Summary of parashat Vaerá
God reveals Himself to Moses. Using the "four expressions of redemption," He promises to bring the Children of Israel out of Egypt, redeem them from their bondage, and then acquire them as His chosen people at Mount Sinai; then He would lead them to the land He promised to the patriarchs as their eternal inheritance.
Moses and Aaron spoke to Pharaoh repeatedly, pleading with him in God's name, "Let my people go, so that they may serve me in the desert." Pharaoh refused each time. Aaron's staff turned into a snake and swallowed the magic staffs of the Egyptian sorcerers. God then sent a series of plagues upon Egypt.
The waters of the Nile River turned to blood; a plague of frogs ravaged the land; lice infested all men and beasts; hordes of wild animals invaded the cities; pestilence killed the livestock; painful blisters afflicted the Egyptians. For the seventh plague, fire and ice combined to descend from the sky like a devastating rain. Yet, "Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not let the Children of Israel go, as God had told Moses.".
