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A Pesach Reader 5774/2014

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A Pesach Reader 5774/2014 W A PESACH READER 5774/2014 Celebrating 50 YEARS of dedication to our students and the community. YESHIVA OF GREATER WASHINGTON WWW.YESHIVA.EDU • 301-962-5111 Celebrating 50 YEARS of dedication to our students and the community. Fifty years ago Rabbi Gedaliah Anemer, zt”l, founded our yeshiva with a small handful of students. It was a time of pioneering, a time of enormous dedication. People took second mortgages on their homes to enable the yeshiva’s existence. We look back with much gratitude to Hashem for all of the chesed He has bestowed upon us, and we dedicate ourselves anew with the spirit and determination of our founders to the cause of Jewish education Rabbi Anemer held so dear. SPONSORED BY Rabbi Benzion and Chana Berliant in memory of Chana’s mother, Sarah bas Yisroel Leib, whose Yartzeit in observed on 11 Nisan. In memory of Alfred and Betty Rosenblatt a”h And in honor of William and Barbara Silver Rabbi Aryeh and Netanya Silver And Moshe Tzvi, Avraham, Shayna, Shira, Gedaliah, and Dina Leib and Sarah Don And Naftali, Reuven, Shmuel and Leah Dustin and Malka Widofsky And Adiella By Rochelle and Paul Silver The Daily Cause for Shira Rabbi Yitzchak Scher Rebbe, Yeshiva Gedolah, Kollel Zichron Amram “This month shall be for you the head of the months. It shall be the first for you of the months of the year. Speak to the entire congregation of Israel saying that on the tenth of this month they shall take for themselves a sheep for each family, a sheep for the household...1” The introduction to the holiday of Pesach in the Torah begins with the mitzvah of Rosh Chodesh. This indicates that Rosh Chodesh is an essential element to the holiday of Pesach. Indeed, this con- nection is so essential that the rabbis ordained that we read “Parshas Hachodesh” every year prior to Pesach2. It is true that the month which contains Pesach, Nissan, is the first of months, but how are these two concepts of Rosh Chodesh and Pesach inherently connected? One section of the Haggadah itself implies this connection. “One may have thought that we should begin the mitzvah of sippur yetzias mitzrayim (retelling the story of the Exodus) on Rosh Chodesh. However, the Torah teaches ‘on that day.’“ If not for the Torah’s emphasis that it should be done “on that day (the 15th of Nissan),” the Rabbis had a genuine thought that Rosh Chodesh was the proper time to begin the mitzvah of sippur yetzias mitzrayim. Why did the Rabbis have this thought? Some commentaries explain that the redemption began on Rosh Chodesh Nissan3. However, this requires some analysis, since the Torah records no events or miracles of the Exodus occurring on that day! The Gemara4 further points out the connection of these two concepts: Rav Asi said in the name of Rav Yochanan-anyone who makes the blessing on the new month [Kiddush Levana] at the correct time is as if he has received the Shechina (Divine Presence). It says concerning Rosh Chodesh “Hachodesh HaZeh Lachem- this month shall be for you”and it says [when the Jews experienced G-d’s miracles at the splitting of the Yam Suf] “Zeh Keli v’anvehu- this is my G-d and I shall glorify Him.” 1 Shemos 12:2-3 2 Megillah 29a 3 See Meyuchas L’Rashbam, Rashbatz, and Orchos Chaim on the Haggadah 4 Sanhedrin 42a CELEBRATING 50 YEARS 1 Rav Yochanan reveals to us a connection between our monthly acknowledgement of the new moon and its cycles and Kerias Yam Suf, the climax of the Exodus. The same “zeh” proclaimed at the Yam Suf is proclaimed upon seeing the new moon. However, these events seem to be more different than similar. The moon’s process of waxing and waning is a constant, natural event, to be witnessed by all on a monthly basis. Kerias Yam Suf was a one-time miracle, defying nature. How can both these events present the same powerful results to the participant and lead to experiencing the Shechina? How can the same “zeh” that indicated our vision of the Shechina at Yam Suf be recited upon watch- ing the boring, mundane moon? To answer the above questions, we must first understand the underlying significance of Yetzias Mitzrayim and then we can discover its connection to Rosh Chodesh. Yetzias Mitzrayim is the foundation of our faith. Besides the observance of Pesach and its mitzvos, we have countless other mitzvos that revolve around or emanate from the story of Yetzias Mitzray- im. Twice daily, we are obligated to remember this event5. Every Shabbos and Yom Tov Kiddush declares that the upcoming day is zecher leyetzias mitzrayim, a remembrance of the Exodus. This story permeates the life of every Jew. The Ramban6 discusses the reason for the “fixation” that the Torah has with this story. Yetzias Mitz- rayim is the one time in history when Hashem revealed Himself and His ways to the world. All that we know concerning Hashem’s existence and hashgacha (providence) was taught to us through the events of the Exodus. These events showed us that Hashem exists, is aware of what happens in the world, cares about our actions, has the power to intervene and overturn nature, rewards the righ- teous, punishes the wicked, and has an ultimate plan for history. We were then instructed by Hash- em to take this model and relate it to every generation so that all can be cognizant of these truths for the rest of world history. We see that the world is not left on its own, but constantly subject to hashgacha, divine intervention and guidance. The world is in no way subject to the natural flow of events, but rather to the Creator’s wishes. Sifsei Chaim7 points out that this lesson is symbolized by the difference between chometz and matzah. When left on its own, to natural processes, flour and water will leaven and become chometz. Hence, chometz is symbolic of nature, the world left to its natural course with no external intervention. Matzah, however, requires one to interrupt the natural process of leavening. Matzah is not left on its own, but baked with a focus and diligence through the quick and necessary intervention of the baker. It is symbolic of the Divine Hand intervening in our world, sidestepping the natural process, 5 Brachos 12b 6 Shemos 13:16 7 Volume 2, pp.342-3 2 YESHIVA OF GREATER WASHINGTON in order to produce the desired results. Hashgacha. However, as the Ramban points out, we do not get to see miracles of the magnitude of Yetzias Mitz- rayim happening on a regular basis. For this reason, we must persistently remember and discuss Yetzias Mitzrayim. The constant connection to this historic event serves as the basis for our emunah and perception of Hashem in our lives. Stories of ancient miracles do give us an understanding of the Creator and a basis to our beliefs. Even so, we still need a tool to actively perceive Hashem’s providence in daily life. We all yearn to see the miracles with our own two eyes! Rabbeinu Yonah8, commenting on the above gemara about Kiddush Levana, explains the key to perceiving Divine intervention in our daily lives. Even though Hashem is not visible, He is seen through His powerful actions and miracles, as it says “You are a hidden G-d, the G-d of Israel and its savior.” Meaning, even though You are hidden, You are the G-d of Israel, the savior at all times. Through Your salvation, people see You. You are revealed to them and they acknowledge You. So too here, as You renew the months (cause the new moon to appear) You are revealed to people and it is as if they receive the Shechina. Rabbeinu Yonah teaches us that witnessing the new moon is tantamount to perceiving Hashem through miracles. Unfortunately, he does not elaborate upon this concept. How can we understand his powerful assertion? We tend to think that Hashem is most apparent to the world through miracles. Indeed, when Hash- em splits the sea, turns water to blood, or causes food to fall from the sky, we can take our fingers and point to the Creator. However, we must understand that the miracles that we experience in daily life are just as powerful. The fact that the sun rises each morning, bringing its light and warmth to the world is a wondrous event. It would be hard to imagine life without the reliability of gravity to keep us grounded. The wonders of the plant and animal kingdom are innumerable and breathtak- ing. The complexity and functions of every limb of the human body are astounding. The miracles of nature are just as great as the miracles of the Exodus. However, since they are expected, routine, and constant, we often do not acknowledge the miraculous nature of these wonders9. 8 In his commentary on Berachos, end of Chapter 4 9 Rav Moshe Wolfson Shlit”a relates the following analogy: Picture the Jewish children born in the desert. They grew up eating only mon, with the full understanding that food comes from the sky. Imagine their reaction when they entered Eretz Yisroel and discovered that a seed buried in the dirt can produce food as well. What a miracle! Since we are accustomed to natural events, we fail to see how wondrous they truly are. CELEBRATING 50 YEARS 3 Yet there is one thing in nature that is not perceived as a constant.
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