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By Rabbi Tuvia Bolton  

In this week’s reading G-d, before beginning the Ten Plagues, commands Moshe to go to Pharaoh and show him a ‘sign’: turn Aharon’s staff into a snake.
At first glance there was no purpose in this ‘sign’. First of all, it wasn’t one of the plagues. Second, Pharaoh’s sorcerers were able to do the same trick, so it wasn’t even going to impress anyone. And finally, G-d informed Moshe just a few sentences earlier that Pharaoh would harden his heart and ignore it. So why did G-d do it?

I would like to answer this with a story.
The founder of Chassidic Judaism, Rabbi Yisroel Baal Shem, (called the Baal Shem Tov or the Besh’t for short) knew not only the secrets of the Torah and of creation, but also unique purpose and goal of each person in this world.
Those who completely believed this and followed his directions were called his Chassidim.
To each of his Chassidim he revealed his task in life, and to one, who is the hero of our story, he instructed that his was ‘to tell people stories about …. the Baal Shem Tov.
“You will know when to stop” the Besh’t explained.
So for years this Chassid diligently and joyously carried out his assignment traveling, wandering from town to town telling the ‘Baal Shem’ miracles he had witnessed or heard about.
Then, he heard that there was a rich Jew in Vitebsk that actually paid money for such stories; ten rubles (at that time a huge amount) for every new one, five for ones he had already heard and one thousand rubles for one special story he was waiting for. It was a two-day journey but to our hero it seemed like minutes. He knew hundreds of stories and he really needed the money!
He arrived at the rich man’s plush mansion late Thursday evening and he was so tired from the road that he only wanted to sleep, but there would always be tomorrow for storytelling.
But he woke late Friday, and by the time he finished praying it was already time to get ready for Shabbat. Then, strangely that evening at the Shabbat dinner table, try as he could, he just couldn’t remember any stories, not even one. He thought that after a good night’s rest his mind would be sharper and Shabbat day and Motzi Shabbat (Saturday night) he would certainly open up and the stories would come pouring out. But despite his efforts he couldn’t remember a thing.
Sundayay it was a bit better, but not much. He would begin a story and suddenly his mind would get confused or go blank. He thought that perhaps he was going mad. No matter what he did had no results. He even remained for another two days but it was obvious; something strange was going on and he had forgotten everything, he had no other choice than to admit defeat and announce he was leaving.
The wealthy man was very disappointed but against all hope he accompanied the Chassid in the carriage ride to the train, perhaps at the last moment some story would pop into his mind … but it didn’t.
They got out of the carriage and walked to the station where the rich man bought the Chassid’s train ticket, slipped a few silver coins in his pocket so he wouldn’t feel completely broken, and escorted him to the train. Then, as the Chassid put his foot on the first step going up to the coach he remembered … “A story!!! OOWAH! I Remember a STORY!’ he shouted.
“Come, come back to my carriage,” Said the rich man excitedly, “Please, let’s not waste a moment!!

They returned, entered, sat facing one another and the Chassid began:

“Once the Baal Shem took ten Chassidim and told them to get in his carriage shortly before Shabbat. They were used to such ‘journeys. Without any questions they entered the carriage, sat down, immediately felt as though it was flying in the air and moments later came to a halt.
“They opened the carriage door, and found themselves in a place they had never seen before. It was a large, empty town square, except for a stage or pulpit that looked recently built, surrounded by large Crosses and flaming torches as though there was about to be some sort of large outdoor Church ceremony or speech.
“The Besh’t motioned for them to follow him as he quickly left the square, walked through winding streets, and in just minutes entered the gates of what was seemed to be the Jewish Ghetto. He stopped before one of the houses and knocked on the door until a small peek hole opened up and someone whispered loudly from inside.
“‘Are you mad?!! What are you doing out there?? !!’ Several bolts and locks clicked and slid until the door opened and the owner frantically motioned for all of them to enter, slamming it shut and relocking it behind them.
“‘Tonight is one of their terrible holidays! The worst of the worst!!’ he said short of breath as he was closing the last bolts as fast as possible. “You’re lucky I let you in! That I’m not in the cellar. In another few minutes the entire town square is going to be filled with bloodthirsty It’s Easter! Jew-haters from all around. Bishop Thaddeus, Yemach Shmo (may his name be erased), will give his venomous Easter speech against us. Come, follow me we will make place for you in our underground shelter. Come!! We mustn’t waste an instant!’”
“But the Besh’t turned to one of his pupils and calmly said. ‘Go back to the square, and when the bishop begins to speak, approach the stage, pull on his robe, and say, “the Baal Shem Tov wants to speak with you urgently.’
“The owner of the house was shocked and watched in speechless, wide-eyed astonishment as the Chassid actually re-opened the bolts, opened the door and slipped outside. It was like seeing someone walk into a fiery furnace!! The Besh’t motioned to relock the door.
“The Chassid, once outside, made his way back through the winding streets till he reached the torch-lit Square. It was already filled with hundreds, perhaps thousands of people and more were arriving from all sides, a strange cold silence hung in the air and it was beginning to get dark.
“The bishop appeared on the stage as from nowhere and stood ominously high before the crowd in his bright crimson robes and high pointed red hat. The torchlight danced weirdly in his eyes and the huge golden cross hanging around his neck gleamed diabolically. The night, fires and huge crosses surrounding the stage reminded the Chassid of the stories he had heard of the Inquisition. But he pushed all these thoughts from his mind, waited for the bishop to begin, closed his eyes for a moment, whispered “Shma Yisroel……” and, with his head down, began gently pushing his way to the podium.
“Amazingly no one even noticed him. They were so transfixed on the bishop that they just let the Chassid through and before he knew it he reached the front. He took a deep breath, whispered another ‘Shma Yisroel’, grabbed the robe of the bishop and pulled twice.
“The bishop was just beginning a sentence as he felt the tug at his garment and looked down. He was startled, outraged, his face became livid with anger; A JEW!!! But before he could utter a sound the Chassid looked him in the eyes and said in a clear but quiet voice, ‘The Baal Shem Tov wants to see you, and he says you should come urgently’.
“Suddenly the Bishop’s face became pale, his eyes opened in fear and after a few seconds of confusion he regained composure and whispered ‘Not now! Tell him that I won’t come now. Later! Tell him later! Now GO AWAY!’
“Miraculously, the entire crowd was all still standing like statues as though hypnotized and noticed none of this. So the Chassid backed his way out, thanked G-d that he was still alive and returned to the Besh’t, convinced that he had fulfilled his mission.
“But the Besh’t wasn’t pleased, ‘Go back and tell the Bishop that if he doesn’t come now it will be too late’. “Without hesitation the Chassid turned and did as he was told. He again left the house, to the Town Center, pushed his way through the crowd, and again pulled on the bishop’s robe as before.
“But this time when the bishop heard the message, it was different. He was stunned. He stumbled a few steps back, put his head in his hands and then, looking up, he yelled to the crowd. ‘I’m receiving a message from the angel Michael!! I must be alone!’
“He motioned the Chassid to leave, watched him as he walked toward the Jewish section and then descended from the back of the stage, hat under his arm and followed. Minutes later he was standing before the house in the Jewish quarter. The door opened slightly and the Besh’t yelled from inside, ‘Tell him to remove his crosses before he enters and leave them outside!’ The bishop did so and as he entered the house and saw the face of the Holy man he fell to his knees and began weeping like a baby.
He followed the Besh’t into one of the side rooms and closed the door. Several moments later the door opened, the bishop left the room and quickly exited the house.
When he was gone the Baal Shem explained. ‘The bishop was born a Jew. He even had a Bar Mitzvah. But shortly thereafter he was lured to the Church and eventually became the anti-Semite he is today. I saw in heaven that now was a propitious time to bring him to his senses.’
The Chassid finished by saying “I was one of the Chassidim that actually witnessed all this over 10 years ago and, as far as I know, no one has seen that bishop since. And that is the end of the story.”

The rich man was smiling with contentment; he liked the story. He liked it so much that he put his hand over his eyes and tears began rolling down his face, he was weeping from sheer happiness.
“That is the thousand-ruble story I’ve been waiting for,” he said. He dried his eyes, looked at the Chassid and continued. “I am the bishop!! The Baal Shem Tov told me in that side room to live a life of repentance until someone would come and told me my own story. Now I know my prayers have been accepted by G-d.”

This answers our questions about Moses’ staff preceding the Exodus from Egypt.

The story of the Jews leaving Egypt is essential to Judaism because it reminds us that G-d cares about the world and chose the Jews to advertise it. It is mentioned tens of times in our prayers, is the first of the Ten Commandments and we are commanded to remember it every day.
But most important of all, it is the source for the belief in the coming of Moshiach and the future redemption that he will bring. (See first Mitzva in Sefer HaMitzvot Katan SM’K)
The Moshiach, like Moshe, will take us out of all bondage but unlike Moshe he will transform evil it to good rather than destroying it as Moshe did.
That is the message of the Staff (which represents Holiness), turning into a Serpent, (representing evil.) and then back to a staff which then swallowed those of Pharaoh; To show that the true source of everything, even evil, is G-d and in the future redemption when G-d and His Creation will be perceptibly one, all evil will be transformed and absorbed in its source.
Something like how the bishop, when he heard his story, went from ‘third person’ (the story was told about him) to second person (the story was told to him), to first person (he returned to his true self).
So too all the things in the world that seem to be far from G-d (third person) will cooperate with G-d (second person) and eventually unite with the One Truth.

And not much is lacking to make it happen. We are standing on the merits of thousands of years of Jewish sacrifice, prayer and suffering. Now it could be that just one more good deed, word or even thought will awaken our inner, positive potential to inspire G-d to reveal ..
MOSHIACH NOW!!

Rabbi Tuvia Bolton
Yeshiva Ohr Tmimim
Kfar Chabad, Israel

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