Thoughts on the Weekly Parshah by HaRav Eliezer Chrysler
Formerly Rav of Mercaz Ahavat Torah, Johannesburg

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Vol. 23   No. 29

This issue is sponsored l'iluy Nishmos
R' Yitzchok ben Leib ZAlman and Sima z"l
and Miriam bas Tzvi Hirsch and Esther Perl z"l
t.n.tz.v.h.

Pesach

From Tum'ah to Kedushah

To have left Egypt without a specific destiny would have been as futile as a criminal being discharged from prison with no money, no home and no job. The chances of a person who is given his freedom under such circumstances resisting the temptation and not returning to his former lifestyle are slim. Much in the same way, if Yisrael would have left Egypt without a new destiny, they would most certainly have returned to the idolatrous lifestyle that they had lived there.

All the miracles that Yisrael witnessed and experienced as Galus Mitzrayim came to an end would have been forgotten in a flash had Hashem not provided them with money, a new lifestyle and a homeland. And so He did - He provided them with money ("And they emptied Egypt" - Bo, 12:36); He presented them with a new lifestyle - by giving them the Torah at Har Sinai; and He gave them a new homeland - Eretz Yisrael, which they would have entered immediately, had they not sinned.

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Looking at the same concept from a different angle - a person cannot live in a vacuum - just as he cannot stand still on a steep slope. To avoid slipping and descending back to where he came from, he must continue climbing - as the Mishnah says in Pirkei Avos 'If you don't keep on going, you will end up going down'. And it is also what the Chovas ha'Levovos means when he says 'Woe to me from my Yeitzer (ha'Ra), woe to me from my Yotzer (my Creator) - Whether I like it or not, I am under the influence of either one or the other. It is impossible to remain independent of both, at any given time.

This very same lesson we expressed at the Seider table, when we discussed how we left the servitude of Par'oh (symbol of the Yeitzer-ha'Ra) to become servants of Hashem. Indeed, G-d made this clear to Moshe at the burning bush when, before the Exodus had even begun, He told him that "When you leave Egypt, you will serve Me on this mountain (Har Sinai)". And it is further enhanced by the four expressions of redemption, which begin with "I will take you out" (from the slavery) and end with "I will take you to Me as a nation". Initially, it is difficult to understand what the latter expression has to do with redemption. But the connection becomes clear when, as we explained, redemption, on principle, is futile, unless it is replaced with a positive lifestyle. Perhaps the redemption per se, needed to take place in three stages - because 'All beginnings are difficult'; but once those three stages have been achieved, the final stage requires no more than one leap.

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Finally, the close inseparable link between leaving the domain of Par'oh and entering that of G-d is evident in Pesach (Yetzi'as Mitzrayim) and Shevu'os (Matan Torah), by the fact that the two are joined by the Sefiras ha'Omer, which actually begins on Pesach itself (not after Pesach). This again, demonstrates that Matan Torah is an integral part of the Ge'ulah, that the Ge'ulah was not complete until the Torah was given on Har Sinai, when the reign of Par'oh was replaced by that of Hakadosh-Baruch-Hu. See also following article.

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The Two Bloods

Quoting Rebbi Masya ben Charash, Rashi (in chapter 12, Pasuk 6) comments that when the time arrived to keep the promise that G-d had made to the Ovos - to take Yisrael out of Egypt, and He saw that they had no Mitzvos to their credit, He gave them two Mitzvos with which to occupy themselves, the blood of Pesach and the blood of Milah'.

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The significance of these two Mitzvos can be best explained by referring to what we wrote in the previous article. The blood of Milah signifies one's being a servant of G-d, whilst the blood of Pesach represents relinquishing the idolatry of Egypt ('Take for yourself a lamb for the Pesach and withdraw from the idolatry of Egypt!').

Moreover, they represent the first two of the Aseres ha'Dibros - accepting Hashem as our Master, and not accepting any other master. These two in turn, represent all the Mitzvos, the former, all Mitzvos Asei, the latter, all Mitzvos Lo Sa'aseh. Effectively, when Yisrael performed the B'ris MIlah and brought the Korban Pesach, they were undertaking to observe the whole Torah.

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The Four Groups

(Adapted from the Yerushalmi)

When reading the Pesukim leading up to the Shirah, one gets the impression of conflicting reactions from various sections of the B'nei Yisrael. This impression is perfectly justifiable. To begin with, the Yerushalmi in Ta'anis (2:5) explains that there some who believed, some who denied and some who despaired. And the Gemara cites a B'raysa which describes four groups at the Yam-Suf …

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The first group said "Let's jump into the Sea!"

The second group said "Let's return to Egypt!"

The third group said "Let's go and fight them!"

The fourth group said "Let's make a noise and scare the Egyptians!"

Moshe gave each group the appropriate answer, all of which are contained in one Pasuk (14:13) …

To the first group he said "Stand still and witness the salvation of Hashem!".

To the second group he said " for as you see the Egyptians today you will never see them again!"

To the third group he said "Hashem will fight for you!"

To the fourth group he said "You remain silent!"

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This Medrash also appears in Targum Yonasan.

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The King, the Generals & the Army

(Adapted from the Seforno)

The Seforno explains that G-d divided the battle against the Egyptians in three parts … He fought against Par'oh, against his captains and against the army in general.

The first Pasuk, which speaks about a horse and its rider (in the singular), refers to Par'oh and his horse (two vain entities) - since a horse is naturally vain, and Par'oh's first statement to Moshe was "Who is Hashem, that I should obey His commands?' Consequently, this Pasuk together with the next two Pesukim sing a song of praise to the One who is 'Proud over the proud ones'.

Pasuk 4 specifically refers to Par'oh's generals -and the next two Pesukim come to acknowledge G-d's victory over them.

Whereas from Pasuk 8 and onwards, the author concludes, the Pasuk is dedaling with G-d's destruction of the Egyptian army, and describes some of the strategies that He employed in this unique one-sided battle.

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Table of Events covering the Exodus

Nissan

10th Shabbos ha'Godol - Yisrael tie a lamb (or kid-goat) to their bed-posts. The Egyptians fume but can do nothing about it - Egyptian firstborn demand that Par'oh free the Jews. He refuses. A short civil war ensues.

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14th Yisrael Shecht the Korban Pesach.

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15th (night) They celebrate the first Seider, with Pesach, Matzah & Morror - The slaying of the Egyptian firstborn - Moshe refuses Par'oh's request to lead Yisrael out of Egypt.

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15th (day) Yisrael request clothes and household goods from thei Egyptian neighbours. The Egyptians comply - They assemble from Mitzrayim & Goshen to Ra'amses, whilst Egypt mourns its dead - Moshe collects Yisef's coffin, and each tribe, the coffin of the father of the tribe. They travel to Succos.

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16th - 20th They travel to Eisam and then to Pi ha'Chiros (camping by the Yam-Suf in front of the idol Ba'al Tz'fon.

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19th After a three-day mourning period, Par'oh sends a large force to recapture his 'escaped slaves', but they are repulsed.

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20th He leads his army to fight with Yisrael.

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21st (night) The Egyptian army catches up with Yisrael.

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21st (day) K'ri'as Yam-Suf - The army drowns, whilst, in Egypt, their countrymen are stricken with plagues - Yisrael sing Shirah, They strip the Egyptians of all their jewelry.

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