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.]

Lice

Before the plague of ערב,  Moshe warns Pharaoh וְשַׂמְתִּי פְדֻת בֵּין עַמִּי וּבֵין עַמֶּךָ לְמָחָר יִהְיֶה הָאֹת הַזֶּה. As mentioned on this blog last year there is a debate in the Rishonim was this separation between between Klal Yisroel and the Egyptians only introduced in the fourth plague or existed by the first three plagues as well.  The Ramban explains all the plagues didn't affect Klal Yisroel but only regarding the wild beasts which naturally would spread throughout the entire land, the Torah needs to emphasize that they didn't enter the land of Klal Yisroel.
The Mishna in Avos (5:4) says עשרה נסים נעשו לאבותינו במצרים.  The Rambam explains the miracles are that Klal Yisroel was saved from the plagues.  He shows that for every plague it is at least מדיוק in in the possuk that it wasn't affecting Klal Yisroel except for the plague of כינים.  For that we must rely upon the tradition of Chazal that it didn't affect Klal Yisroel that it didn't harm Klal Yisroel however, he says the lice were among Klal Yisroel.  In his words: לשון התורה בכל מכה ומכה מהם שהביא הקב"ה על המצריים מלבד מכת הכנים שלא באר זה אלא שהוא ידוע שלא ענש ישראל אבל היו נמצאים אצלם ולא היו מצערים אותם וכן בארו החכמים.  This would argue with the Ramban that says all of the first three plagues didn't enter the land of the Jews.  However, the opinion of Rambam needs an explanation; why would the lice be found where Klal Yisroel lived if they weren't affected by any of the plagues?
We see that there are two aspects to the plagues of the lice.  One aspect was if one's body becomes attacked by lice it hurts.  However, there was another aspect as well.  Many of the Rishonim explain that the lice covered the entire country of Egypt.  There wasn't an inch of land that was lice free.  According to one interpretation of the Chizkuni, that's why the sorcerers couldn't reproduce the plague.  In order to tap into their magic powers they had to be attached to the ground and they couldn't because there was lice crawling over every inch of turf.  דבר אחר: ולא יכלו – לפי שכל עפר הארץ היה כנים ולא היו רגליהם נוגעות לארץ וכל זמן שרגליו של מכשף אין נוגעות אין כשופו מצליח.  This aspect of the plague wasn't meant as a punishment to the Egyptians, rather to Egypt.  They were being separated from the land itself to demonstrate that they aren't even in control of where their feet are standing.  This message of detachment from the land was meant for Klal Yisroel as well.  You aren't attached to the land under your feet, this isn't Jerusalem, its Berlin , I mean Goshen and you don't belong here.  You will be taken out of this land and brought to where you belong.  Don't feel settled here.

Another explanation from the אזנים לתורה:

Makkos Of Chesed

The end of last week's parsha ends with Moshe asking a question of why things got worse and our parsha opens with Hashem telling Moshe how the Avos never complained despite the fact that they didn't see promises fulfilled, yet Moshe is complaining.  That may be, but why not answer the question?  Furthermore, the possuk opens with the name of דין, אלקים and concludes with the name of 'רחמים, אני ה, why switch in the middle?
The fist piece in the Maggid on this week's parsha in Or Torah sheds light on these questions.  The following is based upon what he says.  The answer Hashem was alluding to Moshe is that  the strengthening of the servitude is necessary to expedite the exodus.  That which appears to be דין is really חסד.  That is why the name of דין and רחמים are found in the same possuk for the דין leads to רחמים.  In order for the world to be able to exist there was must a הגבלה on the chesed so that the world wouldn't become enveloped completely in the אור א"ס.  Hashem tells Moshe until now that was the הנהגה of the world.  That is the הנהגה of שקי, שאמר לעולמו די.  However, for the Exodus to occur, the rules will be broken and there will be a התגלות של שם הויה.  What does that mean?  The makkos weren't acts of דין meant to break the Egyptians, they were brought about by a revelation of chesed.  How could a revelation if chesed bring about such destruction?  Because one must be on the right frequency to be in order to be able to receive the chesed of Hashem.  If one isn't capable of receiving the chesed then the great potential that Hashem is extending forth turns into destruction.
The possuk in Tehillim (94:1) says קל נקמות ה קל נקמות הופיע.  The Baal Shem Tov translates, Hashem is the G-d of vengeance by revealing Himself.  It is the revelation of Hashem, a tremendous act of chesed that wreaks havoc on those that aren't fit to receive such light.  It is akin to a person that has been sitting in a dark room that suddenly receives a tremendous light where instead of seeing now, s/he becomes blind.       
The Zohar in Bo (36a) says תָּנָא רִבִּי חִזְקִיָּה, כְּתִיב, (ישעיהו י״ט:כ״ב) וְנָגַף יְיָ' אֶת מִצְרַיִם נָגוֹף וְרָפֹא. נָגוֹף לְמִצְרַיִם, וְרָפֹא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל.  I understand that the plagues afflicted the Egyptians and not the Jews but what does it mean that it was a רפואה for Klal Yisroel?  Because the plagues were actually a light of God that one had to be able to receive, if one is able to, it is a רפואה, if not, its a מכה.  A similar thing will occur in the future according to Chazal in Nedarim (8b) הקב"ה מוציא חמה מנרתיקה – צדיקים מתרפאין בה ורשעים נידונין בה.

Three Pessukim Of פדות

The possuk (8:19) says: וְשַׂמְתִּ֣י פְדֻ֔ת בֵּ֥ין עַמִּ֖י וּבֵ֣ין עַמֶּ֑ךָ לְמָחָ֥ר יִהְיֶ֖ה הָאֹ֥ת הַזֶּֽה.  The Baal Haturim notes ג׳ במסורה דין חסר וב׳ מלאים – פדות שלח לעמו. והרבה עמו פדות כי זה לא היה פדות שלם אלא מפני הערוב. אבל כשיצאו ממצרים היה שלם, וזהו פדות שלח לעמו, ולעתיד הרבה עמו פדות ויהיה גאולה שלימה.  We see that the letter 'ו is connected with the final geulah.  It is missing here for it wasn't the final geulah. This point has been discussed on this blog previously here and here.  The Ben Eish Chai in his intro. to year 2 on this week's parsha gives a different explanation which you can read here.
The Belzor Rav (Yissocher Dov) gave a different explanation of the Baal Haturim.  He understands the different pessukim are different levels of golus and there are corresponding different levels of geulah.  Golus from Mitzraim requires a small פדת.  If one is in golus by another Jew than a greater geulah, פדות is required. If one is in the golus of his own mind or body that is the greatest golus and requires הרבה פדות.

Until What Age Are You A Kid?

From מגד גבעות עולם ח"ב עמ' ט-י.

According to this I'm not sure what is the definition of תינוקות של בית רבן, but I looked upon the Rabbenu Yona inside and it sounded to me as long as one is dedicated to learning from a רבי, the individual is defined as תינוקות של בית רבן, וצ"ע.