Anger In Exodus 8:2, Rashi writes that initially, the dreaded plague of frogs only consisted of one frog. However, the Egyptians apparently didnt like the frog and hit it in an attempt to kill it or make it go away. Unbeknownst to them, this frog had the miraculous quality that every time it was stricken, it actually multiplied into more frogs. While we can understand the first few people who innocently hit the frogs in their na?vet?, after it became clear that each additional strike would actually produce more frogs, why did they continue striking them? Didnt they realize that every successive hit was counterproductive and only made a bad situation worse? The Steipler Gaon answers that these questions are fundamentally flawed. Although they certainly make sense on a rational level, the Egyptians were attacking the frogs out of anger, and when a person is angry common sense is unfortunately the farthest thing from his mind. In a fit of rage, the emotional pain one is experiencing acts with a logic all its own. In the heat of the moment, the wisest course of action is almost always silence, as every additional comment or action only magnifies the long-term damage which must be repaired after the situation cools down. Now that we understand how irrational the Egyptians were to continue hitting the frogs and fanning the flames, perhaps its time we ask ourselves why we so often fail to learn from their foolish mistakes and continue in their footsteps.
Posted on: Fri, 16 Jan 2015 02:30:00 +0000
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