"After these things." (Megilat Ester 3:1) After what? — Raba said: After G-d had created a healing for the blow [which was about to fall]. For Resh Lakish has said: The Holy One, blessed be He, does not smite Israel unless He has created for them a healing beforehand, as it says . "When I have healed Israel, then is the iniquity of Ephraim uncovered."(Hosea 8:1) Not so, however, with the other nations: He smites them first, and then creates for them a healing, as it says: "The Lord will smite Egypt, smiting and healing." (Isaiah 19:22)We learn from this piece that G-d puts a global perspective upon events, and early on provides the 'cure' or soothing treatment, to alleviate the pain of oncoming suffering.
Mesechet Megilah 13B (from Soncino Translation)
Healing For the Blow
So how does this figure in Parshah Vaera?
Says the Kedushat Levi, we see this manifest in this Parshah as well. Yitzhak is a pre-eminent figure strongly associated with the concept of exile. How so? The 400 years ordained for the people of Israel to be in exile in servitude are counted from the birth of Yitzhak.
That has the original exile. But we still persist in exile today, even with the growth of a physical community in Eretz Yisrael. We continue to languish in a spiritual exile. So what is the treatment, the healing, that can cure the condition of the exile?
The Moshiach!
Which even if he is slow, we wait each day with enthusiasm.
How do we see this in Parsha Vaera? The birth of the nation of Moav provides a nascent symbol for the coming of the Moshiach. Since Ruth will arise from this nation and Kind David is descended from Ruth. The Moshiach defined as a descendent of King David.
So this is how G-d put the healing before the blow, and that we should merit to see soon in our days the arrival of the Moshiach and to be taken out of physical and spiritual exile.
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