Dennis Bueno de Mesquita

“The Jew has made a marvelous flight in the world, in all ages: and has done it with his hands tied behind him. He could be vain of himself, and be excused for it. The Egyptian, the Babylonian and the Persian rose, filled the planet with sound and splendor, then faded to dream-stuff and passed away… The Jew saw them all, beat them… All things are mortal but the Jew: all other forces pass, but he remains.” (Mark Twain, Concerning the Jews, written March 1898)

Strange to open a Dvar Tora with such words, is as strange as our Parasha is documented within the whole of Tora. The obvious answer given is: “There has arisen no prophet in Israel comparable to Moshe (Devarim 34-10) – “but in the gentile world there has arisen. And who is he? Bil’am the son of Be’or”, answers Yalkut Shimoni 996.

The Talmud in Berachot 12B relates that the Sages contemplated of incorporating Parashat Balak into the daily prayers, alongside the recitation of Shema! With these exact words:
“בקשו לקבוע פרשת בלק בקריאת שמע” – “They sought to establish the portion of Balak in the reading of the Shema”.

First, the Talmud almost never speaks about a specific Parasha with its name! When the Talmud discusses which portions to read for the Chagim for specific purposes, to set a good example, one goes over to Tractate Megilla Chapter 4 and one will see none of the names would be the precise Parasha-name as we give to our weekly portion.

Second, what were the Sages thinking of incorporating Parashat Balak alongside the Shema? Leave out that the Sages didn’t incorporated the portion, because of the burden it would impose on the congregation to read such a lengthy portion. The question is still a valid one! Aren’t there more fitting parts? Do we davka need to have a portion called Balak within the Tora? With the sorcerer Bil’am blessing us? We would think: “Es passcht nicht!”

Let’s have a look into one of the parables of Bil’am:
“כרע שכב כארי, וכלביא מי יקימנו?” “He (Israel) crouched and lay down like a lion, and like a lion cub. Who dares rouse him” (Bamidbar 24-9). A beautiful metaphor describing the timeless strength and vitality of the Jewish people. Okay, back to the question what is justifying that alongside Shema, this would be one of the many Pesukim to be incorporated in the Shema?

A page further, Berachot 13A, the Sages teach what we all know: the first part of Shema is to express God’s unity, the second part is the acceptance of the Mitzwot, the third part is “an example” of one of the many Mitzwot. The missing link here is: Who would be the advocacy of God’s unity? Who is willing to accept the yoke of the Mitzwot? And furthermore: under which difficulties would continue with her duties?

The lion sleeps; the lion of Israel might have been expelled from her land, in Diaspora, under extreme difficult situations, but we survived against all odds. Who else then us Am Israel is able to sanctify God with such proven devotion?

If we aren’t able to see this truth as a nation, then sometimes we need to be reminded by a complete foreign person, a Bil’am or a Mark Twain, that we are unique.

Rabbi Ezra Friedman

Responsibility is a very strong word, a word with so many connotations. Children should be responsible and take care of their belongings, army generals are responsible for their soldiers’ actions, CEOs are responsible for a drop in profits. This important word is heard so often that sometimes we are confused about what it really means. In short, responsibility means that we, as Jews, realize that no matter what goes on around us, no matter how complex the circumstance, the only person liable for his actions is himself. This idea is so precious in Judaism since we are a religion that encompasses the entire human essence: thought, word and action. This connection teaches the most basic lesson, that any thought or action is a decision made by man and man only. To be “a good Jew in my heart” is an oxymoron. We must make our religious service and manifest it in our world and good actions are a very significant part of that. Even though in many aspects of life we are presented with trying and challenging circumstances, if we don’t realize that we are ultimately responsible for our actions, then we’ve lost a basic virtue of Judaism.

This important idea comes alive in this week’s Parsha. In Parashat Sh’lach, we are witness to one of the most tragic events in Jewish history. Am Yisrael sent Meraglim (messengers) to examine Eretz Yisrael. When the messengers returned, they scared Am Yisrael by declaring that the tribes that settled in Eretz Yisrael were simply unbeatable and that Am Yisrael didn’t stand a chance of defeating them. The people were so distressed by and fearful of what they had heard, that they blamed Hashem for the “wasteful journey” and clamored that they should return to Egypt. Hashem punished that generation by decreeing forty years of wandering in the desert and that only the next generation would merit entering Eretz Yisrael.

The story of the messengers and Am Yisrael’s reaction is recorded twice in Chumash, once in our Parsha and later in Sefer Devarim. It is interesting to note the many differences between the two descriptions. In Sefer Devarim, the Torah describes the Meraglim as praising the Holy Land, but Am Yisrael sinned because they were disgusted by Eretz Yisrael and preferred to go back to Egypt. However in our Parsha, Parashat Sh’lach, the event is described in its entirety, the messengers did describe how beautiful Eretz Yisrael was, but then claimed that there was no chance of conquering it. Why is there a difference between the Parshiot? The answer is that the Torah is not just a history book. Rather, the Torah comes to teach us in many different ways the most basic values of life.

The story of the Meraglim took place as described in our Parsha. In Sefer Devarim there is a different lesson to be taught. Am Yisrael heard the terrible words of the Meraglim and they reacted negatively. One can assume that it would seem fair not to blame Am Yisrael, for they were justified in their feelings. However, the opposite is true. Even though Am Yisrael could be justified for being concerned about the report they heard from the Meraglim, they were responsible for their reaction. No matter how hard it was for them, Am Yisrael should have acted differently. They were responsible for their actions and they should not have the Meraglim as an excuse.

To make this idea more tangible, imagine a court case where a robber gives testimony and announces that he is completely innocent. The judge and jury inquire and the robber claims that he only went to steal because he was told to do so. Would that kind of claim warrant an acquittal? Am Yisrael could say that it was the Meraglim’s fault. However, Hashem wrote in his Torah that Am Yisrael decided to leave on their own account to teach generations to come that, at the end of the day, Am Yisrael must shoulder the responsibility.

This is such a crucial lesson for every single Jew. If we are always aware that we are responsible for own actions and that we have the self-control to prevent any wrongdoing, we can succeed in serving Hashem in the correct fashion. Many times in life, people try to run away from responsibility, but what they do not realize is that, as Jews, we can never run away from our responsibility. Our responsibility is to be G-d fearing Jews. No matter what the circumstances, we must glorify Hashem’s name with our every word and action. Let us hold ourselves to a high standard of conduct and never forget that we are always responsible for our actions.

I want to suggest an explanation for the mystery of the Kushi woman, which correlates with the Pshat both in Scriptures (Ketuvim) and the Midrashim. I believe that this solution does not refer to and does not interfere with any explanation of the second, third and fourth parts of the story. Hashem’s anger, the punishment and the healing. Avraham, Rivka and Yitzhak have a negative attitude towards the girls of Canaan and call them “Bnot Canaan.” Later on Yehuda marries a woman who is “the daughter of a Canaanite man” and Shimon has a “son of the Canaanite woman.” I believe that the term “Canaanite” parallels to our modern term of “Shiktze” and “Aramite” in Chazal. It could be that most of “Bnot Canaan” were actually Canaanite, as the “Canaanite was living at that time in Israel,” but this term was used mainly in the negative sense. I am suggesting that the term “Kushit” was used for those who came out of Egypt, another family born from Ham, but with the same attitude of total negativity. If so, the Kushit could be Tzipora, who came from Midyan. But, in any case, she came from outside Am Yisrael, and we do not know of any organized conversion procedure at that time. On the other hand, according to the Pshat, Moshe took another woman, but she was also not from Israel and even if she had undergone conversion (and even if Tzipora had undergone conversion), it was not surprising that there were some who treated her like a “Kushit,” i.e. foreigner [as in ‘I will not invite that Kushit for Leil Haseder, you can invite her]. So why now? Because Yitro has just returned to Midyan, with, or without, Tzipora, and this has stirred up the whole story. In short, “Kushit” is a negative term, one of degradation and rejection, like term “shiktze” in our time.

You’re now stranded on an uninhabited island – all alone. The ship you were on sank, and you were fortunate enough to find something to float on until you reached the island. Does this sound like a Tom Hanks movie or a bad dream? Actually, it’s the basis for still another fascinating debate in the Gemara (Shabbat 69b, and if you’re doing Daf Yomi, you whizzed by it a little while ago). What happens if “while wandering on a journey or in the desert,” you lose track of time. You have no idea what day of the week it is.

What a topic for a halachic dispute! Rav Huna suggested that whatever day you’re on, start counting from then and make the seventh day Shabbat. Hiyya bar Rav disagreed. Why wait? Make that first day Shabbat. Just to be clear, the halacha is ‘like’ Rav Huna.

Of course, that can’t be the end of the discussion. Since you’ll never know when the ‘real’ Shabbat is (and you have a six out of seven chance of guessing wrong), how do you behave on each of the seven days? Rava had an idea. Do the minimum amount of melachah you need to survive on each day of the week, including the one you think is Shabbat.

I’m sure that at this point, you’re asking the same question as the Gemara. If you make every day exactly the same, how is your putative Shabbat any different from the other six days? In the Gemara’s terse wording, “And that day, how is it recognized?” And the answer? “Through Kiddush and Havdalah.” Oh.

“And that day, how is it recognized?” What about us today, those of us who have spent most of the last month or two pretty much indoors, isn’t that what we’re feeling? Every day, including Shabbat, seems the same. We’re basically marking time, waiting for ‘life’ to resume. Yes, we know which day is which; we know when Shabbat starts and when it is over. (We get a message every week telling us to the minute.)  But there’s something missing: that ‘old Shabbat feeling.’

Our lives are predicated on giving our all – whatever that ‘all’ might be – for six days, and then switching gears and giving a different kind of ‘all’ for the seventh. That ‘all’ certainly includes Kiddush and Havdalah, but normally there’s so much more to it than that. Just as during the week, there are places to go, people to see, tasks to perform, the same is true on Shabbat – although it’s different people, places, and things to do. These people, the ones we see every Shabbat, are special to us; the places we go, whether it’s to our beloved synagogue or to be with friends for a leisurely meal at a Shabbat table, the activities we endow with a special sense of kedusha, all of these have an intrinsic meaning.

But if there are no places we may go, no people (except for our immediate family) whose company we may enjoy, and only the basic tasks to perform – and if that’s true whether it’s a weekday or Shabbat – then every day is diminished by its sameness. I think all of us to some degree realize what is missing. Our task these days is to appreciate what we’ve lost and, in the weeks, months, and years ahead when our restrictions are lifted, when ‘life resumes,’ to give full value to every Shabbat – and the mundane days in between.

(My thoughts are based on an article by Gabriel Greenberg entitled “How Will We Recognize Shabbat?” in Lehrhaus, printed on-line on May 6, 2020. Thank you to Nachum Stone for his encouragement and assistance in preparing this article.)

Our Sages find similarities between the Mitzvah of Shmita, opening Parshat Behar, and the Mitzvah of Shabbat.

Shabbat – “The seventh day is a sabbath of the lord your God” – ויום השביעי שבת לה’ אלוקיך (Shmot 20,10)

Shmita – “The land shall observe a sabbath of the lord” – ושבתה הארץ שבת לה’ (Vayikra 25,2)

Both Mitzvot have a 6 day/year count, where we are ordered to work, before the 7th day/year. These Shabbatot complement each other, the Shabbat of Bereshit surrounds man and living beings and the Shabbat of the earth (Shemita) adds vegetation and inanimate objects to the cycle of Shabbat holiness. When we observe the two Shabbatot we are accepting the existence of Hashem and acknowledging the fact that Hashem created the world “The earth is the lord’s and all that it holds, the world and its inhabitants” – הארץ ומלואה תבל ויושבי בה.

“If you follow My laws and faithfully observe My commandments” – אם בחוקותי תלכו – Rashi interprets that “if” = a condition. The result is that if you observe my commandments and keep my Mitzvot then Hashem will “grant your rains in their season, so that the earth shall yield its produce and the trees of the field their fruit” – ונתתי גשמיכם בעתם, ונתנה הארץ יבולה, ועץ השדה יתן פריו. If the opposite occurs, the results will be bleak. The Gemara in Masechet Avoda Zara 5 says “In this context, “if” is a term that means nothing other than supplication” (please walk in My statutes). Is Hashem really begging us to walk in His ways? It sounds strange that He would do so.

The Netziv of Volozhin brings a Midrash that explains the words “My Laws”. “If you follow My laws” – these are the laws that I used to create the heavens and the earth, as is said “If not My covenant with the day and the night, that the statutes of heaven and earth I did not place” – אם לא בריתי יומם ולילה חקות שמים וארץ לא שמתי (Yirmiyahu, 31:34):

1. The laws I used to create the sun and the stars” – Who gives the sun to illuminate by day, the laws of the moon and the stars to illuminate at night – כה אמר ה’ נותן שמש לאור יומם חקת ירח וכוכבים לאור לילה (ibid, 31:34);
2. The laws that I used to create the sea – “when He gave the sea its boundary” – בשומו לים חקו (Mishlei, 8:29);
3. The laws I used to create the sand – “for I made sand a boundary for the sea” – אשר שמתי חול גבול לים (Yirmiyahu, 5:22);
4. The laws I used to create the depths – “when He drew a circle over the face of the deep” – בחוקו חוג על פני תהום

He ends by saying that the words “Law” – חוק, and “Circle” – חוג, have the same meaning, which was learned by Gezera Shava – a comparison that is learned by analogy (Vayikra Rabba).

The entire existence of nature is defined in the word “Law” – חוק, which Chazal explain in the Midrash “I set laws”, if you follow My laws, then the world will exist. This means that God made a condition in Bereishit, he created the world, but there is a purpose which is for the people to keep the Torah.

Hashem wants us to keep the Torah and the commandments to justify the existence of the world – He created the world in Bereshit. Its existence is the world that is Reishit (first) and the Torah which is Reishit (first). There is no existence and meaning without the Torah. Rabbi David Lau says that God created the world with different time zones so that at any given time there would be those who are learning Torah. When in one place people are sleeping then people on the other side of the world are engaged in Torah and Mitzvot, as is said “Thus said the lord: As surely as I have established My covenant with day and night—the laws of heaven and earth” כֹּה אָמַר ה’ אִם לֹא בְרִיתִי יוֹמָם וָלָיְלָה חֻקּוֹת שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ לֹא שָׂמְתִּי. If My people listen to me then there is justification for the existence of the world and it survives, and then Hashem can fulfill “I will grant your rains in their season, so that the earth shall yield its produce and the trees of the field their fruit” – ונתתי גשמיכם בעתם, ונתנה הארץ יבולה, ועץ השדה יתן פריו and the world will be with everything we need to live in it and engage in the Torah.

This week’s parsha has multiple references to the concept of חילול השם, the profanation of God’s name. The parsha does not explain what it means to profane God’s name. However, the previous parsha, K’doshim gives us insight into what it might mean.

We generally assume that Yom Kippur is מכפר, atones, for all our sins. The Gemara yoma 86a states, “For the sin of chilul hashem, teshuva doesn’t suspend ones punishment and yom kippur doesn’t atone. בחילול השם אין כח בתשובה לתלות ויום הכיפור לכפר  .  The Meshech chochma on Vayikra 19:12 concludes that chilul hashem must be a sin of bein adam lchaveiro– an interpersonal sin. Otherwise, hashem could forgive for chilul hashem on Yom Kippur. Why is it interpersonal? Because the chilul hashem distances others from hashem. Depriving others of their faith is unrestorable. Thus, it is unforgivable.

The Netziv  vayikra 19:2 explains ” כל עדת בני ישראל ” to mean all the members of b’nai Israel on their own level. We are all equal when it comes to the performance of mitzvot. We eat the same matzah, carry the same lulav, hang mezuzot, and wear tekhelet (of course). However, when it comes to holiness we have divergent paths. The willingness to work hard to learn to control our thoughts and actions is certainly unequal. It is within the grasp all of us to push ourselves to become a person worth emulating. To be a true Kiddush hashem– to honor to God.

Today, the greatest Torah scholar of our generation passed away. None of us can dream to approach the mastery of the Rambam’s Torah that Rav Rabinowitz achieved. Yet all of us can emulate many of his traits. The modesty, the warmth, the empathy that made him beloved to his thousands of students. The only fear that they felt was of not thinking clearly enough. He led by example, and truly treated his students as equals; seeking out their opinions, and expressing his own only to clarify.

As a scholar, he was working for the ages, and he knew it.
As a teacher, he was working for you, and you felt it.

.ויקרא 18:3

כְּמַעֲשֵׂה אֶרֶץ־מִצְרַיִם אֲשֶׁר יְשַׁבְתֶּם־בָּהּ לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ וּכְמַעֲשֵׂה אֶרֶץ־כְּנַעַן אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי מֵבִיא אֶתְכֶם שָׁמָּה לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ וּבְחֻקֹּתֵיהֶם לֹא תֵלֵכוּ׃

In our parsha we read”  and their customs do not follow”

When a passuk is written with an abstract clause, it can’t be interpreted literally. One cannot “walk” in a set of laws or behaviors. This invites a wide range of interpretations. Some interpret, not to follow the laws of the gentiles. Some interpretations are hairstyle, behavior, architecture, dress, fashion. Rambam, following a number of Talmudic sources rules “all the above”.
[11 avoda zara 1-3]

Rashi quoting the medrash halacha explains:

ובחקתיהם לא תלכו. מַה הִנִּיחַ הַכָּתוּב שֶׁלֹּא אָמַר? אֶלָּא אֵלּוּ נִימוֹסוֹת שֶׁלָּהֶן — דְּבָרִים הַחֲקוּקִין לָהֶם — כְּגוֹן טַרְטִיָּאוֹת וְאִצְטַדִיָּאוֹת,

“their theaters and circuses” in other words, their leisure activities. Rambam did not bring this at all in his longer list of forbidden activities.

As we (hopefully) enter the last stages of our CoronaVirus isolation, I think that we can better appreciate Rashi’s interpretation, which seems to be more metaphoric or abstract than Rambam.

To a large degree, many of us have been forced into almost full-time leisure mode. What did we do with our time? A lot of everything, of course. The mix of activities are on a continuum of spiritual, intellectual, mundane, mindless and perhaps even embarrassing. The choices we made to a large degree indicate our values.

Rashi is instructing us to avoid the entertainments that do not promote or perhaps are even in conflict with our ideals and mores. As we emerge from our isolation, we can use the opportunity to evaluate how we used our time.

*******

In today’s (Wednesday) Daf, Shabbat 54b, the discussion surrounds a certain cow who walked about on Shabbat improperly adorned with a decorative ribbon. (It is forbidden to have one’s animal carry an unnecessary burden in the public domain on Shabbat.) The cow is identified as belonging to Ribi Elazar ben Azariya, even though it was not his. The gemara explains that Ribi Elazar ben Azariya is assigned responsibility for the cow, which belonged to a neighbor, because he didn’t protest the inappropriate decoration. The leaders of a community are responsible for the behavior of the collective.

Each of us has a leadership role to play within our families, communities, employment. And that is leading by example. Certainly, no one should stick their noses into anyone else’s affairs. We must all get our own priorities in order. Have we taken steps to welcome God into our lives? Does our behavior properly express the purpose of our being?

As we strive to make our day-to-day lives reflect the ideals of Judaism, we help each other and all of Am Yisrael. When we accept Rashi’s advice to limit our adoption of entertainments of the gentiles, we can start walking in the Godly path.

David Hamelech, in his book of Tehillim (Psalms), uses a very profound description of the Jewish people during the beginning of Redemption (Psalms 126, 1):

:”שִׁ֗יר הַֽמַּ֫עֲל֥וֹת בְּשׁ֣וּב יְ֭קֹוָק אֶת־שִׁיבַ֣ת צִיּ֑וֹן הָ֝יִ֗ינוּ כְּחֹלְמִֽים”

“A song of ascents. When the Lord returns the returnees to Zion, we shall be like dreamers”

We recite these verses during Brikat Hamazon on joyful days. Many of us know these verses verbatim from Shabbat and holiday meals. However, one might ask, what message is David Hamelech trying to send us by his use of the term “dreamers”?

In traditional commentary, we find a variety of explanations:

Rabbi Avraham Ibn- Ezra (normally coined Ibn-Ezra for his Magnum Opus) comments:

When Hashem returns us to our land, the Jewish people will pronounce, “Man cannot grasp such wonders when awake, it is as if one is dreaming“.

The Jewish people have gone through persecution and oppression to no end. When the moment of redemptions arises, the happiness will be overwhelming. We simply will not be able to grasp reality; it will be as if we are all in a dream. According to the Ibn Ezra, the essential message of this verse is one of anticipation towards the future. A promise of utopia, something one can only dream about.

The Radak (Rabbi David Kimchi) offers a different interpretation:

Like a fleeting dream was for us the exile, with joy that we have when we return to our country.

According to the Radak, the verse comes to teach a message of happiness. However, in contrast to the Ibn-Ezra, the emphasis is not on the anticipation towards redemption. Rather, it refers to the sorrow of exile, which will seem like a dream that never really happened.

In summary, both commentators translate David Hamelech’s song as a soothing and calming message for the people of Israel while still in exile. However, their approaches to understanding the verse are two sides of the same coin. According to Ibn- Ezra, the hope and dream of a magnificent redemption will bring great relief to the Jewish people in their long exile. On the other hand, Radak focuses on the forgetting of the painful exile, as a form of relief for the Jewish people.

Rabbi Menachem Meiri interprets the verse in a completely different manner:

Don’t despair of our salvation, our minds and hearts are always upon it, even in the depths of sorrow we will always dream of our redemption.

The verse is again one of a soothing message. However, there is no direct connection between the “dream” aspect and the actual redemption. According to the Meiri, David Hamelech sees that the Jewish people are worried that the salvation will never arrive, as a result of Israel forgetting the redemption ever existed. When one is sunken in pain and sorrow, redemption is not on one’s mind and there is a chance that he might forget it completely.

The Meiri’s emphasis is on the fact that when an individual is experiencing an extreme emotion or situation the opposite feeling seems unrealistic. The sages teach us that one should not comfort an individual during a moment of anger. For example, one should not appease his friend who just lost a million dollars by telling him that he still has plenty remaining.

The Meiri’s message goes much deeper. When a person is used to a certain type of reality for a long period of time, it’s hard to release oneself of it. He knows only of his reality, in our case, that of oppression.

It would seem that the soothing message, according to the Meiri, stems from the fact that the pain of sorrow of exile might cause the Jewish people to forget redemption. This can cause a phenomenon of not believing when it is right in front of them!

By such logic, a revolutionary interpretation of the verse may be considered. When the Jewish people is given the redemption, the oppression of exile can be blinding in such a manner, that they will not even realize it is happening. There are those who will go as far as to deny it.

          My Rebbe and mentor Rav Chaim Drukman uses a beautiful analogy to explain such an interpretation.

Imagine for a moment, a student named Moshe is sitting in his fourth grade classroom looking straight at his teacher. The teacher is explaining a rule in grammar. However, Moshe can’t get his mind off the television show he watched yesterday evening. It was such an interesting episode. Even as his mind drifts away, he is still staring directly at the teacher. The teacher is staring right at Moshe. Even though Moshe’s face might show some sign of attentiveness, he is in another world.  In short, he is day dreaming.

The analogy of the boy Moshe represents the Jewish people during their redemption. The meaning of the verse that we say every Shabbat and holiday is not a message of comfort or relief. Rather, it is one of awakening. When our salvation arrives, we can see it, hear it, but we might be far from recognizing it. An unfortunate effect of exile is not just a physical distance but a spiritual one as well. David Hamelech is telling us not to remain in our slumber. Rather, we must wake up and grasp the opportunity before us. We must cherish it and build from it.

This occasion happened in twentieth century and continues into the twenty-first. The Jews witnessed the Balfour declaration[1] and the birth of the Zionist Movement[2]. Yet, most of Jewry throughout Europe did not react. The miracles continued, the land of Israel was being resettled, a dry land started to see fruit for the first time in centuries[3]. This redemption blossomed with the British mandate, the resettlement of Israel by Jews, and a unanimous United Nations resolution granting the Jewish people a chance to reestablish their homeland[4]. This was followed by a miraculous victory over four Arab nations with military capabilities way beyond ours. However, many Jews refused to see this as the beginning of redemption. They were blinded by the oppression that they had been put through for so long. Even though many rejoiced, others voiced denial by insisting that redemption could never come in such a fashion. Others claimed that the miracles were not big enough to be classified as the redemption. From an objective perspective, one could see that the miracles leading up to the creation of the State of Israel were no less a natural miracle than the story of Purim.

This attitude is not just one of the past, it continues into the present. Unfortunately, even today we are witness to Jews of many sectors who deny Israel’s right to exist and question the legitimacy of its establishment. The message of David Hamelech must continue to ring strong. We must wake from our dream and take a true look at reality.

A well known message of our Sages is that an event that happened to our forefathers is a sign to us for the future. This lesson of awakening roots back to the times of another tragic episode in Jewish history, the slavery in Egypt. After the birth of Moshe Rabeinu, When Moshe was born, the Torah describes what Yocheved saw and the actions that took place as a result. The verse says (Exodus 2, 2):

“וַתֵּ֤רֶא אֹתוֹ֙ כִּי־ט֣וֹב ה֔וּא וַֽתִּצְפְּנֵ֖הוּ שְׁלֹשָׁ֥ה יְרָחִֽים”:

“She saw that he was good and she hid him for three months”

After Yocheved conceived Moshe, the Torah describes that she saw something unique about him, “he was good”. The sages relate two definitions to explain what was unique about Moshe Rabeinu. According to one opinion, he was born circumcised. Alternatively, when he was born, his home filled with a divine light. The commentators discuss in length the second part of the verse, in which Yocheved hides Moshe from the Egyptians who were murdering every male born to the Jews.

The Ramban gives a very interesting explanation of Yocheved’s actions:

It is known that all the women love their children, who are beautiful, and they would do anything to protect their children.  However, the meaning of “good” (that she saw a special goodness) is that she saw that miracles were happening to him, so she thought in her heart that something miraculous might happen. As a result, when she could not hide him anymore, she built a small basket and thought he would be saved through miracles.

It is clear in the Ramban’s commentary that Yocheved had the courage to defy the norm. She was brave in that she tried to save Moshe by sending him down the Nile in a basket. All this was because of the miracles she saw with regard to Moshe as we mentioned earlier. One could ask on the Ramban’s explanation, what was so unique about Yocheved’s actions to save her son? Wouldn’t any mother go to all means to save her child from harm?

Yocheved’s bravery did not just stem from her role as a mother. She had the hindsight to be able to appreciate the miracles she witnessed. She believed that in a time when pain, death and slavery surrounded her, that any type of effort could go a long way. During the slavery in Egypt, even a mother would have never thought to do something as daring as to try to hide her child and send him down the Nile to be found and saved. Yocheved appreciated the miracles she saw and was not blinded by the atmosphere surrounding her.

The lesson that Yocheved and David Hamelech are teaching the Jewish people is that no matter how much sorrow and agony we go through, we must never be blinded, we must never day-dream. Rather, we must realize the miracles that surround us, acknowledge the progress that we have made, and praise the great steps that we have taken to get to this point. Hashem will give us the strength to continue as long as we appreciate what he has done for us. Hashem gave us a beautiful gift, the land of Israel. Let us remain alert and in tune to our blessings. The return to our homeland is our living miracle. Live it, breathe it, embrace it!

[1] Rabbi Meir Simcha of Dvinsk also known as the “Ohr Sameach” interpreted this declaration as a divine sign that jews may return to Israel in contrast to what seems to be prohibited by the Talmud (Ketubot 111b). Other contemporary rabbis agreed with the Ohr Sameach such as Rabbi Tzvi hirsh Kalisher and Rabbi Tzvi Yehuda Kook.

[2] Rabbi Yehuda Halevi in his famous work “The Kuzari” elaborates that redemption begins when jews themselves yearn to return to the land of Israel. Rabbi Chaim Ben Atar also mentions a similar idea as does Rabbi Yissachar Teichtal author of “Eim Habanim Smecha”. Rabbi Baruch Epstein (son of the famed Aruch Hashulchan) brings an interesting passage from the sages that almost proves that a return to Israel is the beginning of redemption , see (Torah Temima, Lamentations chapter 1 verse 13).

[3] In the Talmud (Sanhedrin, 98) Rabbi Abba is quoted “A undoubtable sign of our redemption as it says (Ezekiel 36, 5): “‘But you, mountains of Israel, will produce branches and fruit for my people Israel, for they will soon come home”. The rebirth of fruitful land in the land of Israel is proof of the redemption.

[4] Many rabbinic authorities also bring down a stamp of approval by foreign nations as a sign of redemption. The first to mention such an idea was the Ramban over the generations other great sages agreed with such a philosophy. For example Rabbi Tzvi Hirsh Kalisher, Rabbi Shmuel Borenstein and Rabbi Meir Wisser (also known as the Malbim).

תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: מַעֲשֶׂה בְּאֶחָד שֶׁמֵּתָה אִשְׁתּוֹ וְהִנִּיחָה בֵּן לִינַק וְלֹא הָיָה לוֹ שְׂכַר מְנִיקָה לִיתֵּן, וְנַעֲשָׂה לוֹ נֵס וְנִפְתְּחוּ לוֹ דַּדִּין כִּשְׁנֵי דַּדֵּי אִשָּׁה וְהֵנִיק אֶת בְּנוֹ. אָמַר רַב יוֹסֵף: בֹּא וּרְאֵה כַּמָּה גָּדוֹל אָדָם זֶה שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה לוֹ נֵס כָּזֶה! אֲמַר לֵיהּ אַבָּיֵי: אַדְּרַבָּה כַּמָּה גָּרוּעַ אָדָם זֶה שֶׁנִּשְׁתַּנּוּ לוֹ סִדְרֵי בְרֵאשִׁית.

Masechet Shabbat, Page 53B, tells of a man whose wife died while she was still nursing their child and he could not afford to pay for a wet nurse. A miracle occurred and he grew two breasts so that he could nurse his son. Rav Yosef said “see what a great man he was that such a miracle happened to him”. To which Abaye replied: “see what an evil man he was that the order of creation was changed for him”.

Rav Yosef and Abaye disagree on the question if this miracle was to praise this man or not.

To Rav Yosef it was clear that he had earned great merits. On the other hand, Abaye claimed that the fact that he needed an obvious miracle, is a big disadvantage. If he had been a righteous person, his salvation would have come through a natural process, as a hidden miracle.

At the end of Pesach, Chag Hamatzot, we come to the special event of the splitting of the sea and Shirat Hayam. The splitting of the sea was the greatest (and possibly the only) obvious miracle in human history [Rambam, Moreh Nevochim, B29, Masechet Avot, 5:5, Asara Devarim, Radak, Bereshit 2:1].

I believe that we should not be discussing if this miracle was in Bnei Yisrael’s merit or not, just as Rav Yosef and Abaye discussed in the Gemara. It seems that the miracle of Yam Suf, and the revelation of the Shechina, with Bnei Yisrael walking through dry land and the Egyptians drowning in the returning waters, all were for the purpose of ויאמינו בה’ ובמשה עבדו – and they believed in Hashem and in Moshe his servant. They believed that only Hashem had taken them out of Egypt and that Moshe was his faithful servant, who only acted in Hashem’s service (the same can be said about Har Sinai, which states ובך יאמינו לעולם – and they will believe in You forever).

These miracles were performed for us, but not for our good. We have been given the opportunity on Pesach to take ourselves back to those days and to feel the reality of ויאמינו בהי ובמשה עבדו (Shemot, 14:31).

וַיַּ֨רְא יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל אֶת־הַיָּ֣ד הַגְּדֹלָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר עָשָׂ֤ה ה’ בְּמִצְרַ֔יִם וַיִּֽירְא֥וּ הָעָ֖ם אֶת־ה’ וַיַּֽאֲמִ֙ינוּ֙ בַּֽה’ וּבְמֹשֶׁ֖ה עַבְדּֽוֹ׃

And Israel saw the great hand, which the Lord had used upon the Egyptians, and the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in Moses, His servant

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יה’ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֗ה הִנֵּ֨ה אָנֹכִ֜י בָּ֣א אֵלֶיךָ֮ בְּעַ֣ב הֶֽעָנָן֒ בַּעֲב֞וּר יִשְׁמַ֤ע הָעָם֙ בְּדַבְּרִ֣י עִמָּ֔ךְ וְגַם־בְּךָ֖ יַאֲמִ֣ינוּ לְעוֹלָ֑ם וַיַּגֵּ֥ד מֹשֶׁ֛ה אֶת־דִּבְרֵ֥י הָעָ֖ם אֶל־ה’׃

And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am coming to you in the thickness of the cloud, in order that the people hear when I speak to you, and they will also believe in you forever.” And Moses relayed the words of the people to the Lord

We have left Mitzrayim. We have left our constraints behind. Tzar, narrow, constraint, restriction, is the root of mitzrayim. This is the work we did leading up to Pesach whilst we worked hard cleaning our homes, and ourselves, cooking, buying, preparing, taking care of our families, focussing on our immediate surroundings.

Then we had Seder night, passing on our traditions to ourselves and our families. Pesach: we talked about freedom. Why is this night different from all other nights? We were slaves in Egypt, until Hashem set us free, redeemed and took us out. We left in a hurry, without time for debate, contemplation or doubt. There was no time to think about where we were going. There was no time to prepare. Our matzot symbolize that. We were told to go, and we went.

Now what? Where are we headed? Where are we going? We have come to a crossroads. Behind us are the mighty Egyptians with their mighty horses. In front of us is a sea. Where are we going to go? Doubts and complaints begin. We question Hashem’s decision and judgement. “Did you bring us all this way just to let us die here?”

This is where our Emunah plays a huge role in our lives.

If Hashem took us out from Mitzrayim, then Hashem has a plan for us. Everything Hashem does is for our good. Hashem is our loving Father in Heaven who loves us.

We must jump! Just like Nachshon ben Aminadav. Take the leap. Again. Without letting the doubt creep in and stop us! We need to move forward, and know that Hashem is with us.

Where are we headed? Why cross the sea?

To receive the Torah, our blueprint for life; how to live, behave, treat each other, interpersonal relationships, having a relationship with Hashem.

First we must cross the sea – overcome our fears and trust in Hashem! Emunah.

It’s all from Hashem! There is a purpose.

Hashem is our loving father. Hashem loves me!

Hashem gives for my ultimate best!

May we all merit to see our redemption and Moshiach speedily in our days!

Shabbat Shalom.

Chag Sameach!