Vaera: The Power of Gratitude

In Parashat Vaera, Moshe is instructed to have Aharon initiate the first three plagues in Egypt instead of performing them himself. Rashi explains that Moshe owed his life to the Nile River and the soil, and was therefore prohibited from striking them. Judaism teaches that gratitude, hakarat hatov, extends beyond people—it encompasses appreciation for objects and the world around us as well.