This week’s Parsha begins with the eighth plague, the plague of locusts.
After Moshe and Aharon finish delivering their threating warning to Pharaoh, the Egyptian people cry out to Pharaoh to let the Jews go. Pharaoh summons Moshe and Aharon to return and tells them that he is prepared to
grant their request to allow the Jewish people to go serve Hashem in the wilderness.
However, Pharaoh first questions exactly who will be going. Moshe responds that they all will be going, “Young and old, sons and daughters, flocks and cattle; for this is a festival for Hashem.” Pharaoh responds that he will
only allow the adult men to go, “For that is what you have requested,” and Moshe and Aharon are banished from Pharaoh’s presence.
What does Pharaoh mean with those extra words, “For that is what you have requested”?
Rashi comments that Moshe had previously asked to go offer sacrifices to Hashem. Pharaoh was challenging
Moshe that sacrifices are typically done by adult men, why then is he asking for young and old, sons and
daughters? This dialogue between Moshe and Pharaoh highlights two important distinctions between
how we, as Jews, approach serving Hashem and how many others view worship.
Pharaoh saw no significance to anyone other than those who were actively involved in offering the sacrifices. We
believe that participating in serving Hashem has significance even beyond those “actively” involved;
listening, watching, and answering are also forms of serving Hashem. Pharaoh saw no place for
children; serving G-d is for adults. We believe that every person, regardless of age or gender, plays a
role in avodas Hashem and has a place.
If we examine Moshe’s words in this particular dialogue, we discover that he says, “For it is a
festival to Hashem for us.” Unlike his previous request he does not focus on the sacrifices. Perhaps, this
was done intentionally to explain to Pharaoh that the sacrifices may be central, but they are not the only
component, they are going to celebrate a festival for Hashem that all can be a part of.
I found this idea in the Sefer Rav Chaim Kanievsky on Chumash (Rosedale and Wilheim families
edition, page 97-99), with a story that Rav Zev Eidelman related:
“I merited to meet the Steipler Gaon in Vilna, before World War II, when he came to attend the
wedding of his brother, Rav Feivel Kanievsky, to the sister of Rav Shmuel Greineman. He brought along
his only son, Chaim, who was then about two years old. At that time, I learned an important lesson
about chinuch!
“The Steipler Gaon had told his son, ‘Chaim’l, recite the names of the masechtos!’ The small
child jumped up onto the bench, with all the exuberance of youth, and began loudly chanting the names
of the 63 tractates, in order! His father, the Steipler Gaon, had composed a special tune to which he set
these words, and he sang it to young Chaim every night as a lullaby. “The child reached the end of his song, and concluded, ‘…Tvul Yom, Yodayim, Uktzin, Gib mir dem tzukerel [give me the candy]!’ His father, smiling proudly, handed him a small treat…”
This story teaches us the beauty of including our children in Torah and avodas Hashem at even
the youngest ages (and that even Rav Chaim Kanievsky Shlit”a would ask for candy as a little boy!). May
Hashem help us all find our place in avodas Hashem, and help us guide our children to their place as
well.