Divrei Pesach
A Joyful Night of Thanks
The Haggadah says, “All
who go at length to tell about yetzias Mitzrayim – behold, this is
praiseworthy.” Says HaRav Shlomo Brevda shlit”a: Normally, the Torah advises us
to be brief in speech, for it is better for body and soul. (Mishnah Avos 1:17)
Even learning Torah itself must be done in a concise manner, as the Gemara (Chullin
63b) says, “One should always teach in a concise way.” Rashi, the greatest of
all the commentators, is praised for his ability to provide clarity with such
brevity.
Suddenly, once a year, the rule changes. We are required to sit around a table and talk, talk, and talk about our ancestors’ freedom. Even repeating the same thing over and over is better than simply saying it once; look at the repetitions in Dayeinu. Still, it is preferable to find new ways of expressing the story of Pesach: The Rosh Yeshiva, HaRav Shmuel Yaakov Weinberg zt”l said that in his view, it may be a fulfillment of the mitzvoh of sipur yetzias Mitzrayim to purchase and use a different Haggadah every year. Furthermore, the Rambam (Sefer HaMitzvos 157) says, “The mitzvoh is to relate [the story of Pesach] according to the best, most impressive usage of language.” All other holidays have a set nusach: Hallel on Chanukah, Megillah on Purim, etc. Why is it left to us on Pesach to search for the finest way to explain?
In answer, Rav Brevda cites a Zohar: ”On the night of Pesach,” it says, “Hashem calls the entire Heavenly legion – all the malachim – and says to them: ‘Go down to the houses of Israel. I want you to hear how the Jews are saying the story of yetzias Mitzrayim.’ They go down, listen to every word that we say, come back up, and praise Hashem for a holy nation which Hashem has placed in this physical world, who joyfully relate the salvations of their Master, Hashem then k’v’yachol rejoices upon hearing the malachim’s report. Anyone who is joyful while telling the story of Pesach will be joyful with Hashem in Olam Haboh.”
Rav Brevda notes that the word “simcha – joy” is repeated 5-6 times in the entire passage. He learns that what catches the malachim’s attention the most is the mood of simcha that we are to be in during the seder.
Why does Hashem send all His malachim? Why are the malachim so amazed?
Rav Brevda answers from the well-known Midrash that at Maaseh Breishis, the malachim questioned Hashem: If He would bring man, a being possessing both physical and spiritual dimensions, into existence, inevitably his animalistic physical nature would overcome the spiritual, and the result would be disaster. Nevertheless, Hashem willed humanity’s existence. Therefore, says Rav Brevda, whenever a human being can control his physical side, he is retroactively proving Hashem to be right and the malachim wrong. Hashem receives great pleasure from these moments; and when especially great accomplishments are done, He sends those naysaying malachim down to earth to see that He had been right to create humanity.
One of the greatest acts of self-control that a human being can demonstrate is that of offering gratitude; for showing appreciation, a spiritual act, for a physical favor shows a complete triumph of the neshamah over the body. Furthermore, the more ancient the favor, the greater is the act of thanks, for memories can be short, and the actual favor’s present effects may not be so apparent. However, a tzaddik will never forget. One of the last instructions that Dovid gave to Shlomo (Melachim 1:2:7) was: “To the children of Barzillai HaGileadi act with kindness, and they shall be among those who eat at your table, for in this way [food and drink] they befriended me when I fled from Avshalom your brother.” What’s more, to thank joyfully, not begrudgingly, puts another entire dimension of greatness upon the thanksgiving itself.
Therefore, says Rav Brevda, when we joyfully offer thanks to Hashem for what He did for our ancestors over 3,300 years ago, we are giving such nachas ruach to our Creator, Father, and King that He clears out all the heavens to listen to our victories of the soul. Pesach is indeed a night of endless opportunity.
The Wicked Son
Very few Jews today could
be classified as the wicked son of the Haggadah’s Four Sons. The vast majority
would be similar to the simple son, the one who does not know how to ask a
question, or even to the proverbial fifth son, who does not even know to show up
at the Seder. Still, there are many lessons we can learn from the wicked son, as
these dewdrops-of-light from HaRav Shalom Meir Wallach illustrate.
Why does the wicked son join our Seder table? He is a rashah; let him leave us alone!?!
Says HaRav Tzvi Yechezkhel Michelson zt”l, Rav of Plonsk, the Midrash (Breishis Rabbah 63:6) holds the answer. When Rivka Imeinu was pregnant, every time she passed a shul or a beis midrash, Yaakov would try to get out, but would be held back; when she passed a beis avodah zarah, Eisav would unsuccessfully try to escape. Now, it is understandable why Yaakov could not exit; Eisav, who would be born first, was in the way. Still, why couldn’t Eisav? What kept him back?
Rav Michelson answers: In his worst form, a rashah is willing to forego anything, even a trip to his favorite house of sin, as long as he can thereby keep a tzaddik from learning Torah!
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Says the Chofetz Chaim
zt”l: the phrase that the wicked son utters: “What is this service to you?”
encapsulates all his evil. He may keep some level of halachah, but a deep
problem festers underneath: “Because he has excluded himself from the nation, he
has denied the essence of Torah.” How does the Haggadah come to such a strong
conclusion?
Says the Chofetz Chaim: the wicked son’s blemish can be explained by a mashal. A man was seen running into a store. A minute later, he burst out, his arms full of merchandise. He sprinted to the river and threw his load into the water. Immediately, he turned around, sprinted back to the store, grabbed more goods, ran to the river, and repeated his performance. This went on for some time.
Passersby clucked their tongues. “He must have gone insane,” they sadly decided. One fellow, however, wryly commented, “I don’t know if he’s crazy or not. One thing’s for sure: if he’s not crazy, that’s not his store!”
Likewise, people who seek to “lighten the burden” of Torah and mitzvos aren’t just doing so for convenience. Just like the running man has no qualms about throwing away precious merchandise, because he doesn’t own it; so also, they can find unjustified “heterim,” because deep down, they don’t believe the Torah is their own. In doing so, they deny the thrust of the seventh, eighth, and ninth of the Rambam’s Thirteen Essences of Faith, which state that the Torah is ours, “the inheritance of the congregation of Yaakov.” (Devarim 33:4)
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If at all possible, avoid the truly wicked, for contact with them can only damage oneself. The Avnei Nezer of Sochatchov said that HaRav Yonason Eybeshitz was on occasion forced by the government to “debate” with galachim over which religion was the true one. So pained was he by the thought that his pure mind would soon be forced to contemplate his opponent’s noxious dogmas that before each bout, he would cry before Hashem to stand by his side and protect him from their foul influence. His tears would literally fill a cup, and he would wash his face with them. Still, he admitted that even with such preparations, after each ordeal was over, he had lost some of his gigantic spiritual stature.
What can we say about the effects of unnecessary exposure to today’s world?
Stories on Chad Gadya, from HaRav Shalom Meir Wallach shlit’a
1. And a Dog Came
HaRav Nosson Adler, Rav
of Frankfurt, once journeyed to a certain city. He hid his identity, but found
that certain people there had gotten nosey and were talking about him.
He approached them and said, “Here is a question on “Chad Gadya.” The cat was wrong to eat the father’s goat, so the dog did right when it bit the cat. Therefore, the stick did wrong, the fire did right, the water did wrong, the cow did right, the schochet did wrong, and the Malach HaMavais did right. If so, why did Hashem punish the Malach HaMavais?”
Good question, everyone agreed.
Said Rav Adler: “From another perspective, everything becomes clear. When the cat ate the goat, the father should have taken action, not the dog! Why did the dog get involved with an affair that was none of its business? It was wrong, the stick was right, the fire was wrong, the water was right, the cow was wrong, the schochet was right, the Malach HaMavais was wrong, and Hashem was right!”
Rav Adler’s listeners understood his message!
2. And a Stick Came and Hit the Dog
HaRav Raphael Ankava, zt”l who later became Chief Rabbi of Morocco, was once walking with with his father-in-law, HaRav Issachar Atzraph, in the city of Rabat. They passed the courtyard of a certain Arab, who was known for both his wealth and his vicious hatred of Jews. Suddenly, the Arab’s attack dog, who shared his master’s personality, roared and rushed to attack them. Rav Atzraph stood his ground and called, “Hashem, save!”
Meanwhile, the Arab had heard the noise outside. When he also rushed out, his dog inexplicably stopped, turned course, and attacked him, its own master. His terrified shrieks brought his neighbors, who had seized sticks. In the wild meelee, they beat the dog – and, unintentionally, the Arab – to death!
3. And a Fire Came
HaRav Nachum Amsterdam zt”l, Rav of the city of Faiser, ran his kehillah the way he saw fit; without compromise. Some prominent people came to him and announced that they had begun the search for a new rav, one who would show more “flexibility.” Immediately, Rav Amsterdam stood up, took his cane, his tallis, and his tefillin, and without a word, walked out of his house. They followed, entreating him to stay until another rav was found. Ignoring them, he continued his stride.
Word got out, and soon the entire populace joined the procession following the rav, who resolutely marched out of town. Some looked behind them and saw – a fire had broken out, and the houses they had left minutes before were rapidly turning to ash. Their last-minute honoring of their rav had saved their lives.
4. And the Malach HaMavais Came
A terrible machlokes broke out in a certain city. Two groups had formed, each wanting control of the city’s Chevrah Kaddishah. Everyone had taken a side, and tempers had flared. The city’s rav and nearby rabbanim had tried to make shalom, but no one budged. Things were beginning to spin out of control.
At this time, the Chofetz Chaim came to this town to sell his sefarim. The rav asked for his help. The Chofetz Chaim gathered the leaders of both sides together and asked each group to state its case. After all was said, the Chofetz Chaim addressed everyone. “Precious Jews, every city must have a Chevrah Kaddishah. However, a city that has one Chevrah Kaddishah, has one Malach HaMavais. A city that has two Chevros Kaddishah, has two Malachei HaMavais. Isn’t one Malach HaMavais enough for you?”
His words penetrated his listeners’ hearts. Working together, they settled their dispute, and one Malach HaMavais left town.
5. And Hashem Came and Slaughtered the Malach HaMavais
HaRav Zalman Sorotzkin zt”l explained why the world seems to be hurtling downwards, with each day worse than the day before. “The Gemara (Gittin 47a) says that before a person is executed, he is customarily granted one last request. Likewise, since Geulah is at hand, and the Yetzer Hara (who is also the Malach HaMavais – see Baba Basra 16a) will be slaughtered (Succah 52a), he has been given his last request: one more chance to spread his poison and mayhem!”
The Golden Opportunity
Near its beginning, the Haggadah juxtaposes two disparate concepts. “Baruch HaMakom, Baruch Hu, Baruch She’Natan Torah L’Amo Yisroel, Baruch Hu” are four expressions of blessings and thanks to HaShem. Then come the famous Four Sons. What is the connection?
HaRav Shalom Noah Berezovsky, zt”l, author of Nesivos Shalom, explains that at this point in the Haggadah, we are thanking HaShem for our unique status among humanity. Every Jew, no matter how far he has fallen, is still a “ben,” a son, to HaShem, someone who can always rise above whatever difficult situation he finds himself enmeshed. (As Moshe proclaimed to Pharoah, “Thus says HaShem, ‘My first-born son is Yisroel!’”) The Four Sons are four Jews who have been blocked in their quests for shleimus; they represent four different spiritual glass ceilings. And for each, HaShem has an answer.
The Chacham represents an outwardly successful Jew, someone following halacha with energy and enthusiasm, yet feeling a lack of closeness to HaShem. His real question is, “What is my next step?” We answer him with the afikoman, which is to be eaten al hasovah, when one is full and no longer has any pleasure from eating. Likewise, the Chacham’s avodah at this point must be to control his exposure to physical pleasures, so that he can taste the spiritual pleasure of mitzvos and thereby begin to experience a closeness to HaShem.
According to the Nesivos Shalom’s approach, the Rasha is a kosher yid. Still, his yetzer hara has been burning inside him, causing him to stumble again and again, until it has achieved its goal: he has given up upon ever improving himself. We therefore tell him that if he had been in Mitzrayim with this attitude, he would not have been redeemed, for only those Jews who had pulled themselves out of despair had been worthy of redemption; and he must continue to try.
he Tam has been trampled
by the pains of this world. While he has not given up, he feels no kedushah at
all. We tell him about a chozek yad, a strong hand, namely, that he should first
devote his life-energies to pulling himself together, in order to serve HaShem.
The She’aino Yodeah Lish’ol has closed up completely. Yes, he mechanically follows, but his mind is somewhere else. We have to open him up, by advising him, “Our ancestors suffered the same spiritual disease that afflicts you now. Their emunah pshuta enabled them to merit geula. You must follow their example, so serve HaShem out of simple loyalty, and you too will rediscover your true greatness.”
The Four Sons are placed in the Haggadah to tell us of a unique opportunity. Pesach is a time when every Jew can break out of his personal Mitzrayim and forge a new link with HaShem. May we merit it.
Sandwiched
HaRav Yitzchok Shlomo Unger, shlit”a, of Bnei Brak, once spoke about his father, the author of Machane Avraham, who had been rav of the city of Kapvar. While most of the city’s Jewish community were fervently loyal to the Torah, a few had soured. Their leader was a textile merchant whose store lay directly on the only path to the city shul. Every Shabbos morning, he would take advantage of his location by standing in front of his open-for-business store, sucking a lit cigarette and sneering a sarcastic “Good Shabbos” to worshippers walking by. No one could convince him to stop.
One Pesach, he waited for a large group to come his way. Suddenly, he shouted at the rav, “Hey, Unger!” Startled by the blatant zilzul talmid chacham, all turned his way. He then held up a piece of matzoh in one hand and a slice of bread in the other, put them together, and bit into them. he cTrowd watched in shock and disgust.
Suddenly, the man convulsed horribly, fell to the ground, and died on the spot!
After Yom Tov, Rav Unger insisted upon joining the levayah and making a hesped. He declared, “Through his death, the nifter was mekadesh shem shamayim. I do not know from where he merited such a mitzvoh -- perhaps from his more observant youth, perhaps zchus avos . . .”
In any case, Kapvar was 100% Torah observant after that Pesach!
-- from the “Ma’aseh Rav” Haggadah, by Rav Shalom Meir Wallach, shlit”a