A Holy Nation

The theme of פרשת יתרו is קדושה, holiness. The Netivot Shalom points out that although the words, קדושים תהיו, be holy, is mentioned in the Torah, it is not listed as one of the 613 Mitzvot. It is an overall goal that the observance of the Mitzvot is designed to achieve. The Jewish people are told that they are meant to become a ממלכת כהנים וגוי קדוש, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. The idea of Kedusha defines us as Jews. The Midrash says that Hashem tells us that כשאתם קדושים אתם שלי, when you are holy, you are Mine. We are also taught, קדש עצמך במותר לך, that we achieve holiness by partaking of what is permitted to us. All of this was meant to be the preliminary to the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai. Only Jews are able to achieve this level of sanctity. Non-Jews can achieve righteousness by their actions. Jews reach this goal through the observance of the Mitzvot. This is our mission and the purpose in receiving the Torah. Be holy!

עבודת פרך

The Torah describes the back breaking work the Jewish people did in Egypt as ״פרך״. This is an unusual word describing the kind of labor that is humiliating and devastating. This word appears again at the end of ויקרא in connection with the treatment of the עבד עברי, the Hebrew slave. The Torah commands, לא תרדה בו בפרך, that you shall not make him work in a similarly humiliating way as in Egypt. Rav Shimshon Refael Hirsh clarifies this point by reminding us that Hashem took us out of Egypt in order that we be servants or עבדים to Him and not to man. Even in the relationship of master and Hebrew slave, great care must be taken to be certain that the slave is treated properly. Rav Hirsh continues and says that an example of פרך would be to force the slave to do menial tasks that are meaningless. Such tasks remove the dignity of the עבד עברי, and would be a reminder of the horrible treatment we received in Egypt. For any of us, being forced by an employer to do tasks that have no meaning and are unrewarding, are very humiliating. This clarifies the difference between slave labor and good wholesome, satisfying work.

Faith and Shira

The Netivot Shalom discusses the special aspect of serving Hashem by way of שירה, song. The Jewish people at the Red Sea were the first to sing שירה. This is a bit strange as there were already several instances where שירה would have been in order. Avraham could have sung Shira both when he came out of the fiery furnace unscathed, and when he was spared of not having to sacrifice his son. Yitzchak had his ordeals with Avimelech, and Yakov had to overcome Eisav and Lavan. Yet, none sang Shira. It is told that חזקיהו המלך could have been Mashiach had he only sung שירה to Hashem. The answer to this perplexity is that Shira represents a very high level of אמונה, faith. There is a direct correlation between faith and Shira. The Torah tells us ויאמינו בה׳ ובמשה עבדו, that they believed in Hashem and his servant, Moshe. This is immediately followed by אז ישיר, and then they erupted in song. This is an indication of the high level the Jewish people were elevated to at ים סוף. This is a level to strive towards. When we see Hashem’s loving hand guiding and protecting us, we should constantly feel joyous and full of Shira.

יד הגדולה-יד חזקה

The Netivot Shalom makes an interesting observation about the incident of קריעת ים סוף. He noted that numerous times in the Torah we have the phrase יד חזקה וזרוע נטויה, a strong hand and outstretched arm. The wording changes, however, by the splitting of the Red Sea where it is written היד הגדולה, the great arm of Hashem. The Netivot Shalom goes on to explain the reason for the difference in wording. There never was an incident like that of קריעת ים סוף. The entire nation was elevated to a level of התגלות, or revelation, where they witnessed the יד הגדולה, the great arm of Hashem. Our Rabbis tell us that the simple שפחה על הים, maidservant by the sea, saw more than the great prophet, יחזקאל בן בוזי. They were on such a high level of prophecy that they saw Hashem as a warrior, fighting on their behalf. For this reason, it was more appropriate for the Torah to use the words, היד הגדולה, rather than היד החזקה.

Recognizing Miracles Elevates

Rav Shlomo Mann זצ״ל in his book, אור התורה, discusses the significance of miracles. He wrote that man is drawn by two potential forces. He describes the force of good as רשות של קדושה, the domain of holiness. And the force of evil as רשות של הקליפה, the domain of the Klipa, or shell. The latter has a tendency to draw man away from the path of holiness. When one connects and focuses on the miracles that have happened to him in the past. And certainly if he is able to recognize the miracles that take place daily, such a person will be able to free himself from the clutches of the קליפה. Rav Mann is expressing the power that comes when one simply is in a state of recognizing his personal miracles as well as those of עם ישראל. Perhaps this is why we bow in the מודים prayer when we say the words, ועל נסיך שבכל יום עמנו, and for Your miracles that are with us daily. Acknowledge the miracles and great things will happen to us.

Six Out of Ten Tests

Shavua Tov. There is a well known Mishna in Pirkei Avot that says that the Jewish people in the desert, tested Hashem ten times. It says openly in the Torah, וינסו אותי זה עשר פעמים ולא שמעו אלי, “And the tested Me ten times and did not hear My voice.” What is lesser known is that six of these ten tests are mentioned in today’s Parsha. Rav Pinchas Kehati, in his commentary on Pirkei Avot lists these ten tests. The first test was at ים סוף when they asked why they were brought to die by the Red Sea. The second was at Mara, when they complained about the bitter waters. The third was at מדבר סן when they griped, “If only we had died by the hand of Hashem in the land of Egypt.” The fourth and fifth were related to the מן. First they didn’t listen and allowed the מן to remain until the morning. And the second was that they went out to gather Manna on the seventh day. And the sixth test was in Refidim when they complained about a lack of water. All of these six were in today’s Parsha during the seven weeks between leaving Egypt and receiving the Torah. The last four had to do with the Golden Calf and complaining about the מן. But the final test was the worst when the spies spoke Lashon Hara about Israel. This sealed their fate that they had to remain in the desert for forty years. This also means that most of the years in the desert were calm and filled with Torah and spirituality.

Balak Plus Bilaam Equals Amalek

At the end of this week’s Parsha, בשלח, we are introduced to Amalek for the first time. They attacked Israel before the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai. The Netivot Shalom makes a point as to Amalek’s overall motivation. They wished to defile Israel and prevent her from achieving her ultimate goal in the world of תיקון עולם, everlasting completion. This idea is hinted to with the words, אשר קרך, that although the word, קרך, means by chance, it could also hint to קרי, which is a type of defilement. The Netivot Shalom also points out that the names בלק and בלעם, have all the letters in the name, עמלק. It was their strategy to weaken Israel with the daughters of Midian. So we see that the battle with Amalek, is an ongoing battle to maintain the special sanctity of the Jewish people.

Perfect Month

At the end of פרשת בא, there is the commandment to sanctify the first born of both humans and animals. Moshe Rabbeinu follows this command by reminding the עם to remember this great day that you are leaving Egypt. He then follows with a Pasuk that says, היום אתם יוצאים בחודש האביב, today you are leaving in the month of spring. The Mechilta tells us that Moshe was letting the people know that Hashem chose the perfect month. It was the month that was not too hot, and not too cold and rainy. They obviously knew what month it was. Moshe was trying to show them how Hashem’s חסד with the Jewish people is limitless. And it is our job to recognize this kindness and appreciate all that Hashem does for us. This recognition will allow us to get closer to Him and elevate ourselves spiritually.

Jews Have All the Money

We are taught that it was Hashem Who insisted that עם ישראל leave Egypt with great wealth. The Talmud in מסכת ברכות tells us that the people told Moshe that they didn’t even care about leaving with such wealth. They were happy to be leaving with their freedom. The Gemara further states in the name of Rav Yehuda in the name of Shmuel, that all of the gold and silver of the world was gathered by Yosef and brought to Egypt. When the Torah tells us, וינצלו את מצרים, that they took advantage of Egypt, it means that the Jews now possessed all the money of the world. (Maybe this is why the Gentiles say that the Jews have all the money!) Perhaps this aspect of the redemption is significant to magnify the obvious Hand of G-d. The enslaved Jewish nation completely dismantled the superpower of the world, and left them completely empty of their former glory. This is an important aspect of יציאת מצרים.

Good News Bad News

At the end of the Parsha, we have the question asked by the wicked son, at the Seder. מה העבודה הזאת לכם, what is all of this worship for you? The Haggada tells us that he is the רשע because he removed himself from the general Jewish population. The מכילתא says that this Pasuk can be taken as good news or bad news. The bad news is that in the future, the Torah will be forgotten from the Jewish people. But the good news is that this is also a sign that there will be a future for the Jewish people. This means that we will merit being able to see בנים ובני בנים, children and children’s children. It is interesting that as it is with most instances, there are always two ways to look at things. Being positive is always the best course of action.

Egyptian Cataracts

The תורה תמימה has a very novel explanation of the plague of darkness. He finds it difficult to follow Rashi’s explanation that there was darkness for three consecutive days. There was a promise given to Noach after the Flood, that days and nights would not cease. The סדרי בראשית, the order of creation, was not to be shaken. Therefore, the Torah Temima prefaces his words that he is afraid to invent a new commentary. Nevertheless, he describes the darkness as מתוח תבלול על אישון העין, which means that Hashem stretched a cataract on the pupil’s of the eyes of the Egyptians. This cataract was so thick that all they could “see” was intense darkness that could even be felt. This also explains why there was light for the Jews wherever they went. They simply were not smitten with the Egyptian cataract! This certainly is a very novel explanation of the plague of חושך.

Why Ten Plagues

Shavua Tov. Today’s Parsha explains the reason for the Ten Plagues, and why Hashem didn’t destroy Egypt with one strong plague. The text of the Torah itself tells us the twofold explanation. On the one hand, it was necessary to make a strong statement to Pharoah and the Egyptians that Hashem is the One and only true G-d. Pharoah made the mistake of asking who Hashem was and why he should listen to Him. The plagues gave him his answer. And the second reason was to make an impression on all future generations of Jews, about the truth of the Torah. The incredible outward miracles and Hand of G-d would be mentioned twice daily in every Jew’s prayers. It would be emphasized each year at the Seder when we re-enact the events in Egypt. Our Parsha tells us that this was meant to solidify our faith in Hashem and the belief that the Jewish religion is the one and only true religion in the world.

קידוש החודש

This week’s Parsha, בא, has a number of Mitzvot in it. The Book of בראשית had only three Mitzvot, Be fruitful and multiply, ברית מילה, and גיד הנשה, the prohibition of eating the sciatic vein. Parshat בא has twenty Mitzvot, nine positive and eleven negative. The first of these Mitzvot is החודש הזה לכם, “this month is for you.” In actuality, this is a commandment to sanctify each month with the viewing of the new moon, or, קידוש החודש. The Netivot Shalom calls this as a distinctive Jewish Mitzva. The Midrash says, לכם ולא להם, it is for you and not for them. This means that the Jews count in relation to the moon, and the nations of the world, to the sun. The Midrash continues and says that Eisav is compared to the sun and rules by the day. And Yisrael is compared to the moon that rules by day and night. This Mitzva symbolizes Israel’s complete reliance on Hashem. It also reflects renewal and resiliency. We have our ups and downs, but we always bounce back. And finally, קידוש החודש the ultimate renewal of the גאולה. It is understandable that this was the first Mitzva given in Egypt.

Good Influences

Sometimes a great deal can be learned from an incidental statement. A case in point was when Pharoah asked Moshe Rabbeinu to pray to remove the ברד, hail, from Egypt. The Torah lets us know that Moshe had to leave the city in order to pray. It is written, כצאתי את העיר, meaning: when I leave the city, I’ll be able to reach out to Hashem. The commentators add to these words, אבל לא בתוך העיר, but not in the city. Moshe was unable to communicate with Hashem in a place filled with impurity. This is a lesson that is reiterated over and over again by the Torah and the Rabbis. It is impossible to thrive and grow spiritually when one is in a place that is not spiritual. The obstacles to growth are that much greater when one is not living among others who are similarly trying to grow. Nobody, not even Avraham Avinu or Moshe Rabbeinu, is able to reach his full potential if he is not living in the right place among the right people.

Shortness of Breath

At the beginning of the Parsha, we are told that the people had a difficult time listening to Moshe because of קוצר רוח ועבודה קשה, shortness of breath and hard work. Rashi tells us that this is like one is not capable of taking long breaths. This is an interesting description of people, in general, who are under intense pressure. It is difficult for one experiencing sadness or depression to take long, deep breaths. When one is calm and relaxed, it is easy to take such relaxing breaths. The Jewish people under slavery, were in such a state. They were in a state of hopelessness to the extent that it was difficult even to breath. The Torah covers all aspects of life. It even teaches us to look for signs that show that we need to take a step back and get back on track in a positive way. As strange as it may sound, the way to begin to feel good, is to learn how to breath!

A Miraculous Day

Shavua Tov. Several Rabbis have been pointing to a verse in Isaiah 60:14 that seems to be describing the incredible Holocaust Memorial attended by numerous world leaders. They humbly came to commemorate seventy five years since the liberation of Auschwitz at the end on World War Two. Kings, princes, presidents, and prime ministers each knelt at Yad Vashem, as they placed a wreath in order to remember the six million. Many of these leaders came from countries who treated Jews badly. Some mocked and belittled the Jews, while others physically harmed them. But on Thursday it looked like an outright fulfillment of prophecy. I will quote the appropriate verses using the Artscroll translation. It would appear that Thursday was a great day and one more sign that the Redemption is getting ever closer. “The sons of your oppressors will go to you submissively, and all who scorned you will prostrate themselves at the soles of your feet; they will call you, City of Hashem, Zion of the Holy One of Israel. Instead of your being forsaken and despised without wayfarers, I will make you into an eternal pride, a joy for generation after generation.” We will remember January 23rd, 2020, as a great day in Jewish History.

Promises of Redemption

This week we read פרשת וארא, recounting seven of the Ten Plagues. The beginning of the Parsha discusses the four promises of redemption: והוצאתי והצלתי וגאלתי ולקחתי, all are words describing how Hashem would take us out of Egypt. The Netivot Shalom makes the comparison between a national redemption and a personal redemption. In Egypt, the slavery manifested itself in different ways. There was the aspect of being surrounded by terrible impurity that they needed to rise above. There was also the harsh labor that they were forced to do. And what may have been worse, was the oppressed state of mind that they were in. It was a strong grip on their psyche. They were unable to even think on their own. This is why the Torah refers to different levels of servitude. On a personal level, we are often stuck in our own form of servitude. We may be in a place surrounded by negative influences. We may be in a situation where we are overwhelmed by the intense confusion and pressure placed on us. It is difficult sometimes to think and get a grip on things. We need to cry out to Hashem to help release us from this personal bondage. When we rely on Hashem, we begin to see a way passed our troubles, until we are released and feel a personal redemption. Our Parsha is meant to give us hope. No matter how difficult the situation is that we are in, we can overcome just as our ancestors did in Egypt.

Enemies from Within

There is a Pasuk in the Book of Isaiah that warns us to be more aware of the enemy from within, than the enemy from without. The words by ישעיהו were מהרסיך ומחריביך ממך יצאו, that the real destructive forces harming our people, will come from Jewish traitors. Moshe Rabbeinu recognized this as well, according to the Midrash. When Datan and Aviram spoke rudely to Moshe and asked him if he was going to kill them, too, Moshe understood. The Midrash tells us that for a very long time, Moshe wondered what the Jewish people could have done, to deserve such a harsh slavery. When he saw that there were דיליטורים, back stabbers or traitors, he realized that this was the reason for the slavery. If Jews would only be loyal to one another, not only would there be unity, but it would create a wall preventing the enemy from without from penetrating it.

פקוד יפקוד

There was a certain code that was passed down from Yosef all the way to the generation that left Egypt, more than a hundred years after his death. The magic words were פקוד יפקוד, that Hashem would remember עם ישראל when it was time for them to leave Egypt. This was also the sign that the redeemer, would reveal himself that he was sent by G-d, when he would say פקוד יפקוד. The elders recognized that this was the verification that he was sent by Hashem. Moshe Rabbeinu used these words when he first made his appearance with Aharon, that he was Hashem’s messenger. Moshe also needed to use these words when he needed to finds Yosef’s body that was hidden in the Nile. He said, פקוד יפקוד, and Yosef’s casket rose to the top of the Nile. Perhaps when Mashiach comes, he will also come with the words, פקוד יפקוד.

לך לשלום

The Gemara in מסכת ברכות makes a distinction between the words, לך לשלום, “Go to peace,” said by יתרו to Moshe, and לך בשלום, “Go in peace,” said by King David to his son, Avshalom. After Yitro’s good wishes, there was a positive result. Moshe was ultimately successful in his mission of delivering Israel from bondage. Avshalom suffered his demise after parting from his father, when his hair was stuck in the thicket and he was killed by Yoav. The Gemara says to be careful to always use the לך לשלום formula when saying good-by to someone. Rav Joseph B. Soloveitchik spoke of his deep bond of love between himself and his father. His father never told him that he loved him because it would have been almost an insult to express it. He said that he could feel this intense love when he and his father would part, and his father would simply say, לך לשלום.