Dvar Torah for Parshas Beshalach

       This week’s parshah begins with Bnei Yisrael finally leaving Mitzrayim and beginning their journey through the desert. Some of the most amazing miracles to happen in the entire Torah, such as the Splitting of the Sea and the Manna, take place in this week’s parshah. These miracles continued to show Hashem’s control over the entire chapter of the Jewish People leaving Mitzrayim.

       However, the opening pasuk of the parshah seems to say differently. The parshah begins, “ וַיְהִי בְּשַׁלַּח פַּרְעֹה אֶת הָעָם” “And it happened when Pharaoh sent out the people” (Shemos 13:17). The Ohr HaChaim asks two questions on this pasuk. The gemarah in Megillah (10b) tells us that the word “וַיְהִי” in a pasuk means that something bad is about to happen. Why would that word appear here at a time of great happiness for Bnei Yisrael, when they are leaving Mitzrayim? Secondly, why does the pasuk put the emphasis on Paroh sending out Bnei Yisrael? Hashem is the One who performed all the wonders in Mitzrayim that convinced Paroh to let us out, so why doesn’t the pasuk give Him the credit?

       The Ohr HaChaim explains that Hashem could have taken Bnei Yisrael out of Mitzrayim at a much earlier time, in full defiance of Paroh; however, He decided instead to have Paroh reach a point where he asked the Jewish People to leave. Why did Hashem act in this way? The simple answer is what we explained in last week’s parshah, that the Egyptians needed all Ten Makkos in order that they would be suitably punished for how they treated Bnei Yisrael. However, that doesn’t explain the wording in our pasuk.

       The Ohr HaChaim explains that Hashem wanted Paroh to believe that he was the one who let Bnei Yisrael go so that he would be motivated to chase after them when they didn’t return. If Paroh had known that it was only because of Hashem that Bnei Yisrael had left, he would not have thought that chasing after them would have accomplished anything. Why was it so important for Paroh to have this assumption?

         Because Paroh chased after Bnei Yisrael, he and his people suffered greatly. They pursued Bnei Yisrael until the Yam Suf, where they drowned in the sea. That same gemarah in Megillah (ibid.) tells us that Hashem is bothered when any of his creations are destroyed. If Hashem had taken Bnei Yisrael out in a way that Paroh clearly realized that he had nothing to do with it, then Paroh never would have chased Bnei Yisrael and the Egyptians never would have died. Instead, it was Paroh’s decision to chase after Bnei Yisrael.

       When you combine all these factors, we can understand that Hashem did not want to be associated with this pain of His creations being destroyed. Therefore, the pasuk does not say that Hashem took Bnei Yisrael out of Mitzrayim, but rather, that Paroh sent them out. This also explains why the pasuk starts with “וַיְהִי”, because this was a painful time; it was a painful time for Hashem knowing that His creations were on the way to their deaths.

       We see from here an amazing idea, we know that we are the chosen nation, and as such, we are more precious to Hashem than anything else on Earth. However, the rest of Hashem’s creations, even the ones who do evil towards us, are precious to Him as well. They are so precious to Him that He was willing to have His name not mentioned in the Torah in relation to Yetzias Mitzrayim, one of the great triumphs of our history, because it involved some of His creations perishing. We must understand that Hashem must cherish us all the more so.

Shabbat Shalom! 

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Dvar Torah for Parshas Bo

       This week’s parshah, Parshas Bo, tells us about the last three of the Ten Makkos and ends with Bnei Yisrael finally leaving Mitzrayim. In terms of our legacy, the millions leaving Mitzrayim was the first step of our transforming from a large family to a nation. But not everyone left Mitzrayim…

       The ninth plague was Choshech, Darkness. For six days, complete darkness fell over Mitzrayim. During the last three days, the darkness was so thick that the Egyptians couldn’t even move an inch. Rashi gives two reasons why Hashem brought this specific affliction as a plague. One is so that the Bnei Yisrael, who had regular sunlight, could search the Egyptian’s homes for their valuables in peace. Later, when they were about to leave Mitzrayim, they could ask the Egyptians for their valuables; if the Egyptians would deny having any, the Jews would be able to tell them exactly where they were.

       The second reason is that there was a certain group in the Jewish People who did not deserve to leave Mitzrayim and experience the miracles the nation was to see in the desert. Therefore, they died before they left. However, Hashem didn’t want the Egyptians to see the Jews dying and assume they were being punished the same way the Egyptians were. Therefore, He brought complete darkness on them and allowed that group of Jews the ability to die out of sight of the Egyptians.

       The Kli Yakar asks a question on Rashi. By none of the other makkos does Rashi ask why that specific form of plague was placed on the Egyptians. Why by Choshech does Rashi ask why this specific plague was given?

       He explains that by every other makkah, Paroh had the opportunity throughout the period that the makkah was going on to agree to let the Jews go, and the makkah would have stopped. During Choshech however, he was frozen in place with the rest of his people and didn’t have the opportunity to do anything. Even though the pasuk tells us that Hashem hardened Paroh’s heart that he shouldn’t let the Jews go, Paroh still could have changed his mind. However, in this case, Paroh has no choice at all in the matter! Therefore, Rashi tells us that Hashem had a very good reason for taking away Paroh’s choice. It was in order to protect the integrity of the Jewish People that they were not being punished with the Egyptians, and to prevent those who were dying from being embarrassed in front of the Egyptians that they were not leaving Mitzrayim with everyone else.

Shabbat Shalom!   

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Dvar Torah for Parshas Vaeira

       Parshas Vaeira begins one of the most famous stories in the Torah, the “Ten Makkos”, the Ten Plagues. The first seven plagues are found in this week’s parshah with the remaining three coming in next week’s. This parshah is so full of material to write on as each makkah contains a wealth of Divrei Torah to choose from. This year, I have decided to write about the makkah of Barad, Hail.

       Hashem tells Moshe to warn Paroh about the upcoming plague with this message, “כִּי בַּפַּעַם הַזֹּאת אֲנִי שֹׁלֵחַ אֶת כָּל מַגֵּפֹתַי ” “Because this time, I am sending all my plagues…” (Shemos 9:14). Rashi explains that the phrase “all my plagues” teaches us that Makkas Bechoros, the Death of the Firstborn, the last plague, was equal to all the other plagues combined. Everyone asks on this Rashi; what is Rashi talking about? What does Makkas Bechoros have to do with Barad?

       The Sifsei Chachamim explains that when Rashi said Bechoros, he doesn’t mean בכורות, firstborn, he means it similar to the word ביכורים, meaning ripened food. As we know from the pesukim (See 9:31), the Barad only affected the plants that were fully ripened. This is what Rashi was referring to.

       So now our question changes from what is Rashi talking about Makkas Bechoros, to how is Barad equal to all the other plagues combined, especially when you consider the fact that Rashi explains in Parshas Shemos (4:23) that Makkas Bechoros was the worse than all the other plagues?

       There are several answers given for this question. The first is from that same Sifsei Chachamim. He explains that for Paroh, who lost his son and was in danger of losing his own life in Makkas Bechoros, that plague was the worst. However, for the general populace, this plague of Barad was harder since they lost most of their crops.

       There are two problems with this explanation. First, the Torah tells us by Makkas Bechoros that every Egyptian household lost at least one child (See 12:30), so the makkah was just as difficult for them as it was for Paroh. Secondly, as we have explained, only the fully ripened crops were destroyed by the hail, so there were still crops remaining even after the plague ended.

       The Maharshal (also brought by the Sifsei Chachamim) gives a different explanation. Barad is the seventh of the Ten Makkos. During the fifth makkah, all the Egyptian’s animals died in an overnight epidemic. If Hashem was trying to show how powerful He is, the logical next step in after killing all the animals would be to kill all the people. Instead, for the next makkah, He brought Boils. While they were extremely painful, they did not kill anybody. Some of the Egyptians began to suspect that perhaps Hashem did not have the ability to totally destroy them. Therefore, before bringing this makkah, Hashem sent a warning the Paroh that there was a makkah coming in the near future that would show that He had the power to kill the people as well. That makkah was, of course, Makkas Bechoros. So this warning found here is not necessarily connected to Makkas Barad (we will see in the next answer that it might still be), and Rashi might still mean to say here that Makkas Bechoros was the worst makkah (unlike the previous explanation of the Sifsei Chachamim).

       The last answer we will bring is from the Ohr HaChaim. Paroh suspected that Moshe was not performing these plagues as a messenger of Hashem, but rather as a highly skilled magician. Even though Paroh’s own magicians had determined by the third makkah that this was Hashem acting, Paroh still had not been convinced. So Hashem decided to bring a makkah that would show Paroh once and for all that these plague were coming from Him. In order to do this, He brought a plague that showed complete and total control over the weather, something that even dark magic or demons cannot control. Therefore, Barad was considered equal to all the other makkos since it ultimately showed Paroh beyond any doubt, exactly whom he was dealing with. And even with this sign, he still did not let the Jewish People free, which led to the final three makkos.

Shabbat Shalom!      

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Dvar Torah for Parshas Shemos

       Parshas Shemos begins with the story of how Bnei Yisrael became slaves in Egypt. As part of being slaves, they were completely subjugated to the authority of Paroh, the king of Egypt. One of the harsh decrees Paroh placed on them was that every Jewish boy that was born had to be killed. However, the midwives Paroh placed in charge of this operation did not listen to Paroh, and actively saved the babies from death. The pasuk tells us their reward, “וייטב אלהים למילדת וירב העם ויעצמו מאד כא ויהי כי יראו המילדת את האלהים ויעש להם בתים” “Hashem benefited the midwives, and the people multiplied and became very strong. And it was that the midwives feared Hashem, and He made them houses.” (Shemos 1:20-21).

       Rashi explains that this last part, ‘He made them houses’, is their reward. It means that they became the mothers of the Kohanim and Levi’im, as well as several kings. The Ohr HaChaim asks a simple question. If this is the reward, then what is the meaning of the first pasuk when it says that ‘Hashem benefited the midwives, and the people multiplied’? The pasuk seems to say that this is their reward, but then the pasuk continues with the statement that the nation grew and became strong. If the reward is found only at the end of the second pasuk, why is there a break in between telling us that the nation grew?

       The Ohr HaChaim explains that the fact that the nation grew was the midwives’ reward. He gives two explanations for this. Rashi explains that the midwives would give food and water to the mothers so they would be able to nurse their babies. As more and more babies were born, it would make sense that they would not be able to support all of them. So the first good thing that Hashem did was give the midwives’ enough money that they could continue to support every single mother that gave birth. After Bnei Yisrael left Mitzrayim and the babies were no longer in danger, then Hashem gave them their own personal reward that they were the mothers of great houses.

       The second answer is based on a Mishna in Pirkei Avos, “The reward of a mitzvah is a mitzvah” (Avos 4:2). This means that the reward you get for doing a mitzvah is the opportunity to do another, which gives you even more reward. Therefore, the greatest reward the midwives could have gotten was that the nation should grow, thereby providing them with even more opportunities to save the children and do more mitzvos!

       These midwives were none other than Yocheved and Miriam, Moshe’s mother and sister, respectively. Moshe was known for the extreme care that he showed for every single Jew. It was this trait that led to his appointment as leader, and it came from this show of care and concern that his mother showed. In fact, says the Ohr HaChaim, it was in this zchus that Moshe became the leader of Bnei Yisrael.    

       Finally, the Ohr HaChaim offers an answer based on Rashi’s explanation that we mentioned earlier. The only reward the midwives received was their ‘houses’. However, there is no point in having children who are leaders if there is no nation for them to lead! Therefore, the fact that the nation kept growing was also a part of the midwives’ reward.

Shabbat Shalom!  

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Dvar Torah for Parshas Vayechi

       Sefer Bereishis ends this week with Parshas Vayechi. At the beginning of the parshah, Yaakov realizes that he is about to die. Since he had spent the previous seventeen years in Mitzrayim and the people there admired him very much, he was worried that they would insist on burying him in Mitzrayim, instead of in Me’aras Hamachpela in Chevron. In order to make sure his body would be brought to Eretz Yisrael, he made Yosef swear to bring it there. Because of his royal influence, Yosef was the only one of the brothers who could guarantee this.    

       After Yosef says he will take care of Yaakov’s body, Yaakov is still not satisfied. “וַיֹּאמֶר הִשָּׁבְעָה לִי וַיִּשָּׁבַע לוֹ וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל עַל רֹאשׁ הַמִּטָּה” “And he (Yaakov) said, ‘Swear to me.’ So he (Yosef) swore to him. And Yisrael bowed at the head of the bed” (Bereishis 47:31). Rashi offers two comments on this pasuk. His first point is that even though Yosef was royalty, Yaakov was not obligated to bow to him since he was his father. Yet, Yaakov does bow to Yosef. Rashi explains from a gemarah in Megillah (16b), “a fox in his time, bow to him.” Even though the fox is not the highest ranking of the animals, there will come a time when he is in charge. At that time, you should bow to him. This is a parable for Yaakov and Yosef. (This explanation does not sit well with me. Is Yosef HaTzaddik comparable to the sneaky fox?)

       The second point Rashi makes is why the pasuk mentions that Yaakov bowed at the head of the bed; when lying in bed, people face the foot, so Yaakov should have been bowing in that direction. Rashi explains that Yaakov turned around so that he could bow in the direction of the Shechinah, which rests at the head of the bed of a sick person.

       The Sifsei Chachamim asks that these two answers contradict each other! Was Yaakov bowing to Yosef or was he bowing to Hashem? He answers that if Yaakov bowed to Yosef, it does not answer why the pasuk says that he bowed to the head of the bed. And if Yaakov only bowed down to Hashem, why doesn’t the pasuk say straight out that that was what he was doing? Therefore, says the Sifsei Chachamim, both answers are necessary.

       I would like to suggest that Rashi’s third explanation on the pasuk is another answer to this question. He explains that the reason why Yaakov was bowing to Hashem at this time was because of Yosef. Since all his children were tzaddikim, Yaakov was guaranteed a spot in Olam Haba. The child who had the biggest challenges in life was Yosef. By spending so many years in Mitzrayim, whether it was in his position as a slave, a prisoner, or even as the king, Yosef was subject to tremendous attacks on his righteousness, and yet, he remained true to Hashem. So when Yosef came into the room, Yaakov was overcome with the need to bow down to Hashem to thank him for all his wonderful children.

       This is the explanation behind the two earlier explanations of Rashi. Yaakov had to bow down to Yosef, but it wasn’t because Yosef was the king; and he had to bow down specifically at the head of the bed because he was bowing down to Hashem. The reason he was bowing was because of the person who was in the room with him. Yosef, who by remaining a tzaddik in the face of tremendous adversity represented Yaakov’s entire life’s work, and had guaranteed him a spot in Olam Haba.

Chazak Chazak V’Nischazek!

Shabbat Shalom! 

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Dvar Torah for Parshas Vayigash

       While the biggest event in Parshas Vayigash is Yosef revealing himself to his brothers, when placed in perspective, its impact only reaches a very short time in history. The more far-reaching event is what happens at the end of the Parshah.

       After Yosef reveals himself to his brothers, he urges them to bring the entire clan down to Egypt so he can support them until the end of the famine. While the famine ended when Yaakov came down, his family still stayed there and prospered. It is at this time that the nation of Yisrael begins to develop. Hashem promised Avraham that his children would become Hashem’s chosen nation, however, they first would have to go through a long exile with much hardship. This process began when Yaakov came down to Egypt with his family. This led to the slavery in Egypt, which led to the creation of Bnei Yisrael, which led to the Plagues, Krias Yam Suf, the Giving of the Torah, and our eventual return to Eretz Yisrael.

       But before all this happened, Yaakov had to go down to Egypt. Before he did, Yaakov was not sure he was doing the right thing. So Hashem came to him in a dream and told him not to worry about going down. “אָנֹכִי אֵרֵד עִמְּךָ מִצְרַיְמָה וְאָנֹכִי אַעַלְךָ גַם עָלֹה” “I (Hashem) will go down with you to Mitzrayim, and I will also bring you up.” (Bereishis 46:4). In this pasuk, Hashem promises Yaakov that He will descend with him to Mitzrayim, and will also bring him (or his children) back to Eretz Yisrael.

       An interesting point arises when we examine this pasuk. In the first part of the pasuk, Hashem promises Yaakov that He will go down with him. The pasuk first says that Hashem will be going down, and then mentions that He will be with Yaakov when he goes down. In the second part when Hashem promises to bring Yaakov back, first the pasuk says that Hashem will bring Yaakov up, “אַעַלְך” “I will bring you up”, and then He says that He will come back up as well, “גַם עָלֹה”.

       The Kli Yakar explains that this pasuk contains a vital idea. The times we have gone into exile, it has been after a horrific event. It comes at a time when the nation is reeling and Hashem is apparently nowhere to be found. In this pasuk, Hashem sets the standard for Mitzrayim and all future exiles. Before we even leave our homeland, Hashem will have already gone out ahead of us to await our arrival. And when we return, Hashem will stay in exile, until the very last Jew has left and returned to Eretz Yisrael.

       This was how Hashem calmed Yaakov, and this is how we too should be comforted while we remain in exile. No matter how dark or desperate times may seem, we only need to return to this promise Hashem made Yaakov; He will always be there no matter where we may end up, and He will be the last to leave, making sure no one is left behind.

Shabbat Shalom! 

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Dvar Torah for Chanuka

In honor of Chanuka, AIMeM is taking the week off. Please enjoy last year's Dvar Torah and have a wonderful Yom Tov!

       We all know the story of Chanukah, the Jews defeated the mighty Greek army and returned to the Beis Hamikdash. When they came to light the Menorah, they could not find any pure oil to light it with until, after a long search, they found enough oil to last one night. They lit the Menorah and the oil lasted miraculously for eight days. To commemorate this great miracle, we celebrate eight nights of Chanukah. There is a very famous question from the Beis Yosef concerning these eight nights. While the Menorah stayed lit for eight days, the actual miracle only lasted for seven nights as there was already enough oil to last for one night! So really we should celebrate seven nights, not eight?

       There are literally hundreds of answers to this question. I have decided to use the answer found in the Kedushas Levi, written by Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Mi’Berditchev, for this Dvar Torah. 

       He explains that we are really commemorating two miracles here. The first day commemorates the miracle of the battle against the Greeks. The fact that Hashem helped us defeat the much stronger and larger Greek army is reason enough to establish a chag. The other seven days represent the miracle of the Menorah. So the eight days of Hallel and Thanksgiving are for both these reasons, the miracle of the war and the miracle of the Menorah.

       According to this explanation, another question arises. If the miracle of the Menorah has nothing to do with the first night of Chanukah, then why do we light the Menorah on that night? The Kedushas Levi answers that once the nation saw the miracle of the oil, they realized that the entire Chanukah miracle, including the battle, was only through the zchus of the menorah. What exactly does this mean? What is so special about the Menorah that we had the miracles of the war and the oil because of it?

       When the Greeks came and took over the Beis Hamikdash, they did not allow any of the daily service to continue. Korbanos, the Ketores, the Levi’im’s singing, the lighting of the Menorah, they were all discontinued. The Bnei Yisrael had no opportunity to even commemorate any of these services as they are all specific to the Beis Hamikdash, except the Menorah. When we light Shabbos candles or the Ner Tamid in Shul, they fulfill the same purpose as the Menorah, to have candles of Kedushah lit at all times, even outside of the Beis Hamikdash.

       If there is something you really want that is sitting right in front of you, and you cannot get to it, it makes it even more precious to you. That is Hashem’s attitude towards our Shabbos candles, they remind Him of the holy lights of the Menorah that were lit in the Beis Hamikdash, making them more precious to Him than any other part of the Avodah. During the time of Greek occupation, the Jews would light their Shabbos candles and think longingly of the Beis Hamikdash and the opportunity to once again do the Avodah. Because this longing came through the lights of the candles, Hashem brought the Beis Hamikdash back through the zchus of the Menorah’s light.        

       What an idea to take into Shabbos Chanukah! Both the Shabbos and Chanukah candles remind Hashem of the Beis Hamikdash and show our desire to once again perform the Avodah. What better time to act on this than the time when we light both of these candles. So when you light your Chanukah candles this week, realize that they don’t just symbolize the miracle of the oil lasting for eight days or even the Menorah itself, they represent the entire service done in the Beis Hamikdash. May this Chanukah bring the Geulah that we have all been waiting for.

Chag Sameach and Shabbat Shalom!

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