“…and bring out my armies, my people the children of Yisrael, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments.” (Shemos 7:4)

I have a friend who was very close with Rav Aharon Leib Steinman zt”l (1914-2017). Once, during a conversation, Reb Aharon Leib asked him: “If you were walking down the street and someone cursed you or beat you because you’re Jewish, how would you respond?”

My friend hesitated and answered briefly, “I would try to ignore it.”

Reb Aharon Leib then followed up: “If you were walking down the street, and a block ahead you saw your own son being attacked or cursed for being Jewish –  what would you do?”

My friend replied immediately, “I’d probably run over, catch the guy, and beat him to a pulp!”

Reb Aharon Leib smiled and explained the lesson: When someone attacks you personally, and it’s about your honor, you’re often willing to overlook it. But when it’s your son’s honor, you feel a responsibility to “set the record straight”. He continued, “The same applies when those against Torah attack me personally – I can often sit quietly and let their folly continue. However, when they attack the Torah itself and those who represent it, I must stand up for them – even take revenge for the honor of Hashem!”

I heard this story many years ago and always wondered if there was a Torah source for this idea. This week, I came across an explanation that mirrors it exactly. Rav Shimshon Dovid Pincus zt”l (1944-2001) asks: “Why did Hashem need to inflict so many severe punishments on the Egyptians – up to 50 plagues in Egypt and up to 250 more on the Yam Suf!” He answers with the following parable from the Vilna Gaon (1720-1797): There was a king with two sons. One son got into a fight with the other and ended up killing him! The surviving son came to his father and begged for mercy: “After all, I’m still your son.” The king responded, “Yes, you are my son, but the one you killed was also my son! To have mercy on him would demand that you receive the punishment that you rightfully deserve. Therefore, I cannot pardon you.” So too with Hashem: When the Egyptians committed atrocities against bnei Yisrael, He had to punish them to the fullest degree, because they tried to obliterate His children, who He loves so much.

I believe that it is important to keep in mind: Even when people who attack or persecute us seem to escape without consequence, eventually judgment will catch up with them. They will be punished for daring to rise up against klal Yisrael. At the same time, it is incumbent upon us to act like children of Hashem in order that Hashem can defend us as His “favorite child.” Our job is to be mikadesh shem shamayim wherever we go.

These weeks – when we recount the exodus from Egypt – are generally referred to as the weeks of shovavim. This is an opportune time to repent and draw closer to Hashem. May we merit that through our efforts to connect to him, we help bring the full redemption – and retribution to all those who have persecuted us.