Parshas Va'eira for Kids
פרשת וארא
Paroh says no, and the makkos begin - blood, frogs, lice, wild animals, dever, boils, and hail that burns while it falls. Seven plagues, and a heart that hardens after every one.
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What happens in Parshas Va'eira
Hashem promises Moshe that He will bring Bnei Yisrael out of Mitzrayim with four expressions of redemption, which we remember with the four cups at the Seder. Moshe and Aharon stand before Paroh, and Aharon's staff becomes a serpent that swallows the staffs of Paroh's magicians. Still Paroh refuses, and the makkos begin: blood, frogs, lice, wild animals, sickness among the cattle, boils, and hail.
Rashi explains that Aharon, not Moshe, struck the river and the dust, because the river had protected baby Moshe and the sand had helped him once; Moshe would not strike something that had been good to him. Chazal tell us the hail was a miracle inside a miracle: fire and ice falling together, and neither one put out the other. In Goshen, where Bnei Yisrael lived, the makkos did not touch them at all. After each makkah Paroh promised to let them go, and each time he changed his mind.
Lessons and middos for children
Hakaras hatov
Moshe Rabbeinu would not strike the water that had once kept him safe. If we thank even the river, how much more should we thank our parents, our teachers, and Hashem.Emunah
Every makkah showed that Hashem runs the whole world, the water, the animals, and the sky. We can see Hashem's hand in the small and big things around us.Listening the first time
Paroh kept promising and then changing his mind. When we hear what is right, it is best to listen right away and keep our word.
Questions for the Shabbos table
- Why did Aharon strike the river instead of Moshe? Who are you thankful to?
- Which makkah do you think was the most surprising, and why?
- What would you say to Paroh if you could talk to him?
- How do you think Bnei Yisrael felt in Goshen when the makkos did not reach them?
How your child steps into the story
Your child walks with Moshe Rabbeinu and Aharon HaKohen into Paroh's great hall and watches the river turn red and the hail fall with fire inside it, safe all the while in Goshen. The story ends with Paroh still refusing, and the last makkos of Bo waiting just ahead.