Tell the Story

One of the most important Mitzvot related to the exodus from Egypt, as well as the Pesach holiday, is telling the story of the redemption.

This is learned from the words, והגדת לבנך, “and you shall tell your son.” It is explained by the Sefer Hachinuch that there is an obligation on Seder night to speak of the great miracles that took place in Egypt. This is extended to the point that we are urged to act out the story, where we went from being oppressed slaves to free men.

Aside from specifically doing this on Passover, there is a rabbinic obligation to mention the exodus every morning and evening. We are never to forget these great events every day of our lives.

The significance of these outward miracles is a confirmation of how we began as a nation. No religion in the history of mankind, can make the claim that when they began, G-d revealed Himself with signs and wonders.

In essence, the daily mentioning of Egypt, is a confirmation of the truth of Judaism. When we began, it was necessary for Hashem to reveal Himself. Since then, we still see miracles, but more in a secret manner.

We can now clearly understand why the mentioning of Egypt is such an important Mitzva.

Worry Prevents Joy

The book titled, “Orchot Tzaddikim,” known in English as, “The Ways of the Tzaddikim,” teaches a great deal about ethics and faith.

The book is arranged where it discusses parallel character traits, both good and bad. For example, these is a chapter on arrogance, followed by a chapter on humility. There is a chapter on hatred, followed by a chapter on love.

The parallels make sense until the subject of “Simcha,” happiness, comes up. The expected opposite of happiness, would be sadness. Yet, in this book, the opposite of happiness, is דאגה, or worry.

This observation is nothing less than brilliant. When we look at life, and are confronted with its challenges, the way that we deal with these challenges, is critical.

If we allow ourselves to worry about every little detail, we are depriving ourselves of joy. It won’t matter if we are blessed with wealth or success, because the worrier is capable of finding and obsessing over every little triviality. If he lets this worry rule him, he has deprived himself of feeling happy.

The remedy offered in the book, is faith in G-d. We are even meant to get to a level of a certain type of apathy. This comes when we realize that everything is in His hands. He is compassionate, and if we trust in Him, all will be will.

It makes so much sense to connect happiness with worry. Only if we are able to overcome worry, will we achieve happiness. True faith in G-d, will be the remedy to cure our worries. This clearly requires work and diligence. But it is certainly worth the effort.

Mitzvot in Egypt

The Torah contains 613 Mitzvot. There are 248 positive commandments and 365 negative commandments. The Book of Bereishit only contains three Mitzvot: Be fruitful and multiply, circumcision, and the prohibition against eating the sciatic vein.

The Torah resumes its listing of the commandments only in Parshat Bo. There are twenty Mitzvot in this Parsha, nine positive, and eleven negative. And the focus here is on the Pesach holiday and the preparation of the Pesach sacrifice.

These commandments coincide with the emergence of the Jewish people as a nation. They came to Egypt as a family of seventy individuals, and left as a nation of 600,000 in just 210 years. ( We must also compare these figures with the State of Israel that began with a Jewish population of 600,000 in 1948. In 2023, that number has swelled to nearly seven million. We must never minimize this impressive miracle, taking place right before our eyes.!)

The point to note here is that the success of the Jewish people as a nation, depends on its laws. We need a system of discipline and direction to maintain our ultimate purpose of being “a light unto the nations.”

These first twenty Mitzvot focus on Pesach with all of its details. In particular, there was a reminder to tell the story of the exodus of Egypt, every year on Passover. This was meant to strengthen our commitment to our people and realize why we are the “chosen people.”

Egyptians Admired Moses

Parshat Bo is the culmination of the devastation of Egypt, when the final three plagues, were administered by G-d.

It is interesting that before the final plague of the killing of the first born, the Torah makes an observation. After the Egyptians gave the Jews great wealth of gold and silver, the following is said about Moshe Rabbeinu:

“This man, Moshe, was very great in the land of Egypt; both in the eyes of the servants of Pharoah, and the Jewish nation.”

Despite a year filled with destruction that was clearly by way of Moshe, the messenger of G-d, he was greatly admired by the entire Egyptian population. (All of its citizens were referred to as the servants of Pharoah, thanks to Yosef. This was one of his conditions in supplying food during the famine. They all needed to be seen as עבדי פרעה, the servants of Pharoah.)

It is pretty surprising that he was so respected by the Egyptians. But maybe it isn’t when we understand the nature of truth. When one stands up for what is right, and is unafraid to fight for his beliefs, ultimately, he will be respected.

The people can figure things out soon enough, if this individual is truthful and sincere. The Egyptians realized that the treatment and humiliation of the Jews was wrong. They knew that they deserved what they got. They were taught that the G-d of Israel, was the One true Ruler of the world.

In the end, truth, ideals, and sincerity wins. Moshe was but one of our leaders who led without fear. Such leaders are the reason that we have managed to survive as a people, during our most difficult exile. We must remember that truth wins!

Secret to Longevity

The great moment of the exodus, finally arrives in this week’s Parsha. Hashem tells Moshe Rabbeinu that it is essential that this great story be told to future generations.

The Torah uses the words, למען תספר, “in order that you tell.” The Pasuk continues and is specific in saying that we must be certain that our children and grandchildren know all of the details of the magnificent miracles witnessed in Egypt.

The Torah uses the word, למען, “in order,” as part of the Shema prayer. It says there that if we keep the commandments, we will be granted long life.

The מעיינה של תורה connects the double usage of the word, למען. The connection is that if our sole reason for living is to teach our children and children’s children, the truth of our Torah and our glorious history, we will be granted long life.

This demonstrates the emphasis placed on Jewish education. If we make this our reason for living, we will be granted more years to complete this task of inspiring our younger generation.

All Merciful

The Orchot Tzaddikim is a fantastic book that teaches how to properly look at life. It also explains so much about human nature, and how to refine our character. It is my favorite book among those that teach discipline and faith.

One of the important points of the Orchot Tzaddikim is that there are certain principles that need going over, numerous times. One such concept applies to the mercifulness of the Al-mighty.

He writes that we must be aware that G-d is perfect in every possible way. He is not lacking in anything, and there is no flaw in him whatsoever.

Therefore, among His attributes, He is known as the G-d of mercy. What this means is that He is perfect in mercy and compassion. It is not possible for any human being to surpass him in mercy.

Sometimes we forget this basic point of belief. People foolishly make comments about G-d being cruel and unfeeling. This might be because of difficulties one might be going through, and the blame is placed on a G-d that does not care.

This cannot be true if we have faith that He is perfection and that it is impossible for anyone to be more merciful than Him. This is where faith needs to override these feelings of blame and frustration. If we understood that despite the challenges that we are faced with, everything is for our ultimate good, it would help to get through these difficulties. Chassidic Jews learn to embrace the difficulties and see them as a sign that something very good is on the way. It is not easy coping with life. But it becomes easier if we trust that G-d is perfect in mercy. It may take some time to recognize it, but if we look hard enough, we will eventually see it.

Free Will Taken Away

We learn an interesting concept related to Pharoah and the Ten Plagues. Although a major principle of Judaism, is that man has free will, there are instances where it can be taken away.

We learn from the commentary of the Ramban, that Pharoah showed stubbornness and hardened his own heart during the first five plagues. But it was G-d that hardened his heart for the second five plagues.

This is explained that when Pharoah showed such evil by his unwillingness to let the Jewish people go, and continue to cause devastation to Egypt, his free will was taken from him. Now he would be punished and not be able to do anything about it.

The Rambam also clarifies this point and uses Pharoah as the example of what awaits a person who is totally evil. Hashem, in his mercy, gives numerous chances for a person to recognize his ways, and repent. If he persists and allows evil to become his complete essence, he will be brought down hard.

This only applies to one who is thoroughly evil, where there is no hope of ever changing for the good. It does not happen that often, but when one displays Pharoah like behavior, he is in that category. There is even a concept of total oblivion for such a person, which rarely happens.

We must use our free will for the good, and choose “life” by living an exemplary life based on the principles of the Torah.

Breathe to Be Happy

The explanation in the Torah for the skepticism of the Jewish people to initially get excited about their impending exodus from Egypt, is quite interesting.

The Pasuk tells us that they did not listen to Moshe because of “shortness of breath, and hard work.” Rashi comments that one who is of a low spirit has his breathing affected. This shortness of breath indicates a defeated attitude. When one is calm, relaxed, and happy, it is reflected in how he breaths.

When a person is unhappy or depressed, he is taking short, quick breaths, as opposed to the content person, who takes long, deep breaths. This is the difference between one who is calm and relaxed, or very nervous and pressured.

As we learn from the Jewish people in Egypt, their inability to breath properly affected their optimism. They finally meet their potential savior, who brings them hope for the future, and they are unable to believe.

It might be a good idea to pay attention as to how we normally breath. Perhaps if we start with regularly taking long, deep, relaxed breaths, we will realize that this can affect our overall approach in dealing with our challenges.

We are taught that we are to try to maintain a state of joy, always appreciating all that we have. The future is bright as long as it begins with breathing right!

Best Environment

The last few words of the previous Parsha was that G-d promises that we will be driven from the land of Egypt with a יד חזקה, a strong hand. The beginning of Parshat Va’era, describes how Hashem speaks to Moshe about the coming redemption.

The Baal Haturim points out the סמיכות הפרשיות, the connection between the two adjacent subjects. The implication here is that Moshe was unable to receive Divine messages when he was surrounded by the filth of Egypt. He always needed to go outside the city limits, in a clean, open area, in order to be able to hear, the word of Hashem.

This is seen as teaching an important lesson. We are never able to thrive as Jews, if we are living in a place where immorality and corruption, is all around us. It is almost impossible to be surrounded by all of this negativity, and not be affected.

We are to always choose a place to live where there are good, upright, Torah Jews. If everyone around us fails to observe the Torah, it makes it that much more difficult for us to remain strong.

The only exception to this rule, is living in Israel. The Talmud tells us that it is preferable to live in a city of idol worshippers in Israel, rather than live among Torah Jews, outside of Israel. The holiness of the land protects us, and still allows us to be elevated spiritually. Outside of Israel, there is an inherent impurity known as טומאת העמים, the impurity of the nations.

If we want to give our children the greatest opportunity for success, we must be certain to put them in the best possible environment. Even Moshe Rabbeinu was unable to overcome such impurity. He needed to go somewhere clean and untainted, in order to hear the word of G-d.

We Deserve Nothing

Parshat Va’era contains a description of the first seven plagues brought on the Egyptians. It begins with Hashem tells Moshe that He has heard the cries of the Jewish people, and He remembers His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

This verse that speaks of remembering the covenant, has a serious implication. It appears that the Jewish people did not have their own merits to deserve redemption. Despite the cries and bitter slavery, it was the promise to the Patriarchs.

Many believed that the Jews in Egypt, were not on a very high level. They were influenced by the decadence of Egypt, and many were idol worshippers. It was even said that they had sunk to the forty-ninth level of impurity. They left Egypt just in the nick of time.

The message here is an important one. It comes from the Orchot Tzaddikim, who makes two points worth remembering. This is found in connection with the chapter on how to achieve happiness.

Just like the Jews in Egypt, we deserve nothing. Nobody owes us anything, and any good that comes to us, is a gift from Above. This leads to the second point. We must remind ourselves that any gift we receive, even if it is financial aid from one’s parents, all emanate from our Creator. He places the idea in the mind of the giver, to give a specific gift.

We achieve happiness when we are humbled by the realization that we have so much more than we deserve. We turn our hearts to G-d, and express constant gratitude for the abundance we have, but really don’t deserve.

The Jews in Egypt were redeemed because of the covenant. It is pretty clear that the miracles of the last seventy-five years in forming a Jewish State, has come to us as a gift from Above; not because we deserve it.

Crying Out to G-d

During the week long dialogue between Moshe Rabbeinu and Hashem, Moshe is given the reason why it’s time to redeem the Jewish people.

Hashem tells Moshe that the “cry” of the Jewish nation has reached Him. This cry cannot be ignored, and it must have a response. A similar language was used when the “cry” of the evil perpetrated by the people of Sodom, had reached the Heaven. There, as well, Avraham Avinu is told that this cannot be ignored. It was time that justice be meted out to these decadent people.

We see from here the power of collective prayer, on the one side, and collective evil and immorality, on the other.

The Orchot Tzaddikim speaks of how the Jewish people are one family, and one entity. We must never rejoice at the misfortune of any of our people- including those that we do not have positive feelings toward.

We must pay closer attention in our prayers to include all of the Jewish people. There are thirteen blessings of request in the daily Shmone Esrei. All of these requests are made in the plural. We pray that all of Israel should repent and become closer to G-d. We also pray that all of Israel be granted good health and prosperity.

We are not emphasizing collective prayer and collective requests, nearly enough. We must get far away from factionalizing and elitism. We must love and pray for the welfare of every Jew, regardless of his background. In this way, our collective “cry” can reach the Heavens, and redemption can come to our people.

Very Bad Question

King Pharoah made a fatal mistake when he asked a very bad question. His response to Moshe and Aharon when told that the G-d of Israel has commanded that he let the people go, was a bad one. He asked, , “Who is this G-d? I do not know Him.”

During the “ten plagues,” the text explained the reason for each plague was to make it clear that all Egypt understand that there is a G-d in Israel, who is the One true G-d.

It appears that this foolish question of Pharoah is still being asked today. It is the major reason for the moral breakdown of society. When society ignores the existence of G-d and that He, alone, teaches what is right and moral in this world.

When the question is “Who is G-d? I do not know Him,” anything goes. It gives man, with all of his shortcomings to decide right and wrong.

Today’s definition of right and wrong is “whatever makes you happy or feel good.” The validation of this new philosophy, is that laws are passed that legitimize what was once considered immoral and improper, and remains contrary to the teachings of the Torah.

So many things that were obviously wrong and improper fifty years ago, are now the norm, and were even justified with the passing of laws.

We have seen laws passed that legalize drugs, abortions, euthanasia, and same sex marriages. “Living together” before marriage, was once considered inappropriate.

It should be rather obvious that this shows a serious moral breakdown of society.

It is time to wake up and realize that this very bad question of “Who is G-d,” will soon be answered. Hopefully, this awareness will not have to come with ten more plagues!

Back Stabbers

There is an amazing Midrash that explains Moshe’s words, when he said, “Now the matter is known.” The usual interpretation is that Moshe realized that it was known that he had killed the Egyptian, so he better run away.

The opinion of the Midrash is that Moshe had been wondering for a very long time why only the Jewish people were enslaved by another nation. What could they have done to deserve such a fate?

When he saw that there were ingrates and back stabbers among the Jewish people, he had his answer. Dathan and Aviram were quarreling, and Moshe tried to break it up. They asked him if he was going to kill them like he killed the Egyptian. The Torah continues with Moshe’s realization, “Now I understand.”

The Prophet Isaiah warned that the real destroyers of the Jewish people, would come from within. There would always be those who would betray their own people, and not show loyalty. This reality plagues us to this day.

When one is proud to be Jewish, and openly expresses his faith in G-d and the Torah, he will love his people and love good.

When one is ashamed of his Jewishness and belittles the Torah’s teachings, he can easily become one that destroys and tears down.

It is appalling how those who lost in Israel’s last election behave. They refuse to accept the results of a “democratic” election, and are eager to tear down without giving the new government a chance to prove itself.

Jewish Unity would dictate that we give our blessings to the numerous, young, idealistic, fresh faces, in the Knesset. Let’s see what they can do to effect positive change and dignity to our people.

The rhetoric and demonstrations against a government that has not yet begun to govern, is irresponsible and inexcusable. Sadly, it is a continuation of Moshe’s realization in Egypt, “Now I understand.” At this point in our history, Jews should stand united, and learn the lessons of history.

When the Going Gets Tough

The Torah tells us that the more the Egyptians afflicted the Jewish people, the stronger they got. This was a lesson for future history.

Somehow, the Jewish nation has shown amazing resiliency when we were forced to suffer a long, bitter, exile. Despite the persecutions and hardships, the faith of the Jew carried him through these difficulties. Some of the most amazing books, such as the Talmud, were written during such times.

It has long been my contention that the biggest problem we have faced in the last thirty years or so, is too much leisure time, and too much money.

As the work day has become shorter, people are left with too much free time. And the affluence of this past generation, gives many individuals extra cash to do what they want.

The combination of the two has spelled trouble. It leads to an exaggerated self indulgence, that is often accompanied by depression.

Contrast this with our ancestors who worked extremely hard, and did not have these problems. They even managed to shine under the most difficult circumstances.

The Rabbis recommend that one fill his day with earning a livelihood and the study of Torah. This will save an individual from sin, as his day will be filled with a positive use of time.

We need to create our own challenges that will make good use of our time, by giving to others. We will feel a sense of fulfillment that will give our lives meaning. It will prepare us for whatever Hashem sends our way. And if it looks like we are faced with insurmountable hardships, we only need to think of our ancestors in Egypt. The greater the difficulty, the stronger they got.

Batya Protects the Savior

The question was asked regarding Batya, the daughter of Pharoah, who saved the life of Moshe, when he was in his basket in the Nile. How could it be that nobody suspected that he was the savior of the Jewish people.

The reason for the decree to kill Jewish baby boys was because Pharoah’s magicians saw that a boy would be born who would take the Jews out of Egypt. How did Batya convince them that Moshe was not the future leader?

The Torah tells us that Batya went to the Nile to bathe. She was accompanied by her female servants. The Midrash fills in the missing information by explaining that these servants were killed by an angel. There would be no one who would tell exactly what Batya did. And the “bathing” that Batya did was actually her ritual dipping in order to convert and become part of Am Yisrael.

She could then make up a story that she found some random Egyptian baby, and her true story was safe. Pharoah did his famous hot coals and diamonds test, just to be sure that this baby was not too intelligent. The angel moved Baby Moshe’s hands to reach for the coals. This saved his life, but left him with a speech impediment.

The Midrashim are very fascinating, and help to fill in information that is not mentioned in the text. In this case, it becomes more clear what a great woman Batya was, and the role she played in bringing about Israel’s salvation.

Jewish Heroines

The story of the exodus from Egypt, had many instances of מסירות נפש. These were the individuals who risked their lives in order to save Jews.

The Torah gives the example of the two midwives, named Shifra and Puah. The Baal Haturim figured out that the Gematria of the word, “ המילדת,” the midwife, is equal to, יוכבד בת לוי. It is understood that Puah was Miriam and Shifra was Yocheved.

There is an explanation that “Puah” represents the sound of “poo poo” that one would say to comfort an infant.

The name Shifra implies that she is משפרת, or improving the newborn. The Baal Haturim says that the name implies a שפופרת, or tube. Often the babies needed to have oxygen blown into them so that they would wake up and breath on their own.

Shifra and Puah risked their lives by saving Jewish babies, and defying the decree of Pharoah. They were among many Jewish heroes that would emerge who would do anything necessary to strengthen the Jewish people.

Surviving the Exile

The Torah reading for Yom Kippur afternoon warns that we must not act כמעשה מצרים, like the actions of the Egyptian community. The Rambam elaborates on this, and makes it clear that Egypt was an extremely decadent place.

With this in mind, it is all the more remarkable how the Jewish people survived as slaves in this horrible environment, and maintained their unique identity.

The Rabbis tell us that the Jews in Egypt were careful not to change their names. They were proud of their heritage, and they were similarly careful to continue using Hebrew as their primary language.

We are also told that they remained very chaste. There was only one incident during their 210 year stay in Egypt where there was immoral behavior. This was the incident of Shlomit Bat Divri, who was violated by an Egyptian, who Moshe eventually killed.

There is also an opinion that they did not speak Lashon Hara against one another. And they continued to circumcise their baby boys.

This is a good message for Jews living in the Exile. If they would be careful with these same things, they would also be able to overcome the temptations that have plagued us for two thousand years. We would then merit our freedom that would lead to the final Redemption, speedily in our day.

Timing is Everything

The Haftarah of last Shabbat, contains an important message for all of us. King David calls to his son, Shlomo, to give his final instructions before leaving this world.

David reviews with the new king a number of individuals who were either loyal to him, or had betrayed him. There was unfinished business that David wanted Shlomo to take care of.

In certain instances, David tells his son to use his wisdom in determining how he would execute justice. There are the cases of Yoav and Shimi Ben Geira. They had both betrayed David in their behavior. Yoav had killed David’s allies. Shimi had cursed him in a most disrespectful manner.

David was explaining to Shlomo that the timing wasn’t right for him to deal with these two individuals. It would not have been good for the nation for him to act. But after his death, it would be perfectly in order to punish them as deserved. And, of course, David insisted that those who were loyal to him, should be rewarded.

The Rabbis teach us that we need to be smart enough to understand when it is the right time to say certain things. But we need to be equally wise to know when our words will not be heard.

Timing is everything. We must learn to have the patience to know when it is the correct time to speak up. This comes with age when we realize how counter-productive it might be to raise an issue.

The obvious time never to speak is when either side is angry. It is also important to take into account when it would be beneficial to talk about something. King David taught this lesson to his son, and certainly wanted everyone to learn this lesson as well.

Yosef’s Wisdom

The Gemara in Masechet Sota indicates how clever Yosef was in his dealings with Pharoah. Although their relationship began on the right foot, Yosef clearly understood with whom he was dealing.

He caught Pharoah at a weak moment when he realized that the king knew all of the languages of the world except for Hebrew. The king made Yosef swear that he would not reveal this lack of knowledge to anyone.

Seventeen years later, when Yakov passed away, Yosef used this oath to his advantage. He told Pharoah that his father made him swear that he would be buried in Eretz Yisrael. When the king was hesitant to grant Yosef’s wish regarding his father’s burial, he was reminded of their earlier oath.

Yosef told Pharoah that if he does not need to honor his father’s oath, he, likewise does not need to honor his oath to the king. And this is the reason why they were able to give Yakov a proper burial in the Cave of Machpeilah.

Yosef was teaching us that you need to understand with whom you are dealing. Sometimes it becomes necessary to outsmart the foxes. And there are many foxes out there!

Be Like Efraim and Menashe

We were introduced to the fatherly blessing of one’s sons, from Yakov Avinu’s blessing of Yosef’s two sons.

Unlike the blessing for daughters, where we hope that they resemble Sara, Rivka, Rachel, and Leah, the sons are to become like Efraim and Menashe.

There are many explanations as to why Efraim and Menashe are mentioned, and not the Patriarchs. The one that made an impression on me, is the following:

The Baal Haturim noted that the Gematria of Reuven and Shimon, is equal to the numerical value of Efraim and Menashe. This was to show that they were to be viewed equally as two of the twelve tribes of Israel.

It is also worthy of note that Efraim and Menashe spent their entire lives in Egypt, the center of decadence. The fact that Yakov found them deserving to be called “tribes of Israel,” is most impressive.

It is for this reason that we give this specific blessing to our sons. As they go out into the world, and are faced with challenges that might shake up their faith, they should take an example from the sons of Yosef. They were able to overcome all of the temptations of the Hedonistic life of Egypt.

We similarly pray that our sons will be strong in their commitment to Judaism and not allow themselves to be led astray. If Efraim and Menashe, could succeed, so could they.