Parshas Shemos

In Parshas Va’eira, Moshe returns to Egypt with a divine mandate. He confronts Pharaoh with a simple demand: let my people go. Pharaoh refuses. What follows is a display of divine power unlike anything the world had seen. One by one, Hashem brings plagues upon Egypt: blood, frogs, lice, wild beasts, pestilence, boils, and hail. Each plague escalates the pressure on Pharaoh, each one a demonstration that the Hashem of Israel will not be denied.

But while it’s easy to get caught up in the spectacle of the plagues, there’s a moment that stops us short. Before the plague of hail, Moshe delivers a warning from Hashem (Exodus 9:19): “Therefore, order your livestock and everything you have in the open brought under shelter; every human and beast that is found outside, not having been brought indoors, shall perish when the hail comes down upon them!” The Seforno notes something remarkable: Hashem cared enough about the Egyptian servants to warn them. If Hashem cared about the beasts, the Seforno explains, He most certainly cared about the human beings, for “man is beloved as he has been created in Hashem’s image” (Avos 3:18).

Wait. Aren’t the Egyptians our enemies? Isn’t Hashem waging war against them? Why does He care about their lives?

The answer reveals a fundamental truth: even in the midst of war, even while bringing judgment upon a nation that enslaved His children, Hashem never forgets the inherent value of human life. The Egyptians are created in the divine image. That doesn’t excuse their actions, but it does mean their lives matter, even to the Hashem fighting against them.

We encounter people who oppose us, who frustrate us, who may even wish us harm. But we must never forget that even those we struggle against are created in the image of Hashem. We can fight for what’s right while preserving their dignity.

May we merit the wisdom to see the divine image in every person we encounter, even those who stand against us, and may we treat all of Hashem’s creations with the care and dignity they deserve.