Our Thoughts
Dear Friends,
Stepping Forward, Stepping On
Parashat Va’era places Moshe in an unusual position. He is already chosen. He has already been sent. He has already begun. And yet, he is still in process. He is still questioning. Still growing into the role. Still discovering what his leadership will look like.
Moshe says, “How will Pharaoh listen to me?” Not because he doubts Hashem, but because he takes the mission seriously. He understands the weight of responsibility. He knows that leadership is not a title. It is impact. It is consequence. It is standing in the space between people and possibility.
Chassidus explains that Moshe’s hesitation is not insecurity. It is depth. A person who is truly aligned with purpose does not rush into prominence. He asks whether he is the right vessel. That question itself is what makes him fit.
And Hashem’s response is telling. Hashem does not replace Moshe. He does not say, “You are not ready.” He says, “Go.” Meaning, readiness is not a prerequisite. Movement is.
There is a powerful teaching in Chassidus, that a person is placed where they are needed, when they are needed. Not always where they expect. Not always where they would choose. But always with precision. The Rebbe spoke often about shlichus as something dynamic. It can change form. It can shift expression. It can move location. But it never disappears.
Va’era reminds us that not every role is meant to be permanent to be meaningful. Some roles exist to stabilise. Some to initiate. Some to prepare the ground. Some to open a door for what comes next. Moshe’s early leadership was not the final version of Moshe. But it was essential. Without it, nothing else could unfold.
There is strength in stepping into a responsibility fully, even when the future is not guaranteed. There is courage in leading without knowing how the story will end. And there is maturity in knowing when your task is complete, even if the work itself continues through others.
That is not passivity. That is partnership with Divine timing.
The Baal Shem Tov teaches that Hashgacha Pratis (Devine providence) applies to every detail of life. Not only successes. Not only beginnings. Also transitions. Also shifts. Also, when things do not continue in the way we might have imagined. If we believe that, then we believe that no effort is wasted, no moment is random, and no contribution is lost.
Va’era teaches us that Hashem does not only guide destinations. He guides stages.
Moshe did not yet see redemption. He did not yet see transformation. He simply stood where he was placed and did the work in front of him. That was not small. That was not temporary. That was foundational.
Sometimes our role is not to complete the journey, but to move it forward.
And that is a position of strength.
Good shabbos
Rabbi Mendy Vogel