Chag Ha-Matzot or Chag Ha-Pesach?

Separate Mitzvot for Separate Moadim

Rav Aryeh Leibowitz

he Korban Pesach is a unique korban. Other

korbanot may be eaten with or without other
foods (Rambam, Hilchot Maaseh ha-Korbanot,
10:10), whereas the Korban Pesach must be eaten
with specific foods, as the verse states, [With] matzot
and with marror shall they eat it (Shemot 12:8).
Other korbanot are eaten on the day it is
slaughtered, but the Korban Pesach is that it is not
eaten the day it is slaughtered. The slaughtering is
on the afternoon of the 14th of Nissan, as the verse
commands, It shall be yours for safekeeping until
the fourteenth of the month, the entire congregation
of the assembly of Israel shall slaughter it in the
afternoon. (Shemot 12:6) Yet, its eating is prohibited
until the night of the 15th, as the verse states, They
shall eat the meat on that night (Shemot 12:8).
Mandated separation between the slaughtering and
the eating is not found by any other korban (See
Rambam, Hilchot Maaseh ha-Korbanot, 10:6-7).
Lastly, other korbanot do not have a shiur
(a minimum required amount) that must be
eaten.1However, there is a requirement for every
person to eat at least a Kezayit of the Korban Pesach
(Hilchot Korban Pesach 8:3).2

slaughtering and eating of the Korban Pesach as

two independent Mitzvot (Sefer ha-Mitzvot, Aseh
55 and 56). This enumeration is different than
other sacrifices, where the Rambam counts only the
slaughtering as a mitzvah.3
It appears that in regards to other korbanot the
consumption of the korban is merely a detail of the
korban process. To illustrate: The fats and limbs of
korbanot must be burned on the altar. However, this
requirement to burn the fats and limbs does not
constitute an independent mitzvah; rather it is one
detail of the korban process. So too, the actual eating
of other korbanot is a detail in the korban process and
does not constitute an independent commandment.4
However, with Korban Pesach, the eating of the
korban is not merely a detail in the korban process,
but rather it constitutes an independent mitzvah.

Two Independent Mitzvot

The fact that a specific amount of the Korban Pesach
must be eaten indicates that the eating component of
the Korban Pesach is a primary requirement. In
fact, we find that the Rambam actually counts the

3 Examples include: The mitzvah to slaughter the Chatas in

Sefer ha-Mitzvot, Aseh 64, the Asham in Aseh 65, the Shelamim,
Aseh 66, and the Minchah, Aseh 67. This distinction is noted by
Beit ha-Levi 1:2:7 in the name of the Sefer Maayan Chochmah.
However, the Sefer Mitzvas ha-Melech, Aseh 55-56 s.v. ve-henai, questions this distinction noting that we do find an independent commandment, Sefer ha-Mitzvot, Aseh 89, to eat the
meat of the Chatas and Asham. In light of this, we must limit
this distinction to kodashim kalim. Kodshei kodashim, such as
Chatas and Asham, do contain an independent mitzvah to eat
the meat of the korban. However, Korban Pesach is the only
one of the kodashim kalim that has a separate mitzvah to eat the
korban meat.
4 Indeed, the Or Sameach (Hilchot Chametz u-Matzah 6:1)
suggests that the requirement to eat the korban may simply be a
function of avoiding the prohibition of nosar.

To Eat or To Be Eaten
The Beit ha-Levi (1:2) suggests that in regards to
all other korbanot the nature of the halacha is that
korban must be eaten. That is, the meat of the korban
must be eaten, but who eats it, and how much is to
be eaten is not mandated by halacha. However, this is

1 See Pesachim 3b regarding a kohen who ate less than a

Kezayit of Lechem ha-Panim, and Rambam, Hilchot Temidim
u-Musafim, 5:14, on the status of Lechem ha-Panim. See also
Beit ha-Levi 1:2:7.
2 There are a number of other unique halachot connected with
Korban Pesach that we will not discuss at this time, such as the
requirement that a chaburah be appointed, or that the Korban
must only be roasted, or that the animals bones may not be
broken during the eating process.

Rav Aryeh Lebowitz is an alumnus of Yeshivat Shaalvim, 1999. He is Sgan Menahel and Shana Aleph Rebbe at Shaalvim.

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Pesach 2016

Nissan contains two moadim.

1. The moed of Pesach occurs on the 14th of
the month, and is quite novel in that only the
afternoon is singled out as a moed.7
1. The moed of Chag ha-Matzot occurs on the 15th
of the month.8
The possibility that the eve of Passover functions
as a moed, or at least as a quasi-moed, would
explain a unique halacha found in regards to the
afternoon of the 14th of Nissan. The Shulchan Aruch
(OC 468) rules that there is an issur melachah, a
prohibition against work, on the eve of Passover. A
similar prohibition is not found in regards to the eve
Two Moadim
of the other festivals. On a simple level, one might
It is fascinating to note that the Torah never
assume this prohibition is of a technical nature,
actually refers to the 15th day of Nissan as Pesach.
intended to allow proper attention to the many
Throughout the Torah, the festival of the 15th is
preparations needed for the seder night.9 However,
called Chag ha-Matzot. Even more fascinating, the
the Pnei Yehoshua (Pesachim 50a s.v. ba-mishna)
Torah actually refers to the afternoon of the 14th day refers to the aforementioned verse from Vayikra 23:5
of Nissan the eve of Passover as the moed of
as the source for this issur melachah. If so, this issur
Pesach.
melachah is not of a technical nature but is a function
The verse in Vayikra 23:5 states:
of the verse that refers to the afternoon of the 14th as
: Pesach. It is the formal moed status of Passover eve
: that creates the issur melachah.10
)-: (
These are the appointed seasons of the LORD, even
Separate Mitzvot for Separate Moadim
holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their
In light of our newfound perspective of Pesach
appointed season. In the first month, on the fourteenth and Chag ha-Matzot, we can perhaps gain greater
day of the month at dusk, is the LORDS Passover. And insight into the two Mitzvot of the Korban Pesach,
on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of
and explain the unique characteristics of the Korban
unleavened bread unto the LORD; seven days ye shall
Pesach outlined in the beginning of our discussion.
eat unleavened bread.
Perhaps there are two independent Mitzvot, to be
It emerges from a simple reading of the Torah that fulfilled at separate time periods, because the
Korban Pesach relates to two different, albeit related,
5 The primary requirement to be eaten certainly applies to
moadim. The mitzvah of slaughtering the Korban
not that case by Korban Pesach.5 Besides the general
need for it to be eaten, halacha also dictates a formal
obligation on the owner of the korban pesach (i.e.
the members of the chaburah for whom this Korban
Pesach was slaughtered) to eat the korban.
The korban itself (the )does not only require
consumption, but the individuals (the )are
obligated to consume the korban. It is for this
reason that the halacha mandates a specific amount,
a shiur Kezayit, which is the standard amount
of consumption necessary whenever the Torah
mandates a formal eating requirement.6

Korban Pesach as well, see Sefer Mitzvas ha-Melech, Aseh 55-56

s.v. u-lechora and s.v. al kol panim.
6 In another location, the Beit ha-Levi suggests an additional halacha that might hinge on this fundamental difference
between the need to be eaten and the requirement to eat. The
Mishna la-Melech (Hilchot Yesodei ha-Torah, 5:8) questions
if one can fulfill an eating obligation by eating raw food. The
Beit ha-Levi (3:51:4) quotes the Gemara in Menachos 99b that
implies that korbanot may be eaten raw, even though eating raw
food is not normally considered eating (for example, one would
not transgress the prohibition of neveilah by eating raw neveilah
meat). The Beit ha-Levi explains that this allowance to eat a
korban raw applies only because a korban merely needs to be
eaten. However, regarding eating obligations, where there is a
formal chiyuv achilah on the individual, the allowance to eat the
meat raw may not be applicable (and certainly not by Korban
Pesach where the verse itself prohibits eating the korban raw).

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7 The Netziv in Haamek Davar makes this observation in his

commentary on Vayikra 23:5.
8 Ostensibly the Chag ha-Matzot status continues for the rest of
the seven days, but see Haamek Davar Shemot 12:14.
9 A similar explanation is suggested by the Beit Yosef in another
context. The Gemara in Pesachim 6a records a need to begin
studying the laws of Passover thirty days before Passover. The
Beit Yosef (OC 429:1) suggests that this need may only apply
to Passover due to the myriad halachot that pertain to Passover,
and that a thirty day period would not be needed for the other
festivals that have far fewer halachot.
10 Similarly, the Vilna Gaon, in his commentary on Shulchan
Aruch (YD 399:9) notes the Torahs reference to the afternoon
of the 14th as a moed in parshat ha-moadim to explain a lenient
ruling of the Rema regarding the afternoon of the 14th that is
not found by the eve of the other festivals.

Pesach 2016

Pesach is associated with the moed of Pesach, the

afternoon of the 14th of Nissan. On that day we
slaughter the Korban Pesach to commemorate the
bravery of our ancestors in Egypt who slaughtered
the Egyptian god in broad daylight of the 14th and
adorned their doorposts with the blood of their
sacrifice (Shemot 12:6-7). However, we do not eat
the Korban Pesach on that day, rather we wait until
the evening, as the mitzvah of eating the Korban
Pesach is associated with the Chag ha-Matzot, the
15th day of Nissan. On that day we are commanded,
as an independent mitzvah, to eat a Kezayit of the
Korban Pesach. This eating must be done on that
night specifically, and with matzah and marror, to
commemorate how our ancestors ate the original
Korban Pesach on the night of the 15th during
the Exodus from Egypt, as the verse states, They
shall eat the meat on that night with Matzot and
marrorit is a Pesach to Hashem (Shemot 12:8-11).

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Pesach 2016

The Secret of Kabalat HaTorah (Maharal,

R. Tzadok, and Rav Y. Eibeishutz)
Rav Aryeh Leibowitz

n Tractate Bava Batra (74a) Chazal tell of an

Arab Merchant who brought the 2nd generation
Amora Rabbah Bar Bar Chana to see Har Sinai.
The Gemara relates that when they arrived, the
mountain was surrounded by scorpions that stood
like white donkeys. What does this image of Har
Sinai teach us about Matan Torah?
Scorpions and donkeys represent two primary
destroyers of man. Scorpions are known for their
sting, which has the ability to kill a human being
by injecting venom into his bloodstream. Indeed,
the Mishna in Pirkei Avos 2:10 notes the danger of
a scorpions sting, and Berachos 33a warns of the
ferociousness of the scorpion. The nature of the
scorpions attack is that it kills a person from within,
without causing any outward physical destruction of
the body.
In contrast, donkeys are known for their harsh
bite, which has the ability to crack a persons bone
structure. Indeed, in Pesachim 49b we read how R.
Akiva reminisced about his wayward youth when he
sought out opportunities to attack a Talmid Chacham
and bite him like a donkey. R. Akiva explained that
unlike a dogs bite that merely breaks the skin, the
bite of a donkey crushes ones bones. This nature of
the donkeys attack is that it kills a person from on
the outside, destroying the physical destruction of
the body.
The eternal stationing of Donkey-like scorpions
as sentries around Har Sinai reflects a certain reality
of the Har Sinai experience. Namely, that normal
human existence is negated by the experience of Har
Sinai. What transpired on that mountain was so
beyond humanity, it created a reality: the mountain
itself negates mans very existence. This negation of
man speaks to the totality of mans essence, both his
internal essence represented by the scorpion and
his external self represented by the donkey.1
What aspect of the Har Sinai experience caused

this reality? Chazal teach us it was the fact that

Hashem himself uttered the revelation of Torah that
nullified human existence. Shabbos 88b relates that
when the Jewish nation heard the commandments at
Har Sinai their souls departed them.
What became of those departed souls? Chazal
relate that after the souls of the Jewish nation
departed heavenly dew descended that resurrected
the deceased. (Shabbos 88b). R. Yonason Eibeishutz
is startled by this progression of events. Why
was it necessary for them to die if they would be
immediately resurrected?
His answer is important not only for
understanding the events of Har Sinai, but also for
our own avodas Hashem. R. Eibeishutz answers that
in order to be shayach to Torah, the Jewish nation
needed to experience a recreation. As they were,
they were not elevated enough to connect to Torah.
Only through departing their physical bodies and
leaving their insufficient spiritual station, were they
able to re-emerge as entirely new creation. Purified
and reborn, they were now able to proceed with
kabalas ha-Torah.2
And so it is with us. To be connected to Torah,
we too need to experience recreation. Even on the
individual level, the process of kabalas ha-Torah
must contain an element of rebirth and redefinition.
Chazal teach us that the Torah only abides by one
who brings death to himself over Torah (Berachos
63b). On the most basic level this means to be
dedicated to Torah to a degree that we sacrifice
physical comforts. In this spirit the Rambam advises
to forgo luxurious meals and limit sleep in pursuit of
Torah (Hilchos Talmud Torah 3:12). Perhaps, this
is also part of the reason we deny ourselves sleep,
and stay up all night on leil Shevuos learning and
preparing to re-receive Torah.
But this principle of Chazal can also be understood
on a more existential level. The Chazon

1 Based on Maharal, Netzach Yisrael 31

2 Yearos Devash, Derush 10

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Pesach 2016

Ish writes that the bringing death to oneself

described by Chazal refers to destroying our
superficial perceptions of life. In order to acquire
Torah one must be willing to redefine who he is,
realign his principles, and connect to a higher reality.
Only through this form of self-sacrifice can a person
live a spiritual Torah existence. The Yismach Moshe
suggests that this is what Chazal mean when they tell
us that righteous people in death are called living.
One is only alive spiritually, when his has successfully
brought an end to his mundane existence.3

3 Yismach Moshe, Be-Shalach

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Pesach 2016

Pesach: Why No Full Hallel on the Holiday

that Celebrates Song?
Rav Yehuda Turetsky

e experienced the incredible miracle of

Keriat Yam Suf on the 7th day of Pesach.
We broke from our former masters and
further established ourselves as free. Yet, the manner
in which we celebrate this day is perplexing. From
the choice of Haftarah and numerous other customs,
it is clear that Shira (song) plays a major role in
defining the essence of this day.1 Indeed, the Jews
song at Yam Suf is so significant it is recorded in the
Torah and we incorporate it into our daily prayers.
Yet, as has been noted, this is also the only Yom Tov
in which there is no recitation of full Hallel.2
Why would it be that specifically on the holiday
so focused on Shira that we do not recite Hallel, the
quintessential Jewish form of song?
One answer is cited by several Rishonim based on
Chazal.3 It is inappropriate to recite Hallel on a day
in which so many Egyptians drowned. We are very
happy and would like to sing Hallel, but our joy is
tempered. Within this approach, Hallel does appear
to fit with what the 7th day of Pesach is all about; we
just cant recite it out of sensitivity to the Egyptians
that lost their lives.
Perhaps one could suggest an additional answer.
Rav Moshe Wolfson (Emunat Itecha 7th day of
Pesach) has emphasized the spontaneous nature of
the song the Jewish people sang at Yam Suf. This was
not a pre-planned and organized song, but rather the
Jews instinctive reaction to a miracle. Maybe that
is another reason why Hallel isnt recited. It is a day
of song, but not the kind of formalized obligatory
singing Hallel usually represents.4 Instead, the Shira

we sing on the 7th day is one of spontaneous joy.

The 7th day of Pesach celebrates an incredible
miracle. That we dont recite Hallel is important
and reminds us of two ideas. One is that our own
joy must be tempered with sensitivity towards the
hardships of others. The other teaches us something
important about Avodat Hashem generally. Judaism
involves a lot of formal acts and requirements, and
they certainly have their place. The 7th day of Pesach
underscores the need to also worship Hashem with
spontaneity and excitement. Our instinctive reaction
should be towards God and we He has done for us.

1 See, for example, Rav Rosensweigs Torahweb article on the

7th day of Pesach - http://torahweb.org/torah/2002/moadim/
rros_pesach.html
2 See Talmud Erchin 10
3 See, for example, Talmud Sanhedrin 39b and Shibolei
HaLeket, Rosh Chodesh no. 174
4 There is some discussion whether Hallel should be perceived
as a formal obligation as opposed to more spontaneous song.

That is beyond the scope of this brief Devar Torah.

Rav Yehuda Turetsky is a Shana Bet Rebbe, an alum of the Yeshiva and lives with his wife and children at Shaalvim Yeshiva

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Pesach 2016

Pesach: Leaving Mitzrayim, Thinking Big

Rav Ari Waxman

lready at the time of the Brit Ben HaBitarim,

the Covenant Between the Parts, when
Avraham Avinu was told that his children
will experience a difficult time during the Egyptian
exile, Hashem also informs him that his children will
leave Egypt with a very significant amount of wealth.
Vachrei chein yeitzu brchush gadol- And afterward
they will leave with great wealth (Breishit 15, 14).
Here, at this central and fundamental revelation
regarding the redemption of Bnei Yisrael from Egypt,
which is also the paradigm of future redemptions
(Bresihit Rabba 44,17), we find Hashem making
a promise that the Jews will leave Egypt with
significant wealth.
We see, in fact, that the Jews completely wiped out
Mitzrayim from all of their money, as the Gemara
teaches:
VaYinatzlu et Mizrayim- Says Rabbi Ami: This
teaches that they left it (Egypt) like an citadel without
wheat. And Reish Lakish says: They made it like a net
without fish. (Tractate Brachot 9b)
While using different imagery to portray the
financial loss Egypt incurred, either a citadel without
wheat or the depths of the ocean without fish, both R
Ami and Reish Lakish agree that the Jews left Egypt
with all of Egypts wealth.
In addition, not only did the Jews get rich from the
possessions they took from the Egyptians before they
left, they also continued to accumulate wealth from
the riches that were washed ashore after the crossing
of the sea. As the Midrash teaches:
?

(
,)
) ( .
What is the relevance of this financial piece within

the great events of Bnei Yisrael leaving Mitzrayim?

Is getting rich in fact an essential component in the
geulah from Egypt?
Rav Kook explains this idea in his commentary on
Aggadata, . The in tells us that
had to ask to encourage the Jews to take the
Egyptians wealth before they left because on their
own the Jews wouldnt want to remain in for
another minute. The compares this situation to
that of a person being held in jail and is freed. Upon
being freed his liberators tell him to run out of prison
and grab some money too. He just wants to get out
and feels like telling them, Just get me out, forget
about the money. The tells us that the reason
for this additional component of taking Mitzrayims
wealth was that Hashem wanted to make sure that
He brought about the fulfillment of the promise to
Avraham Avinu, Vachrei chein yeitzu brchush
gadol.
Again, why was it important that Am Yisrael
becomes wealthy at this point in time?
Rav Kook explains that at this point, the birth of
the Jewish nation, an extreme change was necessary
to take place in the mindset of the Jews of that time.
We had taken on a small minded mentality through
our years of slavery. We had to undergo a transition
whereby we would break out of a small, constricted,
shlepper mentality which is basically concerned with
worrying about where the next meal is going to come
from. As the Sfas Emes explains, we had to break
out of from the of , patience.
We became too patient, tolerant, complacent with
our own shlepper mentality. The development of
the Jewish nation required us to start thinking big,
thinking first class, beyond worrying about where
the next buck is going to come from. Were meant to
make an impact on the word, and as such we had to

Rav Ari Waxman is the Menahel (Director & Dean) of the Moty Hornstein Institute for Overseas Students at Yeshivat Shaalvim.
He is an alumnus of the Yeshiva and lives in the neighboring community of Nof Ayalon with his wife and children.
He has been with the Yeshiva for close to 30 years.

Shaalvim Reader

Pesach 2016

become a little bit classier, a little bit bigger, Vachrei

chein yeitzu brchush gadol!
It is for this reason, writes Rav Kook, that the
explains that Hashem asked Moshe to approach
Bnei Yisrael and try to convince them to take the
wealth of Egypt before they leave. Regarding this
point, taking Egypts money, we dont receive a direct
commandment, but rather we are persuaded to do
it. This shows that attaining wealth was not the goal
itself, but rather it is a means towards reaching the
end goal, enabling the Jews to start thinking big.
Therefore Hashem says , please try to
convince them.
This is the meaning, explains Rav Kook, of the
in the regarding a person in jail. A person
in jail is totally limited by his confines. Not only do
the walls around him constrict him physically, they
also confine his vision, they dont let him aspire
for greatness. Here an outsider is needed to lend a
helping hand and enable the small minded person to
break out of his box and see the great opportunities
that exist for him in life. Because the small minded
person cant see the great opportunities he only sees
the specific in front of him - get out of jail! Only the
outside liberator can help him see beyond his nose
and help him realize the greatness he can achieve.
Of course there is the , the iron furnace,
aspect of our experience in Egypt, the feelings of
submission which were cultivated in which
we then direct towards our Creator once we were
taken out. At the same time, were expected not to
underestimate our potential and become the highest,
most sophisticated, first-class, broad minded, noble
people we can become. Accumulating the wealth of
helped contribute towards this transition from
small minded slaves to men of great vision. Vachrei
chein yeitzu brchush gadol!

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Pesach 2016

On Gratitude
Rav Yehezkel Yakovson

arshat Shmot raises one of the most

challenging and important values, the value
of gratitude. Why is gratitude challenging?
Because gratitude is inherently accompanied by a
feeling of debt. So many people, instead of trying to
pay back the debt in some way or showing gratitude,
prefer the easy way out, denying the fact that a favor
was done or erasing the subject from their memory.
When we study Parshat Shmot in general, or when
we go deeper and study the relations between the
Jews and the Egyptians specifically, some surprising
things are revealed.
We can say that these are a reflection- God
created these things in opposition - gratitude versus
ungratefulness.
The Egyptians were an ungrateful nation.
Vayakam melech chadas asher lo yada et Yosef And
a new king arose who did not know Yosef. Chazal
say on that phrase- He made believe he did not
know Yosef . Pharaoh forgot and caused his people
to forget the kindness that Yosef had shown them.
The same Pharaoh who did not know Yosef later
says Lo yadati et Hashem - I did not know God.
This is where Chazal coined the phrase All those
who turn their backs on the kindness of a friend are
destined to turn their backs on the kindness of God.
Just like there is no limit to gratitude, in parallel,
there is no limit to ungratefulness.
Being ungrateful is an Egyptian value. Vlo
zachar sar hamashkim et Yosef, vayishkachehu. The
chief wine steward did not remember Yosef, and he
forgot him. In order to have gratitude one needs to
have long term memory and observation. It seems
that from his position of power as the chief wine
steward it was easy for him to forget Yosef, who was
imprisoned at the time. It is possible that he was
thinking to himself, What did he really do for me?

In opposition to the Egyptians and their

ungratefulness we observe the Jewish nation in
general, and Moshe in particular. The Torah warns
us Lo tetaev mitzri ki ger hayita beartzo Do not
despise the Egyptians because you were foreigners in
their land. You were a foreigner in their land? Was
that a five star hotel? You were tortured, enslaved,
your children were thrown into the Nile! And even
so, the Torah teaches us a very difficult lesson, forces
us to ignore all that for the moment, and concentrate
on one specific positive point - You were foreigners
in their land.
Chazal also teach us that Moshe refrains from
hitting the Nile and the dirt during the plagues that
were brought on Egypt, because the Nile saved him
when he was an infant and the dirt covered the
Egyptian he killed. Moshe held back from hitting
them as an expression of gratitude. How can we talk
about gratitude towards water and dirt, inanimate
objects who feel nothing? We learn and internalize
the value of gratitude from Moshes behavior. We
learn to develop the quality of observing the good
and focusing on all the positive that surrounds us
without dwelling on the negative.
The Shita Mekubetzet on Bava Kama (92b) relays
a story that Rabbi Yosef Ibn MGash tells about
Rabeinu Yitzchak Alfasi (The Rif) on the subject
of gratitude towards something inanimate- the
bathhouse.
The story about the Rif is that he became ill and
visited the home of a man who had a bathhouse in
his house. The man invited him to stay in his house
and treated him with a lot of respect and the Rif
remained there until he recovered. Subsequently, this
man became entangled in debts and lost his fortune
and had to have the value of his bathhouse assessed
in order to sell it to cover his debts. Rabeinu Yitzchak

Rav Yehezkel Yakovson has been Rosh Yeshiva for the past 11 years and has been affiliated with
Yeshivat Shaalvim for 42 years, arriving as a student in the hesder program and continuing through this year.
Rav Yakovson will be retiring at the end of the academic year

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Pesach 2016

said I cannot sit in judgement on the case of the

bathhouse- not to assess it or evaluate its worth,
because I derived pleasure from it. This was said
about an inanimate object that has no feelings, all
the more so for people who feel and can benefit from
gratitude, or be harmed by the lack of gratitude.
Now God is asking Moshe to go to Egypt and
save the Jewish people. Moshe displays resistance
because of his feeling of gratitude towards Yitro, his
father-in-law. God agrees with him in principle and
instructs him to ask Yitros permission. In the words
of the Midrash: And when God says to Moshe: Go
to Pharaoh, Moshe tells God: Master of the World,
I cannot, because Yitro accepted me and opened his
house to me and I am like a son to him. And one
owes his life to the person who opens his house to
him. Not only that, but he has to respect him more
than he respects his own parents. And this is what
Moshe said to God: Master of the world, Yitro
took me in and treated me with respect, how can
I go without his permission? That is why it says
Vayelech Moshe vayashav el Yeter chotno.Vayomar
Hashem el Moshe Bemidyan And Moshe went and
returned to Yeter his father in lawAnd Hashem
spoke to Moshe in Midyan. God spoke to him at
the burning bush and now repeated the message in
Midyan. (Midrash Tanchuma Shmot: 16)
One who remembers a kindness acquires the
quality of gratitude. He becomes accustomed to
looking at things in a favorable light and stops
focusing on the negative. He sees all the good that
envelopes him in this world, the positive qualities of
the people surrounding him, and, no less important,
the good in himself. The opposite of the quality of
gratitude is when the focus is only on the negative
and the bad. This is the quality of Bilam and his
fellow evil-doers. They focus exclusively on the
negative and on what they are missing.
The Midrash says: Ubeten reshaim techaser
and the stomach of the evil people will be lacking
for something. These are the idol worshipers. The
story is told of an idol worshiper who held a big feast
for all the people in his town. Rabbi Dustai tells: I
was invited to this feast with all the people in my
town and the table was full of all the delicacies in
the world, the only thing missing were hard nuts.
What did the idol worshiper do? He broke the table
which was more beautiful than six loaves of silver.

Shaalvim Reader

I asked him: Why did you do that? He said to me

You say that this world belongs to us and the world
to come belongs to you. If we do not eat now, when
will we eat? On this I say And the stomach of the
evil people will be lacking for something. (Midrash
Tanchuma Pinchas: 13)
When ungrateful people lack one thing they fell as
if they have nothing!
The foundation of gratitude lies with the
commandment to honor your father and mother.
Honoring your parents is compared to honoring
God, for it says that one who shows gratitude to a
friend will show gratitude to God, and the opposite is
also true.
The attribute of gratitude, besides being ethically
and morally valuable and necessary, benefits the
person himself. The ungrateful person is a miserable
person. A person who appreciates the good around
him, who values the good in himself, his friends, his
family and God is a happy person.

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Emet vYatziv vTov vYafeh: To Remember

and Recount the Fundamentals of Faith
Rav Yehezkel Yakovson
This article is based on a lecture presented in Hebrew
to the students of Yeshivat Shaalvim the week of
Parshat Bo. This version will appear in a volume to be
printed later this year in tribute to the Rosh Yeshiva
upon his retirement.

On the Heart and on the Brain

The mitzvah of tefillin appears at the end of our
parashah: And it will be for a sign on your hand and
as ornaments between your eyes, that with a mighty
Hand G-d took us out of Mitzrayim. ( Shemot 13:16)
This verse clearly implies that the mitzvah of tefillin
is also a zecher to Yetziat Mitzrayim, and as we
will see further on, it also illustrates the educational
approach we presented.
The mitzvah of tefillin is composed of two parts:
tefillin shel yad (tefillin of the hand) which is placed
facing ones heart and represents feelings and
emotion; and tefillin shel rosh (tefillin of the head),
which is placed facing the brain and represents the
intellectual functions of knowledge and thought.
Chazal said: One who speaks between one tefillin
and the next, has committed a transgression. ( Sotah
44b) That is, it is prohibited to speak and create a
break between laying tefillin on ones hand and laying
tefillin on ones head. Based on what was mentioned,
we can say that since the essence of the mitzvah of
tefillin is educational, and a well-rounded education
must appeal to both the intellect and emotions, one
may not separate between both parts. Knowledge
without an emotional connection is meaningless; as
is an emotional connection without knowledge.
However, despite the great importance placed on
the combination between these two factors in the
education process, its important to remember that
not all humans are created equal. There are people
whose intellectual side is stronger, and there are
others who are more connected to their emotional
side. Providing each person with the perfect
education is dependent on finding the perfect blend
between both factors. The educator must know his
students well in order to figure out the right dosage
for each one of them.

ur entire parashah from beginning to end

deals with the story of Yetziat Mitzrayim
(the Exodus from Egypt). The Ramban, at
the end of the parashah (Shemot 13:16), as well as
Rabbi Yehudah HaLevi in his sefer HaKuzari (Maamar
1:11 25), note that Yetziat Mitzrayim is an essential,
fundamental part of our emunah (faith) in fact, our
emunah is based on it.
Many of our mitzvot serve as a remembrance
of Yetziat Mitzrayim (zecher litziat Mitzrayim):
Shabbat, the Chagim, tefillin, and more. There are
even two specific mitzvot designed to remember and
speak about Yetziat Mitzrayim. Twice daily during
keriat Shema, we fulfill the mitzvah of remembering
Yetziat Mitzrayim, and once a year, on Seder night,
we fulfill the mitzvah of retelling the story of Yetziat
Mitzrayim to our children.
Retelling the story of Yetziat Mitzrayim is one
of two educational mitzvot that are required
medOraita (from the Torah). The other is the mitzvah
of learning Torah with ones children, vlemadtem
otam et benechem. (Devarim 11:19) The reason
the Torah commands every Jewish father to learn
Torah with his son and to tell him the story of Yetziat
Mitzrayim is because these two mitzvot complement
each other in their educational functions. The mitzvah
of Torah study was designated to broaden the sons
knowledge it appeals to his mind. On the other
hand, the mitzvah of relating the story of Yetziat
Mitzrayim was designated to solidify the sons feelings
and perceptions of emunah it appeals to his heart.
The ideal chinuch (education) interlaces transmission
of knowledge with arousal of the emotional side and
excitement. If one of these factors is missing, the
chinuch wont be complete.
Shaalvim Reader

Light versus Heat

The story is told that during the Chanukat HaBayit
ceremony of the great beit midrash of the Ruzhin

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Chassidic dynasty, two brothers, both leaders of

the Chassidut, came to see the new, glorious beit
midrash. One of them asked, How will it be possible
to keep such a huge beit midrash well-lit? While the
other one wondered, How will it be possible to keep
such a huge beit midrash well-heated?
Both light and heat are essential. Without either
one of them, the beit midrash cannot function. Yet,
there are those who notice the lighting, and there
are those for whom heating is more important. The
symbolic difference between these two questions
in the story can represent the difference between
the educational need to appeal to the intellect, and
the real educational need to arouse the emotions.
It is important to know how to maintain a balance
between these two functions, so that every talmid
(student) in the beit midrash will be able to fill his
needs, according to his unique personality.
These two components of chinuch are mentioned
in keriat Shema, when we discuss the story of
Yetziat Mitzrayim, as well as the mitzvah to teach
our children Torah. Immediately after the recital
of the morning keriat Shema, we say Emet
vYatziv, a paragraph that describes our relation to
HaKadosh Baruch Hus words. There are two types
of descriptions in this paragraph: emet (true), yatziv
(steady), nachon (proper) factual, intellectual
descriptions. Immediately afterwards, we say: yafeh
(beautiful), nechmad (pleasant), ahuv (beloved)
descriptions of feelings and emotions. It follows
that immediately after keriat Shema, we are
demonstrating the connection of both facets and the
importance of each of them in creating a complete
structure of a believing Jew.

one of the four very different sons: the wise son, the
wicked son, the simpleton, and the son who does not
know how to ask. Each of the sons needs an exact
answer for his position in life; otherwise, he will not
internalize the answer, and his father will have failed
in his chinuch. The father, as an educator, must find
the proper dosage for each one of his sons, as well as
the ideal combination between intellectual study and
appealing to his emotions.
Each Childs Questions
The Sefat Emet on the Haggadah2 explains that the
description of the four sons provides an explanation
for varied emunah questions that gnaw at and weigh
on every single one of us. The wise son inside us
asks emunah questions that deal with logic and
knowledge; the wicked son inside us who refuses to
bend to authority asks provocative questions; the
simple son inside us looks for what would serve our
best interests; and the son who doesnt know how to
ask leads us to express indifference and unwillingness
to listen.
We must learn how to cope with these four types
of questions raised by the four sons inside of us.
We must learn how to answer each one based on
whats most correct for it. Actually, it is expected of
each one of us to figure out how to find the perfect
combination between the intellectual side and the
emotional side and to answer correctly, based on the
questioners personality.
In yeshivah, on the general educational level, in
addition to the need to give personal attention to
every student according to his needs, the educator
must also know how to transmit the varied fields of
Torah study and service of G-d. The students must
learn both iyun (in-depth study) and halachah,
emunah and machshavah (philosophy) in a
way that will reach every talmid (student), via the
varied styles of study suited to his varied needs.
The yeshivah must know how to juggle between the
brain and the heart, between intellect and emotion,
between emunah and knowledge and exciting
experiences and solid study, in order to enable each
student to receive a complete education that fits his
needs.

The Educational Challenge

Educators face a tremendous challenge; finding a
balanced, proper educational track for every single
student is not simple. The importance of charting
the right course is emphasized in the commentaries
of the author of the Haggadah, and of Rashi in
our parashah,1 which describes how one should
recount to ones son the story of Yetziat Mitzrayim
the description is repeated in the parashah four
times, with slight changes. Rashi and the author
of the Haggadah both suggest that each repetition
is discussing another chinuch method, specific to
1 Shemot 13:14.

2 Sefat Emet al HaHaggadah s.v., kneged arba banim.

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Tell The Child In This Generation

Rav Yehezkel Yakovson
This presentation was made at a Shaalvim alumni
event for those who have made Aliyah. Shaalvim has
many hundreds of male and female alumni of the
overseas programs who have since made Israel their
home. The event was entitled: To Be A Jew: Past,
Present & Future, and included this presentation
along with one by Rav Michael Yammer. The evening
concluded with an interview of Mr. Natan Sharansky
conducted by Rav Yehoshua Fass, founder of Nefesh
BNefesh and a parent at Yeshivat Hesder Shaalvim.

of belief and on Pesach we say Mekadesh Yisrael

Vehazmanim- who sanctifies Israel and the festive
seasons. We have to translate it differently today. This
is a light that of freedom that shines that is appropriate
for this time. We translate Yetziat Mitzraim as the
exodus to freedom. We accept and translate for now
and tell our child: you will have to pass this down to
future generations.
For example, today we cant talk about slavery in
the literal sense of slaves who work in enslavement.
We dont see that nowadays. But we can certainly talk
about slavery in terms of addictions. We are enslaved
to this new type of slavery. How do we free ourselves
from addictions? For example, people who are
addicted to their work. People who sit in golden cages,
work at excellent jobs, earn large salaries, but are slaves
to their work. They are constantly racing, rushing, and
like our fathers in Egypt, dont even have a minute to
stop and think about where they are headed.
We have to take this message of freedom and pass
it on to the next generation. We tell the child, you
will take this message and pass on an appropriate
message to the next generation. The tremendous
thing is that we are giving him/her a mission. The
child understands that (s)he is a link in the chain of
the generations and that (s)he has a purpose. It is
like a relay race where every runner is part of a team.
Each runner passes the flag on to the next runner
who then has to run his best race, at his pace, with his
own capabilities. We can use this example of how our
forefathers each ran the race at their own pace. For
example, maybe they were barefoot, and we run with
better shoes, and our children will be running with
Nike sneakers and the best equipment, but they will
still have to run. Who knows how future generations
will run, but they will have a part in this relay race
until we bring the flag to the finish line.
This point, that the light of freedom takes the past
and brings it to the future, is the most important
mission of each generation. What we gain from this is
that it gives us the insight that we are not alone, we are

very year families sit together on a very special

night, a very exciting night,the night of the
Seder. Some families are even privileged to
celebrate together with a few generations. The main
point of the the Seder is telling the story to our
children : Vehegadeta Lebincha- And you shall tell
your son. I will focus my remarks on tying together
Vehegadeta Lebincha to the past, present and future.
What is the central message of the Seder? We tell
the story of Yetziat Mitzraim, the exodus from Egypt.
We do not tell it as a story that once happened, but
as a story that speaks to us now. We say that Yetziat
Mitzraim speaks to us. The story shines a special light
on us now, one that is unique for this time. We tell our
children: You should know that we are now telling
you a story that our fathers told us. My father told me
this story that his father told him and his grandfather
told him. And I am telling you this story now so that
you can pass it on to future generations.
In every generation the story changes. The story
of Yetziat Mitzraim itself does not change, but the
message shines with a different light. We say, for
example, on Chanuka, Sheasa nisim laavoteinu
bayamim hahem bazman hazeh -who performed
miracles for our forefathers in those days, in this time.
In the Chassidic texts it says that Bayamim Hahem in those days, there was a miracle, but it shines now,
Bazman Hazeh -in these times, with a special light.
On Shavuot a light of Matan Torah shines. On Sukkot
there shines a light of Tzila Dehemnuta- the shadow
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a part of something huge and we pass this feeling on

to those who come after us. We tie together the past,
present and the future and we have a mission. This is a
tremendous thing.
I want to conclude with a story. Every year I have
been privileged to celebrate the Seder with our
extended family, including my parents, they should
live and be well. My mother is a survivor of Auschwitz,
she has a tattoo with a number on her arm. We grew
up as children in a happy family. We never heard
stories of the Holocaust, of suffering and difficulties.
My mother participated in the March of Death, but
never shared the horrors with us. My mother was in
Auschwitz from age 16 until 17, but the stories we
heard were stories of courage of the spirit. When she
was released from Auschwitz she weighed 29 kilo
(64 pounds). She told us how the Nazis succeeded
in breaking her body, but they never succeeded in
breaking her spirit. This is the message we would hear
from her every year at the Seder on Pesach.
My parents were privileged to raise a large family,
over 150 descendants; children, grandchildren and
great grandchildren. One of them, Moshiko Plesser
was present at a terror attack in Jerusalem four or five
years ago when an Arab terrorist in a tractor ran into
a crowd of people. Moshiko Plesser was a soldier, just
two months into his army service. He ran down Jaffa
Road, grabbed a pistol from a police officer who was
in shock, climbed onto the moving tractor, opened the
door of the tractor, and shot three bullets and killed
the terrorist. Moshiko Plesser is my nephew, my sisters
son. They asked Moshiko where did you get strength
and the courage from? And his answer was I got
my strength and courage from my grandmother.
His grandmother never spoke to him about killing
terrorists in tractors, but this is what he got from her.
Nothing will break our spirit, that is what we will
take with us. For him, a grandmother who survived
Auschwitz, a grandmother who maintains her spirit
in every situation, this message can take him to Jaffa
Road and give him the strength and courage to kill
a terrorist who is attacking innocent people. The
message changes from person to person.
The story doesnt end there. Moshiko Plesser
received a medal from The General Commanding
Officer. The ceremony was called for four oclock
in the afternoon in Jerusalem. The General
Commanding Officer was ready to begin the

Shaalvim Reader

ceremony when he was told that Moshikos

grandmother was still making her way slowly
down the steps. He was familiar with her story and
instructed everyone to wait for her, saying that a
grandmother who survived the Death March deserves
to be present when her grandson receives a medal
from the army for bravery.
So freedom, Pesach, and Vehegadeta Lebincha are
all one thing to take from the story of Egypt. While the
story is the same the message changes from generation
to generation. May we be worthy to pass on the
message to each person in his generation, in his place,
in his time. We pray that our children should hear the
message the way that we want to pass it on to them.

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Pesach 2016

We Will Reveal Your Name

Rav Yehezkel Yakovson
This article is based on a lecture presented in Hebrew
to the students of Yeshivat Shaalvim the week of
Parshat Vaera. This version will appear in a volume to
be printed later this year in tribute to the Rosh Yeshiva
upon his retirement.

Pharaoh and his magicians admitted: And the

magicians said to Pharaoh: This is the finger of
G-d.4 That is, Hashems involvement in nature as
was apparent in the plagues proved that HaKadosh
Baruch Hu supervises and runs the world. This
revelation was considerably clearer than the
revelation of the Creation, but it still did not involve
a dialogue between HaKadosh Baruch Hu and His
nation.
The greatest revelation is found in the ten dibrot,
when HaKadosh Baruch Hu revealed Himself with
signs and wonders and even more. Hashem
communicated directly with the Chosen nation and
revealed to them their mission in this world. Indeed,
some commentators noted that the maamarot,
makkot, and dibrot are connected in that they denote
a gradual revelation of Heavens name.
Perhaps we will focus on another aspect that can
be derived from this connection. We must relate
to the revelation at Har Sinai, not as a one-time
occurrence, but as a constant Giving of the Torah.
We must view the Torah in general even for
generations as a form of Hashems revelation in
the world. In light of this perception, we actually
have a wide scale of the various levels of Hashems
revelation.
The ten maamarot represent the most hidden level
of HaKadosh Baruch Hus appearance nature. A
person has to invest much work and contemplation
if he wants to cling to his Creator through the ten
maamarot. The second time, HaKadosh Baruch Hu
revealed Himself to the nation in a more tangible
way, through clear miracles, during the ten makkot.
But this level of connection was not long-lasting. It
was a one-time occurrence, which will never happen
again. In contrast, the third time was the average of
the two previous revelations. HaKadosh Baruch Hu
revealed Himself at Har Sinai, via the Giving of the
Torah. From the time of Kabbalat HaTorah, every

ur parashah describes the process that led to

Yetziat Mitzrayim (the Exodus from Egypt),
and most of the ten makkot (plagues) are
described here. Aside from being a punishment for
the Egyptians, the makkot served another purpose.
So that you will realize that there is none like Me in
the whole world.1 The makkot constitute a proof that
HaKadosh Baruch exists and supervises everything,
punishing the wicked and repaying good reward to
the righteous.
Many Midrashim2 and Chassidic works3 attempt
to connect between the ten maamarot (utterances)
with which the world was created, the ten makkot,
and the ten dibrot. One common theme found in
these three tens is that they all include an aspect
of Hashems revelation in the world. The creation
of the world is the greatest revelation of Hashems
actions in this world; however, since man was only
created at the end of the process, he was born into
a complete world. As such, what he had to do was
gaze at creation and recognize the Creator from
the wondrous creation. So although Hashem did
reveal Himself, it was a hidden (heelem) revelation.
Semantically, ( world) is similar to ( hidden).
During the ten makkot, on the other hand,
the revelation was tangible and completely
unquestionable. The clarity was so stark that even
1 Shemot 9:14.
2 Pesikta Rabbati 21: The ten dibrot were uttered parallel to
the ten maamarot with which the world was created the ten
dibrot were uttered parallel to the ten makkot that G-d brought
on the Egyptians in Egypt.
3 Sefat Emet, Vaera 735: My grandfather, my teacher would
say that the ten makkot were parallel to the ten maamarot, and
through this, they arrived at the ten dibrot.

Shaalvim Reader

4 Shemot 8:15.

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Jew who learns Torah merits attaching himself to

HaKadosh Baruch Hu. The Torah provides a person
with the right hashkafah, gives him the proper
focus, and gives him meaning in life. While two
extremes of Hashems revelation exist: completely
hidden, in nature; and completely revealed, in the
makkot, there is a way to attain the golden medium
of experiencing Hashems revelation: through the
Torah. This medium of studying Torah and observing
its commandments is the best of these three ways to
attain closeness to Hashem.

Hu, whenever he wants. The ten dibrot the

Torah and the mitzvot help a person realize that
even the natural occurrences are actually miracles.
Indeed, the purpose of the makkot was to instill
within us the knowledge that HaKadosh Baruch Hu
exists and is active in His world, even when He seems
to be hidden. This is what the Ramban writes at the
end of Parashat Bo:
A person has no connection in Moshe our Teachers
Torah until we believe that all our matters and
occurrences are miracles; there is no element of nature
or the ordinary course of the world at all7
Therefore, the ten maamarot correspond to
nature, and the ten makkot, to matters above nature.
Because we know that HaKadosh Baruch Hu controls
matters that are above nature, we subsequently know
that He also controls and is involved in all natural
processes in Creation. We attain this knowledge and
recognition through the Torah.

Torah: Closeness to Hashem

The Midrash relates that HaKadosh Baruch Hu
came to visit Avraham Avinu after he fulfilled
the commandment of brit milah (circumcision).
And then, when Avraham noticed three wayfarers
whom he thought were Arabs he leaves
HaKadosh Baruch Hu, so to speak, and goes to
fulfill the mitzvah of hachnasat orchim (welcoming
guests). How can we understand this? We know
that welcoming guests is greater than receiving the
Divine presence.5 But how did Avraham know this?
And what is the significance of the import of the
matter?
Receiving the Divine presence, simply cannot be
compared to fulfilling an actual mitzvah. When a
person does a mitzvah, like welcoming guests, for
example, he is actually clinging to HaKadosh Baruch
Hus ways and subsequently meriting active closeness
to Hashem, as opposed to passive revelation. So it
is regarding Torah study: when a Jew studies Torah,
he is being active and becoming close to HaKadosh
Baruch Hu through his own efforts. As a result,
he attains loftier levels than someone who merits
Divine revelation without having exerted any effort.
Chazal expounded: The visions a maidservant saw
at Sea, Yechezkel ben Buzi the kohen did not see.6
The Kotzker Rebbe comments on this: True, the
maidservant saw loftier visions than Yechezkel saw,
but despite it all, she still remained a maidservant
At the revelation at Har Sinai, HaKadosh Baruch
Hu showed us a way to cling to Him, throughout all
the generations. The Torah is not limited by time or
place; it is eternal. A Jew always has the opportunity
to become close to HaKadosh Baruch

The Creation and Torah

These comments intensify our understanding of
Psalm 19 in Tehillim, which begins with great praises
about Creation:
The heavens recount the glory of G-d and the
firmament proclaims His handiwork. Day to day utters
speech, and night to night expresses knowledge. There
is no speech, and there are no words, without their
sound being heard. Over all the earth does their course
proceed, and to the end of the world their words; for
the sun has He set a tent in them. And it is like a
groom coming out from his bridal canopy; it rejoices
like a mighty warrior to run the course. From the end
of the heavens is its origin, and its circuit is over their
boundaries; indeed nothing is hidden from its heat.
If a person contemplates Creation, he will
understand the greatness of the Creator. But
immediately afterward, the chapter changes track and
begins praising the Torah:
G-ds Torah is perfect, restoring the soul; the
testimony of G-d is faithful, making wise the simpleton.
G-ds precepts are upright, gladdening the heart; G-ds
commandment is illuminating, enlightening the eyes.
The fear of G-d is pure, enduring forever; the judgments
of G-d are true, righteous altogether. They are more
desirable than gold and much fine gold, and are sweeter
than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.

5 Shabbat 127a.
6 Yalkut Shimoni, Shemot 15:244.

7 Ramban on Shemot 13:16.

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Belief Born of Torah

The Rambams comments regarding Moshe seem to
coincide with the above concept. He writes:
The Jewish People didnt believe in Moshe Rabbeinu
because of the signs that he made. One who bases his
belief on signs will always harbor some uncertainty
in his heart and wonder if magic or sorcery was used
to create the sign. Regarding Moshe, however, all the
signs that he performed in the desert were done as
the need arose; they were not intended to serve as
proof of his prophecy. When it was necessary to drown
the Egyptians, he split the sea and drowned them;
when they needed food, he brought down the manna;
when they were thirsty, he hit the rock; when Korachs
followers rebelled against him, the earth swallowed
them up; and so it was regarding the rest of the signs.
So what caused them to actually believe in him at
the revelation at Har Sinai? It was because they saw
with their own eyes and heard with their own ears
the lightning and thunder and the fiery torches. They
watched him approach the thick fog and heard the
Voice speaking to him: Moshe, Moshe! Go tell them
such-and-such. And then he repeated G-ds word to
them, which he had heard face-to-face. Indeed, the
verse states: Not with our ancestors did G-d form this
covenant. And how do we know that only the
revelation at Har Sinai is the proof that Moshes

prophecy is impeccably true? As it says, Behold I am

going to come to you in the thickness of the cloud, so
that the nation will hear Me speaking to you, and
they will believe in you, too, for eternity. This teaches
us that previous to this, their belief in him was not
eternal; it was belief tempered with uncertainty.9
The revelation at Har Sinai was the validity of
belief. Whoever believed in signs, his belief has
flaws. The proof of Moshe Rabbeinus mission was
the revelation at Har Sinai. The Rambam proves this
from the verse, And He said, I will be with you and
this will be the sign that I sent you: when you take
the nation out of Egypt, you will serve G-d on this
mountain.10 Therefore, the revelation at Har Sinai
is greater than the makkot in Mitzrayim and all the
signs.
Its clear that the Rambam is not endeavoring
to teach us the simple meaning of the verses; his
instruction is a lesson for all future generations:
Do not yearn for open miracles. The revelation at
Har Sinai, the crux of which was the Giving of the
Torah, was greater than all the miracles and signs
in Mitzrayim. Someone who learns Torah merits
seeing miracles and his eyes are opened. This is a
fundamental message, especially in our generation.
Nowadays, there are people who do not observe the
Torah and mitzvot, but they are connected to rabbis
who perform miracles. It is imperative to remember
that miracles are marginal matters. A tzaddik
becomes a tzaddik because he fulfills Hashems will.
The story is told about two chassidim who were
arguing about whose Rebbe was greater. The first one
said: My Rebbe is greater. He falls into the category
of a tzaddik decrees and HaKadosh Baruch Hu
fulfills his decree! The second man answered: To the
contrary, my Rebbe is greater, because falls into the
category of HaKadosh Baruch Hu decrees and the
tzaddik fulfills His decree!
Do you want to reveal HaKadosh Baruch Hu? You
have the Torah. You can connect to Him through the
Torah.11 If only we will merit to understand what we

8 See the Maharals Derech Chaim 6:2: And David was hinting to something in the psalm The heavens recount the glory
of G-d. This psalm has seven verses until it reaches the verse
G-ds Torah is perfect, which is the eighth. And it is known
that this world encompasses seven, which are the days of Creation, and the Torah is higher than the world. Therefore he arranged the eighth verse to read, G-ds Torah is perfect, which
discusses the Torah.

9 Rambam, Hilchot Yesodei HaTorah 8:1.

10 Shemot 3:12.
11 See Midrash Shemot Rabbah 33:1: And you have merchandise that the one who sells it is sold along with it. G-d said to
the Jewish nation: I sold you My Torah, and so to speak, I was
sold along with it, as it states: And they shall take for Me a
contribution. This can be compared to a king who had an only
daughter. A nobleman came and wed her, and wanted to return
to his kingdom with his wife. The king said, The daughter I gave

What is the connection between the two halves of

the psalm? The answer is that King David is teaching
us two possible ways to reveal HaKadosh Baruch
Hu. The first way is through contemplating nature.
If a person contemplates nature, he will discover
the Creator. But there is a higher level: one can
reveal HaKadosh Baruch Hu and connect to Him
through Torah study. When someone learns Torah,
he tangibly feels the closeness to Hashem, and this
connection gives him immense pleasure: upright,
gladdening the heart, enlightening the eyes.8 The
Torah is the highest form of connection between
HaKadosh Baruch Hu and man.

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have the revelation of HaKadosh Baruch Hu to

Moshe at Har Sinai: And they will then also believe
in you forever.12 This is also an instruction for all
generations: Every single one of us has the ability to
merit Divine revelation. There is no reason to wait
for the Ribbono shel Olams revelation through clear
miracles; we possess a level of belief that is higher:
the very emunah that is completely untainted the
ability to see HaKadosh Baruch Hu through the
Torah.

you is my only daughter. I cannot depart from her. I cannot tell

you not to take her to your kingdom; she is your wife. However,
do me this one favor: wherever you go, build a room for me to
live alongside you, as I cannot give up my daughter.
12 Shemot 19:9.

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Wholeness: Intellect and Feelings

Rav Michael Yammer
This article is based on a talk given by Rav Michael
Yammer the week of Parshat Bo.

The concept Zecher leyetziat Mitzrayim, a

memorial of the exodus from Egypt, is found
in many commandments. For example, Tefillin,
Mezuzot, and even Kiddush on Shabbat, so that
we shall not forget for a moment. What is the
singular significance of Yetziat Mitzrayim that
ties it to so many commandments?
I will provide three answers that all tie in to our work
here in the Yeshiva.

his Parsha raises a number of questions that

need to be addressed.
Vayomer Moshe, Koh amar Hashem,
kachatzot halayla ani yotzeh betoch Mitzrayim.
Umet kol bechor beretz Mitzrayim mebchor Pharoh
hayoshev al kiso ad bechor hashifcha asher achar
harechayim, vechol bechor behaymaVeyardu kol
avadecha eleh aylai vehishtachavu li laymor tze ata
vechol haam asher beraglecha veacharei chen eytzei.
(Shmot, 11, 4-8) And Moshe said, So said Hashem,
At about midnight I shall go out in the midst of Egypt.
Every firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from
the firstborn of the maidservant who is behind the
millstone and all the firstborn of beastThen all these
servants of yours will come down to me and bow to
me, saying, Leave you and the entire people that
follows you. After that, I will leave!
If the plague of the firstborn was the deciding
factor that changed Pharoahs mind and
convinced him to let the Jews leave Egypt, why
were the first nine plagues necessary?
The Jews in Egypt were immersed in the 49th
gates of impurity. Every additional minute that
they remained in Egypt had a further negative
influence on them. Why did Hashem not begin
with the plague of the firstborn, and let the Jews
out of Egypt immediately? What was the point of
the first nine plagues?
The Holiday of Passover was set for generations
with Karet, the divine punishment of untimely
death for those who eat Chametz, leavened food.
We do not find any other historical event that is
punishable by Karet. What is the significance of
Pesach for the generations?

The Ramban
From the time that people began worshipping idols,
there began confusion in beliefs. Some people began
denying the foundations of belief in God and began
saying that the world was always here, and that there
is no God, and they denied the belief that God is
all- knowing. Veamru: Eicha yada El, veyesh deah
beelyon. (Tehillim 73: 11) And they say: How can God
know? Is there knowledge in the above? Among them
those who deny the belief that God is all- knowing, and
compare man to the fish in the sea, whose actions are
not controlled by God and who do not receive reward
or punishment. They say that God has abandoned the
land. And when God appeases the people or individual
and performs a miracle that changes the nature of the
world, it becomes clear that these beliefs are nullified,
because the amazing miracle proves that the world has
a Creator who knows and oversees and is all-capable.
Because the Egyptians denied the existence of God.
(Ramban on Shmot 13, 16)
There is importance in having faith that is as clear
as the sun in Egypt. So that no one will think that
God did not create the world, and that He does not
oversee everything, and that there is no system of
reward and punishment, and that He is not capable
of altering nature. Torah cannot be received from a
state of confusion, there needs to be clear faith.

Rav Michael Yammer has been affiliated with Yeshivat Shaalvim for 40 years. For many years Rav Yammer served as Rebbe to
students in the Hesder Yeshiva and in the Overseas program. He has served as Sgan Rosh Yeshiva for the last three years.
This Elul Rav Yammer assumes the role of Rosh Yeshiva.

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Therefore, the first reason for the ten plagues is

that the plagues are not only a means of redeeming
the Jews from Egypt, but a way to transmit the clarity
of faith in God. That is why there is the punishment
of Karet on those who do not observe Pesach and
why there are so many mitzvot that are connected
to remembering the exodus from Egypt. This is so
that the Jewish people will not forget the miracles
that happened, because not every generation gets
to witness miracles. If there would not have been
miracles in Egypt, faith in God would not have been
so crystal clear.
Because Hashem does not perform miracles in
every generation in front of every sinner or heretic, He
commands us to make a sign or symbol to remember
what we witnessed, and to transmit this to our children
and our childrens children, for generations to come.
And He was very stringent with this matter, as in the
punishment of Karet for eating chametz, (Shmot 12:15)
and for not performing the ritual of the Karban Pesach
(Bamidbar 9: 13). And He commanded us to write
about the miracles that we witnessed on the tefilin that
we wear on our arms and between our eyes, and on
the mezuzot that are affixed to our doorposts. And He
commanded us to recite these words every morning
and evening, as is written (Brachot 21: 1) Emet
Veyatziv deorayta The words Emet Veyatziv that we
say in Shema are Heavenly commandments. Because it
says (Devarim 16: 3) Lemaan Tizkor et yom tzetcha
meeretz Mitzrayim kol yemay chayecha So that you
should remember the day of your departure from
the land of Egypt all the days of your life. And He
commanded us to build a Sukka every year, and many
other mitzvoth that are connected to remembering
Yetziat Mitzrayim. All this is so that there will be
testimony in every generation of the miracles that were
performed, so that they will not be forgotten. And so
that there will not be an opening for heretics to deny
the existence of God.
The Rambam in Moreh Nevuchim, (Guide to the
Perplexed) adds that the public standing of Matan
Torah caused an evil eye and the shattering of the
Luchot (Tablets). This was also necessary despite the
miracles of Yetziat Mitzrayim because the people
were still having difficulty with the manner in which
God spoke to Moshe. Every time that Moshe relayed
that God had spoken to him, the people could not
fathom how that could occur, and this blocked them

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and led to confusion in their belief system. At Har

Sinai, God spoke to the whole nation and then this
obstacle in their faith dissolved.
Very often we speak in the Beit Midrash about
how when a person studies Torah and grows in his
Torah, his soul grows and he becomes more spiritual.
Then he sees the world in the light of truth and he
finds his role and his connection to Hashem, to
Torah, Mitzvot and Am Yisrael. All this happens
on the condition that there are no intellectual
impediments to hinder him. If a person has a
question that is bothering him and he is constantly
thinking about it, for example, the eradication of
Amalek, the existence of God, etc. this will prevent
his soul from expanding. So the first thing that we
learn from this Parsha about spiritual growth is that
of intellectual clarity, that a person should resolve for
himself every question that is bothering him.
If someone is bothered by why in the Yeshiva we
learn in such depth, and how learning Gemara helps
a person grow, he should go to his Rabbis, ask and
receive clarity. There are answers to these questions.
In order for Torah learning to have influence on a
person, he has to align himself with the matter with
intellectual clarity.
This is why it was important to have the Torah
given in a public setting and that all of Am Yisrael
heard God speaking on both occasions of Matan
Torah, so that there would be clear and explicit
faith. This is why it was justified to detain the nation
for longer in Egypt, to deliver not one plague, but
another nine plagues, all so the entire world would
know that God exists, that He created the world
and He knows and is in control of everything. This
justified the heavy price that was paid.
The first lesson we learn is that of intellectual
clarity. Unanswered questions can hinder both
our spiritual growth and the influence that Torah
learning has on us.
The Ramban continues:
Through the famous and public miracles, man
comes to realize that the hidden and private miracles
are the foundation of the Torah. One cannot have a
part in Moshes Torah until he believes that the events
described in the Torah, both private and public, were
all miracles that were super-natural and did not occur
in the regular way of the world. Man must believe
that if he follows the Torah he will obtain a reward,

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and if he transgresses, he will be punished. This is all

part of the decrees of Hashem that I mentioned earlier
(Breishit 17: 1 and above, 6: 2) Private miracles will
become apparent in the public realm as a result of the
destiny of the Torah as mentioned in the blessings and
the curses.
This is the reason that Pesach is celebrated in every
generation, so that faith will be clear, unequivocal
and certain. And because we do not have miracles
every day, we have to repeat the remembrance of the
miracles of yetziat Mitzrayim daily, via Tefilin and
Mezuza.
And it seems from this explanation, that in the
Havdalah service we mention a few different types
of Havdalot, distinctions; between the holy and the
secular, between light and darkness and between Israel
and the nations. There is a big difference between
the distinction between light and darkness and the
distinction between holy and secular. The distinction
between light and darkness is one that is apparent to
everyone. Even animals and flowers can distinguish
the difference between light and darkness. Whereas
the difference between holy and secular is a hidden
distinction that not everyone can discern. Rav Yosef
Dov Haleivi Soloveitchik (from Peninei Harav)
In the Havdalah service we mention different types
of distinctions. The difference between light and
darkness is obvious, one that even plants can observe.
The distinction between holy and secular is more
subtle. In Akeidat Yitzchak (the binding of Yitzchak),
Avraham and Yitzchak saw the cloud that was
tied to the mountain, and the young servants who
accompanied them did not. So, the first distinction
is objective and the second one subjective. Now we
have to clarify the third distinction between Israel
and the nations. Is this an objective or subjective
distinction? This is where the plagues in Egypt fit
into the picture. They provided a distinction between
Israel and the nations, teaching us that the difference
between Israel and the nations is as clear as the
difference between night and day. And acquiring
the knowledge of distinction is so important that
it merited staying in Egypt longer. That means
detaining the Jews in Egypt so that they will not be
influenced is a condition in serving Hashem.
According to Rav Soleveitchik, the purpose of the
nine plagues was so that the distinction between the
Jews and the other nations would be as clear as the

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objective distinction between light and darkness, as

opposed to the subjective distinction between holy
and secular. Why did having everyone know the
distinction between the Jews and the other nations
justify detaining Am Yisrael in Egypt? Because if
you do not know the difference between a Jew and
a gentile, you lose your uniqueness, and you cannot
serve God. The first condition for serving Hashem is
knowing that you are His son.
In the Beit Midrash we often speak about the way
a person is influenced by the two circles he lives in,
the circle of Torah and the circle of the world. Rav
Soloveitchik says that the Jews were detained in
Egypt so that they would not be influenced. If they
would not feel that they were Hashems children they
would not be able to serve Him. This is a condition
for serving Hashem.
Sefer Hachinuch
From the root of the commandment (not to break the
bones of the Karban Pesach (Pascal sacrifice) while
eating it), to remember the miracles of Egypt, as is
written elsewhere. This stems from the root of what we
mentioned earlier, that it is not worthy of children of
kings and advisors to break bones like dogs. It is not
fitting to act like the starving poor of the nation. So,
from the beginning of our inception as a nation we
behave as a kingdom of Kohanim (High priests) and a
holy nation. Every year at the same time it is worthy
that we perform deeds that show the high level we have
risen to at that time. The actions that we perform set
this in our souls forever.
Dont think, my son, to hold me to my word and to
say, why does Hashem command us to do all these
mitzvot to remember the miracle of yetziat mitzrayim?
Isnt it enough that one memory will arise in our
thoughts and be remembered by future generations?
Know that man operates according to his actions.
His heart and his thoughts will always follow his
actions, good or bad. Even a total sinner, one whose
heart and thoughts are occupied with evil all day
long, if he channels his actions to learning Torah
and performing mitzvot, even if it is without good
intentions, will be swayed towards the good, and the
power of his actions will melt his evil desires, because
the heart follows the actions. If there is a righteous
man, whose heart is pure and straight, who yearns for
Torah and mitzvot, if he is occupied with doing bad

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deeds, for example, one who is forced by the king to

do evil deeds, if he is occupied all day with these evil
tasks, he will stray from his righteous ways and turn
into a sinner, because it is known that man operates
according to his actions.
Our sages hinted at this when they said that
everyone who has a mezuza on his doorpost and
tzitizit on his garments and tefillin on his head is sure
to refrain from sinning, because these are constant
mitzvot and we always act on them.
So pay attention to what you are doing, to your
actions, because you will be pulled in that direction,
you cannot influence them. Do not let your desire say
My heart is pure and whole and certain in my belief
in God, what do I have to lose by enjoying myself once
in a while in the pleasures of the world? What harm
can come from sitting in markets and the streets, joking
around with clowns and telling jokes, etc., things that
are not sins that I have to bring a sacrifice for. I also
have a heart like other people, my small body is greater
than their wide hips. Will my heart be drawn after
them? No, my son. Be careful not to fall into their trap.
Many have drank from this cup of poison, save your
soul. And with this knowledge, it should not be difficult
for you to understand the multitude of commandments
regarding the matter of remembering Yetziat
Mitzrayim, for this is a foundation of our Torah. The
more we are immersed in them the more wondrous
they seem to us.(Sefer Hachinuch Mitzvah 16)
According to the Sefer Hachinuch: We should not
ask why Hashem commands us to do all these things
or why one act of remembrance is not sufficient.
We should also not ask why we need to lean during
the Seder as well as to drink four cups of wine in
addition to not breaking the bone and eating matzah.
Why is it not enough to perform one mitzvah and
for that to be considered within the realms of bnei
chorin (free man)? We must know that man operates
according to his actions, and his heart and his
thoughts are governed by the deeds he is occupied
with doing, good or bad. The goal is for us to feel like
we are the children of God. Not to know, but to feel
like a child of Hashem. We are the Chosen Nation,
we are not like the gentiles. We have a unique value
system and distinct thoughts. For us to feel this we
have to obey many commandments, because the
actions we do influence our feelings, because our
hearts follow our actions.

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If a person wants to attain perfection he must

clarify these things on an intellectual level. If
something is bothering him, he should seek
clarity. He should not think that if he understands
something on an intellectual level he has concluded
his work, because intellect is external. Feelings can
be accessed through actions. Therefore man should
chase after another mitzvah and another mitzvah,
another good deed and another good deed, as they
influence the heart. If man does only one thing to
remember that he is a Jew and not a gentile, he might
know it in his head, but he will still be influenced. If a
man will constantly act as a child of God, as a son of
the chosen people, then he will feel it. One who feels
it cannot be influenced by outside sources, one who
does not feel it is easily influenced.
In summary, we can point to three foundations:
First of all- not to leave questions open- Lo
habayshan lomed one who is shy does not learn.
Go to the sources, the books, the Rabbis, the older
students, clarify everything that is difficult.
Second: many people are influenced by this
world. A person should conduct himself in the most
proper way and minimize compromising, and resist
pressures and outside influences.
Last, dont think that only the intellect is the
determining factor, and that feelings dont count. It
is important that a person feels that he is a child of
Hashem, because if he does not feel that, then he cant
be influenced. And feelings are not determined by
intellect, but by actions. As it says Acharei hamaasim
nimshachim halevavot After the actions the heart
is pulled. In order to feel like the son of the chosen
people one needs tefilin as well as mezuzot in addition
to not breaking the bone and the four cups, etc
Yehi Ratzon, may it be Hashems will that we
will be able to speak about the miracles, experience
the miracles of Egypt, and reach the level of the
Jews of that time. That we should be able to clarify
intellectual questions, do many good deeds that will
have a positive influence over us, experience and feel
what it is like to be the son of the King, and reach the
level of naaseh venishma, we will do and we will
obey. Naaseh venishma means there is no confusion,
the role of the nation is clear, and that is why it is said
we will do and we will obey.

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A Mini-Haggadah
Rav Asher Brander
an exile seder. Only after the students can connect
the night [the shema of faith] with the morning3
shema, [the shema of manifest kindness] can the
Seder end.
Our obligation to our children remains the same:
Find the light even at the darkest time. One way to
do that is to develop a love for Torah. If it is sweet4
for us, then our children will also want some nosh!
Pesach is what we call it; Hashem (in His Torah)
calls it Chag Hamatzot. Why the different emphasis?
The Berditchever famously explained: Pesach is what
Hashem did for us while Chag Hamatzot, our great
leap of faith (we left 210 years in <18 minutes!) was
for the love of God. For the other is the essence of
any relationship. Our tefillin say Shema Yisrael and
His tefillin say mi kamcha Yisrael (cf. Tractate
Berachot 6 -who is like Thy nation, O Israel?). Thus
on Pesach night, the night of our betrothal to God,
we sing Shir Hashirim the song that encapsulates I
am for my Beloved and He is for me.
At the risk of sounding corny Ever told God
you love Him? Ever look to see His manifest love in
your life? Pesach may be a good time to try.

Erev Pesach
As I sit by my computer considering the mountain of
work (and the molehill of time) that still lies before
me, one phrase keeps pounding my consciousness
- a sign from the Beis Medrash of my youth ein
kedusha bli hachana - there can be no sanctity
without preparation. With apologies to all who
travel to others homes for the Chag, Pesach is the
culmination of a coordinated, frenzied and massive
effort by every traditional Jewish household. Pesach
proves that there are no cheap thrills only earned
(albeit, spontaneous) moments.
The Challenge
The Challenge of the holiday of freedom is figuring
out how to celebrate it in servitude (=exile). Ha
Lachma Anya, the opening words of the maggid is
the only piece in Aramaic because it is a galut- exile,
add-on. In it, we invite people to the Seder on Seder
night, something that cannot be done when we have
a Beit HaMikdash [all korban Pesach eaters must
be pre-registered]. We also pine for the return to
Eretz Yisrael but until that time we must search for
freedom in the darkness.
Thus, Aruch Hashulchan teaches that the Rabbis1
go to Bnei Brak for the Seder and turn to the hope
artist, Rabbi Akiva whose ability to roll away the
darkness2 and see the light is the key component of

Chametz-Matzah
That which does not have the potential to be chametz
may not be used for matzah (as a general rule). Yet,
once each item achieves its respective status, it can
never be transformed. No matter how much water
you add to matzah it shall never become chametz
and crushing chametz can never revert it back to
matzah. At some point, our life decisions become
irreversible. Thankfully, every year we can make
matzah again; A Jew never gives up hope.

1 Even R. Eliezer who praises the lazy ones that do not leave
their home for Yom Tov [cf. Sukkah 27] breaks his own ideal to
be with R. Akiva!
2 See Sefer Ohr Zarua who points out, based on a midrash, that
the verse ohr zarua latzadik uliyishrei lev simcha [Tehillim 97]
has R. Akiva embedded at the end of each word. [reish of ohr,
ayin of zarua ] We thus say it to commence on Yom Kippur,
which is R. Akivas yahrtzeit. The incredible metaphor of that
verse is that a light is sown for the righteous indicates that a
Righteous person is able to see the seedling of light even before
it breaks ground which is the raison detre of R. AKiva

3 As in lhagid baboker chasdecha vemunasecha baleilos cf.

Berachos 12
4 haarev na Hashem elokeinu .. vnihiyeh anachnu vtzetzaeinu
kulanu yodeia shemecha]

Rav Asher Brander is a proud alumnus of Yeshivat Shaalvim, 1985.

He is the Founding Rav and Rebbe at the Los Angeles LINK Kollel and Shul

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Kadesh
As we start the seder, the traditional Eastern
European beginning of Kadesh was Kadesh: When
Father comes home from synagogue on Passover
night, he must immediately recite the Kiddush, so
that the little children will not fall asleep and they
will ask the Four Questions beginning with Ma
Nishtana.
The Shpoler Zeide so movingly taught:
When our Father- in Heaven sees that Jews have
gone to shul and poured out their souls in prayer
and song- even though they are so tired from the
heavy pre Pesach work, then
He must recite Kiddush right away- the Creator
must renew his betrothal, his Kiddushin, [same
root as Kiddush] to Bnei Yisrael right away. He
must redeem us from exile right away.
So that the little children will not fall asleep Gods children are the Jews and He must act
quickly so that His children will not fall into the
slumber of exile and despair, Heaven forbid, of
ever being redeemed.
So that they will ask the Four Questions
beginning with Ma Nishtana- while we are still
strong enough to ask Ma Nishtana? - Why is this
night-- why is this bitter exile --different from
all other nights? Why has this dark exile been so
prolonged and never seem to end?

Karpas - Yachatz
[we break the matzah] the quickest piece of Seder.
It takes longer to say it than do it. Whats it about? A
partial answer based on the Talmud:6 On seder night
we highlight lechem oni, [bread of affliction] - the
poor mans bread. Poor people do not eat whole food
- theyll take whatever you give (just ask a student
who left his lunch at home). In talmudic lexicon,
darko shel ani bperusah the way of the poor is
with a piece. Poor people (and Jews on Sunday)
eat leftovers. This explanation however falls short because we can simply bring a broken piece to the
seder. Why the breaking ceremony?
1. Some say: we want to express our poverty so we
davka break it at the seder. Rambam says break it
before eating, while Shulchan Aruch says to break
it before maggid [the story]. Rambam seems
more logical. Why do we follow the Shulchan
Aruch? Kol Bo explains that good stories need
props to pull in the listener and we begin the
story by exclaiming Ha Lachma Anya (This is
the poor mans bread). We break it first as a
classic show and tell.
2. Others raise the ubiquitously Pesach in order that
the kids should ask notion.
3. Baalei Hatosafot and Orchot Chaim claim that
it alludes to the splitting of the sea. Thus the
Moroccans till today have the custom at Yachatz
to says: thus the Holy One Blessed Be He split the
sea for us into twelve pathways.
4. A penetrating insight by Rav Meir Goldvicht
adds a whole new world. Karpas, according to
Rabbeinu Manoach alludes to the sale of Yosef.7
Heres the short story: Pasim, the name of Yosef s
special coat (that signified status) is connected
to the word karpas in the Megillah. Rashi,
[Bereishis, 37:3] in defining Yosef s coat, explains
that karpas denotes a special type of wool. The
original custom of dunking the karpas vegetable
into red wine fills in the picture. In sum, we dip
the multicolored coat into the blood beckoning
the sale of Yosef. Why bring this up now? Because

URechatz
Taz, classic commentator on Shulchan Aruch proves
from here that we must wash for wet veggies or fruit
all year round just like we wash for bread.5 Vilna
Gaon even made a bracha! For those that dont follow
this, theres what to rely on, but they must answer
why Seder night is different? Magen Avraham says its
in order to evoke the question. [This would explain
why some have the custom of only the Seder-master
washing, for its even stranger!] Netziv offers a 3rd
approach. Magen Avraham is correct that normally
one need not wash for fruits/veggies, but on this
night one must wash - for in the time of the Beit
HaMikdash, we will need to wash once again and
on Pesach night, we herald back to Temple times.
Thats also why we wear a kittel.

6 Berachos 39
7 This notion of connecting of Karpas to Mechirat Yosef, while
novel is well sourced. See Yerios Shlomo [R. Shlomo Kluger
brought down in R. Yaakov Emden siddur], Rabbeinu Manoach
[on Rambam chametz umatzah, 8:2] , Ben Ish Chai [parshas
tzav] . Most remarkable is the custom of the Jews of Gerba to
stop in the middle of maggid to tell the story of mechiras Yosef

5 Its a reminder for the Kohein. Cf. Shulchan Aruch O.C. 158.
Indeed sardonically asks those who only wash on seder night
for the vegetables: Why is this night different than all others?

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as we ponder leaving Egypt, we must remember

how we got in.
It is a question we barely speak of, because the
answer is shameful: We break the matzah to
symbolize unity torn asunder, we hide the bigger
piece [for afikoman] and look for it at the at
the end of the seder. At some point, we find the
afikoman. Ultimate redemption, [personal and
national] comes with the search towards unity.
The geulah will beckon the ten tribes.
After afikoman, we call in Eliyahu - ultimate
unifier of the generations present at bris, seder
and redemption. Seder often brings together a
lot of different types of people - perhaps it is a
pre-redemption test for ultimate geulah requires
unity.

he tastes the honey)! A nation numbed by servitude

cannot pine for freedom. A taste of freedom allows
one to fathom how bad it was. For those of us afraid
to make the leap (whatever it may be) - because its
not so bad how do you know?
Korech The Hillel Wheres the Beef Sandwich
According to most, Korech is the bread [matzah] and
the lettuce waiting for the lamb, because Hillel puts all
3 mitzvos together. According to Rambam, the meat
was never eaten with the matzah and maror. Why are
these two eaten together? Sefas Emes explains that
a Jew, before he is redeemed must realize that the
same God who brought redemption [matzah] also
brought the servitude [maror] - both experiences are
purposeful. The Maror for example opened up the
Jewish mouth and taught us how to pray.

Maggid
The Haggadah is so called because of the mitzvah
of Maggid the central mitzvah of the night.8 Its
source: Exodus [13:8]: vhigadeta lhvincha bayom
hahu leimor and you shall express to your child on
that night saying. - this verse forms the crux of the
night. Now note that we employ this verse for the
weak child that does not even know [how, when] to
ask a question. He is the Torahs primary target for
seder night; elitism is not a Jewish thing! All of our
children need be addressed. The goal is to stimulate
questions. First, we must address their hearts where
their unasked observations/question reside. At ptach
lo softly open them up. I suspect that if we show
them the proper respect and love, they will quickly
move up the ladder to be the chacham. No Jew is
without questions. Our goal is to awaken hearts, to
make it safe and exciting to be worth their while.

Tzafun The Hidden [Afikoman]

The bigger half of the Yachatz is eaten - either as
matzahs main mitzvah [Rashbam] or as a Korban
Pesach commemorative [Rosh]. But why do we hide
it away and why does its Seder name derive from its
hidden-ness?
The Vilna Gaon likens it to hiding the bread on
Shabbos, since we drink the wine before it.
Rav Chaim taught that the korban pesach, as any
sacrifice needs special shemira (watching). We
are not hiding it we are guarding it!
Rav Schwab [and many others] based on Tehillim
31 [mah rav tuvecha asher tzafanta leyireiecha
how great is Your goodness that you have hidden
away for those that fear you] teach that we hide
the bigger piece away to remind ourselves and to
teach our children that for the faithful Jew, the
best is yet to come.

Rachtzah-Motzi-Matzah-Maror
We wash, eat Matzah and then Maror, even
though we experienced the maror (servitude)
first?! A yiddishism teaches that a worm in chrain
(horseradish) doesnt know how bad he has it (until

Shulchan Aruch - Barech

It seems like the standard Grace after Meals, but
it really IS different. Consider that even after the
bentsching, the seder is not over. Netziv teaches that
the meal is not a simple hiatus; it is also part of the
Hallel, fittingly sandwiched between the Hallel part
one and Hallel part two. With one proviso: it needs to
be channeled properly. This is a model for the whole
year and classic Jewish spirituality. After Barech, we
fittingly exclaim in that Hallel let every bone in my
body [even the ones that do the eating, drinking and
shmoozing] express your greatness Hashem .

8 Some even claim that Rabban Gamliel who states that one
who has not mentioned Pesach Matzah Marror has not fulfilled
his obligation is referring not to the maggid obligation but
rather to the mitzvah of pesach, matzah and marror. Remarkably, even the objects of the korban pesach , matzah and marror
require a haggadah the implication being that they are props
in the big story of yetzias mitzrayim a story that must be
expressed in its full glory tonight.

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slumber is de rigueur when directs us to stay up the

whole night - until we have been overtaken by sleep
(ad sheyachtifenu sheina). Perhaps, after all the prepesach work, the latter qualification may only be a
matter of seconds, but at least one has to take out
a sefer (book). Why do many not do this? Perhaps
we are sleeping already. Rav Gedalya Schorr teaches
that the sleep of exile is so deep. (even R. Akiva had
to wake up his talmidim). On Pesach night we read
Shir HaShirim. In it we say Ani Yesheina vlibi Er. I
am asleep but my heart is wake. The Jew only appears
to be sleeping
May God redeem us quickly; our hearts pulsate
with ahavas Hashem. Let us not remind ourselves
that we dare not fall into the dark slumber of despair!
A freilichen, a kasheren, a zeisen Pesach - Lshana
Habaah byerushalayim

Hallel
We cannot say Hallel at night! Thus says the mishna.
Hallel is said mimizrach shemesh ad mevoo (from
sunrise to sunset). So why is this night different?
R. Hai Gaon famously explains that this is not
formalistic kria hallel this is spontaneous shira
hallel. We have just left Mitzrayim and are tasting
freedom. Look at those pictures of the camps on
liberation day. One cannot tell a volcano when
to erupt. Shulchan Aruch and Ramo teach that
Pesach and Tisha Bav are intertwined. Thats why
we have the egg on the seder plate as a reminder
of mourning. On Tisha Bav, there is no limit to
our mourning. We are like a bride who lost her
groom under the chupa [cf. kinah of eli tziyon].
Spontaneity in either direction transcends limits.
Halacha understands this. Our paradoxical
challenge: to become spontaneous [even if it appears
programmed].
Nirtzah
Echad Mi Yodeia Who Knows one the song saved
for almost the end. If the hagaddah is a mountain,
then the seder ends with the chad gadya climax
and the penultimate song which cherishes Jewish
numbers. The reverse numbering reminds us of
the ultimate centrality of serving God in our lives.
Consider that every number is Jewish - from the 13
attributes of mercy that Hashem revealed to Moshe
in the Golden Calf aftermath to the 8 days of milah
to the 5 books of Moses.. with one exception. Who
knows 9? You mean goyim dont have children after 9
months, so what gives?
The old joke about Judaisms view that the fetus is
only viable when it graduates medical school couldnt
be farther from the truth. A friend of mine likes to
say we start educating our children twenty years
before they are born. Minimally in utero is the time
that the mother [and occasionally the father] begins
to worry about the childss spirituality. Rivkah, upon
hearing that she may be bearing a spiritual deviant is
beside herself. The prayer and tears for our childrens
yiddishe neshama is the unique contribution of
Jewish mothering.
Its over - or not? A halachic irony: People stay up
the whole Shavuot night even as the minhag is not
mentioned in Shulchan Aruch while post Seder

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5 More For the Seder!

Rav Eli Reich
The Divrei Torah presented here are based on a set a
lectures presented by Rav Reich to his students before
Pesach.

misconception! Rather, its a defiant method of sitting

that shows that you are a leader!
That is why a student is not permitted to lean in
front of his Rebbe. Why cant he just lean a little bit
in front of his Rebbe? How is that disrespectful?
The reason must be because it is different than just
leaning. It is a way of showing that you are removing
all the shackles of authority, which one cannot do
before his/her teacher.
Thats the beauty of the night. A slave must stand
at attention. A soldier must stand at attention. A free
man leans (defiantly!) showing he is not under the
control of any human being Thats the Hesaiba of the
Seder!

1. Tell About The Slavery

The Shemen Hatov teaches us the following crucial
idea regarding transmission of the story of the
Redemption from Egypt. The source of Maggid is the
verse of ViHigadta LiVincha BaYom HaHu- And
You should tell over to your son on that day. The
words of the verse inform us that there is a certain
way to transmit the story of going from slavery
to freedom. What is the connection between the
content (slavery to freedom) and the transmission
(Father to son)? The Shemen HaTov answers that
one of the characteristics of a slave is that he has
No relationships to family. If a slave has children
they do not belong to him, but rather to the master.
The same applies to the slaves parents as well. He is
completely divorced from family.
We know that the first to be deemed slaves were
the people of Knaan. Why? Cham, Kinaans father
and the son of Noah, debased the honor of his father
(and Knaans grandfather). The consequence of
which is a punishment from Hashem to be slaves.
What is the connection? Because they treated their
father and grandfather with disrespect and took their
family for granted, they will become slaves and lose
their family as well. During the seder, when we are
being freed from slavery, we highlight our newly
found ability to communicate and transmit with
family, with our fathers, mothers and relatives. We
have reclaimed our family!

3. Mitzvah Progress
We know the famous statement of Rabban Gamliel
that everyone must say Pesach, Matza, Maror or
(s)he has not fulfilled the mitzvah of telling the story
of our redemption. The Hagadat Hegyonei Halacha
adds that these 3 items are in fact the summary of
the evening: A) Maror- the Exile, B) Matza- the
Redemption C) Pesach- the Plague of the Firstborn.
Rav Yisroel Salant asks then the following question:
If this s a progression and that is the proper order,
then why at the seder do we recite them out of order?
Maror should be before Pesach! He explains that
the Maror here is telling us why the Geula (Matza)
happened, thus it comes later in the order as it serves
as a description of what was previously stated. How
is this so? When Hashem calculates and weighs
aveirot (sins) and mitzvot, He takes into account the
difficulty of the circumstances involved in each and
every act. The Mishna in Avot (5:27) states: The
reward is in accordance with the pain.
Similarly, the Talmud in Tractate Menachot also
states The punishment of the white is greater than
that of the blue. What does this mean? The Talmud

2. The Meaning of Leaning

The Rav (Soloveitchik)- The requirement to lean at
the seder (hesaiba), is not as everyone understands
it as just leaning to the left. That is a complete

Rav Eli Reich is a Shana Aleph Rebbe for the Overseas students. Rav Reich has been connected to Shaalvim since attending the
Yeshiva in 1990. He lives in the neighboring community of Nof Ayalon with his wife and their children.

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is in the midst of a discussion about Tzitzit. Within

each set of strings of Tzitzit there are rare and costly
techeilet strands (blue wool) that are to be attached
as well as the less expensive white strands. The one
who neglected to attach the white threads, which
is easily obtained, is more severe than the one who
did not attach the rare and expensive blue thread.
Meaning, that sins are measured by the cost or
circumstance within which they are performed.
The Jewish People were deep in the 49 levels of
impurity and had fulfilled few mitzvot. And yet, we
were redeemed, because our sins were committed
when we were slaves, suffering at the hands of
the Egyptians. Therefore, the few mitzvot we also
performed under these circumstances are more
valuable in the eyes of Hashem. The Torah (Shmot
2:23) says And their cry went up to Hashem, from
the labor. Their cry was heard because it came
as a result of the slavery and the suffering and are
thereby viewed as having greater value. So when
we say maror at the seder we are not doing it
in chronological order and the chronology is not
important because it is the fact that we were in bitter
slavery and still performed mitzvot, that we merited
the Redemption (Matza).

The first dipping tonight is in salt water, which

represents tears and the exile. The second dipping
is in the charoset, which is sweet and represents
the redemption. With the second dipping, we are
showing that we can sweeten the exile, stop the
baseless hatred, and turn exile into redemption by
performing actions that unite us as one.
The Rama writes that since the seder falls out on
the same night of the week as Tisha BAv, we have
an egg as a remembrance. Rav Matisyahu Solomon
explains based on this that even though we are
contradicting ourselves, because at one and the same
time we are still guilty of these flaws and yet we are
celebrating redemption, the egg reminds us that we
have the power to bring the complete redemption of
the Jewish people. If Pesach inspires us to sweeten
the exile by coming together as one nation to stop
speaking lashon hara and to stop feeling hatred
towards others, then it is that we will not have to
commemorate Tish BAv this year. If this year we
do not have mourn then that would show that we
celebrated Pesach properly.
5. The Many Rules of the Paschal Lamb
Why are there so many different and unique details
to the manner of the eating of the Korban Pesach?
The Maharal says all that all of the different rules
have do with one unifying theme; that of AchdutUnity, or oneness. For example, in order to partake
in the eating of a particular Korban Pesach you
have to be an invited party, i.e. part of the unique
group of that specific animal. Additionally, a person
cannot go from one group to another, but rather
must stay with the group that they were invited to
join initiallu. Further, the korban has to be roasted
and not cooked. Why? Because when one cooks
something in a pot with water it becomes loose and
can fall apart, whereas when a meat is roasted it dries
a bit and contracts in size into itself, i.e. securing its
oneness. One also is not permitted to break any of
the bones because it must be eaten whole. This also
helps to explain why the korban must be eaten with
Matzah and Maror together. The Matzah symbolizes
the redemption, while the Maror symbolizes the
servitutde. When we eat all of them together we are
showing that we recognize the connection between
everything in the world, in that both the good and
the bad come from the One God, Hashem.

4. Custom of Eating an Egg

The Chafetz Chaim says the reason we are still
in exile today is because of Lashon Hara baseless
hatred (Sinat Chinam). The question is, if the night
of the seder is a night of davening for the future
redemption, then why are we not doing anything to
stop the lashon hara and baseless hatred? The Ben Ish
Chai answers that in fact, we are doing something in
order to stop this behavior!
There are two dippings tonight: we dip the
karpas into salt water and we dip the maror into
the charoset. These two dippings represent the two
dippings that appear in the Torah and are related to
Egypt. The first occurs when the brothers of Yosef
dipped his cloak in blood, which led to him being
sold to Egypt. This dipping was a dipping of baseless
hatred. The second dipping that is related to Egypt
is when we had to take a bundle of hyssop and dip
it into blood and spread the blood on the doorpost
upon the offering of the Korban Pesach. This dipping
was a dipping of Unity. Thus, both the exile and the
redemption began with a form of dipping.

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Rav Allen Schwartz
This article is to be published as part of a Haggadah
that Rav Schwartz is currently completing.

4. If there are no children at the table the Talmud

tells that even wise adults ask each other these
questions. What is the point of such an exercise?
All Jewish holidays have unique characteristics.
On Sukkot, a child may be inspired to ask, On all
other nights we eat meals at the table in our house,
but tonight we eat in the Sukkah. On Yom Kippur
the child may ask, On all other holidays, we make
kiddush and eat after evening prayers, but tonight we
ate beforehand. This can be replicated again and again.
The sheer number of unusual activities at the Seder,
however, draws the attention of children. Indeed, many
of the activities at the Seder are specifically meant to
pique the interest of the child to stay awake to the very
end. This is hopefully true of every child.

his paragraph is known as the four

questions. In actuality, it appears as one
question with 4 answers. The question, How
is this night different from all other nights? is
answered in four ways. Here are four ways that this
night differs from all other nights. This is indeed
what appears to us, but consistent with the modes of
questions and answers in ancient rhetoric the four
answers are actually all part of the original question.
Otherwise we wouldnt need the letter before
each answer. Each of the four lines beginning with
is another example of what confues a child
about how different this night is. In other words,
we should consider that the question,
should be repeated before each line to constitute
four separate questions, not four answers to the same
question. The above point may also be resolved if we
translate , not how is this night different?,
but why is this night different?
Four questions follow to be answered according to
each category of children in the Haggada:
1. Why do we ask on Pesach as opposed
to any other holiday when things are done
differently?
2. Why do we specifically ask about these four
things, while omitting other unusual customs for
the evening, such as 4 cups, washing but not for
bread, or not immediately starting our meal after
kiddush etc?
3. How can we be sure every child will be inspired
to ask these four questions? If there are four types
of children at the Seder, why dont we teach each
child to ask a question on his own level?

The Seder starts like any other Shabbos or Yom Tov

meal with kiddush and the washing of the hands.
From there, a perceptive and inquisitive child begins
to notice unusual behavior. For one thing, there is
no blessing on the washing, and we dont follow the
washing with the customary blessing of HaMotzi.
Three elements of difference arouse the childs
attention. 1. the eating of Karpas 2. The breaking
of the matza into two pieces 3. the pouring of the
second cup of wine. Normally at this time wed begin
to eat a meal. Additionally, the childs interest is
piqued by the covering and uncovering of the Seder
plate.1 Some of the unusual things, the child has seen
1 In Talmudic times each person dined before an individual
table and the entire table was removed and replaced at various
intervals. Since medieval times everyone sat at one large table
so the removal of the table came to be accomplished by covering
or removing the Seder plate. See Pesachim 115b Rashbam S.V.

Rav Schwartz has been the spiritual leader of Congregation Ohab Zedek on the West Side of Manhattan since 1988.
He currently holds the Raymond J. Greenwald Chair in Jewish Studies at Yeshiva University, where he has taught since 1983.
Rav Schwartz recently completed a scholarly edition of the Commentary of the Rokeach to the Book of Proverbs.
He is a current member of the Board of Directors of Yeshivat Shaalvim

Shaalvim Reader

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already, such as the matza and the reclining. He has

already seen one act of dipping, the karpas in salt
water. He has not yet seen the dipping of marror in
charoses. As the Mishna indicates the child is taught
to ask these questions. The children are certainly
not limited to asking these four questions,2 and not
every child will realize to ask these four on his own.
Rather, these four questions represent a theme for
the entire evening and this is a point that is crucial
for young and old, wise and withdrawn, pure and
cynical. What is so confounding to the eye of the
child at the Seder is not simply the sheer number of
unusual or unprecedented customs at the Seder, but
that there doesnt seem to be a unified theme behind
the customs. The first two questions regarding matza
and marror bespeak the bitterness of our slavery
and the deprivation of our daily lives. The last two
questions regarding dipping and reclining bespeak
our redemption, salvation and freedom.3 The child
may wonder what is the point of these conflicting
themes. These themes will be manifest in a number
of ways in subsequent paragraphs.4

and suffering of others. It is for this reason that the

Torah stresses the fair treatment of the stranger
more often than any other mitzva. No less than 36
times are we reminded to care for the stranger.5 In
terms of repetition, this makes such a concern more
pressing than idolatry, Shabbos, or any particular
belief system. It is why Jews have largely backed
every liberating and redemptive movement and have
been behind the emancipation of others throughout
history.
We need not teach any of these questions to any
specific child, but everyone attending the Seder
must be assessed of how the experience of Pesach
characterizes us as people. The Jew is constantly
stepping back and changing behavior, and in each
case these changes help us evaluate whom we are as
individuals. On Shabbos we step back from creative
activity. On Yom Kippur we step back from physical
pleasures. On Sukkot we step back from our regular
residence. In observance of kashrut we step back
from unbridled consumption. In observance of ritual
family purity we step back from the physicality of
human love.
In each of these we have the opportunity to
evaluate ourselves. Experts today tell us how
important it is to refrain from the use of technology
for 24 hours once a week. Most people find it difficult
to do so for one hour. But Shabbos observers do it
all the time, as we evaluate our creative energies and
renew them weekly. Physical pleasure become so
much more meaningful when they are not taken for
granted, and we refrain from them by intention. The
kosher consumer must be assured of so many things
before tossing food into the mouth. Is it kosher? Is it
dairy? Is it a meat product? Was this fruit properly
tithed? And then we must be sure of the proper
blessing before the simple and natural act of eating.
By the end of Sukkot, we are hopefully more attuned
to the plight of the homeless, to the point of actually
doing something for them. The observance of taharas
hamishpacha attunes us as well to the many facets of
human connections and assures that marriage stays
fresh and constantly renewed.
These themes exemplified by the ebbs and flows of
the four questions comprise the essence of the Seder,
and our experience as a people.

We consciously seek to do things differently

on Pesach more than on any other holiday. The
purpose of these exercises is to fully appreciate how
we became a nation. The fact that we began our
peoplehood as slaves was meant to imbue within us
an appreciation for freedom. The remembrance of
the consumption of matza and marror (the subjects
of the first 2 questions) will assure us that when we
are fortunate enough to dip and recline (the subject
of the last 2 questions) we will always be thankful
for our freedoms and take nothing for granted.
This sentiment though, goes one step further. The
recollection of our collective origins would assure
that we would always be sensitive to the deprivations
2 See Tosafos Pesachim 115b S.V.
3 Originally the child asked about the way the Korban Pesach
was prepared, and omitted the question about reclining.
This reflects a time when the Korban Pesach was eaten or
memorialized by all foods at the Seder being eaten only roastedSee Pesachim 53a. This was also a time when everyone reclined
throughout the year, so the child saw nothing unusual in the
reclining at the Seder.
4 One of the overarching themes of the Haggada is
. We begin the night with disparagement and
conclude with praise. The first two questions represent the
and the last two questions represent the .

Shaalvim Reader

5 Bava Metzia 59b

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The ending of the exile is in our hands and this is

how this night is different from all other nights.
We also take note of how this night is really
treated like a day. Usually, positive commandments,
especially those that have the word applied to
them,14 are performed by day and not by night.
The mitzva of sipur yetziat mitzrayim also has the
word applied to it The
Haggada considers that this mitzva should perhaps
also be performed by day, if not for the inextricable
connection between the telling of the story of
redemption, and the mitzvos of the evening, such
as matza and marror. These mitzvos are performed
at night with the eating of the Korban Pesach.15
Therefore, sipur yetziat mitzrayim is also at night.16
So this night is different from all other nights in that
it acts like a day.

The general question How is this night different

from all other nights? can be understood on multiple
levels. This night can refer to our exile,6 and we note
the difference between this night and other nights.
Our first exile, in Egypt was timed for 400 years.7
Any attempt to shorten this appointed time would be
doomed to failure. Our sages relate that members of
the tribe of Ephraim were mistaken by 30 years and
left Egypt early to disastrous results, as they were all
killed by Philistines.8 Our second exile, to Babylonia
was also timed for 70 years.9 Any attempt to shorten
this appointed time would also be doomed to failure.
A false prophet, Chanania ben Azur predicted a two
year exile10 to disastrous ends for himself. He didnt
even live long enough to see his prediction disproven.11
This exile is different from all other exiles in that it
has not been timed. No prediction for its end has
ever been made. This exile can be hastened. It can
come sooner if we deserve it.12 Indeed, the prophet
Yeshayahu seems to support just such a reading of
Mah Nishtana, in the following prophecy.13




Watchman, what of the night?
Watchman, what of the night?
The watchman replied:
Morning came and so did the night
If you would inquire, inquire
Come back again.

represents an amazement of how different
things are this night. This is likened unto witnessing
Gods works and saying
. How great are your works O Lord
how very profound your designs.17 Or Yaakovs
recognition of the holiness of the place upon which
he slept, when he said How
awesome is this place,18 or Bilaam observing the
camp of Israel, and in amazement says
How fair are your tents o Jacob,
your dwellings O Israel.19 The first word of this
passage is meant to drive us to assure the children
are amazed. Our actions are meant to create a
doorway for all children to ask questions. (see below,
the approach to the withdrawn child, of ,
which literally means to open up to him, but in
this context, can mean to create openings for him.
Let there always be a door into which every child

6 See Sefer Hachinuch Mitzva #3, Gid Hanashe, in which

Yaakovs all night struggle with the angel is a harbinger for our
own struggles in the exile. The morning dawn at the end of the
struggle is likened into the redemption that will end the exile.
See also Rambam Bereshis 32:26.
7 Bereshis 15:13
8 See BT Sanhedrin 92a based on Divrei Hayamim I 7: 20-22
See also Targum Tehillim 78:9, Targum Shir Hashirim 2:7,
Rashi, Shemot 16:14
9 Yirmiyahu 25:12; 29:10
10 Ibid 28:3
11 Ibid 28:17
12 Our sages BT Sanhedrin 98a expound Yeshayahu 60:22,
, I will hasten (the redemption) in its time, to teach
this very message. Our salvation will either be hastened, or it
will come on time. How can it be both? The Gemara answers
that if we deserve it, our salvation will be hastened. If we dont
it will come at an appointed, albeit unannounced time.
13 Yeshyahu 22:11-12

Shaalvim Reader

14 Such as Shofar, , or Bris Mila, . See Mishna

BT Megilla 20b
15 Shemos 12:8
16 The Vilna Gaon made this point with the word
itself, because it looks like a feminine word, which connotes
the feminine exemption of time bound mitzvos. This is what
nighttime is- a time of general exemption from time bound
mitzvos. But in reality, is a masculine word, for on this
night time bound mitzvos are incumbent upon us, and upon
women as well.
17 Tehillim 92:6
18 Bereshis 28:17
19 Bamidbar 24:5

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feels comfortable entering). If the child doesnt ask

questions we teach him at least these four.

These four questions show how the Seder
encapsulates an element of our festive holy days,
and what each represents, all in one night of
remembering our origins as a people.

Our Baale Mussar explain the thin nature
of the matza and sheer simplicity of its ingredients,
enable us to embrace the characteristics of humility
and forbearance. On Shavuos, we celebrate the giving
of Torah, whose acquisition is better facilitated
by these characteristics. Yet we dont eat matza
on Shavuos. Marror may be the perfect food for
Rosh Hashana because the symbol it bespeaks is
submission and obedience, yet we dont eat marror
on Rosh Hashana. Dipping may have been just the
thing to do to enhance the delight of every Shabbos,
yet there is no custom of doing so. And the holiday
of our rejoicing Sukkot, may have been the best
time for reclining, to demonstrate our comfort with
the protection of Gods cover. Yet we dont recline
on Sukkot. All four of these may have been more
appropriate for other holidays. Yet we do all of them
on Pesach. These messages are for young and old and
maybe redirected and remolded to fit each child on
his own level.

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5 For The Seder

Rav Gershon Turetsky
right beside him, and when the Jew gains his freedom
Hashem accompanies him. Consequently, Hashem
not only joins us in times of celebration but He is
with us in our times of sorrow as well.

1. Kittel
Why is it the Minhag of most Ashkenazi men to wear
a Kittel on the Seder eve? Some suggest that just as
on Yom Kippur men wear a Kittel to remind them
of the seriousness of the day, so to on Pesach, an
evening set aside to engender a feeling of freedom,
we must remember that the freedom we are meant
to feel is religious freedom; the privilege to engage
in Avodat HaShem (Service to God) unencumbered
by unwelcome impediments. Alternatively, the Kli
Yakar explains that according to Chazal, the primary
catalyst for Galut Mitzrayim (Egyptian exile) was
the sale of Yosef by his brothers. One of the main
causes for the sale was Yosef s multicolored coat that
he received from his father Yaakov. In order to show
remorse for that dreadful event in our history we
adorn an all-white coat on this night.

3. BIG Afikoman
After we break the Matzot at Yachatz we keep the
smaller part of the Matzah with us at the Seder and
the larger portion of the Matza is put away for use as
the Afikoman. Why do we put the larger piece away
and keep the smaller piece with us? Rebbi Nachman
of Breslov explains that this Matzah is symbolic of
the nature of our relationship with Hashem and our
knowledge of His ways. In the present, in this world,
we are only exposed to a small glimpse of Hashem
and the way he works, symbolized by the smaller
piece of Matzah, while in the world to come our
relationship and understanding of Hashem will be
greatly expanded, symbolized by the larger piece of
Matzah.

2. God in Exile?
Sukkot is referred to as Zman Simchateinu- the
time of our joy. On a simple level this refers to
our collective Simcha. All Jews rejoice during the
celebration of the Holiday of Sukkot. The Chassidim
explain that additionally, this may refer to not only
our joint national Simcha, but that Hashem is joining
us in celebration. It is a Simcha that we share with
the Almighty. This understanding, at first glance,
poses a problem for the Holiday of Pesach. Pesach
is referred to as Zman Cheiruteinu- the time of
our freedom. Similar to the explanation of Zman
Simchateinu on Sukkot, the simple level refers to
our collective redemption, but to apply the same
homiletic approach would imply that the Almighty
was enslaved and then gained freedom along with
the Jews. How can this even be suggested? The
Chassidim answer that so long as a Jew is in Galutexile, so long as a Jew is enslaved, the Almighty is

4. Keep Reading!
The Paragraph of Baruch HaMakom Baruch
Hu which thanks Hashem for giving the Jewish
People the Torah is immediately followed by the
paragraph of the 4 sons, Kneged Arba Banim
Dibrah Torah. Rav Chaim Soloveitchik has been
quoted as explaining that instead of reading these
as two different paragraphs we should read them as
one statement: Baruch Hamakom Baruch, Baruch
Shenatan Torah LAmo Yisrael, Baruch Hu Kneged
Arba Banim Dibra Torah. Thank you Hashem for
giving us the Torah, the Torah speaks to 4 children.
We thank Hashem for giving us the Torah because
it speaks to all four of the sons. The Torah is not like
a school text book which loses its usefulness as the
student progresses in his studies, rather the Torah is

Rav Gershon Turetsky is the Rosh Beit Midrash at Shaalvim For Women (SFW), the overseas seminary for post-high school
students. Rav Turetsky is an alum of Yeshivat Shaalvim, 1999. He lives with his wife, Nili, a member of the SFW faculty and their
children in Shaalvim

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a book that can and is used by all Jews regardless of

education, age or wisdom; from the greatest sages
and scholars to the little children in first grade. In
these paragraphs we thank Hashem for giving us this
unique treasure that continues to captivate us in each
and every generation.
5. ALL Should Celebrate
The Haggada recounts the famous Seder night in
Bnei Brak with the five great sages: Rabbi Akiva,
Rabbi Eliezer, Rabbi Yehoshuah, Rabbi Tarphon, and
Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah. Rav Avigdor Nevenzhal
notes that this gathering was unique in that none of
the ancestors of the attendees were enslaved by the
Egyptians. Rabbi Akiva descended from converts,
Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Yehoshuah were from the
tribe of Levi, and according to Chazal the tribe of
Levi was not enslaved, and finally Rabbi Tarphon
and Rabbi Elazar ben Azaria were Kohanim and the
Kohanim were originally part of the tribe of Levi.
These personalities are specifically mentioned to
underscore the importance of understanding that our
enslavement by the Egyptians and eventual liberation
was a process of communal importance that any
and every Jew, no matter their personal history or
experience, must celebrate.

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