At the Seder we read about the four sons and learn how to relate to each of them. When the wise son asks us to explain the laws and customs of Passover, we respond by teaching him the laws beginning with the regulations relating to the Afikomen. Out of all the fundamental laws relating to Passover, why do we begin with a relatively minor one?
The word Afikomen is derived from the Greek word meaning dessert. The reason for this is because the Afikomen represents the actual Pascal lamb, which was eaten after the main meal on a full stomach; dessert. We begin our answer to the wise son with dessert, with something sweet to entice him to continue studying and asking questions. The Haggadah is teaching us that the way to teach someone about Judaism is by showing them its sweetness and beauty. There will be plenty of time later to teach the more difficult laws and regulations. Starting off with those will discourage the seeker and possibly chase him away. Only with sweetness can we successfully satisfy the hunger of those searching for their heritage, and increase their appetite for more Torah.
As we conduct our own seders and present our beautiful heritage to our children and guests, let’s make sure that we highlight the sweetness and joy of the holiday (and Torah) instead of focusing on the minor details that can often appear as mundane and uninspiring.
We say Chag Kasher V’Sameach. Let’s be sure that we are as diligent and careful with the Simcha, as we are with the Kashrut.
Chag Kasher V’Sameach!
One of the most powerful questions that arises from the story of the Exodus is how could God harden Pharaoh’s heart without stripping him of his free will to decide between good and evil?
I’d like to convey two answers offered by one of the greatest Torah scholars of the early twentieth century, Rav Shlomo Yosef Zevin ZT”L, in his classic “La-torah V’La-Moadim”.
1) We are all born with innate characteristics, or Middot. It is up to us to decide how to apply them. For example, someone who is born with a tendency toward spilling blood, can choose to be a murderer, or a Mohel or Shochet. God instilled Pharaoh with a strong tendency towards stubbornness. He hardened his heart. Pharaoh had the free will to apply his powerful stubbornness to either stand firm against his emotional desire to maintain power and lordship over an innocent nation, or to stand firm against the plagues sent to convince him to release that same nation. Pharaoh freely chose to direct his hardened heart against the Jews.
2) Doing something because you are forced to is not a sign of freedom. It is a sign of powerlessness. If Pharaoh had released the Jews solely as a reaction to the horror of the plagues, he would not have been acting out of his own free will. Therefore, God hardened his heart, in order to neutralize his fear of the plagues, and allow him to decide whether to release the Jews solely based on his own free will and moral character. By hardening Pharaoh’s heart, God actually allowed him to exercise his free will.
At the beginning of Parshat Vaera, God tells Moshe that His name is Hashem – the four letter name that is unpronounceable. God then says that He never revealed this name to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Why not? Were they not worthy enough to hear that name?
Rashi explains that the “name” represents absolute truth. Since God did not fulfill His promises to the Patriarchs (to build them into a great nation and give them the land of Israel) in their lifetime, He could not represent Himself with that name. Since the Jews would be redeemed from Egypt by Moses, God could finally use the name of absolute truth.
I’d like to offer another explanation. According to the mystical teachings, the four letter name of God represents Chesed-Giving, or Rachamim-Mercy. The Patriarchs had hard lives. Their wives suffered years of barrenness. They faced persecution and pursuers, enemies and rivalries. They dealt with family strife, rebellious children, and hostile relatives. They were constantly being tested by God. They were only shown the Din-Judgment representation of God, not the Chesed-Rachamim-Mercy aspect, as represented in the four letter name. The Jews in Egypt, however, could only see the name of mercy. They did not deserve redemption on the basis of their own merit. Their redemption was solely based on the Chesed-Mercy of God, as represented in His four letter name.
I’ve been getting requests from people who ride the public transport system and like to listen to Torah on their ipods, so here you go!
Listen to a podcast on Parshat Vayigash-Vayehi right here.
Just right-click and hit “save link as” to download.
The Kabbalah categorizes miracles as those that are completely initiated from the heavenly realm, and those that are initiated or “pulled down” by actions in the physical world. The splitting of the Sea of Reeds during the Exodus was purely a heavenly initiative since, according to the Midrash, the Jews were no more deserving of a miracle based on their merits than were the Egyptians. The Jews played absolutely no part in bringing about that miracle.
The miraculous events of Chanukah, including the military victory against the Syrian-Greeks and the burning of the oil, were initiated by the actions of the Jews. Led by the Maccabees, the Jews took action and fought for their religious liberty. When God saw their effort and sacrifice, He performed miracles for them. The Jews “pulled down” miracles with their actions and deeds.
Chanukah is a time ripe for miracles. The unique spiritual energy of the holiday allows us to initiate actions that can actually initiate, or “pull down”, miracles from above. Chanukah gives us the power to make spectacular things happen in our own lives and in the world we live in. It’s up to us to take the first step.
The first word God spoke to our forefather Abraham was “go!” Move. Leave your comfort zone, where you feel in control of your fate. Go to a place that is foreign, unfamiliar, a total mystery to you. Face new challenges. Form new alliances, teach new students, make new friends. Create a legacy for yourself that will make you proud. Pursue the calling hidden deep within your soul no matter what those around you say. Discover your faith, your true destiny.
Abraham never stopped moving, teaching, building, caring, loving, striving, achieving, and fulfilling his mission, his destiny. His legacy to us is the same message that God first spoke to him.
What are you waiting for?
The Rambam, in his Guide to the Perplexed, cites the following question relating to the verse in Genesis that warns Man not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge lest he become like a god, able to differentiate between good and bad. This ability to know good from bad is what makes Man unique, raising him up above all other creations. Why then was it viewed as a punishment, given to Man only after he rebels against the command of God? It would seem then that Man benefited from sinning!
In his answer, the Rambam explains that prior to eating of the Tree of Knowledge, Man possessed the ability to differentiate between Emet-Truth and Sheker-Falsehood, which are objective categories. After the sin, this objective clarity was clouded by the subjective categories of Good and Bad. No longer would Man see the world, and himself, with absolute clarity and navigate between truth and falsehood with complete objectivity. This pre-sin state was represented in the Torah by Man’s nakedness, which was, after the sin, hidden by clothing. The clothing represents the doubt, insecurity, and confusion that prevent Man from seeing the objective Emet and Sheker.
Our job is to cut through the “cloudiness” and differentiate between Emet and Sheker.
