פסח תשע”ט

Volume 28, Issue 6

INSIGHTS from the SEDRA

Insights from the Sedra is a project of the Scholar’s Kollel of Great Neck. It aims to provide several questions and answers about the Sedra, culled from various commentaries, including the following: Baal Haturim, Darash Moshe, Vedebarta Bam by Rabbi Moshe Bogomilsky, Torah Treasures by Dov Furer, Wellsprings of Torah by Alexander Friedman, and Kol Dodi by Rabbi Dovid Feinstein, Great Torah Lights by Rabbi Yitzchak Meir Goodman, Something To Say by Dov Wasserman, The Vilna Gaon, Growth Through Torah by Zelig Pliskin and The Call of the Torah.         

הא לחמא עניא די אכלו אבהתנא בארעא דמצרים

“This is poor man’s bread that our forefathers ate in Egypt…” (Haggadah Shel Pesach)

The word “oni” – עני – has the numerical value of 136, as does the word “kol” – קול – voice. The name of the festival is “Pesach” – which can be read as two words “peh sach” – the mouth that talks and relates. As slaves, the Jews were unable to open their mouths to pray to Hashem, and when they were freed, they were able to speak freely. Thus, tonight when the matzah is on the table, we demonstrate our freedom by opening our mouths to speak loudly and joyously about the miraculous Exodus that Hashem brought about. Through סח – sach – talking – about the Exodus, we will merit חס – chas – mercy – Hashem with His great mercy will send the redeemer.             (Shelah)

ושאינו יודע לשאול

“As for one who does not know how to ask…” (Haggadah Shel Pesach)

QUESTION: Is “the one who does not know how to ask” really an absolute illiterate?

ANSWER: The popular portrayal of him as a young immature child is inaccurate. Were it true, he would not have been placed at the end to be spoken to after all the other children. He would have definitely fallen asleep by this time. Moreover, how could he be expected to understand the balance of the Haggadah, which is, after all, directed to him?

Obviously, “the one who does not know how to ask” is an intelligent person who unfortunately, knows very little about Torah and Yiddishkeit. He sits quietly throughout the Seder and does not ask anything, afraid that his question may be totally out of place. Therefore, the Haggadah instructs: First deal with your children, and then spend the evening teaching the highly intelligent and secularly learned guest at your table who is currently a “She’eino yodei’a lishol” – one who does not know how to formulate questions in Torah matters although he is eager to hear and learn.                                                                                                                                                  (Ki Yishalcha Bincha)

שלא אחד בלבד עמד עלינו לכלותנו אלא שבכל דור ודור עומדים עלינו לכלותינו

“For not only one has risen up against us to destroy us, but in every generation they rise up against us to annihilate us…” (Haggadah Shel Pesach)

QUESTION: What misconception does the Haggadah desire to dispel by stating “not only one?” It could have omitted this and just said, “In every generation they rise up…and Hashem saves us?”

ANSWER: There are many Jews who have the illusion that the nations of the world are our friends, and the only problem, for instance, in Persia was that there lived a wicked man called Haman, and the only problem during the Holocaust was that there was a wicked man Hitler ימ”ש. Therefore, the Haggadah says, strike the erroneous thought from your mind. Be aware that it is not only one wicked person who is permeated with hatred to the Jews and rises up against us.                                                                                                                                                                                               (Vedebarta Bam)

והקדוש ברוך הוא מצילנו מידם

“And the Holy one, blessed be he, saves us from their hand…” (Haggadah Shel Pesach)

QUESTION: The word “miyadam” – “from their hand” – seems superfluous. “And G-d saves us” would be sufficient?

ANSWER: Not only does Hashem perform miracles which rescue us from annihilation, but He causes our oppressors to assist in our salvation. In Egypt, Pharaoh ordered the drowning of the Jewish children and the enslavement of the Jewish people, anticipating that the Jewish people would remain there forever. Little did he know that his own daughter had saved Moshe (who would ultimately redeem the Jews) and raised him in his palace. In the days of Achashveirosh, when Haman planned the destruction of the Jewish people, it was he who advised the killing of Vashti, thus making it possible for Esther to become queen. Hence, Hashem’s method of saving us is “miyadam” – through the work of their hands.                                                                 (Gevul Binyamin)

Alternatively, Hashem’s salvation is extremely great. Not only does He save us when our enemies plot against us, but even if we are already in their hands and it seems as though we are conquered, miraculously He releases us from their grasp.                  (R’ Kalonymus Kalman Shapira)

ולבן בקש לעקור את הכל

“But Lavan wanted to uproot everyone…” (Haggadah Shel Pesach)

QUESTION: Where doe we find that this was Lavan’s intention?

ANSWER: According to halacha (Gittin 64a) if one sends a shaliach – representative – to betroth a wife for him, and the representative dies before returning, the sender is forbidden to marry any woman out of concern that she may be a relative to the one the shaliach chose. Eliezer was sent as a representative to betroth a wife for Yitzchak. During the meal Lavan put poison in Eliezer’s food and miraculously Betuel ended up eating it. Had his vile plan been realized, Eliezer would have died and Yitzchak would have been unable to marry anyone, making it impossible for Yaakov to be born and found the Jewish nation.                                                                  (Ki Yishalcha Bincha)

 areפ’ מצורע – שבת הגדול תשע”ט

Volume 28, Issue 5

INSIGHTS from the SEDRA

Insights from the Sedra is a project of the Scholar’s Kollel of Great Neck. It aims to provide several questions and answers about the Sedra, culled from various commentaries, including the following: Baal Haturim, Darash Moshe, Vedebarta Bam by Rabbi Moshe Bogomilsky, Torah Treasures by Dov Furer, Wellsprings of Torah by Alexander Friedman, and Kol Dodi by Rabbi Dovid Feinstein, Great Torah Lights by Rabbi Yitzchak Meir Goodman, Something To Say by Dov Wasserman, The Vilna Gaon, Growth Through Torah by Zelig Pliskin and The Call of the Torah.         

והובא אל הכהן…ויצא הכהן

“He shall come to the Kohen…the Kohen shall go forth…”(14:2-3)

First the Torah says, “He shall come to the Kohen”, and then it immediately says the opposite, “the Kohen shall go forth.” This can be interpreted homiletically to teach us about giving mussar – moral and ethical instruction. When a man sins and repents like the metzorah who has been healed, he should know to go the teacher – the kohen – to learn how to act from then on. But the kohen should not wait for this to happen. The kohen should go out and teach the sinner how to repent. Often, this benefits the other person, who would otherwise lack the impetus to repent. Every teacher or person who can influence others must keep this in mind and do so.    (Torah Gems)

Most people belittle the terrible sin of lashon hara. They explain it away with the claim that they merely said something, they didn’t do anything! Therefore, the Torah commands the metzorah to be brought before the kohen, who in turn, sets his fate with but one word, “clean” or “unclean”. As a result, everyone can recognize the power of the tongue…Death and life are in the hands of the tongue! (Mishlei 18:21)                                                                                                                 (Dubna Magid)

The metzorah is referred to in the Torah as He who is to cleans himself and He who is to be cleansed (14:7, 11). This demonstrates the need for the leper to do his share in becoming pure. He himself must seek to attain purity by repenting and behaving properly.           (Meshech Chochmah)

ואם דל הוא ואין משגת

“And if the leper is poor and he cannot afford it… (14:21)

The present chapter deals with the korban oleh v’yoreid, the adjustable, sliding scale offering, whereby the offering is adjusted according to the means of the giver. Some rabbis in the Gemara (Yoma 41) hold that in the case of defilement (tumah), if a rich man brings a poor man’s offering he has fulfilled his duty. All the rabbis agree, however, that in the case of a metzorah, if a rich metzorah brings a poor man’s offering he has not fulfilled his obligation.

Why is the metzorah the exception to this rule? The Gemara (Arachin 16) lists tzarus ayin, miserliness and envy, as character flaws that give rise to tzara’as. A wealthy metzorah bringing the meager offering of a poor man clearly demonstrates that he is not yet cured of his miserliness and envy. Therefore, his offering is not accepted.                                                                                        (R’ Yaakov Landau)

ורחץ במים את כל בשרו

“He shall bathe his entire flesh in water…” (15:16)

The Gemara (Eruvin 4b) explains that this refers to a mikveh of at least 40 se’ah of water (approximately 120 gallons). Every person has a pure neshama at birth. Afterwards he may do things which defile his soul. Immersion in the mikveh is a form of rebirth and through it he reverts to his original state of purity. The Shelah Hakodesh writes: “When one immerses in the mikveh, he should recite the pasuk, “Leiv tahor bera li Elokim” – “A pure heart create for me O G-d” (Psalms  51:12), because through immersion he becomes a newly created person.

Also, the first letters of the words טהור ברא לי – “pure create for me” spell out the word טבל – to immerse.

Additionally, the gematria of the words ורחץ במים – “and he shall immerse himself in water”, is equivalent to 396, the exact gematria of the phrase ובארבעים סאה – “and in forty se’ah”. Alternatively, the word במים – “in the water” can be broken up as במי ם’ – in the waters of 40 – i.e. in forty se’ah of water.                                                                                                            (Baal Haturim)

והיה ביום השביעי יגלח את כל שערו את ראשו ואת זקנו ואת גבת עיניו

“And it shall be on the seventh day, he shall shave of all his hair: his head, his beard, and his eyebrows.” (14:9)

QUESTION: If the verse states “all his hair,” why are three areas of hair then singled out?

ANSWER: there are three causes for leprosy: a) ga’avah – arrogance b) lashon hara – evil speech and c) tzarart ayin – stinginess, having no desire to help people in need. The shaving of the hair reminds the metzorah that he must be extremely careful in specific areas to prevent the recurrence of the spiritual illness that leads to leprosy. Shaving his head reminds him never to walk around with his head up, looking down at other people. Cutting the hair of his beard reminds him not to open his mouth to utter lashon hara. Cutting the hair of his eyebrows warns hm to henceforth use his eyes to look at another Jew with kindness.                                                         (Kli Yakar)

Shabbat Shalom

This week’s Divrei Torah are sponsored by the Zuckerman and Goldberg families in memory of חוה בת יהודה לב – Evelyn Zuckerman of blessed memory. For future sponsorship opportunities or to receive this publication, please call Steve Zuckerman at 516 652 5266 or email zkster@aol.com or Rabbi Lichter at ilichter@gns.org. Sponsorships in memory of or in honor of someone are $50.00 per issue.