Connected Through Trust

The Alter Rebbe (Torah Or Beshalach 63:4 and other places) says by way of derash on the possuk of הנה אלקינו זה קִוִּ֥ינוּ ל֖וֹ וְיוֹשִׁיעֵ֑נוּ זֶ֤ה י״י֙ קִוִּ֣ינוּ ל֔וֹ נָגִ֥ילָה וְנִשְׂמְחָ֖ה בִּישׁוּעָתֽוֹ that the word קוינו, we trusted in, can be related to the word קוין, a line, a rod, a line of connectivity.  Through our avodah of connecting Hashem to the world, that will allow us to relish with a connection to Hashem.  Possibly, through this idea we can explain deruch derush as well the possuk קַוֵּ֗ה אֶל⁠־י֫״י֥ חֲ֭זַק וְיַאֲמֵ֣ץ לִבֶּ֑ךָ וְ֝קַוֵּ֗ה אֶל⁠־י״יֽ.  What's the repetition of קוה אל ה?  The first קוה is trust in Hashem, חֲ֭זַק וְיַאֲמֵ֣ץ לִבֶּ֑ךָ and then וקוה אל ה, you will become connected to Hashem.   

Experiencing Shirah

The Gemarah Sotah (30b-31a) says  דרש רבי יוסי הגלילי בשעה שעלו ישראל מן הים נתנו עיניהם לומר שירה וכיצד אמרו שירה עולל מוטל על ברכי אמו ותינוק יונק משדי אמו כיון שראו את השכינה עולל הגביה צוארו ותינוק שמט דד מפיו ואמרו זה אלי ואנוהו שנאמר (תהלים ח, ג) מפי עוללים ויונקים יסדת עוז היה רבי מאיר אומר מנין שאפי' עוברים שבמעי אמן אמרו שירה שנאמר במקהלות ברכו אלהים ה' ממקור ישראל.  Babies and fetuses do not have the ability to decide to sing shirah.  So why did they say shirah?  Because shirah wasn't a choice as much as it was an outgrowth of the state of existence at the time.  Shirah was not merely sung, it was experienced.    What happened at the yam that caused this outburst of song?  

The Midrash connects the word אז in אז ישיר to the words נָכוֹן כִּסְאֲךָ מֵאָז that the malchut of Hashem was solidified at the time of krias yam suf.  Why was it solidified then more than the makkot?  The maakot were brought for to save Klal Yisrael and punish the Egyptians.  However, the Sifsay Chayim (Sevii shel Pesach) elaborates on the idea that krias yam suf was not a necessary part of the geulah but was just to demonstrate Hashem's dominion over the world.  As he notes, the entire scene of krias yam suf was orchestrated just so that Pharoah would run after Klal Yisrael and there well plenty of miracles that occurred that were not necessary to the salvation of Klal Yisrael such as all the waters of the world splitting.  This is because the yesod of krias yam suf was to bring into the world the manifestation of malchus Hashem.  What does it mean malchus Hashem?  That everything exists only to bring kavod shamayim.  The Egyptians and their deities did not have any independent power that was fighting against Hashem but they too only existed to serve a purpose and were destroyed when they ran their course.  That is why the שירה contains many allusions to the ultimate geulah for then then the message of the malchut of Hashem will permanently take root in the world.  It was this revelation of the malchus of Hashem that took root in the world that left a shirah impression that was felt even by children still in the womb. 

The Shem MeShmuel (5678) cites the Midrash that no one, not Adam, Noach, the Avos etc. said shirah until Klal Yisrael said it at the yam suf.  Why were they the first?  He explains that just as a person can only speak after a person becomes complete as in their body and mind have already taken form, so too for shirah to be experienced as a שכינה מדברת תוך גרונם (his lashon) there needs to be an a combining of many peoples into an entity of one nation.  It is only at this time, אז ישיר , in the singular, that many peoples combine into one nation.  Shirah comes bursting forth when there is unity, a unity experienced on a personal, national and global level.     

Fear The Barad

The possuk says כִּ֣י | בַּפַּ֣עַם הַזֹּ֗את אֲנִ֨י שֹׁלֵ֜חַ אֶת־כָּל־מַגֵּֽפֹתַי֙ אֶל־לִבְּךָ֔ וּבַֽעֲבָדֶ֖יךָ וּבְעַמֶּ֑ךָ, why is this makkah called כָּל־מַגֵּֽפֹתַי֙ more than any other?  Rashi says מִתְלַקַּחַת בְּתוֹךְ הַבָּרָד: נֵס בְּתוֹךְ נֵס, הָאֵשׁ וְהַבָּרָד מְעֹרָבִין, וְהַבָּרָד מַיִם הוּא, וְלַעֲשׂוֹת רְצוֹן קוֹנָם עָשׂוּ שָׁלוֹם בֵּינֵיהֶם.  This was the only makkah in which the makkah itself contained a miracle inside of it.  The  miracle within a miracle demonstrates that another level or dimension of control that Hashem has over creation in that not only does he change nature to His will but he does not have to follow the rules at all.  This dominion is further enhanced by the destruction wrought by this plague which destroyed everything, plant life, animals and humans.  The previous makkot had a focus on an area where the plague took hold, whether it be in the people, the land or animals, barad had elements of all three.  This is the מגפתי.  

In the warning of the makkah of barad it says הִנְנִ֤י מַמְטִיר֙ כָּעֵ֣ת מָחָ֔ר בָּרָ֖ד כָּבֵ֣ד מְאֹ֑ד.  Rashi says שרט לו שירטא בכותל, למחר כשתגיע חמה לכאן, ירד הברד.  Why specifically for this makkah does Moshe give an exact time?  This makkah is a makkah of joining opposite forces, fire and water, din and rachamamim, giving people an ability to bring their animals inside.  So too, the makkah was an out of nature experience but tied to the measure of an exact time (see Likutay Sichos volume 31.)  

Why specifically for this makkah is there a special dispensation for the ירא דבר ה to be able to save their animals?  It is only after this makkah that Pharaoh utters a true statement of vidduy, וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֖ם חָטָ֣אתִי הַפָּ֑עַם י״י֙ הַצַּדִּ֔יק וַאֲנִ֥י וְעַמִּ֖י הָרְשָׁעִֽים.  What inspires him here to utter this statement? The Tanchuma says since Hashem gave advice to avoid the animals dying, as opposed to humans that fight that try to wipe out the opponent, this inspired Pharaoh to do teshuva.  The Ramban adds that this shows the point of  the makkah was not to merely cause destruction but to inspire teshuva.  The barad is like the Gemarah Berachot (59a) says אמר ר' אלכסנדרי אמר ר' יהושע בן לוי: לא נבראו הרעמים אלא לפשוט  עקמומית שבלב, thunder is placed in the world to awaken one to do teshuva.  The darkness, banging and sound of the barad was meant to inspire fear.  That's why there was a "way out" for the ירא דבר ה in this makkah because the goal of this makkah was not pain but fear and that was accomplished is one felt יראה enough to bring their animal inside.  This awe inspiring show led even Pharaoh to feel true feelings of repentance.  However, afterward it says  וַיַּ֣רְא פַּרְעֹ֗ה כִּֽי⁠־חָדַ֨ל הַמָּטָ֧ר וְהַבָּרָ֛ד וְהַקֹּלֹ֖ת וַיֹּ֣סֶף לַחֲטֹ֑א וַיַּכְבֵּ֥ד לִבּ֖וֹ ה֥וּא וַעֲבָדָֽיו.  Here Pharaoh was יוסף לחטוא because he really felt an internal stirring but he pushed that aside, that is the יוסף לחטוא.  Pharaoh had a real opportunity after this makkah to due teshuva and he would not be ignored.  However, once he removed the feelings of remorse, then Hashem hardened his heart to not send away Bnei Yisrael (last Sforno in the parsha.)  

Why the uniqueness of barad?  Possibly because it is the culmination of the makkos of this week's parsha.  It is the end of a set.  It is the 7th makkah, כל השביעין חביבין, in other words like Shabbat, etc. the totality of everything before it.  Rav Wolfson adds based upon the Chiddushay HaRim that the 10 maakot correspond to the 10 utterances used to create the world, barad corresponds to Shabbat.  שבת is connected to yirah as the Tikkunay Zohar says בראשית is ירא שבת.  He cites the Tanchuma says that the barad is suspended in the air waiting to fall on גוג ומגוג.  In other words, the barad remove the final push of מרידה against the malchus of Hashem (7th sefirah, machus.)  He explains that is why Moshe had to exit the city to pray for this makkah to be removed, why was it different from the earlier makkot?  Since this prayer was not to make the makkah removed from the world, instead to merely suspend it in the heavens, Moshe had to be completely removed from the tumah of Egypt in order for this level of tefillah to be accepted.    Hence, the design of barad was to strike fear in Pharaoh.  

Two Dimensions To The Leader

Moshe Rabbenu is told, של נעליך מעל רגליך כי המקום אשר אתה עומד עליו אדמת קדש הוא.  Yehoshua is told something similar (5:15) שַׁל נַעַלְךָ מֵעַל רַגְלֶךָ כִּי הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה עֹמֵד עָלָיו קֹדֶשׁ הוּא.  The Kli Yakar here notes two differences, Moshe is told נעליך, both shoes while Yehoshua is told נַעַלְךָ, one shoe.  Moshe is told אדמת קדש, it is holy land while Yehoshua is told  קֹדֶשׁ הוּא, the place is holy, but not the land.  A third difference is noted by the Shla, that at the end of the possuk in Yehoshua it says וַיַּעַשׂ יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, כֵּן, which it does not say here.  Why are there differences in what would seem to be the same message?  The Shla says that the level of rising above gashmi was a whole other level for Moshe than for Yehoshua.  He says there are two types of garments one ears ,the physical body and the actual clothing on a person.  The command to Moshe was to elevate his body that his עור became אור, his whole being became spiritual.  Those are the two levels he is taking off, his shoes and his body.  That is why Moshe's presence creates greater kedusha to the land that he was on.  That is why Yehoshua was able to fulfill the commandment on his own, וַיַּעַשׂ יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, כֵּן but Moshe did not have the capability to fulfill the commandment of removing his body on his own, he required the infusion of kedusha and hence he was not able to do it on his own.  

The Kedushat Levi explain נעל is like the word מנעל, a lock.  Moshe's great kedusha locked him from being able to connect with the land, with the people of the earth, that he had to connect to in order to be able to lead them out of Egypt.  That is remove נעלך, the lock which is your רגל, your custom, to be attached to heavenly thoughts, and attach to the regular people.  

So, we have a dichotomy in the introduction to Moshe as the leader.  On the one hand, his greatness is demonstrated but on the other hand his need to connect to the people to lead them.