire and ice

Frozen Cherry Sours in Ice Blocks – The fire and ice mixed together. (You can also just freeze Cherry Sours. Or simply put into an ice tray and add water and freeze)

Ice pops – The ice hail popped on their heads

PopCorn and CornPops – The hail popped on their heads

Green Sour Sticks – The grass that got ruined from the hail

Multi-Grain Cheerios or snacks – Some of the grains got ruined (Flax and Barley) while some did not (Wheat and spelt).

Flappy Taffy – Paraoh was Flippy Flappy with changing his mind about letting the people go!

THE FAMOUS FROG CAKES

I have seen many people do Frog Cup Cakes for this Parsha as well. Make a cupcake. Frost it with green frosting. Chocolate chip on white marshmallow fluff or frosting for eyes and a red candy or sourstick for the mouth.

Have a wonderful Shabbos!

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Dedications - All that learn Torah through Parsha Party should be a zechus for the following people:

• Baruch Hashem the remaining live hostages have returned home!

• Zechus for the remaining deceased hostage to be returned and receive kever Yisrael.

• Zechus for the wounded and grieving soldiers and hostages to recover physically and emotionally.

• Le'iluy Nishmas the soldiers lost in battle and all the Kedoshim lost on 10.7.23

• Le'iluy Nishmas: Miriam bas Avraham

• Le'iluy Nishmas: Gittel a"h bas Shraga Meir Hakohen

• Le'iluy Nishmas Tziporah Chana a"h bas Yaakov Avraham Eliyahu

• Le'iluy Nishmas Eliyahu zt"l ben R' Chaim Yitzchak and Raizel a"h bas R' Dovid Mordechai

• Le'iluy Nishmas Moshe ben Dovid

• Le'iluy Nishmas Meir Naftoli ben Tzvi Halevi

• Le'iluy Nishmas Shneur Zalman ben Yitzchak HaKohen

• Le'iluy Nishmas Shalom ben Shraga Meir HaKohen

• L'eiluy Nishmas Dina bas Nosson Zev

• Le'iluy Nishmas Moshe Naftali ben Yechiel

• Le'iluy Nishmas Tzvi ben Moshe

• Le'iluy Nishmas Fradel bas Chaim Dovid

• Le'iluy Nishmas Aharon Tzvi ben Tzvi

• Le'iluy Nishmas Leba Malka bas Yehuda

• Le'iluy Nishmas Dovid Yehoshua ben Aharon Tzvi

• Refuah Sheleima for Yehudis Miriam bas Dina

• Refuah Sheleima for Rochel Miriam bas Sharona Tzivia

• Refuah Sheleima for Chaya Rivka bas Rochel

• Le'iluy Nishmas Avraham Simcha ben Yehuda Leib