Aspects Of Tefillin

Some ideas I said pinch hitting for a Chumash shiur. 

Where tefillin worn in the Midbar?  The first two parshios of tefillin were given in this week's parsha so presumably tefillin were worn but what about the missing two parshios which where only given later?  Some are of the opinion that although the parshios are given here, tefillin was not actually worn in the Midbar.  Others say that they worn tefillin with two parshios.  The question is according to that approach, did the head tefillin have all 4 compartments and two were left empty, or where there only two compartments? 

Rashi in Bo (13:16) says וְעַל שֵׁם שֶׁהֵם אַרְבָעָה בָתִּים קְרוּיִין טטפת – "טט" בְּכַתְפִּי שְׁתַּיִם, "פת" בְּאַפְרִיקִי שְׁתַּיִם.  However, Rashi in Vaeshachan (6:8) says  וְהָיוּ לְטֹֽטָפֹת בֵּין עֵינֶֽיךָ.  אֵלּוּ תְּפִלִּין שֶׁבָּרֹאשׁ, וְעַל שֵׁם מִנְיַן פָּרָשִׁיּוֹתֵיהֶם נִקְרְאוּ טֹטָפוֹת.  In Bo he identifies טטפות as 4 to correspond to the 4 compartments but in Vaeschanan he says it corresponds to the 4 parshios.  Why the change?  The Rebbe (Likutay Sichos volume 9) explains in our parsha it says וְהָיָ֤ה לְאוֹת֙ עַל־יָ֣דְכָ֔ה וּלְטֽוֹטָפֹ֖ת בֵּ֣ין עֵינֶ֑יךָ, in the singular tense.  What is it that should be טוטפות?  The single aspect of leaving Egypt and that is only expressed in the two parshios of Bo, not in the additional parshios of Shema and Veha im shemoa and therefore the 4 must be referring to the amount of compartments in the tefillin which enhances the fulfillment of remembering leaving Egypt.  In Vaeschanan, the possuk says וְהָי֥וּ לְטֹֽטָפֹ֖ת בֵּ֥ין עֵינֶֽיךָ, in the plural, referring to all of the parshios.

 

We find the same change in Rashi's explanation about the two prohibitions of adding to a mitzvah, in Vaeschanan (4:2) he says לֹא תֹסִפוּ.  כְּגוֹן חָמֵשׁ פָּרָשִׁיּוֹת בַּתְּפִלִּין but in Reah (13:1) he says לֹֽא־תֹסֵף עָלָיו.  חֲמִשָּׁה טֹטָפוֹת, because the first issur is to add a non mitzvah item to the mitzvah and that is a fifth parsha but the second issur adds adding to the item of the mitzvah and that is a  fifth compartment. Nonetheless, we see from Rashi that the teffilin of the Midbar had 4 compartments, but 2 would remain empty. 

 

The Rashba Minachot says that even though two of the parshiot are only recorded later on in the Torah as part of the Torah, they were given as part of tefillin earlier.  What we see from here, says Rav Gedalia Schorr, is that the parshios of tefillin are not Torah parshios placed in tefillin but there is a unique din of parshios tefillin not as words of Torah.  As pointed add out in the past on the blog, this is an idea also advanced in the Amek Beracha in the name of the Rav but contradicts the Rav in Vaeschanan, Hilchot Megillah and Tefillin where he assumes that the parshios of the tefillin are a cut and paste of the parshios of the Torah with all the laws of the writing of parshios of the Torah and not a new din of parshios of tefillin. 

Why do the parshios of tefillin include the law of kedushas bechor of an animal.  What does that have to do with tefillin?  Klal Yisrael is called by Hashem (Shemos 4:22) בני בכורי ישראל.  What does this mean that we are the bechor of Hashem?  The Pachad Yitzchak Pesach maamer 81 develops the idea that a bechor is a mirror of the father.  The word for father is אב, the 1, the father leading to his "double," the בכר, the letters of doubling, ב is 2, כ is 20 and ר is 200, the doubling of all the units.  The word בכר is in reverse רכב, a chariot,  The idea of the bechor is to return the כבוד back to its source, the father.  By returning, going backward as a רכב as complete bittul to the source, then one is acting as a proper bechor.  This is the bechorness of Klal Yisrael.  We are meant to reflect the kavof of Hashem in the world.  By subjugating ourselves to Hashem, by being the rechev, we act as the bechor.  This is the message of tefillin, to become subjects of Hashem, to assert ourselves as the bechor.  This is the ide of the kedusha of the bechor.  That which is a reflection of the source is designated to remind us of our mission to reflect our Source.       

The part I didn't get to. 

Why is there a split between the two parshios of tefillin here and two later on in Sefer Devarim?  The opinion of Rabbenu Tam is that that the order of the parshios of the tefillin goes קדש והיה כי יביאך והיה אם שמוע שמע.  Why does he hold the parshois go out of the order they are written in?  Rav Solevetchik explains (shiurim on Stam,) that Rabbenu Tam holds the first two parshios and last two are divided into two categories.  The first two go right to left from the perspective of one standing opposite the reader for it is a commandment to remember the Exodus which is a message meant to be passed to others.  The thrust of yitzias mitzraim is told over to one's children, it is a message passed on about Hashem's control of the world.  The last two parshios however, go right to left from the perspective of the wearer of the tefillin in which case to the reader opposite והיה אם שמוע appears before שמע but from the wearer's "view" שמע comes first.  That is because the kabbalas ol represented by these two parshois are that of a personal kabbalah.  The first two parshios are the parshois of the nation, of the kedusha of Klal Yisrael in its totality as they collectevly experienced yitzias Mitzraim, the tefillin are speaking outwardly.  The last two parshios are the personal parshois, the one's that speak of the individual's kabbalas ol.  With this idea we can say that the parshios of the tzibbur, the one's of yitzias mitzraim are given in Bo, the time when Klal Yisrael is developing into a nation of Hashem.  The time for individual kabbalas ol is relevant when they are on the brink of entering Eretz Yisrael where there would no longer be one large national encampment of people and instead the individual commitment to Hashem had to be highlighted.     

Three Takes On A Midrash

דבר אחר:יהי לבי תמים בחקיך, זה חקת הפסח, וחקת פרה אדומה. למה? ששניהן דומין זה לזה. בזה נאמר: זאת חקת הפסח. ובזה נאמר (במדבר יט, ב): זאת חקת התורה. ואי אתה יודע איזו חקה גדולה מזו! משל לשתי מטרונות דומות, שהיו מהלכות שתיהן כאחת נראות שוות, מי גדולה מזו, אותה שחברתה מלוה אותה עד ביתה והולכת אחריה.כך בפסח נאמר בו חקה, ובפרה נאמר בה חקה, ומי גדולה הפרה שאוכלי פסח צריכין לה, שנאמר ( שם שם, יז): ולקחו לטמא מעפר שריפת החטאת. (שמות רבה יט:ב)

What is the comparison between the law of Pesach and the law of Parah, what is the question of which one is greater and why is the law of parah greater?  

Rav Kook (Midbar Shor 35) says based upon the Cuzari that the sin of the agel was that Klal Yisrael wanted to serve Hashem properly through the agel, logically it was a sensible thing to do, but at the end of the day it was wrong.  The lesson is that the ways of Hashem are beyond human logic and we at times must put aside our logic for G-dly logic.  The parah atones for the agel for death is the opposite of the desire of G-d to give life but yet G-d gives death for somehow that leads to a greater life.  This is beyond our comprehension to fathom.  Hence, all those that are involved in the process of the taharah from the tumas meis are tamah, meaning they don't see the good that comes out of death, it is a tumah, a hester panim but at the end, only at the end of the process is there taharah, can one see the good.  The lesson of the parah is the antithesis of the agel.  The parah teaches that at times the goal, the taharah, the G-dly logic can only be recognized at the end of the process.  The ends justify the means but the means don't justify the end.  Pesach teaches that sometimes there needs to be a jump, one doesn't have to wait to the end ,the geulah came early, sometimes doing what appears to humanly be correct is correct.  "נתגלתה השלמות הראוי' בסוף ג"כ באמצע. ואם היו כל ההנהגות כולן עפ"ז הדרך, שהמתגלה קודם גמר התכלית הי' נראה מחלק השלמות המכוון לרצונו ית', אז הי' מקום לבעל הדין לומר שיוסיף מצות ע"פ הנהגתו והשכלתו."  There is a balance that one must have of these two approaches, of using logic to try to prefect implementations of the rules of the Torah but at the same time suspending our logic for G-dly logic when we want to implement change.  It is ultimately the message of the of the parah that is greater for it only at the ends, not the means that one will be able to truly understand Hashem's plan. 

Rav Solevetchik (sefer of Stam miluim) says the Midrash is discussing two forms of acceptance of the decrees of G-d.  Rav Solevetchik (being a Briskor) says that the concept of a chok teaches us that we don't ask למה or מדוע but מה.  A Jew doesn't ask why but what should we do.  The defining moment of kabbalas haTorah is נעשה ונשמע, Klal Yisrael said what should we do, we will do.  There are two ways that one is challenged in this acceptance of faith.  Sometimes there are personal challenges that one must overcome, a person is temted to ask למה, why do I have to do this?  For this question comes the lesson of the parah, we don't ask why we accept the chukim of Hashem what he says to do, we do.  The lesson of pesach is that sometimes there are national calamities, when Klal Yisrael is challenged with difficult times and one is tempted to ask מדוע, why is this happening to us, for that we have the chok of Pesach.  Despite the setbacks, we know the geulah will eventually come.  The question of the midrash is which chok, which aspect of acceptance will be מטהר the person, will elevate the individual to rise above his egotistical, animalistic self?  The answer is the parah, it is the internal acceptance of a person which is most necessary to elevate himself.  After that one can be elevated further by the acceptance of the national fate and faith of Klal Yisrael. 

The Rebbe (maamer Parah 5624) says the Midrash is debating what is better, the path of the tzaddik or the path of the baal teshuva.  The chok of the pesach represents the forming of the nation of Klal Yisrael as pure tzaddikim like a newborn child.  The chok of the parah comes after there is tumah ,after sin, when does teshuva to clean up the sin.  The Midrash says that although the chok of pesach, the bath of no evil is of course great, no that we are in a world which does contain sin, that must be elevated and that is only possible through teshuva.  

A Timely Message

Why is kiddush hachodesh the first mitzvah given to Klal Yisrael?  After the bircahas hachodesh on Shabbas mevarchim, we say a short prayer for redemption from the golus, 'מי שעשה נסים לאבותינו וכו, why do we insert this prayer specifically after the birchas hachodesh?  

The Gemarah says that the world was created through 10 utterances of Hashem expressed through the 9 times it says 'ויאמר ה during the days of creation and the word בראשית was also an expression of creation.  Why is the first utterance expressed as בראשית and not ויאמר like the other utterances? The Sforno and Gra say that the creation of בראשית is the creation of time.  The most primal creation is time.  Why?  The word for time in lashon hakodesh is זמן which is related to the word הזמנה, an invitation.  An invitation means that there is a plan for the future.  In other words, the creation of time is a creation of a journey for the world.  When there is time, there is a past, a present and a future, there is a timeline to follow.  The past leads to the future.  There is an end to the timeline, an end game for the entire creation, a mission that has to be reached.  That mission is the mission of geulah.  The creation of בראשית is the mission statement of the creation and everything put into creation is there to facilitate the goal  

The exodus from Egypt was the creation of the nation of Klal Yisrael.  The nation that is to be the instrument for the geulah goes through its own act of creation.  Therefore, the first mitzvah given is the mitzvah of being mekadesh the zman.  To bring kedusha, to illuminate the path of the world until the geulah occurs, is the mission of Klal Yisrael.  That mission statement is expressed in the mitzvah of kiddush hachodesh.  This is why after we say the bircas hachodesh we add a prayer for the geulah.  Our birchas hachodesh is all we have left from the mitzvah of kiddush hachodesh and we attach that to the message of kiddush hachodesh, to fulfill the mission of time, to usher in the geulah.

Two Steps To Freedom

Rashi in Mishpatim (21:6) explains why an eved ivri that wishes to remain after 6 years gets his ear pierced by the doorway, רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן הָיָה דּוֹרֵשׁ מִקְרָא זֶה כְּמִין חֹמֶר: מַה נִּשְׁתַּנּוּ דֶּלֶת וּמְזוּזָה מִכָּל כֵּלִים שֶׁבַּבַּיִת? אָמַר הַקָּבָּ"ה דֶּלֶת וּמְזוּזָה שֶׁהָיוּ עֵדִים בְּמִצְרַיִם כְּשֶׁפָּסַחְתִּי עַל הַמַּשְׁקוֹף וְעַל שְׁתֵּי הַמְּזוּזוֹת וְאָמַרְתִּי כִּי לִי בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל עֲבָדִים – עֲבָדַי הֵם וְלֹא עֲבָדִים לַעֲבָדִים – וְהָלַךְ זֶה וְקָנָה אָדוֹן לְעַצְמוֹ, יֵרָצַע בִּפְנֵיהֶם. The Chizkuni asks this was not said when Hashem skipped over the doorways of Klal Yisrael, this passuk is only said later on in parshas Behar? 

The pessukim in Yirmiyahu (34:13-14) say אָנֹכִ֗י כָּרַ֤תִּֽי בְרִית֙ אֶת־אֲב֣וֹתֵיכֶ֔ם בְּי֨וֹם הוֹצִאִ֤י אוֹתָם֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם מִבֵּ֥ית עֲבָדִ֖ים לֵאמֹֽר׃מִקֵּ֣ץ שֶׁ֣בַע שָׁנִ֡ים תְּֽשַׁלְּח֡וּ אִישׁ֩ אֶת־אָחִ֨יו הָעִבְרִ֜י אֲשֶֽׁר־יִמָּכֵ֣ר לְךָ֗ וַעֲבָֽדְךָ֙ שֵׁ֣שׁ שָׁנִ֔ים וְשִׁלַּחְתּ֥וֹ חׇפְשִׁ֖י מֵֽעִמָּ֑ךְ וְלֹֽא־שָׁמְע֤וּ אֲבֽוֹתֵיכֶם֙ אֵלַ֔י וְלֹ֥א הִטּ֖וּ אֶת־אׇזְנָֽם׃. We see that there is a bris forged at the time of leaving Egypt that one should send any slave that one own's to be freed in the year of shmittah. When did this bris happen? 

We see from other brisot that happened in the Torah such as bris milah and the bris at Har Sinai that it takes place with blood. The bris at yitzias mitzraim therefore, was the blood placed on the doorway. It was at this time that Hashem commanded not to keep an eved ivri forever because כי לי בני ישראל עבדים. It was at this time, at the time when G-d passed over the houses that a bris was made כי לי בני ישראל עבדים. (Based upon this article.) Why was this bris made then and what was its nature?

In the Haggadah we say a beracha at the end of Maggid על גאולתנו ועל פדיון נפשנו. What is the difference between גאולה and פדות? Rav Chayim explains that גאולה means a mere transfer of possession but פדות means an intrinsic change in the object. He says that in Egypt we were worked by the Egyptians but we also had the status of slaves. Geulah means that the bondage of slavery was broken, the servitude was negated. Yet that doesn't remove the status of slaves from Klal Yisrael. That is pedus. That is Hashem saying עבדי הם. That is what we say על גאולתנו for the negation of the actual work על פדיון נפשנו that our souls were saved, we were transferred from slaves of Pharaoh to servants of Hashem.

 

This idea of there being two types of freedom from the hands of the Egyptians in already found in the Gra. The Gra (Aderes Eliyahu Reah (13:6)) המוציא אתכם מארץ מצדים והפדך מבית עבדים. שב' גאולות היה ביציאת מצרים אחד בלילה והוא אתחלתא דגאולה שאמר משה לפרעה בלילה אם תרצה לפטור מיד מן המכות אמור להם בני חורין אתם. ולמחרת בעצם היום יצאו ממצרים ביד רמה ועל גאולת לילה היה פדיון של ישראל ממכת בכורו' כמ״ש כל בכוריהם הרגת ובכורך גאלת. וגאולה של יום הוא ביד רמה בחזקה לכך אמר המוציא אתכם ממצרים והוא ביום וזהו המוציא בעל כרחם. והפדך. הוא גאולת לילה שנתנו פדיון. וכן נאמר בישעיה הקצור קצרה ידי מפדות ואם אין בי כח להציל. ידי מפדות. הוא גאולה שע״י פדיון כמו במרדכי שניתן המן תחתיו. ובמצרים ניתנו בכוריהם תחת בכורי ישראל. לכך אמר לשון פדיון. ואם אין בו כח. הוא גאולה בלי פדיון. והוא ביד חזקה. It is clear from the Gra that the פדות took place at night, at the time of makkot bechorot. The גאולה took place during the day when Klal Yisrael actually walked out of Egypt. (The Gra is explaining the word pedus different than Rav Chayim, he is saying pedus means an exchange as opposed to geulah which means total redemption.) However, we see from the Gra that pedus is associated with the night and geulah with the day. In line with Rav Chayim that means that at night Klal Yisrael was taken out form the status of slaves to the Egyptians and entered into a bris with Hashem. The actual leaving of Egypt, the actual servitude itself only was entirely finished in the day. 

Rashi Yishayahu (43:3) supports the idea of the Gra that the pidyon took place at night. He says נתתי כפרך מצרים. והם היו לך לפדיון שבכוריהם מתו ואתה בני בכורי נצלת והייתם חייבים כליה כמו שנאמר (ביחזקאל כ׳:ח׳) ואומר לשפוך חמתי עליהם בארץ מצרים. It is during the night that the transfer from being slaves of Egypt to avadim of Hashem takes place. This is marked by the blood placed upon the doorpost which signified the bris of עבדי הם. 

That is why Klal Yisrael are given the mitzvot of milah and pesach. The Maharal explains that milah is the branding of Klal Yisrael as avadim to Hashem and pesach is the expression of that avdut by serving Hashem (see Gur Aryeh 12:6.) It was on the night of maakat bechorot that Klal Yisrael transferred from slaves of Egypt to servants of Hashem. (Mekoros from Yarech L'Moadim Pesach.)

 

It is also noteworthy that there were two steps to freedom. Everything could have taken place at night with Pharoah sending everyone out before further damage was done. However, that was not the case. Although בבהילו יצאנו ממצרים there was an order to how Klal Yisrael left. Hashem gave instructions exactly how the Pesach must be eaten with all of its laws and only the next day Klal Yisrael left during the daytime as is more apropos to travel. Everything has to be conducted כסדר. As Rav Yeruchem notes many times for anything to be successful there must be a סדר to it.

Drowned In Nature

למען שתי אתתי אלה בקרבו.  What does it mean אלה as if the makkot were in front of him when they were not?  

Pharaoh said (Shemot 5:2) מִ֤י י״י֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֶשְׁמַ֣ע בְּקֹל֔וֹ.  Pharaoh understood the G-d rooted in nature but that there could be a G-d that controls and manipulates nature he denied.  Pharaoh was hinting to this in his words, מי ה.  The name of אלקים has the same numerical value as הטבע.  It is the name of ה that represents the control of nature.  The puppet master, ה, is covered up in the guise of nature.  The name אלקים is made up of two words, אלה and מי.  The word מי means who, it is unknown, who done it?  The word אלה is these, it is open, revealed.  At first glance it looks like מי, nature functions by itself, but upon further examination there is אלה, there is someone behind it all.  Pharaoh said מי ה.  I recognize only מי but I don't see Hashem behind it.  That was the essence of מצרים, a contraction of the words מצר ים.  They placed a boundary around מי.  They were not able to see see beyond that. Hashem told Moshe that Pharaoh has to recognize the אלה that goes with the מי (see Meor Einayim.)  The power that controls the laws of nature that he is accustomed to have  Controller.  That is why the ultimate destruction of the Egyptians and salvation of the Jews occurs at קריעת ים סוף.  The Egyptians get stuck in the ים of מי, they can't see the paths that can opened up through the sea that is only available for those that recognize and acknowledge the One who runs nature.

Shining Through

 וְהָיָה֩ לְךָ֨ לְא֜וֹת עַל־יָדְךָ֗ וּלְזִכָּרוֹן֙ בֵּ֣ין עֵינֶ֔יךָ לְמַ֗עַן תִּהְיֶ֛ה תּוֹרַ֥ת י״י֖ בְּפִ֑יךָ כִּ֚י בְּיָ֣ד חֲזָקָ֔ה הוֹצִֽאֲךָ֥ י״י֖ מִמִּצְרָֽיִם.  What does tefillin have to do with Torah?  And what does that have anything to do with yitziat mitzraim?  And why say the Torah is in your mouth?  Tefillin gives one the ability that the נשמה should be able to have dominion over the body.  But more than just being able to control the animal instincts of a person, tefillin allows for the soul to express itself.  How does a person express themselves?  Via talking.  The person's ability for the soul to shine forth is present in speech which is the meeting point of רוחני  and גשמי.  That is why it is tefillin that allows for Torah, the ruchni to be able to come to fruition בפיך, in the Torah שבעל פה, in the interaction between a person's own physical being and Torah.  This idea was expressed in yitziat mitzraim where the ruchni took control over the gashmi world and transformed it.  This is what it means that in mitzriam the דעת or דיבור was in golut and it became redeemed.  As slaves, one has no self expression, there is no תורה בפיך, there was no unique Torah of the individual.  Yitziat mitzraim allowed for that to happen.  The tefillin allows the neshama of a person to shine through (Sfas Emes 5635 and other years.)   

Soul Emerging

Why do we have so many mitzvot to commemorate leaving Egypt?  Why is it such a central point of our avodah?  What does it have to do with Rosh Chodesh Shvat which fell out this week?   

Rav Tzaddok in Pri Tzaddik (Vaeschanan 5) explains וענין של זכרון יציאת מצרים שהוזהרו עלי' כמה פעמים הוא כדי שלא יפול האדם בעצמו אחרי שיחשוב וידע נגעי לבבו ושלא יתייאש ח"ו ע"ז בא זכירת יציאת מצרים שאף שהיו משוקעים שם בקליפה כ"כ כעובר בבטן אמו מ"מ הוציא ה' אותנו משם וכן יעזור השי"ת לכל מי שירצה לשוב באמת.  He continues to explain that is why Hashem says אנכי ה אלקיך and not אשר בראתי שמים וארץ.  Rav Tzaddok (Or Zarua L'tzaddik #1) views this not as a commandment (for this is no command,) but rather as a description of the natural emunah, the natural faith and connection one has to Hashem.  That is proven at yitziat mitzraim, not from the creation of the world.  One is always connected to Hashem, ה אלקיך even if one is found in the tumah of Egypt.  This supreme connection was established during yitziat mitzraim.  How?  Rav Tzaddok writes in Likktay Maamarim (#11, 16) that until yitziat mitzraim the kedusha of Kal Yisroel was because of their relationship to the Avos.  They were a nation apart but not every individual stood out as unique.  Those that left Egypt did so despite the fact that they were up to their necks in Egyptian culture, הללו עובד ע"ז והללו, לקחת לו גוי מקרב גוי means that spiritually the Jews were not much better off.  That is only possible because innately there is a connection to Hashem that was not severed.  That is the yesod of yitzias mitzraim.  This is the message of Shevat.  Despite the cold and bleak look, the trees start awakening and a new season of blossoms and fruits emerges.  The fruitfulness of the soul which is covered by snow and ice, cold and gloomy can always stir and emerge free from the bondages it finds itself in.

Pesach Of Conversion

Rashi Behalscha (9:14) says וכי יגור ועשה פסח – יכול כל המתגייר יעשה פסח מיד? תלמוד לומר: חקה אחת וגו׳. אלא כך משמעו: כי יגור גר ועשה פסח, ובא עת לעשות פסח עם חבריו,א כחקה וכמשפט יעשה.  Rashi in Bo (12:48) says ועשה פסח – יכול כל המתגייר יעשה פסח מיד, תלמוד לומר: והיה כאזרח הארץ – מה אזרח בארבעה עשר, אף גר בארבעה עשר.  Why is there a הוא אמינא that one who becomes a convert must offer a pesach immediately?  

To answer this question we will ask another question.  Rashi (12:6) says one of the mitzvot given to Klal Yisroel so they would have a merit to leave Egypt was the mitzvah of milah.  Why is there a need for a new commandment of milah if this commandment existed from the time of Avraham?  The milah wasn't given as the mitzvah of milah for Klal Yisroel, it was given as part of the process of a concert.  One of the processes one must go through to become a convert is milah.  That is how the Gemorah Kresus (9a) learns the obligation of milah in conversion (in one opinion) from here. In this vein we can understand that just as the milah was the milah of gerut, so too the korban pesach offering was not just for the pesach obligation but was also part of the gerut process of Klal Yisorel and I may very well think every convert will have to offer a pesach (Harrerey Kedem siman 57, see also Birchat Yitzchak (R' Gnack.))  What still needs to be explained is why Rashi have a derash to exclude from this הוא אמינא  twice and why do I need two derashot?

Tefillin Transforms You

The midrash Tehillim (1:17) says ר' אליעזר אומר אמרו ישראל לפני הקב"ה רבונו של עולם רוצין אנו ליגע בתורה יום ולילה אבל אין לנו פנאי. אמר להם הקב"ה קיימו מצות תפילין ומעלה אני עליכם כאילו אתם יגעים בתורה יומם ולילה. ר' יוחנן אמר מהדא מלה (שמות יג ט) והיה לך לאות על ידך ולזכרון בין עיניך.  How is wearing tefillin considered like learning Torah?   

Rav Hirsch explains that the parsha of tefillin is part of the response to the question of the son. והיה לך וגו׳ – פסוק זה והבא אחריו נראים כחלק מדברי האב אל בנו.זכירת הגאולה הזאת אינה אמורה להיות חגיגת זיכרון גרידא. אלא עליך להכיר שאת כל חירותך של עכשיו, חייב אתה אך ורק לידו החזקה של ה׳, ולכן אתה נמצא ברשותו בכל הווייתך.  Every year we have a holiday of Pesach to remember our freedom and every act of putting on tefillin is a mini Pesach for the day.  The possuk says וְהָיָה֩ לְךָ֨ לְא֜וֹת עַל־יָדְךָ֗ וּלְזִכָּרוֹן֙ בֵּ֣ין עֵינֶ֔יךָ לְמַ֗עַן תִּהְיֶ֛ה תּוֹרַ֥ת י״י֖ בְּפִ֑יךָ.  How does it lead to תורת ה' בפיך?   Rav Hirsch explains: הלא דבר הוא מה שנאמר ליהושע: ״לֹא־יָמוּשׁ סֵפֶר הַתּוֹרָה הַזֶּה מִפִּיךָ״ (יהושע א, ח). המילה הכתובה נועדה להזכירך תמיד מחדש את מה שהופקד בפיך. גם הלומד לעצמו, עליו להשמיע בקול את דבר ה׳ בעת שהוא קורא אותו (עירובין נד.), כדי שיוכל להטביע את רושם תורת ה׳ בלבו באמצעות המילה החיה. על כל אחד להיות מבשרה של התורה לעצמו; התורה תמצא את דרכה אל תוך נפשו דרך פיו.  

The question of the midrash Tehillim assumes that there are manly needs and then there are separate "G-dly needs."  The two are a contradiction.  I have my desires and then there are the desires of Hashem and it a war to get them to meet.  The tefillin help align these two opposites together.  By experiencing a mini Pesach every day we remind ourselves that we are are free and what Hashem free us for.  When a person internalizes this message, it becomes תּוֹרַ֥ת י״י֖ בְּפִ֑יךָ, the Torah imbues the innards of the person  and the person's desires become Torah desires.  Then everything one does is for the sake of Torah.  (See Mizmor L'todah of Rav Dovid Cohen.)  The possuk ends כִּ֚י בְּיָ֣ד חֲזָקָ֔ה הוֹצִֽאֲךָ֥ י״י֖ מִמִּצְרָֽיִם.  According to the Nitziv the possuk is explaining why we need the tefillin, why we need a daily Pesach.  The Nitziv explains שלא תתפלא למה הצריכנו הקב״ה כל כך מצוות ותחבולות לבטחון ואמונה בהשגחתו יתברך, על זה נותן טעם, משום שהנך רואה ויודע שדבר זה אינו מתקבל ברצון לפניך, עד שבעל כרחך היינו ע״י מכת הדבר שהוא ״ביד חזקה״ הוציאך ה׳, והיינו משום שלא היו נוחים לקבל על עצמם השגחתו יתברך.  It is not natural to accept Hashem's will, it requires a יד חזקה, it requires a tremendous עבודה and the tefillin aids in that job.  

Transformed Darkness

The Abarbanel points out that the last three makot all were forms of darkness, the makah of חשך is obvious, the locust blackened the earth and maakat bechorot took place at night.  Why is it significant that all the final maakot took place at night?  In addition, the actual leaving of Egypt took place at night, yet it was light like day (see Tehillim 139:12 and Zohar Bo 38a,) why?

Light is when things are clear; a person can see and has confidence.  Darkness is the time of mystery, lack of vision and fear.  The simple understanding would be that the golus is darkness and the geulah is light.  The message of the preparation for the geulah is that the darkness is also part of the geulah.  The message of לילה כיום יאיר, the darkness lighting up is that the darkness is transformed into light.  The maakot that culminate into the geulah process take place under the veil of darkness to demonstrate that the darkness leads to the geulah.  It is not the peshat that there is golus shrouded in darkness and then there is the light of geulah and they are two distinct existences, rather the golus is a component of the geulah.  לא אמרתי אלא בשעה שיש צה ומרור לפניך.  The marror is also part of the story of the geulah. [From an essay of Rav Yehoshua Shapiro.]

Two Facets Of Tefillin

The Rambam in Laws of Tefillin (4:25) says קְדֻשַּׁת תְּפִלִּין קְדֻשָּׁתָן גְּדוֹלָה הִיא. שֶׁכָּל זְמַן שֶׁהַתְּפִלִּין בְּרֹאשׁוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם וְעַל זְרוֹעוֹ הוּא עָנָו וִירֵא שָׁמַיִם וְאֵינוֹ נִמְשָׁךְ בִּשְׂחוֹק וּבְשִׂיחָה בְּטֵלָה וְאֵינוֹ מְהַרְהֵר מַחֲשָׁבוֹת רָעוֹת אֶלָּא מְפַנֶּה לִבּוֹ בְּדִבְרֵי הָאֱמֶת וְהַצֶּדֶק. לְפִיכָךְ צָרִיךְ אָדָם לְהִשְׁתַּדֵּל לִהְיוֹתָן עָלָיו כָּל הַיּוֹם שֶׁמִּצְוָתָן כָּךְ הִיא. אָמְרוּ עָלָיו עַל רַב תַּלְמִידוֹ שֶׁל רַבֵּנוּ הַקָּדוֹשׁ שֶׁכָּל יָמָיו לֹא רָאוּהוּ שֶׁהָלַךְ אַרְבַּע אַמּוֹת בְּלֹא תּוֹרָה אוֹ בְּלֹא צִיצִית אוֹ בְּלֹא תְּפִלִּין:  The Rambam seems to be giving a reason why one should wear tefillin all day long.  Why is any explanation necessary; that is the mitzvah?  There are mitzvot that one does in one action like taking a lulav, blowing shofar etc. but then there are mitzvot that are constant like the mitzvah of loving and fearing G-d.  The mitzvah of tefillin is in the second category; it applies all day, so why does the Rambam need to add a reason that tefillin on a person leads to יראת שמים?  Rav Solovetchik explains that there are two aspects to the mitzvah of tefillin.  There is the fulfillment of placing tefillin of one's body.  There is a second fulfillment to the mitzvah and that is the person becomes sanctified by the tefillin being on him.  The idea of this second aspect is understood from the possuk in Ki Savo (28:10)  וראו כל עמי הארץ כי שם ה' נקרא עליך ויראו ממך and the Gemorah Menachos (35b) explains תניא ר"א הגדול אומר אלו תפילין שבראש.  The tefillin affect a change in the person that is recognizable even to outsiders that there are תפילין שבראש, in the person.  These two fulfillment's are reflected in the two berachos that one says on the tefillin according to Rabbenu Tam.  The first beracha, להניח is on the fulfillment of placing tefillin on one's arm.  The second beracha, כל מצות תפילין which goes on the head tefillin is another beracha for the additional fulfillment of adorning the individual with tefillin.
With this idea, he explains the aforementioned Rambam.  The Rambam held had tefillin been a mitzvah just to put tefillin on one's body then the mitzvah would be just to to the action once a day.  It is the second aspect of the mitzvah, the fulfillment in the person that makes it a mitzvah to be adorned all day long.  That is the explanation of the reason the Rambam gives for it being a all day mitzvah.  The Rambam is describing the affect tefillin has on the individual and that's what transforms the mitzvah into a all day mitzvah (שעורים לזכר אבא מרי volume 1 pg. 180-181 בענין קריה"ת בשבת שני וחמישי.) 

The Holy Donkey

A few points on the פטר חמור.
The Seforno learns the question of the son, מה זאת isn't referring to the story of יציאת מצרים as the haggadah takes it to mean, rather its a question on the mitzvah of פטר חמור.  Of course, this fits better in the juxtaposition of the pessukim.  In his words: מה זאת – פדיון פטר חמור, שהוא בהמה טמאה ולא תחול עליה קדושת הגוף, ועריפת פטר חמור אם לא תפדה. בחזק יד הוציאנו ה׳ ממצרים – בחוזק ידם של מצרים הוציאנו ה׳, כאמרו ״ותחזק מצרים על העם״ (שמות י״ב:ל״ג), באופן שלא יכולנו לשאת נכסינו בעגלות כמנהג מצרים, והוצרכנו לשאת בחמורים, ונעשה בהם נס שהספיקו לזה בכמו רגע, וחלה עליהם איזו קדושה ראויה לפדיון.

Rashi says פטר חמור – ולא פטר שאר בהמה טמאה. גזירת הכתוב היא, לפי שנמשלו בכורי מצרים בחמורים, ועוד שסייעו לישראל ביציאתם ממצרים, שאין לך אחד מישראל שלא נשא עמו הרבה חמורים טעונים מכספה וזהבה של מצרים.  What does this mean, if its a גזירת הכתוב, then why add reasons?

Rashi explains the reason for עריפת פטר חמור that הוא הפסיד ממונו של כהן, לפיכך יופסד ממונו.  What money did he lose, he didn't get the שה in its place yet?  In Likutay Sichos volume 36, the Rebbe says we see that Rashi holds that the kohan is considered to have a זכות in the donkey at least according to the amount of the שה that would be needed to redeem it.  According to this, it should come out that the פדיון of the sheep is because of the ownership the kohan has over the donkey.  The Meshech Chachma here on the possuk assumes these mitzvot applied immediately and wonders since the kohanim didn't gain there kedusha yet, what did one do with the שה of the פדיון?  He says one would just do the פדיון and then eat the sheep.  It is clear according to him that the mitzvah of the פדיון has nothing to do with the rights of the kohan in the donkey. 

Rav Kook sees in the kedusha of the donkey a message for our generation (Letters volume 2 #555.)

Redeemed By Our Forefathers

The parsha opens בֹּ֖א אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֑ה כִּֽי־אֲנִ֞י הִכְבַּ֤דְתִּי אֶת־לִבּוֹ֙ וְאֶת־לֵ֣ב עֲבָדָ֔יו לְמַ֗עַן שִׁתִ֛י אֹֽתֹתַ֥י אֵ֖לֶּה בְּקִרְבּֽוֹ: וּלְמַ֡עַן תְּסַפֵּר֩ בְּאָזְנֵ֨י בִנְךָ֜ וּבֶן־בִּנְךָ֗ אֵ֣ת אֲשֶׁ֤ר הִתְעַלַּ֨לְתִּי֙ בְּמִצְרַ֔יִם וְאֶת־אֹֽתֹתַ֖י אֲשֶׁר־שַׂ֣מְתִּי בָ֑ם.  Why is hardening Pharoh's heart a reason to go to him, he won't listen anyway?  And is there any connection between Pharoh experiencing such events and Klal Yisroel saying it over to their kids?   The Eretz Tzvi says that the possuk means that Hashem was telling Moshe, I could make Pharoh let you go but then it wouldn't be engraved in him the impact of the maakos.  The ten maakos affected the ten depths of the soul (he cites from the Ran the idea of ten levels of the soul.)  It is only through their affect that it will be implanted בְּקִרְבּֽוֹ, inside Pharoh.  Conversely, since the maakos are a refuah for Klal Yisroel, the effect of the maakos become embedded inside Klal Yisroel and it will perpetuated for future generations.

The Shem M'Shmuel in parshas Shemos explains how the three signs God gave to Moses of his hand developing צרעת, the staff turning into a snake and the water to blood correspond to the three Avos for the merit of the redemption stems from our connection to the Avos and Moshe doubted if we till held onto that chain.  It is well known in the name of the Arizal that had we stayed in Egypt any longer we would have sunk into the 50^th gate of impurity and wouldn't be able to get out of Egypt.  Why is that a problem, Hashem can do anything?  The Rambam writes at the end of Ch. 1 of the Laws of Avodah Zarah that had God not taken us out of Egypt, we would have become idol worshipers.  Our connection to the Avos would have been broken.  The 50^th gate of impurity = no more connection to Avos = no merit for redemption.  Yes, Hashem could've taken us out, but then we wouldn't be the children of the Avos, we would be a new nation having to find its own identity.  The maakos removed the rust of the years in Egypt and allowed the blood of the Avos to run freely through our veins.  Rav Tzaddok indeed says that the aggudot azov made up of three stalks represents the merit of the three Avos used to surround our doorposts with blood in order to protect us.  Even if we didn't feel the blood of the Avos within our veins, it still surrounded and protected us.  It is that "blood" which is passed down to the future generations.  

Our connection to the Avos isn't merely a blood relationship, our relationship to God is inherited from them.  The Tanya in Ch. 18 says that אהבת ה ויראת ה became part of the DNA makeup of the Avos so it was passed to all future generations as well.  It is that relationship ultimately that pulled us out of Egypt and we pass down as we recount the Pesach story every year.

New Time

Why is kiddush hachodesh the first mitzvah given to Klal Yisroel?  The Gemorah says that there are ten utterances used by G-d in creation. The Gemorah asks but it only says ויאמר 9 times in the creation story.  It answers בראשית also refers to a creation (Rosh Hashana 32a.)  What was created with the word בראשית?  The Siddur Eshai Yisroel in the Siach Yitzchak on ברוך עושה בראשית in ברוך שאמר it says that time was created with the word בראשית.  He says that is the meaning of עושה בראשית; the One who created time itself.
The events of the exodus were a second form of creation.  There was the creation of the world which runs based upon the rules and principles of טבע.  This creation is celebrated on Rosh Hashana, in Tishray, the beginning of the world.  That was the first creation.  In the Exodus a second form of creation emerged.  This creation is the creation dominated by the rules of Torah.  In this creation, the world is run with miracles and the rules of nature are broken for the need of Torah.  This creation is celebrated in Nissan, through the mitzvah of kiddush hachodesh.  In this creation Klal Yisroel is given control over the month to rule it based upon the rules of the second creation, based upon the rules of Torah.  We aren't celebrating the existence of the moon, rather our control over it. (As in the Yerushalmi Ketuvot 4a about בתוליה חוזרין.)  [Based upon Rav Yitzchak Eizek Chaver and Mizmor L'Dovid.]

Just Believe

From המשיח by Rabbi Yaakov Immanuel Schochet zatzal.

Add also the Rosh on Parshas Bo:
יש לשאול מ"ש שמתו כל הרשעים בתוך ג' ימי אפלה ודתן ואבירם לא מתו שהיו רשעים גמורים. י"ל אע"פי שהיו רשעים לא נתייאשו מן הגאולה

Checking

Rashi Bo (12:6) brings the derash of the Michelta that the passover lamb was chosen four days in advance so that Bnei Yisroel would have the merit of the Pesach (see Sifsei Chachamim.)  However, there is also the opinion of Ben Bag Bag that learns a gezerah shavah from the word mishmeres that even the korban tammid had to be taken four days in advance.  Rashi Pesachim 96a explains that according to Ben Bag Bag the korban had to be checked every of one the four days to ensure that it didn’t have a blemish that would disqualify it.  The Rambam (Temmidin 1:9) understands that its enough to check it at the beginning of the four days and at the end.  Minchas Avrohom (Minachos 49b) explains that Rashi holds the din of the four days tells us that there is an obligation to check for blemishes for all of these days.  The Rambam understands that the din is to watch the korban for four days but there is no obligation of checking.

The Or Zarua raises the question is this law of checking for four days מעכב.  Tosfot Sukkah 42a understands that the law of checking for four days is מעכב based upon the Tosefta that says if one slaughters a tammid that isn’t checked on Shabbot there it is considered a violation of Shabbot.  In the commentary on the Michelta, the Har Efraim wants to knock off the proof.  He says there are two separate dinim in checking a korban.  There is a din to check right before sacrificing it (Tammid 3:4.)  That law is מעכב, it’s an obligation of the korban.  There is another law to check for four days in advance.  That law is an obligation on the person, a חובת הגברא and won’t be מעכב.  The Toras Kohanim Ch. 3 says if one slaughtered the tammid without checking it then another one must be brought.  It is clear from the commentary of the Rosh that the korban becomes completely disqualified.  The Briskor Rav (parshas Vayikra) asks why should the korban be disqualified, why is it different from any korban tzibbur which has a pasul that it is offered as a voluntary offering, why is it completely passul over here?  According to this principle of the Har Efraim the Toras Kohanim is referring to a tammid that was slaughtered before ascertaining that it doesn’t have a blemish and hence has the status of an animal that is a בעל מום.  This second din to check before right before the korban is offered applies to all korbanot and therefore the korban isn’t fit even for a voluntary offering.  Based upon this we understand why Rashi in Eruvin 103a says that all korbanot tzibbur were checked for blemishes.  He’s not referring to the checking four days in advance, rather to the checking that must be done right before the korban is offered (that is also the implication of Rashi Menachos 49b, see Bais Haotzer letter ב, klal 12.)

The Minchas Chinuch (5:2) asks why the Rambam leaves out the law that the korban pesach needs to be checked four days in advance and the Achronim give various answers. 

Why is it that the pesach and tammid need an additional level of checking?  Pesach is the korban that we offered when we started to become a nation.  The tammid is the first korban offered in the day.  The lesson is that when starting out in an endeavor, project or anything else, one must do a thorough checking to make sure every last, final detail is right.

All Coming Together

This is  an incomplete idea that needs more work.  Maybe the Russian hackers/robots that do most of this blog's reading can be of help.

The Sefer Yitzira says that the ברית הלשון וברית המעור are dependent on each other.  What is the connection?  The kabbalists teach that פסח is פה – סח, in golus mitzraim speech was in exile and it got redeemed through leaving Egypt.  What does this mean?  Why is milah the mitzvah that precedes the parsha of negaim?  Why is there a law that an ערל can’t eat from the korban pesach?

We explained  here and here, that speech is a reflective of the צורת האדם, the force that binds all the capabilities of an individual together.  The servitude that Klal Yisroel was subjected to indicated that they lost their צורת האדם.  The geulah came to perfect the צורה and that is the geulah of the tongue. 

Milah also reflects the צורת האדם.  Milah is associated with the sephira of yesod (see the Patach Eliyahu in the beginning of your Sephardic Siddur.)  Yesod is the sephira that binds all of the other middot together.  The milah is the tikkun of the yesod which binds all the middot of a person together.  The mitzvah of milah is a reflection in the body of the צורת האדם.

As we discussed over here, the rules of the korban pesach reflect the concept of unification.  The korban pesach was the offering that transformed Klal Yisroel into a nation.  As we explained here, the Exodus served as the birth of Klal Yisroel.  The 12 tribes became 1 nation.  Therefore, this theme was reflected in the korban pesach.  It is the korban pesach that reflects the צורת העם, it functions to bring everyone together.  In order for the pesach to serve as the glue to bind everyone together, the pieces themselves had to be complete.  It is only a person who has a milah, whose own self is bound together that can participate in the korban pesach to bind everyone together. (See Shem M’Shmuel Haggadah that explains the milah aspect differently.)

Nature Or Marvel

There is a story of a stone that was found, and it seemed to have great power.  The scientists of the day couln’t identify it and it was sent to the Gaon.  He identified it as the סנפרינון mentioned in Chazal.  With this information in hand, someone wanted to say that he know understood how  קריעת ים סוף occurred.  Rashi (17:6) cites the midrash that the staff of Moshe was made of סנפרינון and therefore, he was able to cut his way through the water.  And with this argument he denied the miracle of קריעת ים סוף.  The Gaon said that’s why the possuk says (14:16) נטה את ידך על הים, the sea was split via the hand of Moshe, not with the staff (the story is cited in Rav Eleyahu Baruch, see what he isמדקדק  on it.)  It seems from this story that the Gaon held that it is important to view the splitting of the sea as a miracle, a supernatural event and minimizing the miracle is denying the validity of the Torah. 

It seems that the Baal Shem Tov had a different approach.  There is a story quoted in Baal Shem Tov on the Torah that there was once a person gong around claiming based upon his knowledge of science it made sense for the sea to split just as Klal Yisroel were walking through.  The Baal Shem Tov heard he was coming to town and he gathered all the townspeople into the shul.  He then proclaimed that it is Hashem who sets up the conditions of nature.  If it was natural for the sea to split specifically at that time, its because Hashem built into creation that the sea should be ready to split for Klal Yisroel.  The miracle of קריעת ים סוף is that Hashem set up nature for Klal Yisroel.  The Baal Shem Tov doesn’t view קריעת ים סוף being a natural occurrence as taking away from the miracle; it itself is (the greatest) miracle. 

The Baal Shem Tov is reminiscent of the Ramban at the end of Bo.  The Ramban asks why is yitzias mitzraim stresses so much in our religion, shabbos and yom tov are connected etc.?  He explains that the open miracles that occurred during that time serve as an indicator of the constant hashgacha that there is on the world.  “From the open miracles we can derive the hidden miracles.”  The point isn’t open miracles, but to recognize Hashem’s constant control of our life.  [This Ramban is a favorite of Rav Sacks, Rosh Yeshiva of Landers, he holds it is fundamental to our faith, hence he quotes it often and told his children to memorize it.]

I don’t what to make about this מחלוקת.  Any ideas?
Update: The Rebbe has a letter printed in the back of Likutay Sichos volume 31 where he believes this teaching of the Baal Shem Tov wasn't written correctly.  As we know, the Baal Shem Tov spoke in yiddish and sometimes the translators didn't translate properly.  As my father pointed out to me, this debate about how to view miracles already exists in the Rishonim and the view of Chassidim is normally to assume that miracles are indeed miracles.  

The Choice of Non-Humans

A couple of week's ago, here we discussed how one could learn from frogs if they presumably don't have bechira.  My father shlita has a post here about this same idea focused on last week's parsha.  Chazal say the dogs were rewarded for not barking at Klal Yisroel as they exited Egypt by receiving the meat of a trefa animal.  How could dogs be rewarded if they didn't have a choice in there actions?  Rashi cites Unklus that translated (14:8) נערמו מים as לשון ערמימות, the water tricked the Egyptians to enter into it.  Does water have a brain to trick the Egyptians?  Rav Shwab on the verse in this week's parsha tackles many of maamarei Chazal of this ilk with the same yesod.  There were two creations that happened in Berashis.  There was the individual creation of each item, and there was the creation of it all coming together to form a world.  When each item specifically was created, it had a form of intelligence.  However, when all was complete and done, there was the unit of the world created with the different levels of דצמ"ח.  At a time of a נס, the collective order of the world, nature is broken and everything reverts back to its original form of having intelligence.  It is at such a time that Chazal attribute decisions and intelligence to non-humans.

Darkness of Light

See here the midrash where Rav Yehuda and Rav Nechemia argue if the חושך that made up מכת חושך was from a place of great spirituality, or from gehennim.  What is the debate about?  There are two kinds of darkness, there is a darkness where there is no light, there is a lack of any spiritual light.  However, there is another type of darkness, there isn't a lack of light, rather the light is too great to be seen (we discussed this idea here.)  The Tannaim are arguing what light struck the Egyptians, were they opened up to the darkness of their deeds, the darkness of gehennim or possibly Hashem shone upon them a great light that was beyond their capability to see.

The Abarbenel makes an interesting point which he uses to explain why the makkos in our parsha go together and are different from the previous seven.  "And the second reason is that the plague of locusts, the plague of darkness, and the plague of the killing of the firstborn all come from the air; and all darkness the earth.  By the plague of locusts, it states, "And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the borders of Egypt; very grievous were they; before them there were no such locusts as they, neither after them shall be such.  For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened."  By the plague of darkness, it states, "And there was darkness over all the land of Egypt."  By the plague of the first-born, it states, "It was in the middle of the night" – "He placed them in darkness, like the eternally dead (paraphrasing Eikha 3:6)."  For this reason, the Torah grouped the last three parashiyot together in a separate parasha." [From here, see his explanation for the significance of the darkness.]

Based upon the midrash we can understand that the darkness is a heightened level of גלוי אלוקות.  The last plagues were the greatest healing for Klal Yisroel, they were electric shocks of 

גלוי אלוקות.  The darkness wasn't a darkness of a lack of light, it was a light which was too great to be handled by the Egptians.  That's why the Abarbenel finds it important to point out the darkness in the final three plagues for it reflects the greatest light.