Dedicated in memory of Rachel Leah bat R' Chaim Tzvi

Volume 4 Number 6 Brought to you by Naaleh.com Themes of the Hagadah Based on a Naaleh.com shiur by Rabbi Ari Jacobson We fulfill the mitzvah of remembering the redemption is within our power. We can repent redemption. We are grateful for the transforma- exodus every day by reciting the parsha of and Hashem will bring us back. If we merit, the tion from slavery to Paro to servants of Vayomer at the end of Shema. On the night of geulah can come at any given point. Our Hashem. The whole ritual of the seder, where Pesach we were given an additional mitzvah situation is different now and we celebrate the one must follow a prescribed series of actions, of “Vihagadata l’vincha,” to tell the story of the fact that it is in our hands. appears to be the opposite of freedom. Yet this redemption to our children. very order creates within us inner freedom and To fulfill the mitzva of sipur yetziat mitzraim we brings us closer to Hashem. There is a significant difference between acknowledge and rejoice in the past. Our zechira (remembering) and sipur (telling). Rav focus, however, is on what is necessary to A major theme of Magid is hakarat hatov, Chaim Soloveitchik explains that there is no ensure our future. The exodus from Egypt is expressing gratitude to Hashem. We say in the specific format to fulfill the daily commemora- only the foundation. Our continued existence is Hagadah, “Tzei u’lemad” (Go and learn). tion. However, sipur is performed by guaranteed through ongoing commitment to Gratitude requires a limud (deep thought). It is beginning with the negative and progressing Torah. This explains why the stories of Rabbi not always apparent. Rav Meir Shapiro to the positive. In addition, to fulfill the mitzva Akiva, Rabbi Tarfon and Rabbi Elazar ben explains the verse, “Halelu et Hashem kol of zechira you need only to mention the Azarya appear in the Hagadah. On the surface goyim.” The nations will praise Hashem. Why exodus. Regarding sipur, “Kol hamarbeh they don’t seem to belong there, since they will they especially praise Hashem? The l’saper harei zeh meshubach,” there is always only refer to zechira, not to sipur. Rav Chaim non-Jews will acknowledge how many times something to add. Soloveitchik explains that one can fulfill the Hashem foiled their plans and saved us mitzvah of sipur by studying Torah that relates without our knowledge. Magid begins with Ha lachma anya, this is the to yetziat mitzrayim. bread of affliction. It seems odd that we invite In Parshat Ki Tavo, the Torah states “Arami guests in the middle of the seder. Why not a In the Hagadah, we say in response to the oved avi.” Lavan wanted to kill us. We don’t day or two before? Rav Soloveitchik explains rasha (evil son) that had he been there he find this in Bereishit, where Lavan is first that it’s not really an invitation but a declara- would not have been redeemed. Rav Moshe introduced. We were not even aware at that tion. We are expressing the Jewish attitude Feinstein teaches that we cannot give up on a time of his intentions to destroy our family. towards suffering. This is the bread of Jew. A rasha who is exposed to the light of affliction. We were hungry in Egypt, and so we Torah has the ability to return. In Egypt, On the seder night, as we thank Hashem for will make sure that no one goes hungry again. however, before the giving of the Torah, the the wonders of the redemption and for all His rasha was lost. continued kindness, let us remember all the “This year we are here and next year we will hidden miracles too. be free.” Unlike galut mitzrayim which was We raise the second cup of wine and thank meant to be 400 years, in our current exile the Hashem for both our physical and spiritual Pesach: Small Actions, Big Results Based on a Naaleh.com shiur by Rabbi Hanoch Teller Small matters played an inordinate role in the sion, he responded in kind. Rav Kaheneman was one of the key figures in ultimate redemption of the Jewish people. the renaissance of Torah learning after the Three seemingly insignificant acts: not Chazal say, Hashem never awards greatness Holocaust. His motto was, “The return will altering their attire, not changing their names, to an individual until He tests him with minor always be greater than the investment, and not speaking the Egyptian language matters. We see this particularly in regard to provided you stretch out your hand.” And helped the Jews merit salvation. Similarly, the chesed. People run after the major chasadim indeed he was the living embodiment of this. minor act of spreading the blood of the korban and fewer people are willing to volunteer for pesach on the lintels of their doors saved smaller deeds. But those insignificant acts of At the end of his life, Rav Zisha said, “I’m not them from the plague of the firstborns. We kindness breed greatness. worried if they will ask me why I didn’t have the also find this theme in the laws of Pesach. chesed of Avraham, the perspicuity of the Vilna The smallest speck of chometz (leavened Small deeds have the potential to reap great Gaon, or the courage of Yitzchak. I’m only bread) cannot be nullified. dividends. The Midrash relates how Moshe worried that they’ll ask me why I didn’t become carried one of his lost thirsty sheep back to his Zisha, why I didn’t accomplish what I could In Az Yashir, we say, “Nachita b’chasdecha flock on his shoulder. When Hashem saw this have. am zu ga'alta. You (Hashem) led, with your exceptional compassion he said, “He will be kindness, this nation that you have the shepherd of my people.” Before Hashem We must never downgrade a small act. We redeemed." Small acts of chesed (kindness) created Adam and Chava he prepared a should not downplay our personal significance brought the redemption. Although the Jewish beautiful world for them. When we arrange our in any situation Hashem places us. Rather we people suffered greatly in Egypt, they sought home in an inviting way so that guests feel should utilize the skills we have been given to to help each other in every way they could. welcome, we emulate His ways. Although he help others, one small step at a time. When Hashem saw their incredible compas- appeared to be far away, Batya stretched out her hand to save Moshe.

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visit us online at: www.naaleh.com | for questions, suggestions, or dedication opportunities, email [email protected] 1 Dedicated in memory of Rachel Leah bat R' Chaim Tzvi

Volume 4 Number 6 Brought to you by Naaleh.com Pesach: Children of the King Based on a Naaleh.com shiur by Rabbi Hershel Reichman When the Jews left Egypt, they were freed inspiration, where the love of Hashem comes Hashem formulated a plan to create the world from bondage. Moreover, they became bnei forth. The land of Israel is the nefesh - the life in Tishrei but he didn’t actualize it until Nissan. melachim, elevated princes. The Shem force that sustains creation. Adam was formed on Rosh Chodesh Nissan, Mishmuel explains that true rulership means the month of the exodus. In this month, there dominion over oneself and the Jewish people Within our brain too, there is a triple division. would be a new level of creation that would were given this power on Pesach. The left, right, and back parallel the three produce the Jewish people and the Torah and levels of the soul. The back is the basic life give man true freedom to control himself. The Hebrew word for ruler, melech, contains force - the nefesh. The cerebellum, with its left three letters: mem, lamed, chaf. These letters and right sides, is the center of intellect and The Jewish people were led out by three represent moach - brain, lev - heart, kaved - emotion. redeemers - Moshe, Aharon, and Miriam. They liver. The human soul has three parts: nefesh, represent the three levels of the soul. The ruach, neshama. Nefesh - the lowest level of Within neshama there is a further subdivision neshama, the intellect, corresponds to Moshe, the soul is centered in the liver, which purifies into nefesh, ruach, and neshama. This is also who brought Hashem’s word to us in the most the blood. The ruach - spirit is the house of true within the other two levels of the soul. intellectual way. Aharon was the heart of the emotions, which reside in the heart. The During the enslavement of Egypt every level of Jewish nation. Miriam was the nefesh - the highest faculty, the neshama, is the intellect the Jewish soul was subjugated. The Jewish instinctual life force of Israel. She took care of which is housed in the mind. people were so enveloped in Egyptian culture the physical needs of the people. The water in that they were like a fetus completely engulfed the desert came in her merit. Just as water Who is a king? Someone who controls his in its mother’s womb. rises up from the ground, Miriam took the root thoughts, emotions, and biological drives. level of Israel and elevated it to Hashem. When the Jewish people left Egypt and The Torah speaks about three entities of accepted the Torah they gained control over Egypt: Paro, the king of Egypt, and the land of We eat pesach, matzah, and marror on these three levels of being. Egypt which subjugated the Jews. They Pesach. Pesach, an animal sacrifice, represent the three levels of the soul. The land represents the fundamental life force that is There are three fundamental entities: soul, and people of Egypt dominated the Jews on dedicated to Hashem. The maror is the time, and place. Every energy that Hashem their most basic level - nefesh. They stamped bitterness of the exile and the joy and put into creation is contained in these three out their emotions. The king of Mitzrayim sweetness of redemption, which relates to the things. The soul has three levels. Holiness in squashed all level of Jewish spirit - ruach. heart of Israel. The matzah is the neshama - time is also tri-dimensional: Shabbat, Yom Paro captured the Jewish people’s brain. He the exodus, the freedom of our minds to think Tov, and Rosh Chodesh. Shabbat, the most subjugated their neshama. When they finally and ponder the greatness of Hashem and to elevated time, parallels the neshama - the left Egypt they were born anew. They could delve into Torah. The Jews were redeemed in intellect, which is the highest faculty of man. now function completely with all three levels of Nissan, the month of creation. This is Yamim tovim are days of the ruach, the heart. the soul. represented by the Hebrew word for spring, They are an emotional experience. There is a Aviv, beginning with the letters aleph and bet, special mitzvah of simchat haregel - to take There were ten plagues. Ten is a mystical which signify starting again. Hashem made the pleasure and joy in the spiritual gifts given to number. It parallels the ten statements world come alive in this month to parallel us during these days. Rosh Chodesh, though, Hashem used to create the world. The Jewish Jewish rebirth. is a regular weekday. It parallels the nefesh - people were reborn in the process of the the basic life force. It is a day of instinctual exodus, externally and internally. The ten May we merit to taste the sweetness of desire for closeness to Hashem. plagues were ten pronouncements of Hashem freedom, to appreciate the gift of the exodus to recreate the world, to make it a place in and the Torah, and to experience the ruach, The beit hamikdash is the neshama, the which justice would rule over evil. Torah gave nefesh, and neshama in their fullest way. highest form of holiness in the world. Yerusha- us freedom on the root level of our souls. We layim is the lev - the heart. It is the source of became princes and we could now rule over our instincts, emotions and thoughts.

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