Where Is It

The Daas Zekanim (14:2) asks how can Hashem tell Moshe לפני בעל צפון נכחו תחנו על הים if the Gemorah Sanhedrin (63b) says one can't give the place of somethnig by using an avodah zarah?  נכחו תחנו. תמה להרב רבי יהודה היאך אמר לו שיחנו על הים לפני בעל צפון והא אמרינן אסור לאדם לומר לחבירו המתן לי בצד ע"ז פלונית צ"ע. ולי נראה דדוקא לאדם אבל להקב"ה לא שהרי מצינו שהקב"ה יושב ודן את כל העולם אפילו בשבת ואפילו בר"ה ויום הכפורים אע"פ שלישראל אסור (וכה"ג כתב רש"י ז"ל בר"ה (דף ל' ע"א) ד"ה א"נ דאבני בליליא וכו' ה"מ בנין בני אדם וכו' יע"ש). ועוד נ"ל דעדיין לא נתנה התורה אין לחוש אע"פ שכבר הוא כתובה ומונחת לפני הקב"ה:  

The question is difficult as the Or Sameach Laws of Avodah Zarah points out the Gemorah itself says that an avodah zarah mentioned in the Torah one can mention the name of the avodah zarah?  If one looks carefully at the Gemorah the Gemorah says that heter is for mentioning the name of an avodah zarah but not regarding using an avodah zarah to indicate a place which the Daas Zekanim may have held is still forbidden.  

The first answr that hashem doesn't have to keep the laws is also difficult as the Midrash Shemos (30:9) says Hashem only commands what He keeps?  See discussion about that in the torah forum. 

Sally Forth

דבר אל בני ישראל ויסעו.  Why did Klal Yisroel have to take a step of their own if the entire process of geulah was a sit back and watch process?  What is the message of the debate between the 4 groups in Klal Yisroel if to return to Egypt, to drown, to daven or to fight?  And what is the answer, a fifth option, to go forth?  The Yam Suf represents the G-dliness that is covered over in the world.  The water covering the path to freedom is concealed and hidden.  This represents the G-dliness that is covered over by the external experience of the world.  The debate that existed between the various sections in Klal Yisroel was how to deal with the battle that exists between the world and the Power behind it.  Some said one must drown themselves in the sea, in the sea of Torah and purity to stay above the world.  Others said that is not possible, lets admit defeat and go back to Egypt.  Some said its in the hands of G-d and lets daven and yet others said we must fight against the great cover up of the world.  Hashem said that when one is on a journey to Mattan Torah, nothing else must stand in the way, go forward.  With all the problems that exist externally and internally of a person, you must still sally forth on your own.  In order to get out of the quagmire of Egypt, it was necessary to be pulled out miraculously.  However, for the end of the geulah to happen, to finally be free of Egypt, it was necessary to take all of one's problems, failures and quandaries and just move forward.  This allows for one to see that all of the makeup of the eprosn is not a defect but can become part of illuminating the world (based upon Torat Menachem 5722.)   

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.)   

Be Happy

From the sefer Derech Tzaddikim (its also in Siach Sarfey Kodesh ענינים שונים - שמחה.) 

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?