BO 5779 VOLUME 18, ISSUE 18 PARSHAH INSIGHTS With this premise, we can answer the above question. The Egyptians had ingrained into their personalities the need to disregard Moshe. No one in a situation of death occurring in their own home would be interested in And Moshe said, “So said Hashem, ‘At midnight, I shall go out in the checking if that moment was the exact second that Moshe had said. midst of Mitzrayim’…” (11, 4) However, with the trait of disproving Moshe part of the Egyptian Although Moshe said “at midnight,” Chazal say that he said “at psyche, they checked the time instinctively. With that need so approximately midnight,” either before or after. This was due to imperative, the smallest mistake would disqualify Moshe in their eyes Pharaoh’s astrologers' possible miscalculation of the precise moment of entirely. midnight and with Moshe's arrival a second early or late, they would say, “Moshe is a liar.” Hashem (Rashi) And each firstborn person among your sons, you shall redeem. (13, And Pharaoh arose at night, he and all his servants and all of 13) Mitzrayim, and there was a great outcry in Mitzrayim, for there was not a house where there was not a corpse. (12, 30) When is a father required to redeem his son? When the son is thirty days old...If the father dies before thirty days, the money to redeem the son is With people perishing in every home, which person would have the collected from his estate. (Rambam Bekurim 11, 17 & 20) presence of mind or the interest to check whether the plague had come exactly at midnight? In addition, since Moshe had been correct so many The Tur (Yoreh Deah 305, 14) asks on the Rambam as follows. If the times, why would an error in time - by a second - invalidate his time to redeem a firstborn son is after thirty days, how can the father’s credibility? property become obligated for the redemption of his son if the father died before he was thirty days old? Chazal (Suka 52a) say that when Moshiach will arrive, Hashem will slaughter the yetzer hora. The righteous people will cry and say, “How In truth, a firstborn son is due for redemption at birth. However, the act was it possible for us to conquer our evil inclination?” The wicked of redemption is performed at the thirty day mark, with the financial people will also cry and say, “Why were we so weak and not able to payment due that day. Since the obligation to redeem a firstborn is at his overcome our evil inclination?” birth, a lien took effect on the father’s property at that time, while the father was still alive, even though the actual financial payment is on the After the wicked ones will hear the righteous wondering how was it thirtieth day. (Rav Elchonon Wasserman Bava Basra 381) possible to overpower their inclinations, why should they feel guilty about falling prey to their desires? Didn’t the words of the righteous TABL E TALK prove that the yetzer hora was indeed a very difficult ‘mountain’ to PARSHA DILEMMA overcome? Bnai Yisroel did according to the word of Moshe, they requested from Rav Chaim Mordechai Katz zt”l answered as follows. A rasha is not the Egyptians silver vessels, gold vessels, and garments. (12, 35) interested in the truth - his only agenda is that the tzadik is wrong. Although the firstborns were dying in front of his eyes, proving that Bnai Yisroel merited to leave Mitzrayim because they did not change the Hashem rules the world, it did not matter to the rasha, as long as his own following: 1) Their names 2) Their language 3) Their clothes. (P’sikta position – the tzadik is a liar – is proven correct. Zutra Shemos 6, 6) Rav Sholom Schwadron zt’l explained in another manner. Wicked Doesn’t the posuk (Shmos 3, 22) say, “Each women shall request from people do not listen to the words of righteous people, even when it can her neighbor… garments and you shall put them on your sons and benefit their own cause. After rebuffing the words of the righteous for daughters” which implies that Bnai Yisroel did wear Egyptian clothing? such a long time, it becomes part and parcel of their essence to turn away when they hear the voices of the righteous. Even after Hashem WHO AM I ? slaughters the yetzer hora, they still refuse to listen to the words of the righteous because they have trained their soul not to pay attention to 1 My seventh was at sea them. 2 Feel what you see 3 I allowed spying MAZEL TOV TO RABBI & REBBETZIN SPITZ ON THE BIRTH OF THEIR DAUGHTER MAY THEY HAVE CONTINUED NACHAS KEHAL B’NEI TORAH 4 I allowed death undercharge, he asked the Rif to assess his property. The Rif arrived and began the appraisal. When they reached the baths the Last week’s clues: I am not stupid, Don’t confuse me with Rif had used, he refused to evaluate them. “I benefited from them money, I am life, Sometimes I refer to davening. and if I assess them at a lower value, I will be ungrateful to them Answer: Dam (blood) for my health they had restored.” Congratulations to: Avi Post, Avrohom Sholom Price, If a person is obligated to have gratitude to an inanimate object, Yechezkel Schulgasser, Yehudah Soffer, Shyken Family that has no feelings, how much more careful one should be with the feelings of people who have given of themselves, assisted WHO AM I? them at strategic moments of their lives and performed good deeds for them. (Shita Mekubetzes Bava Kama) 1 Belt tied 2 Shoes on KOLLEL BULLETIN BOARD 3 Hold your stick 4 Don’t confuse me with a roast M A Z E L T O V Jenna Fox and Yair Polster on their upcoming marriage Last week’s clues: I was one yet many, We were baked in a pie, Mr. & Mrs. Brian Fox / Mr. & Mrs. Mark Polster / Mr. & Mrs. Harold Polster I caused hitting, It was hopping. Rabbi and Mrs. Elozar Saks on the marriage of Tzipora Answer: Tzefardaia (Frogs) Rabbi and Mrs. Joel Pomerantz on the engagement of Bracha Raiza Congratulations to: Avi Post, Eli Post, Avrohom Sholom Price, Dr. and Mrs. Larry Pomerantz Yechezkel Schulgasser, Yehudah Soffer, Shyken Family, Sruly C O N D O L E N C E S Ehrlich Mrs. Leah Winter on the passing of her mother TORAH RIDDLE Pirchei What does the name of the Parsha (Bo) have to do with what 1-2 Grade: 3:15-3:55 at Yavne (Downstairs) occurred in the Parsha? 3-4 Grade: No Pirchei 5-6 Grade: No Pirchei Last week’s riddle and answer: From where in this Parsha do 7-8 Grade: 4:10 Seder at Yavne (Upstairs) we learn mesiras nefesh (martyrdom)? Bnos Answer: The frogs that went into the ovens and killed K: Batsheva Gurwitz – 2431 White themselves in order to plague the Mitzriyim, as Hashem wanted. 1: Chaya Baila Dessler – 2566 Rubyvale 2: Sarah Abramowitz – 2421 Elmdale Congratulations to: Shyken Family 3: Chavi Marcovitch – 2444 Laurelhurst 4: Nechama Fishbane – 2415 Laurelhurst Please send “Who Am I” and “Torah Riddle” answers to [email protected] by next Wed. Motsai Shabbos Learning and be entered in a raffle for an amazing Kollel Yad Chaim Mordechai: 7:00 – 8:00 SPY GEAR – ULTRA RANGE WALKIE TALKIE Zichron Chaim: 7:00 – 8:00 For the months of Teves/Shevat. Alexander Beis Medrash: 7:30 – 8:30 The answers will IY”H appear in next week’s issue A GLIMPSE OF GREATNESS FRIDAY NIGHT LEARNING PROGRAM Of the ten plagues, Moshe did not perform the first three because The Kollel Bais Medrash will be open he owed a debt of gratitude to the water for saving him when he for men and boys to come and learn. was an infant, and to the sand for saving him when he needed to Cholent by Freshko Foods bury the Egyptian. (Shemos Rabba 10, 7) Learning: 8:00 Cholent: 9:00 When the Rif became ill, a wealthy neighbor offered him the use of his personal warm bath for healing. The Rif moved into the wealthy man’s home and with the aid of the baths was able to be RECEIVE ‘ONEG SHABBOS’ BY EMAIL If you would like to receive the Oneg Shabbos each week by nurtured back to health. email, please subscribe online at www.beachwoodkollel.com, A few years passed and the wealthy man fell on hard economic or email [email protected]. times. It was necessary for him to sell some of his property in \ order to pay his debts. Concerned lest he overcharge or BEACHWOOD-UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS KOLLEL: 2573 LARCHMONT ROAD, BEACHWOOD, OHIO 44122/216-626-KYCM (5926) DISTRIBUTION PROVIDED BY MICRO–OFFICE SYSTEMS, INC. .