Celebrating Become A Servant

Rav Yerucham Levovitz (Daas Chachma U'mussar maamer 41,43) elaborates that the avodah of Pesach, of the seder night, is to accept upon one's self the avdus of Hashem.  The point of leaving Egypt was not to just leave Egypt, but is to become the avadim of Hashem. (He says this is part of the obligation of hakaras hatov that one owes to one that does them a favor to to do that person's bidding and the obligation of hakaras hatov to Hashem obligates us to become His avadim.)  

This is what the Midrash Tehillim (Ch, 113) says באותה הלילה שנגאלנו ויצאנו מעבדות לחירות שהיינו עבדים לפרעה וגאלתנו ונעשינו עבדים לך שנאמר הללוקה הללו עבדי ה.  The Midrash says further on that when Pharaoh told Moshe to leave already he said,  אמור הרי אתם בני חורין הרי אתם ברשותכם הרי אתם עבדים של הקב"ה. התחיל פרעה צווח ואומר לשעבר הייתם עבדי אבל עכשיו הרי אתם בני חורין הרי אתם ברשותכם והרי אתם עבדיו של הקב"ה צריכים אתם להלל לו שאתם עבדיו שנאמר הללויה הללו עבדי ה', Pharaoh had to declare not only are you free but you are not the servants of Hashem, built into the very act of freeing Klal Yisrael is the acceptance of the avdus of Hashem.  The Maharal (Gur Aryeh Bo 12:6) explains the two mitzvot of milah and dam pesach represent the badge of being an eved Hashem (milah) and an act of avdus (pesach) for that is what is necessary for going free; accepting the service of Hashem.  

The Midrash says צריכים אתם להלל לו, the acceptance of the avdus of Hashem is an impetus to sing hallel.  Normally, one who is an eved is not rejoicing but to become an eved Hashem is the greatest merit for a person.  

The Seder Experience

The Targum Onkles on the words ויגד (such as in Vayechi 48:2 וַיַּגֵּד לְיַעֲקֹב) is וְחַוִּי which means to demonstrate.  The Shem MiShmuel says in the name of his father, the Avnei Nezar that the mitzvah of והגדת לבנך is to demonstrate, illustrate and experience the story of yitzias mitzaraim, not to merely recount the events.  In other words, the mitzvah is to experience the Exodus, not to merely say the words.  

We say in the Haggadah, וַאֲפִילוּ כֻּלָּנוּ חֲכָמִים כֻּלָּנוּ נְבוֹנִים כֻּלָּנוּ זְקֵנִים כֻּלָּנוּ יוֹדְעִים אֶת הַתּוֹרָה מִצְוָה עָלֵינוּ לְסַפֵּר בִּיצִיאַת מִצְרָיִם. וְכָל הַמַּרְבֶּה לְסַפֵּר בִּיצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם הֲרֵי זֶה מְשֻׁבָּח, And even were we all wise, all intelligent, all aged and all knowledgeable in the Torah, still the command would be upon us to tell of the coming out of Egypt; and the more one tells of the coming out of Egypt, the more admirable it is.  Why is there an obligation to recount the story of the Exodus even for people who are advanced Torah scholars that already know all the details?  Because the mitzvah is not merely about relaying facts, ideas and words, the mitzvah is to relive the events of the Exodus in a palpable manner and that can only be accomplished on the night of the Seder.  

This idea is hinted to in the Haggadah using the word לספר which literally means to say the story. The previous Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rebbe Yosef Yitzchak says the word לספר also means a shining sapphire for the point of the Seder night is to make the events of yitzias mityzraim so clear they illuminate a person's heart.  The avodah of the night is to make the story come alive.  That is what the Haggadah continues כָל הַמַּרְבֶּה לְסַפֵּר בִּיצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם הֲרֵי זֶה מְשֻׁבָּח, the praise of adding to the Haggadah is not about adding more words, כָל הַמַּרְבֶּה לְסַפֵּר, the more the experience is clear, the more it is felt and illuminates a person, that is the a praiseworthy activity.  The Seder night is not just a night to recount, to say stories, it is a night of reliving, experiencing and bringing to life yitzias mitzraim and all of its lessons.

Holiday Of Speaking

Moshe Rabbenu says to Hashem in the beginning of Vaerah, הן בני ישראל לא שמעו אלי ואיך ישמעני פרעה ואני ערל שפתים.  Why is Moshe saying he can't talk due to his speech impediment if he already said in Parshat Shemos לא איש דברים אנכי גם מתמול גם משלשם גם מאז דברך אל עבדך כי כבד פה וכבד לשון אנכי and Hashem responded,ועתה לך ואנכי אהיה עם פיך והוריתיך אשר תדבר  ויאמר ה אליו מי שם פה לאדם או מי ישום אלם או חרש או פקח או עור הלא אנכי ה, Hashem already responded that he Moshe's lack of proper speech would not be an issue?  Furthermore, why did Moshe say in Shemos כבד פה וכבד לשון and here he says ערל שפתים?  And what is the ק"ו if Klal Yisrael won't listen, for sure Pharaoh won't, he doesn't have the קוצר רוח? 

The Zohar Vaerah (25b) asks the question of what is Moshe asking about now and answers (translated into Hebrew) אלא סוד הוא; משה - קול, והדיבור, שהוא המלה שלו, היה בגלות, והיה הוא סתום מלפרש דברים. ובשל כך אמר "ואיך ישמע אלי פרעה" - 'בעוד שהמילה שלי נמצאת בגלות, שהרי אין לי מילה, הרי אני קול בלי מילה, שהיא בגלות'. ועל כן שיתף הקב"ה את אהרן איתו.  The dibbur was in galus in Egypt and therefore Moshe could not speak.  How does the Zohar answer the question, it was the same golus as before and Hashem already told Moshe that he would not have a problem?  And how does adding Aharon help if the dibbur is in golus? 

One of the reasons Chazal give for the golus in Egypt is that Abraham Avenu said בַּמָּה אֵדַע כִּי אִירָשֶׁנָּה (Nedarim 32a.)  Avraham misspoke and that led to the golus.  The golus in Egypt started due to the chain of events of the lashan harah spoken by the brothers about Yosef.  Again, a misuse of speech.  And Moshe feels the golus in justified after he experiences the lashon harah of Dasan and Aviram where he sees speech is misappropriated.  The Sfas Emes (5632) says that is what the Haggadah means אנוס על פי הדיבור.  How was it אנוס, Yaakov wanted to go see Yosef?  He cites the above Zohar and reads Yaakov was forced to fix up dibbur (a reference to Yosef, in his words ופי הדיבור הוא יוסף והמש"י, presumably because Yosef is yesod and the ברית הלשון והמעור מכוונים זה לזה.)  The golus had to happen to fix the miscues in speech.  The golus was into Egypt, the land controlled by פרעה which is the letters פה רע, a bad mouth.  He was the epitome of bad speech. 

The Midrash says וּבַיּוֹם שֶׁיָּרְדוּ לְמִצְרַיִם, בּוֹ בַּיּוֹם עָלוּ, וּבוֹ בַּיּוֹם יָצָא יוֹסֵף מִבֵּית הָאֲסוּרִין, לְכָךְ הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה שִׂמְחָה לְכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: לֵיל שִׁמֻּרִים הוּא לַה.  The same day of the start of the golus is the say of redemption.  Hence, on the day of going into golus because of speech, is the day of the tikkun where we have a mitzvah to speak about the miracles.  Hence Klal Yisrael leaves passing פי החירות, the mouth of freedom, now their mouths were opened.  בְּצֵאת יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִּצְרָיִם בֵּית יַעֲקֹב מֵעַם לֹעֵז, when we left Egypt we were redeemed from the nation of strange tongue, out mouths became opened.  אנכי ה אלקיך הַ֖מַּֽעַלְךָ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם הַרְחֶב־פִּ֜֗יךָ וַֽאֲמַלְאֵֽהוּ, since you left Egypt your mouth is now open to receive divrei Torah (see Berachos 50a.)  The Sefer Yetzirah says about the month of Nissan המליך אות ה' בשיחה כו.  Nissan is the month of speech (the ה is connected with תורה שבעל פה, as Rav Tzaddok (Rosh Chodesh Nissan 1) elaborates about.)  

Rav Tzaddok notes that the berachot were received by Yaakov on Pesach.  The beracha of הקול קול יעקב, the power of the voice of Yaakov was established on Pesach.  The ammunition of Klal Yisrael to stand through the golus is the power of speech which becomes established on Pesach.  

When Hashem directs Moshe to speak it is not to speak empty words.  The words of Moshe have an effect on the world.  In order for that effect to be actualized there has to be a recipient.  If the words fall on deaf ears they don't have any effect.  The Be'ar Moshe explains the קל וחומר of Moshe.  The sense of speech and hearing go hand and hand.  One learns to talk by listening to others.  He reads מקוצר רוח, the רוח as a reference to the רוח ממלא of a person, the power of speech was removed from Klal Yisrael and hence they did not have the power to listen to the message of Moshe Rabbenu.  (The Midrash attributes the lack of Klal Yisrael listening to their sins, in other words it is not the work in a physical sense that made their ears dull to the message but they were so lost in the golus they could not envision Hashem taking them out, they were incapable of absorbing words of freedom.)  The Sfas Emes (previous piece) continues, כמ"ש במ"א פי' זוה"ק הנ"ל שדיבור שהוא הכרת מלכותו ית' בכל הדברים. זה הי' נסתר בגלות. וע"י גאולת מצרים נודע גבורתו ית.  The word for thing and speech in lashon hakodesh is דבר for all things are composed of the words of Hashem which is their life force (as explained in the Tanya Shaar Hayichud Ve'emunah,) and  Klal Yisrael lost their ability to see the Divine in everything.  They lost the understanding of dibbur and required the 10 maakot to bring it back.

The ק"ו of Moshe is Bnei Yisrael who are closer to Hashem are so lost in the golus that they can't hear the message of freedom, for sure פרעה, the פה רע himself, will not be able to absorb anything I am telling to him.  This is what the Moshe is asking Hashem.  Beforehand, my speech was כבד, it was difficult, but there was somewhere for the words to 'land' because Klal Yisrael may have absorbed the message.  However, now, after Pharaoh said תכבד העבודה and removed the day of rest of Shabbas, that little bit of spiritual respite in which the ears of Klal Yisrael may be slightly opened, now I am totally ערל שפתיים, I am closed entirely, there is no room for words to be able to have an effect.  The golus of the dibbur has totally removed my capabilities to say anything.  Hashem says that I will provide with Aharon.  Since Aharon is a man of the people, the אוהב שלום ורודף שלום, he is able to provide the people with a message of Hashem that will uplift them (based upon Rav Tzaddok Vaerah 6,7.)      

The Evan Era (14:4) says והנה המצורע והבית המנוגע וטמא מת קרובים, והנה גם הם כדמות פסח מצרים.  The taharah process of the metzorah with the  עץ ארז ושני תולעת ואזוב parallels the blood put with the עץ ערז on the doorpost and the bird is akin to the korban pesach.  The tahara of the metzorah resembles what Klal Yisrael did at makkas bechorot.  Why?  Because the sin of the metzorah is for misusing his/her speech.  They go into a mini golus like the golus of mitzraim to fix the problem and they need a mini yitzias mitzraim in order to rehabilitate their power of speech.

Growing Into A Gadol

Letter from the Lubavitcher Rebbe: מענין חג הפסח שחגונו זה עתה וגם בקשר עם ימי האביב המ[מ]שמשים כעת ברוב הדר, הנה חג הפסח סימנו בכתוב שצריך להיות בחודש האביב. בטבע, עם הופעת האביב, הנה כחות הטבע שהיו בהעלם במשך ימי החורף, עד שלעין הרואה נדמה שנפסקה החיות יצירה צמיחה וגידול, הנה לפתע פתאום בחודש האביב מתגלה לעין כל שלא הי' זה אלא משך זמן של קיבוץ כחות למען יופיעו אח"כ אילנות מלבלבים ושדות עטופים ירק, כמרז"ל היוצא בימי ניסן ורואה אילנות שמוציאים פרח צריך לברך כו'.

ומוסר השכל בזה לכולנו, שאם יש בחיינו איזה תקופה שאפשר לטעות בה שאינה תקופה של יצירה צמיחה וגידול, קרוב לודאי שאין זה אלא טעות בידינו, וההפסק ישמש לתוספות כח, וכלשון המשל להוצאת פרח ולגמול פירות.

ויש למצוא רמז זה בענין דפסח, שאחרי התקופה המרה של גלות מצרים גלות הגוף וגלות הנשמה גם יחד, עד ששר מצרים טען מה נשתנו אלו מאלו כו', הנה במשך זמן מועט נתגלה בהם הזיכוך שפעל גלות מצרים, ובחמשים יום נתעלו ממ"ט שערי טומאה לקבלת התורה מפי הקב"ה בכבודו ובעצמו.

The last piece of Sfas Emes on Shabbat Hagadol says שבת הגדול על שם מצוה ראשונה שנצטוו בנ"י וכמו בפרט כשנעשה בר מצוה נקרא גדול.  The Abudarham says this idea in the name of the Machzor Vitri, ומוסיף שם טעם אחר שלכך נקרא שבת הגדול שהוא שבת ראשון שנכנסו למצות.  The month of Nissan is the month chosen for geulah for it is the month of growth.  Before Nisan Klal Yisrael was in a state of קטנות in a mentally, spiritually and physiologically.  Nissan was the apropos month to show that they could rise up out of this lowly state.  This transformation into a state of gadlus started with the mitzvot given on Shabbat Hagadol.  The obligation of mitzvot is what allowed the solus, hearts and minds of Klal Yisrael to expand and become gedolim, to be their own people apart from Egypt.

4 Cups, 4 Negaim, 4 Stages of Golus

One of the opinions in the Midrash (Berashis Rabbah 88:5) is that the takkanah of the 4 cups of Pesach corresponds to the 4 different גליות Klal Yisrael goes through, רַבִּי לֵוִי אָמַר כְּנֶגֶד אַרְבַּע מַלְכֻיּוֹת.  What is the connection between the 4 מַלְכֻיּוֹת and the 4 cups?  The Midrash Tazria (15:9) (cited last year on the blog) says the 4 types of negaim (שאת ספחת בהרת נגע צרעת) correspond to the 4  מלכיות.  What is the connection between these these two ideas?  

As mentioned many times before (2022, 2019) a nega itself is not a negative force but is a tremendous source of spirituality which contaminates a person who does not have the capability to withstand such bursts of spiritual energy.  However, ultimately the point of the nega is to allow a person to realize their faults and to fix themselves to be a proper receptacle to hold the spiritual bolts and when one does that they actually become elevated as an account of going through the whole process of the tumah and taharah that goes along with a nega.  Th message the Midrash is trying to teach us is that the journey, the golus through the 4 מַלְכֻיּוֹת is the same way.  Although it is a difficult process, the point of the journey is to be able to accomplish, to reach greater heights than what could not have been reached without the hard journey.  The Gemarah Pesachim (87b) says לא גלו ישראל אלא שיתוספו עליהם גרים.  With this we can understand the Gemarah Kiddushin (70b) קשים גרים לישראל כספחת.  Since the hardships of golus are all for the sake of the ger, he is like the ספחת, the tzaaras that once has to suffer through in order to be able to access greater kedusha, so too Klal Yisrael has to suffer in order to bring the ger to kedusha (see Sfas Emes Yisro 5652.)  

That is the comparison of the 4 kingdoms to the 4 cups.  On the night of Pesach we remind ourselves of the slavery and rejoice in the redemption.  We appreciate the journey is a means of obtaining greater spiritual heights.  Chazal sought to remind us the same is true through our journey through golus.  The golus provides us with ability to e ready to receive geulah.  The Maharal (Gevuot Hashem Ch. 60) adds that is specifically the act of drinking that corresponds to the 4 kingdoms.  Drinking is not the main part of the meal but is there to help the food go down; it is there to accompany he food.  So too the various goliout are only in order to help the main course, Klal Yisrael to navigate their way to be come readied for redemption.

4 Stages Of Golus, 4 Minim, 4 Walls

The Bechai Emor cites a Midrash ועוד דרשו בד' מינין הללו שהם רמז לד' מלכיות, והוא שאמרו בזכות ד' מינין שבלולב אני מצילכם מד' מלכיות.  The Shem MiShmuel (Hoshana Rabbah 5788) explains how the 4 stages of golus correspond to the three big sins + lashon harah and the four species counteract them.  The aravah who's shape is similar to lips counteracts lashon harah which corresponds to the golus of Edom.  This lines up with the writings of the Shem MiShmuel of Tzaria (discussed 2019) that the four stages of golus correspond to the nefesh, guf, sechal and tzuras ha'adam each one of which corresponds and becomes  contaminated with one of the three big sins + lashon harah.  The sin of lashon harah matches up with the tzuras ha'adam which is the connecting tissue of the various dimensions of man.  The corresponding  negative power is that of Edom.  The second Beis Hamikdash was destroyed because of sinas chinam which the Chofetz Chaim explains was due to lashon harah.  That leads to the golus of Edom and as we see it is the longest golus indicating this is the harshest sin.  That is why it is Hoshana Rabbah, the day of the hoshana which comes to atone for the sin of lashon harah which has the longest avodah. The Sfas Emes (5647 Hoshana Rabbah) notes as well that sinas chinam is an aravah which has no טעם וריח which is counterbalanced by the ערבה which has no טעם וריח.  In may be possible to suggest as well that the 4 walls of the sukkah (even though 4 actual walls are not required, the sukkah is viewed as enclosed on all sides (see Briskor Rav on Sukkah daf 7),) are also to serve as a means of protection against these 4 sins.  On Sukkot we wrap ourselves inside the protective walls to ensure we remain close to Hashem even as we travel through the 4 stages of golus.

Above And Below

Why was Moshe the one to serve in the Mikdash for the first 7 days (Rashi 8:28) and only afterward did Aharon take over?  Why for the first 7 days was the Mishkan taken down every day but only after the 8th day did it last?  

The Mishkan is an other worldly building meant to bring the presence of the Shechina down into this world.  It does not fit into the natural barriers of the world.  The first 7 days of the inauguration where to adjust the Mishkan to this world.  That is why it was 7 days, the complete cycle of a week of nature.  That is why the Mishkan needed to be taken down every day for it did not fit within the order of nature.  It took the power of Moshe Rabbenu, who was always connected to the higher realms to be able to connect the Mishkan to the world.  Only after the first 7 days did the Mishkan now become incorporated into the nature of the world (not that the Mishkan became lower, but that nature was elevated to be able to contain a Mishkan.)  Now, on day 8, the day that is above teva, meaning not that teva was broken but rather teva was expanded and elevated, can the avodah be given over to Aharon to do to the avodah on a daily basis.  Moshe has to serve the first 7 days because at that point the Mishkan can not fit in the world without the avodah of Moshe, who is simultaneously connected to this world and above.  Then the super natural Mishkan can become incorporated into the world (based upon Shem MiShmuel 5671, see also Sfas Emes 5639, Imrei Emes Shemini Atzeret 5761.)  

That is why on Yom Kippur the sprinkling is 1 +7, the above teva, 8th sprinkle gets incorporated into the teva.  The אחת למעלה unites with the שבע למטה.  The teva expands to include that which is beyond it.

וירד מעשת החטאת והעלה והשלמים.  The Apter Rav says this hints to the idea that even the great leaders who are busy atoning for people and raising the worlds to higher levels have to at times go down from their lofty thoughts in order to connect to people.  But this going down leads to greater heights.  The above teva becomes etched into the teva.   

החדש הזה לכם.  Nissan is the time of great miracles, it is a time ripe for above nature revelations.  However, even great miracles have to become incorporated into the boundaries of time.  We incorporate the miracles to fit into nature by elevating our nature.