Patience Is A Virtue (Parashat VaEira)

"Hashem spoke to Moshe and Aaron and commanded them regarding B'nei Yisrael and regarding Pharaoh, King of Egypt, to take B'nei Yisrael out of the land of Egypt."

The double reference to B'nei Yisrael in this pasuk seems a bit redundant.  It is explained that the second reference regarding taking B'nei Yisrael out of Egypt was a command that Moshe and Aaron should give to Pharaoh.  If that is the case, what was the first reference regarding?

Rashi explains that the first mention of B'nei Yisrael was a command to Moshe and Aaron to "lead them calmly and to be patient with them."

There is a midrash that teaches that one day, while Moshe was tending to Yisro's flock, a sheep ran away.  Moshe followed the sheep until it reached a pond and stopped to drink.  Moshe said to the sheep "I didn't know you ran all this was because you were thirsty; you must be tired."  He then lifted the sheep on his shoulders and carried it back to the flock.

If Moshe was so considerate to a sheep, why did Hashem feel the need to instruct him to be patient with a people?

When my father a"h was alive, any time I would get frustrated about something he would simply say "סבלנות" (patience).

The reason Hashem needed to command Moshe and Aaron to be patient - despite Moshe's incident with the sheep - is because human nature is that when we are dealing with other people we tend to be impatient.  We want others to be like us - to understand things simply because we understand them.

Moshe was considerate of the sheep because he understood that it was merely a sheep - he couldn't expect it to be like he was.  However, when dealing with people, perhaps he could have that expectation of them.  For this reason, Hashem needed to remind him (and Aaron) - "they are not like you, be patient with them."

Perhaps it was because he was a Social Worker and therefore he (unlike most) was able to understand that each person is different, but my father seemed to grasp this concept and always addressed others with patience.

Let us all take the lesson that Hashem gave to Moshe and Aaron and be patient others.  In doing so, we will all be a friendlier nation.

Shabbat Shalom!