Serve Hashem And No Other

Dear friends, 

Although this year we will not be reading the Haftora for parshas Mishpatim, because a special Haftora for parshas Shekalim will be read, I am still publishing this article on the Haftora of parshas Mishpatim. There is a valuable lesson to be learned from it. 

Yitzi 

Print Version      All Mishpatim Articles       All Shekalim Articles

The Haftora for parshas Mishpatim is from the book of Yirmyahu. Tzidkiyahu king of Yehuda made a proclamation to free all Jewish slaves, because by Torah law a Jewish slave must be freed after six years, but the powerful and the rich made it their custom to keep Jewish slaves perpetually. After freeing them, they had a change of heart, recaptured their Jewish slaves, and placed them back into servitude. 

Hashem then gave Yirmyahu a prophecy, that because they are enslaving their brothers and sisters against Hashem's will, they will suffer horrible consequences, including the sword, pestilence and famine. Tzidkiyahu and his nobles would be placed in the hands of their enemies, namely the king of Babylonia, who would also capture Jerusalem and burn it. 

The connection to our parsha is that parshas Mishpatim opens with the laws of Jewish slaves, that they go free after six years. Because the Haftora focuses on this specific point, that means that it is the central theme of our parsha. 

How is the law of Jewish slaves the central theme of our parsha? And what lessons are here for us, in a time when there is no more slavery? 

After parshas Yisro, and the giving of the Ten Commandments, parshas Mishpatim is the start of the general laws between people. Most of these laws are understandable, as common sense dictates them as well. It begs the question, why did Hashem choose to begin these laws with the laws of Jewish slaves? 

The question becomes stronger when you consider that at the time that they were given this law, there was no possibility of owning a Jewish slave. 

There are two ways that a Jew can become a slave. Either he is so destitute, he sees no way to survive, other than selling himself as a slave. Or if he steals, and does not have the money to pay back what he stole, the court would sell him as a slave for the amount he owed. 

When the Jewish people left Egypt, they all left with tremendous wealth. Seven days later, after the splitting of the sea, they became even richer, because the Egyptians would adorn their war horses with gold, silver and jems. After they drowned in the sea, Hashem made all the valuables wash up on the shore. There was so much that even when it was time to continue on to Sinai, they didn't want to leave. 

Just 43 days later they received the Torah at Mount Sinai, and right after that, they were given these laws. So no one was destitute, and if someone stole, he would surely have been able to pay back. 

On top of that, during the 40 years in the desert, Hashem took care of their basic needs. There was the manna from heaven, water from the well of Miriam, and the clouds that surrounded them, took care of their clothes. So no one was destitute. 

With all this said, why did Hashem choose to begin these laws with the laws of Jewish slaves, which was totally irrelevant at that time? 

We must conclude that there is something so basic found in these laws, that it serves as the foundation of all the laws that follow. What is this basic idea? 

We know that our forefathers learned and kept the Torah and mitzvahs even before the Torah was given at Sinai. So what was unique about the Sinai event? 

The Midrash tells us, that the main thing that happened with the giving of the Torah, was that the decree, that what is above can't go below and what is below can't go above, was abolished. In other words, before the giving of the Torah, although they did mitzvahs, it didn't affect the physical world. Now, when we do mitzvahs, it does affect the physical world, infusing it with G-dliness. That was what happened in last week's parsha, Yisro. 

In this week's parsha, the actual work of refining the world, making it into a dwelling place for Hashem, by infusing it with G-dliness, begins. It has the most mundane laws, because Hashem wants to dwell in the most mundane, and he wants us to make it livable for him. Not to change it, but to bring out its true potential. This is our main service to Hashem, to bring Him into every part of our lives. 

When a Jew becomes a slave, or when a Jew forces another Jew to be a slave, he is undermining the fundamental purpose of a Jew, to serve Hashem in every aspect of his life. 

It is one thing when a person is destitute, or when he finds himself in a position, that he has no way to feed himself and his family, other than stealing. Hashem made a provision for that, he could become a slave for no more than six years. After that, if he wants to stay longer, the owner is to pierce his right ear, because as Rashi explains in the name of Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai, "...This ear that heard on Mount Sinai, 'the children of Israel are Mine, they are My servants,' and yet he went and acquired for himself (another) master, should be pierced," 

The fundamental idea in this law, that comes before any other, and is the foundation of all the rest of the mitzvahs in the parsha, and for that matter, the whole Torah, is that we have to be free to serve Hashem, and no other. 

In the Haftora, when the powerful were enslaving their Jewish brothers and sisters, keeping them for more than six years, Hashem says that they will be given into the hands of their enemies and the city would be captured, in other words, they will be in exile. This is not a punishment, it is the consequence of their actions. Since the Jewish people were enslaved, they couldn't serve Hashem, making a dwelling for Hashem, which brings redemption. Therefore, the opposite would happen, they would go into exile. 

Although there is no slavery today, there are those who enslave themselves to their business affairs. They forget that it is only a means to a greater end, serving Hashem. They are so endentured to their business, that even during times of prayer, Torah study and Shabbos, when one is meant to serve Hashem, they are thinking of how to get ahead in the rat race. They have chosen to remain slaves, even after the time of business is up. 

Hashem wants us to be free to serve Him, and not to any other, not even to our desires or false notions. 

The Haftora ends on a positive note. Even though they will go into exile, Hashem will never forget the covenant He made with the Jewish people. He will return them to their land, and have mercy on them. 

May we soon see the completion of our service to Hashem, when He will dwell openly in the home we created for Him, through our Torah and mitzvahs, and through bringing Him into every aspect of our lives, with the coming of Moshiach. May he come soon. 

Above And Below United

Print Version     All Yisro Articles
In parshas Yisro we read the (Aseres Hadibros) Ten Commandments, which begins with, "(Vayedaber) And G-d spoke all these words (laimor) to say." Usually when it says laimor, it means that it should be repeated to the Jewish people or to later generations. However, at the giving of the Ten Commandments, all of the Jewish people were present, even the souls of all later generations. So, what is the meaning of the word laimor in this verse?

The Maggid of Mezritch says, that it means that we have to put the Vayedaber into laimor, we have to put the Aseres Hadibros, the Ten Commandments, which means the Torah, into the Asara Maamaros, the Ten Sayings with which Hashem created the world.

In other words, don't make the mistake of thinking that the Torah and the world are separate domains. Don't say, "when I am doing Jewish things, like praying, studying Torah, doing mitzvahs, etc. I will do as the Torah dictates, but when I am doing worldly things, eating, drinking, business, etc. I will act as the world dictates." Hashem wants us to bring our Torah way into worldly affairs, that we should eat, drink and do business the way the Torah wants us to. Even when we talk, it should be apparent that Torah is our way of life.

The Midrash tells us, that when Hashem gave us the Torah on Mount Sinai, the decree, that what is above can't come below and what is below can't go above, was abolished. Our forefathers studied Torah, and did mitzvahs even before the giving of the Torah, but their mitzvahs didn't affect the physical world, imbuing the physical with holiness, above and below didn't mix.

All this changed with the giving of the Torah. Now we can infuse the physical with holiness, the mundane and the holy become one.

This is clear from the Ten Commandments themselves. From all of the 613 commandments that Hashem gave us, He chose to give these ten personally, to every Jewish person. One would think that He would have chosen the most spiritually sublime ideas to tell us, and while He did say, "I Am the Lord your G-d," and "You shall not have any god before Me," which are holy and sublime ideas, it also has, "You shall not murder," and "you shall not steal..." which are the most basic physical no nos. Even if Hashem wouldn't tell us these, we would understand that they are wrong.

The fact that Hashem juxtaposes the oneness of G-d together with not murdering and not stealing, shows that He wants us to fuse the physical and the spiritual. This works both ways, that which is above comes below and that which is below goes above, as will be explained.

Murder and stealing are wrong, and each of us understand that, but we shouldn't only keep them because they make sense, we should keep them because of the "I am the Lord your G-d," that is hidden in these laws, meaning, that they are Hashem's will. This should be the primary reason for keeping them. And the same is true for all the Torah laws that make sense, we should keep them because they are Hashem's will. This is drawing what is above down below.

On the other hand, those who need commandments to tell them that murder and stealing are wrong, that Hashem should have to say it with thunder and lightning, otherwise they wouldn't get it, they too should contemplate on the greatness and oneness of Hashem. This is, below going above.

How do we bring the above and below, spiritual and physical together? Through mitzvahs. Because the 613 commandments that we received at Sinai, came from the essence of Hashem, as the first word of the Ten Commandments is "Anochi, I Am," which refers to Hashem's essence, above all of creation, physical and spiritual. It is the part of Hashem that has no name, and no description. Since it is above creation, it can fuse opposites, above and below, spiritual and physical together.

This is why our mitzvahs can do this, while our forefathers mitzvahs could not. Because with the giving of the Ten Commandments, our mitzvahs gained the power of "Anochi," Hashem's essence, which can bring opposites together.

Hashem did this because our essential purpose is to make this physical world into a dwelling place for Him. By infusing the physical world with holiness, we make it ready for Him to dwell in.

This is also hinted in the first three words of the Ten Commandments, "Anochi Havaya Elokecha."

The name Elokecha, is like Elokim and Elokeinu, it is the only name of Hashem that is written in the plural, and it is the only name that is written in the possessive, Elokecha, your G-d, Elokeinu, our G-d, etc. This is because it refers to how Hashem relates to the physical world, and it fills everything in nature with the specific amount of G-dliness it needs to exist. It is also the only name of Hashem that people can relate to somewhat, that is why we say it in the possessive, Elokecha, your G-d, Elokeinu, our G-d. This is the name that fills the physical world, it is below.

The name Havaya surrounds the world, it is beyond any physical limitations. Havaya is the words, hayahhoveh and yehiyeh (past, present and future) combined in one word. In other words, it is beyond space and time. It is above.

Anochi, as mentioned above, is the essence of Hashem, beyond all of existence, physical and spiritual, and therefore, it can unite opposites, Havaya and Elokecha, above and below together.

May we be successful in bringing the two together through our mitzvahs, making this world into a dwelling for Hashem. This is the work that will bring Moshiach. May he come soon.
___
In honor of my son Moshe, whose birthday is this week. May you have an amazing year, in which you make Hashem proud, the Rebbe proud, your parents proud, and most importantly, yourself proud. Shnas hatslacha my precious boy. 

Fleeing From Our Personal Egypt

DEDICATED IN LOVING MEMORY OF OUR GRANDMOTHER
FLORY “MAMAN” LEVY
We love you and miss you
________________
BY HER GRANDCHILDREN
DAVID & EDA SCHOTTENSTEIN

Print Version     All Beshalach Articles

In parshas Beshalach we read, "The king of Egypt was told that the nation (of Israel) has fled." Rashi explains that Pharaoh sent officers along with the Jewish people when they left Egypt, because they said that they were going for three days. When they continued on after the third day, the officers returned to Pharaoh and reported that "the nation has fled."

During the plague of the death of the firstborn, Egypt was willing to do anything to have the Jewish people leave. Why didn't they just say that they are leaving for good? What is the deeper meaning of the Jewish people fleeing from Egypt?

To understand this, let us look at another Pesach law.

At the Seder, in order to fulfill our obligation of eating matzah, we have to have lechem oni, bread of affliction, which means that it only has two ingredients, flour and water.

However, there is another kind of matzah, called matzah ashira, rich matzah, which is made with wine, oil, honey or other fruit juices, so that it has a good taste. Also, as long as it doesn't have any water mixed into the dough, it will never become chametz (leavened), but if any amount of water is added to the mix, it will rapidly become chametz, quicker than flour and water alone. One cannot fulfill the obligation of eating matzah, with matzah ashira.

The reason for this is because when it comes to the mitzvah of eating matzah for future generations, the verse says, "You shall not eat (the Pesach offering) with chametz, seven days you must eat matzah, lechem oni (bread of affliction), because you went out of Egypt hastily." Since it says, "lechem oni," we know that it can't be matzah ashira, and because it says, "You shall not eat (the Pesach offering) with chametz," we know that it has to be able to become chametz, in other words, it has to have water in the mix, and we have to be careful that it doesn't become chametz.

The reason that the verse gives for both (that it has to be able to become chametz and that it has to be lechem oni), is "because you went out of Egypt hastily." This is the same as fleeing Egypt, "the nation (of Israel) has fled."

This is all with regards to the Pesach of later generations, but by the first Pesach Seder, before leaving Egypt, there was the possibility of having matzah ashira, because it doesn't say "lechem oni," but it had to be able to become chametz, as it says, "and you should guard the matzahs," meaning, that you should not allow it to become chametz. However, at the actual time of the Exodus, they only had lechem oni.

This is all with regards to the Exodus from Egypt. However, when Moshiach comes we will not flee, as it says, "You will not go in haste."

What is the symbolism of matzah ashira and lechem oni?

Lechem oni doesn't have much flavor. It is symbolic of serving Hashem by accepting the yoke of serving Him. This is done through hard work and effort, submitting yourself to His will, even though you may not be there spiritually, going against your own desires, forcing yourself to do what Hashem wants.

Matzah ashira, on the other hand, has flavor, it symbolizes serving Hashem through understanding. This is pleasurable because you want to do it, because through your understanding you become in sync with Hashem's will, until it becomes your own.

When leaving Egypt they had to flee, because "The bad in the lives of (the people of) Israel was still prevalent," they were not yet in sync with Hashem's will. That would only happen later, after much work, by the giving of the Torah. And this is true about our lives now. Whenever we are in a negative spiritual phase, an Egypt of our own, we must force ourselves to do what is right, and flee from the negative. Only later on will we be able to become in sync with Hashem.

When Moshiach comes, we will be in perfect sync with Hashem's will, so we won't have to go in haste, we won't have to flee.

Yet we see an interesting thing. The verse that tells us about the mitzvah of matzah for future generations continues, "in order that you will remember the day that you left Egypt all the days of your life." In the Haggadah we read, that this means "including the days of Moshiach." You may ask, why do we have to remember the Exodus when Moshiach comes? If we will be in sync with Hashem's will, what kind of Egypt will we have to break free from?

The answer is, none. But there will be one aspect of the Exodus from Egypt that we should continue, in line with accepting Hashem's yoke, that we should put in the effort and hard work in our service to Hashem.

On the other hand, by the Exodus from Egypt it says. "And I will raise you also raise." Why does it say "raise" twice? The first is the Exodus from Egypt, and the second is the coming of Moshiach, because at the time of the Exodus, there was also an aspect of Moshiach that we had to be cognizant of, and this is true about any personal Egypt. We have to know, that our hard work will eventually lead to becoming in sync with Hashem.

This is also why after the splitting of the sea, in the Song of the Sea, there are allusions to the coming of Moshiach. Because that was the conclusion of the Exodus from Egypt.

Laying here in my bed, unable to move or speak, unable to hug or kiss my precious children, I am in a physical Egypt. However, I know in my heart, that Hashem has put me here for a reason, to uplift people through my writings, my heart and my smile. That is why I work so hard writing these Dvar Torahs with my eyes.

I know that eventually I will go out of my Egypt, and be able to teach Torah with my mouth, and write these Dvar Torahs with my hand. I will be able to do father and husband things for my wife and children. Either by cure, by miracle or with the coming of Moshiach.

May we break free from our personal Egypts, and become in sync with Hashem, whether it be a physical, spiritual, emotional or psychological Egypt. Our personal redemption will lead to the ultimate redemption, the coming of Moshiach. May he come soon. 

___

This Sunday Team Yitzi will be running in the Miami Half Marathon, including my wife Dina and my daughter. Please support our teams fundraising efforts by donating what you can at what you can at https://run4yitzi.com
It is tax deductible and every penny goes to the Hurwitz Family Fund.

I Will Go Out, I Will Pass Through: Hashem Loves Every Jew

Dear Friends, 

This is a second dvar Torah for this week. To read the first one click on the link. Enjoy! Why Take The Pesach Lamb 4 Days Before Offering It? 

Yitzi

_______________

Print Version       All Bo Articles

In parshas Bo, Hashem tells Moshe what he will do, while the Jewish people take part in the first Seder, on the night before the Exodus from Egypt. "I will pass through Egypt on that night, and I will strike down every firstborn... I will see the blood (on your houses) and I will pass over you..." 

However, earlier, when Moshe warned Pharaoh about the plague of the death of the first born, he says, "So says Hashem, 'around midnight I will go out in the midst of Egypt. And every firstborn will die.'" 

There are different expressions that Hashem uses in these verses, and they seem to be almost opposites. First Hashem tells Pharaoh, "I will go out in the midst of Egypt," which sounds like He will be involved in doing something. And then He says, "I will pass through Egypt," which means that He will be doing something in passing, without much involvement. 

When Hashem continues to tell about the death of the firstborn, he also seems to be saying opposite things. First He says to Pharaoh, "And every firstborn in Egypt will die." which sounds like it will happen in passing. Then he says to Moshe, "I will strike down every firstborn in Egypt," which sounds like He will be involved in doing it. 

Then Hashem tells Moshe, "I will see the blood and I will pass over you," again He seems to be involved. 

Was Hashem involved or passive? How do we reconcile these verses? What lesson can we take from here with regards to our relationship with other Jewish people? 

On the night of Pesach there were two things happening simultaneously, one Hashem invested Himself into totally, and the other was done in passing. 

The main thing Hashem was doing, was saving the Jewish people from Egypt. He was personally involved in that, as He said, "I will go out in the midst of Egypt," and "I will see the blood and I will pass over you." 

Rashi explains that "I will pass through Egypt," means that it will be in passing, ''like a king who passes through from place to place, and in one pass, in one second, everyone is smitten." From this is understood, that although the next words, "I will strike down every firstborn," sound like Hashem will be personally involved, it actually means that it will happen in passing. So the death of the firstborn was automatic, as Hashem told Pharaoh, "every firstborn will die," just like that, in passing. 

So Hashem went out in the midst of the lowest and most impure of all places, Egypt, to protect and save each and everyone of us. Rashi says, that even if a Jew was in an Egyptian home, Hashem saved him as well. 

We see from here, the great love Hashem has for every one of us, even a Jew that is at the lowest level. On the night before the Exodus, while everyone was with their families celebrating the first Seder, he was hanging out with an Egyptian. Nevertheless, Hashem went into that lowly Egyptian home and protected that Jew as well. 

The lesson for us here, is that we should try to help another Jew physically or spiritually. 

One might ask, "Am I obligated to go out of my religious environment to bring a Jew closer to Hashem? If he comes here I will learn Torah with him, but I don't want to go to him and his environment." 

The message here is that we should emulate Hashem, and go out of our comfort zone to save another Jew physically or spiritually. This is true even for a Jew that is not at all involved, and even if he is in the lowest of places. Of course you should do it with keeping Torah law. 

As a Chabad rabbi, I saw first hand how precious every Jew is. Even though it meant going to a city that had little Jewish infrastructure, it was extremely rewarding. Every neshama is invaluable, and when you reveal the spark of a Jew, you begin to understand why Hashem loves every Jew. Because in truth, there is no lower level Jew, even the one who is in the Egyptians home during the Seder is a good and beautiful Jew. And if you show him love, you will uncover the beauty within, and his neshama will shine bright. 

May our efforts to reach every Jew be successful, and may we see every neshama shine. This will surely lead to the coming of Moshiach, when every Jew will be redeemed. May it happen soon. The time has come. 

Why Take The Pesach Lamb 4 Days Before Offering It?

Print Version       All Bo Articles

In parshas Bo we read about the Korban Pesach, the Paschal sacrifice, which was a yearling male lamb or goat. The Korban Pesach in Egypt differed from all later ones, in that it had to be brought into the home 4 days prior, in anticipation of slaughtering it. As Moshe instructed with regards to the Korban Pesach, "Withdraw and take for yourselves sheep for your families and slaughter the Pesach."

Rashi asks: Why was it to be taken four days before its slaughter, something not required in the Passover sacrifice of later generations?

He answers: Rabbi Masia the son of Charash used to say: Behold He [G-d] says: “And I passed by you and saw you, and behold your time was the time of love.” The [time for the fulfillment of the] oath that I swore to Abraham that I would redeem his children has arrived. But they had no mitzvahs in their hands with which to occupy themselves in order that they be redeemed, as it is said: “but you were naked and bare.” So He gave them two mitzvahs, the blood of the Passover and the blood of the circumcision...  Moreover, they were passionately fond of idolatry. [Moshe] said to them, “Withdraw and take for yourselves.” [He meant:] withdraw from idolatry and take for yourselves sheep for the mitzvah.

Rashi's answer explains why we needed the mitzvah of Korban Pesach, however, it doesn't seem to explain why we had to have it 4 days prior to slaughtering it. But being that this is the question Rashi is answering, we must conclude that somehow this does answer the question. So, how does it answer it?

Another question. The second answer that Rashi gives, "They were passionately fond of idolatry..." is not from Rabbi Masia, it is from Rabbi Eliezer Hakapar, who differs with him on this, but Rashi doesn't make mention of his name, he doesn't even use his common lead up, "And there are those that say..." Why not?

In truth, Rashi's purpose in writing his commentary is to explain the simple meaning of the verse, and not to cite where he took his explanation from. It is actually uncommon for him to cite the name of the person who said a given answer. The only time he does so, is when mentioning the name of the person will add clarity to his explanation. So the real question is not why he didn't mention Rabbi Eliezer Hakapar, rather, why does he mention Rabbi Masia the son of Charash?

From the second answer of Rashi, "They were passionately fond of idolatry," we can understand that somehow, the taking of the sheep was necessary to "withdraw from idolatry." However, since the main reason for the Korban Pesach, is as its name suggests, Pesach means to pass over. Because they were to put the blood of the sacrifice on the doorposts and on the lintels of their homes and Hashem would pass over their houses, when He was administering the plague of the death of the first born. Therefore, Rashi first brings the words of Rabbi Masia, to explain that there was another reason for the Korban Pesach, to give the Jewish people a mitzvah to do, so they won't be "naked and bare.”

Rabbi Masia says that they were given two mitzvahs, the Korban Pesach and circumcision. Why did they need two mitzvahs? Why wasn't one enough?

When it comes to mitzvahs, there are two kinds, there are those that are "refraining from bad," and then there is "doing good." Both of these ideals had to be engaged, because even if they did good, as long as they didn't break away from the bad that they were involved in, they wouldn't be able to be redeemed.

The mitzvah of circumcision represented "doing good," as it is a general mitzvah that solidifies the covenant between us and Hashem. And the mitzvah of Korban Pesach represents "refraining from bad," breaking away from the negative things they were into. How does the Korban Pesach represent a break away from bad?

In parshas Vaera we learned that sheep were the false deity of Egypt. And being that the Jewish people were "passionately fond of idolatry," they needed to break away from that. So they were told to take a sheep, the deity of Egypt, and slaughter it. But if they were to take the sheep and slaughter it immediately, one might think that they did it in a moment of passion and that they aren't truly free from idolatry. So they were told to take the sheep 4 days before they were to slaughter it, giving them enough time to think about what they were doing and do it with true reason and intent and not out of passion.

How do we know that it takes 4 days? When Hashem commanded Avraham to bring Yitzchak as an offering, it took three days for Hashem to show him the place. Rashi explains that He did this so that no one should be able to say that Avraham did it in a moment of passion, but he would have time to think about what he is doing and do it out of reason.

From here it is clear that it takes 4 days. Because Avraham set out on the morning after he was commanded to take Yitzchak and offer him up. That day plus the three days until he was shown the place, makes 4 days for him to think about it.

In order for us to understand that Hashem's promise to Avraham was not enough to redeem the Jewish people, but He wanted them also to have mitzvahs, Rashi mentions that this is what "Rabbi Masia the son of Charash used to say." The Talmud tells us that Rabbi Masia's yeshiva was in Rome. While there were other yeshivas in Israel, his was the biggest.

It begs the question., why did he choose to establish his yeshiva in Rome, far away, so that students would have to travel a long distance to join, and from all places, in Rome, the capital of the exile no less? As the Talmud says, "Follow after sages to yeshiva... After Rabbi Masia to Rome." Why didn't he make it in Israel?

Whenever it says, that a sage, "used to say," it means that it was what he lived by. In Rabbi Masia's case, it is that every Jewish person has to have mitzvahs in order to be redeemed. So he established his yeshiva in Rome, so that he can touch even people who are at the level of Rome, "naked and bare" of Torah and mitzvahs, and turn them into yeshiva students.

The lesson to us here, is that one might ask, "What is the point of this prolonged exile? Hasn't it gone on long enough?"

If all that was necessary for the exile to end, was for Hashem to take us out, it would have happened long ago. But Hashem wants more from us, He wants us to have mitzvahs, that we shouldn't be "naked and bare.” And being that when Moshiach comes, '"All of Israel" will be redeemed, we should try our best to reach every Jew, and have him or her do even one mitzvah.

May we be successful in reaching every Jew, doing mitzvahs with them, and may we march together with our heads up high, knowing that we are not "naked and bare," that every one of us has mitzvahs. May it happen soon.

First Blood Then Frogs

Print Version       All Vaera Articles
In parshas Vaera we read about the first seven plagues inflicted on Egypt. The purpose of the plagues was not only to punish the Egyptians, but to break their ego and false notions and outlook on G-dliness. The plagues also served as the blows that broke us free from the constraints of Egypt. 

Every story in the Torah is meant to teach us how to serve Hashem better. 

In the Haggadah we read, "In every generation, a person is obligated to see himself, as if he went out of Egypt." Because each of us has a personal Egypt to break free from. Whether it be physical or spiritual constraints, we need to go out of our personal Egypt and we can learn from the plagues how to break out of these constraints. 

There are two types of spiritual constraints. There is when a person finds himself stuck in the physical pleasures of the world, not having any feeling towards holiness and G-dliness. And then there is when someone find himself stagnant in his spiritual growth, because his connection to Hashem is based on his reason and understanding, and therefore, limited. How does one break free from his spiritual Egypt? 

Let us see what we can learn from the first two plagues, blood and frogs. 

In Egypt they worshiped the Nile River, so to break their pride, the first plague hit the waters of the Nile, turning the water into blood. The nature of water, is that it is cold and wet. This was the way of the Egyptians to be cold or apathetic to G-dliness and holiness. It was turned into blood, which is warm and full of life, as it says, "because the blood  is the life force." 

The opposite of holiness is coldness, apathy, because holiness is warm and full of life. As it says in Avos D'rav Nassan, "Ten are called alive," and the first one listed is Hashem, all the others are connected to Him. 

When we are apathetic to G-dliness and holiness, it opens the door to everything that is unholy, and we are stuck in an Egypt. How do we break out of apathy towards holiness? 

On the other hand, Egypt had a great fervor and passion for everything unholy. Meaning that there is also an unholy warmth, when someone has a passion for the physical. 

To cool off their passion, Hashem sent the second plague, frogs. The frogs went everywhere, even in the ovens, and our sages learn from them the idea of self sacrifice. 

You may ask, there were other creatures that came as plagues, there were lice, wild beasts and locust, but they didn't go into the ovens. What is the meaning of the frogs going into the ovens? 

Ovens have fire in them, they symbolize the heat and passion for the physical. Frogs are from the water, cold and wet, but at the same time, they did Hashem's will, to the extent that they went totally against their nature. The cold water creatures went into the fiery ovens and cooled them off. In other words, there is also a holy coldness, when one fosters a coldness towards the physical and the unholy. 

The frogs came to deflate Pharaohs ego, they went into the ovens extinguishing the passion and the false importance of the unholy, that existed in Egypt. 

Holy fervor breaks you free from unholy coldness, and holy coldness breaks you free from passion for the unholy. 

To break free from a spiritual Egypt, one must first take a lesson from the blood and bring life and warmth into holy matters, because the beginning of all kinds of evil comes from coldness. 

It is a mistake to think that just positive action is enough, if you don't bring  warmth and passion into holiness, ultimately you will end up in the unholy. 

This is why the evil inclination tries so hard to cool off your fervor towards holiness, because he knows that trying to get you to do something wrong is futile, but if he could get you to be cold towards holiness, then you will end up doing wrong on your own. 

Just as one needs to bring a warmth and life into holiness, blood, so too, one should foster a coldness towards the unholy, frogs. 

In general, when it comes to doing what Hashem wants, there are two approaches. They are, "refrain from bad," and "doing good." The plague of frogs, coldness towards the unholy, falls in the category of "refraining from bad," and the plague of blood, passion for holiness, falls in the category of "doing good." 

Normally the order is first "refrain from bad," and then "do good." However, here the order is reversed, first blood and then frogs. Why? And what are we meant to learn from this reversal? 

It is true that when it comes to us, refraining from bad comes first. Because we are in the world, so we work from the bottom up. However, when it comes to Hashem, He is coming from the top down. He floods the world with G-dliness, and automatically there is no bad, so the order is reversed, first blood and then frogs. 

Since the Torah tells us this story, that first came the blood and then the frogs, it means that we should take a page from Hashem's play book, doing good first. How does this work? 

Flood your life with warmth and holiness and there won't be room for bad. 

May you and your families be filled with warmth and holiness, and may we break free from our personal Egypt. That will lead to us breaking free from the Egypt we are all suffering from, this dark and bitter exile, with the coming of Moshiach. May he come soon. 

Unity Is The Key To The Redemption

Print Version       All Shemos Articles

In parshas Shemos we read that Moshe struck down an Egyptian taskmaster that was beating a Jewish slave and hid him in the sand, thinking that nobody knew. The next day he saw two Jews quarreling (Dasan and Aviram), one raised his hand to hit the other. Moshe said to him, "Why do you strike your friend?" The man retorted, "Who appointed you as a leader and judge over us, do you intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?!" Moshe was afraid, he said, "so the fact is known." 

The Midrash tells us, that Moshe said, "you have lashon hara (evil speech) between you, how are you worthy of redemption?" 

It seems from here, that Moshe felt, that lashon hara alone, was enough to hold off the redemption from Egypt. 

Our sages compare lashon hara to some of the worst sins, from denying G-d's existence, to the big three, idolatry, adultery and murder. 

However, we know that among those that left Egypt, there were idolaters, but that didn't stop the redemption. So we have to understand, what is it about lashon hara, that is so egregious, that it alone could hold up the redemption? 

When it comes to war, we see a similar differentiation. The Talmud Yerushalmi tells us, that "David's generation were all tzadikim (righteous), but because they had informers, they would go out to war and fall (in battle). Achav's generation were idolaters, but because they didn't have informers, they would go down to war and be victorious." What we see from this, is that when it comes to war, unity and peacefulness brings victory. However, we still have to understand, what is it about lashon hara, that holds up the redemption? 

Rashi explains the words, "So the fact is known," from a second Midrash, that Moshe was saying, that now he knows why they are in exile. In other words, not only does lashon hara hold back the redemption, but it is also the reason for the exile. 

In the words of Dasan and Aviram to Moshe there was far worse than lashon hara, they were threatening to inform on him to the Pharaoh, which they did, and informing, in this case, is much worse than plain lashon hara. But from the Midrash and Rashi, it seems that Moshe wasn't as bothered by that, as he was by the lashon hara. Why is lashon hara worse? 

With the redemption from Egypt we became a nation of our own, as it says about the Exodus, that Hashem took for himself "a nation from within (another) nation." The defining factor of a nation is that the people are united, and what unites us as a nation is far greater and more powerful than any other nation, as will be explained. 

The Rambam calls us a nation even before the Exodus, but what he is referring to, is what makes every nation a nation, that they are united with common ideals and purpose. The problem with this is, that when their ideals change or their purpose becomes irrelevant they lose their identity as a people. As he explains, that being the children of Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov, whose purpose was to teach the world about G-d, we were "a people that knew G-d," in other words, that was our ideal and our identity as a nation. However, the Rambam continues to say, that in Egypt many were influenced and entrenched in the Egyptian culture. He concludes that "out of Hashem's love for us, and to keep the promise he made to Avraham our forefather. . . Hashem chose Israel as his (nachala) portion. . ." 

From the last words of the Rambam, the difference between the kind of nation we were before the Exodus and after the Exodus becomes clear. In Egypt, we were united under a common ideal, but Hashem took us out of Egypt because He chose us, we became a nation based on something greater than any human ideal, we are united because Hashem chose us to be his nachala. What is a nachala? 

A nachala refers to the portion of land that was given to the Jewish people upon conquering the land after the Exodus. By law, the portion of land that was given to a family, was to stay in the family forever. In other words, when Hashem chose us to be his nachala, it means that we became His nation forever. This uniting factor, being from Hashem is not subject to change. 

True choice is not based on the items being chosen, but on the one who is choosing. If it is based on the items, you will always choose the one you think is better. That is not true choice, that is called being smart. However, when the items are exactly the same, and you choose one, that is true choice. 

When Hashem chooses, it is always true choice, and he chose us as His nation. Which includes all of us, from the most righteous to the least. That is why even idolaters went out of Egypt, because they were also part of the nation that Hashem chose. The only thing is that we had to be united, because if we weren't, then there would be no nation for Hashem to choose. So the only thing that would hold up the redemption is disunity. 

There are several negative aspects of lashon hara. 

The first is the damage it does, as "The sages say, 'lashon hara kills Three. The one spoken about, the listener and the speaker.'"

The second is the bad it brings out in the person who is spoken about, because until it was said, it was hidden. 

These two aspects are destructive and hurtful, but like other sins, they don't breed disunity. 

But there is a third dimension, and that is lashon hara itself. Even if the person speaking has no intention to cause damage, or to tell of the negative aspects of his friend, and even if he doesn't speak out of hate, the mere fact that someone talks badly of another, shows that there is disunity. And as mentioned earlier, when there is disunity, there is no nation for Hashem to choose, and by extension, there is no redemption possible. 

Now we can understand why lashon hara is so bad, and why it bothered Moshe so much, because it itself could hold up the redemption. 

This will help us understand why by the Seder, one of the four sons we speak of, is the wicked son. You may ask, why include the wicked son? The answer is, that without him, we aren't complete, meaning, there is no nation to redeem. 

The unity of the Jewish people, is what caused the redemption from Egypt, and it is the same unity that will bring the future redemption. May it come soon.