Parshat Mishpatim 5770 -Soul Matters

Parshat Mishpatim 5770

Rabbi Ari Kahn

Soul Matters

As the Parsha begins, the awe of Sinai can still be felt; the words, the sights and the sounds are still fresh in the peoples' memory. Aside from receiving the Torah, the experience at Sinai was transformative on several levels: the Nation of Israel was formed through the shared experiences of the Exodus and the Revelation, and the unity of purpose and destiny was brought into focus at the foot of the mountain. This unity was, in fact, a prerequisite for receiving the Torah and for the covenant they forged, as a nation, with God, succinctly expressed in their declaration, “We will do and we will listen”[1].

And yet, in Parshat Mishpatim (which immediately follows Yitro, the Parsha in which this covenant is formed), a shift occurs. The statutes in this week's Parsha seem to express a far less lofty and idealistic reality. In a clear concession to the frailty of human character, the laws in Parshat Mishpatim deal with slavery, verbal abuse of parents, altercations, and interpersonal discord - even to the point of hatred. The contrast with Parshat Yitro is striking, even when we take the larger view of the Ten Commandments as "macro categories" of law, and Mishpatim as a detailed discussion of "micro laws". We cannot help but sense devolution from the lofty strata of interpersonal and religious sensibility the people experienced at Sinai.

A case in point is the contrast between the Commandment against jealousy in Parshat Yitro, versus the laws in Parshat Mishpatim that speak of enemies and hatred:

שמות פרק כג, ד-ה

כִּי תִפְגַּע שׁוֹר אֹיִבְךָ אוֹ חֲמֹרוֹ תֹּעֶה הָשֵׁב תְּשִׁיבֶנּוּ לוֹ:

כִּי תִרְאֶה חֲמוֹר שֹׂנַאֲךָ רֹבֵץ תַּחַת מַשָּׂאוֹ וְחָדַלְתָּ מֵעֲזֹב לוֹ עָזֹב תַּעֲזֹב עִמּוֹ:

If you chance upon your enemy’s ox or his donkey going astray, you shall surely bring it back to him. If you see the donkey of one whom you hate lying under its burden, you shall refrain from leaving him [to bear the burden]; you shall help him to lift it up. Shmot 23:4,5

Who would have thought that after the elevated and elevating communal and religious experience at Sinai we would need laws to regulate behavior between people who hate one another? Who would have thought that members of the community that was forged at Sinai could consider themselves enemies? Unfortunately, this seems to reflect a realistic appraisal of human nature, and the Torah contains guidelines for human interaction even in such an undesirable eventuality.

Close examination of this law may give us insight into much larger questions of Torah law and philosophy. The verses speak rather amorphously of "the one you hate", "your enemy." There is no explanation of these negative feelings, no backdrop to the animosity. This leads us to two possible conclusions: First, the object of  these negative feelings is a sinner, who is undeserving of our love.[2] His own shortcomings cause others to distance themselves and reject him. The other possibility is that we hate because of our own shortcomings; we  lash out at the innocent, projecting our self-hatred elsewhere. If the latter is the case, and our hatred is due to our own shortcomings, we can readily understand why the Torah would instruct us to transcend our own pettiness.[3] Yet the Talmud  states that the Torah is, in fact, addressing a case where the object of hatred is in fact a sinner, and treating such a sinner as a hated enemy might then be justified:

תלמוד בבלי מסכת פסחים דף קיג עמוד ב

אמר רבי שמואל בר רב יצחק אמר רב: מותר לשנאתו. שנאמר )שמות כג) 'כי תראה חמור שנאך רבץ תחת משאו' מאי שונא? אילימא שונא נכרי - והא תניא: שונא שאמרו - שונא ישראל, ולא שונא נכרי. אלא פשיטא - שונא ישראל. ומי שריא למסניה? והכתיב )ויקרא יט( 'לא תשנא את אחיך בלבבך' - אלא: דאיכא סהדי דעביד איסורא - כולי עלמא נמי מיסני סני ליה, מאי שנא האי? אלא לאו כי האי גוונא, דחזיא ביה איהו דבר ערוה. רב נחמן בר יצחק אמר: מצוה לשנאתו, שנאמר (משלי ח) 'יראת ה'  שנאת  רע'

R. Shmuel son of R. Yitzhak said in Rav's name: It is permissible to hate him, as it is said (Shmot 23), 'If you see the donkey of your enemy lying under its burden.' Now which enemy is meant? Shall we say, a gentile enemy? It was taught: The enemy of whom they spoke is an Israelite enemy, not a gentile enemy. Hence it obviously means an Israelite enemy. But is it permitted to hate him? Surely it is written (Vayikra 19), 'You shall not hate your brother in your heart'! Again, if there are witnesses that any Jew transgressed, all agree that he should be hated! Why is this particular person singled out? Hence it must surely apply to such a case where he had seen something indecent in him. R. Nahman b. Yitzhak said: It is a duty to hate him, as it is written (Mishlei 8),  "God's commandment is to hate wickedness." Talmud Bavli Pesachim 113b

What About The Donkey?

Even when hatred is justified, when the owner of the donkey is a sinner, the Torah obligates us to lend a helping hand. The Talmud explores the rationale of this commandment, but in order to fully understand the sages' conclusion, an introduction is necessary: The context is a larger discussion regarding a person's responsibility to assist the owners of beasts of burden. If two people need help at the same time, one to load a donkey, and the other to unload a donkey, unloading takes precedence. The reasoning is straightforward: the donkey that has completed its work should be unburdened immediately; every additional second that it stands with the load on its back will constitute unnecessary pain. The Talmud's reasoning in this matter establishes a Torah mandate against tza'ar ba'alei haim – causing pain to animals. According to Torah law, man is permitted to ride on an animal or use it to carry a weight, but only if there is a justifiable human need. Once the animal has completed its task, it would be a mitzvah to help the owner unload the animal's burden. On the other hand, loading the burden on the donkey's back would also be a good deed; this helps the owner start his task. The principle that is established is that unloading takes precedence over loading, because the pain of the animal tips the scales in favor of unloading the donkey. Our verse, which commands us to help even an enemy unload his donkey, is thus taken to mean that even when there is a justified reason to dislike a fellow Jew, there is no reason for an innocent animal to suffer due to its owner's indiscretions.

Yetzer Hara – the Real Enemy

Up to this point, the Talmudic discussion is relatively straightforward, but the discussion does not end there. The Talmud goes on to teach a law which is completely counterintuitive.[4] The case involves two animals, one in need of loading and the other unloading; as we have seen, unloading takes precedence. This is so even if the one who needs help loading is a friend and the one who needs unloading is an enemy: unloading takes precedence, out of consideration for the suffering of the animal. If, however, the donkey in need of unloading is owned by a friend and the donkey that needs loading is an enemy, the Talmud rules against this principle:

תלמוד בבלי מסכת בבא מציעא דף לב עמוד ב

תא שמע: אוהב לפרוק ושונא לטעון - מצוה בשונא

Come and hear: If a friend requires unloading, and an enemy loading, one’s [first] obligation is towards his enemy… Talmud Bavli Bava Metziah 32b

If in fact tza'ar ba'alei haim – causing animals pain - is a Torah prohibition, how can we justify giving precedence to loading the enemy's donkey? The Talmudic discussion does not leave this seemingly strange ruling open-ended:

תלמוד בבלי מסכת בבא מציעא דף לב עמוד ב

תא שמע: אוהב לפרוק ושונא לטעון - מצוה בשונא כדי לכוף את יצרו. ואי סלקא דעתך צער בעלי חיים דאורייתא, הא עדיף ליה! - אפילו הכי, כדי לכוף את יצרו עדיף. -

Come and hear: If a friend requires unloading, and an enemy loading, one’s [first] obligation is towards his enemy in order to subdue his evil inclination. Now if you should think that relieving the suffering of an animal is Biblically enjoined, surely the opposite is preferable! Even so, the motive, ‘in order to subdue the evil inclination’, is more compelling. Talmud Bavli Bava Metziah 32b

The rationale offered for this ruling is not immediately understood; how does the evil inclination come into the picture? If there is a mitzvah to help unload an animal's burden, why would the evil inclination need to be suppressed?[5]

Let us consider the psychological or emotional state of the protagonist of these hypothetical cases: A man sees two people who need his help; one is his friend, who needs help unloading a heavy burden from his donkey, and the other, his enemy, needs help loading a burden onto his donkey. This should be a very simple decision: help the friend (and the suffering animal). But the Talmud goes deeper, examining the emotions behind the action: How does our "hero" feel when he is  not helping his enemy? Would he feel that he has missed out on something he would very much have wanted to do because the Torah has commanded him to unload another's burden, or would he feel justified in his feelings of hatred? Would he get satisfaction from the thought that the Torah has enabled him to turn a cold shoulder to his enemy? Would his yetzer tov, his 'good inclination', be at work helping his friend, or would his yetzer hara, his 'evil inclination', be satisfied that his enemy is left to fend for himself? Would helping his friend and fulfilling the letter of the law, while reveling in his enemy's distress, help create a more refined human being?

It is not hard to imagine this man's amusement and satisfaction with the “beauty of Torah” as he helps his friend unload the donkey and watches (or is at least aware of) his enemy laboriously loading a heavy burden unassisted. Which of the two opposing poles of human nature would be satisfied - the yetzer tov (good inclination) or the yetzer hara (evil inclination)? Would his seemingly-righteous act bring him closer to God, or would it reinforce the selfish and self-righteous tendencies that all men possess, distancing him from God?

The Talmud's answer is clear. Even when serving God, even when fulfilling  a Torah commandment, we must always strive to perfect ourselves and thus become closer to God. If the evil inclination is strengthened by a mitzvah, something has gone fundamentally wrong. Thus, in this case, although there is a commandment to help unload the donkey, there is a higher consideration[6]: The purpose of all of Torah is to perfect man and society.[7] 

Return to Sinai

The Talmudic ruling which seemed so strange is an antidote to what may be called "losing sight of the forest by fixating on each and every tree". Parshat Mishpatim teaches us many mitzvot, and there is a risk of getting lost in the commandments, losing sight of the overall purpose of Torah observance. The hero of our hypothetical case might easily be lulled into a false sense of righteousness, blinded by the belief that as long as he is involved in the performance of a mitzvah, a state of perfection is assured. He might naturally feel that he need not think twice, for he is surely fulfilling the will of God. From the Talmudic discussion, we learn that even the performance of the mitzvah is not sufficient. The process of achieving moral and spiritual perfection is two-sided: We must actively nurture our good inclination while at the same time identify and overcome our evil inclination. Only a society that lives by both of these standards can recreate the rapture, and the unity, achieved at Sinai.[8] Perhaps this is meant by the famous statement found in the Pesach Haggada:

הגדה של פסח

אלו קרבנו לפני הר סיני ולא נתן לנו את התורה דיינו

If we had come close before Mount Sinai and not received the Torah it would have sufficed. Pesach Hagaddah

When we arrived at Mount Sinai we were unified:

רש"י על שמות פרק יט פסוק ב

ויחן שם ישראל - כאיש אחד בלב אחד אבל שאר כל החניות בתרעומות ובמחלוקת (מכילתא)

Israel encamped there – as one man with one heart; but all the other encampments were with grudges and divisiveness.  Rashi Shmot 19:2

At Mount Sinai each and every person saw and felt the holiness in all the others. Had we been able to retain that feeling, to maintain that unity without receiving the Torah, it would certainly have been “sufficient”. Unfortunately, we were not capable of creating a just society or achieving spiritual perfection on our own; God gave us Torah and mitzvot as tools to pursue these goals, to bring about personal perfection and national unity. Having received the Torah, we must focus on the goal: through the performance of mitzvot and observance of the commandments, we can rekindle the spiritual and interpersonal experience of holiness and unity of Sinai.

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[1] Shmot 24:7

[2] According to the understanding of Rambam, Laws of Murder and Preservation of Life Chapter 13, laws 13,14; Tosafot Pesachim 113b, She'era bo davar erva, and perhaps the Mechaber, Shulchan Oruch Hoshen Mishpat, section 272.

רמב"ם יד החזקה - הלכות רוצח ושמירת נפש פרק יג

(יג) הפוגע בשנים אחד רובץ תחת משאו ואחד פרק מעליו ולא מצא מי שיטעון עמו מצוה לפרוק בתחילה משום צער בעלי חיים ואחר כך טוען במה דברים אמורים בשהיו שניהם שונאים או אוהבים אבל אם היה אחד שונא ואחד אוהב מצוה לטעון עם השונא תחילה כדי לכוף את יצרו הרע:

(יד) השונא שנאמר בתורה הוא מישראל לא מאומות העולם והיאך יהיה לישראל שונא מישראל והכתוב אומר (ויקרא י"ט י"ז) לא תשנא את אחיך בלבבך אמרו חכמים כגון שראהו לבדו שעבר עבירה והתרה בו ולא חזר הרי זה מצוה לשנאו עד שיעשה תשובה ויחזור מרשעו תשובה אם מצאו נבהל במשאו מצוה לפרוק ולטעון עמו ולא יניחנו נוטה למות שמא תשובה אם מצאו נבהל במשאו מצוה לפרוק ולטעון עמו ולא יניחנו נוטה למות שמא ישתהה בשביל ממונו ויבא לידי סכנה והתורה הקפידה על נפשות ישראל בין רשעים בין צדיקים מאחר שהם נלוים אל ה' ומאמינים בעיקר הדת שנאמר (יחזקאל ל"ג י"א) אמור אליהם חי אני נאם ה' אלהים אם אחפוץ במות הרשע כי אם בשוב רשע מדרכו וחיה .

תוספות מסכת פסחים דף קיג עמוד ב

שראה בו דבר ערוה - ואם תאמר דבאלו מציאות (ב"מ דף לב: ושם) אמרינן אוהב לפרוק ושונא לטעון מצוה בשונא כדי לכוף את יצרו והשתא מה כפיית יצר שייך כיון דמצוה לשנאתו וי"ל כיון שהוא שונאו גם חבירו שונא אותו דכתיב (משלי כז) כמים הפנים לפנים כן לב האדם לאדם ובאין מתוך כך לידי שנאה גמורה ושייך כפיית יצר.

[3] This is the approach taken by the Ramban, Bava Metziah 32b and the Rema, Shulchan Oruch Hoshen Mishpat, section 272.

חדושי הרמב"ן על מסכת בבא מציעא דף לב/ב

הא דתניא מצוה בשונא כדי לכוף את יצרו. נראה לי דלאו בשונא דקרא משתעי, דקרא הא אוקימנא בפ' ערבי פסחים (קי"ג ב') דחזא ביה איהו לחודיה דבר ערוה ומצוה לשנאתו ולמה יכוף את יצרו, אלא בשונא דעלמא קאי דעביד ביה איסורא כי סני ליה ולפיכך חכמים מזהירין אותו שיכוף את יצרו, אבל בשונא שדבר בו הכתוב אדרבה מצוה להקדים אוהב שהוא אהוב לשמים ולבריות:

שו"ע חושן משפט - סימן ערב

הגה - ודוקא בשונא בעלמא דלא עביד איסורא, אבל אם עביד איסורא ושונאו משום שעבר עבירה, א"צ לטעון עמו כדי לכוף יצרו, דהא יפה עושה ששונאו (נ"י פ' אלו מציאות):

[4] See Akaidat Yitzchak Shaar 98 note 29.

ספר עקידת יצחק הערות - שער צז הערה כ

ובא בקבלה האמיתית וכו' רומז בזה על החז"ל (ב"ע דף ל"ב) "אוהב לפרוק ושונא לניעה מצוה בשונא כדי לכוף את יצרו", והכוונה אף שבהשקפה ראשונה היינו חושבים בהפך להקריב פריקת האוהב מפני ב' דברים הא' בעבור שהוא אוהבנו, והב' להקל עול הבהמה בעבור צער בע"ח בכל זאת נצטוינו להקדים טעינת השונא למען כבוש בזה יצרנו הרע ומחטמת לא אשר בקרבנו, וע"כ נארמ גם הפריקה בשונא (בפ' משפטים) והטעינה באוהב בפרשכר יען כי היישרת האדם המוסרית צריכה לעלות תמיד מהקל אל החמור, ויותר נקל לו לכבוש את יצרו ולמכות שנאתו ולפרוק משא הבהמה בעבור שיאלצוהו לזה גם צער בע"ח והדרש החמלה הטבעית עליה ממה שיוכל להסיר האיבה מלבו ולטעון חמור שונאו למען שחר בזה רק טובת בעליו השונא לו לבד, ורק ע"י עשותו תחילה הפריקה עפ"י מצות בורא ית', ויסיר עי"ז כמס ושנאת את לבו יטעון אח"כ גם את בהמתו יען כי לאט לאט ישכח שנאתו ויחשבהו לאוהב לו:

[5] Tosafot in Pesachim 113b She'era bo davar erva, suggest that if you hate him, he will come to hate you and this will lead to “real hatred”. It is unclear what Tosafot mean by “real hatred”. From a passage in the Tanya, chapter 32, it seems that the hatred which is permitted is to hate the evil within the person, but not the person himself. Therefore the Baal Hatanya teaches that while you may hate the evil, you are still obligated to love the person, and this is not a contradiction. If you display hatred and then in turn they display hatred, the possibility of escalation of hatred exists, and that is what the Talmud is trying to avoid.

תניא פרק לב

מה שכתוב בגמרא שמי שראה בחברו שחטא מצוה לשנאותו... היינו בחבירו בתורה ומצוות, וכבר קיים בו מצוות הוכח תוכיח ...אבל מי שאינו חברו ואינו מקורב אצלו הנה על זה אמר הלל הזקן 'אוהב את הבריות ומקרבן לתורה'  .. צריך למשכן בחבלי עבותות האהבה.... וגם המקורבים אליו והוכיחם ולא שבו מעונותיהם שמצוה לשנאם מצוה לאהבם גם כן, ושתיהן הן אמת, שנאה מצד הרע שבהם ואהבה מצד בחינת הטוב הגנוז שבהם, שהוא ניצוץ אלוקות שבתוכם...

"What about the statement in the Talmud that if you see your colleague sinning you must hate him, and also tell his teacher so that he should hate him as well? That refers to someone who is your peer, who learns Torah and does all the mitzvot. He did something that he should have realized is wrong and you rebuked him for it, as the Torah instructs you, …This love also applies to those who are close to you—the ones that you have rebuked and yet have not repented of their sins. Yes, it is a mitzvah to hate them, but it is also a mitzvah to love them—and both in all earnestness: Hatred due to the evil within them and love due to that aspect of good that is buried within them—meaning the spark of Godliness within them that vitalizes their Godly soul."

[6] The Pardes Yosef Vayikra 25:36 cites the Siftei Zadik, who states that the Talmud's ruling is based on the conclusion that your own spiritual growth takes precedence over the needs of your friend (or, presumably, the animal).

ספר פרדס יוסף על ספר ויקרא פרק כה פסוק לו

ובשפתי צדיק (בהר אות ל"ה) נסתפק אי יהיה אחד אוהב ואחד שונא אי שייך כי היכי דניכף ליצריה, כבבא מציעא (ל"ב.) אוהב לפרוק ושונא לטעון מצוה בשונא כדי לכוף את יצרו, אף שבפריקה מצוה יותר משום צער בעלי חיים דאורייתא מכל מקום משום כפיית היצר יקדים טעינה, כן י"ל כאן שענין כפיית היצר צריך הוא בעצמו וממילא שייך חייך קודמין לחיי חבירך:

[7] See the Rambam, Laws of Temura Chapter 4:13.

רמב"ם יד החזקה - הלכות תמורה פרק ד

וכל אלו הדברים כדי לכוף את יצרו ולתקן דעותיו ורוב דיני התורה אינן אלא עצות מרחוק מגדול העצה לתקן הדעות וליישר כל המעשים…

[8] See Shem Mishmuel Parshat Shmini 5671.

ספר שם משמואל פרשת שמיני - שנת תרע"א

 אך הענין משום שהכל נמשך מפאת התכללות ישראל יחד, וע"י כן אז האיר עליהם אור גדול כנ"ל, וזה בשבועותיכם מחמת שבועות שלכם. וכאשר ישים האדם אל לבו איך שזה יתד שהכל תלוי בו, נקל יהי' לו לכוף את יצרו להתאחד עם זולתו, כי לעומת ההתאחדות וההתכללות זוכין להארת זמן מ"ת וזוכין לעתיד לקניגין של צדיקים. וכעין זה שבת אחר ששת ימי המעשה, שששת ימי המעשה הם נגד שש המדות שבכל יום מאירה מדה אחת, יום א' חסד כו', ובשבת נעשה מכולם כלל אחד ומאיר אור גדול שהוא כולל את כולם והולך ואור עד סעודה שלישית שהיא רעוא דרעוין שכולל כל הרצונות למעלה מהמדות, והוא כעין קניגין כנ"ל:

Parshat Yitro 5770 - Reliving Revelation

Parshat Yitro 5770

Rabbi Ari Kahn

Reliving Revelation

The goal of the Exodus never was merely geographical relocation, the physical removal of the Jewish slaves from the boundaries of Egypt. From the outset, the liberation of the descendents of Avraham had a far more specific goal: The Jews would be liberated, redeemed from exile, and taken to the Promised Land. In order to achieve this, there was one important stop to be made on the way, a rendezvous with God at a very specific spot:

שמות פרק ג: ח, יב

וָאֵרֵד לְהַצִּילוֹ מִיַּד מִצְרַיִם וּלְהַעֲלֹתוֹ מִן הָאָרֶץ הַהִוא אֶל אֶרֶץ טוֹבָה וּרְחָבָה אֶל אֶרֶץ זָבַת חָלָב וּדְבָשׁ אֶל מְקוֹם הַכְּנַעֲנִי וְהַחִתִּי וְהָאֱמֹרִי וְהַפְּרִזִּי וְהַחִוִּי וְהַיְבוּסִי:

וַיֹּאמֶר כִּי אֶהְיֶה עִמָּךְ וְזֶה לְּךָ הָאוֹת כִּי אָנֹכִי שְׁלַחְתִּיךָ בְּהוֹצִיאֲךָ אֶת הָעָם מִמִּצְרַיִם תַּעַבְדוּן אֶת הָאֱלֹהִים עַל הָהָר הַזֶּה:

And I am coming down to save them from the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, to a land flowing with milk and honey; to the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Yevusites.

And he said [to Moshe], "For I will be with you; and this shall be a sign to you, that I have sent you; when you have brought forth the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God upon this mountain." Shmot 3:8,12

The liberation of the Israelites from Egypt could have been effectuated in many different ways. Surely, the Almighty could have removed them immediately, making the Exodus effortless and sudden. Yet God's plan, from the outset, was for a slow, deliberate process. We have noted elsewhere that one of the objectives of this process was to reveal the power of God, both to the Jews and to their oppressors, and to unmask the deities of the Egyptian pantheon as nothing more than worthless idols. The Egyptians, as representatives of the non-Jewish world, were only one of the intended audiences for this lesson; in fact, the Jews themselves were no less in need of this display of God's singular dominion over all of creation. Just as the plagues punished the Egyptians for their pagan practices and inhuman cruelty, they prepared the Jews for that preordained rendezvous at the mountain, and the revelation they would experience there.



שמות פרק ו, ז

וְלָקַחְתִּי אֶתְכֶם לִי לְעָם וְהָיִיתִי לָכֶם לֵאלֹקִים וִידַעְתֶּם כִּי אֲנִי  ה’ אֱלֹקֵיכֶם הַמּוֹצִיא אֶתְכֶם מִתַּחַת סִבְלוֹת מִצְרָיִם:

And I will take you to Me for a People, and I will be to you a God; and you shall know that I am the Almighty your God, who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. Shmot 6:7

Knowledge of God was the goal. Each plague revealed more of God’s power, and of the impotence of the gods of Egypt. These escalating displays of God's might, and of His intimate and ongoing involvement in the world which He created, were a type of revelation in and of themselves. Later, as the Jews safely crossed through the sea and witnessed the cruel Egyptians receiving their just reward, they experienced a higher level of revelation of God's power and omnipotence, of His might and justice. Finally, at Sinai, they experienced a unique, full-scale revelation.

Each of these experiences of revelation was accompanied by a very particular content: In each case, the Jewish People were given laws alongside the sights, sounds and experiences. In each case, the sensory lesson was paralleled by an intellectual or cognitive lesson: In Egypt the Jews were instructed in great detail how to keep the Pesach, both as a vehicle for their immediate, personal, physical redemption and as a commemorative holiday to maintain that experience for all time. Similarly, immediately after crossing the sea, at Marah the Jew received more laws[1]. And finally, at Sinai, ten statements were uttered which would impact the entire world and transform the Jewish People forever: The Ten Commandments.

What was the primary importance of the Revelation at Sinai? Was it the laws which were imparted or the sensory experience of an infinite God communicating with man? If we could separate these two elements, the Revelation and the content of the Revelation, we would be left with rather surprising results: It may be presumed that if left to stand alone, the content of the Revelation at Sinai, namely the Ten Commandments, presents a radical departure from accepted social norms and embodies a stunning[2] and potentially transformative social and theological system. Yet, devoid of divine provenance, the message would be relatively unimportant. Had these been a set of laws set down by a community to guide their interpersonal and religious behavior, their impact would have been no greater than any other set of laws that held sway in the ancient world; indeed, the mores of a miniscule band of liberated slaves would have merited no attention whatsoever beyond the bounds of that minute community. Had these words not been the Word of God, delivered in a unique and earth-shattering moment of mass revelation, even had these same words been delivered in a more commonplace fashion to the adherents of the faith, they would not have held the same place in our collective conscience or consciousness, nor would their impact have been so widespread. In other words, the fact that God spoke is more important than what He said; only after one acknowledges that God indeed spoke does the message, the content, the words of that speech attain supreme significance.

In choosing the Haftarah to be read in conjunction with this Parsha, the Rabbis emphasize this idea. The Haftarah reading is utilized as a means to encapsulate and reinforce the major theme of the Parsha, and in this case, the theme has nothing to do with law and everything to do with revelation:

ישעיהו פרק ו, א-ד

בִּשְׁנַת מוֹת הַמֶּלֶךְ עֻזִּיָּהוּ וָאֶרְאֶה אֶת ה' יֹשֵׁב עַל כִּסֵּא רָם וְנִשָּׂא וְשׁוּלָיו מְלֵאִים אֶת הַהֵיכָל:שְׂרָפִים עֹמְדִים מִמַּעַל לוֹ שֵׁשׁ כְּנָפַיִם שֵׁשׁ כְּנָפַיִם לְאֶחָד בִּשְׁתַּיִם יְכַסֶּה פָנָיו וּבִשְׁתַּיִם יְכַסֶּה רַגְלָיו וּבִשְׁתַּיִם יְעוֹפֵף:וְקָרָא זֶה אֶל זֶה וְאָמַר קָדוֹשׁ קָדוֹשׁ קָדוֹשׁ ה' צְבָאוֹת מְלֹא כָל הָאָרֶץ כְּבוֹדוֹ: וַיָּנֻעוּ אַמּוֹת הַסִּפִּים מִקּוֹל הַקּוֹרֵא וְהַבַּיִת יִמָּלֵא עָשָׁן:

In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also God sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the Sanctuary. Above it stood the seraphim; each one had six wings; with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he did fly. And one cried to another, and said, 'Holy, holy, holy, is the God of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory.' And the posts of the door moved at the voice of he who cried, and the [Temple] house was filled with smoke. Yishayahu 6:1-4

Yishayahu recounts a spectacular vision, a personal revelation of the majesty of God and His holy minions. And yet, the association of this prophecy with our Parsha is not necessarily the only possible choice; various other, perhaps more appropriate, sections of the Prophets could have been utilized. In fact, when the Ten Commandments are read during the holiday service on Shavuot, a different section is read as the Haftarah: the section which records the quintessential revelation of the Chariot of Yechezkel. This leads us to a simple, unavoidable question: why the different Haftarahs? Why was the portion from Yechezkel chosen as the Haftarah for Shavuot, while the same verses are paired with Yishayahu's vision for this week's reading?[3]

In fact, the Talmud records a certain tension regarding the choice of Haftarah for Shavuot: The association of the Revelation of the Chariot as the reading for Shavuot was not a foregone conclusion.

תלמוד בבלי מסכת מגילה דף לא עמוד א

בעצרת (דברים ט"ז), "שבעה שבועות". ומפטירין (חבקוק ג') בחבקוק. אחרים אומרים: (שמות י"ט), "בחדש השלישי", ומפטירין (יחזקאל א') במרכבה. והאידנא דאיכא תרי יומי - עבדינן כתרוייהו, ואיפכא.

On Shavuot (Pentecost), we read (Devarim 16), "Seven weeks," and for haftarah a chapter from Habakuk (chapter 3). According to others, we read “In the third month”(Shmot 19), and for haftarah the account of the Divine Chariot (Yechezkel 1). Nowadays that we observe two days, we follow both courses, but in the reverse order. Talmud Bavli Megila 31a

The Talmudic discussion expresses a tension that is part of a larger debate regarding the nature of Shavuot: Is the focus on the agricultural aspect of the holiday which is clearly stated in the Torah, or is it on the Revelation, which is traditionally associated with this same holiday?[4] The conclusion is that we commemorate both the Feast of weeks, which is agricultural, and the Sinaitic Revelation which took place on that date. This technical resolution is a convenient combination of these two aspects, reflected in the scriptural readings, appropriate for Jews in the Diaspora who celebrate Shavuot over two days.[5] By twinning the reading from Parshat Yitro with the Haftarah from Yechezkel and assigning them to the first day of the holiday, the Revelation is deemed the primary theme; the second day of the festival is of lesser stature, and the "leftover" readings are relegated to secondary status. In short, our question remains unanswered: why is the Haftarah of the Chariot read on Shavuot, but not for Parshat Yitro as well? If the main thrust of these verses is the Sinaitic Revelation, why did the Sages establish a different reading for this week's Parsha?

There is an important distinction between the reading for this Shabbat and the reading for Shavuot which may help clarify the issue: This week's Torah reading is the entire Parshat Yitro, whereas on Shavuot only certain sections are read. The sections deemed germane to the holiday focus on the preparations for the Revelation and the Revelation itself. While in both instances, the Revelation is the central theme – on Shavuot it is the only theme. Thus, while the same words are read on two different occasions, they are framed by different contexts. We may say, then, that although the same words are read on both occasions, they do not ultimately deliver the same message.

The public reading of the Torah on each of these two occasions is a complex interplay between the written word and the traditions regarding the cantillation of these words. Although the description of the content of the Sinaitic revelation is universally known as the Ten Utterances or Ten Commandments, the written Torah, dictated to Moshe by God, actually groups four of the Commandments in one verse, ostensibly in one statement or utterance:

שמות פרק כ, יג

לֹא תִּרְצָח (ס) לֹא תִּנְאָף (ס) לֹא תִּגְנֹב (ס) לֹא תַעֲנֶה בְרֵעֲךָ עֵד שָׁקֶר: (ס)

You shall not kill. (new line) You shall not commit adultery. (new line) You shall not steal. (new line) You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. (new line) Shmot 20:13

These four precepts, clearly separate commandments, are in fact contained within one verse – a verse which is visually broken by the beginning of four new lines of text, but one verse nonetheless. While there are those who would be tempted to consider the contents of this verse as a single utterance, we should also take into account the opposite phenomenon: Other Commandments, such as Shabbat observance, are stretched out over several verses:

שמות פרק כ, ז-י

(ז) זָכוֹר אֶת יוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת לְקַדְּשׁוֹ:

(ח) שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים תַּעֲבֹד וְעָשִׂיתָ כָּל מְלַאכְתֶּךָ:

(ט) וְיוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי שַׁבָּת לַה’ אֱלֹהֶיךָ לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה כָל מְלָאכָה אַתָּה וּבִנְךָ וּבִתֶּךָ עַבְדְּךָ וַאֲמָתְךָ וּבְהֶמְתֶּךָ וְגֵרְךָ אֲשֶׁר בִּשְׁעָרֶיךָ:

(י) כִּי שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים עָשָׂה  ה’ אֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֶת הָאָרֶץ אֶת הַיָּם וְאֶת כָּל אֲשֶׁר בָּם וַיָּנַח בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי עַל כֵּן בֵּרַךְ ה' אֶת יוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת וַיְקַדְּשֵׁהוּ: ס

          7. Remember the Shabbat day, to keep it holy.

8. Six days shall you labor, and do all your work;

9. But the seventh day is the Shabbat of the Almighty your God; (on it) you shall not do any work, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, your manservant, nor your maidservant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger that is within your gates;

10. For in six days God made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore God blessed the Shabbat day, and made it holy. Shmot 20:7-10

There are two traditions of how to read the verses of the Ten Commandments.[6] The first is called Taam Elyon, in which each of the Ten Commandments is read as a separate thought or statement, with ten distinct expressions or phrases representing each one of the Ten Commandments, regardless of the size or number of verses it contains. The other method of reading this section is known as Taam Tachton, which adheres to the form as we know it from the written text (and most printed, published texts), with up to four commandments in one verse and other commandments divided up across several phrases.

When is each of these methods used? Although there are different customs, the Chizkuni offers the most compelling explanation. On Shavuot, the objective is to "relive" the Revelation; therefore, we read Taam Elyon[7] – for that is how God said the commandments at Sinai: ten independent and distinct statements. When in the course of the weekly cycle we read Parshat Yitro, the Taam Tachton is employed, reflecting the way God dictated the Commandments to Moshe when it was time to write them down[8]. In other words, on Shavuot, as we relive the Revelation, we attempt to recreate the Sinai experience by mimicking the way the Commandments were spoken to the Children of Israel assembled at the foot of Mount Sinai, in ten distinct utterances[9]. The purpose of reading the Torah on a weekly basis over the course of the year is to study the content of that Revelation, to ingrain, internalize and understand what was said. Therefore, we learn the text as God told Moshe to write it, reading the Taam Tachton.[10]

Why, then, do the Haftarot fail to reflect this distinction? Both the reading from Yishayahu and the reading from Yechezkel focus on the experience of revelation; neither focuses on the content or message of revelation. By choosing sections which highlight the revelation for both Shavuot and the weekly portion, the sages seem to blur the distinction between the Revelation itself and the content of that Revelation. We would expect the Haftarah of Parshat Yitro to contain a legal section or a re-working of the principles of the Ten Commandments. We might have expected the Sages to assign one of the many exhortations of the prophets to adhere to the laws of the Torah or to abandon foreign forms of worship. Instead, we find a Haftarah that offers an alternative revelation experience. Apparently, the Sages had another consideration in mind when they assigned the Haftarah for Parshat Yitro.

On Shavuot, when we replicate the experiential aspects of the Revelation, the Haftarah is Yechezkel's vision of the Chariot. This, the Sages felt, was the vision closest to the actual experience of Revelation, of seeing the heavens open up. However, the assignment of the Haftarah from Yishayahu for Parshat Yitro requires further inquiry. While there is no argument that the overall message of this week's Haftarah selection is revelation, there is another 'oddity' about this week's Haftarah which may be relevant: The Haftarah reading is actually comprised of several disjointed sections from the Book of Yishayahu. Rather than a straightforward account of Yishayahu's vision, the (Ashkenazi) custom is to read through the sixth chapter and continue into the seventh chapter. This latter section recounts the story of the sinful King Ahaz who had given up all hope of repentance and return to God. The Haftarah then proceeds to the ninth chapter, in which a child is born, signifying rebirth and new hope. Clearly, the Sages carefully crafted this Haftarah reading, and 'revelation' is not the exclusive topic of this Haftarah. God's communication with man is one element of the Haftarah; another element is man's propensity for sin, and the final element is the possibility of repentance which leads to personal and national redemption. In this way, the latter part of the Haftarah is closely related to the process of redemption that began in Egypt and the various levels of revelation the people experienced as the Exodus unfolded.

As we saw at the outset the entire exodus was in of itself a series of revelations, and processes which led to freedom, even after the ten plagues an “eleventh plague” went even further both in terms of freedom and in terms of revelation. This eleventh plague was the splitting of the sea, there once and for all the Egyptians were rid of, plunged into the depth of the Sea.

God appeared at the Sea as a warrior, a warrior poised for battle wreaking vengeance and exacting justice from the cruel slave masters, therefore at the sea the people exclaimed:

שמות פרק טו

(ב) עָזִּי וְזִמְרָת יָהּ וַיְהִי לִי לִישׁוּעָה זֶה אֵלִי וְאַנְוֵהוּ אֱלֹהֵי אָבִי וַאֲרֹמְמֶנְהוּ: (ג)  ה’ אִישׁ מִלְחָמָה  ה’ שְׁמוֹ:

The Lord is my strength and song, and he has become my salvation; he is my God, and I will praise him; my father’s God, and I will exalt him. 3. The Lord is a man of war; the Lord is his name. Shmot 15:2,3

Here God appeared as a Man of war:

מכילתא פרשת השירה פרשה ד

ה' איש מלחמה. למה נאמר לפי שנגלה על הים כגבור עושה מלחמה שנא' ה' איש מלחמה

God is a Man of war: why does it say this for God appeared at the sea as a warrior whho makes war as it says God is a Man of war Mechilta Parshat Shira Parsha 4

According to the Mechilta, at Sinai God needed to introduce Himself for the people did not recognize Him, they had seen God as a man of war, and now saw a gentle scholar:[11]

מכילתא פרשת בחדש פרשה ה

אנכי ה' אלהיך. למה נאמר לפי שנגלה על הים כגבור עושה מלחמות שנאמר (שמות ט"ו) ה' איש מלחמה נגלה על הר סיני כזקן מלא רחמים

Despite the power and majesty of the visions of Yishayahu and Yechezkel, the revelations they were granted lacked one major element: A crucial element of the revelation that was revealed to the generation that was liberated from Egypt was the clear and obvious implementation of divine justice. They saw, in the ten plagues in Egypt and the "eleventh plague" at the sea, that "there is justice and there is a judge." They were able to see the entire canvas of Jewish history as it reached its culmination. The people felt this in such a clear and profound manner that they were able to point their fingers as justice was meted out:

רש"י שמות פרק טו

זה אלי - בכבודו נגלה עליהם והיו מראין אותו באצבע, ראתה שפחה על הים מה שלא ראו נביאים:

In His glory he appeared to them and they pointed at Him with a finger. A maidservant saw that which eluded the prophets. Rashi Shmot 15:2

This is what eluded both Yishayahu and Yechezkel, the element that distinguished the revelation which the generation of the Exodus witnessed from any other.

מכילתא בשלח - מסכתא דשירה פרשה ג

'זה אלי', ר' אליעזר אומר "מנין אתה אומר שראתה שפחה על הים מה שלא ראו ישעיה ויחזקאל..."

'This is my God': Rabbi Eliezer said, 'How do you know that which the maid[12] saw was superior to Yishayahu and Yechezkel?…" Mechilta B'shalach Mesechta Shira Parsha 3

Leaving Egypt is a continuum, an ongoing revelation of different faces and facets of God: might, justice, compassion. Each plague revealed more, and finally, at the Sea the people saw the might of God. They witnessed the fulfillment of the covenant between God and Avraham - not only their own liberation and the judgment and punishment of the Egyptians, but the realization of the ultimate goal of their entire history. They saw the conquest of the Land of Israel:

שמות פרק טו, טו-יח

אָז נִבְהֲלוּ אַלּוּפֵי אֱדוֹם אֵילֵי מוֹאָב יֹאחֲזֵמוֹ רָעַד נָמֹגוּ כֹּל יֹשְׁבֵי כְנָעַן: תִּפֹּל עֲלֵיהֶם אֵימָתָה וָפַחַד בִּגְדֹל זְרוֹעֲךָ יִדְּמוּ כָּאָבֶן עַד יַעֲבֹר עַמְּךָ  ה’ עַד יַעֲבֹר עַם זוּ קָנִיתָ: תְּבִאֵמוֹ וְתִטָּעֵמוֹ בְּהַר נַחֲלָתְךָ מָכוֹן לְשִׁבְתְּךָ פָּעַלְתָּ  ה’ מִקְּדָשׁ אֲדֹנָי כּוֹנְנוּ יָדֶיךָ: ה’ יִמְלֹךְ לְעֹלָם וָעֶד:

Then the chiefs of Edom shall be amazed; the mighty men of Moav, trembling shall take hold upon them; all the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away. Fear and dread shall fall upon them; by the greatness of your arm they shall be as still as a stone; 'til your people pass over, O God, 'til the people pass over, whom You have created. You shall bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of your inheritance, in the place, O God, which you have made for you to dwell in, in the Sanctuary, O God, which your hands have established. God shall reign for all eternity. Shmot 15:15-18

The vision they see as the sea splits open takes them to the future. They see themselves in the Land of Israel, free and independent; they see the Temple built in its glory. They see the dominion of God as absolute. Yet they lack one very important element: the Word of God, the vehicle through which the world would be transformed. They must travel to Sinai and receive the Torah, to encounter another aspect of God they have yet to experience: the intellectual challenge of Judaism, the content of the Revelation at Sinai. Once that is accomplished, once the Jews are fortified with Torah, even if they stray from the path, they have the ability to right their course by redoubling their efforts and rededicating themselves to the acceptance of Torah. This is the lesson of the Haftarah: The glorious vision of Yishayahu is tempered by the reality of a King of Israel who has strayed. But the final section of the Haftarah  contains a promise of rebirth,[13] a message of hope, a vision of the rejuvenation of the Davidic line and the final, glorious chapter of Jewish history, when God’s throne will be complete and all the prophesies fulfilled.

ישעיהו פרק ט, ה-ו

כִּי יֶלֶד יֻלַּד לָנוּ בֵּן נִתַּן לָנוּ וַתְּהִי הַמִּשְׂרָה עַל שִׁכְמוֹ וַיִּקְרָא שְׁמוֹ פֶּלֶא יוֹעֵץ אֵל גִּבּוֹר אֲבִיעַד שַׂר שָׁלוֹם: לְמַרְבֵּה הַמִּשְׂרָה וּלְשָׁלוֹם אֵין קֵץ עַל כִּסֵּא דָוִד וְעַל מַמְלַכְתּוֹ לְהָכִין אֹתָהּ וּלְסַעֲדָהּ בְּמִשְׁפָּט וּבִצְדָקָה מֵעַתָּה וְעַד עוֹלָם קִנְאַת  ה’ צְבָאוֹת תַּעֲשֶׂה זֹּאת:

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government is upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called "Wonderful counselor of the mighty God, everlasting Father, prince of peace". For the increase of the realm and for peace there without end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice for all eternity; the zeal of the God of hosts performs this. Yishayahu 9:5,6

On Shavuot we commemorate the giving of the Torah; therefore, the Haftarah is Yechezkel's spectacular vision, mirroring the Revelation experienced at Sinai. However, when the same verses are read in Parshat Yitro, the focus is not on an isolated event. Rather, we are following the path which began one awesome night when Avraham was told that his children would be enslaved, but would one day return to their land. The fulfillment of God's covenant with Avraham took his descendents through Egypt and through the sea, and led them to the foot of Mount Sinai. Considering the Revelation as a part of this larger journey is very different than the view of the Revelation as a singular event.  This event, celebrated on Shavuot, requires our identification, while the much larger view of the events of Sinai requires a grasp, an understanding, an ongoing process of internalization of the content of the Revelation.

Our Sages took this process one step further when they assigned the Haftarah reading. Throughout the ages, when Parshat Yitro is read, with the visions experienced at the Splitting of the Sea still fresh in our minds and the song of praise sung by Moshe and all of Israel still ringing in our ears, the Sages broaden the canvas even further, including the point that the Davidic line is reestablished and God’s dominion complete. Only then will the journey be complete; only then will the covenant be fulfilled. Only then will God's dominion be fully revealed to all of mankind.

---

[1] See last week’s essay (Parshat B'shalach)

[2] The Talmud notes that the numerous commandments regarding interpersonal behavior was revolutionary.  See Talmud Bavli Kiddushin 31a.

תלמוד בבלי מסכת קידושין דף לא עמוד א

בשעה שאמר הקב"ה (שמות כ) 'אנכי' ו'לא יהיה לך', אמרו אומות העולם: 'לכבוד עצמו הוא דורש'. כיון שאמר (שמות כ) 'כבד את אביך ואת אמך', חזרו והודו למאמרות הראשונות. רבא אמר, מהכא: (תהלים קיט) 'ראש דברך אמת', ראש דברך ולא סוף דברך? אלא, מסוף דברך ניכר שראש דברך אמת.

Ulla Rabbah lectured at the entrance to the Nasi's house: What is meant by, 'All the kings of the earth shall make admission unto Thee, O God, for they have heard the words of Thy mouth?' Not the word of Thy mouth, but the words of Thy mouth is said. When the Holy One, blessed be He, proclaimed, 'I am [the Lord your God]' and 'You shall have none [other Gods before me]', the nations of the world said: He teaches merely for His own honor. As soon as He declared: 'Honor your father and your mother,' they recanted and admitted [the justice of] the first command [too]. Raba said, [This may be deduced] from the following: 'The beginning of Your word is true': ‘the beginning of Your word, but not the end!? But from the latter portion of Your declaration it may be seen that the first portion is true.

[3] There are numerous instances in which a particular Haftorah is used to accompany more than one Torah reading. The Sages were well aware of this option, but did not avail themselves of it.

[4] These seem to be two completely disparate themes. It is interesting that on Shavuot we have another reading, that of Megilat Ruth, which fuses together these two themes: The backdrop of the megilla is the agricultural life in Israel, and the  story is about accepting the Torah.

[5] For more on Shavuot and the giving of the Torah see my book Emanations (Targum Press 2002), pages 135 ff.

[6] We have not touched upon the version of the Ten Commandments in Devarim, Parshat VaEtchanan. In that version, Moshe recaps the events of the Revelation; this is not divine speech, per se, and is therefore only tangentially related to our present discussion.

[7] See Elya Rabbah Shulchan Oruch Orach Chayim sections 142, 494 who insists that Taam Elyon only be used on Shavuot and not Parshat Yitro.

אליה רבה סימן קמב

יש לקרות בחג השבועות בניגון עליון דעשרת הדברות, שמלמד מקום דעשרת הדברות ואין חושש על התחלות הפסוקים ומקום סיומן. הפסוק והדבור הראשון מתחיל אנכי ומסיים לשומרי מצותי וכו' הכל דבור אחד, ואנכי ולא יהיה לך מפי הגבורה. פסוק שני לא תשא, ולפי שהוא פסוק אחד אין בו אלא ניגון אחד. ויקרא פני בפתח תחת הנו"ן כי אינו סוף פסוק. ותיו דתרצח ותנאף ותגנוב דגושה. ובקמ"ץ תחת [תעשה] התוי"ן. ומתחת קדמאה בפסוק לא תשא בפתח תחת הנו"ן. אבל בשבת פ' יתרו ואתחנן קורין בניגון התחתון מלמד על התחלת הפסוקים וסיומן. ופני בקמ"ץ תחת הנו"ן. ותוי"ן הנ"ל רפה. ופתח תחת [תעשה] התוי"ן. ומתחת קדמאה בפסוק לא תשא בקמ"ץ תחת התי"ו. כן (הוצאות) [הוצאתי] מתמצית כוונת תשובות משאת בנימין סי' ו', והוא האריך מאוד. ועיין בחזקוני פ' יתרו [שמות כ] ואור תורה [שם], מג"א סי' תצ"ד [ריש הסימן].

אליה רבה סימן תצד

ובריש סי' קמ"ב נתבאר לקרות [בטעם] עליון בשבועות.

[8] See Chizkuni commentary to the Torah Shmot 20:14

חזקוני על שמות פרק כ פסוק יד

יש ברוב הדברות שתי נגינות ללמד שבעצרת שהיא דוגמא מתן תורה, ומתרגמינן הדברות קורין כל דברת לא יהיה לך וכל דברת זכור בנגינות הגדולות לעשות כל אחת מהן פסוק אחד שכל אחד מהן דברה אחת לעצמה. ודברות לא תרצח לא תנאף לא תגנוב לא תענה קורין בנגינות הקטנות לעשות ד' פסוקים שהם ד' דברות. אבל בחודש שבט כשקורין בפרשת יתרו כשאר שבתות השנה קורין לא יהיה לך וזכור בנגינות הקטנות לעשות מכל אחת מהן ד' פסוקים, ודברות לא תרצח לא תנאף לא תגנוב לא תענה קורין בנגינות הגדולות לעשותן פסוק אחד לפי שלא מצינו בכל המקרא פסוק משתי תיבות חוץ מאלו ובשבועות דוקא כמו שפי' למעלה. גם בדברות אנכי ולא יהיה לך יש נגינה גדולה לעשותן שתיהן פסוק אחד לזכרון שבדבור אחד נאמרו, כיצד בתיבת אנכי פשטא ובתיבת אלהיך זקף קטן ובתיבת הוצאתיך תלישא ובתיבת מארץ מצרים קדמא ואזלא ובתיבת עבדים רביעי.

[9] See Sefer Toda’a chapter 28.

ספר התודעה - פרק עשרים ושמונה (המשך):

ובשבועות נוהגים לקרוא בציבור לפי הטעם העליון, המפסיק בין כל דיבור ודיבור, לפי שבו ביום נתנו עשרת הדברות, ועל כן עושים מכל דיבור פסוק בפני עצמו. ודיבור שיש בו כמה פסוקים, מחברים אותם ועושים אותם פסוק אחד, כדי שיהא כל דיבור נשמע לעצמו, שכך שמענום מסיני:

[10] For more on this concept see Rabbi Yosef Soloveitchik Shiurim L’Zecher Aba Mari, page 211.

[11] The Megaleh Amukot Parshat Tazria, observes that this is the meaning of a line in the liturgy in the An'im Zemirot, Ziknah byom din ubacharut byom krav.

סדור תפלה - נוסח אשכנז - סדר תפילת שחרית שבת - מוסף

חזן - זִקְנָה בְּיוֹם דִּין וּבַחֲרוּת בְּיוֹם קְרָב. כְּאִישׁ מִלְחָמוֹת יָדָיו לוֹ רָב:

ספר מגלה עמוקות על התורה - פרשת תזריע

על הים הי' הקב"ה כגבור וכבחור ועל הר סיני כזקן יושב בישיבה זקנה ביום דין ובחרות ביום קרב וכדי שלא יטעו לכן לבש הקב"ה חלוק של תפארת על הים כ"ש (ברכות ח) והת"ת זה מתן תורה כליל תפארת בראשו נתת בעמדו לפניך על הר סיני ז"ש (תהלים צג) ה' מלך גאות לבש לבש שבאותו הפעם על הים כי גאה גאה עז התאז""ר בגי' תרי"ג לבוש של תורה ז"ש (שמות טו) ה' איש מלחמה ה' שמו מה לך הים כי תנוס שעל הים הי' מורא עבור מלחמות ועל הר סיני לא הי' מורא עליהם רק ההרים תרקדו כאלים בשמחה וע"ז השיב על הים הי' כגבור מלפני אדון חולי ארץ שהיא השכינה תמן דינא אבל הר סיני מלפני אלוה יעקב שהוא מדת תפארת. ההופכי מן דרך נחש עלי צור מהפכין ועושים אגם מים:

[12] The Talmud in a similar teaching says that even the fetus in utero and the babe suckling at the breast saw the divine revelation at the sea. See Talmud Bavli Sotah 30b.

 מסכת סוטה ל:

תָּנוּ רַבָּנָן, דָּרַשׁ רַבִּי יוֹסֵי הַגְּלִילִי, בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁעָלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מִן הַיָּם, נָתְנוּ עֵינֵיהֶם לוֹמַר שִׁירָה, וְכֵיצַד אָמְרוּ שִׁירָה? עוֹלָל מֻטָּל עַל בִּרְכֵּי אִמּוֹ, וְתִינוֹק יוֹנֵק מִשְּׁדֵי אִמּוֹ. כֵּיוָן שֶׁרָאוּ אֶת הַשְּׁכִינָה, עוֹלָל הִגְבִּיהַּ צַוָּארוֹ, וְתִינוֹק שָׁמַט דַּד (אמו) מִפִּיו, וְאָמְרוּ, (שמות טו) "זֶה אֵלִי וְאַנְוֵהוּ". שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר, (תהלים ח) "מִפִּי עוֹלְלִים וְיוֹנְקִים יִסַּדְתָּ עֹז". (תַּנְיָא) הָיָה רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר, מִנַּיִן שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ עֻבָּרִין שֶׁבִּמְעֵי אִמָּן אָמְרוּ שִׁירָה? שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר, [דף לא ע"א] (שם סח) "בְּמַקְהֵלוֹת בָּרְכוּ אֱלֹהִים, אֲדֹנָי מִמְּקוֹר יִשְׂרָאֵל". [וְהָא לָא חָזוּ? אָמַר רַבִּי תַּנְחוּם, כֶּרֶס נַעֲשָׂה לָהֶם כְּאַסְפַּקְלַרְיָא הַמְּאִירָה וְרָאוּ]:

Our Rabbis taught: R. Jose the Galilean expounded: At the time the Israelites ascended from the Red Sea, they desired to utter a Song; and how did they render the song? The babe lay upon his mother's knees and the suckling sucked at his mother's breast; when they beheld the Shechinah, the babe raised his neck and the suckling released the nipple from his mouth, and they exclaimed: This is my God and I will Praise Him; as it is said: Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings hast thou established strength. R. Meir used to say: Whence is it that even the embryos in their mothers’ womb uttered a song? As it is said, Bless ye the Lord in the Congregations, even the Lord, from the fountain of Israel. But these could not behold [the Shechinah]! R. Tanhum said: The abdomen became for them a kind of transparent medium and they did behold it.

[13] Christian sources have attempted to co-opt this section as "proof" of their belief, and relied on a combination of violent mistranslation, together with total  disregard for historical context.

Parshat B'shalach 5770 - From Logic to Metalogic

Parshat B'shalach 5770

Rabbi Ari Kahn

“Chok and Mishpat”

From Logic to Metalogic

After[1] the momentous Exodus and the spectacular splitting of the Sea, the Jews find themselves at Marah:

ספר שמות פרק טו, כב-כו

וַיַּסַּע משֶׁה אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל מִיַּם סוּף וַיֵּצְאוּ אֶל מִדְבַּר שׁוּר וַיֵּלְכוּ שְׁלשֶׁת יָמִים בַּמִּדְבָּר וְלֹא מָצְאוּ מָיִם: וַיָּבֹאוּ מָרָתָה וְלֹא יָכְלוּ לִשְׁתֹּת מַיִם מִמָּרָה כִּי מָרִים הֵם עַל כֵּן קָרָא שְׁמָהּ מָרָה: וַיִּלֹּנוּ הָעָם עַל משֶׁה לֵּאמֹר מַה נִּשְׁתֶּה: וַיִּצְעַק אֶל ה’ וַיּוֹרֵהוּ ה’ עֵץ וַיַּשְׁלֵךְ אֶל הַמַּיִם וַיִּמְתְּקוּ הַמָּיִם שָׁם שָׂם לוֹ חֹק וּמִשְׁפָּט וְשָׁם נִסָּהוּ: וַיֹּאמֶר אִם שָׁמוֹעַ תִּשְׁמַע לְקוֹל ה’ אֱלֹהֶיךָ וְהַיָּשָׁר בְּעֵינָיו תַּעֲשֶׂה וְהַאֲזַנְתָּ לְמִצְוֹתָיו וְשָׁמַרְתָּ כָּל חֻקָּיו כָּל הַמַּחֲלָה אֲשֶׁר שַׂמְתִּי בְמִצְרַיִם לֹא אָשִׂים עָלֶיךָ כִּי אֲנִי ה’ רֹפְאֶךָ:

So Moshe led Israel from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water. They came to Marah, and they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter (marim); therefore its name was called Marah. And the people murmured against Moshe, saying, 'What shall we drink?' And he cried to God; and God showed him a tree, which when he threw into the waters, and made the waters sweet; there He made for them statute and ordinance (or judgment), and there He tested them, and said, "If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Almighty your God, and will do that which is right in His sight, and will be attentive to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases upon you which I brought upon the Egyptians; for I am God who heals you." (Shmot 15:22-26)

A cursory reading of the opening verses may give the impression that the crisis was one of insufficient supplies; the people are in need of an efficient water source. However, the concluding verses seem perplexing:  What is the connection or the relevance of statutes and judgments or ordinances as a remedy for the water shortage? Traditionally, these verses have been understood as an indication of some type of law-giving: Prior to Sinai, where the major Revelation would take place, the people here receive the first installment of Torah: statutes and ordinances.[2]

תלמוד בבלי מסכת סנהדרין דף נו עמוד ב

עשר מצות נצטוו ישראל במרה, שבע שקיבלו עליהן בני נח, והוסיפו עליהן: דינין, ושבת, וכיבוד אב ואם. דינין - דכתיב (שמות ט"ו) 'שם שם לו חק ומשפט'; שבת וכיבוד אב ואם - דכתיב (דברים ה') ,כאשר צוך ה' אלהיך'. ואמר רב יהודה: ,כאשר צוך, - במרה.

The Israelites were given ten precepts at Marah, seven of which had already been accepted by the children of Noah, to which were added at Marah social laws, the Shabbat, and honoring one's parents. ‘Social laws,’ for it is written, "There [sc. at Marah] he made for them a statute and an ordinance". 'The Shabbat and honoring one's parents,’ for it is written, "As the Almighty your God commanded you." (Sanhedrin 56b)

The logic of the Talmud is clear: The Ten Commandments are enumerated twice in the Torah. When they are repeated, only two commandments - Shabbat and honoring parents - contain the phrase "as the Almighty your God commanded you".[3] Clearly, this phrase would be equally apt for any or all of the Ten Commandments, which had been given years before at Sinai. Why is this phrase added only to these two Commandments? The Talmud explains that some laws were actually taught at an earlier juncture - at Marah. Therefore, "as the Almighty your God commanded you" refers to Marah, and not to the first Tablets transmitted at Sinai.

Regarding the mishpatim, here translated as "ordinances" or "judgments", the Midrash explains that these are social laws:

שמות רבה (וילנא) פרשת משפטים פרשה ל

אף כאן ואלה המשפטים מוסיף על הראשונים, מה שכתוב למעלה (שמות טו) שם שם לו חוק ומשפט, ד"א ואלה המשפטים מה כתיב למעלה מן הפרשה (שם /שמות/ יח) ושפטו את העם בכל עת ואמר כאן ואלה המשפטים והדברות באמצע, משל למטרונה שהיתה מהלכת הזין מכאן והזין מכאן והיא באמצע, כך התורה דינין מלפניה ודינין מאחריה והיא באמצע, וכן הוא אומר (משלי ח) באורח צדקה אהלך, התורה אומרת באיזה נתיב אני מהלכת אהלך בדרכן של עושי צדקה, בתוך נתיבות משפט התורה באמצע ודינין מלפניה ודינין מאחריה, מלפניה שנא' שם שם לו חוק ומשפט, ודינין מאחריה שנאמר ואלה המשפטים.

“And these are (v'eleh) the ordinances (mishpatim)” adds to those that preceded, to what is written above: 'There He made for them a statute and an ordinance' (Shmot 15, 25). Another explanation of “And these are the ordinances”: What precedes this paragraph? 'And let them judge the people at all times' (ib., 18, 22), and here it says, “Now these are the ordinances”. With the Decalogue in between. Like a distinguished lady walking in the center of an armed bodyguard, so the Torah is preceded by laws and followed by laws, while it is in the center. Hence it says, "I walk in the way of righteousness" (Mishlei 8, 20). The Torah exclaims: 'In which path shall I walk? I will walk in the path of those who act righteously in the midst of the paths of justice’ (ib.)--with the Torah in the center and laws preceding it and following it. Preceding it, as it says, 'There He made for them a statute and an ordinance,’ and following it, as it says, 'Now these are the ordinances.' (Midrash Rabah 30:3)

Once again, we are taught that certain laws were given to the people prior to Sinai. The question is, which laws were chosen to be taught at this juncture, and why?

The Talmud enumerated three things in this pre-Sinai category: social laws, Shabbat, and honoring one's parents. Rashi takes a different approach; in his comments on our Parsha, Rashi says:

רש"י שמות פרק טו, כה

'שם שם לו' - במרה נתן להם מקצת פרשיות של תורה שיתעסקו בהם, שבת ופרה אדומה ודינין:

In Marah they were given a few of the sections of the Torah, so that they be involved in them: Shabbat, Parah Adumah and laws. (Rashi on Sh'mot 15:25)

Rashi diverges from the Talmudic view and replaces the commandment to honor parents with the law of Parah Adumah (the Red Heifer), a shift that has been noted by many later commentaries.[4] Perhaps even more interestingly, in his comments on other verses, Rashi does, in fact, list the commandment to honor parents as having been commanded at Marah – in agreement with the Talmudic view. Why, then, did Rashi add Parah Adumah to this category at all, and why did he omit the commandment to honor parents at this point? Let us examine Rashi's comments on a verse only 9 chapters hence in the book of Shmot (Parshat Mishpatim):

רש"י שמות פרק כד

'ואת כל המשפטים' - שבע מצות שנצטוו בני נח. ושבת וכבוד אב ואם ופרה אדומה ודינין שניתנו להם במרה:

"And all of the mishpatim" - The seven Noachide laws, and Shabbat, honoring parents, Parah Adumah, and [social] laws which were given at Marah. (Rashi 24:3)

Rashi clearly states that both honoring parents and Parah Adumah were taught at Marah; has Rashi expanded the category of mishpatim to include four items? Apparently not: The inclusion of Parah Adumah can be attributed to rather straightforward exegesis of the other category listed in our Parsha,[5] chok ('statute'). The archetypal chok is, of course, the Red Heifer: this is a divine dictate.[6] The term mishpat, on the other hand, indicates judgment, adjudicated law. Therefore, Rashi would naturally include in his comments Parah Adumah, which is The Chok, alongside social laws, which are mishpat.

We should note that both Rashi and the sages of the Talmud include Shabbat in their list of the mitzvot given at Marah. The fact that there is no disagreement on this point may give us a unique opportunity to appreciate the method of exegesis with which our sages have always looked at the biblical text, as well as allowing us to appreciate the broader canvas which Rashi treats: The very next section of the Torah deals with Shabbat, and it presupposes some knowledge on the part of the people:

שמות פרק טז, כג

וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם הוּא אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר ד' שַׁבָּתוֹן שַׁבַּת קֹדֶשׁ לַד' מָחָר אֵת אֲשֶׁר תֹּאפוּ אֵפוּ וְאֵת אֲשֶׁר תְּבַשְּׁלוּ בַּשֵּׁלוּ וְאֵת כָּל הָעֹדֵף הַנִּיחוּ לָכֶם לְמִשְׁמֶרֶת עַד הַבֹּקֶר:

And he said to them, 'This is what God had spoken about: tomorrow is the day of rest, the Holy Shabbat to God… (16:23)

Prior to this verse, we find no discussion of Shabbat in the Torah other than the general comments in Bereishit. Nonetheless, the text makes clear reference to some earlier discussion centering around Shabbat: "This is what God had spoken about". Arguably, Rashi, first and foremost a biblical commentator, explains the straightforward reading, the "pshat" of the verse, by considering the context of the verse. Shabbat must surely have been among the laws transmitted at Marah, because Moshe later makes reference to their preceding discussion of Shabbat – which is not recorded in any way other than the events at Marah. As in the case of the commandment to honor one's parents, the verses in the second listing of the Ten Commandments indicate that these mitzvot were transmitted earlier than the rest – before Sinai, at Marah. Rashi includes Shabbat here because of the context of these verses, and includes the commandment to honor parents in his explanation of the verse in Parshat Mishpatim in order to explain the textual anomaly that singled out these two mitzvot.

A careful reading of Rashi may provide a further insight into the divergence from the Talmudic explanation of our verse. Rashi says that "at Marah they were given a few of the sections of the Torah, to be involved in". The term sheyit'asku --to be “involved” – is not necessarily the description we would have expected. Commandments are given in order to be 'obeyed', 'fulfilled', 'kept', 'done', 'safeguarded'; these are the terms of obedience to God's commandments that we have come to expect. Indeed, the verses here include such terms as 'listen' and 'obey'! Rashi's language implies an intellectual pursuit, and not necessarily a behavioral commitment. This follows the Talmudic teaching that the events at Marah constitute the source upon which public reading of the Torah is based:

תלמוד בבלי מסכת בבא קמא דף פב עמוד א

דתניא: (שמות ט"ו) 'וילכו שלשת ימים במדבר ולא מצאו מים' - דורשי רשומות אמרו: אין מים אלא תורה, שנאמר: (ישעיהו נ"ה) 'הוי כל צמא לכו למים' כיון שהלכו שלשת ימים בלא תורה נלאו, עמדו נביאים שביניהם ותיקנו להם שיהו קורין בשבת ומפסיקין באחד בשבת, וקורין בשני ומפסיקין שלישי ורביעי, וקורין בחמישי ומפסיקין ערב שבת, כדי שלא ילינו ג' ימים בלא תורה!

‘And they went three days in the wilderness and found no water,' upon which those who expound verses metaphorically said: Water means nothing but Torah, as it says: "Ho, everyone that thirsts, come for water" (Yishayhu 55:1). It thus means that as they went three days without Torah they immediately became exhausted. The prophets among them thereupon rose and enacted that they should publicly read [the Torah] on Shabbat, make a break on Sunday, read again on Monday, break again on Tuesday and Wednesday, read again on Thursday and then make a break on Friday so that they should not be kept for three days without Torah.’ (Baba Kamma 82a)

The events at Marah are the textual source for our practice of Torah study, but not necessarily for the practice of the commandments themselves. This argument is buttressed by the historical context. It seems incongruous that the laws of Parah Adumah would be included among the statutes transmitted at Marah: At this point, in the desert, before the construction of the Mishkan, the laws of Parah Adumah could only have been a theoretical construct, a conceptual framework. It would have been impossible for them to put these laws  to practical use at that point. At Marah, then, the Jews are given certain laws to study. They occupy themselves intellectually,[7] and this is the inspiring experience for public Torah study every three days, and perhaps for Torah study in general.

We may say, then, that our analysis of Rashi's comments has established a deep connection between Marah and the laws of Parah Adumah. What remains unclear is Rashi's omission of the commandment to honor parents from the Marah list. As we have seen, there were very good reasons to enumerate honoring parents among the commandments given prior to Sinai; Rashi does so in his later comments. Why, then, does he omit them here? Perhaps the Maharal's comments on this verse can be help us understand Rashi's omission: The Maharal points out that the verse ends with, "there He tested them"; such a test, regarding the honor of one's parents, would be inappropriate.[8] The Maharal elaborates, by categorizing the Commandments, dividing them into four groups: First, commandments that are beyond logic --referred to as chok. Second, commandments whose logic would elude us had it not been for the Torah’s explanation. The third type are commandments that are part of a social contract, whose logic is apparent, such as a prohibition against stealing. These commandments legislate against human desire and create the ground rules for communal life. Finally, there are commandments which are part of an individual's emotional makeup, Commandments which converge with human instinct.[9]

As the Maharal sees it, honoring parents is a most logical commandment, one that is an organic element of human nature and intelligence.[10] This does not imply that all men excel in the performance of this commandment; rather, to honor and cherish one’s parents is an inborn human character that has informed human behavior since the dawn of time. Rabbinic literature routinely brings examples of non-Jews, even some distinctly unsavory characters such as Esav,[11] or pagans such as Damah ben Natinah,[12] as quintessential examples of filial relationships. The Maharal's suggestion is that a test regarding honoring parents is no test at all; fulfillment of this commandment would not constitute proof of the Jews' obedience to God's word.

This becomes more clear in light of our thesis that it was the study of Torah, and not its practice, that was laid down at Marah. The acceptance of laws such as Parah Adumah and Shabbat required a "leap of faith," a stretch of man's belief.[13] To accept and study these laws indicates  something quite different than honoring parents; accepting and studying commandments that would never have been formulated by mortals, accepting and studying laws of Shabbat observance that testify to our belief in the Creator and our own unique relationship with Him, are a true test of our spiritual mettle. Honoring our parents, which is a logical – even biological – and self-evident truth, cannot be called a “test”.  Therefore, the Maharal says, Rashi did not include it in his commentary on the verse in our Parsha.

Taking the four categories outlined by the Maharal, we see that the Jews received all four types of laws at Marah. These may be described in more modern terms as the transcendental, the metalogical, the social and the logical. Several years ago, I heard Rav Yehuda Amital modify this teaching. When asked for guidelines for teaching the newly-observant, Rav Amital replied that this was the educational challenge faced at Marah. Extrapolating from the same principles we have discussed, Rav Amital suggested that the first steps undertaken toward observance should include laws from each of the Maharal's categories: The second category, social laws, are beyond the individual's immediate purview, as they are enforced by the larger society, but for the first category, one commandment from the interpersonal sphere - like the prototype of honoring parents, should be chosen. The third category should be represented by a law concerning Shabbat, a law involving the relationship between man and God. The fourth category, represented at Marah by the laws of Parah Adumah, should involve something which transcends human understanding.

It is not difficult to understand how people would have been attracted to the commandment to honor parents, being that it is eminently logical and appealing to human nature. Seen through the eyes of a generation only recently redeemed from hundreds of years of subjugation in Egypt, the laws of Shabbat may also have been logically compelling. Yet religious experience also necessitates something beyond this type of logic; it requires a transcendent component. There must be a rendezvous with the Divine. This is the heart of religious experience. Without it, the relationship with God is reduced to a human construct. This is what the Jews received at Marah[14], and this is what should serve as the cornerstone of our own commitment.

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[1] This shiur originally written 11 years ago has been updated.

[2] Other than the laws given in Egypt which were a part of the Exodus.

[3]  D'varim 5:12,16:

"Keep the Sabbath day to sanctify it, as the Almighty your G-d has commanded you.

Honor your father and your mother, as the Almighty your G-d has commanded you;

[4]  The Torah Temima suggests that Rashi's comments here contain an error of transmission: originally, Rashi's comment read "honoring parents"(kibud av v'em), represented by the initial letters "kaf, aleph". At some point, this was inadvertently mistaken for "peh aleph", initials for Parah Adumah. Rav Kasher, in the Torah Sh'lemah, ridicules this suggestion, asserting that all the manuscripts bear out the reading as it has been transmitted, "Parah  Adumah". Numerous Rishonim, including the Ramban, cite Rashi with the term Parah  Adumah. Rav Kasher then suggests that perhaps the Talmud has an alternative reading with the words Parah Adumah. See Torah Sh'lemah pages 284,285.

[5] The Maharal Gur Aryeh 15:25, makes this observation, though he attacks Rashi for “deviating” from Rabbinic tradition.

ספר גור אריה על שמות פרק טו פסוק כה

 ומאחר כי לשון "חוק" משמע פרה אדומה פירש אותו רש"י לפי פשט הכתוב, שנתן להם פרה אדומה להתעסק בה. אמנם עם כל זה דבריו תמוהים, שהיה לו לפרש הכתוב כמו שפרשו חכמים, ולא לעשות פירוש מסברת הלב, שכאשר אדם יתבונן במחלוקת החכמים במכילתא או במה שנזכר בגמרא יש טעם נפלא ועמוק מאד למה בחרו באלו, והכל בחכמה ובהשכל, ואין להאריך במקום הזה בפירוש המכילתא, ורש"י נטה מדברי חכמים ז"ל והוסיף עליהם - וגרע הרבה.

[6] See Bamidbar 19:2, the Red Heifer is stated in the definitive “this is the chok of the Torah”

ספר במדבר פרק יט

(ב) זֹאת חֻקַּת הַתּוֹרָה אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה ה’ לֵאמֹר דַּבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְיִקְחוּ אֵלֶיךָ פָרָה אֲדֻמָּה תְּמִימָה אֲשֶׁר אֵין בָּהּ מוּם אֲשֶׁר לֹא עָלָה עָלֶיהָ עֹל:

[7]  The Ramban (Shmot 15:25) understands Rashi in this light; he further sees the learning as a preparation for the accepting of the Torah, which the Ramban views as a quasi-conversion process. Also see the comments of the Mahral to these verses (in Shmot) where he gives a very similar explanation.

רמב"ן שמות פרק טו  

(כה) שם שם לו חק ומשפט ושם נסהו - במרה נתן להם מקצת פרשיות של תורה שיתעסקו בהם, שבת פרה אדומה ודינין. ושם נסהו, לעם, לשון רש"י. והיא דעת רבותינו (סנהדרין נו ב). ואני תמה, למה לא פירש כאן החקים האלה והמשפטים ויאמר "וידבר ה' אל משה צו את בני ישראל" כאשר אמר בפרשיות הנזכרות למעלה דברו אל כל עדת בני ישראל וגו' (לעיל יב ג), וכן יעשה בכל המצות באהל מועד, בערבות מואב, ופסח מדבר (במדבר ט ב). ולשון רש"י שאמר פרשיות שיתעסקו בהם, משמע שהודיעם החקים ההם ולימד אותם עתיד הקב"ה לצוות אתכם בכך, על הדרך שלמד אברהם אבינו את התורה, והיה זה להרגילם במצות ולדעת אם יקבלו אותם בשמחה ובטוב לבב, והוא הנסיון שאמר ושם נסהו, והודיעם שעוד יצוום במצות, זהו שאמר אם שמוע תשמע לקול ה' אלהיך והאזנת למצותיו אשר יצוה אותך בהם:

…וטעם ויורהו ה' עץ - שהראה אותו עץ ואמר לו השלך את העץ הזה אל המים וימתקו. ובעבור שלא מצאתי לשון מורה אלא בענין למוד, ויורני ויאמר לי (משלי ד ד) למדני, וכן כלם, נראה בדרך הפשט כי העץ ההוא ימתיק המים בטבעו, והוא סגולה בו, ולימד אותה למשה. ורבותינו אמרו (מכילתא ותנחומא כאן) שהיה העץ מר והוא נס בתוך נס, כענין המלח שנתן אלישע במים (מ"ב ב כא). ואם כן אמר "ויורהו" כי לא היה העץ נמצא במקום ההוא, והקב"ה הורהו את מקומו. או שהמציאהו אליו בנס. ושוב מצאתי בילמדנו (מדרש תנחומא כאן) ראה מה כתיב שם, ויורהו ה' עץ, ויראהו לא נאמר אלא "ויורהו", הורהו דרכו. כלומר שהורהו ולמדהו דרכו של הקב"ה שהוא ממתיק המר במר:

[8] Gur Aryeh Dvarim 5:16.

ספר גור אריה על דברים פרק ה פסוק טז

[ו] אף על כבוד אב ואם נצטוו במרה וכו'. ובפרשת בשלח (שמות טו, כה) לא כתב רש"י רק 'שבת ודינין ופרה אדומה', ולא כתב כבוד אב ואם (קושית הרמב"ן פסוק יב). ויש לומר, דלעיל כתיב (שם) "שם שם לו חוק ומשפט ושם נסהו", ופירוש נסהו לעם אם ילכו בתורתו, ובכל המצות שייך נסיון, חוץ מן כבוד אב ואם, לפי שהאדם עושה בטבע לכבד אב ואם, והם מן המצות הטבעיות שהאדם עושה ומקיים בטבע, ולפיכך לא פירש למעלה כבוד אב ואם, שאין זה נסיון. אבל שבת ופרה אדומה ודינין, שייך בו נסיון:

[9] Ibid

 ספר גור אריה על דברים פרק ה פסוק טז

ועוד יש לומר, לכך נתן להם שבת ופרה אדומה וכבוד אב ואם, שכאשר רצה לתת להם מקצת מצות - נתן להם אלו מצות, שמצות התורה נחלקים לארבעה חלקים; האחד, שאין טעם שלהם נגלה כלל, ולא יוכל האדם לדעת כלל, כמו פרה אדומה (במדב"ר יט, ו), וכיוצא בו מצות שעטנז והרבה מצות שהם חוקים. ויש מצות שטעמם ידוע כאשר נכתבו בתורה, כמו שבת ותפילין, ואם לא נכתבו לא ידענו הטעם, שכתב אצל שבת (שמות כ, יא) "כי ששת ימים עשה ה' את השמים ואת הארץ", ומצות אלו נקראים 'מקובלות', שהם מקובלים אצלינו מפי משה. השלישי, הם מצות המושכלות, כגון דינין, שכל משפטים ידועים אצלינו אף כי לא נתן לנו, [ד]ידענו שהמלוה לחבירו חייב לשלם, ואלו המצות הם נקראים 'מצות המושכלות'. המין הרביעי הם המצות הטבעיות, שחפץ האדם לקיים בטבע, כגון כבוד אב ואם, וכן כמה מצות שהם בתורה שהם בשביל רחמנות, שהוא בטבע. וראיה שתמצא אף בבהמה רחמנות, שהיא מרחמת את ולדה: ולכך נתן להם אלו ארבע מצות, שיהיה להם מכל מין מצוה, כדי לנסות אותם, שלב האדם מהרהר בהן אם יקיים אותם; לפעמים מהרהר בחוקים, לפי שאין טעם ידוע בהם, ויאמר למה אעשה אחר שאין טעם לי בהם. ולפעמים אין מהרהר בחוקים, מפני שאמר שהטעם ידוע אצל הנותן, והוא מאמין, אבל מהרהר אחר המשפטים, באשר נראה לו שאין כך לפי דעתו. ולפעמים אלו ב' חלקים אין מהרהר בהם, החוקים - מפני שאין טעם שלהם ידוע, והמשפטים - מפני שקרובים הם לידיעת האדם, והוא מהרהר במצות המקובלות שאינם חוקים לגמרי, שיאמר שאין לי טעם בו, וגם אין טעם ידוע, וכאשר נכתב בתורה טעם שלהם, לפעמים מהרהר. ולפעמים הוא מאמין בזאת המצוה ומהרהר בראשונים. ולפיכך אלו חלקים נתן להם אם ילכו בתורתו אם לאו. אבל מצות טבעיות, כמו מצות כיבוד אב ואם, דבר זה אין נסיון בו כלל, כי מקיים אותו בטבע. ולכך לעיל בפרשת בשלח (רש"י שמות טו, כה), דפירש על פסוק "שם שם לו חוק ומשפט ושם ניסהו", לא פירש רק שבת דינין ופרה אדומה, אבל לא כבוד אב ואם, שאין במצוה זאת נסיון. והכל נכון:

[10] See the comments of Rabbi Epstein in the Aruch Hashulchan, Yoreh De'ah section 240 law 2, where he writes that even though honoring parents is eminently logical, as is keeping Shabbat ( many nations keep a day of rest), after the sin of the Golden Calf, man’s logic became corrupted. Jews are commanded, not because it is logical, but because God deemed that it would be so.

ערוך השולחן יורה דעה הלכות כבוד אב ואם סימן רמ סעיף ג

ויראה לי דלכן בדברות האחרונות כתיב כבד את אביך ואת אמך כאשר צוך ד' אלקיך כלומר לא תכבדם מפני שהשכל גוזר כן אלא כאשר צוך ד' אלקיך ובדברות הראשונות לא הוצרכו לזה מפני שהיו במדרגה גדולה כדכתיב אני אמרתי וגו' ובני עליון כולכם ופשיטא שכל מה שעשו לא עשו רק מפני ציוי הקב"ה אבל בדברות האחרונות אחר חטא העגל שירדו ממדריגתן נצטרכו להזהירם על זה [וכן בשבת כתיב שם כן משום דגם זה מוסכם בכל אום ולשון לשבות יום אחד בשבוע ולזה אומר שמור את יום השבת לקדשו כאשר צוך וגו' ולא מפני השכל]:

[11] See Midrash Tanchuma Kedoshim chapter 15.

מדרש תנחומא קדושים פרק טו

בוא וראה מצות כיבוד אב ואם כמה חביבה לפני הקב"ה שאין הקב"ה מקפח שכרו בין צדיק בין רשע מנלן מעשו הרשע על שכבד את אביו נתן לו הקב"ה את כל הכבוד הזה ר' אלעזר אומר שלש דמעות הזיל עשו הרשע אחד מעינו של ימין ואחד מעינו של שמאל והשלישית נקשרה בעינו ולא ירדה אימתי בשעה שברך יצחק את יעקב שנאמר (בראשית כז) וישא עשו קולו ויבך בוא וראה כמה שלוה נתן לו הקב"ה שנאמר (תהלים פ) האכלתם לחם דמעה ותשקמו בדמעות שליש שלוש אין כתיב אלא שליש שלא היו ג' שלמות ומה אם רשע זה על שכבד את אביו מה פרע לו הקב"ה המכבד את אבותיו ועושה מצות אחרות עאכ"ו

[12] Talmud Bavli Kiddushin 31a

תלמוד בבלי מסכת קידושין דף לא עמוד א

בעו מיניה מרב עולא: עד היכן כיבוד אב ואם? אמר להם: צאו וראו מה עשה עובד כוכבים אחד באשקלון ודמא בן נתינה שמו, פעם אחת בקשו חכמים פרקמטיא בששים ריבוא שכר, והיה מפתח מונח תחת מראשותיו של אביו, ולא ציערו.

It was propounded of R. Ulla: How far does the honor of parents [extend]?  He replied: Go forth and see what a certain heathen, Dama son of Nethinah by name, did in Askelon. The Sages once desired merchandise from him, in which there was six-hundred-thousand [gold denarii] profit, but the key was lying under his father, and so he did not trouble him. Rab Judah said in Samuel's name

[13] See Gur Aryeh 15:25, who insists that Shabbat is also a Chok.

ספר גור אריה על שמות פרק טו פסוק כה

 ועוד, כי לשון "חוק" נאמר על המצוה שאין טעם לה, אבל מצוה שטעם שלה נגלה לגמרי - אין שם "חוק" עליה, ולפיכך כבוד אב ואם שטעם המצוה מבואר - אין זה "חוק" כלל, אפילו אם לא נכתב בתורה האדם יודע מעצמו לכבד אביו ואמו. אבל שבת אם לא נתנה מפי השם יתברך לא היה יודע מעצמו, ולפיכך נקרא "חוק", דסוף סוף צריך להאמין אל הטעם גם כן, ולפיכך נקרא "חוק" על האדם. וכדי שלא יקשה למה קרא השבת בלשון "חוק", כלל עם זה פרה אדומה שהיא חוק גמור, וזה נכון בודאי.

[14] The Zohar understands that at Marah the Jews underwent a process which would cleanse them from the Egyptian exile and prepare them for the Revelation at Sinai: "Said R. Shimon further: ‘The unleavened bread is called “the bread of poverty “ (D'varim 16, 3), because at that time the moon was not at full strength, the reason being that, although the Israelites were circumcised, the rite had not been completed by “peri'ah”, and therefore the seal of the covenant was not revealed in its complete form. But later, when this completion had been achieved-namely at Marah, where Moshe “made for them a statute and an ordinance” (Shmot 15: 25)- the Holy One spoke to them, saying: “Until now you have eaten the ‘bread of poverty’, but from now on your bread shall emanate from a far other region: ‘I will rain bread from heaven for you’ ” (Ibid. 16, 4). (Zohar, Sh'mot 40a)

R. Eleazar adduced here the verse: “And when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter.... There he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them” (Ex. 15: 23-25). ‘I wonder’, he said, ‘how it is that people take so little trouble to understand the words of the Torah. Here, for example, one should really inquire what is the point of the words “There he made for them... and there he tested them”. But the inward significance of the water mentioned here is this. The Egyptians claimed to be the parents of the children of Israel, and many among the Israelites suspected their wives in the matter. So the Holy One, blessed be He, brought them to that place, where He desired to put them to the test. Thus when Moshe cried to God he was told: Write down the Divine Name, cast it into the water, and let all of them, women and men, be tested, so that no evil report should remain in regard to My children; and until they all be probed I will not cause My Name to rest upon them.' Straightway “God showed him a tree, and he cast it into the waters”, the tree being thus identical with the Divine Name the priest has to write for the testing of the wife of an Israelite. Thus “There he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he (tested) proved them”. Now it may be asked: This was properly done for the women, but why include the men? But, indeed, the men also had to be probed to show that they had not contaminated themselves with Egyptian women, in the same way as the women had to be probed to show that they had kept themselves uncontaminated by Egyptian men, all the time they were among them. And all, male and female, were proved to be pure, were found to be the seed of Israel, holy and pure. Then the Holy One, blessed be He, caused His Name to dwell among them. Hence assuredly it was by the waters “there that he... proved them”. Similarly here it is through water that the kohen proves the woman, and through the Divine Name.’ (Zohar, Bamidbar 124b)

Parshat Bo 5770 - Around Midnight

Parshat Bo 5770

Rabbi Ari Kahn

Around Midnight

After nine punishing plagues, the Egyptians are dealt the final, decisive blow. The firstborn of Egypt, from Paroh's heir-apparent to the lowliest member of Egypt's hierarchical society, are struck:

ספר שמות פרק יב, כט-ל

וַיְהִי בַּחֲצִי הַלַּיְלָה וַה’ הִכָּה כָל בְּכוֹר בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם מִבְּכֹר פַּרְעֹה הַיּשֵׁב עַל כִּסְאוֹ עַד בְּכוֹר הַשְּׁבִי אֲשֶׁר בְּבֵית הַבּוֹר וְכֹל בְּכוֹר בְּהֵמָה: וַיָּקָם פַּרְעֹה לַיְלָה הוּא וְכָל עֲבָדָיו וְכָל מִצְרַיִם וַתְּהִי צְעָקָה גְדֹלָה בְּמִצְרָיִם כִּי אֵין בַּיִת אֲשֶׁר אֵין שָׁם מֵת:

And it came to pass at midnight that God struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Paroh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle. And Paroh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead. Shmot 12:29,30

The first nine plagues brought everyday life in Egypt to a grinding halt, and inflicted pain on every Egyptian – physical pain, as well as humiliation and spiritual angst. The entire empire had been brought to the brink of collapse, but one more plague was to be suffered, and that final plague accomplished what the first nine did not: Only the tenth plague sets the Jewish People free.

ספר שמות פרק יב, לא-לג

וַיִּקְרָא לְמשֶׁה וּלְאַהֲרֹן לַיְלָה וַיֹּאמֶר קוּמוּ צְּאוּ מִתּוֹךְ עַמִּי גַּם אַתֶּם גַּם בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וּלְכוּ עִבְדוּ אֶת ה’ כְּדַבֶּרְכֶם: גַּם צֹאנְכֶם גַּם בְּקַרְכֶם קְחוּ כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתֶּם וָלֵכוּ וּבֵרַכְתֶּם גַּם אֹתִי: וַתֶּחֱזַק מִצְרַיִם עַל הָעָם לְמַהֵר לְשַׁלְּחָם מִן הָאָרֶץ כִּי אָמְרוּ כֻּלָּנוּ מֵתִים:

And he called for Moshe and Aaron by night, and said, Rise up, and get out from among my people, both you and the people of Israel; and go, serve God, as you have said. Also take your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone; and bless me also. And the Egyptians urged the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste; for they said, 'We are all dead men.' Shmot 12:31-33

 The final plague differs from all of the preceding nine in several significant ways, only one of which is its particular efficacy in achieving the desired goal. A first important distinguishing feature of the Plague of the Firstborn is stressed by the sages in the Haggada, the re-telling of these events that is the purpose of the Pesach seder:

הגדה של פסח - נוסח ההגדה

וַיּוֹצִאֵנוּ ה’ מִמִּצְרַיִם בְּיָד חֲזָקָה וּבִזְרֹעַ נְטוּיָה וּבְמֹרָא גָּדוֹל וּבְאֹתוֹת וּבְמֹפְתִים:

וַיּוֹצִאֵנוּ ה’ מִמִּצְרַיִם, לֹא עַל יְדֵי מַלְאָךְ וְלֹא עַל יְדֵי שָׂרָף וְלֹא עַל יְדֵי שָׁלִיחַ. אֶלָּא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בִּכְבוֹדוֹ וּבְעַצְמוֹ. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר, וְעָבַרְתִּי בְאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם בַּלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה וְהִכֵּיתִי כָל בְּכוֹר בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם מֵאָדָם וְעַד בְּהֵמָה וּבְכָל אֱלֹהֵי מִצְרַיִם אֶעֱשֶׂה שְׁפָטִים אֲנִי ה’:

And God took us out of Egypt with a strong hand and an outstretched arm and with great awe and with signs and lessons. And God took us out of Egypt – not through any messenger and not through the service of any seraph and not through a messenger. Rather, the Holy One Blessed be He, Himself and alone, as it says, "And I will go over the Land of Egypt on this night and I will strike every firstborn in the Land of Egypt, from man to beast, and I will pass judgment on all the gods of Egypt; I am the Almighty. Pesach Haggada

The proof-text for God's "personal", hands-on involvement in the redemption are the verses that describe the unfolding of the tenth plague. By inference, we learn that the sages ascribed the redemption to this plague, and no other.

A second unique feature of the Plague of the Firstborn may be discerned only when looking at the instructions Moshe received prior to the plague.

ספר שמות פרק יא, א-ג

וַיֹּאמֶר ה’ אֶל משֶׁה עוֹד נֶגַע אֶחָד אָבִיא עַל פַּרְעֹה וְעַל מִצְרַיִם אַחֲרֵי כֵן יְשַׁלַּח אֶתְכֶם מִזֶּה כְּשַׁלְּחוֹ כָּלָה גָּרֵשׁ יְגָרֵשׁ אֶתְכֶם מִזֶּה:דַּבֶּר נָא בְּאָזְנֵי הָעָם וְיִשְׁאֲלוּ אִישׁ מֵאֵת רֵעֵהוּ וְאִשָּׁה מֵאֵת רְעוּתָהּ כְּלֵי כֶסֶף וּכְלֵי זָהָב: וַיִּתֵּן ה’ אֶת חֵן הָעָם בְּעֵינֵי מִצְרָיִם גַּם הָאִישׁ משֶׁה גָּדוֹל מְאֹד בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם בְּעֵינֵי עַבְדֵי פַרְעֹה וּבְעֵינֵי הָעָם:

And God said to Moshe, 'There is one more plague that I will bring upon Paroh, and upon Egypt; after that he will let you leave this place; when he shall lets you go, he shall actually thrust you out of here altogether. Speak now to the people discreetly (literally: in the ears of the people), and let every man borrow from his neighbor, and every woman from her neighbor, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold. And God gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover the man Moshe was greatly respected in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Paroh’s servants, and in the sight of the people. Shmot 11:1-3

This, we are told, will be the final plague. However, nowhere in these verses does God say what the plague will be. God tells Moshe to instruct the people that the time has come to take valuable goods from the Egyptians, and the verses may be construed as saying this "cleaning out" of Egypt's silver and gold is, itself, the final blow. It is only when Moshe continues his remarks to the people that he adds - almost as an afterthought - that a devastating plague that will bring Paroh and Egypt to their knees, is still on the way.

ספר שמות פרק יא, ד-ו

וַיֹּאמֶר משֶׁה כֹּה אָמַר ה’ כַּחֲצֹת הַלַּיְלָה אֲנִי יוֹצֵא בְּתוֹךְ מִצְרָיִם: וּמֵת כָּל בְּכוֹר בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם מִבְּכוֹר פַּרְעֹה הַיּשֵׁב עַל כִּסְאוֹ עַד בְּכוֹר הַשִּׁפְחָה אֲשֶׁר אַחַר הָרֵחָיִם וְכֹל בְּכוֹר בְּהֵמָה:(ו) וְהָיְתָה צְעָקָה גְדֹלָה בְּכָל אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם אֲשֶׁר כָּמֹהוּ לֹא נִהְיָתָה וְכָמֹהוּ לֹא תֹסִף:

And Moshe said, 'Thus said God, "About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt; And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Paroh that sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the maidservant who is behind the mill; and all the firstborn of beasts. And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there never has been, nor shall there ever be again. Shmot 11:4-6

Moshe quotes God: “Thus said God." As we turn the pages back, looking for the speech which Moshe quotes, we are hard-pressed to find it. In this instance, unlike the other plagues, the verses do not seem to record the words that God said to Moshe; this communication seems to have been preserved only as it is reflected in Moshe's words to the people. However, if we widen the parameters of our search, we find that God's instructions regarding the tenth plague were given to Moshe first, before Moshe began his journey back to Egypt to confront Paroh:

ספר שמות פרק ד, כא-כג

וַיֹּאמֶר ה’ אֶל משֶׁה בְּלֶכְתְּךָ לָשׁוּב מִצְרַיְמָה רְאֵה כָּל הַמֹּפְתִים אֲשֶׁר שַׂמְתִּי בְיָדֶךָ וַעֲשִׂיתָם לִפְנֵי פַרְעֹה וַאֲנִי אֲחַזֵּק אֶת לִבּוֹ וְלֹא יְשַׁלַּח אֶת הָעָם: וְאָמַרְתָּ אֶל פַּרְעֹה כֹּה אָמַר ה’ בְּנִי בְכֹרִי יִשְׂרָאֵל: וָאֹמַר אֵלֶיךָ שַׁלַּח אֶת בְּנִי וְיַעַבְדֵנִי וַתְּמָאֵן לְשַׁלְּחוֹ הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי הֹרֵג אֶת בִּנְךָ בְּכֹרֶךָ:

And God said to Moshe, 'When you go to return to Egypt, see that you do all those wonders before Paroh, which I have put in your hand; but I will harden his heart, so that he shall not let the people go. And you shall say to Paroh, "Thus said God: 'Israel is my son, my firstborn; And I say to you, Let my son go, that he may serve me; and if you refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay your son, your firstborn.' " Shmot 4:21-23

Before Moshe confronted Paroh for the first time, before any of the first nine plagues, God told Moshe how the story would end. The tenth plague was, in fact, the first to be foretold, and theoretically Moshe warned Paroh, from the outset, that this would be the consequence if he did not cooperate. When we note that the Plague of the Firstborn appears in the text prior to Moshe's return to Egypt, we may posit that this plague represents basic justice and punishment for Paroh's decree, approved and enforced by the Egyptian People, to murder all male Jewish infants. This tenth plague was retribution, "earned" by the Egyptians for their unparalleled, unnecessary cruelty toward the Jewish slaves.

When the time comes to prepare them for the last plague, Moshe tells the people that it will begin “cachatzot halyla”. While we often imagine and perhaps even translate chatzi halaya as midnight, a very precisely measured and appointed time, it may actually mean “the middle of the night,” a far more general description. In fact, the Haggadah itself supports the latter interpretation: the section that enumerates the many miracles that occurred "bachatzi halayla" offers a long list of events that transpired “in the middle of the night;”[1] in not one case do we have evidence that it transpired at midnight.[2] If we are precise in our terminology, we begin to see that "midnight", the exact "zero hour" at which the hands of the clock are aligned, is not a significant demarcation of time in Jewish thought. In halachic discussions, midnight is generally seen as an arbitrarily appointed point, a "fence" created within halachic categories to protect people from the sin of allowing the prescribed time for a particular service to pass. Midnight is not a natural demarcation of any intrinsic significance.[3]

What can we learn from the unusual language with which Moshe introduces the tenth and final plague? And what difference is there, if any, if the Plague of the Firstborn is to take place 'at night', in the 'middle of the night', or 'at midnight' precisely? As we shall see, the issue may not be striking the Egyptian firstborn at precisely midnight; rather, the crucial point may be night in general.

The last three plagues have an interesting characteristic in common: darkness.

ספר שמות פרק י, ד-ה, טו

כִּי אִם מָאֵן אַתָּה לְשַׁלֵּחַ אֶת עַמִּי הִנְנִי מֵבִיא מָחָר אַרְבֶּה בִּגְבֻלֶךָ: וְכִסָּה אֶת עֵין הָאָרֶץ וְלֹא יוּכַל לִרְאֹת אֶת הָאָרֶץ וְאָכַל אֶת יֶתֶר הַפְּלֵטָה הַנִּשְׁאֶרֶת לָכֶם מִן הַבָּרָד וְאָכַל אֶת כָּל הָעֵץ הַצֹּמֵחַ לָכֶם מִן הַשָּׂדֶה:

וַיְכַס אֶת עֵין כָּל הָאָרֶץ וַתֶּחְשַׁךְ הָאָרֶץ וַיֹּאכַל אֶת כָּל עֵשֶׂב הָאָרֶץ וְאֵת כָּל פְּרִי הָעֵץ אֲשֶׁר הוֹתִיר הַבָּרָד וְלֹא נוֹתַר כָּל יֶרֶק בָּעֵץ וּבְעֵשֶׂב הַשָּׂדֶה בְּכָל אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם:

'For if you refuse to let my people go, behold, tomorrow will I bring locusts into your border. And they shall cover the eye of the earth, so that it will be impossible to see the earth; and they shall eat the remnants that were spared from the plague of hail, and they shall eat every tree which grows for you in the field.' And they covered the eye of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they ate every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left; and no greenery remained on the trees or the shrubs of the field in all of the land of Egypt. Shmot 10:4,5,15

When the locusts struck (the eighth plague), they covered the “eye” of the earth,[4] and caused darkness. The ninth plague seems to continue this darkness, to deepen it and take it to a new level:

ספר שמות פרק י

(כא) וַיֹּאמֶר ה’ אֶל משֶׁה נְטֵה יָדְךָ עַל הַשָּׁמַיִם וִיהִי חשֶׁךְ עַל אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם וְיָמֵשׁ חשֶׁךְ:

And God said to Moshe, 'Stretch out your hand toward heaven, and there will be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness that will be palpable. Shmot 10:21

The final plague, the Plague of the Firstborn, took place 'in the middle of the night'; again, when darkness reigns. The preceding seven plagues all apparently began in daylight and were not were bound by the cycle of day and night, darkness and light. What is the significance of this common element shared by the last three plagues?

A rather peculiar exchange between Moshe and Paroh may give us new insight into this question. In the middle of these three last plagues, which may be regarded as three degrees of darkness, Moshe demands that Paroh release the entire nation, young and old. Paroh's response deserves closer examination:

ספר שמות פרק י, פסוק ט-יא

וַיֹּאמֶר משֶׁה בִּנְעָרֵינוּ וּבִזְקֵנֵינוּ נֵלֵךְ בְּבָנֵינוּ וּבִבְנוֹתֵנוּ בְּצֹאנֵנוּ וּבִבְקָרֵנוּ נֵלֵךְ כִּי חַג ה' לָנוּ: וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם יְהִי כֵן ה’ עִמָּכֶם כַּאֲשֶׁר אֲשַׁלַּח אֶתְכֶם וְאֶת טַפְּכֶם רְאוּ כִּי רָעָה נֶגֶד פְּנֵיכֶם: לֹא כֵן לְכוּ נָא הַגְּבָרִים וְעִבְדוּ אֶת ה’ כִּי אֹתָהּ אַתֶּם מְבַקְשִׁים וַיְגָרֶשׁ אֹתָם מֵאֵת פְּנֵי פַרְעֹה:

And Moshe said, 'We will go with our young and with our old, with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds will we go; it is a festival to God for [all of] us.' And he said to them, 'May God only be with you if I will let you leave with your little ones. You must realize that evil (ra'a) will confront you (literally: is before your face). It will not be so; let the men go and serve God if that is what you really desire.' With that, Paroh had them expelled from his presence. Shmot 10:9-11

Paroh seems to be warning them that the participation of the entire nation in this festival is a very bad idea. The word he uses to describe the dire consequences is ra'a, which is usually translated as “bad” or “evil”. This warning seems extremely strange; Paroh has not, up to this point, been particularly caring or benevolent, nor has he displayed any concern for the welfare and preservation of the Jewish slaves. Is this actually a warning, or is Paroh gloating, anticipating some terrible calamity which will befall his erstwhile slaves?

Rashi[5] cites an interpretation of these verses that associates ra with the Egyptian sun god, Ra,[6] represented by an ominous star that portended bloodshed and death. According to this reading of the verses, Paroh's reading of the astrological signs indicated that blood would be spilled in the desert, and the Egyptian deity Ra would be victorious.

This interpretation seems to be borne out by Moshe himself: When the Israelites sinned with the Golden Calf and God threatened to wipe them out, Moshe's arguments on behalf of the nation refer to this same ra'a, this same evil – or, this same Egyptian deity:

ספר שמות פרק לב, יב

לָמָּה יֹאמְרוּ מִצְרַיִם לֵאמֹר בְּרָעָה הוֹצִיאָם לַהֲרֹג אֹתָם בֶּהָרִים וּלְכַלֹּתָם מֵעַל פְּנֵי הָאֲדָמָה שׁוּב מֵחֲרוֹן אַפֶּךָ וְהִנָּחֵם עַל הָרָעָה לְעַמֶּךָ:

Why should the Egyptians be able to say that You took them out with evil intentions (bera'ah) to kill them in the hills, and to wipe them off the face of the earth? Turn away from your fierce anger, and refrain from doing this evil (ra'ah) to Your people. Shmot 32:12.

If God wipes out the nation, people would say that “ra/Ra” killed them; Paroh's vision of their doom would be brought to fruition, his faith in the sun god vindicated. God's Name would be desecrated, for the Egyptians would claim that their god was more powerful. This is the argument Moshe uses to dissuade God from carrying out the sentence; God acquiesces and the people are spared.[7]

It is in this context that we should re-read the verses that introduce the Plague of the Firstborn. God tells Moshe that the final plague is coming, but he adds another piece of information, explains an additional objective of this final plague:

ספר שמות פרק יב, חב

וְעָבַרְתִּי בְאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם בַּלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה וְהִכֵּיתִי כָל בְּכוֹר בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם מֵאָדָם וְעַד בְּהֵמָה וּבְכָל אֱלֹהֵי מִצְרַיִם אֶעֱשֶׂה שְׁפָטִים אֲנִי ה’:

For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment; I am God. Shmot 12:12

Not only will the firstborn be struck, but the gods of Egypt will be decimated. This aspect is not unique to the tenth plague; in fact, we may say that the plagues attacked Egypt's religious hierarchy as much as they dismantled the Egyptian social and economic hierarchies. The deities of Egypt had been humbled by the very first plagues: The Nile was seen as a deity in Egypt, the source of life, of sustenance and prosperity. The fact that three of the first four plagues come from the Nile,[8] surely was of tremendous theological significance for the Egyptians. They must have felt that their world as well as their worldview was unraveling before their eyes. When the mighty Nile was turned to blood, they perceived their deity as wounded and perhaps dying. In a larger sense, Paroh saw himself as the life-force of the Nile, a deity in his own right; this is stressed by the Prophet Yechezkel:

ספר יחזקאל פרק כט, ב-ג

בֶּן אָדָם שִׂים פָּנֶיךָ עַל פַּרְעֹה מֶלֶךְ מִצְרָיִם וְהִנָּבֵא עָלָיו וְעַל מִצְרַיִם כֻּלָּהּ: דַּבֵּר וְאָמַרְתָּ כֹּה אָמַר אֲדֹנָיה’הִנְנִי עָלֶיךָ פַּרְעֹה מֶלֶךְ מִצְרַיִם הַתַּנִּים הַגָּדוֹל הָרֹבֵץ בְּתוֹךְ יְאֹרָיו אֲשֶׁר אָמַר לִי יְאֹרִי וַאֲנִי עֲשִׂיתִ:

Son of man, set your face against Paroh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him, and against all Egypt; Speak, and say, 'Thus says Almighty God: Behold, I am against you, Paroh king of Egypt, the great crocodile that lies in the midst of his streams, who has said, "My river is my own, and I have made it for myself." Yehezkel 29:2,3

Moshe addressed Paroh in his capacity as god of the Nile. It is for this aspect of Paroh's power that Moshe is sent to speak to Paroh on the banks of the Nile. It is in his capacity as a member of the Egyptian pantheon that Paroh was threatened by the plagues, and it was on those terms that Paroh responded to Moshe and invoked the power of Ra.

Ra was no minor figure in the Egyptian pantheon: Ra was the sun god, the most powerful of all the Egyptian deities.[9] Thus, the last three plagues should be seen as an attack on the Egyptians' most central beliefs. Just as the first three of the first four plagues attacked the Nile and shook the Egyptians' belief in the powers of the god who ruled the Nile, so the final three plagues were direct attacks on the Egyptian sun god: The plague of locusts turned day into night and the sun god was defeated. The plague of darkness went one step further, exploding the myth of the sun god completely: three days of darkness, days completely devoid of sunlight, destroyed the reputation of the erstwhile god.

Now, the ultimate plague would strike in the middle of the night, a time the Egyptians had come to fear and loathe. Their beloved firstborn, demi-gods in the socio-political hierarchy of Egypt, were taken from them in one terrible, incomprehensible moment.

At that very same moment in the middle of the night, the Jews were free. With the very same strike of the clock, in the middle of the night, the Egyptians became vulnerable – and the Jews became confident. At that very same moment, in the middle of the night, the Jews were liberated: With the death of the firstborn, Paroh capitulates. In the poignant description of the Midrash,[10]  Paroh searches for Moshe and Aharon, running in the night from door to door in the Jewish quarter. He pleads with them to leave, implores them to take the entire nation and go immediately. Paroh capitulates completely: “You are free, you are free!” he shouts at them, but Moshe and Aharon retort: “Are we thieves that skulk about in the night? We will leave in the morning.”

The first act of freedom was choosing not to leave Egypt when Paroh told them to do so. God had commanded that no one was to leave their homes that night, and the nation exercised their right, as a free people, to obey the word of God, and not the word of Paroh. They marched out of Egypt at the hour when the sun god was perceived to have been at the height of power. There would be no mistake about it: day or night, midnight or sunlight – Egyptian deities were powerless, meaningless. The Jews were set free when the firstborn were struck – at night, but they left Egypt the following morning, in broad daylight, with their heads held high, and the vanquished Egyptian gods no more than a memory.[11]

---

[1] One episode that did transpire at midnight is recounted in the book of Judges chapter 16 regarding Shimshon. Significantly, his downfall is caused by a woman named Delilah, a name which seems to categorize her as “of the night”.

ספר שופטים פרק טז

(ג) וַיִּשְׁכַּב שִׁמְשׁוֹן עַד חֲצִי הַלַּיְלָה וַיָּקָם בַּחֲצִי הַלַּיְלָה וַיֶּאֱחֹז בְּדַלְתוֹת שַׁעַר הָעִיר וּבִשְׁתֵּי הַמְּזוּזוֹת וַיִּסָּעֵם עִם הַבְּרִיחַ וַיָּשֶׂם עַל כְּתֵפָיו וַיַּעֲלֵם אֶל רֹאשׁ הָהָר אֲשֶׁר עַל פְּנֵי חֶבְרוֹן:(ד) וַיְהִי אַחֲרֵי כֵן וַיֶּאֱהַב אִשָּׁה בְּנַחַל שוֹרֵק וּשְׁמָהּ דְּלִילָה:(ה) וַיַּעֲלוּ אֵלֶיהָ סַרְנֵי פְלִשְׁתִּים וַיֹּאמְרוּ לָהּ פַּתִּי אוֹתוֹ וּרְאִי בַּמֶּה כֹּחוֹ גָדוֹל וּבַמֶּה נוּכַל לוֹ וַאֲסַרְנֻוהוּ לְעַנּוֹתוֹ וַאֲנַחְנוּ נִתַּן לָךְ אִישׁ אֶלֶף וּמֵאָה כָּסֶף:(ו) וַתֹּאמֶר דְּלִילָה אֶל שִׁמְשׁוֹן הַגִּידָה נָּא לִי בַּמֶּה כֹּחֲךָ גָדוֹל וּבַמֶּה תֵאָסֵר לְעַנּוֹתֶךָ:

[2] Pesach Haggda. See Michilta Bo, section 13.

הגדה של פסח - נוסח ההגדה

וַיְהִי בַּחֲצִי הַלַּיְלָה:

דַּנְתָּ מֶלֶךְ גְּרָר בַּחֲלוֹם הַלַּיְלָה.                                    (אבימלך)

 הִפְחַדְתָּ אֲרַמִּי בְּאֶמֶשׁ לַיְלָה.                                      (לבן)

 וַיָּשַׂר יִשְׂרָאֵל לָאֵל וַיּוּכַל לוֹ לַיְלָה.                             (יעקב מלאך)

וַיְהִי בַּחֲצִי הַלַּיְלָה:

זֶרַע בְּכוֹרֵי פַּתְרוֹס מָחַצְתָּ בַּחֲצִי הַלַּיְלָה.       (מכת בכורות –פתרוסים)

 חֵילָם לֹא מָצְאוּ בְּקוּמָם בַּלַּיְלָה.                  (וינצלו את ממונם)

 טִיסַת נְגִיד חֲרוֹשֶׁת סִלִּיתָ בְּכוֹכְבֵי לַיְלָה.      (סיסרא מן השמים לוחמו הכוכבים)

 וַיְהִי בַּחֲצִי הַלַּיְלָה:

יָעַץ מְחָרֵף לְנוֹפֵף אִוּוּי הוֹבַשְׁתָּ פְּגָרָיו בַּלַּיְלָה.              (סנחרב –ויהי בלילה ההוא ויצא מלאך)

כָּרַע בֵּל וּמַצָּבוֹ בְּאִישׁוֹן לַיְלָה.                                (הצלם של נבוכדנצר בבקאת דורא)

לְאִישׁ חֲמוּדוֹת נִגְלָה רָז חֲזוֹת לַיְלָה.                            (דניאל)

וַיְהִי בַּחֲצִי הַלַּיְלָה:

מִשְׁתַּכֵּר בִּכְלֵי קֹדֶשׁ נֶהֱרַג בּוֹ בַּלַּיְלָה.                           (בלטשצר)

נוֹשַׁע מִבּוֹר אֲרָיוֹת פּוֹתֵר בִּעֲתוּתֵי לַיְלָה.      (דניאל)

שִׂנְאָה נָטַר אֲגָגִי וְכָתַב סְפָרִים בַּלַּיְלָה.                        (המן)

וַיְהִי בַּחֲצִי הַלַּיְלָה:

עוֹרַרְתָּ נִצְחֲךָ עָלָיו בְּנֶדֶד שְׁנַת לַיְלָה.                           (אחשורש)

פּוּרָה תִדְרוֹךְ לְשׁוֹמֵר מַה מִלַּיְלָה.                (הקב"ה)

צָרַח כַּשּׁוֹמֵר וְשָׂח אָתָא בֹקֶר וְגַם לַיְלָה. וַיְהִי בַּחֲצִי הַלַּיְלָה:

קָרֵב יוֹם אֲשֶׁר הוּא לֹא יוֹם וְלֹא לַיְלָה. רָם הוֹדַע כִּי לְךָ הַיּוֹם אַף לְךָ הַלַּיְלָה. שׁוֹמְרִים הַפְקֵד לְעִירְךָ כָּל הַיּוֹם וְכָל הַלַּיְלָה. תָּאִיר כְּאוֹר יוֹם חֶשְׁכַת לַיְלָה. וַיְהִי בַּחֲצִי הַלַּיְלָה:

מכילתא בא פרשה יג

ויהי בחצי הלילה. יוצרו חלקו למה נאמר לפי שנ' (שמות י"א) ויאמר משה כה אמר ה’ כחצות הלילה אני יוצא וגו' וכי אפשר לבשר ודם לעמוד על חציה של לילה אלא א"כ יוצרו חלקו. רבי יהודה בן בתירה אומ' היודע שעותיו ועתותיו הוא חלקו. רבי אליעזר אומר נאמר כאן לילה ונאמ' להלן חצות מה להלן עד חצות אף כאן עד חצות:

ויי' הכה כל בכור. שומעני על ידי מלאך או על ידי שליח ת"ל והכתי כל בכור לא על ידי מלאך ולא על ידי שליח:

[3] See Talmud Bavli Brachot 2a chapter one Mishna 1.

משנה מסכת ברכות פרק א

אלא כל מה שאמרו חכמים עד חצות מצותן עד שיעלה עמוד השחר הקטר חלבים ואברים מצותן עד שיעלה עמוד השחר וכל הנאכלין ליום אחד מצותן עד שיעלה עמוד השחר אם כן למה אמרו חכמים עד חצות כדי להרחיק אדם מן העבירה:

…but wherever the sages say until midnight, the precept may be performed until the dawn comes up. The precept of burning the fat and the [sacrificial] pieces, too, may be performed till the dawn comes up. Similarly, all [the offerings] that are to be eaten within one day may lawfully be consumed till the coming up of the dawn. Why then did the sages say until midnight? In order to keep a man far from transgression.

[4] See comments of the Netziv, Haemek Davar Shmot 10:5.

העמק דבר על שמות פרק י פסוק ה

(ה) וכסה את עין הארץ. משמעות עין פעם הוא הדבר שנותנים עין עליה כמו שביארנו בספר בראשית מ"ו ד' ובספר דברים ל"ג כח. ופעם משמעו מי שמשגיח ושם עין כמו עיני העדה וכאן נכלל שני דברים שהארבה יכסה תפארת הארץ שהיתה מצוינת בשפע עושר ובנינים נפלאים ויהי הכל מכוסה ועוד נכלל בזה שהמלך וכל משגיחיו. לא יוכל לראות את הארץ. באשר הארבה יכסה את עין הארץ לא יוכל להשגיח עליה כי המה יעמדו כחומה נגד עיניהם:

[5] Rashi Shmot 10:10, the same idea is found in the Yalkut Shimoni Shmot 32 remez 392.

רש"י על שמות פרק י פסוק י

ראו כי רעה נגד פניכם - כתרגומו ומדרש אגדה שמעתי כוכב אחד יש ששמו רעה אמר להם פרעה רואה אני באיצטגנינות שלי אותו כוכב עולה לקראתכם במדבר והוא סימן דם והריגה וכשחטאו ישראל בעגל ובקש הקב"ה להרגם אמר משה בתפלתו (שמות לב) למה יאמרו מצרים לאמר ברעה הוציאם זו היא שאמר להם ראו כי רעה נגד פניכם מיד וינחם ה’ על הרעה והפך את הדם לדם מילה שמל יהושע אותם וזהו שנאמר (יהושע ה) היום גלותי את חרפת מצרים מעליכם שהיו אומרים לכם דם אנו רואין עליכם במדבר:

ילקוט שמעוני שמות - פרק לב - רמז שצב

למה יאמרו מצרים. זה שאמר הכתוב היום גלותי את חרפת מצרים. לפי שראה פרעה באצטנגינות ואמר להם לישראל ראו כי רעה נגד פניכם אמר להם אני רואה באצטגנינות שלי כוכב אחד עולה לקראתכם שמו רעה והוא סימן דם והריגה וכשחטאו ישראל במדבר בעגל אמר משה בתפלתו למה יאמרו מצרים לאמר ברעה הוציאם זהו שאמרנו לכם ראו כי רעה נגד פניכם מיד וינחם ה’ על הרעה והפך את הדם לדם מילה שמל אותם יהושע וזהו שנאמר היום גלותי את חרפת מצרים שהיו אומרים דם אנו רואים עליכם:

[6] Rabbenu Bachya Shmot 10:10, identifies this star with Mars.

רבינו בחיי על שמות פרק י פסוק י

ובמדרש ראו כי רעה נגד פניכם, כוכב אחד יש ששמו רעה ואמר להם פרעה רואה אני באצטגנינות שלי כוכב אחד עולה לקראתכם במדבר והוא סימן דם והריגה, והכוכב הזה הוא כוכב מאדים

[7] Rav Yitzchak Karo connects Ra with dualism:

ספר תולדות יצחק על שמות פרק י פסוק י

ויאמר אלהם יהי כן ה’ עמכם כאשר אשלח אתכם ואת טפכם ראו כי רעה נגד פניכם:

ראו כי רעה נגד פניכם, יש פילוסוף ושמו אנוב שסברתו שיש שם שתי אלוהות אחד פועל הטובות ואחד פועל הרעות, ואמר פרעה פועל הרעות הוא אלהיכם שמיום שבא למצרים לא עשה שום טובה אלא רעות ומכות, וזהו שאמר משה [להלן לב יב] למה יאמרו מצרים לאמר ברעה הוציאם, פועל הרעות הוציאם להרוג אותם בהרים.

[8] See Shmot Chapter 7 verses 17-20, (blood) 7:28 8:1,2 (frogs) 8:16,17 (swarms of lice).

[9] See http://www.touregypt.net/godsofegypt/ra.htm It may also be of significance that Ra is described as follows: “Ra was the almost universally-worshipped king of the gods and all-father of creation. A sun god, he was said to command the chariot that rode across the sky during the day. A king, he was the patron of the pharaoh. Ra is the most central god of the Egyptian pantheon. Ra's position in the pantheon is unusual. He is the only god, apart from Osiris, who is definitely said to be not on the earth. Ra, it is said, is an aging god, still powerful, but too old to deal with his children any longer, so he has gone exclusively to the sky to watch over the world.” This indifference to children stands in stark contrast to Moshe’s insistence that the children would accompany the adults in worship.

[10] Yalkut Shimoni Tehilim chapter 113 remez 872.

[11] There would be one more confrontation with the deities of Egypt, see my article “The Eleventh Plague” http://arikahn.blogspot.com/2009_01_01_archive.html

Parshat Vaera 5770 -The Fifth Cup

Parshat Vaera 5770

Rabbi Ari D. Kahn

The Fifth Cup

Moshe’s initial attempt to liberate the people seemed to have had the opposite result: instead of winning their freedom, the misery had increased. Moshe questions God. What happened to the assurances he was given at the Burning Bush? Why have things regressed? How and when will they be freed? In response, God provides Moshe with new assurances, and tells him to transmit these assurances to the people:

שמות פרק ו, ו

לָכֵן אֱמֹר לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲנִי ה’ וְהוֹצֵאתִי אֶתְכֶם מִתַּחַת סִבְלֹת מִצְרַיִם וְהִצַּלְתִּי אֶתְכֶם מֵעֲבֹדָתָם וְגָאַלְתִּי אֶתְכֶם בִּזְרוֹעַ נְטוּיָה וּבִשְׁפָטִים גְּדֹלִים: וְלָקַחְתִּי אֶתְכֶם לִי לְעָם וְהָיִיתִי לָכֶם לֵאלֹהִים וִידַעְתֶּם כִּי אֲנִי ה’ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם הַמּוֹצִיא אֶתְכֶם מִתַּחַת סִבְלוֹת מִצְרָיִם: וְהֵבֵאתִי אֶתְכֶם אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר נָשָׂאתִי אֶת יָדִי לָתֵת אֹתָהּ לְאַבְרָהָם לְיִצְחָק וּלְיַעֲקֹב וְנָתַתִּי אֹתָהּ לָכֶם מוֹרָשָׁה אֲנִי ה’:

Therefore say to the People of Israel, 'I am God, and I will bring you out from under the burden of Egypt, and I will save you from their slavery, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm, and with great judgments. And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God; and you shall know that I am the Almighty your God, who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. And I will bring you in to the land which I swore to give to Avraham, to Yitzchak, and to Yaakov; and I will give it to you for a heritage; I am God.' Shmot 6:6-8

These verses contain what has become known as the 'four expressions of redemption'. The Jerusalem Talmud[1] associates[2] these expressions with the four cups of wine that punctuate the various parts of the Haggada and around which the Pesach seder is constructed.[3]

תלמוד ירושלמי מסכת פסחים דף סח/ב

מניין לארבעה כוסות רבי יוחנן בשם ר' בנייה כנגד ארבע גאולות לכן אמור לבני ישראל אני ה' והוצאתי אתכם וגו' ולקחתי אתכם לי לעם וגומר והוצאתי והצלתי וגאלתי ולקחתי

From where do we derive the Four Cups? Rebbi Yochanan said in the name of Rav B'naya, 'These parallel the four redemptions: “Therefore say to the People of Israel, I am God, and I will bring you out … And I will take you to me for a People…;" etc.; 'bring', 'save', 'redeem', 'take'. Jerusalem Talmud Pesachim 68b

Despite the familiarity of this teaching, some may find it disingenuous: In order to arrive at the desired number four, in order to create a parallel between the verses which promise liberation and the four cups of the seder, a fifth expression is 'edited out': The verses quoted above constitute what appears to be one organic divine statement, yet the last expression, “And I will bring you in to the land”, is ignored.

This problem was addressed by Rabbi Yosef Soloveitchik, who differentiated between two different themes in these verses, and ascribed them to different events in the Jewish calendar, ritual and liturgy: Pesach commemorates the Exodus, and the seder is an educational tool to teach us about the experience of slavery in Egypt and our miraculous salvation. This is the subject of the first four expressions, but not the fifth. The fifth expression addresses a different phase in our history. There is no reason to mention our conquest of the Land of Israel during the seder; this is a different aspect of the biblical narrative, commemorated by a different holiday (Shavuot), in different liturgy and ritual (the Bringing of the First Fruits). For this reason, the last verse is "disconnected" from the others. Although all five expressions comprise one unified communiqué, God's message to Moshe and the nation is truncated in the sages' analysis, and the fifth expression, the "Shavuot" expression, is suppressed.

On the other hand, the purpose of the Exodus from Egypt was never merely geographical. The Jews were not freed from bondage in order to become nomads. Their freedom, as well as their enslavement, served a greater purpose. For this reason, from the outset, Moshe was entrusted with a task that went beyond the physical extrication of the Children of Israel from Egypt. As Moshe was told at the moment God first informed him of his task, their true freedom would involve more than a relocation or political emancipation. The purpose of the Exodus was to bring the Jewish People to Mount Sinai, where they would serve God.[4]

ספר שמות פרק ג, יב

וַיֹּאמֶר כִּי אֶהְיֶה עִמָּךְ וְזֶה לְּךָ הָאוֹת כִּי אָנֹכִי שְׁלַחְתִּיךָ בְּהוֹצִיאֲךָ אֶת הָעָם מִמִּצְרַיִם תַּעַבְדוּן אֶת הָאֱלֹהִים עַל הָהָר הַזֶּה:

And he said, 'For I will be with you; and this shall be a sign to you, that I have sent you: When you bring forth the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God upon this mountain.  Shmot 3:12

For millennia, this has been the Jewish definition of true freedom:

משנה מסכת אבות פרק ו משנה ב

ואומר, 'והלוחות מעשה אלהים המה והמכתב מכתב אלהים הוא חרות על הלוחות.' אל תקרא חרות אלא חירות שאין לך בן חורין אלא מי שעוסק בתלמוד תורה

And it says, 'And the Tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the Tablets.' Read not harut [which means graven] but herut [which means freedom]. For there is no free man but he that occupies himself with the study of the Torah. Mishne Avot 6:2

It is an axiom of rabbinic thought that true freedom is possible only through receiving the Torah, an event we commemorate, celebrate and renew on Shavuot. Among the sages there are those, including Rabbi David Pardo, who opine that true freedom was achieved only when the Jews entered the Land of Israel, for freedom includes religious and political autonomy.[5] Nonetheless, the fifth expression of freedom that is the basis for this view seems to have been purposefully left out of the Exodus story told at the seder. The rabbinic mainstream separated between the four expressions of redemption that lie at the heart of the Pesach seder, the ultimate re-telling of the liberation story, and the fifth expression which involves inheriting the Land of Israel. Thus, even though the Talmud Bavli does not connect the four expressions of liberation with the seder's four cups, the Mishna's instruction that four cups are to be consumed is left as an uncontested rule of law.

תלמוד בבלי מסכת פסחים דף צט עמוד ב

משנה. ערב פסחים סמוך למנחה לא יאכל אדם עד שתחשך. אפילו עני שבישראל לא יאכל עד שיסב. ולא יפחתו לו מארבע כוסות של יין, ואפילו מן התמחוי.

On the eve of Pesach close to minha a man must not eat until nightfall. Even the poorest man in Israel must not eat [on the night of Pesach] until he reclines [at the seder table]; and they should give him not less than four cups [of wine], even [if he is supported by] charity. Talmud Bavli Pesachim 99b

In fact, many traditions seem to indicate that the Talmud Bavli did speak of a fifth cup at the seder[6]:

תלמוד בבלי מסכת פסחים דף קיח עמוד א

תנו רבנן: רביעי גומר עליו את ההלל, ואומר הלל הגדול, דברי רבי טרפון

Our Rabbis taught: On the fourth [cup] he concludes the Hallel and recites the great Hallel. Talmud Bavli Pesachim 118a

While our texts of the Talmud read that the Hallel is recited over the fourth cup of wine, many early commentaries, the Rambam among them, apparently had a different text:[7]

רמב"ם הלכות חמץ ומצה פרק ח

ויש לו למזוג כוס חמישי ולומר עליו הלל הגדול

He should pour the fifth cup and say upon it the great Hallel. Rambam Laws of Chametz and Matzah Chapter 8

The fifth expression of redemption is alive and well in the versions of the Talmud that were current and common through the late Middle Ages; many mainstream commentaries taught that the Hallel is recited on a fifth cup, while others taught that the fifth cup is optional.[8] In many communities, a “compromise” was forged between the traditions that reflected the variance in Talmudic texts, whereby the fifth cup is poured but not consumed. This fifth cup is known today as the “Cup of Eliyahu”, perhaps because the Prophet Eliyahu will resolve the underlying textual dispute,[9] or because of the symbolism of the fifth expression of redemption as it relates to Eliyahu, the harbinger of the future redemption in which all Jews will be brought to the Land of Israel.[10] In either case, the fifth expression of redemption, the final verse in God's assurances to Moshe, is not set aside completely; it remains part of the same organic speech to Moshe that was transmitted to the Children of Israel in Egypt – and to all of their descendents, throughout the generations – in the context of the process of liberation and redemption. As such, this fifth expression is preserved in the Pesach seder. [11]

A deeper analysis of God's assurances to Moshe may resolve this issue, and help us determine whether the verses contain five distinct statements - or only four. First, we should broaden our parameters somewhat and consider the context of these verses. The expressions of redemption are introduced as God tells Moshe that He has not forgotten the covenant forged with the Patriarchs:

שמות פרק ו, ד-ה

וְגַם הֲקִמֹתִי אֶת בְּרִיתִי אִתָּם לָתֵת לָהֶם אֶת אֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן אֵת אֶרֶץ מְגֻרֵיהֶם אֲשֶׁר גָּרוּ בָהּ: וְגַם אֲנִי שָׁמַעְתִּי אֶת נַאֲקַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר מִצְרַיִם מַעֲבִדִים אֹתָם וָאֶזְכֹּר אֶת בְּרִיתִי:

And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the Land of Canaan, the land of their sojourning, in which they sojourned. And I have also heard the groaning of the People of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in slavery; and I have remembered my covenant. Shmot 6:4-5

Rashi explains that God is referring to the covenant first made with Avraham, known as the Brit Bein Hab'tarim, the Covenant of the Pieces.[12]

בראשית פרק טו, יב-יד

וַיְהִי הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ לָבוֹא וְתַרְדֵּמָה נָפְלָה עַל אַבְרָם וְהִנֵּה אֵימָה חֲשֵׁכָה גְדֹלָה נֹפֶלֶת עָלָיו: וַיֹּאמֶר לְאַבְרָם יָדֹעַ תֵּדַע כִּי גֵר יִהְיֶה זַרְעֲךָ בְּאֶרֶץ לֹא לָהֶם וַעֲבָדוּם וְעִנּוּ אֹתָם אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה: וְגַם אֶת הַגּוֹי אֲשֶׁר יַעֲבֹדוּ דָּן אָנֹכִי וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן יֵצְאוּ בִּרְכֻשׁ גָּדוֹל:

And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Avram; and, lo, a fear of great darkness fell upon him. And he said to Avram, 'Know for a certainty that your seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and [they] shall enslave them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge; and afterward shall they come out with great wealth.' Bereishit 15:12-14

Rashi makes this statement in a general sense, and does not attempt to match each promise made to Avraham with the assurances received by Moshe. That task was left to Rabbi Shlomo Ephraim ben Aaron Luntschitz, in his work Kli Yakar.[13] There, he explains that the four expressions of freedom precisely parallel God's covenant with Avraham, the vision that mapped out the history of the Jewish People. Avraham was informed that his descendants would suffer exile, slavery and persecution. The very core of this affliction is the isolation and estrangement that results from becoming distanced from the shechina. This is what it means to be a stranger, to feel isolated; it is this estrangement that is described in the verse “strangers in a land that is not theirs.” This initial stage is followed by slavery; the spiritual disconnection is what makes the slavery possible. Surely, not every stranger is enslaved; this second stage represented a more extreme level of affliction, a deepening of the existential crisis that Avraham's descendents would experience. This second stage is described to Avraham in the verse “and [they] shall enslave them”. A third stage is foretold: Even more than 'regular' slavery was the extreme torture and abuse meted by the Egyptians, which is represented by the phrase “and they shall afflict them”.

The redemption may be seen as a stage-by-stage reversal of each of these levels, with the most pressing need addressed and corrected first: When God addresses Moshe with the various expressions of redemption; He first gives redress to the affliction, to their acute and unprecedented physical affliction. The first thing God tells Moshe is that He will save the Children of Israel from suffering: "I will bring you out from under the burden of Egypt". The next expression addresses the second stage: "I will save you from their slavery", וְהִצַּלְתִּי אֶתְכֶם מֵעֲבֹדָתָם. The next expression of redemption, "I will redeem you", וְגָאַלְתִּי אֶתְכֶם, addresses the physical exile of the Jewish People.

Taking the Kli Yakar's model in a slightly different direction, we might suggest that this third element should focus on the end of the verse:

שמות פרק ו, ו

וְגָאַלְתִּי אֶתְכֶם בִּזְרוֹעַ נְטוּיָה וּבִשְׁפָטִים גְּדֹלִים:

I will redeem you with an outstretched arm, and with great judgments. Shmot 6:6

God assures Moshe that the Exodus will be accompanied by a process of judgment of their oppressors. This same assurance is found in God’s covenant with Avraham:

בראשית פרק טו:יד

וְגַם אֶת הַגּוֹי אֲשֶׁר יַעֲבֹדוּ דָּן אָנֹכִי וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן יֵצְאוּ בִּרְכֻשׁ גָּדוֹל:

And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge; and afterward shall they come out with great wealth. Bereishit 15:14

The final expression of redemption addresses the metaphysical distress of estrangement: “And I will take you to me for a People, and I will be to you a God”. וְלָקַחְתִּי אֶתְכֶם לִי לְעָם וְהָיִיתִי לָכֶם לֵאלֹהִים The uniqueness of this nation of erstwhile slaves will be made apparent to the world. Paroh and all of Egypt will finally understand the unique relationship that God has with the descendents of Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov. The reason for the suffering, the hardship, the exile and torture, will become apparent as the Jews march out of slavery toward their destiny as God's chosen nation.

This fourth expression stands alone, in a verse unto itself, and the terminology used to express this assurance is noteworthy: The word with which God describes the realization of Israel's uniqueness is "ve'lakachti", the very same term used in the context of marriage.[14] When God says that He will "take" us as a people, the language used to describe this special, unique relationship is reminiscent of marriage. In effect, when God gives Moshe this assurance, when He says "ve'lakachti", the overtones that we hear, the echoes that reverberate through the text, seem to say “Harei at mekudeshet li”. This phrase, which creates the legal status of marriage, demarcates and creates a unique, holy bond. The literal translation of this phrase, “I am making you holy to me”, is the core of the relationship between man and wife, as well as between God and the Jewish People. This unique relationship, promised to Moshe and to all of the Jewish slaves, was consummated at Sinai.[15]

שמות פרק יט, ה-ח

וְעַתָּה אִם שָׁמוֹעַ תִּשְׁמְעוּ בְּקֹלִי וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם אֶת בְּרִיתִי וִהְיִיתֶם לִי סְגֻלָּה מִכָּל הָעַמִּים כִּי לִי כָּל הָאָרֶץ: וְאַתֶּם תִּהְיוּ לִי מַמְלֶכֶת כֹּהֲנִים וְגוֹי קָדוֹשׁ אֵלֶּה הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר תְּדַבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל: וַיָּבֹא מֹשֶׁה וַיִּקְרָא לְזִקְנֵי הָעָם וַיָּשֶׂם לִפְנֵיהֶם אֵת כָּל הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה אֲשֶׁר צִוָּהוּ ה’: וַיַּעֲנוּ כָל הָעָם יַחְדָּו וַיֹּאמְרוּ כֹּל אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר ה’ נַעֲשֶׂה וַיָּשֶׁב מֹשֶׁה אֶת דִּבְרֵי הָעָם אֶל ה’:

Now therefore, if you will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then you shall be my own treasure among all peoples; for all the earth is mine. And you shall be to me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation. These are the words which you shall speak to the People of Israel. And Moshe came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the Almighty commanded him. And all the people answered together, and said, 'All that the Almighty has spoken we will do.' And Moshe returned the words of the people to God. Shmot 19:5-8

We may say, then, that the first three expressions of redemption were used describe the Exodus, while the fourth term describes the realization of the true and complete emancipation of the Jewish People, as they stand at Sinai and are betrothed to God. This is parallel to the Brit bein Habtarim, the covenant between God and Avraham; it is in that covenant that God spells out the path of exile, slavery, affliction, but it is also the covenant that lays the basis for Avraham's chosenness, and for the unique destiny of all of Avraham's descendents.[16]

But what of the fifth expression of redemption - “And I will bring you in to the land I swore to give to Avraham, to Yitzchak, and to Yaakov; and I will give it to you for a heritage; I am God”? The reference to the covenant forged with the Patriarchs is explicit – as explicit as the promise of the Land of Israel is in the Brit bein Habtarim:

בראשית פרק טו, טז-יח

וְדוֹר רְבִיעִי יָשׁוּבוּ הֵנָּה כִּי לֹא שָׁלֵם עֲוֹן הָאֱמֹרִי עַד הֵנָּה: וַיְהִי הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ בָּאָה וַעֲלָטָה הָיָה וְהִנֵּה תַנּוּר עָשָׁן וְלַפִּיד אֵשׁ אֲשֶׁר עָבַר בֵּין הַגְּזָרִים הָאֵלֶּה: בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא כָּרַת יְקֹוָק אֶת אַבְרָם בְּרִית לֵאמֹר לְזַרְעֲךָ נָתַתִּי אֶת הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת מִנְּהַר מִצְרַיִם עַד הַנָּהָר הַגָּדֹל נְהַר פְּרָת:

'But in the fourth generation they shall come here again; for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.' And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning torch that passed between those pieces. In the same day the Almighty made a covenant with Avram, saying, 'To your seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates; Bereishit 15:16-18

Indeed, we may say that the main focus of that covenant was that Avraham and his descendants would one day inherit the Land of Israel. Their sojourn in Egypt and their travels through the desert were merely the path that they would take in order to become God’s nation and receive the Land. The ultimate expression of freedom, then, is the fifth expression of redemption in God's assurances to Moshe: the Jews will inherit the Holy Land, the Land of Israel. Only then, only there, can the People of Israel attain the highest level of freedom. This may be seen as ultimate expression of the sanctity of the union between a husband and wife: their union is not complete until they establish their home together and live together. While their relationship is unique and holy as soon as the "Harei at mekudeshet li"  is uttered, the full realization of their unique bond occurs when they live together. So, too, the covenant with the descendents of Avraham is fully realized only when the Children of Israel reside in their own home, in perfect union with God.

These same stages of redemption may be found in the eschatological vision of the Prophet Yechezkel:[17]

יחזקאל פרק לד

(יא) כִּי כֹּה אָמַר אֲדֹנָי ה’ הִנְנִי אָנִי וְדָרַשְׁתִּי אֶת צֹאנִי וּבִקַּרְתִּים: (יב) כְּבַקָּרַת רֹעֶה עֶדְרוֹ בְּיוֹם הֱיוֹתוֹ בְתוֹךְ צֹאנוֹ נִפְרָשׁוֹת כֵּן אֲבַקֵּר אֶת צֹאנִי וְהִצַּלְתִּי אֶתְהֶם מִכָּל הַמְּקוֹמֹת אֲשֶׁר נָפֹצוּ שָׁם בְּיוֹם עָנָן וַעֲרָפֶל: (יג) וְהוֹצֵאתִים מִן הָעַמִּים וְקִבַּצְתִּים מִן הָאֲרָצוֹת וַהֲבִיאֹתִים אֶל אַדְמָתָם וּרְעִיתִים אֶל הָרֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּאֲפִיקִים וּבְכֹל מוֹשְׁבֵי הָאָרֶץ: (יד) בְּמִרְעֶה טּוֹב אֶרְעֶה אֹתָם וּבְהָרֵי מְרוֹם יִשְׂרָאֵל יִהְיֶה נְוֵהֶם שָׁם תִּרְבַּצְנָה בְּנָוֶה טּוֹב וּמִרְעֶה שָׁמֵן תִּרְעֶינָה אֶל הָרֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל: )טו( אֲנִי אֶרְעֶה צֹאנִי וַאֲנִי אַרְבִּיצֵם נְאֻם אֲדֹנָי ה’:

For thus says the Almighty God: 'Behold, I will search my sheep, and seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock in the day when he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will rescue them from all the places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. And I will bring them out from among the peoples, and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be; there shall they lie in a good pasture, and in a fat grazing land shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel. I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down,' said the Almighty God. Yechezkel 34:11-15

This vision of the messianic age describes the ingathering of the exiles and their return to the Land of Israel. Yechezkel's vision is one of peace and tranquility, with God as our shepherd. The symbolic language gives voice to the Jewish vision of true freedom - freedom from tyranny, from foreign rule, from evil. This is the very same vision symbolized by another cup of wine – the cup of our future salvation.

תהלים פרק קטז, יג

כּוֹס יְשׁוּעוֹת אֶשָּׂא וּבְשֵׁם ד' אֶקְרָא:

I will raise the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of God. Psalm 115:13

---

[1] The Jerusalem Talmud actually offers multiple possible sources for the four cups of wine around which the Pesach seder is organized.  One suggestion is that the four cups commemorate the four times the word 'cup' is mentioned in the dream of the wine steward. This dream, and Yosef's ability to properly interpret it, was the catalyst for Yosef’s liberation from slavery, and, ironically ,the beginning of the brothers' enslavement. For more on this idea, see Emanations (Targum Press, 2000).

תלמוד ירושלמי מסכת פסחים דף סח/ב

רבי יהושע בן לוי אמר כנגד ארבעה כוסות של פרעה וכוס פרעה בידי ואשחט אותם אל כוס פרעה ואתן את הכוס על כף פרעה ונתת כוס פרעה בידו וגו'. רבי לוי אמר כנגד ארבעה מלכיות ורבנן אמרי כנגד ד' כוסות של פורענות שהקב"ה עתיד להשקות את אומות העולם

[2] This  teaching is also found in Shmot Rabbah 6:4, where the four expressions of redemption are said to parallel the four decrees of Paroh enumerated in Shmot Rabbah 1:12,18

מדרש רבה שמות פרשה ו פסקה ד

ד' גאולות יש כאן והוצאתי והצלתי וגאלתי ולקחתי כנגד ד' גזירות שגזר עליהן פרעה וכנגדן תקנו חכמים ד' כוסות בליל הפסח לקיים מה שנא' (תהלים קטז) כוס ישועות אשא ובשם ה' אקרא והבאתי אתכם אל הארץ אשר נשאתי את ידי אעשה להן מה שאמרתי לאבותיהן שאתן להם את הארץ ויהיו יורשין אותה בזכותן:

AND I WILL BRING YOU OUT FROM UNDER THE BURDENS OF THE EGYPTIANS, etc. (VI, 6). There are here four expressions of redemption: I WILL BRING YOU OUT-I WILL DELIVER YOU-I WILL REDEEM YOU and I WILL TAKE YOU. These correspond to the four decrees which Paroh issued regarding them. The Sages accordingly ordained four cups to be drunk on the eve of Passover to correspond with these four expressions, in order to fulfill the verse: I will lift up the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord (Ps. CXVI, 13).

[3] The four cups are assigned to four parts of the sede: The first cup is for the Kiddush, the second is for telling the story of leaving Egypt, the third is for the Blessing after the food, and the fourth is for the completion of the Hallel. See Meiri’s succinct comments to Pesachim 99b.

המאירי על מסכת פסחים דף צט/ב

וארבע כוסות אלו תקנת חכמים אחד לקידוש ואחד להגדה ואחד לברכת המזון ואחד לגמור את ההלל

[4] See Siftei Kohen Shmot 6:6.

שפתי כהן על שמות פרק ו פסוק ו

ואמר ארבע לשונות והוצאתי אתכם וגו'. שקודם כששה חודשים שיצאו ממצרים בטלה מהם העבודה, כאומרם ז"ל (ראש השנה י"א.) בראש השנה בטלה עבודה מאבותינו במצרים. והצלתי אתכם מעבודתם, מהו העבדות שהיו עובדים עבודה זרה, וכן הוא אומר (יחזקאל כ', ז') ובגלולי מצרים אל תטמאו. עבדתם עבד דתם שהיו מאמינים בדתם. וגאלתי אתכם בזרוע נטויה, זו קריעת הים, ששם נקראו גאולים שראו לאדוניהם מתים שנאמר (שמות י"ד, ל') וירא ישראל את מצרים מת, ולזה אמר בזרוע נטויה כמו שאמר (שם, ל"א) וירא ישראל את היד הגדולה וגו'. ולקחתי אתכם לי לעם, זה מעמד הר סיני וקבלת התורה, כי לתכלית זה היתה כוונת בריאת העולם, שנאמר בראשית בשביל ישראל שנקראו ראשית שנאמר (ירמיה ב', ג') קודש ישראל לה' ראשית (ויקרא רבה ל"ו, ד'), והתורה נקראת ראשית שנאמר (משלי ח', כ"ב) ה' קנני ראשית דרכו, ומשה נקרא ראשית שנאמר (דברים ל"ג, כ"א) וירא ראשית לו. כאן נאמר ולקחתי אתכם לי ובמעמד הר סיני נאמר (שמות י"ט, ו') ואתם תהיו לי, וכן אמר למשה (שם ג', י"ב) בהוציאך את העם ממצרים תעבדון את האלהים על ההר הזה, כי לזה הוא כוונת יציאתכם ממצרים, וזו גם כן היתה כוונת השיעבוד כדי שיהיו מורגלים בעבדות,

[5] See Maskil Lidavid Shmot 12:25

ספר משכיל לדוד על שמות פרק יב פסוק כה

ומעתה ק"ל והיכן דיבר היכן מצינו שדיבר כן הקב"ה ומשני והבאתי אתכם וכו' כלומר דהתם כתיב כמה לשונות של גאולה והוצאתי והצלתי וגאלתי ולקחתי וסמוך ליה והבאתי ללמד דלא מקרייא גאולה שלימה אלא בביאתן לארץ ומעתה ממילא יש מקום ללמוד שלא יהיו חייבים בעשיית הפסח זכר לנס הגאולה אלא כשתושלם הגאולה דהיינו בביאתן לארץ ואף על גב דפעם ראשונה עשו אותו במצרים שעדיין לא נגאלו ההוא הוראת שעה הוה ואין למדין ממנו:

[6] For more on the fifth cup see Haggada Sheleyma of Rav Kasher pp 161-177, and Chokrei Zmanim volume 2 of Rav Alter Hilovitz 108-111.

[7] For example see Rosh tenth chapter Pesachim section 33. Rambam Mishne Torah laws of Chametz and Matza 8:10.

רא"ש מסכת פסחים פרק י סימן לג

ת"ר כוס חמישי אומרים עליו הלל הגדול דברי רבי טרפון. וי"א ה' רועי לא אחסר. ורשב"ם גורס רביעי אומרים עליו הלל הגדול דכוס חמישי מאן דכר שמיה. ואם בא לומר כוס חמישי רשות ואם ירצה יעשה כוס חמישי הכי הוה ליה למימר הרוצה לעשות כוס חמישי אומר עליו הלל הגדול. אבל לפי גירסת הספרים משמע דלר' טרפון וי"א כוס חמישי הוה ליה חובה ונהגו העולם לעשות רשות. וכן כתב ה"ר יוסף טוב עלם ז"ל שאם הוא תאב לשתות יעשה כוס חמישי. משמע מתוך דבריו שאסור לשתות אחר ארבע כוסות.

[8] See Rav Kasher page 170, who states “all the Gaonim and the overwhelming majority of Rishonim, and most manuscripts state 5^th cup” 

[9] It is often assumed that the Hebrew word teku  is an acronym which means that Tishbi – Eliyahu will one day come and resolve all arguments. It is doubtful that this is the original meaning of the word; most probably, it means “unresolved”.

[10] See Chokrei Zmanim page 111.

[11] The Ra'avad, who commented on a version of the Talmudic text that read “fifth cup”, is explicit: Rebbi Tarfon, the Talmudic sage to whom the passage is attributed, advocated a fifth cup because of the fifth expression of redemption, “And I will bring you in to the Land”. See Raavad in his hasagot to the  Baal Hamaor. Also see the citation of the Ra'avad in Orchot Chaim Pesachim  page 79, Haggada Shleyma  177, Chokrei Zmanim page109.

[12] Rashi Shmot 6:5

רש"י שמות פרק ו פסוק ה

אשר מצרים מעבדים אתם ואזכר - אותו הברית. כי בברית בין הבתרים אמרתי לו (בראשית טו יד) וגם את הגוי אשר יעבודו דן אנכי:

[13] Kli Yakar Shmot 6:6.

כלי יקר על שמות פרק ו פסוק ו

הוצאתי, והצלתי, וגאלתי, ולקחתי. ננגד ד' דברים שעברו עליהם שנאמר (בראשית טו יג) כי גר יהיה זרעך הרי הגרות, בארץ לא להם הרי ריחוק השכינה, כי הדר בחו"ל דומה כאילו אין לו אלוה כו' (כתובות קי ע"ב) וסמך ריחוק השכינה לגרות כי הא בהא תליא שריחוק השכינה נמשך מן הגרות שיהיו כגרים בחו"ל במקום ריחוק השכינה, ועבדום זה דבר נוסף על הגרות, כי סתם גר אינו עבד לפחות, וענו אותם זה דבר נוסף על העבדות, כי סתם עבד אין מענין אותו חנם. ובהצלה ראה הקב"ה להצילם בהדרגה מעט מעט, מתחילה הצילם מן הדבר המסוכן ביותר והוא העינוי, ועליו נאמר והוצאתי אתכם מתחת סבלות מצרים, כי הסבלות היינו העינוי, כמ"ש למען ענותו בסבלותם. ואח"כ הצילם גם מן העבדות, ועליו נאמר והצלתי אתכם מעבודתם. ואח"כ הצילם מן הקל שבכולם והוא הגרות, ועל זה אמר וגאלתי אתכם וגו', כי סתם גר אין לו גואל כמ"ש (במדבר ה ח) ואם אין לאיש גואל ארז"ל (ב"ק קט.) זה הגר כו':

ולפי שמן הגרות נמשך סילוק השכינה, כי מטעם זה הוצרך להסמיך אל הגרות מאמר בארץ לא להם המורה על סילוק השכינה, לעומת זה אמר כאן שבביטול הגרות יזכו לדיבוק השכינה וע"ז אמר ולקחתי אתכם לי לעם והייתי לכם לאלהים. ליקוחין ממש כדרך גבר בעלמה, ויען כי הדר בחו"ל כאילו אין לו אלוה ע"כ אמר כאן והייתי לכם לאלהים, וע"י דבוק זה וידעתם כי אני המוציא אתכם מתחת סבלות מצרים הגדולה שברעות, ואחר כך פירש ליקוחין אלו באמרו והבאתי אתכם אל הארץ וגו', וע"כ תקנו בפסח ד' כוסות כנגד התשועה מן ד' רעות אלו, ולמעלה פרשת וישב (מ יא) בכוס הנאמר בשר המשקים תמצא טעם נכון מאוד על ד' כוסות של פסח ע"ש:

והנה בד' לשונות של גאולה אלו, מה שהזכיר ד"פ שם אלהים בפסוק כה תאמר אל בני ישראל אלהי אבותיכם אלהי אברהם אלהי יצחק ואלהי יעקב שלחני אליכם, כלל ופרט למה לי אלא לומר כי מן הגרות נצולו בזכות אברהם שהלך לו מארצו וממולדתו ומבית אביו אל ארץ נכריה, ובזכות העבודה של יצחק שנעקד על גבי המזבח לעבודת ה' נצולו מעבודת מצרים, ובזכות יעקב שסבל עינויים כל ימיו נצולו מעינוי מצרים, אבל בענין דיבוק האלהי היו כל האבות שוים בו ע"כ כללם יחד ואמר אלהי אבותיכם שבזכות כולם יזכו לדיבוק השכינה, וי"א והצלתי אתכם מעבודתם היינו מן מזל טלה אשר אליו עבדו המצרים, ור"ל מן אלהות שלהם דהיינו עבודתם ונכון הוא:

[14] Kli Yakar ibid

כלי יקר על שמות פרק ו פסוק ו

ולפי שמן הגרות נמשך סילוק השכינה, כי מטעם זה הוצרך להסמיך אל הגרות מאמר בארץ לא להם המורה על סילוק השכינה, לעומת זה אמר כאן שבביטול הגרות יזכו לדיבוק השכינה וע"ז אמר ולקחתי אתכם לי לעם והייתי לכם לאלהים. ליקוחין ממש כדרך גבר בעלמה, ויען כי הדר בחו"ל כאילו אין לו אלוה ע"כ אמר כאן והייתי לכם לאלהים, וע"י דבוק זה וידעתם כי אני המוציא אתכם מתחת סבלות מצרים הגדולה שברעות, ואחר כך פירש ליקוחין אלו באמרו והבאתי אתכם אל הארץ וגו', וע"כ תקנו בפסח ד' כוסות כנגד התשועה מן ד' רעות אלו, ולמעלה פרשת וישב (מ יא) בכוס הנאמר בשר המשקים תמצא טעם נכון מאוד על ד' כוסות של פסח ע"ש:

[15] See Mishna Taanit end of Chapter 4.

משנה מסכת תענית פרק ד

…יוֹם חֲתֻנָּתוֹ וּבְיוֹם שִׂמְחַת לִבּוֹ. בְּיוֹם חֲתֻנָּתוֹ, זוֹ מַתַּן תּוֹרָה. …

[16] For a discussion of the sequence of events in Avraham's life, see Rashi on Shmot 12:40:  Avraham was seventy years old at the time of the Covenant of the Pieces, and he was seventy five years old when he set out for Israel. According to Rashi, the Brit bein Habtarim  is the first time God appears to Avraham, despite the sequence in which the Torah records the events.

רש"י שמות פרק יב

שלשים שנה וארבע מאות שנה - בין הכל משנולד יצחק עד עכשיו היו ארבע מאות שנה. משהיה לו זרע לאברהם נתקיים (בראשית טו יג) כי גר יהיה זרעך, ושלשים שנה היו משנגזרה גזירת בין הבתרים עד שנולד יצחק. ואי אפשר לומר בארץ מצרים לבדה, שהרי קהת מן הבאים עם יעקב היה צא וחשוב כל שנותיו וכל שנות עמרם בנו ושמונים של משה, לא תמצאם כל כך, ועל כרחך הרבה שנים היו לקהת עד שלא ירד למצרים, והרבה משנות עמרם נבלעים בשנות קהת והרבה משמונים של משה נבלעים בשנות עמרם, הרי שלא תמצא ארבע מאות לביאת מצרים, והוזקקת לומר על כרחך, שאף שאר הישיבות נקראו גרות, אפילו בחברון, שנאמר (בראשית לה כז) אשר גר שם אברהם ויצחק, ואומר (שמות ו ד) את ארץ מגוריהם אשר גרו בה, לפיכך אתה צריך לומר כי גר יהיה זרעך משהיה לו זרע. וכשתמנה ארבע מאות שנה משנולד יצחק, תמצא מביאתן למצרים עד יציאתן מאתים ועשר שנה, וזה אחד מן הדברים ששינו לתלמי המלך:

[17] See Rabbenu Bachya Shmot 6:8

רבינו בחיי על שמות פרק ו פסוק ח

והבאתי אתכם אל הארץ - כשם שהיו כל השאר יציאת מצרים וקריעת ים סוף ומתן תורה תכופים בזמן קרוב, כן היה ראוי להכניסן לארץ מיד לולא חטא המרגלים, ומצינו דוגמתן ארבע לשונות של גאולה לעתיד לבא והוא שאמר הנביא (יחזקאל לד) והוצאתים מן העמים וקבצתים מן הארצות והביאותים אל אדמתם ורעיתים אל הרי ישראל, וכנגד ד' לשונות אלו תקנו לנו רז"ל ד' כוסות בפסח. וכן שכר הצדיקים נמשל לכוס הוא שנאמר (תהלים כג) כוסי רוויה וכתיב (שם טז) ה' מנת חלקי וכוסי וכתיב (שם קטז) כוס ישועות אשא, וכתיב (ישעיה סו) למען תינקו ושבעתם משוד תנחומיה והכונה בו כוס של תנחומין, וכתיב (ירמיה טז) ולא ישקו אותם כוס תנחומים, ותקנו לנו רז"ל לגמור את ההלל בכוס רביעי ולהתחיל בו שפוך חמתך, והטעם בזה לפי שעתיד הקב"ה להשקות לרשעי העולם ארבע כוסות של פורענות הוא שכתוב (שם כה) קח את כוס היין החמה, וכתיב (שם נא) כוס זהב בבל ביד ה', וכתיב (תהלים יא) ורוח זלעפות מנת כוסם, וכתיב (תהלים עה) כי כוס ביד ה' ויין חמר מלא מסך:

Parshat Shmot 5770 -Collecting Straw

Parshat Shmot 5770

Rabbi Ari Kahn

Collecting Straw

What was once only a dream, a vague hope based on a tradition passed from parent to child, had now become tangible, palpable: Redemption. The word was no longer an abstract concept; it was now a part of the people’s thoughts and vocabulary. The people had begun to believe that the end of the long, dark exile was within reach: Moshe had arrived. He was a heaven-sent advocate, and more. He would coax, cajole and threaten Paroh until they were all free, and he would lead them on their way.

And then their hopes came crashing down, their pleasant daydream of redemption morphing into a nightmare even more intense than the misery in which they had lived up to that point. Their enslavement would continue, unabated, but their hardship would grow: Production quotas had to be met even though the Jews were no longer provided with raw materials, making their workload that much greater:

ספר שמות פרק ה,ו-ז

וַיְצַו פַּרְעֹה בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא אֶת הַנֹּגְשִׂים בָּעָם וְאֶת שֹׁטְרָיו לֵאמֹר: לֹא תֹאסִפוּן לָתֵת תֶּבֶן לָעָם לִלְבֹּן הַלְּבֵנִים כִּתְמוֹל שִׁלְשֹׁם הֵם יֵלְכוּ וְקשְׁשׁוּ לָהֶם תֶּבֶן:

And on that day Paroh commanded the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying, 'You shall no more give the people straw to make bricks, as you have until today; let them go and gather straw for themselves.' Shmot 5:6,7

For some reason,[1] before the Exodus, the situation had to become even more dire; only when their dream of redemption appeared to be hopeless, the Jews would finally leave. Why was this a necessary component of the Exodus? Why was the enormous suffering endured until this point not sufficient; why the additional darkness before the glorious light?[2]

ספר שמות פרק ה, י-יט

וַיֵּצְאוּ נֹגְשֵׂי הָעָם וְשֹׁטְרָיו וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֶל הָעָם לֵאמֹר כֹּה אָמַר פַּרְעֹה אֵינֶנִּי נֹתֵן לָכֶם תֶּבֶן: אַתֶּם לְכוּ קְחוּ לָכֶם תֶּבֶן מֵאֲשֶׁר תִּמְצָאוּ כִּי אֵין נִגְרָע מֵעֲבֹדַתְכֶם דָּבָר: וַיָּפֶץ הָעָם בְּכָל אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם לְקשֵׁשׁ קַשׁ לַתֶּבֶן: וְהַנֹּגְשִׂים אָצִים לֵאמֹר כַּלּוּ מַעֲשֵׂיכֶם דְּבַר יוֹם בְּיוֹמוֹ כַּאֲשֶׁר בִּהְיוֹת הַתֶּבֶן: וַיֻּכּוּ שֹׁטְרֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר שָׂמוּ עֲלֵהֶם נֹגְשֵׂי פַרְעֹה לֵאמֹר מַדּוּעַ לֹא כִלִּיתֶם חָקְכֶם לִלְבֹּן כִּתְמוֹל שִׁלְשֹׁם גַּם תְּמוֹל גַּם הַיּוֹם: וַיָּבֹאוּ שֹׁטְרֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּצְעֲקוּ אֶל פַּרְעֹה לֵאמֹר לָמָּה תַעֲשֶׂה כֹה לַעֲבָדֶיךָ:  תֶּבֶן אֵין נִתָּן לַעֲבָדֶיךָ וּלְבֵנִים אֹמְרִים לָנוּ עֲשׂוּ וְהִנֵּה עֲבָדֶיךָ מֻכִּים וְחָטָאת עַמֶּךָ: וַיֹּאמֶר נִרְפִּים אַתֶּם נִרְפִּים עַל כֵּן אַתֶּם אֹמְרִים נֵלְכָה נִזְבְּחָה לַה’: וְעַתָּה לְכוּ עִבְדוּ וְתֶבֶן לֹא יִנָּתֵן לָכֶם וְתֹכֶן לְבֵנִים תִּתֵּנוּ: וַיִּרְאוּ שֹׁטְרֵי בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֹתָם בְּרָע לֵאמֹר לֹא תִגְרְעוּ מִלִּבְנֵיכֶם דְּבַר יוֹם בְּיוֹמוֹ:

'And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spoke to the people, saying, "Thus said Paroh, 'I will not give you straw. Go, get straw where you can find it; yet nothing of your work shall be diminished.'" So the people scattered throughout all the land of Egypt to gather straw. And the task masters hurried them, saying, 'Fulfill your works, your daily quotas, as when there was straw.' And the officials of the People of Israel, which Paroh’s task masters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, 'Why have you not fulfilled your task in making bricks both yesterday and today, as till now? Then the officers of the people of Israel came and cried to Paroh, saying, Why do you deal thus with your servants? There is no straw given to your servants, and they say to us, 'Make bricks;' and, behold, your servants are beaten; but the fault is in your own people. But he said, 'You are idle, you are idle; therefore you say, Let us go and do sacrifice to God. Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall you deliver the quantity of bricks.' And the officers of the People of Israel saw that they were in evil plight, after it was said, 'You shall not diminish from your daily quota of bricks.' Shmot 5:10-19

The Jewish police are beaten for the shortfall in production; they turn to Paroh, hoping that he will see the logic of their words and cancel this latest decree. They serve as a buffer between the taskmasters and the people, but where are Moshe and Aharon, the leaders who had stirred the people's dormant hopes of redemption? After speaking flowery words of freedom, after confronting Paroh and bringing about a tightening of the iron fist of slavery, Moshe and Aharon are nowhere to be seen, and the lower tier of Jewish leadership is left to absorb the beatings meted out by Paroh and the Egyptian taskmasters.

The Midrash has a disturbing explanation for Moshe’s disappearance:

שמות רבה (וילנא) פרשה ה, יט

ויצאו נוגשי העם ושוטריו, כיון שגזר כן הלך משה למדין ועשה ששה חדשים ואהרן היה יושב במצרים, ואותה שעה החזיר משה אשתו ובניו (במדין) [למדין], אתם קחו לכם תבן, ויפץ העם בכל ארץ מצרים מפני שהיה משה במדין...

'And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers' (5, 10). Such being the decree, Moshe returned to Midian, where he tarried for six months, while Aharon remained in Egypt. It was then that Moshe took back his wife and children to Midian. 'Go yourselves, get you straw...': Shmot Rabbah 5:18

The Midrash claims that when Moshe’s initial foray into politics failed, and his impassioned plea to release his people was rebuffed, Moshe simply left the scene. He took his family and returned “home” to Midian, leaving behind an excruciating situation that had became intolerable, impossible. The Jews' new-found hope was dashed: their workload increased, but the feeling that God and His messenger had abandoned them must have made all of their other troubles seem secondary. Only an historical perspective keeps the reader from joining in this despair: Moshe returns, and the fight for redemption is eventually won,[3] but only after this 'bump in the road', the delay of redemption symbolized by the requirement to gather the straw.

Paroh's decree encapsulates, for the Children of Israel and for the sensitive reader of the text, strands of allusion and metaphor that are part and parcel of the greater fabric of Jewish identity and philosophy. The first time straw appears in the Torah is at the well outside Haran: Avraham's servant comes in search of a wife for his master's son, and Rivka offers him water for himself and his animals, as well as teven, straw. The midrash tells us that, years later, Rivka’s son Esav raises facetious questions regarding the possibility of performing a mitzva with straw:[4]

מדרש רבה בראשית פרשה סג פסקה י

אמר רבי אבהו שודני צידני צד בבית צד בשדה בבית היך מתקנין מילחא בשדה היך מתקנין תבנא

R. Abbahu said: He was a trapper and a fieldsman, trapping [i.e. deceiving] at home and trapping in the field. Trapping at home [by asking]: 'How do you tithe salt?' In the field [he asked], 'How do you tithe straw?' Midrash Rabbah 63:10

Straw is the dry stalk that covers up the seed or grain. Looking at the plant, one might be mislead by the ratio of the wheat to the chaff, and confuse quantity for quality: the most important element is the nutritious seed that is hidden within the straw. Esav focuses on the straw and not the grain, the salt and not the food. In the symbolic language of the midrash, this is a metaphor for focusing on the tafel and not the ikkar, the insignificant as opposed to the significant. Esav chose to split hairs, as it were, to befuddle the minds of others by mocking the letter of the law while ignoring the spirit of the law.[5] He focused on insignificant aspects of the law in order to obscure or justify his refusal to submit to a higher order of moral accountability.

As Rav Menachem Mendel of Shklov observes, Esav chose his tactics well: Esav's father Yitzchak was defined by his life-long quest for spiritual clarity. Yitzchak’s spiritual drive centers on erev – twilight. The word erev literally means mixture; Yitzchak's service was an attempt to clarify the mixture, to transform the confusion of dark and light, of day and night, into clarity.[6] In the words of the Arizal, Yitzchak's erev prayer expresses his quest to rid the world of erev rav and ta'arovet, to counter the effects of the confusion of good and evil brought about by the sin of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.

As we have seen, Rivka serves God through acts of kindness; she offers food and drink to a travelling stranger, and straw for his animals. Her actions are a resounding answer to the cynical question Esav later uses to torment his family and make a mockery of everything they stand for. Esav's entire outlook is superficial; he focuses on the chaff while ignoring the kernel of truth and morality within.

The importance of the theme of straw may be found in our Oral Tradition as well. The Talmud records another central character in Jewish history who knew how to serve God with straw: Rabbi Akiva:

נדרים דף נ.א

ר' עקיבא איתקדשת ליה ברתיה (דבר) דכלבא שבוע, שמע (בר) כלבא שבוע אדרה הנאה מכל נכסיה, אזלא ואיתנסיבה ליה. בסיתוא הוה גנו בי תיבנא, הוה קא מנקיט ליה תיבנא מן מזייה, אמר לה: אי הואי לי, רמינא ליך ירושלים דדהבא. אתא אליהו אידמי להון כאנשא וקא קרי אבבא, אמר להו: הבו לי פורתא דתיבנא, דילדת אתתי ולית לי מידעם לאגונה. אמר לה ר' עקיבא לאנתתיה: חזי גברא דאפילו תיבנא לא אית ליה. אמרה ליה: זיל הוי בי רב

The daughter of Kalba Savu'a betrothed herself to Rabbi Akiva. When her father heard thereof, he vowed that she was not to benefit from aught of his property. Then she went and married him in winter. They slept on straw, and he had to pick out the straw from her hair. ‘If only I could afford it,’ said he to her, ‘I would present you with Jerusalem of gold.’ [Later] Eliyahu came to them in the guise of a mortal, and cried out at the door. ‘Give me a bit of straw, for my wife is in childbirth and I have nothing for her to lie on.’ ‘See!’ Rabbi Akiva observed to his wife, ‘there is a man who lacks even straw.’ [Subsequently] she counseled him, ‘Go, and become a scholar.’ Nedarim 50a

This passage echoes Rivka's act of kindness with straw, and perhaps a tikkun for Esav's cynicism: Rabbi Akiva gives tzedaka from straw. In answer to Esav's facetious question, it is possible to give tithes from straw.

All of these associations cannot have been lost on the Children of Israel. Teven, straw, was a symbol of their past, a type of code-word for their shared heritage, as well as the elemental stuff of their everyday existence. Paroh's decree must surely have struck a chord that resonated deep within them: According to some commentators this decree was connected to Shabbat; they were now forced to sacrifice their one weekly day of rest, Shabbat, to gather straw in order to meet their quotas during the rest of their working week. Paroh's decree, aimed at curtailing the Jewish slaves' "recreational time" and stamping out any further requests for "vacation", endangered far more than production quotas or physical hardship: This nation of slaves had managed to maintain their identity and cohesion during the generations of exile and slavery by recharging their spiritual batteries on Shabbat. Now, this, too, was taken from them. Rebbe Dovid of Lelov is quoted as explaining, that when the Jews were in subsequent exiles, it was Torah observance, and especially Shabbat observance, that kept them together as a people. In Egypt, they did not have the benefit of any ritual observance to help them maintain their identity. With Shabbat taken from them, they ran the risk of extinction as a nation; in fact, this was lay at the heart of Paroh's harshest decrees. [7] In this sense, the order to withhold straw from the brick-makers was parallel to the decree to throw newborn Jewish males into the sea: Both edicts aimed to obliterate Jewish identity.[8]

The word which describes the gathering of the straw is koshesh, clearly conjugated from the word “kash”, another word for straw. This word is found later on in the Torah: As the Jews wander in the desert, one man transgresses against the laws of Shabbat. This man, whose name is never mentioned, is described as a mekoshesh: He was guilty of gathering wood on Shabbat:

במדבר פרק טו, לב-לד

וַיִּהְיוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּמִּדְבָּר וַיִּמְצְאוּ אִישׁ מְקֹשֵׁשׁ עֵצִים בְּיוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת: וַיַּקְרִיבוּ אֹתוֹ הַמֹּצְאִים אֹתוֹ מְקֹשֵׁשׁ עֵצִים אֶל מֹשֶׁה וְאֶל אַהֲרֹן וְאֶל כָּל הָעֵדָה: וַיַּנִּיחוּ אֹתוֹ בַּמִּשְׁמָר כִּי לֹא פֹרַשׁ מַה יֵּעָשֶׂה לוֹ:

And while the People of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man who gathered sticks on the Shabbat day. And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moshe and Aharon, and to all the congregation. And they put him in custody, because it had not been revealed what should be done to him. Bamidbar 15:32-34

Mekoshesh is conjugated in the present progressive (ongoing) tense: he "is gathering", or he continues to gather. In other words, the rabbis explain, he desecrates the Shabbat – and, despite the pleas, warnings and admonishing of his family and friends, he does not desist. He continues to gather. In this context, the word osef would have been preferable to mekoshesh; the former describes the collection of wood while the latter is specific to straw.[9] The text is very specific about his transgression; why, then, is a term that refers to straw utilized, if in fact he collected wood?

Once again, we must be very sensitive to the allusion. The use of the word mekoshesh is anything but arbitrary. The Torah employs this word to connect the behavior of the wood-gatherer to the gathering of straw by the Jewish slaves.[10] Let us consider the context of the mekoshesh incident: The Jews were on their way to the Promised Land, but they were sentenced to endure a terrible setback. The entire generation that had been taken out of Egypt would perish in the desert because of the sin of the spies. The people became disheartened, depressed. Many must have felt that all hope was lost, that their dream of the Land of Israel was over. The wood-gatherer does not "accidentally" desecrate Shabbat. He commits an unheard of act, a flagrant violation of Shabbat, in order to remind his brethren that this is not the first setback they have experienced. His transgression is very carefully described as mekoshesh, as if to shake them from their reverie of self-pity and despair: "Remember," he seems to tell them, "after the setback in Egypt, things seemed just as hopeless. There, too, we knew the pain of dashed hopes and disappointed aspirations. There, too, just as our final goal was within reach we experienced a painful reversal. We must not give up. Our mission is far greater than the here-and-now."[11]

The mekoshesh takes tragic, self-sacrificing action when others submit to crippling despair. They have been issued a collective death sentence, and they cannot find the strength to continue their mission. They think that their actions are no longer meaningful,[12] that their fate has been sealed and their remaining years irrelevant. He pushes their reasoning back in their faces by forcing the issue: his own death sentence is moved up thirty-nine years, jarring the entire congregation from the reverie into which they had slipped.[13]

The imagery of the straw was powerful enough to re-invigorate the nation in the desert. Other symbolic language used to describe Paroh's edict contain equally powerful messages that should not be overlooked: One linguistic anomaly that jumps at the trained eye is the word תֹאסִפוּן tosifun (5:7), translated as 'to continue'. The spelling of this word is unusual, even singular, and seems to be built around a play on words: Tosifun is written with an "extra" alef, which shifts the root of the word from י-ס-ף, 'additional', to א-ס-ף, 'to gather'.[14]

ספר שמות פרק ה, ז

לֹא תֹאסִפוּן לָתֵת תֶּבֶן לָעָם לִלְבֹּן הַלְּבֵנִים כִּתְמוֹל שִׁלְשֹׁם הֵם יֵלְכוּ וְקשְׁשׁוּ לָהֶם תֶּבֶן:

You shall no more give the people straw to make bricks, as till now; let them go and gather straw for themselves. Shmot 5:7

The wording of this verse leads us in an unexpected direction: We all know that the events leading up to the redemption from Egypt are commemorated by the holiday of Pesach. What we might overlook, if we do not stop and take note of the very specific and singular words of the Torah that describe these events, is that there is a connection with another of our major festival alluded to in these verses. Sukkot (also known as the Festival of Booths or Tabernacles), which ostensibly commemorates the tents or clouds that protected the Jews in the desert, is also called the "Festival of Gathering":

שמות פרק לד, כב

וְחַג שָׁבֻעֹת תַּעֲשֶׂה לְךָ בִּכּוּרֵי קְצִיר חִטִּים וְחַג הָאָסִיף תְּקוּפַת הַשָּׁנָה:

And you shall observe the Feast of Weeks, of the first fruits of wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the year’s end. Shmot 34:22

רש"י שמות פרק כג פסוק טז

וחג האסיף - הוא חג הסוכות:

דברים פרק טז

(יג) חַג הַסֻּכֹּת תַּעֲשֶׂה לְךָ שִׁבְעַת יָמִים בְּאָסְפְּךָ מִגָּרְנְךָ וּמִיִּקְבֶךָ:

You shall observe the Festival of Sukkot seven days, as you gather in your grain and your wine; D’varim 16:13

Is Sukkot related to the gathering of straw in Egypt? Is this what the text hints at when the Torah adds a seemingly extraneous alef to Paroh's command that the Jews gather their own straw? While the story of the collecting of the straw may seem a minor detail in the Passover story, perhaps it sets the stage for the Sukkot holiday, or Chag HaAsif.

What is the sukka, after all? It is a spiritual abode made out of the chaff, or refuse, which is normally rejected. “Garbage” is to be used in the service of God[15].

Our three major holidays, Pesach Shavuot and Sukkot, represent three different perspectives of time. Pesach commemorates the past, and our challenge is to connect to that past, to make it a part of our consciousness. In every generation, the Jew must make the events of the Exodus a part of his or her own personal narrative. Shavuot may be more aptly described in the present progressive tense: The giving of the Torah is far more than an historical event. The Torah is alive, fresh and new each day. It is given to each of us individually and all of us collectively, and we accept it each year anew on Shavuot. Sukkot differs from both of these festivals because it relates and refers to the future. Sukkot encompasses our vision of a future reality which differs drastically from our own. Sukkkot is the holiday of which so many prophets and prophecies speak:

זכריה פרק יד, טז

וְהָיָה כָּל הַנּוֹתָר מִכָּל הַגּוֹיִם הַבָּאִים עַל יְרוּשָׁלִָם וְעָלוּ מִדֵּי שָׁנָה בְשָׁנָה לְהִשְׁתַּחֲוֹת לְמֶלֶךְ ה’ צְבָאוֹת וְלָחֹג אֶת חַג הַסֻּכּוֹת:

And it shall come to pass, that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths. Zecharya 14:16

The Prophet Zecharia tells us that the day will come when the nations of the world will make a pilgrimage and celebrate in Jerusalem. This universal festival will not be Pesach or Shavuot, but Sukkot: The Festival of the Gathering, Hag HaAsif, is the time for collecting and rejoicing in all of the bounty with which God has blessed us - the fruit and the chaff. Sukkot represents an inclusive vision for all of humankind, Jews and non-Jews alike. It is a holiday of the future, because its frame of reference is an all-inclusive, messianic vision of a world redeemed, of humanity united in truth and enlightenment. The festival will celebrate the ultimate reconciliation between the children of Yaakov and the children of Esav, between those whose ancestors knew how to serve God with straw and those who rejected the spiritual legacy of Yitzchak – a rejoining of the wheat and the chaff, as it were.

The Exodus from Egypt was particularistic in scope, a limited redemption of one nation. It impacted only the Jews. The Egyptians were not transformed or enlightened by the experience; they were defeated, decimated. While it is true that some stragglers joined that epic march out of Egypt, many, many more - even Jews - were left behind. Those who joined the march out of Egypt amounted to no more than a band of opportunists, and their overall contribution to the course of Jewish history was overwhelmingly negative. In fact, they were known as erev rav, a term that harkens back to the confusion between good and evil Yitzchak sought to eradicate.  The future redemption that is celebrated on Sukkot suffers from no such particularism, nor from the confusion that is represented by erev rav. It includes all of mankind, all of nature:[16]

ישעיהו פרק יא, ו-ז

וְגָר זְאֵב עִם כֶּבֶשׂ וְנָמֵר עִם גְּדִי יִרְבָּץ וְעֵגֶל וּכְפִיר וּמְרִיא יַחְדָּו וְנַעַר קָטֹן נֹהֵג בָּם:

וּפָרָה וָדֹב תִּרְעֶינָה יַחְדָּו יִרְבְּצוּ יַלְדֵיהֶן וְאַרְיֵה כַּבָּקָר יֹאכַל תֶּבֶן:

The wolf also shall live with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion[17] shall eat straw like the ox. Yishayahu 11:6,7

ישעיהו פרק סה

(כה) זְאֵב וְטָלֶה יִרְעוּ כְאֶחָד וְאַרְיֵה כַּבָּקָר יֹאכַל תֶּבֶן וְנָחָשׁ עָפָר לַחְמוֹ לֹא יָרֵעוּ וְלֹא יַשְׁחִיתוּ בְּכָל הַר קָדְשִׁי אָמַר ה’:

The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox; and dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, says the Lord. Yishayahu 65:25

The Rambam understood that these verses refer not to the physical lion, but to the bloodthirsty nations of the world who have lived on a steady diet of Jewish blood. The great miracle of the messianic age will be that the nations of the world, and not only the beasts of prey, will abandon the diet they have been cultivating for millennia.[18] In that new reality, there will be no victims. Nations, and lions, will eat the food of kindness – symbolized, as in the story of Rivka, as in the story of Rabbi Akiva – by straw. Peace will reign. When the final redemption takes place, all of Creation will be redeemed. God’s presence will fill the world, and no one will be left behind.

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[1] For a mystical explanation of this phenomenon see Rabbi Yishaya Horowitz Sefer Shnie Luchot Habrit , Sefer Shmot Parshat Yitro Derech Chaim Tochchot Musar section 3.

ספר השל"ה הקדוש - ספר שמות - פרשת יתרו דרך חיים תוכחת מוסר (ג)

בפרק קמא דברכות (ז, א), הודיעני נא את דרכיך, אמר לפניו, רבונו של עולם, מפני מה יש צדיק וטוב לו ויש צדיק ורע לו, יש רשע וטוב לו ויש רשע ורע לו. אמר ליה, משה, צדיק וטוב לו צדיק בן צדיק, צדיק ורע לו צדיק בן רשע, רשע וטוב לו רשע בן צדיק, רשע ורע לו רשע בן רשע. ופירשו המקובלים זה הדבר על סוד הגלגול, והמגולגל נקרא בן להראשון, ועל אלו הד' דרכים יהיו ד' אתם. אתם לכו קחו לכם תבן וגו', כבר כתבתי בפרשת שמות ובשאר מקומות, כי נזדככו ונתגלגלו במצרים מדור אנוש ודור המבול ומדור הפלגה. והיאורה תשליכוהו זהו מדור המבול, ותוכן לבנים תתנו זהו מדור הפלגה כו'. וישראל בעצמם היו גוי מקרב גוי ויתערבו ביניהם וילמדו ממעשיהם, נמצאו היו בחלק רשע בן רשע מצד המגולגלים, על כן רשע ורע לו, דהיינו כובד הגלות אתם לכו קחו לכם תבן וגו'. אתם ראיתם וגו', אף בצאת ישראל ממצרים עדיין לא נטהרו והיו נתונים בדין כמו המצרים, שהיה מדת הדין מקטרג הללו מגדלי בלורית והללו וכו', רק הוציאם ממצרים מאחר שהיו בני האבות והיה בהם ניצוץ, כמו שנאמר (דברים ד, לז), ותחת כי אהב את אבותיך ויבחר בזרעו אחריו ויוציאך בפניו בכחו הגדול ממצרים.

[2] The Midrash Rabbah Shmot 5:18 speaks of four levels of slavery; the last level is when they were forced to collect their own straw. See Rabi Eliyahu Kitov, Sefer Hatoda'ah chapter 23. Also see Sefer Hayom by Rabbi Moshe ben Yehuda Machir.

שמות רבה (וילנא) פרשה ה ד"ה יח ויצו פרעה

ויצו פרעה ביום ההוא, מלמד על הרשע שלא עכב לעשות עמהן רע, וזו היתה גזירה רביעית, והנוגשים אצים לאמר אלו המצרים, השוטרים, אלו זקני ישראל, לא תוסיפון לתת תבן לעם ואת מתכונת הלבנים, מכאן אתה למד שחשבון היה על כל אחד ואחד כמה לבנים יעשו ביום, ולכך העביד בהן בתחלה בפה רך, כדי שיעשו הלבנים בכל כחם ולראות כל יכולת שלהם ולפי מספר שעשו ביום הראשון גזרו עליהם לעשות כל הימים,

'And the same day Paroh commanded' (5, 6), thus teaching how wicked he was in not delaying a moment to do evil unto them. This was his fourth decree. 'The taskmasters'-these are the Egyptians; 'and their officers'-these are the elders of Israel. 'Ye shall no more give the people straw to make bricks... And the tale of the bricks' (ib. 7, 8); from this we derive that each person had an allotted number of bricks to make each day. At first he induced them to labor with subtle tongue, persuading them to make bricks with all their might, and in order to see what was the maximum they could produce; and according to the number they produced on the first day, it was decreed that they should produce all the rest of their days.

ספר התודעה - פרק עשרים ושלשה:

ארבע גזרות גזר פרעה על ישראל ומתוך כל אחת מהן צמחה ישועה לישראל:

גזר פרעה גזרה ראשונה: וישימו עליו שרי מסים למען ענתו (שמות א) - וכאשר יענו אתו כן ירבה וכן יפרץ (שם):

ספר סדר היום - סדר ספור יציאת מצרים

ובזמן הגאולה עצמה התחיל השעבוד יותר ויותר ממה שהיה, וזה שאמר (שם ה', ז') לא תאספון לתת תבן לעם וגו' הם ילכו וקוששו וגו', וזאת הצרה היתה קשה להם עד מאד ועליהם נאמר (שם, י"ד) ויכו שוטרי בני ישראל, והקדוש ברוך הוא עשה לטובתם שמתוך שעבודם בא להם גאולתם, המו מעיו לנו וזכר את ברית אבותינו כמו שכתוב (שם ב', כ"ג) ותעל שועתם, ונאמר (שם, כ"ה) וירא אלהים את נאקתם וידע אלהים, כי אין גאולה מוצאת אלא מתוך הצרה, וכן הוא אומר (ישעיה נ"ט, כ' כ"א) כי יבא כנהר צר ובא לציון גואל:

[3] This "time out" is of great significance, for there are many who see the delay in redemption from Egypt as a prototype for the delay in the final redemption, including the element of the redeemer disappearing for a period of time. In this Midrash, the duration of the redeemer's absence is six months.

[4] For a fuller treatment on Esav, his words and straw, see my article “The Voice (and Hands) of Yaakov, which will be included in a forthcoming volume (tentatively titled) “M’oray Ha’Aish – Fire and Flame: Insights into the Weekly Torah Portion” to be published by Geffen Publishers.

[5] It is possible that Esav was sincere, yet there was a disconnect between his words and actions, see my article cited in the previous footnote.

[6] See writings of Menachem Mendel of Shklov, Liqutim, page 329

כתבי הגרמ"מ משקלוב - ליקוטים - דף שכט

אבל זמן ויצא יצחק לשוח בשדה [שם] הוא לפנו"ת ער"ב [שם], סוד שבתא"י מאדי"ם, שורש שרשי הדינים הנאחז בפנו"ת ער"ב, אשר ינטו צללי ערב [ירמיה ו], אז הוא סוד שד"ה, כמ"ש הרב האריז"ל סוד שד"ה, אבל לפנות ערב, לפנות ולהסיר כל תערובת וערב רב, שהיה מעורב תבן עם הבר, ובין שדה ציון שדה כו' [עיי"ש כו] וכן שדה המכפלה, ובין שדה העמלקי ושדה אדום, כי אית שדה אשר ברכו ה' [בראשית כז], ואית שדה דכל קטולא כו' [עי' זח"א קכב.], וכן בזמן וכן בנפש:

[7] The Midrash in Shmot Rabbah 5, teaches that part of the motivation of the Egyptians was to force the Jews to break Shabbat: The Israelites had scrolls which they studied every Shabbat. This entire line of reasoning seems to take the actions of the mekoshesh who violated Shabbat (see below), and read them back into the narrative regarding Paroh's decree.

שמות רבה (וילנא) פרשה ה

תכבד העבודה על האנשים, מלמד שהיו בידם מגילות שהיו משתעשעין בהם משבת לשבת לומר שהקדוש ב"ה גואלן, לפי שהיו נוחין בשבת, אמר להן פרעה תכבד העבודה על האנשים ויעשו בה ואל ישעו וגו', אל יהו משתעשעין ואל יהו נפישין ביום השבת.

'Therefore they cry, saying... Let heavier work be laid upon the men... And let them not regard (yish'eu) lying words' (V, 9). This is to teach us that the Israelites possessed scrolls, with the contents of which they occupied themselves each Shabbat, assuring them that God would redeem them. Thus because they rested on Shabbat, Paroh said to them: 'Let heavier work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard lying words'  (ib.)-let them not take delight or rest on the Sabbath day.

[8] Reb Dovid of Lelov explained that had this decree come into effect before the Jews' hopes of redemption were reawakened, they would have been too weak to withstand it, and would have become extinct in Egypt. Thus, it was part of God’s plan to fill them with hope prior to this final decree. Reb Dovid is cited by many 19^th century Chassidic masters, among them the Shem M’Shmuel on Shmot, 5672.

ספר שם משמואל פרשת שמות - שנת תרע"ב

והנה במד"ר (פ' א') ד' גזירות גזר עליהם פרעה, וזו היתה הגזירה הרביעית (כבמד"ר פ' ה') לא תאסיפון לתת תבן, והיא היתה גזירה קשה מאד שלא ניתן להם מנוח להשיב את רוחם אליהם, ובמד"ר (שם) שהיו נוחין ביום השבת וניטלה מהם השבת. וידועים דברי הרה"ק מהר"ד מלעלוב לא תאסיפון נאמר באל"ף שהוא מלשון אסיפה שלא יתאספו יחד, כי ע"י האסיפה הי' מחזק אחד את חברו, וגם זה ניטל מהם. ולפי הנ"ל יש ליתן טעם בפשיטות מדוע אחרו פעמי גזירה זו עד אחרי השליחות הראשונה, כי באם היתה גזירה זו טרם שהיתה הגאולה שבהעלם, הי' ח"ו בלתי יכולת לסבול גזירה רעה כזו, ורק ע"י שכבר היתה הגאולה בהעלם היתה להם התחזקות כל אחד ואחד מעומק לבבו. וממוצא הדברים שהכל הי' בעתו ובזמנו לא הי' ראוי לא להקדים ולא לאחר, לא להקדים הגזירה שכן לא הי' ביכולתם לסבול, וכן מפני זה עצמו לא הי' יכול לאחר את השליחות, שא"כ היתה הגזירה באה לפני הגאולה הפנימית.

ספר שיח שרפי קודש - פרשת שמות

לא תאסיפון לתת תבן לעם. אמר האדמו"ר מסאכטשוב זי"ע כי בכל הגליות היה ישראל מפוזר ומפורד רק בגלות מצרים היו כולם במקום אחד בגושן ואמר נראה לי על שהיה קודם מתן תורה אם היה חלילה מפוזרים לא היה להם תקומה חס ושלום אולם בשאר הגלותים שאחר מתן תורה התורה מאחד ומאגד אותם אולם במצרים הי' מוכרחים לאסוף עצמם ביחד וזה היה כקוץ בעיני פרעה כאשר אמר הגה"ק ר' דוד לעלווער מה שאמר פרעה לא תאסיפון נכתב באלף והפירוש לשון אסיפה ואסיפה הזאת לא היה יפה בעיני פרעה כי ידע שהיא לרעתו אולם אחר כך נאמר ויפץ העם כי אז אחר שנתבשר להם הגאולה והיה ברור להם שיגאלו היה כמו שהיה גאולים כבר ולא הזיק להם הנפיצה ע"כ:

ספר רמתים צופים - סימן א

[קכא] בשם הרב הקדוש ר' דוד מלעלוב ז"ל לא תאספון לתת תבן (שמות ה', ז') לפי פשטות המאמר היה ראוי לומר לא תוסיפון בוי"ו. אך התורה הקדושה באה לרמז לנו כי ידוע שפרעה הניח להם יום אחד חירות משיעבוד העבודה רק משה רבינו ע"ה בחר להם יום השבת למנוחה. והיה דרכם ביום ההוא להתאסף ביחד למשה וזקני ישראל לשמוע תוכחות חיים ולהאמין באחדותו ומציאותו יתברך. ולאשר פרעה לגודל רשעתו אשר מחפצו לסורם למשמעתם ולעבוד את גלולי מצרים. ואחרי ראותו כי לא עלתה בידו. ראה והבין שמחמת שהם נאספים יחד יוסיפו דעת ביראת אלהים ועל ידי זה נכנע כח הסיטרא אחרא בקרבם. לזה אמר לבל יתאספו עוד לתת תבן דעת ותבונה להם כנ"ל:

[9] The Hebrew language has different verbs to describe the harvest of different types of produce. For example, the harvest of grapes is batzir, whereas the harvest of grain is katzir; the harvest of olives is masik while the harvest of fruits is katif.

[10] The Netziv makes the linguistic connection, but makes no mention of the thematic connection.

העמק דבר על שמות פרק ה פסוק ז

 וקששו להם תבן: ילקטו כמו מקושש עצים:  תבן: שהוא מפוזר בשדות ובמדינה:

[11] This connection was suggested to me by my friend and colleague Rabbi Chaim Tabasky.

[12] See Tosfot Baba Batra 119b, and the Midrash cited by Tosfot.

תוספות בבא בתרא דף קיט/ב

 אפילו קטנה שבהן לא נשאת פחות מארבעים שנה - נראה לרשב"א דסבר לה כמ"ד (שבת דף צו:) צלפחד היינו מקושש ומעשה המקושש היה בתחלת ארבעים מיד אחר מעשה מרגלים דאמר במדרש דלשם שמים נתכוין שהיו אומרים ישראל כיון שנגזר עליהן שלא ליכנס לארץ ממעשה מרגלים שוב אין מחויבין במצות עמד וחילל שבת כדי שיהרג ויראו אחרים ולא נשאו עד סוף ארבעים שנה כדמוכחי קראי:

[13] For a fuller explanation of his thinking and the mistake of the wood gatherer, see Explorations, Parshat Shlach.

[14] See Ibn Ezra and Hizkuni, who deftly explain this idiosyncrasy.

אבן עזרא על שמות פרק ה פסוק ז

לא תאספון - כתוב באל"ף והמנהג להיותו בוי"ו ושניהם מתחלפין ביו"ד ומנהג בוני עפר לערב עמו תבן או קש שיעמידנו:

חזקוני על שמות פרק ה פסוק ז

לא תאסיפון - אל"ף לא קרי.

[15] See Rashi Dvarim 16:13, Sukka 12a, and Rashi’s comments.

רש"י דברים פרק טז פסוק יג

באספך - בזמן האסיף שאתה מכניס לבית פירות הקיץ. דבר אחר באספך מגרנך ומיקבך, למד שמסככין את הסוכה בפסולת גורן ויקב:

רש"י מסכת סוכה דף יב עמוד א

פסולת גורן - קשין.  פסולת יקב - זמורות ואשכולות ריקנים. גורן עצמו ויקב עצמו - הקשין עם התבואה, ואשכולות עם הענבים, דהוה ליה דבר המקבל טומאה האוכל.

[16] Rav Kook in his commentary to the siddur, Olat Raayah page 292 surmises that in order for animals to be transformed, and for the lamb and wolf to successfully reside together, the animals will need to under go a transformation which will mirror man’s transformation: Just as all men will recognize God, all animals will lose the animal within and also be raised to a higher level of consciousness. At that point just as the animal changes it’s diet so will man, and eating flesh will become simply inappropriate.

[17] There are rabbinic sources that indicate that at that point, when the lion is no longer carnivorous, the lion will then become kosher! See Beresihit Rabbah 95:1, Yismach Moshe Bechukotai 39b.

בראשית רבה (וילנא) פרשה צה ד"ה א ואת יהודה

א ואת יהודה שלח לפניו, כתיב (ישעיה סה) זאב וטלה ירעו כאחד ואריה כבקר יאכל תבן, בא וראה כל מה שהכה הקב"ה בעולם הזה מרפא אותן לעתיד לבא, העורים מתרפאים שנאמר …, ואף החיות מתרפאות, שנאמר (שם /ישעיהו/ סה) זאב וטלה ירעו כאחד, הכל מתרפאים מי שהביא מכה על הכל אינו מתרפא אלא (שם /ישעיהו ס"ה/) ונחש עפר לחמו, למה שהוא הוריד הבריות לעפר,

ספר ישמח משה - פרשת בחוקותי דף לט/ב

ועל פי זה נ"ל לבאר פירוש הפסוק (ישעיה י"א [יא ז]) ואריה כבקר יאכל תבן. דקשה מה לן בזה מה שיהיה מאכלו, לא הוה ליה לומר רק דלא יזיק, כמו שאמר על דוב וכפיר ומריא. ועוד קשה למה לו הדמיון הזה לומר כבקר, והיה די לומר ואריה יאכל תבן. לכך נ"ל דהא על פי המבואר בספר הפליאה מובן, דלעתיד דלא יהיה מאכל אריה רק תבן, ממילא דיהיה טהור דהא בעצמותו טהור הוא, והיינו ואריה כבקר, ר"ל דיהיה טהור כבקר, ולמה, על זה אמר יאכל תבן, ר"ל משום שיאכל תבן. והשתא נחזי אנן דמבואר מהפסוק הנ"ל דטומאת אריה עכשיו הוא רק משום דנתפטם בטומאה, דאי היה טמא בעצמותו, מה יועיל זה דלעתיד יאכל תבן, והבן.

[18] Rambam Mishna Tora Laws of Wars Chapter 12, 1.

רמב"ם הלכות מלכים פרק יב הלכה א

אל יעלה על הלב שבימות המשיח יבטל דבר ממנהגו של עולם, או יהיה שם חידוש במעשה בראשית, אלא עולם כמנהגו נוהג, וזה שנאמר בישעיה וגר זאב עם כבש ונמר עם גדי ירבץ משל וחידה, ענין הדבר שיהיו ישראל יושבין לבטח עם רשעי עכו"ם המשולים כזאב ונמר, שנאמר זאב ערבות ישדדם ונמר שוקד על עריהם, ויחזרו כולם לדת האמת, ולא יגזלו ולא ישחיתו, אלא יאכלו דבר המותר בנחת עם ישראל, שנאמר ואריה כבקר יאכל תבן, וכן כל כיוצא באלו הדברים בענין המשיח הם משלים, ובימות המלך המשיח יודע לכל לאי זה דבר היה משל, ומה ענין רמזו בהן.

Parshat Vay'chi 5770 -Father and Son

Parshat Vay'chi 5770

Rabbi Ari Kahn

Father and Son

The narrative of this week's parsha seems to pose a problem when considered in light of a halacha recorded in the book of Dvarim:

ספר דברים פרק כא, טו-יז

כִּי תִהְיֶיןָ לְאִישׁ שְׁתֵּי נָשִׁים הָאַחַת אֲהוּבָה וְהָאַחַת שְׂנוּאָה וְיָלְדוּ לוֹ בָנִים הָאֲהוּבָה וְהַשְּׂנוּאָה וְהָיָה הַבֵּן הַבְּכֹר לַשְּׂנִיאָה: וְהָיָה בְּיוֹם הַנְחִילוֹ אֶת בָּנָיו אֵת אֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה לוֹ לֹא יוּכַל לְבַכֵּר אֶת בֶּן הָאֲהוּבָה עַל פְּנֵי בֶן הַשְּׂנוּאָה הַבְּכֹר: כִּי אֶת הַבְּכֹר בֶּן הַשְּׂנוּאָה יַכִּיר לָתֶת לוֹ פִּי שְׁנַיִם בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר יִמָּצֵא לוֹ כִּי הוּא רֵאשִׁית אֹנוֹ לוֹ מִשְׁפַּט הַבְּכֹרָה:

If a man has two wives, one beloved, and another hated, and they have borne him children, both the beloved and the hated; and if the firstborn son is hers who was hated; Then it shall be, when he makes his sons inherit that which he has, that he may not make the son of the beloved firstborn before the son of the hated, who is indeed the firstborn; But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the firstborn, by giving him a double portion of all that he has; for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his. Dvarim 21:15-17

Yaakov’s complicated home life seems very relevant to this halacha: Yaakov's first wife, Leah, was wed under duress, and could be called the "hated" wife, at least when compared to Rachel. Leah certainly felt this way, but she was not alone: God Himself assessed the complicated set of interpersonal relationships in similar fashion. Reuven is born as a means of bridging the emotional gaps:

ספר בראשית פרק כט, לא-לב

וַיַּרְא ה’ כִּי שְׂנוּאָה לֵאָה וַיִּפְתַּח אֶת רַחְמָהּ וְרָחֵל עֲקָרָה: וַתַּהַר לֵאָה וַתֵּלֶד בֵּן וַתִּקְרָא שְׁמוֹ רְאוּבֵן כִּי אָמְרָה כִּי רָאָה ה’ בְּעָנְיִי כִּי עַתָּה יֶאֱהָבַנִי אִישִׁי:

And when God saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb; but Rachel was barren. And Leah conceived, and bore a son, and she called his name Reuven; for she said, 'Surely God has seen my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me. Bereishit 29:31,32

Yet as Yaakov’s sons stand around his deathbed to hear his last wishes, Reuven is addressed first, and Yaakov leaves no doubt that he is fully aware of Reuven's rights - and responsibilities - as firstborn:

ספר בראשית פרק מט

(ג) רְאוּבֵן בְּכֹרִי אַתָּה כֹּחִי וְרֵאשִׁית אוֹנִי יֶתֶר שְׂאֵת וְיֶתֶר עָז: (ד) פַּחַז כַּמַּיִם אַל תּוֹתַר כִּי עָלִיתָ מִשְׁכְּבֵי אָבִיךָ אָז חִלַּלְתָּ יְצוּעִי עָלָה:

Reuven, you are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power; Unstable as water, you shall not excel; because you went up to your father’s bed; then you defiled it; he went up to my couch. Bereishit 49:3,4

According to tradition, Reuven, as firstborn, should have received three precious gifts: a double portion of Yaakov's inheritance, kingship, and priesthood.[1] In fact, Reuven receives none of these: The kingship is bestowed upon Yehudah, and eventually, the priesthood is given to Levi. Yosef, who was the firstborn son of the "beloved" wife Rachel, received the double portion, in seeming contradiction of the law recorded in Dvarim.

בראשית פרק מח, ה

וְעַתָּה שְׁנֵי בָנֶיךָ הַנּוֹלָדִים לְךָ בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם עַד בֹּאִי אֵלֶיךָ מִצְרַיְמָה לִי הֵם אֶפְרַיִם וּמְנַשֶּׁה כִּרְאוּבֵן וְשִׁמְעוֹן יִהְיוּ לִי:

And now your two sons, Efraim and Menashe, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you to Egypt, are mine; as Reuven and Shimon, they shall be mine. Bereishit 48:5

By elevating Efraim and Menashe to the level of Yosef’s brothers, Yaakov in effect gives the double portion to Yosef. These two grandsons of Yaakov, sons of Yosef, become tribes in their own right and each will one day receive their own portion in the Land of Israel, a clear indication that Yosef -and not Reuven - has received the double portion.[2]

We might say that the contradiction we have raised is a non-issue: The halacha in question was recorded many years after the death of Yaakov, and it is unfair to judge the actions of those who lived before the Revelation at Sinai by Torah-law standards. Nonetheless, the sensitive reader is uncomfortable with this seeming transgression, no matter how theoretical. Yaakov is, after all, one of our Patriarchs, a spiritual hero and role model. Is it possible that he was insensitive to the social and spiritual truths that lay at the heart of the halacha?[3] The commandment that protects the rights of the firstborn is not the type of law which is impenetrable by logic; a spiritually sensitive man like Yaakov should have been more judicious. We would like to say that this was an oversight by Yaakov, but the very language he uses rules out that possibility: There is an obvious linguistic connection between the verses that describe the birth of Reuven and the wording of Yaakov's final blessing to his firstborn son, and the words of the law dictating that the double portion must be given to the firstborn.

A second, seemingly unrelated question emerges, again, only when we compare this parsha with a later section of text: In next week's parsha, the first in the book of Shmot, a textual anomaly arises:

ספר בראשית פרק נ, כו

וַיָּמָת יוֹסֵף בֶּן מֵאָה וָעֶשֶׂר שָׁנִים וַיַּחַנְטוּ אֹתוֹ וַיִּישֶׂם בָּאָרוֹן בְּמִצְרָים:

So Yosef died, being a hundred and ten years old; and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt. Bereishit 50:26

The Book of Bereishit comes to an end with the death of Yosef, and the Book of Shmot begins with Yosef’s death, recorded for the second time:

ספר שמות פרק א, ו

וַיָּמָת יוֹסֵף וְכָל אֶחָיו וְכֹל הַדּוֹר הַהוא:

And Yosef died, and all his brothers, and all that generation. Shmot 1:6

While this may seem like a simple literary device, to “catch the readers up” and remind them where we are up to,[4] it should be noted that fundamentally the Book of Bereishit is a book of the Avot and Imahot, the patriarchs and matriarchs, while the Book of Shmot is about the Children of Israel.[5] The death of all 12 tribes could have been mentioned in Bereishit, closing the door on that generation, or, alternatively, all twelve sons could have died in the beginning of Shmot. Only Yosef “dies twice”. [6]

While this observation about Yosef’s death may seem like a question, it actually contains the answer for our first question regarding the wresting of the birthright from Reuven in favor of Yosef. As we shall see, the answer may be understood on many levels, some of which are in the realm of mystical study, and others which are accessible to all.

Yosef was fundamentally different from his brothers; he was not truly a part of their generation. Yosef was a “throwback” to a previous generation. The simple, chronological understanding of this phenomenon comes as no radical interpretation: though two people’s lives intersect chronologically, one belongs to the previous generation, while the other may be a part of the next generation. Yosef's case was somewhat more profound: His age placed him firmly in the generation of Yaakov's sons, yet Yosef’s essence was related to the previous generation. He was a rare individual who had the ability to transcend his age and transform himself into something else. In fact, most of the people who came into contact with him were struck by this quality. We may summarize this particular attribute in terms of Yosef's place as a "hinge" between two generations. Yosef was not part of a new generation, he was an extension of Yaakov:

ספר בראשית פרק לז

(ב) אֵלֶּה תֹּלְדוֹת יַעֲקֹב יוֹסֵף בֶּן שְׁבַע עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה …

These are the generations of Yaakov Yosef, being seventeen years old… Bereishit 37:2

The Torah describes Yosef's unique position in various ways. First, we are told that Yaakov loved Yosef because he was his ben zekunim:

ספר בראשית פרק לז

 (ג) וְיִשְׂרָאֵל אָהַב אֶת יוֹסֵף מִכָּל בָּנָיו כִּי בֶן זְקֻנִים הוּא לוֹ וְעָשָׂה לוֹ כְּתֹנֶת פַּסִּים:

Now Yisrael loved Yosef more than all his children, because he was his ben zekunim; and he made him a coat of many colors. Bereishit 37:3

This term is often translated as "the child of his old age", though this would be an unlikely explanation on two accounts: A number of Yosef's brothers are very close in age, being that there were four women bearing children during the same time period.[7] Furthermore, Yosef had a much younger brother, Binyamin, who truly was the child of Yaakov's old age. Targum Unkolus translates zekunim as wise. Often, age is associated with wisdom; thus, Yosef is a “ben zekunim,”[8] a wise child.[9] The Midrash takes up this theme as well, explaining that all that Yaakov received from his father by tradition was passed on to Yosef. Here there was no generation gap.[10]

Paroh's estimation of Yosef's unique abilities seems very similar:

 

ספר בראשית פרק מא

(מג) וַיַּרְכֵּב אֹתוֹ בְּמִרְכֶּבֶת הַמִּשְׁנֶה אֲשֶׁר לוֹ וַיִּקְרְאוּ לְפָנָיו אַבְרֵךְ וְנָתוֹן אֹתוֹ עַל כָּל אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם

And he made him to ride in his second chariot; and they cried before him, avrech; and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt. Bereishit 41:43

The term used to describe Paroh's new right-hand man is somewhat obscure; Unkolus says that the word avrech means “father of the king”.[11] Rashi cites this teaching and adds that we have a tradition[12] that the word means 'a father (av) in wisdom, despite tender (rach[13]) in years,' one whose wisdom transcends their years.[14]

Yosef himself seems to refer to this quality and this relationship with Paroh when he tells his brothers that God sent him to Egypt and placed him as a “father” to Paroh.

 

ספר בראשית פרק מה

(ח) וְעַתָּה לֹא אַתֶּם שְׁלַחְתֶּם אֹתִי הֵנָּה כִּי הָאֱלֹקים וַיְשִׂימֵנִי לְאָב לְפַרְעֹה וּלְאָדוֹן לְכָל בֵּיתוֹ וּמשֵׁל בְּכָל אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם:

So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and he has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt. Bereishit 45:8

When it is Yosef’s turn to receive his father’s blessing Yaakov says:

בראשית פרק מט

(כב) בֵּן פֹּרָת יוֹסֵף בֵּן פֹּרָת עֲלֵי עָיִן בָּנוֹת צָעֲדָה עֲלֵי שׁוּר: (כג) וַיְמָרֲרֻהוּ וָרֹבּוּ וַיִּשְׂטְמֻהוּ בַּעֲלֵי חִצִּים: (כד) וַתֵּשֶׁב בְּאֵיתָן קַשְׁתּוֹ וַיָּפֹזּוּ זְרֹעֵי יָדָיו מִידֵי אֲבִיר יַעֲקֹב מִשָּׁם רֹעֶה אֶבֶן יִשְׂרָאֵל:

Yosef is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall.  The archers fiercely attacked him, and shot at him, and hated him. But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; from there is the shepherd, the stone of Israel; Bereishit 49:22-24

Yosef is referred to as even yisrael which is literally translated as the “stone of Israel”. Unkolus[15] understands the word even (stone) as an amalgam[16] of av and ben, father and son: Yosef is not only a son, he is also a father. While this is far from remarkable - many people in the history of the world have been both fathers and sons – Yaakov's comments do much to identify this unique quality Yosef possessed. Yosef was a son and a father; he had the status of one of the twelve tribes, yet he also had the status of one of the patriarchs. He is an av and a ben. This is the reason Yosef’s death, and none of the other brothers', is recorded in Bereishit together with the other patriarchs; his status was elevated to that of his father Yaakov, his grandfather Yitzchak and his great-grandfather Avraham. Nonetheless, he is also mentioned in Shmot with the other brothers; he is also a son of Yaakov, a member of the collective known as the Children of Yisrael.

When does Yosef achieve this status? When his father bestows upon him a double portion he is thrust above the others of his generation, and his children achieve the same status as the other brothers. That was the blessing of Yaakov, but the message runs much deeper than mere portions and wealth, or even inheritance in the Land of Israel. The Midrash expresses the idea in a teaching in which each of the four species is “matched” with one of the patriarchs. This presents a problem, as there are only three patriarchs. The Midrash brings Yosef to the rescue:

ויקרא רבה (וילנא) פרשה ל ד"ה י ד"א פרי

ד"א פרי עץ הדר זה אברהם שהדרו הקב"ה בשיבה טובה שנאמר (בראשית כד) ואברהם זקן בא בימים וכתיב (ויקרא יט) והדרת פני זקן, כפות תמרים זה יצחק שהיה כפות ועקוד על גבי המזבח, וענף עץ עבות זה יעקב מה הדס זה רחוש בעלין כך היה יעקב רחוש בבנים וערבי נחל זה יוסף מה ערבה זו כמושה לפני ג' מינין הללו כך מת יוסף לפני אחיו,

Another exposition of the text, "the fruit of the hadar tree": Hadar symbolizes Avraham, whom the Holy One, blessed be He, honored  (hiddero) with good old age; as it says, "And Avraham was old, getting on in days" (Bereishit 24, 1), and it is written, "And honor (vehadarta) the face of the old man (Vayikra 19, 32). "Branches (kappot) of palm trees" symbolizes Yitzchak who had been tied (kafut) and bound upon the altar. "And boughs of thick trees" symbolizes Yaakov; just as the myrtle is crowded with leaves so was Yaakov crowded with children. "And willows of the brook" symbolizes Yosef; as the willow wilts before the other three species, so Yosef died before his brethren. Vayikra Rabbah 30:10

It seems strange to consider Yosef the “fourth wheel”, for Yosef was part of the next generation; nonetheless, this is exactly what this Midrash does. The three patriarchs have Yosef added to create a quartet.[17]

This teaching has implications regarding a deep mystical teaching known as the chariot – or merkava. The merkava was part of an awesome vision beheld by the Prophet Yehezkel. This merkava is best described as a spiritual vehicle, a means of connecting our physical world and ourselves with the spiritual world that lies beyond our sensory grasp. In a sense, the merkava is a spiritual elevator which enables man to connect with Heaven. The rabbis teach that the patriarchs are themselves, through their actions and teachings, a merkava:

בראשית רבה (וילנא) פרשה פב ד"ה ו ויעל מעליו

ויעל מעליו אלהים, אמר ר"ל האבות הן הן המרכבה שנא' (בראשית יז) ויעל אלהים מעל אברהם ויעל מעליו אלהים (שם /בראשית/ כח) והנה ה' נצב עליו, ויצב יעקב מצבה וגו' ויסך עליה נסך, יצק עליה שמן, כמלא פי הפך.

"And God went up from him, etc." (Bereishit 35,13). R. Shimon b. Lakish said: The Patriarchs are [God's] chariot, for it says, 'And God went up from upon Avraham" (Bereishit 27, 22); "And God went up from upon him; And, behold, the Almighty stood above him" (ib. 28, 13);…Midrash Rabbah Bereishit 82:6

A chariot has four wheels; the mystical chariot of Yechezkel is no exception. When aligned with the three avot, one wheel is missing; that fourth wheel[18] is Yosef.[19]

Interestingly, the first biblical character to ride in a chariot is Yosef:

ספר בראשית פרק מא

(מג) וַיַּרְכֵּב אֹתוֹ בְּמִרְכֶּבֶת הַמִּשְׁנֶה אֲשֶׁר לוֹ וַיִּקְרְאוּ לְפָנָיו אַבְרֵךְ וְנָתוֹן אֹתוֹ עַל כָּל אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם

And he made him to ride in his second chariot; and they cried before him, avrech; and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt. Bereishit 41:43

There is another, deeper point which connects Yosef to the chariot of Yechezkel. In describing his vision, Yechezkel recounts the images he saw: On one of the four sides was an elusive image, described in the first chapter as an ox, and in the tenth chapter as a keruv – or cherub.

ספר יחזקאל פרק א, י

וּדְמוּת פְּנֵיהֶם פְּנֵי אָדָם וּפְנֵי אַרְיֵה אֶל הַיָּמִין לְאַרְבַּעְתָּם וּפְנֵי שׁוֹר מֵהַשְּׂמֹאול לְאַרְבַּעְתָּן וּפְנֵי נֶשֶׁר לְאַרְבַּעְתָּן:

As for the likeness of their faces, the four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side; and the four had the face of an ox on the left side; the four also had the face of an eagle. Yechezkel 1:10

ספר יחזקאל פרק י, יד-טו