STRAW

PHARAOH ORDERED THE SLAVES TO GATHER THEIR OWN STRAW EVEN WHILE THEY HAD TO MAKE THE SAME NUMBER OF BRICKS DAILY. THIS WAS MEANT TO DIVERT THEIR THOUGHTS FROM ANYTHING OTHER THAN THEIR SERVICE TO PHARAOH. THE NET RESULT WAS THAT THE LEADERS OF THE PEOPLE REJECTED MOSHE'S ENCOURAGEMENT AND CRITICIZED HIS EFFORTS.
MOSHE FELT THAT HIS MISSION HAD RESULTED IN FAILURE . FOR IF THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL WOULD NOT WANT TO BE REDEEMED , THEN HOW COULD HE MAKE ANY DEMANDS ON PHARAOH. COMING BACK TO G-D, MOSHE COMPLAINS THAT HE HAS FAILED AND IS UPSET AS THAT G-D HAS CHOSEN TO SEND HIM WHEN IT APPEARS THAT HE WAS THE WRONG MAN AT THE WRONG TIME FOR THE WRONG MISSION!
G-D ANSWERS MOSHE "NOW YOU WILL SEE THAT PHARAOH WILL SEND THEM OUT AGAINST HIS WILL . SO HASTILY WILL THIS BE THAT EVEN THE PEOPLE WILL NOT BE READY TO LEAVE WHEN THIS HAPPENS AND ARE ORDERED TO GO!
WHAT IS G-D'S RESPONSE? NOW YOU WILL SEE?WOULDN'T IT HAVE BEEN BETTER TO SAY THAT IN 6 MONTHS THEY WOULD LEAVE,WHY DOES G-D SAY NOW YOU WILL SEE?
WHY DOES G-D ALLOW THIS SUFFERING TO HAPPEN THROUGH G-D'S MISSION TO SAVE THE ISRAELITES FROM FURTHER PAIN?
HOW CAN G-D'S SUBSEQUENT MESSAGE TO THE PEOPLE BE RECEIVED-G-D TELLS MOSHE AT THAT POINT TO TELL THEM THAT G-D WILL REDEEM THEM FULLY IN FOUR (FIVE ) STAGES,IF THEY ARE SUFFERING SO BADLY FROM HAVING THE ADDED DISTRESS OF THE STRAW?
MOST OPINIONS STATE THAT THIS DECREE OF PHARAOH SERVED TO
PUNISH HIM MORE IN THE FUTURE. AS A RESULT OF HIS EVIL CHOICES IN PERSECUTING INNOCENT PEOPLE HE LOST HIS ABILITY TO CHOOSE AND COULD NOT DO TESHUVAH.
THIS RESULTED IN HIS RECEIVING GREATER AND MORE WONDROUS PUNISHMENTS.
ALSO, A WICKED MAN MUST REACH A CERTAIN QUANTA OF SIN IN ORDER TO EVOKE DIVINE INTERVENTION.
HOWEVER, USING THE BAAL SHEM TOV'S MAXIM THAT THE TZORAH TROUBLE ITSELF WILL BECOME THE TZOHAR-THE LIGHT THAT SAVES THE PERSON FROM HIS TRAVAIL,
WE CAN GUESS THE FOLLOWING:
PHARAOH ORDERED THE PEOPLE TO GATHER STRAW THEMSELVES.THIS PUT GREAT STRAIN UPON THEM. MANY WORKERS FELT THEMSELVES OVERCOME BY THE ANXIETY OF THE FEARFUL BEATINGS THEY WOULD RECEIVED AND FAINTED IN THE PROCESS. THE MEN GOING TO GET THE STRAW CLOGGED THE ROADS THAT THE MEN WORKING ON BRICKS TRAVELLED. THIS CAUSED HUGE DELAYS. EACH GROUP WAS YELLING THAT THE OTHER GROUP MUST GET OFF THE ROAD TO LET THEM PASS. IN THE CONFUSION AND STRIFE NOTHING MOVED. ALL THE WORK CAME TO A STANDSTILL AS THEIR WERE NO TRAFFIC COPS IN EGYPT PREPARED FOR SUCH A RUSH HOUR. THE WORK STATIONS BECAME OVER;LOADED WITH UNDELIVERED BRICKS.
IN THE ENSUING CONFUSION, OFFICIALS BEGAN ACCUSING EACH OTHER FOR CAUSING THE CHAOS. ARMED CONFLICT ENSUED AS DIFFERENT LABOR BOSSES
FOUGHT AMONGST EACH OTHER AS WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MESS AND WHO HAD TO CLEAN IT UP!
THIS IS WHAT G-D MEANT-NOW YOU WILL SEE. MOSHE COULD NOT HAVE IMAGINED SUCH A TOTAL CESSATION OF WORK IN SUCH A SHORT WHILE.THE VERY ORDER OF PHARAOH WAS WHAT CAUSED THEIR FIRST BREATH OF FREEDOM IN 94 YEARS!
HOWEVER, THEY WERE NOT YET READY TO HEAR G-D'S WORDS OF COMFORT .
A PERSON IN ANGST CANNOT BE CALMED . THE PEOPLE NEEDED MORE TIME TO REFLECT UPON WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN ORDER TO SEE THAT ALL OF THIS WAS THE BEGINNING OF THEIR REDEMPTION!