Rushing spirituality

Hi,

R' Tzaddok haKohen of Lublin commented that only a person's initial entry into serving Gd should be with haste, like the Pesach we observed in Egypt and unlike the Pesach we have observed in the generations since.

R' Chaim Zuckerman explained that one must guard that initial instant when his desire to serve Gd is awakened, and hasten to use that inspiration to free himself from slavery. Afterward, the long haul begins.

(Otzar Chaim to Sh'mot 12:11)

Good moed,
Mordechai

Don't let it become chametz

Hi,

[Regarding Shmot 12:17, 'And you shall guard the matzot']

"R' Yoshiyah said: Don't read it this way, but as 'And you shall guard the mitzvot.' Just as we don't let matzah ferment, so we don't let a mitzvah ferment. If it comes to hand, do it immediately."

(Midrash, Mechilta d'Rabbi Yishmael Bo 9)

Chag kasher v'sameach,
Mordechai

Building up the Land of Israel

Hi,

"It appears to me that a simple person who builds Israel without any altruistic intent, but only for his own good, still performs a greater Tikkun, improvement, in the upper heavens, than any righteous person, even the most righteous of Tzaddikim, with his Tikkun Chatzot prayers and crying and wailing for the Shechinah in its exile. Certainly, the Tzaddik’s prayers have an enormous effect, but all of that does not reach the effect caused by a simple person with his actions of building up Israel, regardless of his motive."

(R' Yissachar Teichtel, Em haBanim Semeichah, pg. 58, based on Sanhedrin 102b)

Chag kasher v'sameach,
Mordechai

Now we are slaves, Next year we will be children

Hi,

On the "Ha Lachma Anya" paragraph of the Haggadah:

"Even when we perform mitzvot for the purpose of serving Gd, we do it as servants, without the revelation of the light of love. Next year we will serve Gd as free people, as children who execute the desire of their parent out of love."

(Haggadah Yalkut Tov, citing Tiferet Shlomo)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Do it yourself!

Hi,

"‘[The Jews carried the matzah] Bound up in their clothes’ – R’ Natan said: Did they not have animals? But the Jews loved the mitzvot, and they went and did it themselves in order to receive reward for going and doing."

(Midrash, Mechilta d'Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai 12:38)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Repentance and Offerings

Hi,

"How do we know that if a person repents then it is considered as though he had ascended to Yerushalayim, built the Beit haMikdash [Temple], constructed the altar and brought every offering thereupon?

"It is written [Tehillim 51:19]: A broken spirit is [equal to] the offerings of Gd."

(Midrash, Vayyikra Rabbah 7:2)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Israel longs for you

Hi,

"Yirmiyah said: When I ascended to Yerushalayim, I raised my eyes and saw a woman sitting atop a mountain, wearing black clothing and with her hair undone, crying out, seeking one who would console her. I cried out as well, and sought one who would comfort me.

"I drew close to her and spoke with her, and told her, “If you are a woman, speak with me. If you are a spirit, leave me.”

"She replied, “Do you not recognize me? I am the one who had seven sons whose father left to go overseas. While I was yet crying for him, it was prophesied to me, ‘The house has collapsed upon your seven sons and killed them.’ I don’t know for whom to cry, and for whom to release my hair!”

"I replied and told her, “You are no greater than my mother, Zion, who has been turned into grazing for the wild animals of the field.” To which she replied and said to me, “I am your mother, Zion.”"

(Midrash, Pesikta Rabti 26)

Have a good day,
Mordechai

The Message of Hillel, in Koreich

Hi,

"The trait of Hillel, the lover of peace and pursuer of peace, who loves HaShem's creatures and brings them close to Torah, to the sacred preserve of the nation of Gd, the entire nation, will return to us.

"We will speak of peace to all of our scattered members and all of our factions, and the light of redemption which comes together with the mention of the Pesach and the Matzah, the signs of redemption, will sweeten for us the impressions of the bitterness of exile, and its spiritual and material pain, as symbolized by the Marror.

"Thus we will merit redemption, which will spread upon us the protection of peace and the light of truth - quickly, in our own times."

(R' Avraham Yitzchak haKohen Kook, Haggadah shel Pesach)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Accepting Marror after Matzah

Hi,

"We must also accept the pleasant servitude, the service of HaShem, Gd of Israel, who formed us from the womb to be His servants. This trait was also acquired in our Egyptian servitude, and after all of the negative results of slavery leave us, this pleasant aspect will remain.

"Thereby a person will be able to lovingly endure even that which is against his will and inclination. This is the fundamental principle of Marror: To accept the bitterness of life with love, when one knows that he faces bitterness sent from above, and ethical elevation.

"Therefore, Marror follows Matzah."

(R' Avraham Yitzchak haKohen Kook, Haggadah shel Pesach)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The foundation of Yerushalayim

Hi,

"The foundation of Yerushalayim was in the sanctity of the Torah, as it is written, 'For Torah will emerge from Zion, and the word of Gd from Yerushalayim.'"

(Netziv, Haamek Davar to Shemot 30:1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Intricacies of a Divine Plan

Hi,

“Rav Hemnuna said: What is the meaning of ‘Who is like the sage, and who knows the solution of a matter (Kohelet 8)?’

“It means: Who is like Gd, who knows how to produce a compromise between two righteous people: Chizkiyahu and Yeshayahu.

“Chizkiyahu said, ‘Yeshayahu should come to me, as Eliyahu went to Achav.’ Yeshayahu said, ‘Chizkiyahu should come to me, as Yehoram ben Achav went to Elisha.’ What did Gd do? He made Chizkiyahu suffer illness, and He told Yeshayahu (Melachim II 20, Yeshayah 38), ‘Go examine the sick.’”

(Talmud, Berachot 10a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Healthy eating

Hi,

"One who eats foods which harm his body violates three prohibitions: He degrades himself, he degrades the food, and he recites an inappropriate blessing [upon the food]."

(Avot d'Rabbi Natan, Chapter 26; cited as well in Biur haGRA to Yoreh Deah 116:19)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Knock before you enter!

Hi,

"'And Gd called to Moshe [from within the Tent of Meeting], and Gd spoke to him' - We see from here that a scholar who lacks sense is worse than a carcass.

"Learn from Moshe, the father of knowledge and father of prophets, who took the Jews out of Egypt, and by whose hand many miracles were performed in Egypt and awesome deeds were performed at the Sea, who ascended to the heavens and brought the Torah down from the heavens, and who involved himself in creating the Mishkan - Even he did not enter within until 'And Gd called to Moshe, and Gd spoke to him.'"

(Midrash, Vayyikra Rabbah 1:15)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Building a palace for Gd

Hi,

"'And Gd summoned Moshe, from the Tent of Meeting' - What is recorded before this? The portion of the Mishkan, regarding which it is written, 'As Gd had commanded Moshe [so Moshe did]...'

"This may be compared to a king who instructs his servant, 'Build me a palace.' On everything he builds, he inscribes the name of the king. He builds walls and inscribes the name of the king on them, he erects pillars and inscribes the name of the king on them, he creates beamed ceilings and inscribes the name of the king on them.

"After some time, the king enters the palace and finds his name inscribed wherever he looks. He says, 'My servant created all of this honor for me, and I am inside while he is outside?! Call him to enter my inner sanctum!'"

(Midrash Vayyikra Rabbah 1:7)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Moshe is Special

Hi,

"'And Gd called to Moshe (Vayyikra 1:1)' - Did Gd not call to Adam in Bereishit 3, 'And Gd called to Adam'? Yes, but there is no shame in a king speaking to his sharecropper. [Adam was charged with working Gd's earth.]

"'And spoke to him [Moshe]' - Did Gd not speak to Noach in Bereishit 8, 'And Gd spoke to Noach?' Yes, but there is no shame in a king speaking with the one who cares for his animals.

"'And Gd called to Moshe' - Did Gd not call to Avraham in Bereishit 22, 'And an angel of Gd called to Avraham?' Yes, but there is no shame in a king speaking to his innkeeper."

(Vayyikra Rabbah 1:9)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The power of Amen

Hi,

"Rabbi Yosi said: One who replies 'Amen' is greater than the one who recites the blessing itself.

"Rabbi Nehorai said: Heavens! This is certainly true, for rank-and-file soldiers are the ones who start wars, and the mightier warriors are the ones who win them."

(Talmud, Nazir 66b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The necessity of servitude and freedom

Hi,

"We must understand these two forces, that of servitude and that of freedom, not as separate forces which operate independently, each with its own role, but as two joined, complementary forces...

"The overall goal will be realized only with the knowledge and recognition that these two forces are not contradictory, but are joined in creating the world’s ultimate Freedom, the honor and the powerful desirability of which is not revealed unless it is crowned by exalted Servitude, servitude before the King of Glory, which is also the ultimate freedom.

"Therefore, the perfect form of Freedom comes when it is bound together with Servitude, such that a person will find within himself the total control which is suitable for a truly free person, who reigns as well upon the greatest of forces, which is the force of freedom itself."

(Rav Avraham Yitzchak haKohen Kook, Haggadah shel Pesach, on Koreich)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Showing respect

Hi,

"Rabbi Elazar said: A Torah scholar [lit. "student of a sage"] who does not stand before his mentor is identified as wicked, and will not live long, and his learning will be forgotten."

(Talmud, Kiddushin 33b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Forgive your honor; Gd does!

Hi,

"Rabbi Yitzchak bar Shila cited Rav Matnah citing Rav Chisda: If a father forgives his honor, his honor is forgiven. If a rabbi forgives his honor, it is not forgiven. [The honor of the Torah is not his to forgive.]

"Rav Yosef said: If a rabbi forgives his honor, it is forgiven, as it is written (Shemot 13), ‘And Gd traveled before them by day.’"

[In other words: Gd could travel before the Jews, like a humble servant, and so a rabbi is entitled to serve others humbly.]

(Talmud, Kiddushin 32a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Yosef vs. Esav

Hi,

"R’ Pinchas cited R’ Shemuel bar Nachman: The tradition is that Esav will fall into the hands of Rachel’s descendants...

"And therefore Moshe told Yehoshua, who was from Yosef, to pick people to fight Amalek...

"This one was called a ‘youth’ and this one was called ‘small’; this one grew up among two righteous people and did not learn from their deeds and this one grew up among two wicked people and did not learn from their deeds; this one received firstborn status because of his good deeds and this one lost his firstborn status because of his bad deeds; this one fed his brothers and this one tried to kill his brother; this one kept himself from immorality and murder and this one dirtied himself with immorality and murder; this one acknowledged the ultimate resurrection of the dead and this one denied the ultimate resurrection of the dead; this one gave his life for his mother’s honor and this one tried to kill his mother. This one will fall into the hands of that one."

(Midrash Tanchuma (Warsaw), Parshat Ki Tetze 10)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Punishment for embarrassing an animal

Hi,

"Lest one say that Gd only punishes for the shame of the righteous and not that of the wicked, we have found that He punishes for the shame of the wicked; there was no hater of Gd and hater of Israel like Edom, and yet Gd punished for his shame, as it is written, 'For the three sins of Moav... For burning the bones of the king of Edom into lime.'

"And He punished Moav measure for measure: They burned with fire and so it said, ‘I will send fire against Moav.’ They burned the king, and so it said, ‘I will cut off the judges from her midst and kill all of her officers.’ We find that He punishes even the shame of the wicked.

"Not only that - He even punishes for the shame of an animal, as it is written, 'Why did you hit your donkey?' Gd did not come to punish Bilam for taking an opposing path, but for striking his donkey."

(Rabbi Yaakov Skili, Torat haMinchah to Parshat Ki Tetze)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Calculating the years the Jews spent in Egypt

Hi,

[In Bereishit 15:13 Gd told Avraham that the Jews would be strangers in a land that was not their own, and they would be made to work and be oppressed for 400 years.]

"Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryah said: The Jews only remained in Egypt 210 years! When Yosef descended to Egypt he was 17, and he was 30 when he stood before Pharaoh. There were 7 years of plenty and 2 of famine before Yaakov descended, as it is written, ‘It has been two years of famine.’ That’s 39 years [Yosef’s age at this point]. Levi ben Yaakov was 6 years older than Yosef, and so he was 45 when he descended to Egypt.

"Levi lived in Egypt for 92 years, for a total of 137, since Levi lived to be 130 years old (I believe this is an error in the text; the text should say 137, per its own calculation earlier in the sentence and per Shemot 6:16). During the descent to Egypt, Levi’s wife gave birth to Yocheved, as it is written, ‘And the name of the wife of Amram was Yocheved bat Levi,’ and she was 130 when she gave birth to Moshe, and Moshe was 80 when he stood before Pharaoh. All told, that is 210 years.

"And yet, the Torah says, ‘They will be made to work and they will be oppressed for 400 years!

"Rabbi Elazar ben Arach said: Gd told Avraham that this would begin from when he had children, as it is written, ‘Your children will strangers in a land not their own' …

"Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryah replied: But it is also written (Shemot 12:40), ‘And the dwelling of the Jews was 430 years!’

"He said: They lived in Egypt five years before Yaakov arrived, when two tribes, Menasheh and Ephram, were born. They were of Yisrael, and they descended to Egypt. That yields 215 years. Count the days and the nights and you have 430, for Gd skipped to the end in the merit of the three patriarchs who are the pillars of the world and in the merit of the mothers who are the hills of the world, regarding whom it says (Shir haShirim 2:6), ‘It is arriving, skipping on the mountains, leaping upon the hills.’”

(Pirkei d’Rabbi Eliezer 47)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Humility and Ordination

Hi,

"Rabbi Zeira hid from ordination, for Rabbi Elazar had said, 'One should always be humble, and thereby live.'

"However, when Rabbi Zeira heard Rabbi Elazar say, 'One does not ascend to great status unless he has been forgiven for all of his sins,' he bolstered his courage [and accepted ordination]."

(Talmud, Sanhedrin 14a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Fools rush in

Hi,

"'And Memuchan spoke before the king and the officers (Esther 1:16)'

"Why did Memuchan leap to offer counsel first? We see that a fool leaps to go first."

(Midrash, Esther Rabbah 4:6)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The message of removing the table during the Seder

Hi,

"The practice of uprooting the table when saying KiHa lachma anya (“Like this bread of oppression”) is meant to explain why matzah, the bread our ancestors ate in Egypt, is called “bread of oppression.” The Jews were given into the hands of the Egyptians, who could destroy their livelihood and uproot their table, for the hands with which they would earn their living were bound to the Egyptians.

"To remember this reality we uproot the table when we recite the Haggadah, saying, “Like this bread of oppression which our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt,” meaning that our ancestors anticipated, at every moment and every instant, that their table might be uprooted – that the Egyptians might say to them, “Work for us, and we will not feed you.”"

(Haggadah haShir v'haShevach, R' Zalman Sorotzkin)

Have a great day,
Mordechai