Shmot - the Leper King

Exodus 2:23  Now it came to pass in those many days that the king of Egypt died, and the children of Israel sighed from the labor, and they cried out, and their cry ascended to God from the labor. Rashi explains:  He was stricken (נִצְטָרַע), and he would slaughter Israelite infants and bathe in their blood. [From Exod. Rabbah 1:34]

There is a difficulty in this verse.  Why would the death of the Egyptian king cause the children of Israel to sigh from the labor - it would seem just the opposite - that the children of Israel would get some relief from Pharaoh's death.  So Rashi explains that he didn't die but rather was striken with Tzaraat or the biblical form of leprosy and the cries of the Jews were from the increased pain of having their children slaughtered to provide for Pharaoh's cure.

Chassidus explains that Tzaraat is brought about by a lack of nullification to the Almighty.  That lack of willingness to serve the One Above causes a withdrawal of the life force from the person signified by the spots of paleness on the person's skin.  The children represent the infusion of new life particularly in that children represent a natural inborn nullification to a higher authority and particularly to the One Above.

Our teaching from this verse is that our children have a natural humility and instinctively look for authority figures in their life and are naturally sensitized to recognize the Almighty.  Our job as parents and teachers is to nurture this sensitivity and teach our children how to apply it in prayer and performance of good deeds.