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BS”D
Volume 37, No. 13
28 Tevet 5783
January 21, 2023
Sponsored by Faith Ginsburg on the yahrzeits of
her mother-in-law, Sarah Ginsburg (Sara Chaya bas Nassan a”h – 29 Tevet)
and her brother-in-law, Samuel Allen Schwartz (Yeshayahu Asher ben Yoel
Fishel a”h – 2 Shevat)
R’ Azariah Figo z”l
(1579-1647; Italy) writes: When we study the incidents of oppression that
the Jewish People have been subjected to throughout our history, we find
that they fall into four categories: (1) economic; (2) physical; (3)
psychological; and (4) religious. In Egypt, they experienced all of
these. We read (Shmot 1:11), “So they appointed tax collectors over [Bnei
Yisrael] in order to afflict [them] with their burdens.” This indicates
that the Egyptians did not need our taxes, nor did they needs the cities
of Pitom and Ramses that were built as a result. Rather, their sole
purpose was to oppress Bnei Yisrael economically. Likewise, the Egyptians
oppressed Bnei Yisrael physically–by enslaving them, psychologically–by
lowering them to the status of slaves, and religiously–by turning Bnei Yisrael
into idolators, as our Sages record.
Corresponding to
these four types of oppression, Hashem spoke to Moshe of four types of
salvation (in our Parashah, Shmot 6:6-7): “I shall take you out from
under the burdens of Egypt; I shall rescue you from their service; I
shall redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments; I
shall take you to Me for a people . . .” Paralleling these four
expressions, we drink four cups of wine at the Seder, each one relating
to one of the forms of oppression, as follows:
The first cup
accompanies Kiddush, where we acknowledge that G-d has sanctified us
through His Mitzvot–the opposite of religious oppression.
The second cup
accompanies the reading of the Haggadah, which speaks of our salvation
from physical slavery.
The third cup
accompanies Birkat Ha’mazon, where we acknowledge the bounty on our
tables–the opposite of economic oppression.
Finally, the fourth
cup parallels Hallel, beginning with “Shefoch chamat’cha,” a prayer that
Hashem take vengeance on the nations “that devoured Yaakov”–alluding to
the extra cruelty of humiliating us in our exile. (Binah L’ittim: Drush L’yom
Rishon Shel Pesach)
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“Hashem said to Moshe, ‘Say to Aharon, “Take
your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt . . .”’”
(7:19)
Rashi z”l writes:
Because the river had protected Moshe when he was cast into it, it was
not smitten by him, neither at the plague of blood nor at that of frogs;
rather, it was smitten by Aharon.” [Until here from Rashi]
The Gemara (Bava Kamma
92b) teaches: “If you drink from a well, do not throw a stone into it.”
R’ Bezalel Ashkenazi z”l (1520-1594; Chief Rabbi of Egypt) quotes R’
Menachem Ha’meiri z”l (“the Meiri”; Provence; 1249-1306), who writes:
This Gemara is meant to be a clever metaphor. It is teaching that, though
one should take care not to treat any person in a degrading way, one
should not even think of denigrating someone who acted kindly towards
him. One who does so demonstrates extremely lowly Middot / character
traits, the Meiri writes.
R’ Ashkenazi adds,
in the name of R’ Yosef ibn Migash z”l (Spain; 1077-1141), that the
Gemara’s lesson is demonstrated by the fact that Moshe Rabbeinu was not
the one to strike the water, which had protected him as an infant.
(Shitah Mekubetzet)
R’ Nosson Zvi
Finkel z”l (1849-1927; the Alter of Slabodka) elaborates: The Gemara is
teaching the degree to which a person must feel and practice the Middah /
trait of gratitude. Not only does a person who does good deserve
gratitude, even inanimate objects from which we once benefitted deserve
our gratitude. The purpose of the plagues was to reveal Hashem’s
greatness and power, and, ultimately, to teach the Egyptians to believe
in Him. Even for such an important purpose, Moshe Rabbeinu could not
ignore the gratitude he owed to the inanimate waters of the Nile. (Ohr Ha’tzafun I
p.190)
Of course,
inanimate objects do not need, and are not aware of, our gratitude.
Rather, explains R’ Daniel Haymann shlita (Tel Zion, Israel), the reason
for the obligation discussed here is to imbue us with good character
traits. If we do not feel gratitude to everything that provides us with
some benefit, we soon will not be grateful to the people who do good for
us. (Hakarat Ha’tov
Ke’halachah p.18)
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“Moshe and Aharon left Pharaoh’s presence.
Moshe cried out to Hashem concerning the frogs that He had inflicted upon
Pharaoh.” (8:8)
We know that the
subject is “the frogs that He had inflicted upon Pharaoh.” What, then, is
the last part of the verse teaching?
R’ Yitzchak Ze’ev
Yadler z”l (1843-1917; Yerushalayim) explains: Moshe did not pray for all
of the frogs to disappear. Indeed, we read (verse 10), “They piled them
up into heaps and heaps, and the land stank.” Moshe merely prayed that
the frogs would cease their unusual behavior that was tormenting the
Egyptians (see 7:28-29), i.e., he prayed regarding that unusual aspect of
the frogs that Hashem had inflicted upon Pharaoh.” (Tiferet Zion)
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“And as for you and your servants, I know that
you do not yet fear Hashem Elokim.” (9:30)
R’ Shlomo Eliasof
z”l (1841-1926; leading early 20th century kabbalist;
grandfather of R’ Yosef Shalom Elyashiv z”l) writes: Moshe Rabbeinu’s use
of two Names of G-d (“Hashem Elokim”) can be explained based on the
teaching of the Arizal (R’ Yitzchak Luria z”l; Tzefat, Eretz Yisrael;
1534-1572) that Pharaoh believed in “Elokim,” but denied “Hashem” (i.e.,
Y-K-V-K). Pharaoh recognized the deity of Bnei Yisrael as “a” power, but
not as “the” sole power, the Creator and Operator of everything. We see
this from that fact that, long before our verse, Yosef had said to
Pharaoh (Bereishit 41:16), “It is Elokim Who will respond with Pharaoh’s
welfare,” and Pharaoh responded (ibid verse 39), “Since Elokim has
informed you of all this . . .” The pharaohs knew “Elokim.” In contrast,
when Moshe first came to Pharaoh, the latter said (Shmot 5:2), “”Who is
Hashem that I should heed His voice to send out Yisrael? I do not know
Hashem, nor will I send out Yisrael!”
R’ Eliasof
continues: Whether or not the world recognizes that “Hashem” and “Elokim”
are one and the same–not only “a” power, but “the” power–it is, of
course, so. We are commanded to know this, as we read (Devarim 4:39),
“You shall know this day and take to your heart that Hashem, He is the
Elokim–in the heaven above and on the earth below–there is none other.”
We read likewise (Devarim 4:35), “You have been shown in order to know
that Hashem, He is the Elokim! There is none beside Him.” That the world
ultimately will recognize that Hashem and Elokim are One is what we refer
to when we say (Zechariah 14:9, and many times in our daily prayers),
“Hashem will be King over all the world–on that day Hashem will be One
and His Name will be One.” (Quoted in Niglot
Leshem Shevo V’achlamah)
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Shabbat
“If you restrain your feet because of the
Shabbat; refrain from accomplishing your own needs on My holy day; if you
proclaim the Shabbat ‘Oneg’ / ‘A delight,’ the holy one, Hashem, ‘Honored
One,’ and you honor it by not engaging in your own ways, from seeking
your needs or discussing the forbidden–then you shall be granted pleasure
with Hashem, and I shall mount you astride the heights of the world. I
will provide you the heritage of your forefather Yaakov–for the mouth of
Hashem has spoken.” (Yeshayah 58:13-14)
R’ Eliyahu E.
Dessler shlita (Mashgiach Ruchani of the Ponovezh Yeshiva in Bnei Brak;
not to be confused with his cousin and namesake, the Michtav M’Eliyahu)
writes: The prophet Yeshayah is informing us what our Shabbat should
“look” like. Of course, one must refrain from performing prohibited
Melachot / labors on Shabbat. However, even if one did no Melachah on
Shabbat, taking care to observe Halachah–both Torah laws and Rabbinic
laws–to the most minute degree, and even if he made sure to begin Shabbat
early and end it late, he still has missed one of the main points, says
the prophet. Complete Shabbat observance requires that one proclaim the
Shabbat “Oneg” / “A delight.” In other words, it is not enough to refrain
from performing Melachah. One must also make the Shabbat pleasurable.
R’ Dessler
continues: Surprisingly, perhaps, the pleasure referred to here is
physical pleasure–in particular, food and drink. This is stated
unambiguously by the commentators on our verse, such as R’ David Kimchi
z”l (“Radak”; 1160–1235; Narbonne, France), and by Halachic works, such
as the Mishnah Berurah (242:1). Surely, writes R’ Dessler, Radak would
have derived greater pleasure from several consecutive hours of Torah
study than from food, but that is not what the requirement of Oneg
Shabbat demands. [To be continued . . .] (Sha’arei Ha’zemanim: Shabbat Kodesh
ch.1)
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