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Motti Wilhelm

Frogs Against Apathy

Shockingly, the frogs shook Pharaoh out of his apathy, reminding us all to rise above our own. (AI)
Frogs emerge from the Nile, uniting us in purpose and destiny. AI

While Israel defends sustained attacks on seven fronts, the greatest threat to our people and mission remains unchanged: apathy toward the sense of mission and purpose itself.

When our enemies attempt to claim our holy sites, erase our history, and deny our identity, they awaken our soul, inspire Jewish pride, and deepen our connection.

Simply put, antisemitism is one of the greatest forces that fans the Jewish flame.

Apathy, however, remains a far more insidious and significant threat to our people. In a world where what matters most are fashion, notoriety, or the value of one’s portfolio, the flame of Jewish identity struggles for oxygen.

Soon, “I don’t know” becomes “I don’t care.” We become self-absorbed and self-assured and cease seeing ourselves in the context of our mission, people, and the design of the Creator. What follows is a self-invented set of values, morality, and meaning.

The Torah’s most famous antisemite, Pharaoh, is characterized in the prophets as a self-assured and self-obsessed crocodile who touts, “The Nile is mine, and I made myself.”

When confronted with Hashem’s command to set the Jews free, he simply says: “I do not know the L‑rd, nor will I let Israel go.” In other words, “I don’t know, and I don’t care.”

It was this type of indifference and unwillingness to see context that gave way for Pharaoh to drown baby boys in the Nile and bathe in their blood.

Our sages teach us that the plague of frogs was specifically sent to shake Pharaoh out of his indifference. Of all plagues, the frogs have the least to do with the human condition. Generally speaking, they are neither harnessed for human benefit nor pose a threat to humankind.

By swarming out of the Nile and entering Egypt’s palaces, they were sending a message that we are, after all, all part of one system, made by one Creator for a singular purpose.

The frogs moved Pharaoh from saying, “I don’t know the Lord,” to asking Moshe to “Pray to the Lord.” Through them, he saw an organized, interdependent universe with a Creator at the helm. They awoke Pharaoh from indifference and paved the way towards redemption.

As Israeli soldiers defend Israel on seven fronts, the American Jewish community must “unleash the frogs,” and remind the world that, after all, we are all part of a universal system, created by the one Creator who imbues each of us with a unique yet interconnected sense of purpose.

If we can awaken the world to sense its soul, we will cease needing to fight with our bodies as well. Like the message of the frogs, when we recall that we are all connected and unified by design, we can crack open the gates of a deeper consciousness which sets us all free.

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For a full exposition on Pharaoh’s worldview and the importance of the plague of frogs, see Likkutei Sichot Volume 21 Vaeira 2 Likkutei Sichot Volume 21, Vaeira 2, and the English Fear the Frogs 

About the Author
Rabbi Motti Wilhelm received his diploma of Talmudic Studies from the Rabbinical College of Australia & New Zealand in 2003 and was ordained as a rabbi by the Rabbinical College of America and Israel’s former chief Rabbi Mordecha Eliyahu in 2004. He was the editor of Kovetz Ohelei Torah, a respected Journal of Talmudic essays. He lectures on Talmudic Law, Medical Ethics and a wide array of Jewish subjects and has led services in the United States, Canada, Africa and Australia. His video blog Rabbi Motti's Minute is highly popular as are his weekly emails. Rabbi Wilhelm and his wife Mimi lead Chabad SW Portland as Shluchim of the Lubavitcher Rebbe.
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