Pharoah's actions seem almost childish. Were his intentions simply to toy with Hashem and Moshe Rabbeinu? Additionally, if indeed Pharoah was insincere when he admitted to his sin and never really intended to let the Jews leave, why did Moshe heed Pharoah's pleas? Why did he take Pharoah's promise to let the Jews leave seriously?

R' Avrahom Pam explains that each and every time Pharoah admitted to his sin of enslaving the Jews and promised to let them free, he indeed did so SINCERELY! In his moment of pain he genuinely felt a humble recognition of Hashem's power. As a result of this sincere repentance, Moshe agreed to daven on his behalf. However, the instant that the affliction had ended, Pharoah lost his brief moment of clarity and understanding that Hashem runs the world. 

A man was driving to an important meeting in Manhattan, one that would decide his financial future. To his horror he hit terrible traffic. By the time that he pulled up to the building where his meeting would be taking place there were barely a few minutes left before it would begin and there was no parking spot in sight. The man felt a surge of desperation, turned his eyes heavenward and said "Hashem, I know that I haven't been taking my responsibilities to You seriously enough. Hashem, if you help me find a parking spot I promise that I will change my entire life around. I will serve you with all my heart and soul. Please oh please hear my cry!"  Miraculously, at that exact moment a car pulled out of the perfect parking spot...right in front of the building! He quickly turned heavenwards and said "Never mind Hashem; I just found a spot."

R' Pam explains that although the actions of Pharoah (and the above parable) are a bit of an extreme, we can all relate to this experience in some degree. Often when we are going through a tough life situation, it suddenly becomes so clear to us how small and powerless we are and how dependent we are on Hashem. Our suffering inspires us to daven like never before and to do incredible acts of serving Hashem. However, immediately after we are saved it becomes very difficult to retain that inspiration. 

Living Inspired

How many times have you gone to an inspiring speech or experienced an inspiring event, felt like you would turn your life around, and found that feeling completely dissipate after a few hours or days? Everyone experiences this. Inspiration is like a bolt of lightning in a dark forest: it affords a moment of brilliant illumination and clarity and then disappears. Which begs the question - how does one keep their inspiration ailve? The Sages recommend to immediately adopt an easy practice that you can do CONSISTENTLY, no matter how small. Did you know that Shifra and Puah, who were discussed in last week's parshah, were really Yocheved and Miriam? Why did the Torah call two of the holiest women in history by the way they coddled babies *? R' Yerucham Levuvitz explains that Hashem did so to teach us that contrary to popular belief, it's not the big things that make great people. Rather, it's the SMALL and CONSTANT gestures. Relatively "small" kabalos (undertakings) like deciding to say Tehillim for one minute a day, daily study of a few sentences of Shmiros Halashon, Mussar etc. is the key to achieving and retaining greatness.

We all have moments in our lives – an uplifting Torah class, Yom Kippur, or a miraculous “sign” from Heaven – when we see, hear, or experience something which gives us a tremendous flash of inspiration and excitement to change, yet so often the passage of time wears away at that enthusiasm and we are left with nothing. The Torah is teaching us that the best way to seize such moments is to immediately make concrete and practical resolutions to apply the inspiration so that we may keep it with us forever.