Editor’s Introduction



Bilvavi On The Hagaddah is a collection of insights of the Rav arranged according to the Pesach Hagaddah, culled from the derashos that have been collected in “Pesach Talks”, as well as some sections from sefer “Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh – Pesach”, and from snippets of various other derashos of the Rav.

The purpose of this commentary is not merely to offer a simple commentary on the Hagaddah, nor is it about presenting intellectually stimulating questions and answers. Rather, as with all the other works of the Rav, the purpose here is to awaken the heart, in a way that enlightens the intellect and infuses the heart with an intense desire to come closer to the Creator.

We sincerely hope that all those who read and contemplate the Rav’s words on the Hagaddah will understand the depth and become spiritually elevated through these insights, whether in the days preceding Yom Tov, or at the Pesach Seder, or throughout the Yom Tov of Pesach and onward – and to grow infinitely higher throughout the rest of our lives, in our avodas Hashem.

סדר הגדה של פסח

בדיקת חמץ

בליל י”ד ניסן בודקין את החמץ לאור הנר, וקודם הבדיקת חמץ אומרים זה:



הריני מוכן ומזומן לקיים מצות עשה ולא תעשה של בדיקת חמץ.

לשם יחוד קדשא בריך הוא ושכינתיה על ידי ההוא טמיר ונעלם בשם כל ישראל. ויהי נעם אדני אלהינו עלינו ומעשה ידינו כוננו עלינו, ומעשה ידינו כוננהו.

ברוך אתה ה’ אלוקינו מלך העולם, אשר קדשנו במצוותיו, וצונו על ביעור חמץ.

ומיד אחר הבדיקה יבטלנו ויאמר:

כל חמירא וחמיעא דאהא ברשותי, דלא חמתיה, ודלא בערתיה, ודלא ידענא ליה, לבטל ולהוי הפקר כעפרא דארעא.



Searching Ourselves On The Night Before Pesach

Pesach is the beginning of the Three Festivals. There are different Hebrew terms for the word “festival”: moed, chag, and regel. The three festivals are respectively known as the Shalosh Regalim, from the word “regel”. The word “regel”, besides for meaning “festival”, can also mean “to search”, as implied by the similar term Meraglim, the Spies who searched out the land. This hints to us that the way we ascend through Yom Tov/the regalim is by “searching” for something. The first regel is Pesach, which we begin by searching for any chometz.

Chazal say that “It is better had man not been born; now that we have been born, we need to examine our deeds”. We need to examine our deeds – hence, we need to “search” inside ourselves. What is it that we need to search for?

The word “regel” can also come from the word “hergel”, which means “habit.” We ask of Hashem, “Shetargileinu B’Torasecha”, that “we should become accustomed in Your Torah” – we want to develop a habit for the words of Torah. Doing things out of habit is usually not a good thing [this is called melumadah, doing things by rote]. But there are times in which we find that doing things out of habit is a good thing [and then hergel is being used for holiness]. On Yom Tov, we need to search inside ourselves and see which of our habits are good, and which are not good.

We count 50 days of the Omer until we get to the giving of the Torah, in which we have hopefully become accustomed to the Torah by then, when we have hopefully reached our aspiration of “And we should become accustomed in Your Torah.” At first we search ourselves out on the night before Pesach, and this is the beginning aspect of the regel. In between Pesach and Shavuos, we have hopefully become more accustomed to going to the Beis Midrash, that our feet are naturally taking us to towards the Beis Midrash [as Dovid HaMelech describes in Tehillim]. On Shavuos, we ideally reach the apex of getting used to holiness, which is the purpose.

This is the first aspect of the three regalim, which begins with Pesach – at first we search inside ourselves to see what our habits are, if they are holy or unholy. If we find habits in ourselves that are not for holiness, we need to destroy it, just as we destroy the chometz we find in any nooks and crannies. Along with this, we need to gain good kinds of habits – to become used to learning Torah, which is how we use the power of hergel/habit, for holiness. “Shetargileinu B’Torasecha.”

❖❖❖

ביעור חמץ

ביום י”ד בסוף שעה החמישית חוזר ומבטלו פעם שנית, וטוב לבטלו לאחר ששרף החמץ כדי שיקיים מצות שריפה בחמץ שלו ויעשה מדורה בפני עצמה וישרפנו ויאמר:



הריני מוכן ומזומן לקיים מצות עשה ולא תעשה של שריפת חמץ.

לשם יחוד קדשא בריך הוא ושכינתיה על ידי ההוא טמיר ונעלם בשם כל ישראל. ויהי נעם אדני אלהינו עלינו ובמעשה ידינו כוננה עלינו, ומעשה ידינו כוננהו.



כל חמירא וחמיעא דאכא ברשותי, דחזתיה ודלא חזתה, דחמתא ודלא חמתה, דבערתה ודלא בערתה, לבטל ולהוי הפקר כעפרא דארעא.

קַדֵּש

מיד כשבא מביהכנ”ס ילבש הקיטל, ישטוף הכוס וידיחנו, ומוזגין לו הכוס ומקדש עליו:



הִנְנִי מוּכָן וּמְזוּמָן לְקַיֵים מִצְוַת קִידוּשׁ וּמִצְוַת כּוֹס רִאשׁוֹן שֶׁל אַרְבַּע כּוֹסוֹת, לְשֵׁם יִחוּד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וּשְׁכִינְתֵּיהּ עַל יְדֵי הַהוּא טָמִיר וְנֶעֱלָם בְּשֵׁם כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל: וִיהִי נוֹעַם אֲדֹנָי אֱלֹהֵינוּ עָלֵינוּ וּמַעֲשֵׂה יָדֵינוּ כּוֹנְנָה עָלֵינוּ וּמַעֲשֵׂה יָדֵינוּ כּוֹנְנֵהוּ:



כשחל בשבת מתחילין כאן

וַיְהִי עֶרֶב וַיְהִי בֹקֶר: יוֹם הַשִּׁשִּׁי. וַיְכֻלּוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ וְכָל צְבָאָם: וַיְכַל אֱלֹהִים בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי מְלַאכְתּוֹ אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה וַיִּשְׁבֹּת בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי מִכָּל מְלַאכְתּוֹ אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה: וַיְבָרֶךְ אֱלֹהִים אֶת יוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי וַיְקַדֵּשׁ אֹתוֹ כִּי בוֹ שָׁבַת מִכָּל מְלַאכְתּוֹ אֲשֶׁר בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים לַעֲשֹוֹת:



כשחל בחול מתחילין כאן:

סַבְרִי מָרָנָן וְרַבָּנָן וְרַבּוֹתַי:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר בָּחַר בָּנוּ מִכָּל עָם וְרוֹמְמָנוּ מִכָּל לָשׁוֹן וְקִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו. וַתִּתֶּן לָנוּ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ בְּאַהֲבָה (לשבת: שַׁבָּתוֹת לִמְנוּחָה וּ) מוֹעֲדִים לְשִׂמְחָה חַגִּים וּזְמַנִּים לְשָׂשֹוֹן (לשבת: אֶת יוֹם הַשַׁבָּת הַזֶּה וְ) אֶת יוֹם חַג הַמַּצּוֹת הַזֶּה זְמַן חֵרוּתֵנוּ (לשבת: בְּאַהֲבָה) מִקְרָא קֹדֶשׁ זֵכֶר לִיצִיאַת מִצְרָיִם. כִּי בָנוּ בָחַרְתָּ וְאוֹתָנוּ קִדַּשְׁתָּ מִכָּל הָעַמִּים. (לשבת – וְשַׁבָּת) וּמוֹעֲדֵי קָדְשֶׁךָ (לשבת: בְּאַהֲבָה וּבְרָצוֹן) בְּשִׂמְחָה וּבְשָׂשֹוֹן הִנְחַלְתָּנוּ. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה מְקַדֵּשׁ (לשבת – הַשַׁבָּת וְ) יִשְׂרָאֵל וְהַזְּמַנִּים:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ וְקִיְּמָנוּ וְהִגִּיעָנוּ לַזְּמַן הַזֶּה:



ושותה בהסיבת שמאל ואינו מברך ברכה אחרונה:



]כשחל במוצאי שבת קודש מקדשין יקנה”ז ראשי תיבות יין, קידוש, נר, הבדלה, זמן:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם בּוֹרֵא מְאוֹרֵי הָאֵשׁ:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם הַמַּבְדִּיל בֵּין קֹדֶשׁ לְחֹל בֵּין אוֹר לְחֹשֶׁךְ בֵּין יִשְׂרָאֵל לָעַמִּים בֵּין יוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי לְשֵׁשֶׁת יְמֵי הַמַּעֲשֶׂה. בֵּין קְדֻשַּׁת שַׁבָּת לִקְדֻשַּׁת יוֹם טוֹב הִבְדַּלְתָּ. וְאֶת יוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי מִשֵּׁשֶׁת יְמֵי הַמַּעֲשֶׂה קִדַּשְׁתָּ. הִבְדַּלְתָּ וְקִדַּשְׁתָּ אֶת עַמְּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּקְדֻשָּׁתֶךָ. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה הַמַּבְדִּיל בֵּין קֹדֶשׁ לְקֹדֶשׁ:



וּרְחַץ

נוטל ידיו ואינו מברך על נטילת ידים:



כַּרְפַּס

יקח הכרפס פחות מכזית כדי שלא יתחייב בברכה אחרונה, ויטבול במי מלח ומברך בורא פרי האדמה, ויכוין לפטור את המרור, ויאכל בלא הסיבה:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה:



יַחַץ

יחצה המצה השניה, וחציה הקטנה יניחנה במקומה והחצי הגדולה ישמור אותה לאפיקומן:



]יש אומרים קודם ההגדה מאמר הזהר (זח”ב מ ע”ב):

פְּקוּדָא בָתַר דָא לְסַפֵּר בִּשְׁבָחָא דִיצִיאַת מִצְרָיִם, דְאִיהוּ חִיוּבָא עַל בַּר נָשׁ לְאִשְׁתָּעֵי בְּהַאי שְׁבָחָא לְעָלְמִין, הָכִי אוֹקִימְנָא, כָּל בַּר נָשׁ דְאִשְׁתָּעֵי בִיצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם וּבְהַהוּא סִפּוּר חָדֵי בְחֶדְוָה, זַמִין אִיהוּ לְמֶחֱדֵי בִשְׁכִינְתָּא לְעָלְמָא דְאָתֵי דְהוּא חֵדוּ מִכֹּלָא, דְהַאי אִיהוּ בַּר נָשׁ דְחָדֵי בְּמָרֵיהּ, וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא חָדֵי בְּהַהוּא סִפּוּר. בֵּיהּ שַׁעְתָּא כָנִישׁ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְכָל פַּמַלְיָיא דִילֵיהּ, וְאָמַר לוֹן זִילוּ וְשָׁמְעוּ סִפּוּרָא דִשְׁבָחָא דִילִי דְקָא מִשְׁתָּעוּ בָּנַי וְחָדָאן בְּפוּרְקָנִי. כְּדֵין כֻּלְהוּ מִתְכַנְשִׁין וְאָתְיָין, וּמִתְחַבְּרִין בַּהֲדֵיהוּ דְיִשְׂרָאֵל, וְשָׁמְעו סִפּוּרָא דִשְׁבָחָא דְקָא חָדָאן בְּחֶדְוָה דְפוּרְקָנָא דְמָרֵהוֹן, כְדֵין אָתְיָין וְאוֹדָן לֵיהּ לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עַל כָּל אִינוּן נִסִין וּגְבוּרָן, וְאוֹדָאן לֵיהּ עַל עַמָּא קַדִישָׁא דְאִית לֵיהּ בְאַרְעָא דַחֲדָאן בְחֶדְוָה דְפוּרְקָנָא דְמָארֵהוֹן, כְּדֵין אִתּוֹסֵף חֵילָא וּגְבוּרְתָּא לְעֵילָא וְיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּהַאי סִפּוּרָא יָהַבִין חֵילָא לְמָארֵיהוֹן כְּמַלְכָּא דְאִתּוֹסַף חֵילָא וּגְבוּרְתָא כַּד מְשַׁבְּחִין גְבוּרְתֵּיה וְאוֹדָן לֵיהּ וְכֻלְהוּ דַחֲלִין מִקַמֵיהּ וְאִסְתַּלֵק יְקָרֵיהּ עַל כֻּלְהוּ. וּבְגִין כָּךְ אִית לְשַׁבָּחָא וּלְאִשְׁתָּעֵי בְּסִפּוּרָא דָא כְּמָה דְאִתְּמַר. כְּגַוְנָא דָא חוֹבָא אִיהוּ עַל בַּר נָשׁ לְאִשְׁתָּעֵי תָּדִיר קַמֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וּלְפַרְסוּמֵי נִיסָא בְכָל אִינוּן נִיסִין דְעָבַד. וְאִי תֵּימָא אַמַּאי אִיהוּ חוֹבְתָא וְהָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יָדַע כֹלָא כָּל מַה דִהַוָה וְיֶהֱוֵי לְבָתַר דְּנָא, אַמַאי פֻרְסוּמָא דָא קַמֵיהּ עַל מַה דְאִיהוּ עָבַד וְאִיהוּ יָדָע, אֶלָא וַדַּאי אִצְטְרִיךְ בַּר נָשׁ לְפַרְסוּמֵי נִיסָא וּלְאִשְׁתָּעֵי קַמֵּיהּ בְּכָל מַה דְאִיהוּ עֳבַד, בְּגִין דְאִינוּן מִּלִּין סַלְקִין וְכָל פַּמַלְיָא דִלְעֵילָא מִתְכַנְשִׁין וְחָמָאן לוֹן וְאוֹדָאן כֻלְהוּ לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְאִסְתַּלֵק יְקָרֵיהּ עַלֵייהוּ עֵילָא וְתַתָּא. בָּרוּךְ יְהֹוָה לְעוֹלָם אָמֵן וְאָמֵן:[



מַגִּיד

אומרים ההגדה מ”הא לחמא עניא” עד “גאל ישראל”:



הֲרֵינִי מוּכָן וּמְזוּמָן לְקַיֵּם הַמִצְוָה לְסַפֵּר בִּיצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם, לְשֵׁם יִחוּד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וּשְׁכִינְתֵּיהּ עַל יְדֵי הַהוּא טָמִיר וְנֶעֱלָם בְּשֵׁם כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל: וִיהִי נוֹעַם אֲדֹנָי אֱלֹהֵינוּ עָלֵינוּ וּמַעֲשֵׂה יָדֵינוּ כּוֹנְנָה עָלֵינוּ וּמַעֲשֵׂה יָדֵינוּ כּוֹנְנֵהוּ:



הָא לַחְמָא עַנְיָא דִּי אֲכָלוּ אַבְהָתָנָא בְּאַרְעָא דְמִצְרָיִם. כָּל דִּכְפִין יֵיתֵי וְיֵיכוֹל. כָּל דִּצְרִיךְ יֵיתֵי וְיִפְסַח. הָשַׁתָּא הָכָא, לְשָׁנָה הַבָּאָה בְּאַרְעָא דְיִשְׂרָאֵל. הָשַׁתָּא עַבְדֵּי, לְשָׁנָה הַבָּאָה בְּנֵי חוֹרִין:

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The Depth of Inviting Others To Partake of the Pesach Seder

It is well-known that there are several questions on this: how can we say כל דכפין ייתי ויכול, that everyone should come and eat, if we are eating in our homes and no one can hear us? Why don’t we instead say this in shul, when others will be able to hear us? Also, how can we say כל דכפין ייתי ויפסח – to invite others to come eat the korbon pesach – when nowadays we do not have the korbon pesach?

The explanation of the matter is based on the concept that everything contains an “inner light” (ohr pnimi) as well as a “container” (kli) to hold onto the “inner light”. The korbon pesach is the “container” for the inner spiritual light, whereas the inner spiritual light itself is the pure spirituality that becomes absorbed by the soul. Now that we are missing the korbon pesach, we are missing the “container”. But one who purifies himself is able to draw upon the spiritual light of the korbon pesach.

That is also the way to understand the next words we say here, כל דצריך ייתי ויכול, “All those who need, should come and eat”. We are referring to a spiritual kind of ‘eating’: a heavenly spiritual light which settles upon this evening. Hence, הא לחמא עניא is not an invitation for others to dine in our homes in the simple sense [but an invitation for a spiritual meal]. Therefore, even in our own times, it is possible for us to partake of the korbon pesach [on a spiritual level].

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The Heavenly “Treasury of Free Gifts”

What is the connection between the first part, הא לחמא עניא, where we declare an invitation to the poor to come eat at our seder, with the last words,לשנה הבא בארעא דישראל השתא הכא, where we declare that next year we will be in Yerushalayim?

The Sages state that Hashem showed Moshe all of the spiritual treasures in Heaven and who would merit them. Finally, Hashem showed Moshe the “otzar shel matnas chinam”, the “treasury of free gifts”, for those who do not have enough merits and who are thus in need of receiving “free gifts” from Heaven. Based upon this, we can understand that when we say הא לחמא עניא, on a deeper level, we are really saying that even the bread we own is in the category of a “poor man, who has nothing of his own”, one who receives everything not as a result of his actions [and is entirely dependent on others for sustenance]. A poor man understands well that he should give to others, because he feels that he is not any more deserving than others.

This understanding leads us to say לשנה הבא, that next year we will be in Yerushalayim, in the same way that Hashem will grant us the otzar shel matnas chinam, the “treasury of free gifts”, and redeem us from exile. We are not worthy of Redemption due to any of our actions – we will only receive the Redemption due to the “treasury of free gifts” which Hashem bestows upon even the undeserving.

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מוזגין כוס שני. וכאן הבן שואל:



מַה נִּשְׁתַּנָּה הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה מִכָּל הַלֵּילוֹת. שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָנוּ אוֹכְלִין חָמֵץ וּמַצָּה, הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה כֻּלּוֹ מַצָּה:

שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָנוּ אוֹכְלִין שְׁאָר יְרָקוֹת, הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה (כֻּלּוֹ) מָרוֹר:

שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אֵין אָנוּ מַטְבִּילִין אֲפִילוּ פַּעַם אֶחָת, הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה שְׁתֵּי פְּעָמִים:

שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָנוּ אוֹכְלִין בֵּין יוֹשְׁבִין וּבֵין מְסֻבִּין, הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה כֻּלָּנוּ מְסֻבִּין:



עֲבָדִים הָיִינוּ לְפַרְעֹה בְּמִצְרָיִם, וַיּוֹצִיאֵנוּ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ מִשָּׁם בְּיָד חֲזָקָה וּבִזְרֹעַ נְטוּיָה. וְאִלּוּ לֹא הוֹצִיא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֶת אֲבוֹתֵינוּ מִמִּצְרָיִם, הֲרֵי אָנוּ וּבָנֵינוּ וּבְנֵי בָנֵינוּ מְשֻׁעְבָּדִים הָיִינוּ לְפַרְעֹה בְּמִצְרָיִם.

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Torah – The Only Power That Can Take Us Out of Defilement

In Egypt, the depravity of the country had reached such a low that we were steeped in the 49th gate of impurity. Had the Jewish people remained even one more moment in Egypt, they would have descended into the 50th gate of impurity, which is impossible to come out of. However, this was only because we did not yet have the Torah. If the Torah would have been given already by the time we were in Egypt, we would have been able to come out of even the 50th gate of impurity, due to the immense holiness of the Torah.

The Ohr HaChaim (Shemos 14:10) writes that in our current exile, we are in the 50th Gate of Impurity, and that there is no natural way for us to get out of this impurity – except through the power of the Torah. Through the power of Torah, one can leave even the worst and most depraved levels of impurity – even the 50th level of impurity.

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וַאֲפִילוּ כֻּלָּנוּ חֲכָמִים כֻּלָּנוּ נְבוֹנִים כֻּלָּנוּ זְקֵנִים כֻּלָּנוּ יוֹדְעִים אֶת הַתּוֹרָה מִצְוָה עָלֵינוּ לְסַפֵּר בִּיצִיאַת מִצְרָיִם. וְכָל הַמַּרְבֶּה לְסַפֵּר בִּיצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם הֲרֵי זֶה מְשֻׁבָּח:

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Relaying The Story of the Exodus: – Non-Intellectual Temimus/Simplicity

In the Haggaddah, we say, “Even if we were all wise sages, even if we were all understanding, it is an obligation to tell over the story of the exodus from Egypt.”

Telling over the story of the exodus – sippur yetzias mitzraim – is not a mitzvah accomplished through the powers of our intellect. It is very unlike the mitzvah of learning Torah, in which we use our powers of the intellect, chochmah and daas. The mitzvah of sippur yetzias mitzraim it is reminiscent of the concept we brought earlier from the Gemara: the idea of “masiach l’fi tumo” – “casual conversation”. It is a kind of simple speech, which flows from pure earnestness in ourselves, and not from the area of the rational intellect. “Even if we were all wise sages, even if we all understand, it is an obligation to tell over the story of the exodus.” This mitzvah is not dependent on being a Torah scholar or not! It is not about wisdom. It is about being able to tell over the story just as when you are having a casual conversation, simply, earnestly – ‘masiach l’fi tumo’.

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מַעֲשֶׂה בְּרַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר וְרַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ וְרַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲזַרְיָה וְרַבִּי עֲקִיבָא וְרַבִּי טַרְפוֹן שֶׁהָיוּ מְסֻבִּין בִּבְנֵי בְרַק וְהָיוּ מְסַפְּרִים בִּיצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם כָּל אוֹתוֹ הַלַּיְלָה, עַד שֶׁבָּאוּ תַלְמִידֵיהֶם וְאָמְרוּ לָהֶם רַבּוֹתֵינוּ הִגִּיעַ זְמַן קְרִיאַת שְׁמַע שֶׁל שַׁחֲרִית:

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Why Did The Sages Forget That It Was Time To Recite The Shema?

When these Sages were discussing the wondrous events that Hashem wrought on the night of Pesach, they came to a very high level of love (ahavah) for Hashem. At that time, they were functioning on a level of ahavah (love), as opposed to yirah (fear). That is why they forgot that it was time to recite the Shema, which is all about accepting the yoke of Heaven, which is a form of yirah (fear) that contradicted their ahavah which they felt for Hashem at this time. Their students, however, were in the midst of observing the halachah that “it is prohibited to lean in front of a master (Torah mentor)”, so they were constantly in a state of yirah, and that is how they were able to remind themselves that it came the time to recite Shema and accept the yoke of Heaven.

Alternatively, these Sages perceived such a high level of spiritual illumination on the night of Pesach that the evening appeared as bright as daytime. Therefore, they did not sense that the daytime had now arrived. This is because it said of the night of Pesach that it is a “night which shines like the day.”

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אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲזַרְיָה הֲרֵי אֲנִי כְּבֶן שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה וְלֹא זָכִיתִי שֶׁתֵּאָמֵר יְצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם בַּלֵּילוֹת עַד שֶׁדָּרְשָׁהּ בֶּן זוֹמָא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר, לְמַעַן תִּזְכּוֹר אֶת יוֹם צֵאתְךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם כֹּל יְמֵי חַיֶּיךָ. יְמֵי חַיֶּיךָ הַיָּמִים. כֹּל יְמֵי חַיֶּיךָ הַלֵּילוֹת. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים יְמֵי חַיֶּיךָ הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה. כֹּל יְמֵי חַיֶּיךָ לְהָבִיא לִימוֹת הַמָּשִׁיחַ:

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“It is as if I am seventy years old”

Rebbi Eliezer ben Azaryah said, “It is as if I am seventy years old.” In other words, there is a power in the soul to be mature and wise beyond one’s years, and this is aside from the concept of seeing success after putting in effort, where one receives the success as a gift from Heaven. The Sfas Emes said that there are some lofty souls who are already born on a Heavenly level, and they are born wiser and more mature than their peers.

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בָּרוּךְ הַמָּקוֹם, בָּרוּךְ הוּא, בָּרוּךְ שֶׁנָּתַן תּוֹרָה לְעַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל, בָּרוּךְ הוּא.

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We Can Never Comprehend The Essence of HaKadosh Baruch Hu

Why do we say twice ברוך הוא, that Hashem is blessed? The understanding of this is because the word הוא (“hu”) is a term of concealment, for it is in the third-person. That is why HaKadosh Baruch Hu is always called הוא, “Hu”, in the third-person, and not in the first-person, for it is impossible to comprehend the essence of His infiniteness (the EinSof). At the giving of the Torah, the Sages state that Hashem tore open all the heavens and showed everyone Ain Od Milvado, that there is nothing besides for Him. So there may have been room for people to make the mistake, chas v’shalom, that after the Torah was given to the Jewish people and they beheld the revelation of Ain Od Milvado, that perhaps they had indeed comprehended the very essence of His infiniteness (the EinSof). That is why the Hagaddah emphasizes, ברוך הוא, the word “Hu”, implying that even after the people stood at Sinai and they witnessed the revelations, Hashem still remains to us as “Hu”, concealed. For, ultimately, the essence of His infiniteness cannot be comprehended by anyone [even we witnessed the revelation of “Ain Od Milvado”].

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כְּנֶגֶד אַרְבָּעָה בָנִים דִּבְּרָה תוֹרָה: אֶחָד חָכָם. וְאֶחָד רָשָׁע. וְאֶחָד תָּם. וְאֶחָד שֶׁאֵינוֹ יוֹדֵעַ לִשְׁאוֹל:

Instilling Emunah In Our Children: Training Our Children To Learn How To Think

What does an average day in the life of an average Jewish child look like? He wakes up in the morning, goes to school, comes home and does his homework. Perhaps he will spend time with his parents or friends until bedtime, or do some chesed (acts of kindness). This schedule repeats itself day in and day out.

If we were to record his daily life from the moment our child awakens until he goes to sleep, and then we played it back, the chances are good that we will hear very little that is related to real spiritual striving. Most of the words will revolve around material, empty things. If we take a longer view – a week, a month, or a year – where does emunah fit into the picture? Can we be satisfied with an occasional word at home about the foundations of Jewish faith, or with just a few minutes at the Shabbos table?

There is no doubt that most parents are busy and distracted, especially in large families with so many needs to provide for, or when there is a difficult child in the family who requires more time and attention. But does this justify raising a child who, at the age of twelve or fourteen has no spiritual nourishment? Most parents rely on the school, yeshiva, or seminary to do their work for them when it comes to instilling our children with this essential spiritual nourishment. Although most teachers do excellent jobs, our child may be only one of thirty or more students in the class. The amount of nourishment they receive is not enough to sustain them. Principles of faith and other aspects of personal growth will not be absorbed in an optimal way in this setting. A small degree of this essential pnimius (inwardness) can definitely enter the child’s heart through school, but it is not enough to provide only a small percentage of our child’s needs. Just like we wouldn’t want them to be malnourished physically, we also don’t want them to be malnourished spiritually.

This doesn’t mean that a child should have to study all day and never go out to play. It is simply a matter of incorporating another goal along with all the other things that we teach our children. We want to raise them in a way that they will become thinkers, used to dealing with the inner fundamentals of the Jewish people as a whole and with the purpose of their individual lives, along with the more practical aspects of life, and not excluding them. Even though we all agree with the goal, and that teaching our children to think about faith is the obligation of every Jewish parent, in reality it has no place in ordinary life.

It is essential to keep in mind that we are raising the next generation of Klal Yisrael. As such, we must ensure that our children have inner depth by encouraging them to think, and by introducing a deeper dimension into their lives. All of this will have an effect on our approach to education.

The simple approach is to encourage the child who asks us a question to think of an answer on his own. Even if the question is totally mundane, such as how a certain object functions, we should not spoon-feed the answer. Encourage him to think for himself. Afterwards, you can help him find the correct answer. Even if he cannot come up with an answer on his own, we can work with him to clarify the question as much as he can within his own sphere of knowledge until he can arrive at a clear answer.

The more complex approach is to provide basic knowledge of Jewish thought from our rabbis, and accustom him to think about these deeper ideas. A Torah thought given over at the Shabbos table is certainly better than nothing at all. But the few moments of spiritual content presented at the table (provided the child is actually listening, and that he understands what you are saying) are negligible compared to the rest of the hours in the week.

Since our true goal is to raise children who want to grow, we must give them the tools to do so. These tools can be found in the works of our rabbis, which cannot just remain on the bookcase like stones. They should be taken down and learned with the children, and we must guide them to think, analyze, and delve into the ideas.

Once these important thoughts are imbedded in a person’s mind they can naturally become an inseparable part of life as he thinks about them and constantly delves into them. (We are not just referring to amassing information, which is of little benefit.) Just as a parent and child can converse about food, clothing and friends, they can add a new topic to their conversation that is the true purpose of our lives.

On a higher level, we don’t only want our children to know this information. We want them to really care about the purpose of life. Once we can get them to think about these vital topics, they will automatically be involved in lofty and significant matters. We will also be giving them tools that will help them grow and confront the various stages of life successfully. This will bring them to care about the meaning of their lives. We are not talking about abnormal levels of abstinence from this world. Someone approached me recently and said, “We are not living in a ghetto now!” Yet, we have gone to the opposite extreme.

If we strive to raise children with an inner spiritual world, with a desire to grow higher and higher, we must develop this in the framework of the home, and with Hashem’s help, we can succeed.

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חָכָם מָה הוּא אוֹמֵר. מָה הָעֵדוֹת וְהַחֻקִּים וְהַמִּשְׁפָּטִים אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ אֶתְכֶם. וְאַף אַתָּה אֱמוֹר לוֹ כְּהִלְכוֹת הַפֶּסַח אֵין מַפְטִירִין אַחַר הַפֶּסַח אֲפִיקוֹמָן:

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The Chacham – The Wise Son

The chacham (wise son) is asking about the laws that Hashem has commanded us with. What he is really asking is, “What is the purpose of the mitzvos?” He really has a deeper question. What is bothering him is that a person does a mitzvah and a moment later, the action can no longer be seen. Therefore, he is asking, what is the purpose of doing the mitzvos? We answer him that there is a halachah that nothing is eaten after the afikoman. After the afikoman, nothing may be eaten because the taste of the mitzvos should linger for a long time in one’s mouth. Meaning, we are answering the wise son’s question by telling him that we need to let the good taste that we receive from doing the mitzvah to linger with us, long after we have done the mitzvah.

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רָשָׁע מָה הוּא אוֹמֵר. מָה הָעֲבוֹדָה הַזֹּאת לָכֶם. לָכֶם וְלֹא לוֹ. וּלְפִי שֶׁהוֹצִיא אֶת עַצְמוֹ מִן הַכְּלָל כָּפַר בְּעִקָּר. וְאַף אַתָּה הַקְהֵה אֶת שִׁנָּיו וֶאֱמוֹר לוֹ. בַּעֲבוּר זֶה עָשָׂה יְהֹוָה לִי בְּצֵאתִי מִמִּצְרָיִם. לִי וְלֹא לוֹ. אִלּוּ הָיָה שָׁם לֹא הָיָה נִגְאָל:

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The Rasha – The Wicked Son

The rasha (wicked son), had he remained in Egypt, would not have merited redemption. The Sages state that four-fifths of the Jewish people at the time were reshaim (in the category of wicked), who all perished during the plague of darkness. Perhaps their deaths were not caused by their wickedness, but as a kindness of Hashem to them so that they wouldn’t become even worse and thereby fall into the “50th level of defilement” (the shaar hanun d’tumah), which is impossible to be redeemed from.

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תָּם מָה הוּא אוֹמֵר. מַה זֹּאת. וְאָמַרְתָּ אֵלָיו בְּחוֹזֶק יָד הוֹצִיאָנוּ יְהֹוָה מִמִּצְרַיִם מִבֵּית עֲבָדִים:



וְשֶׁאֵינוֹ יוֹדֵעַ לִשְׁאוֹל אַתְּ פְּתַח לוֹ. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר, וְהִגַּדְתָּ לְבִנְךָ בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא לֵאמֹר בַּעֲבוּר זֶה עָשָׂה יְהֹוָה לִי בְּצֵאתִי מִמִּצְרָיִם:



יָכוֹל מֵרֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא. אִי בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא יָכוֹל מִבְּעוֹד יוֹם, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר בַּעֲבוּר זֶה. בַּעֲבוּר זֶה לֹא אָמַרְתִּי אֶלָּא בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁיֵשׁ מַצָּה וּמָרוֹר מֻנָּחִים לְפָנֶיךָ:



מִתְּחִלָּה עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה הָיוּ אֲבוֹתֵינוּ, וְעַכְשָׁיו קֵרְבָנוּ הַמָּקוֹם לַעֲבוֹדָתוֹ. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר, וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אֶל כָּל הָעָם כֹּה אָמַר יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, בְּעֵבֶר הַנָּהָר יָשְׁבוּ אֲבוֹתֵיכֶם מֵעוֹלָם תֶּרַח אֲבִי אַבְרָהָם וַאֲבִי נָחוֹר וַיַּעַבְדוּ אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים:

וָאֶקַּח אֶת אֲבִיכֶם אֶת אַבְרָהָם מֵעֵבֶר הַנָּהָר וָאוֹלֵךְ אוֹתוֹ בְּכָל אֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן וָאַרְבֶּה אֶת זַרְעוֹ וָאֶתֵּן לוֹ אֶת יִצְחָק, וָאֶתֵּן לְיִצְחָק אֶת יַעֲקֹב וְאֶת עֵשָׂו, וָאֶתֵּן לְעֵשָׂו אֶת הַר שֵׂעִיר לָרֶשֶׁת אוֹתוֹ, וְיַעֲקֹב וּבָנָיו יָרְדוּ מִצְרָיִם:



בָּרוּךְ שׁוֹמֵר הַבְטָחָתוֹ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, בָּרוּךְ הוּא, שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא חִשַּׁב אֶת הַקֵּץ לַעֲשֹוֹת. כְּמָה שֶׁאָמַר לְאַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ בִּבְרִית בֵּין הַבְּתָרִים. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר, וַיֹּאמֶר לְאַבְרָם יָדֹעַ תֵּדַע כִּי גֵר יִהְיֶה זַרְעֲךָ בְּאֶרֶץ לֹא לָהֶם וַעֲבָדוּם וְעִנּוּ אֹתָם אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה. וְגַם אֶת הַגּוֹי אֲשֶׁר יַעֲבֹדוּ דָּן אָנֹכִי וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן יֵצְאוּ בִּרְכוּשׁ גָּדוֹל:

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מכסה המצה ומגביה את הכוס בידו ואומר:

וְהִיא שֶׁעָמְדָה לַאֲבוֹתֵינוּ וְלָנוּ. שֶׁלֹּא אֶחָד בִּלְבָד עָמַד עָלֵינוּ לְכַלּוֹתֵנוּ אֶלָּא שֶׁבְּכָל דּוֹר וָדוֹר עוֹמְדִים עָלֵינוּ לְכַלּוֹתֵנוּ, וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַצִּילֵנוּ מִיָּדָם:

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The Purpose of Anti-Semitism

The sefarim hakedoshim write that the purpose of the anti-semitism of the gentile nations is for the benefit of the Jewish people. When Jews are mix with gentiles and enjoy a close relationship with them, the Jewish people become spiritually harmed by the influences. Spiritual danger, for a Jew, is far worse than physical danger, because it is damaging to a Jew’s soul. Anti-semitism awakens the Jewish people to realize that they must remain separate from the gentiles, which in turn saves the Jewish people from the negative influences of the gentiles. Thus, the hatred of non-Jews for us is really a blessing, since it reminds us that we are separate from them, and then we don’t mix it with them.

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Anti-Semitism Is Not Our Main Issue

The main aspect of exile is not either our subservience to the nations of the world, and the great suffering that our people have gone through. It is not even defined by the troubles which pursue us each day, or from the anti-semitism towards our people, from the nations of the world, and from the “Erev Rav”. Rather, the main aspect of our exile is the absence of true, clear, and absolute recognition of the Creator. The exile obscures us from clearly sensing the reality of the Creator, and the redemption will reveal His Presence clearly to us. In the Redemption, when we will become clear of Hashem’s Presence, that itself will bring all shefa (Heavenly sustenance and blessing) to the world completely, and all of the suffering and troubles will then vanish. Awaiting the Redemption is thus not about awaiting anything else that will come to the world other than the absolute recognition of the Creator which will be revealed to the world. That is the Redemption we are waiting for.

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Our Current Exile of the “Erev Rav”

The Jewish people, ever since becoming a nation, have undergone four exiles, which really end up being five exiles; and in fact, there is a sixth exile. Chazal list four exiles: the first exile was Egypt, the second exile was Bavel (Babylonia), the third was Persia-Media, and the fourth was the Greek exile. The fifth exile is the exile of Edom. Within the exile of Edom, there is another exile: the exile of Yishmael. (We can all see in front of our eyes that we are in the exile of Yishmael; they surround us every day and at all times.)

Those are our exiles, ever since we have become a nation. The current exile we are in, Edom, includes in it “Yishmael”. From the exile of Yishmael will sprout the light of the redemption, as our Chazal state. Chazal said that the nation of Yishmael will cause the nation of Yisrael to greatly suffer, which will cause the nation of Yisrael to cry out to Hashem from all of their suffering; and then Hashem will hear their prayers, and we will be redeemed. It will be “shama keil”, “G-d will hear”, which hints to the name of “Yishmael”, for we will cry out to Hashem from the exile of Yishmael, just as we cried out in Egypt to Him, when our prayers were heard and we were redeemed.

We have gone through all the previous exiles. We’ve been through the exile of Egypt, and we’ve been through the exile of Bavel. The exile of Yavan (Greece) is also over, to a certain extent [see footnote]. The exile of Edom, though, is our current situation, and we have not come out of it yet. And more specifically, we currently face the exile of Yishmael.

To understand our current exile with greater clarity: If someone thinks that the exile of Yishmael is referring to the Arabs which surround us, he is mistaken. Although it is certainly true that we are surrounded by Arabs and we suffer from them, this is only the external layer of the exile. It is true that we are totally ‘exiled’ to Yishmael in the external sense, but there is a more inner layer to the exile taking place.[The external aspect of the exile of Yishmael is that] there is a war of Yishmael against Yisrael, which takes place in Eretz Yisrael, concerning the ownership of Eretz Yisrael. The nation of Yishmael claims inheritance over Eretz Yisrael, for the Zohar states that Yishmael has a zechus (merit) over Eretz Yisrael, due to the mitzvah of Bris Milah which they keep. Therefore, they fight Yisrael as they are in Eretz Yisrael. But the inner layer of this exile is of a totally different nature. The Vilna Gaon discusses at length, as well as Reb Elchonon Wasserman zt”l, that the final exile is called the exile of the “Erev Rav”.

When the Jewish people left Egypt, the Torah writes, “And the Erev Rav went up with them.” Ever since we became a people, we have had an ‘addition’ that has been following us throughout: the ‘Erev Rav’. They are the ones who were responsible for causing the Jewish people to sin. They gave the idea to make the Golden Calf, and they were the ones who kept causing trouble in the desert and influencing the generation to sin.

Back then, they were not the heads of the Jewish people, though; they were simply known as the ‘Erev Rav’. The leaders then were Moshe and Aharon. It was the Erev Rav who convinced everyone that Moshe was dead when he ascended to Heaven to receive the Torah; they thought of the idea to make the Golden Calf and convinced everyone else to do it. The souls of the Jewish people, by themselves, could never have conceived of such a false notion. It was entirely due to the persuasion and influence of the Erev Rav.

[Members of the] Erev Rav has been escorting us since we left Egypt, all the way until today. We left Egypt, but along with this, came another exile: the exile of the Erev Rav. We left Pharoah, we left the Egyptians, but we weren’t redeemed from the Erev Rav. They have been following us since we became a nation, until today. However, they have gone through major changes since then. The Vilna Gaon writes that in the final generations, the Erev Rav are the “heads of the Jewish people, who are the ‘leaders’, and they have control over the “sons of Leah and Rachel”.

They are also called ‘sapachas’ by Chazal – a kind of leprosy that forms over the skin, embedded into the skin and atop it, but not a part of it. They came with us when we left Egypt and added themselves onto our nation, but they are not a part of our nation; thus they are called a sapachas\leprosy – a layer added onto the skin, which is not an actual part of the skin.

In the later generations, and especially in our current generation, the Erev Rav are wicked souls who lead the Jewish people towards evil. Their agenda is to lead the Jewish people astray from Torah, from all holiness, from emunah, and from mitzvos. It doesn’t matter if he [a member of Erev Rav] wears a kippah or if he doesn’t have a kippah; whether he has a beard or whether he doesn’t have a beard. This is the exile we are in. The exile we are currently in is the exile of the Erev Rav – who exercise ‘control’ over the Jewish people. The ‘heads of the Erev Rav’ are the souls of Amalek; Chazal say that the Erev Rav is made up of five kinds of people, and at the head of all of them is Amalek.

This has been true about our current exile ever since it has begun, but it has particular relevance to today’s times. We must understand the situation that we are found in. The exile we are in today is being headed by people who look like Jews – and they look like they are a part of the Jewish people.

This is in vast contrast to the exile of Egypt. In Egypt, when we were exiled by Pharoah, it was clear to all of us that Pharoah was not of the Jewish people. But in the current exile, we are exiled under the jurisdiction of people who look like they are one of us. But although they look like Jews, Chazal said that their souls are not of the Bnei Yisrael. They do not understand, and they can never understand, what Torah is. They cannot understand what mitzvos are. They cannot understand the nature of the true bond that is between the Jewish people and Hashem.

– בכל דור ודור, עומדים עלינו לכלותינו“In every generation, they [the nations] stand up to destroy us.” We must understand that in the exile we are in, the “Erev Rav” (the “Mixed Multitude”) is also trying to destroy us, just as the nations of the past in each generation have sought to destroy us.

If we reflect on the situation, we can see the depth of our exile. In the situation we are in right now, according to the halachah, it is a time of shmad (a decree of spiritual genocide)! If someone thinks that this decree [to draft the yeshiva bochurim into the Israeli army] is merely another decree upon us, he doesn’t understand! This is not merely another decree – we are in a time of shmad!! They [the Israeli government] wants to uproot the entire Torah, from the root!! In a time of shmad, there are halachos that apply. Every Jew must become familiar with the laws of mesirus nefesh – to be prepared to give up our life, if we must. There is a mitzvah of kiddush Hashem during this time. These halachos are discussed in Rambam Hilchos Kiddush Hashem and Sefer HaChinuch by the mitzvah of kiddush Hashem. There is a halachah that during a time of shmad, one is not allowed to listen to the government even if they tell you to wear a certain kind of shoelace. A Jew has to let himself get killed rather than listen to them.

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מניח הכוס מידו ויגלה המצות:



צֵא וּלְמַד מַה בִּקֵּשׁ לָבָן הָאֲרַמִּי לַעֲשֹוֹת לְיַעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ. שֶׁפַּרְעֹה לֹא גָזַר אֶלָּא עַל הַזְּכָרִים וְלָבָן בִּקֵּשׁ לַעֲקוֹר אֶת הַכֹּל. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: אֲרַמִּי אֹבֵד אָבִי.

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How Lavan Tried To Uproot Everything

Lavan tried to uproot the entire Jewish people. How do we see this? By exchanging Leah for Rachel in marriage to Yaakov Avinu, he was tampering with the awesome kedushah (holiness) of Yaakov Avinu. When Yaakov Avinu thought he was marrying Rachel, he was really marrying Leah, and this was a degree of improper thoughts, for he was thinking of a different woman at the time of the union. Hence, Lavan’s devious scheme was actually an attempt to cause some damage to the kedushah of Yaakov and hence the entire kedeushah of the Jewish people. In that way, Lavan was trying to uproot the entire Jewish people.

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Modern-Day Influences of “Lavan”

In the Hagaddah, we say that Lavan was worse than Pharoah. Pharoah wanted to kill all the baby Jewish boys, but Lavan attempted to uproot the entire Jewish people. The ‘Lavan’ in our entire generation is [the pervasive influences of the society around us], presenting itself like a ‘tallis that is entirely lavan\white’ – attempting to uproot everything from us through the negative influences of society, in many different cunning and devious ways that trick people into pursuing them.

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וַיֵּרֶד מִצְרַיְמָה וַיָּגָר שָׁם בִּמְתֵי מְעָט, וַיְהִי שָׁם לְגוֹי גָּדוֹל עָצוּם וָרָב: וַיֵּרֶד מִצְרַיְמָה אָנוּס עַל פִּי הַדִּבּוּר: וַיָגָר שָׁם, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁלֹּא יָרַד יַעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ לְהִשְׁתַּקֵּעַ בְּמִצְרַיִם אֶלָּא לָגוּר שָׁם. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר, וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֶל פַּרְעֹה לָגוּר בָּאָרֶץ בָּאנוּ כִּי אֵין מִרְעֶה לַצֹּאן אֲשֶׁר לַעֲבָדֶיךָ כִּי כָבֵד הָרָעָב בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן, וְעַתָּה יֵשְׁבוּ נָא עֲבָדֶיךָ בְּאֶרֶץ גֹּשֶׁן:

בִּמְתֵי מְעָט, כְּמָה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר, בְּשִׁבְעִים נֶפֶשׁ יָרְדוּ אֲבוֹתֶיךָ מִצְרָיְמָה וְעַתָּה שָׂמְךָ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ כְּכוֹכְבֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם לָרוֹב:

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The Exile and Redemption of the Seventy “Souls” Who Descended To Egypt

When we left Egypt, we were “redeemed from a house of slaves”; we were not just redeemed in the physical sense from Egypt, but we were redeemed in our souls. There were “seventy souls” who went down to Egypt, connoting that the exile in Egypt was taking place in our souls as well. The redemption from Egypt was essentially an inner redemption, a redemption from the exile upon our very souls. Hashem took us out from there and instead “brought us closer into His service.” We became close to Hashem because we gained inner clarity within our souls. The redemption showed us what we really wanted and enjoyed and longed for.

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וַיְהִי שָׁם לְגוֹי, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהָיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מְצֻיָּנִים שָׁם: גָּדוֹל עָצוּם, כְּמָה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר, וּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל פָּרוּ וַיִּשְׁרְצוּ וַיִּרְבּוּ וַיַּעַצְמוּ בִּמְאֹד מְאֹד וַתִּמָּלֵא הָאָרֶץ אֹתָם: וָרָב, כְּמָה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר, רְבָבָה כְּצֶמַח הַשָּׂדֶה נְתַתִּיךְ וַתִּרְבִּי וַתִּגְדְּלִי וַתָּבֹאִי בַּעֲדִי עֲדָיִים שָׁדַיִם נָכֹנוּ וּשְׂעָרֵךְ צִמֵּחַ וְאַתְּ עֵרֹם וְעֶרְיָה:



וָאֶעֱבוֹר עָלַיִךְ וָאֶרְאֵךְ מִתְבּוֹסֶסֶת בְּדָמָיִךְ וָאֹמַר לָךְ בְּדָמַיִךְ חֲיִי וָאֹמַר לָךְ בְּדָמַיִךְ חֲיִי:





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The Korbon Pesach and Bris Milah: Removing The “Foreskin of the Heart”

In the Haggadah we express, “By your blood shall you live” – which the Sages explain this to refer to the blood of the korban pesach (paschal sacrifice) and the blood of bris milah (circumcision). What is the connection between korbon pesach and bris milah? Simply it is because in order to eat the korban pesach, one had to be circumcised, for it is written, “Any uncircumcised one shall not eat of it” . But we also find in the words of the Torah and in the Sages that there is also a foreskin (orlah) of the heart, which also needs to be removed, as it is written, “And you shall circumcise the foreskin of the heart.” This is called orlas halev, “foreskin of the heart”.

Yitzchok Avinu was the first to receive the bris milah on the eighth day after birth. But what is the orlas halev which needs to be removed from the heart? The Hebrew word for circumcision, “mal”, is an acronym for the words moach (brain) and lev (heart). As long as there remains orlas halev in the heart, the mind’s knowledge cannot become connected with the heart. The knowledge will remain on the level of “And you shall know today”, without becoming “And you shall settle the matter upon your heart.” When the Torah commands a person to remove the blockage of the heart, orlas halev, it means that one needs to remove that which separates one’s mind and heart. The Kotzker Rebbe said that the Torah says that the mind’s knowledge must become settled “in” our heart, as opposed to just on our heart. As long as a person hasn’t removed the blockage of the heart, it’s possible that he has learned Torah, whether a little or a lot, but none of it will make it into his heart. That is orlas halev.

As long as the knowledge in one’s mind hasn’t yet entered one’s heart, a person is living a contradiction. It can take a long time until knowledge becomes part of one’s heart, because the Sages taught that the distance between the mind and the heart is further than the distance between the heavens and the earth.

In order to eat the korbon pesach, we had to have a bris milah. As we explained, the deeper meaning of this is that we had to remove our “orlas halev” in order to eat the korban pesach. In Egypt, we removed some of the blockage as we began to cry out to Hashem from our heart, but this process was not yet complete until we left Egypt, when we actually received bris milah – which was not just a physical act of circumcision, but a removal of the blockage on our heart.

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וַיָּרֵעוּ אֹתָנוּ הַמִּצְרִים וַיְעַנּוּנוּ וַיִתְּנוּ עָלֵינוּ עֲבוֹדָה קָשָׁה:

וַיָּרֵעוּ אֹתָנוּ הַמִּצְרִים, כְּמָה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר, הָבָה נִתְחַכְּמָה לוֹ פֶּן יִרְבֶּה וְהָיָה כִּי תִקְרֶאנָה מִלְחָמָה וְנוֹסַף גַּם הוּא עַל שֹוֹנְאֵינוּ וְנִלְחַם בָּנוּ וְעָלָה מִן הָאָרֶץ:

וַיְעַנּוּנוּ, כְּמָה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר, וַיָּשִׂימוּ עָלָיו שָׂרֵי מִסִּים לְמַעַן עַנּוֹתוֹ בְּסִבְלוֹתָם וַיִּבֶן עָרֵי מִסְכְּנוֹת לְפַרְעֹה אֶת פִּתֹם וְאֶת רַעַמְסֵס:

וַיִּתְּנוּ עָלֵינוּ עֲבוֹדָה קָשָׁה, כְּמָה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר, וַיַּעֲבִדוּ מִצְרַיִם אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּפָרֶךְ:

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“Difficult Labor” In Egypt – In The Physical and Spiritual

The Egyptian exile deterred us from receiving the Torah. As long as we were in Egypt, we could not receive the Torah; we have to leave it in order to become purified at Har Sinai and receive the Torah. In Egypt, we would not have been able to internalize the Torah had we received it.

In Egypt, there was “bricks and mortar”, and this personified the exile. What exactly are these “bricks and mortar” that held us back from receiving the Torah? It wasn’t just that we had cruel physical labor. It was a spiritual kind of “bricks and mortar” – a blockage that held us back from receiving the Torah.

There were two layers to the redemption. There was a physical redemption, which took place when we actually left Egypt, in the physical sense. But there was also a spiritual layer to the redemption: the redemption that took place in our souls, enabling us to receive the Torah. Although the physical redemption happened a long time ago, the spiritual redemption to our souls happens every year.

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וַנִּצְעַק אֶל יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ, וַיִּשְׁמַע יְהֹוָה אֶת קֹלֵנוּ וַיַּרְא אֶת עָנְיֵנוּ וְאֶת עֲמָלֵנוּ וְאֶת לַחֲצֵנוּ:

וַנִּצְעַק אֶל יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ, כְּמָה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר, וַיְהִי בַיָּמִים הָרַבִּים הָהֵם וַיָּמָת מֶלֶךְ מִצְרַיִם וַיֵאָנְחוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מִן הָעֲבֹדָה וַיִּזְעָקוּ, וַתַּעַל שַׁוְעָתָם אֶל הָאֱלֹהִים מִן הָעֲבֹדָה:

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Crying Out To Hashem

We must also come to do as the people did in Egypt when they realized their suffering, which was that they cried out to Hashem (and their groans were indeed heard by Hashem). It is therefore not enough for us to have a desire to leave exile. Ultimately, it is up to Hashem to take us out, whenever it is His will to do so. For this reason, we must cry out to Hashem in prayer, just as the people did in Egypt.

We must cry out to Hashem from the very depths of the soul ! We must feel that our body’s hold on our soul is a form of cruel labor. We must feel the bitterness of this in the same way that we felt embittered by the Egyptians. If we don’t feel this bitterness, then we won’t be able to cry out to Hashem from a true desire to escape. A person must realize that he needs to get out of his inner imprisonment which entails crying to Hashem for days and nights, from the depth of our hearts and not just to cry ‘crocodile tears’. There can be no hope for a person to truly serve Hashem without crying from the depth of his heart, because he will be missing the first, basic point that he needs to start with.

May Hashem help all of us that we should first come to recognize the lowliness of our situation, to realize that without being close to Him, life is not a life, but a total fantasy. May this recognition cause to feel, with Hashem’s help, a true yearning to be freed from this dark exile – and to reach the light of the Redemption, speedily in our days.

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וַיִּשְׁמַע יְהֹוָה אֶת קֹלֵנוּ, כְּמָה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר, וַיִּשְׁמַע אֱלֹהִים אֶת נַאֲקָתָם וַיִזְכֹּר אֱלֹהִים אֶת בְּרִיתוֹ אֶת אַבְרָהָם אֶת יִצְחָק וְאֶת יַעֲקֹב:

Exile – Then and Now

When the Jews were enslaved in Egypt, there was no way for them to escape it. There was a decree of exile, and anyone who tried to escape was caught by the sorcery that protected its borders. There was no actual solution that they could do. Even when the non-Jewish astrologers wanted to get rid of the Jews from Egypt, they could not find a way. The non-Jews there did not have a solution, but the Jew has a solution even where a non-Jew doesn’t. A Jew’s solution, when he knows that there is no natural solution, is that he turns to Hashem in prayer. He can tell Hashem, “You created me. You placed me in this situation. I can’t do it on my own. The doctors have given up on me. The only one who can help me is You, Hashem.”

In the world we live in today, there is no solution to how we can reconcile our physical needs with our spiritual needs. Some people abandon all spirituality and only take care of their physical needs, and others ignore physicality and are only immersed in spirituality. But as for the average person, who is caught somewhere in the middle – and he is not on the level of abandoning his physical situation and become more spiritual – he has no solution.

The first thing we must know is: there is a problem. The second thing you must know is: you are responsible to help yourself. The third step is: let it bother you. Then, when it bothers you, cry out to Hashem to help you (just as the Jews cried out to Hashem in Egypt). When you understand the problem and you feel responsible for yourself, and you cry out to Hashem, earnestly, Hashem will help you. How? I have no idea exactly how. But Hashem can do anything, and He can solve your problems for you.

But on one condition: you have to cry out to Him, from the depths of your heart, about your spiritual problems. Feel very bothered at the fact that you don’t feel the reality of your neshamah and that your life is lacking meaning. It should bother you that we don’t even worry 50% about our neshamah’s needs, even though it really should be that way. It can bother you that you are lying to yourself all the time, and that will help you cry out to Hashem, to scream to Him and scream to Him, that He take you out of the situation. If you keep crying out to Hashem, you are guaranteed an answer.

There is no natural solution that can help us right now. The world is designed like that – Hashem made the world in a way that we must turn to Him. There is no natural means to escape our problems. The only advice is to turn solely to the Only One who can take us out from this situation. But we must turn to Him from the depths of our soul, from inner pain at our situation, from being bothered.

We need to understand that the way we live our life currently, although it is necessary for us (to work for a living), it is still a life that resembles death. It is a life devoid of any inner content. That will get us to really cry out to Hashem, each day. People cry to Hashem each day for their physical needs, but what about their soul’s needs…?

…Forgive me for making such a harsh statement. But if anyone recognizes the situation, 20 years ago, the world was much less indulged in physicality. They didn’t have so many phones like there are today, and there was much less going on then; not that 20 years ago people didn’t indulge in materialism, but, it was much less. Will our situation get better in 20 years from now, the way things are going? We all know that it won’t. No one can deny it. How will Moshiach come? Will we have better Rabbonim then?

The change will have to come from us. If we, ourselves, are not prepared to change over in one day, there is no hope. We all know that the world we live in today, with its indulgent lifestyle, Moshiach cannot come here. The decision to change must come from each of us, individually.

Are we prepared to change over in one day, or do we want to just continue on our life as it is now? Everyone here has the power of free will; we can all choose either to continue living a materialistic life until the day we die, or, we can tell ourselves: “Enough.” We were in Egypt, but at a certain point we get out of there. It is in your hands to get out – when you cry out to Hashem.

Through the help of Hashem, just as He brought us out of Egypt to bring us to the giving of the Torah, so should we merit the giving of the Torah, each on his own level.

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וַיַּרְא אֶת עָנְיֵנוּ, זוֹ פְּרִישׁוּת דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ. כְּמָה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר, וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיֵּדַע אֱלֹהִים:

וְאֶת עֲמָלֵנוּ, אֵלּוּ הַבָּנִים. כְּמָה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר, כָּל הַבֵּן הַיִּלוֹד הַיְאֹרָה תַּשְׁלִיכוּהוּ וְכָל הַבַּת תְּחַיּוּן:

וְאֶת לַחֲצֵנוּ, זוֹ הַדְּחַק. כְּמָה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר, וְגַם רָאִיתִי אֶת הַלַּחַץ אֲשֶׁר מִצְרַיִם לוֹחֲצִים אוֹתָם:



וַיּוֹצִאֵנוּ יְהֹוָה מִמִּצְרַיִם בְּיָד חֲזָקָה וּבִזְרֹעַ נְטוּיָה וּבְמֹרָא גָּדוֹל וּבְאֹתוֹת וּבְמֹפְתִים:

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Hashem Took Us Out of Egypt – And He Can Take Us Out Of All Troubles!

In the Egyptian bondage, our people were afflicted with terrible suffering – as it is written, “And they embittered their lives with difficult labor.”

Think about what any Jew must have felt like then. They knew of the prophecy made to Avraham Avinu that the Egyptian exile would last for 420 years. How could they take it any longer? How could anyone ever hope to get out of Egypt? Even if anyone there would have ran away from Egypt, they wouldn’t be able to escape, because the Egyptians used their magic to hold back anyone from escaping. What did any Jew think back then – how could he cope with such suffering, knowing that it’s going to take 420 years to be redeemed?? Imagine we are one of the Jews enslaved in Egypt. What would we do? How would we cope? Would we just give up and say, “Enough of this — I’m not doing all of this work?!”

When the people complained to Moshe of the suffering, Moshe entreated to Hashem, and Hashem told him to tell them, “Just like I was with the forefathers, so will I be with you by the other hard times. This pain is only temporary.” Hashem was saying, It’s true – it really is a very hard time that they are going through, but do not worry – it is only temporary, and I am with you, so don’t worry. How are we to understand Hashem’s response – “The pain is only temporary”?! How does this help them survive a 420-year exile?

This lesson shows us how we can deal with our own difficulties. Is there anyone who hasn’t gone through difficult times? There is no such person. Every single one of us has gone through hardship. Some of us came out of much of our past hardships, and some of us are still going through hardships. But what we all have in common is that all of us are still going through something hard, and we haven’t fully come out of our difficulties. We are all still going through some difficulty in our life, one way or another. When a person has a big problem, he usually convinces himself that it’s the worst problem he ever had. He compares his new problem to his previous problems, and realizes that it’s not the same kind of problem he is used to – it’s a whole new problem he has never faced, and it doesn’t seem to have a solution. What happens? Eventually, the problem goes away, and he forgets about it. Then a new problem comes, and again the person thinks that this is a problem that has no solution. The cycle repeats itself…

But what people usually fail to remember is that their previous problems, which didn’t seem to have a solution, went away at a certain point. We usually fail to recall all the difficulties that we did come out of. When we’re going through a difficult time in our life, we have the ability to calm ourselves down by remembering that just like our previous problem didn’t seem to have a solution, yet somehow it went away, so is there is a solution to our current problem, although we don’t see how. We can realize that it is only our physical eyes that don’t see a solution, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a solution.

The Ramban says, “Maaseh Avos Siman Labonim” – “What happened to our forefathers is a sign for their children.” Just like Hashem was with Avraham Avinu when he went down to Egypt and he saved him from his problem – this is when Pharoah abducted Sarah, and Avraham Avinu had no solution to his predicament – so do we now always have a solution to our problems, even though it seems like there isn’t. Although we, ourselves, don’t know how to solve our problems, Hashem can take us out of it – just like He helped Avraham when he didn’t have a solution, and just like He redeemed our people from exile when there seemed to be no way out.

This is what Hashem told Moshe to tell the people – “The pain is only temporary – Just like I took Avraham out of Egypt, so am I with you. Just there was no natural solution for Avraham, yet I was with him and took him out of his problem, so will I take you out of your problem even though there is no natural solution.”

Every day we leave Egypt. This is part of what we say every day in Kerias Shema – we remember how we were taken out of Egypt. We have many mitzvos as well where we remember how we were taken out of Egypt. On Shabbos and the Yomim Tovim, we say many times the words, “Zecher L’yetzias Mitzrayim” – a “remembrance” to our redemption from Egypt. Why must we remember the redemption? Is it merely to have a memorial day to remember the miracles of the past?

Many reasons are given for this, but for our discussion, it is relevant to say that the reason why we remember the redemption from Egypt so much is because it serves as the foundation for all our troubles. It shows that there is a way out from all our troubles – just like Hashem was with us then, so is He with us now.

Just like there was a public redemption, so is there a private redemption that can take place in each person’s soul. When a person has a problem and he doesn’t know the solution, yet he has emunah peshutah (simple faith) in Hashem, he can experience his own personal redemption.

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וַיּוֹצִאֵנוּ יְהֹוָה מִמִּצְרַיִם, לֹא עַל יְדֵי מַלְאָךְ וְלֹא עַל יְדֵי שָׂרָף וְלֹא עַל יְדֵי שָׁלִיחַ. אֶלָּא הַקָּדוֹשׁ

בָּרוּךְ הוּא בִּכְבוֹדוֹ וּבְעַצְמוֹ. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר, וְעָבַרְתִּי בְאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם בַּלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה וְהִכֵּיתִי כָל בְּכוֹר בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם מֵאָדָם וְעַד בְּהֵמָה וּבְכָל אֱלֹהֵי מִצְרַיִם אֶעֱשֶׂה שְׁפָטִים אֲנִי יְהֹוָה:

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“Not Through An Angel….But G-d Himself, In His Honor”

We say in the Hagadah, “And G-d took us out of Egypt, not through an angel or through a seraph or through a messenger, but G-d Himself, in His Honor.”

There is a concept that everything which takes place in the world also takes place in time, and everything that takes place in time also takes place in our soul. In our own soul, there can be a redemption by Hashem Himself.

On the night of Pesach, there is a revelation of G-dliness in every person’s soul! “Not through an angel or a seraph or a messenger, but G-d himself.” As long as a person doesn’t block this revelation from happening, it becomes revealed in one’s soul on the night of Pesach: a personal redemption that takes place in the soul. When a person still has an egotistical “I”, he is separate from others. But when there is a revelation of G-dliness in the soul, a secret of “oneness” (rozo d’echad) is revealed in the soul.

If a person looks at another person according to the other’s opinions about life, then he is apart from others. Chazal say that “Just like all faces are different, so are all minds different.” But when a person looks at another person’s soul with a deep perspective, he sees G-dliness in another Jew’s soul. He sees “Hashem Himself” that resides in the deepest point in every Jew’s soul. (This deepest point is called “Yechidah”.) When a person has this perspective, he has an outlook of achdus toward every Jew and he unifies every soul into one unit.

This revelation that takes place in the soul on the night of Pesach is the root of the future Redemption. Thus, on the night of Pesach we have an additional avodah upon us. Besides for the well-known avodah that we must connect ourselves to leaving Egypt now, there is another avodah – to reveal the root of the future Redemption. We must recognize what the Redemption is all about – [leaving our private “I”, transcending the ego, and instead revealing the G-dliness that present in our own souls and in the souls of all other Jews] – and to become connected to this.

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Drawing Power From “Hashem Himself, In His Glory” In Our Souls

There is the power of the body, the power of the soul, and the power which comes directly from Hashem. One’s soul can receive higher abilities from the power that comes directly from Hashem far more than their innate natural capabilities.

This is the depth of the matter of the “key of the resurrection of the dead, which is not given to any messenger”, and the depth of the exodus from Egypt, which was “not through an angel, not through a seraph, and not through a messenger, but from Hashem Himself, in His glory.” To receive higher powers that go above one’s natural capabilities is a very high level. It is the depth contained on the night of Pesach, where we were redeemed from Egypt and prepared to receive the Torah; we were on the level of the resurrection of the dead. The Sage Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair lists ten levels in serving Hashem, beginning from Torah, zehirus, and zerizus, and all the way to kedushah, ruach hakodesh, and, finally, techiyas hameisim (resurrection of the dead). These are very high levels to reach; the Sages in the times of the Gemara had the ability to resurrect the dead.

On our own level, how do we access the power of the resurrection of the dead? It is by shining the light of our neshamah onto our body. Any individual can do this, as long as he is someone who searches for Hashem. Then one will be able to see, with siyata d’shmaya, that the very limitations upon oneself which he thought he could not escape from, can slowly be broken – like a personal exodus from Egypt.

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וְעָבַרְתִּי בְאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם בַּלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה, אֲנִי וְלֹא מַלְאָךְ. וְהִכֵּיתִי כָל בְּכוֹר בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם אֲנִי וְלֹא שָׂרָף. וּבְכָל אֱלֹהֵי מִצְרַיִם אֱעֶשֶׂה שְׁפָטִים אֲנִי וְלֹא הַשָּׁלִיחַ. אֲנִי יְהֹוָה, אֲנִי הוּא וְלֹא אַחֵר:

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Death of The Firstborns: The Revelation of Hashem In Depraved Egypt

The redemption from Egypt thus came about through the final plague, which was the death to the firstborns. It came in the midnight; the reason for this is because was that the “partial” was being nullified, and in its place, “everything” was revealed. “At about midnight, I will go out in the midst of Egypt” – The “I” of Hashem was revealed then – and that is kol, everything.

It is precisely within the Egypt that the “I” of Hashem went out, to show that even within the worst confines, this revelation of “everything” can be revealed and banish all of the incompleteness. The confines of Egypt represent the limitations placed on us; when we are limited, we cannot be complete. With the plague of the death of the firstborn, however, it was revealed that even within the limitations, perfection and completeness can be revealed: the perfection of HaKadosh Baruch Hu. It was revealed then that all of the limitations and confines on us are only external; in the inner dimension, there is only HaKadosh Baruch Hu, Who is kol – everything.

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בְּיָד חֲזָקָה, זוֹ הַדֶּבֶר. כְּמָה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר, הִנֵּה יַד יְהֹוָה הוֹיָה בְּמִקְנְךָ אֲשֶׁר בַּשָּׂדֶה בַּסּוּסִים בַּחֲמוֹרִים בַּגְּמַלִּים בַּבָּקָר וּבַצֹּאן דֶּבֶר כָּבֵד מְאֹד:

וּבִזְרֹעַ נְטוּיָה, זוֹ הַחֶרֶב. כְּמָה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר, וְחַרְבּוֹ שְׁלוּפָה בְּיָדוֹ נְטוּיָה עַל יְרוּשָׁלָיִם:

וּבְמוֹרָא גָּדוֹל, זוֹ גִּלּוּי שְׁכִינָה. כְּמָה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר, אוֹ הֲנִסָּה אֱלֹהִים לָבֹא לָקַחַת לוֹ גּוֹי מִקֶּרֶב גּוֹי בְּמַסּוֹת בְּאֹתֹת וּבְמוֹפְתִים וּבְמִלְחָמָה וּבְיָד חֲזָקָה וּבִזְרוֹעַ נְטוּיָה וּבְמוֹרָאִים גְּדוֹלִים כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה לָכֶם יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם בְּמִצְרַיִם לְעֵינֶיךָ:

וּבְאֹתוֹת, זֶה הַמַּטֶּה. כְּמָה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר, וְאֶת הַמַּטֶּה הַזֶּה תִּקַּח בְּיָדֶךָ אֲשֶׁר תַּעֲשֶׂה בּוֹ אֶת הָאֹתֹת:

וּבְמוֹפְתִים זֶה הַדָּם. כְּמָה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר. וְנָתַתִּי מוֹפְתִים בַּשָּׁמַיִם וּבָאָרֶץ:



כשאומר דם ואש וכו’ וכן בעשר מכות ישפוך מן הכוס מעט יין:

דָּם, וָאֵשׁ, וְתִמְרוֹת עָשָׁן:

דָּבָר אַחֵר, בְּיָד חֲזָקָה שְׁתַּיִם. וּבִזְרֹעַ נְטוּיָה שְׁתַּיִם. וּבְמֹרָא גָּדוֹל שְׁתַּיִם. וּבְאֹתוֹת שְׁתַּיִם. וּבְמוֹפְתִים שְׁתַּיִם.

אֵלּוּ עֶשֶׂר מַכּוֹת שֶׁהֵבִיא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עַל הַמִּצְרִים בְּמִצְרַיִם וְאֵלוּ הֵן:

דָּם. צְפַרְדֵּעַ. כִּנִּים. עָרוֹב. דֶּבֶר. שְׁחִין. בָּרָד. אַרְבֶּה. חֹשֶׁךְ. מַכַּת בְּכוֹרוֹת:

רַבִּי יְהוּדָה הָיָה נוֹתֵן בָּהֶם סִמָּנִים:

דְּצַ”ךְ עֲדַ”שׁ בְּאַחַ”ב:

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Pharoah Lost His Bechirah (Free Will) Throughout The Ten Plagues

Hashem brought ten plagues upon Egypt, upon Pharoah and all his servants, and with each plague, they were given bechirah. By the time they already received their second plague, frogs, their bechirah level was already not the same level as when they received the plague of blood. And when they received the third plague, lice, their bechirah level had gone down since the plague of the frogs. It was not the same level of bechirah each time; it kept descending [so their free will was decreasing each time].

Why did this happen? It all started from the first plague. Pharoah could have chosen to free the Jewish people after the first plague, but he chose not to. As a result, his bechirah level descended, and now he had a little less bechirah to free them. This process of weakened bechirah continued to worsen throughout all of the plagues, where his bechirah level kept descending and he did not want to do teshuvah; with each plague, he had a little less bechirah than before, because his bechirah level kept going down.

Pharoah lost his bechirah, slowly throughout the plagues, and it is really because he chose to be in a situation where Hashem will take away his bechirah. He wanted to be evil, and he had chosen to act this way from the very onset of the plagues.

There are many reasons explained in Chazal of why Hashem “hardened” the heart of Pharoah. There is one very well-known reason: The more that Pharoah kept seeing the miracles, the more he should have repented. Since he did not take the messages of the plagues to heart, he was punished each time with more and more hardening of his heart. He still remained with bechirah, but it was becoming smaller and smaller with each plague.

But it can also be explained in different terms, based upon what we have been explaining here. Whenever a person has bechirah, he can either choose to utilize his bechirah and “choose” to be a chooser, or, there is an alternative, deeper path: he can choose not to have bechirah. Within this second path, he can either use this power for holiness or for evil. Either he can choose to submit his will to Hashem’s will – the holy use of this ability; or he will choose to follow his physical passions and to feel helpless with them – the evil use of this ability.

….“Pharoah” is from the words “peh ra”, “evil mouth”, as is well-known; the hint of this is that all that he requested was to be evil, and to abandon good. This was what Pharoah had been “requesting” of Hashem all along, throughout all of the plagues. He did not want his bechirah, because that would get in the way of his passions. The Rambam famously said that “Pharoah is the yetzer hora” (the evil inclination), and this is logical to anyone who understands. As we are explaining here, it is not only Pharoah who wanted to keep ignoring the truth so that he could choose what’s comfortable over what’s right. Every person, on some level, must traverse this point.

…. Hashem not only wants us to tell over the story of what He did to Pharoah, but to tell over the attitude of Pharoah which led to his downfall and how we need to live our lives very differently than he did.

The more that a person perseveres and is willing to go through the pain of listening to his inner voice of good, which keeps telling him not to sin and to feel remorse over sin, which doesn’t leave him alone, even about his deeply rooted negative patterns that are very hard for him to overcome – the more that he continues to listen to this inner voice and he doesn’t ignore it, he is closer to becoming “One who comes to be purified, is assisted.” This was the root of the redemption from Egypt.

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ישפוך מן הכוס ג”פ:

הָא לַחְמָא עַנְיָא דִּי אֲכָלוּ אַבְהָתָנָא בְּאַרְעָא דְמִצְרָיִם. כָּל דִּכְפִין יֵיתֵי וְיֵיכוֹל. כָּל דִּצְרִיךְ יֵיתֵי וְיִפְסַח. הָשַׁתָּא הָכָא, לְשָׁנָה הַבָּאָה בְּנֵי חוֹרִין



רַבִּי יוֹסֵי הַגְּלִילִי אוֹמֵר, מִנַּיִן אַתָּה אוֹמֵר שֶׁלָּקוּ הַמִּצְרִים בְּמִצְרַיִם עֶשֶׂר מַכּוֹת וְעַל הַיָּם לָקוּ חֲמִשִּׁים מַכּוֹת. בְּמִצְרַיִם מָה הוּא אוֹמֵר, וַיֹּאמְרוּ הַחַרְטֻמִּים אֶל פַּרְעֹה אֶצְבַּע אֱלֹהִים הִיא. וְעַל הַיָּם מָה הוּא אוֹמֵר, וַיַּרְא יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת הַיָּד הַגְּדוֹלָה אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה יְהֹוָה בְּמִצְרַיִם וַיִּירְאוּ הָעָם אֶת יְהֹוָה וַיַּאֲמִינוּ בַּיהֹוָה וּבְמשֶׁה עַבְדּוֹ. כַּמָּה לָקוּ בְּאֶצְבַּע עֶשֶׂר מַכּוֹת. אֱמוֹר מֵעַתָּה, בְּמִצְרַיִם לָקוּ עֶשֶׂר מַכּוֹת וְעַל הַיָּם לָקוּ חֲמִשִּׁים מַכּוֹת:

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Our Avodah At The Splitting of the Sea: Arriving At Bittul (Self-Nullification)

Before the event of kerias Yam Suf (the splitting of the sea) when the Egyptians were chasing the Jewish people, the Torah says, “And Hashem said to Moshe, why do you cry out to Me? Speak to the children of Yisrael and journey on.” Rashi explains that that Moshe was davening, and Hashem said to him, “Now is not the time to be lengthy in prayer, when the Jewish people are in a predicament.” This begs a well-known question: If not now, when? Don’t the Sages always teach that when a person is found in a predicament, he should grab onto the “art of the forefathers” which we have in our hands, and daven to Hashem? Why is it that when they came to the sea, their avodah was precisely not to daven?!

When a person is davening, it is because he wants a certain thing. He may want one thing, or more than one thing, to happen. He is trying to attain his ratzon (will), through praying to Hashem to get it. But at the sea, the people had the avodah to transcend any of their personal ratzon, and to arrive at total self-nullification (bittul), of having no personal ratzon at all. At the sea, their avodah was to come to the recognition that “I only want what Hashem wants. If Hashem’s will is for me to live, then I want to live. If Hashem wills the opposite, then that is my will also.”

When the Jewish people were leaving Egypt, they had a will to leave it: “They cried out, and their prayers arose to G-d from all of their difficult labor, and Hashem heard their groans.” But now when they were standing in front of the sea, they had a loftier avodah to do. Now their avodah was to have absolute mesirus nefesh: to be willing to give up their souls entirely for Hashem, and to accept the will of Hashem wholeheartedly. When that is the case, there is no gain in davening, and it would only be detrimental to do so.

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רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר, מִנַּיִן שֶׁכָּל מַכָּה וּמַכָּה שֶׁהֵבִיא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עַל הַמִּצְרִים בְּמִצְרַיִם הָיְתָה שֶׁל אַרְבַּע מַכּוֹת. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר, יְשַׁלַּח בָּם חֲרוֹן אַפּוֹ עֶבְרָה וָזַעַם וְצָרָה מִשְׁלַחַת מַלְאֲכֵי רָעִים. עֶבְרָה אַחַת. וָזַעַם שְׁתַּיִם. וְצָרָה שָׁלֹשׁ. מִשְׁלַחַת מַלְאֲכֵי רָעִים אַרְבַּע. אֱמוֹר מֵעַתָּה, בְּמִצְרַיִם לָקוּ אַרְבָּעִים מַכּוֹת וְעַל הַיָּם לָקוּ מָאתַיִם מַכּוֹת:

רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר, מִנַּיִן שֶׁכָּל מַכָּה וּמַכָּה שֶׁהֵבִיא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עַל הַמִּצְרִים בְּמִצְרַיִם הָיְתָה שֶׁל חָמֵשׁ מַכּוֹת. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר, יְשַׁלַּח בָּם חֲרוֹן אַפּוֹ עֶבְרָה וָזַעַם וְצָרָה מִשְׁלַחַת מַלְאֲכֵי רָעִים. חֲרוֹן אַפּוֹ אַחַת. עֶבְרָה שְׁתַּיִם. וָזַעַם שָׁלֹשׁ. וְצָרָה אַרְבַּע. מִשְׁלַחַת מַלְאֲכֵי רָעִים חָמֵשׁ. אֱמוֹר מֵעַתָּה בְּמִצְרַיִם לָקוּ חֲמִשִּׁים מַכּוֹת וְעַל הַיָּם לָקוּ חֲמִשִּׁים וּמָאתַיִם מַכּוֹת:



כַּמָּה מַעֲלוֹת טוֹבוֹת לַמָּקוֹם עָלֵינוּ:

אִלּוּ הוֹצִיאָנוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם, וְלֹא עָשָׂה בָהֶם שְׁפָטִים דַּיֵּנוּ:

אִלּוּ עָשָׂה בָהֶם שְׁפָטִים, וְלֹא עָשָׂה בֵאלֹהֵיהֶם דַּיֵּנוּ:

אִלּוּ עָשָׂה בֵאלֹהֵיהֶם, וְלֹא הָרַג אֶת בְּכוֹרֵיהֶם דַּיֵּנוּ:

אִלּוּ הָרַג אֶת בְּכוֹרֵיהֶם, וְלֹא נָתַן לָנוּ אֶת מָמוֹנָם דַּיֵּנוּ:

אִלּוּ נָתַן לָנוּ אֶת מָמוֹנָם, וְלֹא קָרַע לָנוּ אֶת הַיָּם דַּיֵּנוּ:

אִלּוּ קָרַע לָנוּ אֶת הַיָּם, וְלֹא הֶעֱבִירָנוּ בְתוֹכוֹ בֶּחָרָבָה דַּיֵּנוּ:

אִלּוּ הֶעֱבִירָנוּ בְתוֹכוֹ בֶּחָרָבָה, וְלֹא שִׁקַּע צָרֵינוּ בְּתוֹכוֹ דַּיֵּנוּ:

אִלּוּ שִׁקַּע צָרֵינוּ בְּתוֹכוֹ, וְלֹא סִפֵּק צָרְכֵנוּ בַּמִּדְבָּר אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה דַּיֵּנוּ:

אִלּוּ סִפֵּק צָרְכֵנוּ בַּמִּדְבָּר אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה, וְלֹא הֶאֱכִילָנוּ אֶת הַמָּן דַּיֵּנוּ:

אִלּוּ הֶאֱכִילָנוּ אֶת הַמָּן, וְלֹא נָתַן לָנוּ אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת דַּיֵּנוּ:

אִלּוּ נָתַן לָנוּ אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת, וְלֹא קֵרְבָנוּ לִפְנֵי הַר סִינַי דַּיֵּנוּ:

אִלּוּ קֵרְבָנוּ לִפְנֵי הַר סִינַי, וְלֹא נָתַן לָנוּ אֶת הַתּוֹרָה דַּיֵּנוּ:

אִלּוּ נָתַן לָנוּ אֶת הַתּוֹרָה, וְלֹא הִכְנִיסָנוּ לְאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל דַּיֵּנוּ:

אִלּוּ הִכְנִיסָנוּ לְאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְלֹא בָנָה לָנוּ אֶת בֵּית הַבְּחִירָה דַּיֵּנוּ:



עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה טוֹבָה כְּפוּלָה וּמְכֻפֶּלֶת לַמָּקוֹם עָלֵינוּ. שֶׁהוֹצִיאָנוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם. וְעָשָׂה בָהֶם שְׁפָטִים. וְעָשָׂה בֵאלֹהֵיהֶם. וְהָרַג אֶת בְּכוֹרֵיהֶם. וְנָתַן לָנוּ אֶת מָמוֹנָם. וְקָרַע לָנוּ אֶת הַיָּם. וְהֶעֱבִירָנוּ בְּתוֹכוֹ בֶּחָרָבָה. וְשִׁקַּע צָרֵינוּ בְּתוֹכוֹ. וְסִפֵּק צָרְכֵנוּ בַּמִּדְבָּר אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה. וְהֶאֱכִילָנוּ אֶת הַמָּן. וְנָתַן לָנוּ אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת. וְקֵרְבָנוּ לִפְנֵי הַר סִינַי. וְנָתַן לָנוּ אֶת הַתּוֹרָה. וְהִכְנִיסָנוּ לְאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל. וּבָנָה לָנוּ אֶת בֵּית הַבְּחִירָה לְכַפֵּר עַל כָּל עֲוֹנוֹתֵינוּ:



רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל הָיָה אוֹמֵר, כָּל שֶׁלֹּא אָמַר שְׁלֹשָׁה דְבָרִים אֵלּוּ בַּפֶּסַח לֹא יָצָא יְדֵי חוֹבָתוֹ, וְאֵלּוּ הֵן:

פֶּסַח. מַצָּה. וּמָרוֹר:



פֶּסַח שֶׁהָיוּ אֲבוֹתֵינוּ אוֹכְלִים בִּזְמַן שֶׁבֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ הָיָה קַיָּם עַל שׁוּם מָה. עַל שׁוּם שֶׁפָּסַח הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עַל בָּתֵּי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ בְּמִצְרַיִם. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר, וַאֲמַרְתֶּם זֶבַח פֶּסַח הוּא לַיהֹוָה אֲשֶׁר פָּסַח עַל בָּתֵּי בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּמִצְרַיִם בְּנָגְפּוֹ אֶת מִצְרַיִם וְאֶת בָּתֵּינוּ הִצִּיל וַיִּקֹּד הָעָם וַיִשְׁתַּחֲווּ:

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The Korbon Pesach – Closeness To Hashem

Through the korban pesach, a person could become especially near Hashem, for the korbon pesach had to be “tzli” (roasted), which is from the word “aitzel”, “near” – a hint that the korbon pesach brought a person especially “near” Hashem.

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Pesach: Remembering How Hashem “Skipped” Over

The word “Pesach” means to “skip”, which is also known as the term dilug (skipping). The gematria of the words “The One skipped over”, which is,דלג אלף is equal in value to the wordפסח /Pesach. The spiritual light present on the night of Pesach is essentially the fact that Hashem “skipped” over His normal mode of conduct, which is through using the letter “beis”, and He instead used His higher mode of conduct, which is His letter aleph.

When Hashem skipped over the Jewish homes, this can be understood on a deeper level because He was “skipping over” His [mode of conduct through the] letter beis, and instead revealed His [mode of conduct through the] letter aleph.

This was also the same depth behind how Hashem Himself went into Egypt and struck down the firstborns of Egypt, and not the firstborns of the Jewish people. Why were only the firstborns of Egypt struck down, and not the firstborns of the Jewish people? It was because Hashem was using His letter aleph, which “skips over”. That was the mode revealed on Pesach – for the term Pesach corresponds to the term dilug/skipping, in that the dilug on Pesach is when Hashem “skipped over” His normal mode of conduct which is through the letter beis.

When one is connected to Hashem’s higher mode of conduct, which is through the letter aleph, he is connected with the Alupho shel Olam, and he merits a mode of conduct in which there is dilug/skipping over the letter beis [which represents Hashem’s normal mode of conduct]. That is the depth of why Hashem skipped over the Jewish homes [for they were connected to the Alupho shel Olam (Chief of the world), and therefore they were deserving of this higher mode of conduct which is when Hashem uses the letter aleph].

Thus, the dilug/skipping that Hashem performed on the night of Pesach was that He “skipped” over the letter beis and instead revealed His letter aleph, corresponding to His mode of conduct in which He is the Alupho shel Olam, when He skips.

…On Pesach, where the power of “skipping” is revealed, we can skip over the “earth” which we normally stand on! We can then go above the curse given to mankind, of “You are earth, and to earth you shall return”, and to ‘skip’ above the earth and disconnect ourselves from it. This is the depth behind the power of “skipping” that is revealed on Pesach.





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אוחז המצה בידו ומראה אותה למסובין:



מַצָּה זוּ שֶׁאָנוּ אוֹכְלִים עַל שׁוּם מָה. עַל שׁוּם שֶׁלֹּא הִסְפִּיק בְּצֵקָם שֶׁל אֲבוֹתֵינוּ לְהַחֲמִיץ עַד שֶׁנִּגְלָה עֲלֵיהֶם מֶלֶךְ מַלְכֵי הַמְּלָכִים הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וּגְאָלָם. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר, וַיֹּאפוּ אֶת הַבָּצֵק אֲשֶׁר הוֹצִיאוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם עֻגֹּת מַצּוֹת כִּי לֹא חָמֵץ כִּי גֹרְשׁוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם וְלֹא יָכְלוּ לְהִתְמַהְמֵהַּ וְגַם צֵדָה לֹא עָשֹוּ לָהֶם:

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Matzah: Simplicity

On Pesach, when we left Egypt, we left in haste, and therefore the bread we were carrying did not have a chance to become leavened (chometz). We left with unleavened bread – matzah – which is called lechem oni, “the poor man’s bread.” Why should it matter that we left Egypt with unleavened bread? What does this fact of history have to do with us now?

It has relevance to us, even now. Pesach, the “Chag HaMatzos” – the festival of unleavened bread – is called zman cheiruseinu, the time of our freedom. Therefore, matzah hints how we can reach cheirus/freedom. The mitzvah on Pesach to eat matzah serves for us a way to enter our soul – by leaving materialism.

When the Jewish people were enslaved in Egypt, they had to work with bricks (choimer) and mortar (levainim). The Hebrew word for bricks is choimer, which can also mean “materialism”. In other words, leaving Egypt was essentially about leaving our materialistic pursuits and entering into spirituality, represented by matzah, which was a very simple kind of bread, a poor man’s bread. The lesson we learn from this is that when we go with simplicity, we can enter the world of spirituality.

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אוחז המרור בידו ומראה אותו למסובין:

מָרוֹר זֶה שֶׁאָנוּ אוֹכְלִים עַל שׁוּם מָה. עַל שׁוּם שֶׁמָּרְרוּ הַמִּצְרִים אֶת חַיֵּי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ בְּמִצְרָיִם. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר, וַיְמָרְרוּ אֶת חַיֵּיהֶם בַּעֲבֹדָה קָשָׁה בְּחֹמֶר וּבִלְבֵנִים וּבְכָל עֲבֹדָה בַּשָּׂדֶה אֵת כָּל עֲבֹדָתָם אֲשֶׁר עָבְדוּ בָהֶם בְּפָרֶךְ:

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The Deeper Implication of Maror /The Bitter Herbs

[Maror is from the word merirus, “bitterness”.] When one person is having true merirus (bitterness) – which corresponds to the bitterness that is felt by those who are being punished in Gehinnom, he can then reach a state that is considered to be as bitter as “death”, and from there, he can connect to the One Who rules the world.

The word emes, truth, is from the letters “aleph meis”, “one, death”, an allusion to how “death” [self-nullification] enables one to reach the “Aleph”, the One Ruler, Hashem.

The word “mar”, bitter, has the same gematria as the word “Amalek”, who is called one who “recognizes His master and intends to rebel against Him.” On the side of holiness, the evil of Amalek is countered by the one who recognizes his Creator and chooses to become integrated with Him.

This is the depth of the matter of how the “bitterness” of the maror – which is reached through self-nullification, a desire to integrate with the Creator – can rectify the evil and impaired kind of “bitterness” which is represented by jealousy, conceit, rebelliousness, the Serpent, and Amalek.

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בְּכָל דּוֹר וָדוֹר חַיָּב אָדָם לִרְאוֹת אֶת עַצְמוֹ כְּאִלּוּ הוּא יָצָא מִמִּצְרָיִם.

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Seeing Yourself As If You Left Egypt

“One is obligated to see himself as if he [himself] had left Egypt.” In every generation, on Pesach, we have a mitzvah to feel like we are leaving Egypt – today, and now. When Chazal said that we have this obligation, this doesn’t mean in the sense that we need to imagine then what it must have been like. Rather, the intention of Chazal was that we need to imagine now, what it was like then [to attach the past to the present].

How can a person feel as if he left Egypt, though, when he doesn’t remember what it was like? How can a person remember what it was like in his past gilgul (soul incarnation) when he left Egypt, if he doesn’t remember his previous lifetime?

As time goes on and the generations continue, we are further from that time in history, and it becomes more concealed [and distant from us]. But through study and in-depth analysis of the Egyptian bondage, a person can come to visualize the terrible exile that Egypt was, and this will slowly but surely enable a person to feel, of what it was like to be exiled there – and in turn, what it was like to go free from there.

So, by learning the words of Chazal in detail about the Egyptian bondage, we enable our mind to visualize what it was like to be there. That gets us to feel that we were actually there, and that draws us closer to feeling the exile that was Egypt. Only through feeling the exile – not simply through knowing about it intellectually – can a person feel what the redemption from it felt like.

This is the first method brought in our Chazal of how one can connect himself to the exile and to the redemption of Egypt: studying the words of Chazal about the Egyptian bondage. But there is also another method brought in Chazal: to connect ourselves with the present state of exile, which can get us to conceptualize what the meaning of exile is, and in turn, what it means to be redeemed from exile.

The gain of the second approach is that whereas we have never seen the past and we do not recognize it, the present is something we all recognize. The past is gone and we have a hard time relating to it, but in the present, we are still in exile, so the present is easier for us to relate to. By becoming aware of the current situation of our exile, that is how we can feel what exile was like in the past – the root of all exiles, which was Egypt.

So we have two methods of how we can visualize leaving Egypt. The first way is to learn the words of Chazal about the Egyptian bondage, which in turn helps us visualize it. That enables us to then picture in our minds of what it was like to have actually been there, and that helps us feels the pain of the Egyptian exile. This causes us to wish to escape it, and to cry out to Hashem to be saved. This method, of visualizing the exile and redemption from Egypt, is an avodah on our part, which requires hisbonenus (deep reflection); it doesn’t come to us so fast.

The second, alternative approach, is to think about the meaning of present exile, which can help us conceptualize exile of the past. By realizing what the current exile is, it can get us to feel pained from the exile we are in, and when we feel the depth of this exile, it is then much easier for us to connect ourselves with the exile of the past.

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שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר, וְהִגַּדְתָּ לְבִנְךָ בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא לֵאמֹר בַּעֲבוּר זֶה עָשָׂה יְהֹוָה לִי בְּצֵאתִי מִמִּצְרָיִם.

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The Mitzvah To Tell The Story of the Exodus To Boys

The depth behind the mitzvah of the night of Pesach to tell over the story of the exodus specifically to “your son” is, because Pharoah decreed death on all Jewish baby boys, and therefore we have a corresponding mitzvah to tell Jewish boys about the exodus.

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לֹא אֶת אֲבוֹתֵינוּ בִּלְבָד גָּאַל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, אֶלָּא אַף אוֹתָנוּ גָּאַל עִמָּהֶם. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר, וְאוֹתָנוּ הוֹצִיא מִשָּׁם לְמַעַן הָבִיא אוֹתָנוּ לָתֶת לָנוּ אֶת הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע לַאֲבוֹתֵינוּ:

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Why We Remember Each Day The Exodus From Egypt



Every day we “leave” Egypt. This is part of what we say every day in Kerias Shema: we remember how we were taken out of Egypt. We have many mitzvos as well where we remember how we were taken out of Egypt. On Shabbos and the Yomim Tovim, we say, “zecher l’yetzias mitzrayim” – a “remembrance” to our redemption from Egypt. Why must we remember the redemption? Is it merely to have a memorial day to remember the miracles of the past?



Many reasons are given for this, but for our discussion, it is relevant to say that the reason why we remember the redemption from Egypt so much is because it serves as the foundation for all our troubles. It shows that there is a way out from all our troubles – just like Hashem was with us then, so is He with us now.

Just like there was a public redemption, so is there a private redemption that can take place in each person’s soul. When a person has a problem and he doesn’t know the solution, yet he has emunah peshutah (simple faith) in Hashem, he can experience his own personal redemption.

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יאחז הכוס בידו ויכסה המצות ויאמר:

לְפִיכָךְ אֲנַחְנוּ חַיָּבִים לְהוֹדוֹת לְהַלֵּל לְשַׁבֵּחַ לְפָאֵר לְרוֹמֵם לְהַדֵּר לְבָרֵךְ לְעַלֵּה וּלְקַלֵּס לְמִי שֶׁעָשָׂה לַאֲבוֹתֵינוּ וְלָנוּ אֵת כָּל הַנִּסִּים הָאֵלּוּ. הוֹצִיאָנוּ מֵעַבְדוּת לְחֵרוּת, מִיָּגוֹן לְשִׂמְחָה, וּמֵאֵבֶל לְיוֹם טוֹב, וּמֵאֲפֵלָה לְאוֹר גָּדוֹל, וּמִשִּׁעְבּוּד לִגְאֻלָּה, וְנֹאמַר לְפָנָיו שִׁירָה חֲדָשָׁה הַלְלוּיָהּ:



יניח הכוס מידו ויגלה המצות:

הַלְלוּיָהּ הַלְלוּ עַבְדֵי יְהֹוָה. הַלְלוּ אֶת שֵׁם יְהֹוָה: יְהִי שֵׁם יְהֹוָה מְבוֹרָךְ. מֵעַתָּה וְעַד עוֹלָם: מִמִּזְרַח שֶׁמֶשׁ עַד מְבוֹאוֹ. מְהֻלָּל שֵׁם יְהֹוָה: רָם עַל כָּל גּוֹיִם יְהֹוָה. עַל הַשָּׁמַיִם כְּבוֹדוֹ: מִי כַּיהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ הַמַּגְבִּיהִי לָשָׁבֶת: הַמַּשְׁפִּילִי לִרְאוֹת בַּשָּׁמַיִם וּבָאָרֶץ: מְקִימִי מֵעָפָר דָּל. מֵאַשְׁפֹּת יָרִים אֶבְיוֹן: לְהוֹשִׁיבִי עִם נְדִיבִים. עִם נְדִיבֵי עַמּוֹ: מוֹשִׁיבִי עֲקֶרֶת הַבַּיִת. אֵם הַבָּנִים שְׂמֵחָה. הַלְלוּיָהּ:

בְּצֵאת יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִּצְרָיִם. בֵּית יַעֲקֹב מֵעַם לוֹעֵז: הָיְתָה יְהוּדָה לְקָדְשׁוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל מַמְשְׁלוֹתָיו: הַיָּם רָאָה וַיָּנֹס. הַיַּרְדֵּן יִסֹּב לְאָחוֹר: הֶהָרִים רָקְדוּ כְאֵילִים. גְּבָעוֹת כִּבְנֵי צֹאן: מַה לְּךָ הַיָּם כִּי תָנוּס. הַיַּרְדֵּן תִּסֹּב לְאָחוֹר:

הֶהָרִים תִּרְקְדוּ כְאֵילִים. גְּבָעוֹת כִּבְנֵי צֹאן: מִלִּפְנֵי אָדוֹן חוּלִי אָרֶץ. מִלִּפְנֵי אֱלוֹהַּ יַעֲקֹב: הַהֹפְכִי הַצוּר אֲגַם מָיִם. חַלָּמִישׁ לְמַעְינוֹ מָיִם

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר גְּאָלָנוּ וְגָאַל אֶת אֲבוֹתֵינוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם, וְהִגִּיעָנוּ הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה לֶאֱכָל בּוֹ מַצָּה וּמָרוֹר. כֵּן יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ יַגִּיעֵנוּ לְמוֹעֲדִים וְלִרְגָלִים אֲחֵרִים הַבָּאִים לִקְרָאתֵנוּ לְשָׁלוֹם, שְׂמֵחִים בְּבִנְיַן עִירֶךָ, וְשָׂשִׂים בַּעֲבוֹדָתֶךָ, וְנֹאכַל שָׁם מִן הַזְּבָחִים וּמִן הַפְּסָחִים (במוצ”ש אומרים: מִן הַפְּסָחִים וּמִן הַזְּבָחִים) אֲשֶׁר יַגִּיעַ דָּמָם עַל קִיר מִזְבַּחֲךָ לְרָצוֹן וְנוֹדֶה לְךָ שִׁיר חָדָשׁ עַל גְּאֻלָּתֵנוּ וְעַל פְּדוּת נַפְשֵׁנוּ: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה גָּאַל יִשְׂרָאֵל:

רחצה

נוטל ידיו ומברך:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו, וְצִוָּנוּ עַל נְטִילַת יָדָים:



מוציא מצה

מברך:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם הַמּוֹצִיא לֶחֶם מִן הָאָרֶץ:



מרור

הִנְנִי מוּכָן וּמְזוּמָן לְקַיֵּם מִצְוַת אֲכִילַת מָרוֹרּ… עַל יְדֵי הַהוּא טָמִיר וְנֶעֱלָם בְּשֵׁם כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל:



בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְווֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ עַל אֲכִילַת מָרוֹר:

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Maror Dipped In Charoses: Bitterness Rectified By Sweetness

Maror, also called chazeres, is called chasa in the Talmud, which starts out with a “soft” (sweet) taste and ends with a “difficult” bitter taste. This also bears a similarity to the Eitz HaDaas(the Tree of Knowledge) which was a grapevine, according to one of the opinions in the Sages; a grape is soft on the outside and it contains hard seeds on its inside [hence it starts with a soft taste and ends with a hard taste]. Eating of the Eitz HaDaas was in the category of lustful desire, for its grapes were sweet-tasting. The punishment for partaking of this lustful desire was death, which is a form of “bitterness”. How is this lustful desire rectified? When it is returned to sweetness.

This is the deeper reason of why there is wine in the charoses. The sin of Adam and Chavah began with sweet-tasting grapes, which ended in bitterness, for it caused death to come to the world [and it is rectified when we return this bitterness to sweetness, by dipping the maror into the sweet-tasting charoses].

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כּוֹרֵךְ

יקח כזית מן המצה השלישית וכזית חזרת עמה ויאכל שתיהן ביחד בהסיבה ובלא ברכה, וקודם יאמר:



זֵכֶר לְמִקְדָּשׁ כְּהִלֵּל. כֵּן עָשָׂה הִלֵּל. בִּזְמַן שֶׁבֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ הָיָה קַיָּם הָיָה כּוֹרֵךְ פֶּסַח מַצָּה וּמָרוֹר וְאוֹכֵל בְּיַחַד לְקַיֵּם מַה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר עַל מַצּוֹת וּמְרוֹרִים יֹאכְלֻהוּ:

שֻׁלְחָן עוֹרֵךְ

אוכל ושותה כל צרכו לכבוד יו”ט, ונוהגין לאכול ביצה:

צָּפוּן

יקח שני כזיתים ממצה ששמר לאפיקומן, זכר לפסח הנאכלת על השובע, ואוכלו בהסיבה, ומקודם יאמר:



הִנְנִי מוּכָן וּמְזוּמָּן לְקַיֵּם מִצְוַת אֲכִילַת אֲפִיקוֹמָן.



לְשֵׁם יִחוּד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וּשְׁכִינְתֵּיהּ בִּדְחִילוּ וּרְחִימוּ עַל יְדֵי הַהוּא טָמִיר וְנֶעֱלָם בְּשֵׁם כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל: וִיהִי נוֹעַם אֲדֹנָי אֱלֹהֵינוּ עָלֵינוּ וּמַעֲשֵׂה יָדֵינוּ כּוֹנְנָה עָלֵינוּ וּמַעֲשֵׂה יָדֵינוּ כּוֹנְנֵהוּ:

❖❖❖

The Depth of Hiding The Afikoman

Taking the afikoman is a parable of how we need to search in our own “hidden places” [to do soul-searching]. This is actually the deeper intent of the ceremony of “Tzafon” at the Sefer, which, on a deep level, is about the “light which is hidden for the tzaddikim in the future” [the ohr hatzafun, the “hidden light”].



בָּרֵך

מוזגין כוס שלישית ומברכין עליה ברכת המזון כדין ויאמר:



הִנְנִי מוּכָן וּמְזוּמָן לְקַיֵּם מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה שֶׁל בִּרְכַּת הַמָּזוֹן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וְאָכַלְתָּ וְשָׂבָעְתָּ וּבֵרַכְתָּ אֶת יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ עַל הָאָרֶץ הַטּוֹבָה אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לָךְ, לְשֵׁם יִחוּד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וּשְׁכִינְתֵּיהּ בִּדְחִילוּ וּרְחִימוּ עַל יְדֵי הַהוּא טָמִיר וְנֶעֱלָם בְּשֵׁם כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל: וִיהִי נוֹעַם אֲדֹנָי אֱלֹהֵינוּ עָלֵינוּ וּמַעֲשֵׂה יָדֵינוּ כּוֹנְנָה עָלֵינוּ וּמַעֲשֵׂה יָדֵינוּ כּוֹנְנֵהוּ:

שִׁיר הַמַּעֲלוֹת, בְּשׁוּב יְהֹוָה אֶת שִׁיבַת צִיּוֹן הָיִינוּ כְּחֹלְמִים. אָז יִמָּלֵא שְׂחוֹק פִּינוּ וּלְשׁוֹנֵנוּ רִנָּה, אָז יֹאמְרוּ בַגּוֹיִם הִגְדִּיל יְהֹוָה לַעֲשֹוֹת עִם אֵלֶּה. הִגְדִּיל יְהֹוָה לַעֲשֹוֹת עִמָּנוּ, הָיִינוּ שְׂמֵחִים. שׁוּבָה יְהֹוָה אֶת שְׁבִיתֵנוּ כַּאֲפִיקִים בַּנֶּגֶב. הַזֹּרְעִים בְּדִמְעָה בְּרִנָּה יִקְצֹרוּ. הָלוֹךְ יֵלֵךְ וּבָכֹה נֹשֵׂא מֶשֶׁךְ הַזָּרַע, בֹּא יָבֹא בְרִנָּה, נֹשֵׂא אֲלֻמֹּתָיו:



רַבּוֹתַי מִיר וֶועלְן בֶּענְטְשְׁן

והמסובין עונין:

יְהִי שֵׁם ה’ מְבוֹרָךְ מֵעַתָּה וְעַד עוֹלָם:

בִּרְשׁוּת מָרָנָן וְרַבּוֹתַי נְבָרֵךְ (בעשרה: אֶלֹהֵינוּ) שֶׁאָכַלְנוּ מִשֶּׁלּוֹ:

ועונין המסובין:

בָּרוּךְ (בעשרה: אֱלֹהֵינוּ) שֶׁאָכַלְנוּ מִשֶּׁלּוֹ וּבְטוּבוֹ חָיִינוּ:

והמזמן חוזר:

בָּרוּךְ (בעשרה: אֱלֹהֵינוּ) שֶׁאָכַלְנוּ מִשֶּׁלּוֹ וּבְטוּבוֹ חָיִינוּ:

בָּרוּךְ הוּא וּבָרוּךְ שְׁמוֹ:



ברוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם. הַזָּן אֶת הָעוֹלָם כֻּלּוֹ, בְּטוּבוֹ בְּחֵן בְּחֶסֶד וּבְרַחֲמִים. הוּא נוֹתֵן לֶחֶם לְכָל בָּשָׂר כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ. וּבְטוּבוֹ הַגָּדוֹל תָּמִיד לֹא חָסַר לָנוּ, וְאַל יֶחְסַר לָנוּ מָזוֹן לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד. בַּעֲבוּר שְׁמוֹ הַגָּדוֹל. כִּי הוּא אֵל זָן וּמְפַרְנֵס לַכֹּל וּמֵטִיב לַכֹּל וּמֵכִין מָזוֹן לְכָל בְּרִיּוֹתָיו אֲשֶׁר בָּרָא. כָּאָמוּר פּוֹתֵחַ אֶת יָדֶךָ וּמַשְׂבִּיעַ לְכָל חַי רָצוֹן. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה הַזָּן אֶת הַכֹּל:

נוֹדֶה לְךָ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ עַל שֶׁהִנְחַלְתָּ לַאֲבוֹתֵינוּ, אֶרֶץ חֶמְדָּה טוֹבָה וּרְחָבָה, וְעַל שֶׁהוֹצֵאתָנוּ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם, וּפְדִיתָנוּ מִבֵּית עֲבָדִים, וְעַל בְּרִיתְךָ שֶׁחָתַמְתָּ בִּבְשָׂרֵנוּ, וְעַל תּוֹרָתְךָ שֶׁלִּמַּדְתָּנוּ, וְעַל חֻקֶּיךָ שֶׁהוֹדַעְתָּנוּ, וְעַל חַיִּים חֵן וָחֶסֶד שֶׁחוֹנַנְתָּנוּ, וְעַל אֲכִילַת מָזוֹן שָׁאַתָּה זָן וּמְפַרְנֵס אוֹתָנוּ תָּמִיד, בְּכָל יוֹם וּבְכָל עֵת וּבְכָל שָׁעָה:

וְעַל הַכֹּל יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ אֲנַחְנוּ מוֹדִים לָךְ, וּמְבָרְכִים אוֹתָךְ, יִתְבָּרַךְ שִׁמְךָ בְּפִי כָּל חַי תָּמִיד לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד. כַּכָּתוּב, וְאָכַלְתָּ וְשָׂבָעְתָּ, וּבֵרַכְתָּ אֶת יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ עַל הָאָרֶץ הַטֹּבָה אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לָךְ. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה עַל הָאָרֶץ וְעַל הַמָּזוֹן:

רַחֵם נָא יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ, עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל עַמֶּךָ, וְעַל יְרוּשָׁלַיִם עִירֶךָ, וְעַל צִיּוֹן מִשְׁכַּן כְּבוֹדֶךָ, וְעַל מַלְכוּת בֵּית דָּוִד מְשִׁיחֶךָ, וְעַל הַבַּיִת הַגָּדוֹל וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ שֶׁנִּקְרָא שִׁמְךָ עָלָיו. אֱלֹהֵינוּ, אָבִינוּ, רְעֵנוּ, זוּנֵנוּ, פַּרְנְסֵנוּ, וְכַלְכְּלֵנוּ, וְהַרְוִיחֵנוּ, וְהַרְוַח לָנוּ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ מְהֵרָה מִכָּל צָרוֹתֵינוּ. וְנָא, אַל תַּצְרִיכֵנוּ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ לֹא לִידֵי מַתְּנַת בָּשָׂר וָדָם, וְלֹא לִידֵי הַלְוָאָתָם, כִּי אִם לְיָדְךָ הַמְּלֵאָה, הַפְּתוּחָה, הַקְּדוֹשָׁה וְהָרְחָבָה, שֶׁלֹּא נֵבוֹשׁ וְלֹא נִכָּלֵם לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד:



כשחל בשבת: רְצֵה וְהַחֲלִיצֵנוּ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ בְּמִצְווֹתֶיךָ וּבְמִצְוַת יוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי, הַשַּׁבָּת הַגָּדוֹל וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ הַזֶּה, כִּי יוֹם זֶה גָּדוֹל וְקָדוֹשׁ הוּא לְפָנֶיךָ, לִשְׁבָּת בּוֹ וְלָנוּחַ בּוֹ בְּאַהֲבָה כְּמִצְוַת רְצוֹנֶךָ, וּבִרְצוֹנְךָ הָנִיחַ לָנוּ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ, שֶׁלֹּא תְהֵא צָרָה וְיָגוֹן וַאֲנָחָה בְּיוֹם מְנוּחָתֵנוּ, וְהַרְאֵנוּ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ בְּנֶחָמַת צִיּוֹן עִירֶךָ, וּבְבִנְיַן יְרוּשָׁלַיִם עִיר קָדְשֶׁךָ, כִּי אַתָּה הוּא בַּעַל הַיְשׁוּעוֹת וּבַעַל הַנֶּחָמוֹת:



אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ, יַעֲלֶה וְיָבֹא וְיַגִּיעַ, וְיֵרָאֶה וְיֵרָצֶה וְיִשָּׁמַע, וְיִפָּקֵד וְיִזָּכֵר זִכְרוֹנֵנוּ וּפִקְדוֹנֵנוּ, וְזִכְרוֹן אֲבוֹתֵינוּ וְזִכְרוֹן מָשִׁיחַ בֶּן דָּוִד עַבְדֶּךָ, וְזִכְרוֹן יְרוּשָׁלַיִם עִיר קָדְשֶׁךָ, וְזִכְרוֹן כָּל עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל לְפָנֶיךָ, לִפְלֵיטָה, לְטוֹבָה, לְחֵן וּלְחֶסֶד וּלְרַחֲמִים, לְחַיִּים טוֹבִים וּלְשָׁלוֹם, בְּיוֹם חַג הַמַּצּוֹת הַזֶּה:

זָכְרֵנוּ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ בּוֹ לְטוֹבָה, וּפָקְדֵנוּ בוֹ לִבְרָכָה, וְהוֹשִׁיעֵנוּ בוֹ לְחַיִּים טוֹבִים. וּבִדְבַר יְשׁוּעָה וְרַחֲמִים, חוּס וְחָנֵּנוּ וְרַחֵם עָלֵינוּ וְהוֹשִׁיעֵנוּ, כִּי אֵלֶיךָ עֵינֵינוּ כִּי אֵל (מֶלֶךְ) חַנּוּן וְרַחוּם אָתָּה:

וּבְנֵה יְרוּשָׁלַיִם עִיר הַקֹּדֶשׁ בִּמְהֵרָה בְיָמֵינוּ. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה בּוֹנֵה בְרַחֲמָיו יְרוּשָׁלָיִם, אָמֵן:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם. הָאֵל, אָבִינוּ, מַלְכֵּנוּ, אַדִּירֵנוּ, בּוֹרְאֵנוּ, גּוֹאֲלֵנוּ, יוֹצְרֵנוּ, קְדוֹשֵׁנוּ קְדוֹשׁ יַעֲקֹב, רוֹעֵנוּ רוֹעֵה יִשְׂרָאֵל, הַמֶּלֶךְ הַטּוֹב וְהַמֵּטִיב לַכֹּל. שֶׁבְּכָל יוֹם וָיוֹם הוּא הֵטִיב הוּא מֵטִיב הוּא יֵיטִיב לָנוּ. הוּא גְמָלָנוּ הוּא גוֹמְלֵנוּ הוּא יִגְמְלֵנוּ לָעַד, לְחֵן וּלְחֶסֶד וּלְרַחֲמִים וּלְרֶוַח הַצָּלָה וְהַצְלָחָה, בְּרָכָה וִישׁוּעָה, נֶחָמָה, פַּרְנָסָה וְכַלְכָּלָה, וְרַחֲמִים וְחַיִּים וְשָׁלוֹם וְכָל טוֹב. וּמִכָּל טוּב לְעוֹלָם אַל יְחַסְּרֵנוּ:

הָרַחֲמָן הוּא יִמְלֹךְ עָלֵינוּ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד: הָרַחֲמָן הוּא יִתְבָּרַךְ בַּשָּׁמַיִם וּבָאָרֶץ: הָרַחֲמָן הוּא יִשְׁתַּבַּח לְדוֹר דּוֹרִים. וְיִתְפָּאַר בָּנוּ לָעַד וּלְנֵצַח נְצָחִים. וְיִתְהַדַּר בָּנוּ לָעַד וּלְעוֹלְמֵי עוֹלָמִים: הָרַחֲמָן הוּא יְפַרְנְסֵנוּ בְּכָבוֹד: הָרַחֲמָן הוּא יִשְׁבֹּר עֻלֵּנוּ מֵעַל צַוָּארֵנוּ וְהוּא יוֹלִיכֵנוּ קוֹמְמִיּוּת לְאַרְצֵנוּ: הָרַחֲמָן הוּא יִשְׁלַח לָנוּ בְּרָכָה מְרֻבָּה בַּבַּיִת הַזֶּה וְעַל שֻׁלְחָן זֶה שֶׁאָכַלְנוּ עָלָיו: הָרַחֲמָן הוּא יִשְׁלַח לָנוּ אֶת אֵלִיָּהוּ הַנָּבִיא זָכוּר לַטּוֹב וִיבַשֶּׂר לָנוּ בְּשֹוֹרוֹת טוֹבוֹת יְשׁוּעוֹת וְנֶחָמוֹת:

הָרַחֲמָן הוּא יְבָרֵךְ אֶת (אָבִי מוֹרִי) בַּעַל הַבַּיִת הַזֶּה, וְאֶת (אִמִּי מוֹרָתִי) בַּעֲלַת הַבַּיִת הַזֶּה, (אוֹתִי וְאֶת אִשְׁתִּי וְאֶת זַרְעִי) אוֹתָם וְאֶת בֵּיתָם וְאֶת זַרְעָם וְאֶת כָּל אֲשֶׁר לָהֶם. אוֹתָנוּ וְאֶת כָּל אֲשֶׁר לָנוּ. כְּמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּרְכוּ אֲבוֹתֵינוּ אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב בַּכֹּל מִכֹּל כֹּל כֵּן יְבָרֵךְ אוֹתָנוּ כֻּלָּנוּ יַחַד בִּבְרָכָה שְׁלֵמָה. וְנֹאמַר אָמֵן:

בַּמָּרוֹם יְלַמְּדוּ עֲלֵיהֶם וְעָלֵינוּ זְכוּת שֶׁתְּהֵא לְמִשְׁמֶרֶת שָׁלוֹם. וְנִשָּׂא בְרָכָה מֵאֵת יְהֹוָה וּצְדָקָה מֵאֱלֹהֵי יִשְׁעֵנוּ. וְנִמְצָא חֵן וְשֵׂכֶל טוֹב בְּעֵינֵי אֱלֹהִים וְאָדָם:



(לשבת: הָרַחֲמָן הוּא יַנְחִילֵנוּ לְיוֹם שֶׁכֻּלּוֹ שַׁבָּת וּמְנוּחָה לְחַיֵּי הָעוֹלָמִים)



הָרַחֲמָן הוּא יַנְחִילֵנוּ לְיוֹם שֶׁכֻּלּוֹ טוֹב. לְיוֹם שֶׁכֻּלוֹ אָרוּךְ, יוֹם שֶׁצַּדִּיקִים יוֹשְׁבִים וְעַטְרוֹתֵיהֶם בְּרָאשֵׁיהֶם וְנֶהֱנִים מִזִּיו הַשְּׁכִינָה וִיהִי חֶלְקֵנוּ עִמָּהֶם:

הָרַחֲמָן הוּא יְזַכֵּנוּ לִימוֹת הַמָּשִׁיחַ וּלְחַיֵּי הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא:

מִגְדּוֹל יְשׁוּעוֹת מַלְכּוֹ וְעֹשֶׂה חֶסֶד לִמְשִׁיחוֹ לְדָוִד וּלְזַרְעוֹ עַד עוֹלָם: עֹשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם בִּמְרוֹמָיו הוּא יַעֲשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם עָלֵינוּ וְעַל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן:

יְראוּ אֶת יְהֹוָה קְדוֹשָׁיו כִּי אֵין מַחְסוֹר לִירֵאָיו: כְּפִירִים רָשׁוּ וְרָעֵבוּ וְדוֹרְשֵׁי יְהֹוָה לֹא יַחְסְרוּ כָל טוֹב: הוֹדוּ לַיהֹוָה כִּי טוֹב כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ: פּוֹתֵחַ אֶת יָדֶךָ וּמַשְׂבִּיעַ לְכָל חַי רָצוֹן: בָּרוּךְ הַגֶּבֶר אֲשֶׁר יִבְטַח בַּיהֹוָה וְהָיָה יְהֹוָה מִבְטַחוֹ: נַעַר הָיִיתִי גַם זָקַנְתִּי וְלֹא רָאִיתִי צַדִּיק נֶעֱזָב וְזַרְעוֹ מְבַקֶּשׁ לָחֶם: יְהֹוָה עֹז לְעַמּוֹ יִתֵּן יְהֹוָה יְבָרֵךְ אֶת עַמּוֹ בַשָּׁלוֹם:

❖❖❖

הִנְנִי מוּכָן וּמְזוּמָן לְקַיֵּם מִצְוַת כּוֹס שְׁלִישִׁי מֵאַרְבַּע כּוֹסוֹת. לְשֵׁם יִחוּד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וּשְׁכִינְתֵּיהּ בִּדְחִילוּ וּרְחִימוּ עַל יְדֵי הַהוּא טָמִיר וְנֶעֱלָם בְּשֵׁם כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל: וִיהִי נוֹעַם אֲדֹנָי אֱלֹהֵינוּ עָלֵינוּ וּמַעֲשֵׂה יָדֵינוּ כּוֹנְנָה עָלֵינוּ וּמַעֲשֵׂה יָדֵינוּ כּוֹנְנֵהוּ:



בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן:



ושותים בהסיבה ואינו מברך ברכה אחרונה:

מוזגין כוסו של אליהו ופותחין הדלת ומתחיל שפוך חמתך:



שְׁפוֹךְ חֲמָתְךָ אֶל הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר לֹא יְדָעוּךָ וְעַל מַמְלָכוֹת אֲשֶׁר בְּשִׁמְךָ לֹא קָרָאוּ: כִּי אָכַל אֶת יַעֲקֹב וְאֶת נָוֵהוּ הֵשַׁמּוּ: שְׁפָךְ עֲלֵיהֶם זַעֲמֶךָ וַחֲרוֹן אַפְּךָ יַשִּׂיגֵם: תִּרְדּוֹף בְּאַף וְתַשְׁמִידֵם מִתַּחַת שְׁמֵי יְהֹוָה:

הַלֵּל

מוזגין כוס רביעי וגומרין עליו את ההלל, ויש נוהגין למזוג כוס רביעי לפני שפוך חמתך:



לֹא לָנוּ יְהֹוָה לֹא לָנוּ. כִּי לְשִׁמְךָ תֵּן כָּבוֹד. עַל חַסְדְּךָ עַל אֲמִתֶּךָ: לָמָּה יֹאמְרוּ הַגּוֹיִם. אַיֵה נָא אֱלֹהֵיהֶם: וֵאלֹהֵינוּ בַשָּׁמָיִם. כֹּל אֲשֶׁר חָפֵץ עָשָׂה: עֲצַבֵּיהֶם כֶּסֶף וְזָהָב. מַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵי אָדָם: פֶּה לָהֶם וְלֹא יְדַבֵּרוּ. עֵינַיִם לָהֶם וְלֹא יִרְאוּ: אָזְנַיִם לָהֶם וְלֹא יִשְׁמָעוּ. אַף לָהֶם וְלֹא יְרִיחוּן: יְדֵיהֶם וְלֹא יְמִישׁוּן. רַגְלֵיהֶם וְלֹא יְהַלֵּכוּ. לֹא יֶהְגּוּ בִּגְרוֹנָם: כְּמוֹהֶם יִהְיוּ עֹשֵׂיהֶם. כֹּל אֲשֶׁר בֹּטֵחַ בָּהֶם: יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּטַח בַּיהֹוָה. עֶזְרָם וּמָגִנָּם הוּא: בֵּית אַהֲרֹן בִּטְחוּ בַּיהֹוָה. עֶזְרָם וּמָגִנָּם הוּא: יִרְאֵי יְהֹוָה בִּטְחוּ בַּיהֹוָה. עֶזְרָם וּמָגִנָּם הוּא:

יְהֹוָה זְכָרָנוּ יְבָרֵךְ. יְבָרֵךְ אֶת בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל. יְבָרֵךְ אֶת בֵּית אַהֲרֹן: יְבָרֵךְ יִרְאֵי יְהֹוָה. הַקְּטַנִּים עִם הַגְּדֹלִים:

יֹסֵף יְהֹוָה עֲלֵיכֶם. עֲלֵיכֶם וְעַל בְּנֵיכֶם: בְּרוּכִים אַתֶּם לַיהֹוָה. עֹשֵׂה שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ: הַשָּׁמַיִם שָׁמַיִם לַיהֹוָה. וְהָאָרֶץ נָתַן לִבְנֵי אָדָם: לֹא הַמֵּתִים יְהַלְלוּ יָהּ. וְלֹא כָּל יוֹרְדֵי דוּמָה: וַאֲנַחְנוּ נְבָרֵךְ יָהּ. מֵעַתָּה וְעַד עוֹלָם. הַלְלוּיָהּ:

אָהַבְתִּי כִּי יִשְׁמַע יְהֹוָה אֶת קוֹלִי תַּחֲנוּנָי: כִּי הִטָּה אָזְנוֹ לִי. וּבְיָמַי אֶקְרָא: אֲפָפוּנִי חֶבְלֵי מָוֶת. וּמְצָרֵי שְׁאוֹל מְצָאוּנִי. צָרָה וְיָגוֹן אֶמְצָא: וּבְשֵׁם יְהֹוָה אֶקְרָא. אָנָּה יְהֹוָה מַלְּטָה נַפְשִׁי: חַנּוּן יְהֹוָה וְצַדִּיק. וֵאלֹהֵינוּ מְרַחֵם: שֹׁמֵר פְּתָאיִם יְהֹוָה. דַּלּוֹתִי וְלִי יְהוֹשִׁיעַ: שׁוּבִי נַפְשִׁי לִמְנוּחָיְכִי. כִּי יְהֹוָה גָּמַל עָלָיְכִי: כִּי חִלַּצְתָּ נַפְשִׁי מִמָּוֶת. אֶת עֵינִי מִן דִּמְעָה. אֶת רַגְלִי מִדֶּחִי: אֶתְהַלֵךְ לִפְנֵי יְהֹוָה. בְּאַרְצוֹת הַחַיִּים: הֶאֱמַנְתִּי כִּי אֲדַבֵּר. אֲנִי עָנִיתִי מְאֹד: אֲנִי אָמַרְתִּי בְחָפְזִי. כָּל הָאָדָם כֹּזֵב:

מָה אָשִׁיב לַיהֹוָה. כָּל תַּגְמוּלוֹהִי עָלָי: כּוֹס יְשׁוּעוֹת אֶשָּׂא. וּבְשֵׁם יְהֹוָה אֶקְרָא: נְדָרַי לַיהֹוָה אֲשַׁלֵם. נֶגְדָּה נָּא לְכָל עַמּוֹ: יָקָר בְּעֵינֵי יְהֹוָה. הַמָּוְתָה לַחֲסִידָיו: אָנָּה יְהֹוָה כִּי אֲנִי עַבְדֶּךָ. אֲנִי עַבְדְּךָ בֶּן אֲמָתֶךָ פִּתַּחְתָּ לְמוֹסֵרָי: לְךָ אֶזְבַּח זֶבַח תּוֹדָה. וּבְשֵׁם יְהֹוָה אֶקְרָא: נְדָרַי לַיהֹוָה אֲשַׁלֵּם. נֶגְּדָּה נָּא לְכָל עַמּוֹ: בְּחַצְרוֹת בֵּית יְהֹוָה. בְּתוֹכֵכִי יְרוּשָׁלָיִם. הַלְלוּיָהּ:

הַלְלוּ אֶת יְהֹוָה כָּל גּוֹיִם. שַׁבְּחוּהוּ כָּל הָאֻמִּים: כִּי גָבַר עָלֵינוּ חַסְדּוֹ. וֶאֱמֶת יְהֹוָה לְעוֹלָם. הַלְלוּיָהּ:

הוֹדוּ לַיהֹוָה כִּי טוֹב כִּי לְעו