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PESACH 2021 ‫והגדת לבנך‬

A collection of Divrei Torah by AMIT students

Table of Contents The Connection Between Miriam’s Tambourine and the Dear AMIT Women by Dafna Gil, 10th Grade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 And It Came to Pass… by Gabriel Cohen, 12th Grade . . . . . . . . . 5 True, Inner Freedom by Yonatan Cohen, 11th Grade . . . . . . . . . . 6 What’s the Connection Between the Exodus from Egypt and Corona? by Zofia Harpanes, 12th Grade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Miriam the Leader by Tohar Ezrahi, 11th Grade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 By the Merit of Women – Pesach, Redemption and Miriam the Prophetess by Shahar Levy, Rani Siman Tov and Shani Yaish, 9th Graders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 And You Shall Tell Your Son by David Laredo, 12th Grade . . . . 12 The True Meaning of B’nei Chorin—Free People by Yuval Brot, 11th Grade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Why Does the Exodus Matter? by Hillel Seeman, 10th Grade . . 15 This Month Shall Be To You by Noga Maksimov, 11th Grade, and Inbal Manna, 10th Grade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Why is it Called Shabbat Hagadol? by Moriah Ben Udiez, 11th Grade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 For the Sake of Peace by Menachem Kuart, 10th Grade . . . . . . 19 A Pesach Davar Torah by Nitai Atari, 10th Grade . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 The Connection with the Creator is Revealed on Passover by Hila Lugassi, 12th Grade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Maggid by Eliah Maoz Segel, 8th Grade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Matza – the Food of Faith by Shlomi Yaakovi, 12th Grade . . . . . 26 Unconditional Love for all of B’nei Yisrael by Yakir Ya’akov Amira, 10th Grade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 The Pesach Experience: How to Tell a Story by Elroie Taub, 13th Grade (1st Year) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 2

The Importance of Careful Speech by Ma’ayan Simantov, 9th Grade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 The Four Sons by Eliya Amsalem, 9th Grade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 The Unity of the People of Israel by Ravid Kadoshim, 12th Grade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 It Begins with Disgrace and Ends with Praise by Ilay Hajbi, 11th Grade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 “We Survived Pharaoh, We’ll Survive This, Too” Corona as a Parable of the Plagues of Egypt and the Exodus by Osher Hadad, 10th Grade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 When Our Heart is Beating, It Means We are Alive by Anael Avinoam, 12th Grade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 The Five Terms of Redemption by Avi Yousofov, 11th Grade . . . 41 D’var Torah for Pesach Night by Yael Fribor, Ayelet Koren, Reut Ashkenazi, and Tal Gotlieb, 10th Grade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 New Insights on the Ten Plagues by Ilay Vaknin, 10th Grade . . 44 Why were the Ten Plagues Needed? by Harel Geva, 11th Grade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 “But to all the children of Israel, not one dog will whet its tongue” by Dolev Sharai, 10th Grade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Shabbat Shira by Shaked Elmaliach, 14th Grade . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Pesach, Matza and Maror by Yoav Spirer, 11th Grade . . . . . . . . 52 Therefore, We are Obligated by Adi Silverstein, 11th Grade . . . 54 Biblical Exegesis for Passover by Talya Barak, 10th Grade . . . 56 Eating Matza by Tuv Arad, 7th Grade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 “A Person is Obligated to Regard Himself as if He had Come Out of Egypt” by Gilad Berman, 12th Grade . . . . . . . . . . 58 Why Do We Recite Hallel on Pesach Night? by Yochai Mashiach Ben Oren, 10th Grade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 3

The Connection Between Miriam’s Tambourine and the Dear AMIT Women As our Sages teach: Due to the merit of women, the Children of Israel were redeemed, and due to the merit of women, they will be redeemed. The image of women in Egypt is significant. There is Miriam, who urged her father Amram to remarry her mother Yochevet because his decree was harsher than Pharaoh’s decree; and then Moshe was born, who illuminated his surroundings from his earliest childhood and then became a great leader. There were the women who gave birth in secret. And then at the end of their enslavement in Egypt and at the moment of their liberation, Miriam and the women sang, and the tambourine was heard in the background emanating from the depths of their souls. It was a song of thanksgiving to G-d for removing B’nei Yisrael from the bonds of slavery and bringing them out of Egypt. In this year of the corona pandemic, we long for freedom from the COVID-19 virus. We will use the voice of women and pray for our complete redemption. We thank the AMIT Women who had the foresight to create an educational institution in Israel 95 years ago and all the AMIT supporters who continue to help us. They serve as Miriam’s tambourine, providing a tune for every student to grow and develop in freedom in the wonderful AMIT network. Wishing you a chag kasher v’sameach, a very joyous Pesach.

AMIT Gould Hallel Junior and Senior High School for Girls, Rehovot

Dafna Gil, 10th Grade 4

And It Came to Pass… Passover is a great and holy holiday, a day capable of redemption, as it is said: “In Nisan we were redeemed and in Nisan we will be saved.” It is a time of great heavenly mercy and we must pray hard in these days that we will have complete redemption and the coming of Mashiach. In my opinion, this year Passover will be a time of greater heavenly mercy than other years, since we have seen in several places in the Torah and in the Book of Esther that when the expression “And it came to pass…” (‫ )ויהי‬is used, it refers to a language of sorrow (as presented by Rabbi Chaim ben Atar in his book Or HaChaim). As mentioned in the Book of Esther, for example, “And it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus…” and in fact, those days are known to have been days of sorrow because the evil Haman wanted to destroy the People of Israel and G-d defeated his counsel and ruined his designs, and redeemed us, and those days became days of rejoicing and feasting. We also see in Parashat Beshalach, the Torah portion that contains the Exodus from Egypt, that it is written: “And it came to pass that Pharaoh send the people away.” When Pharaoh sent the People of Israel out of Egypt, he regretted his decision and decided to pursue them. The People of Israel stood by the sea and had nowhere to turn, and then Nachson Ben Aminadav jumped into the sea, and G-d split the sea. The people of Israel passed through on dry land and HaShem redeemed us from the Egyptians and from the enslavement of Egypt. Therefore, we must celebrate Passover with great joy because G-d treated us with great favor by bringing us out of Egypt. And thus, too, there is a mitzvah to remember the Exodus from Egypt every day, when we put on tefillin and also when we make kiddish on Shabbat and holidays, and especially on Passover. May we be privileged to witness the coming of Mashiach and the building of the Temple speedily in our days, amen!

AMIT Kennedy Junior and Senior High School, Acco

Gabriel Cohen, 12th Grade 5

True, Inner Freedom Passover is the holiday of freedom. The human longing for freedom expresses a person’s desire to do what he really wants to do, and not what others want him to do. But it turns out that even without Pharaoh it is necessary to reach freedom. A person may also be enslaved to himself—to be enslaved to his desires, his habits, or his weaknesses. True freedom means that a person manages to break free from his personal shackles and give expression to his true self. The true essence of every Jew is the divine soul within him; he is bound by the material body, his desires and wants. Judaism teaches us to fight this inner bondage and to strive for freedom of the soul— to reach a state in which we can do what our Jewish soul desires. Such freedom can only be achieved via the Torah and the mitzvot. Through them, a person can face his passions and weaknesses, and discover the soul within him. This is why the Sages say: “None are free but those who concern themselves with the Torah.” With G-d’s help, may we have true freedom and the coming of Mashiach.

AMIT Ashdod Yeshiva High School

Yonatan Cohen, 11th Grade 6

What’s the Connection Between the Exodus from Egypt and Corona? “You shall keep the Pesach unto the Lord thy G-d… that you shall remember the day when you came forth out of the land of Egypt all the days of your life” (Devarim 16). Question: What is the connection to an event that happened some 3,000 years ago, and how important can it be today? For what purpose does G-d command me, a young person in 2021, to upload the Exodus into my memory? Answer: G-d continues to choose us from among all the nations, and it is clear that like all the commandments that G-d gave us, also the remembrance of the Exodus belongs to all generations, and certainly also to the reality of each and every one of us today. Today, too, in the corona era, we are in big trouble! We are all at risk! There is an untrue expression that says “We survived Pharaoh, we’ll survive this, too.” The meaning is that in the end, we’ll be able to defeat corona. Is this true? Will we be able to survive Pharaoh? Could weak, submissive slaves have conquered Egypt, the world superpower? Certainly not! How then, did we leave Egypt? We didn’t leave; rather, G-d took us out! It wasn’t us, it was G-d! Also today, we need to speak the truth. We are all at great risk. We don’t have a cure for corona. We don’t have the ability to defeat corona on our own. The virus and its mutations are spreading at a much faster rate than our ability to produce vaccines and medicines. We learn from the ten plagues with which Hashem struck the Egyptians that Hashem controls everything: the sea, the land, the sky, animals and humans. Hashem also controls Pharaoh’s heart, and Hashem is the leaders of all the nations of the world. As it is written: “and His kingdom rules over all” (Tehillim 103:19). We must remember the Exodus from Egypt every day, and especially in these days, in order to know in our minds and also deep in our hearts, that Hashem is good and is fully in control, even of corona. According to His will, G-d afflicts, and according to His will, G-d heals 7

and saves. And can humanity defeat G-d, who revives and sustains it and the whole world? While in the bondage of Egypt: “…their cry ascended to G-d from the labor” (Shemot 2:23). It was precisely when B’nei Yisrael turned to Hashem and pleaded for salvation that the process of redemption began. So, too, in our times, we will admit with our words and in our hearts that we really have no power and ability to save ourselves. It is only because of G-d that we survived Pharaoh, and only because of G-d will we survive this, too! Therefore, let us all cry out together truly, from the bottom of our hearts, and plead with G-d: Just as You revealed Yourself as our redeemer from Egypt, so too reveal Yourself again as our redeemer from corona and from all our troubles, and we will be blessed to see Your kingdom, and Your glory will increase in the whole world.

AMIT Fred Kahane Technological High School, Ashkelon

Zofia Harpanes, 12th Grade 8

Miriam the Leader When Pharaoh issued a decree against the Israelites to cast all the baby boys into the Nile, the Israelites were in a poor mental state as a result of Pharaoh’s decree. In the book of Shemot, chapter 2, verse 1, we read about a man from the house of Levi who marries a daughter of Levi and a son, Moshe, is born to them who in the future will lead the Israelites and bring them out of Egypt. Rashi explains the verse, “A certain man of the house of Levi went and married a Levite woman,” and says that Amram had divorced Yocheved because of Pharaoh’s decree to cast every son who was born into the Nile. After this, Miriam, Amram’s daughter, asked him to take back his wife, Yocheved, with the claim that her father’s decree was more severe than the decree of Pharaoh himself, since Pharaoh decreed only against the males, while Amram in fact decreed also against females. The ‘Torah Temimah’ explains that Amram was a great man of his generation, and when he divorced his wife, all the Israelites divorced their wives, following his example. Amram accepted Miriam’s advice to take back his wife Yocheved. The rest of the men acted as he did and took back their wives. From the time of his birth, Miriam accompanies Moses the entire way, and when Moses is in the basket and Pharaoh’s daughter finds him and seeks a wet nurse for him, Miriam once again shows courage and suggests to Pharaoh’s daughter that she will find him a wet nurse, and indeed she brings Yocheved, Moses’ mother, as a wet nurse for Moses. Miriam continues to watch over the Israelites when they cross the Red Sea and the sea splits in two. Miriam in her great wisdom says to the Israelites, “Sing to Hashem for He has triumphed gloriously.” The question is, why did Miriam feel the need to take up a tambourine in her hand and lead everyone to sing immediately after the event? 9

The answer is that in ancient days the women would go out after a war in special dresses and sing to the men who were returning from battle, or alternatively, they would sing to the fighters who had, G-d forbid, captured them, in order to find favor with them. Miriam feared that the Israelites would sing to Moses and Aaron, their leaders, and not to Hashem, and therefore she was quick to begin the song, “Sing to Hashem for He has triumphed gloriously.” We see this custom also in the battle of David and Goliath, when, after David’s victory, the daughters of Israel went out and sang, “Saul has slain his thousands; David, his tens of thousands!” Miriam’s great fear was that the Israelites would bless the servant before they blessed the master, that is, they would bless and sing to Moses before they sang to Hashem, just as happened after Avraham Avinu returned from his great victory over the five kings. Melchizedek, the king of Shalem, came out to meet him and said, “Blessed is Avraham of G-d Most High,” and blessed the servant before the master. I hope that we will have wisdom to see the women leaders of our generation and understand that women leaders have the power to create great changes for the benefit of the people. I hope that the entire world will notice the women leaders who are making change quietly without publicizing themselves, and the fruits of their efforts speak for themselves.

AMIT State Technological High School, Jerusalem

Tohar Ezrahi, 11th Grade 10

By the Merit of Women – Pesach, Redemption and Miriam the Prophetess And Miriam – a prophetess, a lioness without fear or hesitation, with faith and determination. You saw the light in darkness with courage and sensitivity. You stood from afar and broke the law of Pharaoh’s cruel decrees. And you did not see any Jew as a stranger. All were as brothers to you and mainly you supported the women. Miriam, the prophetess, the lioness. How can you explain the mighty force and the rare courage at a time when everything was so fragile? And your faith – from where did you draw it? And you always loved and knew in faith that there is no reason to be afraid. And you focused your eyes and knew that redemption would come. With a tambourine, dance and greatness, with an outstretched arm, with the providence of being you saw great miracles, woven with light and wonders and could not stand at the side. And you went out with cheering and many women followed you. In prayer you gathered them together and you, Miriam, taught us what women’s power is: Dance, song and personal connection. Our eyes are upon you and in many ways we learn from your ways. We believe and we draw from the spring of your well.

AMIT Ulpana High School for Girls, Alei Zahav

Shahar Levy, Rani Siman Tov and Shani Yaish, 9th Graders 11

And You Shall Tell Your Son On the holiday of Pesach, we fulfill the Torah commandment of “You shall tell your children.” This is the special time in the year in which we transmit the story of the establishment of the Jewish People from generation to generation. On the very holiday on which we note how the family of Jacob became a people who are the son of the Holy Blessed One – “Israel is my firstborn son” (Shemot 4:22), we emphasize, through the commandment of telling the story, the connection between parents and children. The Shem MiShmuel, Shmuel bar Avraham Bornstein, in his commentary on the Haggadah, explains that the different ways of learning, the explications and stories, the eating and unusual activities that provoke the child to ask questions, serve the goal of Seder night, which is to increase and deepen belief in the Holy Blessed One. The Shem MiShmuel explains that there are two kinds of faith: faith in the heart, which believes that the thing exists, and there is also faith in the mind, when a person has complete certainty in his belief as if he sees it before his eyes. Targum Onkelos explains the commandment, “And you shall tell your son” – “vatehavi lebarech”, which in Hebrew means “and you shall show your son” truly as if everything was right before our eyes – the matza, the maror, the exile and the redemption. This learning with the children takes place at night, which is the hardest time for faith (in darkness and uncertainty), and during the night, the explications and the stories, the special foods, the unusual activities, cause parents and children to see themselves as if they themselves had gone out of Egypt. In this manner of seeing, they merit to deepen their simple faith (belief in the heart) into clear knowledge (belief in the mind) and to transmit it to the coming generations through assurance in the Holy Blessed One and joy in belonging to the People of Israel – Hashem’s firstborn son.

AMIT Eitan Junior and Senior High School for Boys, Maaleh Adumim

David Laredo, 12th Grade 12

The True Meaning of B’nei Chorin—Free People The Passover holiday is known by many names. One of those names is “The Festival of Freedom”. The reason for this is simple: when Hashem brought us out of the land of Egypt, we were actually redeemed from the terrible slavery of Egypt and we became “free people” (b’nei chorin). Have we really been free people since the Exodus? After all, Jews went through many terrible periods throughout history, for example during the Shoah, a situation which could certainly not be called “freedom”…. So what does it mean to say that since the Exodus from Egypt, we are liberated, free people? One needs to understand what, in fact, “freedom” really is, and what it means to be “free people”. We tend to think freedom is a physical matter: that where we are, our financial capabilities, events we experience in life—these are the things that affect our freedom. In one of his talks, the Lubavitcher Rebbe explained that it is a mistake to think like this. All of those factors mentioned above are external, they only surround us, and a person’s freedom depends only to a very small extent on that which surrounds him. Most of a person’s freedom depends on himself, on his soul. A person’s outlook, his mental state, the way he views life—these are the real factors that bring about true freedom. History has proved this idea very nicely. During the Shoah and other difficult periods, people were in indescribably difficult situations. At the same time, there were those who lived in unparalleled mental liberation. There are many stories about Jews who lived in hope and faith, and breathed life into all those around them. On the opposite end, however, there are people with seemingly unlimited financially abilities who live as if in a private prison, and do not feel true joy and freedom. 13

We must say that true freedom is in the soul, in the mind. When B’nei Yisrael were in Egypt, their souls sank to the lowest of places, to the very opposite of the sacred, so that besides their physical exile and slavery, they were immersed in a mental and spiritual exile, about which it is said that it was more critical and difficult. In the Exodus, G-d brought us out of this mental exile, and in this we are given the power to always be liberated and to be “free people”, because our soul is not enslaved. Every year, when Passover arrives, we get renewed energies to break free from all of the real limitations we have. Physical restrictions? This is not the issue, this is not what really limits us. It is actually the mental, spiritual restrictions on which one should place emphasis and break free of. When a Jew instills in his mind and lives the fact that G-d is one and there is no other besides Him, he has the power to be liberated and live a life of true freedom, above all restrictions. Have a very happy Passover!

AMIT Mr. & Mrs. Lester Sutker Arts and Sciences Junior and Senior High School for Boys, Modi’in

Yuval Brot, 11th Grade 14

Why Does the Exodus Matter? Each and every year we celebrate the Exodus of B’nei Yisrael from Egypt. But, given that it happened thousands of years ago, why does it really matter to us now? What are we supposed to learn from remembering and celebrating this event from so long ago? On Pesach we remember that Judaism is about the unity of the nation, and that the true purpose of Am Yisrael is to serve the Lord together as a nation. We celebrate the fact that we stop being enslaved to our personal issues and that we can truly become b’nei chorin, free people. It is for this reason also that it is forbidden to eat chametz on Pesach, because it resembles a rebellion against Pesach, which is a rebellion against the nation—against the People of Israel. This d’var Torah was written in honor of a speedy recovery for HaRav Oren ben Sarah.

Yeshivat AMIT Amichai Junior and Senior High School, Rehovot

Hillel Seeman, 10th Grade 15

This Month Shall Be To You In the Babylonian piyyut, “The Redeemer and Savior King” (Melech Goel v’Moshiya), composed by R. Moshe Hutzin, each verse ends with the words “Thanks to G-d that this month shall be to you the head of the months”. In the book of Shemot, it can be seen that just before the plague of the firstborn, before the commandment about the Passover sacrifice, the first mitzvah given to B’nei Yisrael was the sanctification of the month: “The Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying: This month shall be to you the head of the months; to you it shall be the first of the months of the year” (Shemot 12:1-2). The mitzvah that G-d commands B’nei Yisrael is the sanctification of the month. Why, of all the mitzvot, was it specifically the sanctification of the month that was given first, at such a significant time? The sanctification of the month seems like a very technical mitzvah. Another question that arises is why the verse emphasizes that these things were said in the land of Egypt. After all, B’nei Yisrael were still in Egypt at the time the mitzvah was given to them. The following idea is brought in Yalkut Shimoni (a collection of midrashim on the books of the Tanach), Parashat Bo Remez Katz: “This month shall be to you” – it is granted to you. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: There is a parable of a king who had a watch and he would look at it and know what time of day it was. When his son grew up, the king granted his watch to his son. Thus said the Blessed One, until now the account of the months and years has been in my hands (up until this point I have told you what to do). From now on, they are in your hands (from now, you decide what to do in your free time. As it is said: “This month shall be to you.” The king transferred the responsibility for time to his son only when the boy had grown up and the king was 16

able to give him that responsibility. From that point forward, the responsibility for time lay with the son and he could choose what to do at any moment. The responsibility for time is freedom. A slave is a person for whom others decide what he will do at each moment. Right before the Exodus to freedom, when they were still in Egypt, B’nei Yisrael received the responsibility for time, which was freedom. From this point on, they would determine when a month begins and ends, and thus they would determine what content they would cast for each moment. A person who lives within strict rules, but who is responsible for his time and fills it with content and meaning, is a free person. May we will always be able to fill our time with positive content and good deeds, and from that may we merit to have true freedom and the inspiration of the Shechinah.

Ulpanat AMIT Yeshurun, Petach Tikva

Noga Maksimov, 11th Grade, and Inbal Manna, 10th Grade

Why is it Called Shabbat Hagadol? Shortly before B’nei Yisrael merited their redemption from slavery in Egypt, G-d commanded them to prepare for the expected Exodus from Egypt. Hashem told them that on the fourteenth day of Nisan they would have to slaughter a special sacrifice, which we call the Pascal offering. Before they brought the sacrifice, they had to purchase it and bring it into their homes four days earlier; that is, on the tenth of the month. That year, the year 2448 from the creation of the world, the tenth of Nisan fell on Shabbat. When the elders of Egypt saw the Jews buying goats and sheep en masse, they wanted to know what all the fuss was about. The Jews answered them, saying “We are about to sacrifice them as a Pascal offering because G-d said that he will soon kill all the firstborn of Egypt.” After hearing these words, the firstborn of Egypt hurried to their parents and asked them to “Let the Jews go!” They added, “For the Jews promised that nine plagues would come upon us and all of them came to pass, and we do not want to die!” Their parents refused them and a war broke out between the firstborn of Egypt and their parents. This war had victims on both sides, as is written in the verse “To He Who smote the Egyptians with their firstborn” (Tehillim 136:10). This story took place on the tenth of Nisan, but since this is the day of Miriam’s death, the celebration of the miracle was set for the Shabbat before Pesach every year; hence the name “Shabbat Hagadol” (the Great Shabbat). There are other opinions about the meaning behind the name Shabbat Hagadol. One opinion says that it is called Shabbat Hagadol because of the verse in this Shabbat’s Haftarah: “Lo, I will send you Elijah the Prophet before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord” (Malachi 3:23). Another opinion notes that the commandment to bring the Pascal offering was the first which the Children of Israel were commanded to do so, as it were. They became “great” in their obligation to keep the commandments and therefore this Shabbat marks the day of the greatness of the Children of Israel. With G-d’s help, just as a great miracle was performed for our forefathers, so may G-d create a great miracle for us and may we merit the coming of the Mashiach. Happy Pesach.

AMIT Karmiel Junior and Senior High School

Moriah Ben Udiez, 11th Grade 18

For the Sake of Peace The Mishnah in Tractate Pesachim brings an interesting halacha regarding performing melacha (work prohibited on Shabbat and Yom Tov) on the eve of Pesach. “A place in which they are used to doing melacha on Passover eve until midday, work is done. A place in which they do not do (melacha), it is not done. Whoever goes from a place that does (do melacha on erev Pesach) to a place that does not do it, or from a place that does not do it to a place that does, should follow the more stringent approach, both from the place he left and the place he’s going to. One should not make himself stand out, in order to avoid controversy.” (Pesachim 83:1). That is, there is no uniform rule regarding doing melacha before midnight on the eve of Passover. Where it is customary to do so, it is done, and where it is customary not to do so, it is forbidden. After this, the Gemara adds that in any case it is forbidden to do melacha after midnight, and brings another Baraita with an interesting halachah: “Things that are allowed, which others have the practice of prohibiting, you are not allowed to permit to be done in front of them” (Pesachim 50:2). That is, where it is customary to be strict and forbid permissible things beyond the level required by halachah, it is forbidden for a sage to issue permission (a heter) regarding that which they forbid. The Tosefot explain that this refers to a case in which they know they are strict beyond what is required, and not in a case in which they are mistaken. After the Baraita, the Gemara brings three stories of great sages who used to permit in a place that used to be strict (machmir) and forbid, but they preferred to be strict with the locals and not to instruct nor explain to them that the thing they were strict about was permissible. This halachah in the Gemara is, in my opinion, related to the 19

Mishnah, because it is also said in the spirit of the principle stated at the end of the Mishnah: “One should not make himself stand out, in order to avoid controversy.” Even in this Baraita, great sages prefer to change their custom and to be strict so as not to create controversy in the place where they are. Another similar Baraita is given in Tractate Yevamot: “Rabbi Ilai said in the name of Rabbi Elazar in the name of Rabbi Shimon: a person can adjust the truth in order to maintain the peace... Rabbi Natan said one is obligated to do so” (Yevamot 5:2). This saying comes in the wake of three instances in which G-d instructs to change the truth a little for the sake of peace. Here, too, we see that it is possible to diverge from the truth and from what is right in order to maintain peace and prevent disagreements. Of course there is a limit, and not everything has to be done to achieve these goals, but there is a place where it is okay and maybe even necessary. Thus, from the laws of Passover on the subject of performing melacha on the eve of Yom Tov, we can learn something that is important even today. We need to get out of ourselves and give up a little of what we are used to in order to avoid disagreements and maintain our unity and that of the People of Israel. Of course there is a limit to this, but it can be seen that these are important values that we must uphold even when it requires a change in our habits.

AMIT B’levav Shalem Yeshiva High School, Yerucham

Menachem Kuart, 10th Grade 20

A Pesach Davar Torah In the days of the Second Temple, there was a very great controversy between the Sages of Israel and the Boethusians (a sect closely related to the Sadducees), over the time of bringing the Omer sacrifice, which would also affect the counting of the Omer. The basis of the controversy was in the understanding of the verse “the day after the Shabbat”, whether the reference is to the day after the first Yom Tov of Pesach, according to Chazal, or to the first day after the Shabbat—Shabbat Pesach—according to the Boethusians. The controversy was so great that when Chazal’s opinion was proved, the day was declared a holiday, on which fasting is not permitted. The obvious question is this: Why does the Torah phrase the verse in such a way? Why is it written “the day after the Shabbat” and not “the day after Yom Tov”? Rabbi Tzadok HaCohen of Lublin says that the Yom Tov of Pesach is special in that it is similar to Shabbat. Shabbat has a special holiness that HaShem blesses us with from above, but on holidays and Yom Tov the holiness is attributed to the People of Israel, as it is said: “This month shall be for you.” Israel sanctifies the times and from this the Yom Tovim are determined, as it is said: “Who sanctifies Israel and the times,” the holiness originates from below, from the People of Israel. On this point Pesach differs from the other Yom Tovim. It contains a supreme holiness, a holiness from above, just like the holiness of Shabbat. On the eve of Pesach, the People of Israel did nothing. It was G-d who took action: “I and not an angel and not a fiery angel.” HaShem brought the plagues upon the Egyptians, struck down their firstborn, and brought the People of Israel out of slavery to freedom. This is why Pesach is called Shabbat; it is because of its nature. Precisely because Passover expresses the holiness and elevation of B’nei Israel even though they did nothing; to show us that holiness does not derive from an act, but rather derives from the Divine choice of the People of Israel. Passover is the embodiment of “Who chose us from amongst all the peoples”, and from there, with G-d’s help, we can march to Shavuot and the giving of the Torah, as it is written: “…and gave us His Torah”!

AMIT Yeshiva High School for Boys, Bruchin

Nitai Atari, 10th Grade 21

The Connection with the Creator is Revealed on Passover Each of us has an inner goodness, a goodness that is within us and nothing can destroy or ruin it. Various life circumstances, such as difficulties that a person goes through or an environment that does not give a person the space to be who he is, can cause the inner goodness that is within us to be covered in many layers, until sometimes it is not even possible to see its light. It can be revealed by searching inward into the depths of our soul, and in this way, too, the connection with Hashem will be strengthened. Our connection with the Creator is expressed in two ways: One way is by means of making the effort to clarify and distinguish between good and evil, and according to this, choosing how to behave. Our task throughout our lifetime is to make the effort to clarify in such a manner. The second way is that no matter what we do and how we behave, G-d’s love for us will be revealed completely. G-d always loves us, regardless of our actions (this is unconditional love). On Pesach, these two aspects are revealed, at this time of year in which G-d does not want any chametz to be found in our homes, as it is written in halacha: Before the night of the fourteenth of Nisan, all the rooms of the house must be thoroughly cleaned and no trace of chametz shall be found within them. The days before Seder night are days of cleaning, both external and internal, and here the effort of clarifying is expressed, in which a person is required to distinguish between what is chametz and what is kosher. Bi’our chametz (the eradication of chametz) is basically our inner clarification between the good and the evil within us. The eradication of chametz is not only the eradication of food items that are leavened. The burning of chametz is also an opportunity to cleanse the soul and discard all things that bother us. When we 22

remove that which bothers us in life, we also remove the barriers that cover our inner light, and thus our connection with Hashem will be strengthened. On Seder night itself, the second way of connection with the Creator is revealed. It does not matter if we are good or bad, nor what deeds we have done, G-d still loves us! Hashem redeems the People of Israel from Egypt even though, as Chazal tell us, they had sunk to 49 levels of impurity. It is precisely while in the lowest state possible that the innermost point is revealed, which is the unconditional love. The balance between the two ways of connection with G-d will lead to a deeper spiritual connection than can be imagined. On one hand, the greatest freedom is that which comes from the revelation that our love is unconditional, and dependent upon our deeds. On the other hand, however, the way to Hashem is through our efforts to clarify and distinguish between good and evil, and through our self-assessment. It is only when we feel this process within us that we can arrive ready for Pesach in the best and most uplifting way, and get one level closer to the impending redemption to come.

Midreshet AMIT Kamah Junior and Senior High School for Girls, Yerucham

Hila Lugassi, 12th Grade 23

Maggid In the Maggid (Discussing the Exodus) section of the Haggadah, we are given instructions to uncover the matzot, lift the egg and shank bone, and recite aloud: “This is the bread of poverty that our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt. Let all who are hungry come and eat! Let all who are needy come and partake of the Passover offering! Now, we are here; next year, may we be in the land of Israel. Now, we are slaves; next year, may we be free.” “This is the bread of poverty that our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt”: The name “ bread of poverty” comes from the fact that during the Exodus from Egypt, B’nei Yisrael left in a hurry and the bread they baked did not have time to rise properly. When it is written that “our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt,” it does not refer to in Egypt literally, for B’nei Yisrael had already left Egypt. For if they had stayed in Egypt, the bread that they ate would actually have risen and they would not have been under pressure to leave. “Let all who are hungry come and eat, let all who are needy come and partake of the Passover offering”: Anyone who has nothing to eat will come and eat--in general this is the meaning but still there is a difference between the two things. “Let all who are hungry come and eat” refers to people who are actually, physically hungry, and who are welcome to join in the Seder and eat. But “Let all who are needy come and partake of the Passover offering” refers not to those who are necessarily hungry, but to someone who is unable to buy the holiday necessities, and so he is welcome to come and take what he is lacking in order to celebrate the Seder. Nowadays it is much harder to keep this mitzvah, but with difficulty comes light. Today there are many organizations that help the needy in a variety of ways besides food distribution. The saying “Let all who are needy come and partake of the Passover offering” also applies to holidays other than Passover, such as Purim. On Purim gifts must be given to the needy (matanot l’evyonim) and to all who 24

request assistance. Even without connection to a holiday, there is the concept of “charity will save [one] from death” and most people give generously most of the time, so that “all who are hungry” are not so deprived. On Pesach it is also written “Remember this day, when you went out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage….” (Parashat Bo, Shemot, 13:3) and as soon as the night falls, we have the obligation to make Kiddush and as it is explained there in the verse, to wait for the poor to come. And if they do not come, we must make Kiddush and when they come, we have to bring them whatever they lack so that they can make Kiddush themselves, because the commandment of the day also applies to them. “Now, we are here; next year, may we be in the Land of Israel. Now, we are slaves; next year, may we be free.” We say this as if we were in Egypt, for it is written: “In every generation one must view oneself as though one had personally left Egypt.” “In every generation”—that is to say that the mitzvah of “Let all who are hungry come and eat, let all who are needy come and partake of the Passover offering” will be relevant also next year—in the Land of Israel, when we are free. In memory of my grandfather, Moshe ben Meir, z”l, and my grandmother, Bracha Breindel bat Uzriel, z”l.

AMIT Netivot Dror Yeshiva High School, Or Akiva

Eliah Maoz Segel, 8th Grade 25

Matza – the Food of Faith It is written in the Zohar (Part 1, 157b) “A child does not know anything until he tastes the taste of bread,” and this is the difference between hametz and matza, that hametz has a sense of arrogance, which puffs up and rises and elevates itself and matza, in contrast, does not have any elevation, in this way it is in service of Hashem. Hametz is comparable to rudeness and pride, while matza has a sense of lowliness and submission, in the sense of “nullify your will.” In the exile in Egypt, the Israelites were very much tied downwards, to material matters, and the material reality hid and covered the divine power which gives it vitality, like the example of the bread which ostensibly sustains humans. How does bread, which is a plant, sustain humans who walk and are two levels above it? Rather within the food is the word of Hashem as it is said, “Man does not live on bread alone but that man may live on anything the Lord decrees.” The word of Hashem “causes the land to sprout grass,” which is the sustenance of man. The material world only covers it with the form of bread. And thus, in the exile in Egypt, all the spiritual forces of the people of Israel were in Egypt, “in the narrow places,” as explained in the writings of the Arizal, Rabbi Isaac Luria, that the exile in Egypt was primarily the exile of knowledge and the Exodus from Egypt was in the sense of “until the King of Kings was revealed to them,” the light of Eyn Sof blessed be He as He is! Through this tremendous revelation all the material was nullified and thus they went out of exile. But for them to be fit for this revelation, they were first commanded to eat matza, “at evening you shall eat matza” (Exodus 12:18) in the sense of nullify yourselves! (In fact, after they were already forbidden to eat hametz; the Torah writes, “and they baked unleavened cakes of the dough that they had taken out of Egypt, for it was not leavened, since they had been driven out of Egypt and could not delay.” Ostensibly because they were driven out of Egypt and could not delay, the dough did not have time to rise, and they did not eat hametz. But they had already been forbidden to eat hametz on that day previously, “at evening you shall eat matza!” Rather there were two kinds of matzot, one that they prepared and one that the Holy Blessed One overflowed upon them…) and indeed the Zohar calls 26

matza by the name “michla demehemanuta,” the food of faith, for faith comes only after man nullifies his intellect. He does not seek reasons but only believes with pure faith, and this faith is drawn into the soul through eating matza. In this way, the sages of blessed memory said (Berachot 40a), “The child does not know how to call his father until he tastes the taste of grain,” for the knowledge to call his father Abba is brought on by the taste of bread. But this knowledge is not in the sense of understanding and achievement, for he does not know how he is his father or why he loves him, and despite this he calls him Abba, from the strong connection he has with his father, to the point that his soul is bound up with his soul and all this is from the power of recognition only. In this sense faith is drawn from the matzot that are the food of faith, while bread is the aspect of intelligence in this material world. Thus the child calls out Abba—in the material world, and from matza is drawn the ability to call out to Abba—in heaven, through even stronger communication, which does not come from intelligence and achievement but only through the power of faith.

AMIT Hammer Junior and Senior High School for Boys, Rehovot

Shlomi Yaakovi, 12th Grade 27

Unconditional Love for all of B’nei Yisrael On Pesach, it is a mitzvah for each and every family to sit together on the evening of the 15th of Nisan (Seder night) and to speak of the legends and the miracles of leaving Egypt and the redemption of the People of Israel from the hands of the Egyptians who enslaved us. On Seder night, it was customary in Jewish communities to invite close and distant family members, poor people and even strangers, “Let all who are hungry come and eat, let all who are needy come and celebrate Passover,” so that everyone could eat the holiday meal, and so as not to leave anyone outside the community, alone. Seder night comes to bring family members and the Jewish people closer to one another and to bring unity among the Jewish people and love for one another. The Lubavitcher Rebbe once said something beautiful about this topic and these are his words: “The tradition tells of four sons, the wicked, the simple, the wise and the one who does not know how to ask. Our sages explain each of the sons and his way, etc. But we must understand that these four sons are not the problem. Because, even though they have certain opinions, they still come to the Seder and celebrate Pesach. The problem is the fifth son; the one who doesn’t come to the Seder at all. The one who is not interested in Pesach, who sits in a bar on Seder night and eats pizza and drinks beer. This is the son we need to ask about. This is the son we need to speak to and work to bring him closer.” These are the Rebbe’s words. And they are important and touch the heart of each and every one of us. We need to give and to bring influence from our spirituality and our material possessions toward every Jew we encounter, and particularly in matters of Jewish holidays and festivals. Shuki Salomon, a good Jew, once said, “When I am alone, I am half, when I am with a friend, I am four.” May it be G-d’s will that we love one another and bring one another closer, and that we will merit in another year, b’ezrat Hashem, to sacrifice the Pesach offering in the third Beit HaMikdash that will be built through unconditional love.

AMIT Bar Ilan High School for Boys, Netanya

Yakir Ya’akov Amira, 10th Grade 28

The Pesach Experience: How to Tell a Story As is known, at the Seder we are required to tell the story of the Exodus from Egypt. But what is meant by telling? What do we need to tell? And how? Should we tell about what happened in the Exodus from Egypt from a simple perspective or is the intention to explicate and expand on the Exodus from Egypt? And who is required to tell? The question is reinforced by the fact that instead of telling the story of the Exodus from Egypt as would ostensibly be expected, through the portions from the book of Exodus with their many miraculous and juicy descriptions of the plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, and more, in the Haggadah we see that the story chosen is “My father was a wandering Aramean…and he went down to Egypt…” etc. In addition, the dilemma about what exactly the story of the Exodus is deepens the fog surrounding the commandment, for it is not clear who is commanded to tell the story: “and even if all of us were wise, all discerning, all elders, all knowledgeable in Torah, it would be a commandment upon us to tell the story of the Exodus from Egypt.” The great Rav Yosef Dov Soleveitchik brings the teaching that this sentence can be understood in two directions: The first, “and even if all of us were wise, all discerning, all elders, all knowledgeable in Torah, then we would be commanded to tell the story of the Exodus from Egypt.” However, since we are not thus, we are not discerning and we are not wise, then we are not commanded to tell the story of the Exodus from Egypt. On the other hand, we can interpret it in the opposite direction, “and even” if indeed we are all wise, we are all discerning, we are all knowledgeable in Torah, and in fact know a lot, we still need to tell the story of the Exodus from Egypt. According to Rav Soleveitchik, the second understanding is the correct one, but we still need to understand how it can be that we are all wise and discerning. 29

From here it arises that the commandment to tell the story of the Exodus from Egypt does indeed require understanding both on the plain of what is defined as the story (My father was a wandering Aramean?) and about who is required to tell the story (are we indeed all wise?). In my humble opinion, we can learn from these words the basic principles of the mitzvah of the Pesach Haggadah. The first is learned from “My father was a wandering Aramean”: That it is a story that relates to the personal viewpoint of each and every person in contrast to the story of the plagues, which is general. In order to learn something, we need to take the learning to the place of our personal experience, just as in the Haggadah, instead of telling the full story of the Exodus from Egypt, they took the story of “my father was a wandering Aramean,” and thus connected it to a more personal place. The second principle that we can learn from the story is that study needs to be like a story. Just as a story is suitable for everyone, so study needs to be suitable for everyone and to include everyone and thus “we are all wise and we are all discerning.” This is a viewpoint that sees that every Jew has a portion in Torah and thus Rav Soleveitchik also explains the meaning of “we are all wise,” not from the side of pride but rather from the side of potential. In conclusion: the story is the personal experience according to each person’s discernment and this is the intention of the commandment.

AMIT Tiferet Gur Arye Junior College at AMIT Hammer, Rehovot

Elroie Taub, 13th Grade (1st Year) 30

The Importance of Careful Speech The Hebrew name for Passover, Pesach, can be read as two words: po sach, meaning “and here it is told”. And in fact, the central point of Pesach is to tell the story of the Exodus. In addition, the parashot that are around Pesach, Tazria and Metzora, reminded us to speak helpful, positive things. But how do we know what will be helpful? And what exactly is the meaning of all this attention to our speech? We note that the mitzvot in the Torah are general (we are all forbidden to murder, and are all obligated to keep Shabbat and eat matzah, for example) but the mitzvah “You shall tell your son” (Exodus 13:8) is divided into four types of “you shall tell…” (one for the wise son, for the wicked son, for the simple son and for the one who does not know to ask). For each of the sons there is a different instruction on how to tell the story of the Exodus. In addition, it is written “your son” and not “your sons”; the intention is for the singular and not the plural. What does this actually tell us? Every single person is different and also relates to things differently, and thus it is impossible to treat everyone the same; as it is said: “Teach a child according to his way “ (Proverbs 22:6). Every person is special and so too is the education that he receives. And this is not just a saying; we each encounter it in our private lives, whether in work, in school, or any place in which there are different people. The path to each person’s heart is different, even if the goal is the same. I hope that with the help of speech we will be able to reach the heart of each and every person! Parashat Tazria deals with leprosy. A leper was not purified so easily and whoever sinned was sent out of the camp for an entire week or so. Why is this so serious? After all, we know that leprosy is caused due to a sin in one’s speech. The Hebrew word for “leprous” (mitzura) is very similar to the Hebrew phrase “to give a bad name” (motzi shem ra).

Speech is the expression of a thought externally. A thought is a vague thing, but when it is expressed in words, there is no way back. Therefore, one has to carefully decide which words to use and how to correctly formulate his sentences. Once something is uttered, it is no longer in our hearts; it has already been heard and is now something with an existence and presence of its own. Speech affects our actions and thinking—as it is said, “words create reality.” Our thoughts affect what will happen, and therefore one should be careful to say the right thing in the best way, and to use our capacity for speech to spread love for others.

AMIT Ashdod Arts and Sciences High School for Girls

Ma’ayan Simantov, 9th Grade 32

The Four Sons The Torah teaches of four sons: A wise one, a wicked one, a simpleminded one, and one who does not know enough to ask. Question: Three of the four sons (the wise, simple and the one who does not know enough to ask) are measured according to their level of intelligence. And then there is one who is an exception, who is the evil one. Why does the text not call him a fool, using a measure of intelligence as well? Answer: We might think that the evil son isn’t measured according to his intelligence. In truth, however, he is also as intelligent as the wise son. His problem is that he uses his intelligence in a bad way and for evil. He has the same capacity as the wise son, but uses it for bad purposes only. Therefore, he is called “rasha” (evil).

AMIT Eitan Junior and Senior High School for Boys, Maaleh Adumim

Eliya Amsalem, 9th Grade

Eliya made aliyah from Colombia two months ago. 33

The Unity of the People of Israel The question is asked around the world: Why doesn’t the Haggadah say anything about Moshe Rabbenu’s part in the Exodus from Egypt? The Belzer Rebbe explains: The first one who told the story of the Exodus from Egypt was Moshe Rabbenu himself, who told his father-in-law, “everything that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians,” and because Moshe did not want to speak about himself, but rather about the greatness of Hashem, so do we continue thusly. At the hour that matza and maror are set before me Rabbi Yehezkel Landau, author of Tziyon LeNefesh Haya, asked: why only matza and maror, what about the meat of the Pesach sacrifice? The rabbi explains: this comes to hint to us that we should not think that we need to thank and praise the Holy Blessed One only at a time when we have the Beit HaMikdash and the entire People of Israel is in its land, but rather even in exile when there is no meat from sacrifice, but only matza (from the language of contention as it is written: Because you fast in strife and contention [matza] [Isaiah 58:4]) and bitter herbs too, we still thank and praise the Holy Blessed One. On this night we all recline – an explication through parable, the Unsdorfer Rebbe On this night, in several places in the writings of the sages, we have seen that “this night” is a reference to the exile. “Subin” (recline) is wheat bran In the laws of Shabbat, it is written that it is forbidden to mix flour with water because it violates the prohibition on kneading (meaning: kneading – joins the flour into a lump of dough). But it is permitted to mix bran with water because bran does not become 34

dough. And this comes to teach us why we are still in exile (night), because we are all bran, separate parts and not joined together. As we get ready to finish our high school studies, one step before our military service, we, the students of AMIT Gutwirth’s 12th grade class, wish for the People of Israel that in this challenging year, we will be able to overcome once again and to feel that we are one, a unique and special people, even if we are different and diverse, who can overcome differences and disputes which will become, with Hashem’s help, unconditional love. For the ascent of the soul of Anug Netzach Kadoshim, in heaven, who passed away on 26 Nisan 5780. May his soul be bound up in the bond of eternal life.

AMIT Gutwirth Sderot State Junior and Senior High School

Ravid Kadoshim, 12th Grade

It Begins with Disgrace and Ends with Praise At the Seder we sit and tell the story of the Exodus from Egypt and we praise Hashem for all of the miracles that He did for the People of Israel: the Exodus, the miracles in the desert, splitting the Red Sea, and so on. To our great surprise, the Haggadah begins with our ancestors’ disgrace and all of the hardships that they suffered: “In the beginning, our ancestors were worshippers of foreign gods,” and “The Egyptians vilified us and afflicted us, and they set hard labor upon us.” It makes us wonder why the authors of the Haggadah felt the need to write about all the bad things that afflicted our ancestors. After all, the point is only to tell about the good things that happened! In fact, we are taught a very important message about faith and gratitude to the Creator of the world. The more we know about how bad we had it, the more we will appreciate the good that Hashem did for us. In our history, too, we have seen that the founders of the State saw it as the beginning of our redemption after the Holocaust that took place in Europe and after all the pogroms that took place in Russia and the Arab countries. The more we know about the bad things that happened to our people, we will be better able to be grateful for what we have. It is for this reason that the Haggadah begins with disgrace, with stories of the bad things that affected our ancestors, and then it goes on to tell the good story of the many miracles that were done for the People of Israel. Only in this way, by beginning with the negative, will we be able to be truly grateful to Hashem.

AMIT Sderot Religious Junior and Senior High School

Ilay Hajbi, 11th Grade 36

“We Survived Pharaoh, We’ll Survive This, Too” Corona as a Parable of the Plagues of Egypt and the Exodus The People of Israel are accustomed to dealing with various strange threats both outside and at home, as the passage in the Haggadah states: That which stood for our ancestors applies to us as well. For it was not only one individual who stood up against us to destroy us. Rather, in every generation they stand up against us to destroy us. But the blessed Holy One redeems us from their hands. Our generation has been privileged (I deliberately chose to point out that this is a privileged and not a liability, in the belief that everything G-d does is done for good) to experience a global event that affected many areas and has changed the routine we have known. I find many similarities between the story of the Exodus, in which G-d gave Pharaoh the ten plagues, one after another, and the consequences of the pandemic that is afflicting the whole world in many spheres. Just as the plagues were meant to arouse the Egyptians to atone upon realizing the reality of G-d, and recognizing the exclusive kingdom of G-d over all parts of reality, so too, I think the corona plague came to teach humanity and perhaps also the scientific world, who is the One behind all this reality. The scientific abilities that humanity has attained bring a great deal of blessing to the world, but they can sometimes make a person go crazy and think that he is the one in control of the world. Indeed, the whole world has been eagerly awaiting vaccines that 37

will provide a solution to the corona disease and now we are informed of strange mutations, and it is still unclear whether the vaccine will give offer a complete solution to them. This uncertainty should make those who are paying attention understand that, with all the great importance of science and progress and the respect we have for them (for without them the world would surely suffer greatly), humanity has to recognize that G-d is signaling to us that there is One who is above science and progress. But above all, we must trust in G-d who always leads the world to a better place in which all the inhabitants of the world will know and acknowledge “that the Lord is G-d in heaven above and on earth below, there is no other.” “As in the days of your exodus from the land of Egypt, I will show him wonders” (Micah 7:15). With G-d’s help, evil will pass and good will prevail.

AMIT Daisy Berman Yeshiva High School, Beersheva

Osher Hadad, 10th Grade

When Our Heart is Beating, It Means We are Alive The spiritual heart is feelings. A person who doesn’t feel chooses to take the meaning out of his life. Enthusiasm, expectation, disappointment, being moved – all these create a meaningful existence in which I have more than one reason to get up in the morning. The universe needs me. The Exodus from Egypt is the story that demonstrates all this. Let’s look at the sequence of events in the Haggadah: “the Children of Israel sighed from the work and cried out” – the difficulty of the long enslavement, the sadness, the weakness – brought the Israelites to a situation in which their lives were without meaning, without a goal for which they got up in the morning. Moshe called to everyone to tell them the word of Hashem, but they were busy with their difficult reality, in sorrow. They did not even have the strength to listen, to grab onto any small hope. And as Victor Frankl (the noted neurologist, psychiatrist, philosopher, author, and Holocaust survivor) wrote in his book, a person “who knows the ‘why’ for his existence … will be able to bear almost any ‘how.’” The Israelites were a short distance from losing their why, their reason to live. Afterwards the plagues came from Hashem which awakened Pharaoh’s heart and the hearts of the Egyptians. And at the end of the story is the wonderful miracle, the parting of the Red Sea, which arouses the feelings of the whole world like the shofar on Yom Kippur, to see Hashem, to feel Him, “and Hashem shall be King over all the earth, on that day Hashem will be one and His name will be one.” Do you think that all this would look the same without the unceasing feelings between each incident? Everything would be meaningless. It is written in the Torah, “Now when Pharaoh let the people go.” Rabbi Samson Hayyim Nahmani, the “Zera Shimshon,” explains 39

that Pharaoh let them go, he did not expel them. This means that he sent them out with love and with great respect and requested that they pray for him before Hashem for all the injustice that he caused them. From this we learn how correct it is to request forgiveness and how much each person, even the most wicked, has within them some human spark, some feeling that motivates them to action. It is said that one person tried to go around for a whole day without shoes and suddenly understood their significance. We always buy them, throw them away, push them into a corner. To that person, those same shoes take on a completely different meaning. We have so much – body and soul, family, friends, work, home, food, income. Let’s express thanks to the Holy Blessed One and to the people who are close to us and create unconditional love. Then we will live our lives with meaning and not just survive them. And even if you don’t feel this in a natural way, and reality weakens this motivating inclination within you – adopt it, create it. In the beginning it may feel forced, but here the work on positive qualities (middot) begins – in your uncomfortable places. May we merit to awaken our hearts; to awaken the feeling for kindness (gemilut hasadim) and for doing good and creating lives of meaning!

AMIT Wasserman Torah, Arts and Sciences Junior and Senior High School for Girls, Maaleh Adumim

Anael Avinoam, 12th Grade 40

The Five Terms of Redemption The beginning of Parashat Va’era mentions the promise that G-d made to the Children of Israel that he would redeem them from the bondage of Egypt and bring them to the Land of Israel: Say, therefore, to the Israelite people: I am the LORD. I will bring you out from under the sufferings of the Egyptians and deliver you from their bondage. I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and through extraordinary chastisements. (7) And I will take you to be My people, and I will be your G-d. And you shall know that I, the LORD, am your G-d who freed you from the labors of the Egyptians. (8) I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and I will give it to you for a possession, I the LORD.” (Exodus, 6: 6-8) These verses include the “five terms (literally tongues—lashon) of redemption”: “I will bring (you) out,”, “[I will] deliver,” “I will redeem,” “I will take,” and “I will bring”. When we drink the first cup of wine on Seder night, we will consider the layer of freedom inherent in the first verse: “I will bring you out from under the sufferings of the Egyptians.” The subject of this verse is not necessarily the very hard work, but rather the suffering. The suffering comes from the fact that the slaves had no status in the eyes of their masters. This fact inevitably caused the Children of Israel to have low self-esteem in their own eyes. As we drink the second cup of wine, we progress to the rescue from the hard work: “[I will] deliver you from their bondage.” Work is a positive value. But their labor was used by the Egyptians as a means of legal implementation in a country where work is without liberty or choice. The third cup is poured in honor of redemption: “I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and through extraordinary chastisements.” To redeem in Hebrew means to buy. Someone redeemed us. This cup is dedicated to the glory of the Redeemer, may His name be praised! This is a declaration that we are going to be under the protection of the Creator, Blessed be He, who redeemed us. The fourth cup is dedicated to the selection of the People of Israel by G-d as a chosen people: “I will take you to be My people!” What is the secret of the fifth cup and fifth term of redemption? The fifth cup tells us what will be after the Seder. The fifth cup is left for Elijah the Prophet. We place it on the table and wait in anticipation for G-d’s salvation, as it is written in the fifth term: “I will bring you into the land” for a full redemption. 41

From this we can each learn a personal lesson. It is not in vain that the Midrash uses the word “tongue” to refer to these five terms. If we wish to be redeemed, we have to connect to our tongue. We must understand the importance of proper speech and guarding our tongues. What’s more, in order to be redeemed every person needs to examine what speech and language (“tongue”) he needs to add to the song of his life. The importance of guarding our speech is expressed in the fact that every person is required to be pleasant in his speech and pure with G-d, with himself, and with his environment. This affects others and can add goodness to the world, as King Solomon said: “One who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps his soul from troubles” (Proverbs 21:23). When it comes to positive speech, when a language of joy is used our environment becomes more pleasant and happier. For example, a person who is inherently optimistic laughs at his surroundings, encourages people, describes reality from a positive perspective, and has the ability to save sad people from their sadness, to encourage them, to make them happy and lift their spirits. We have been living for a whole year in the shadow of the corona pandemic, and it is precisely in these days that we can understand the importance of pure language, positive and optimistic language, language of joy that inspires hope in the hearts of people. May we merit to see our complete redemption, and may we merit, with G-d’s help, that “Our mouths will be filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing” (Psalm 126:2). Have a joyous Festival of Freedom. This dvar Torah was written in memory of R. Raphael ben Rachel and Eliyahu, z”l, that his soul may be uplifted, and l’havdil, for the recovery of R. Raphael Gavriel ben Rachel and Eliyahu, as well as for the benefit of all of B’nei Israel, who with G-d’s help will merit a full redemption speedily in our days, amen.

AMIT Ramle Technological High School

Avi Yousofov, 11th Grade 42

D’var Torah for Pesach Night Seder night last year was unusual. We sat together only with our immediate families, some of us were in isolation, and most of us observed the Seder without our grandparents. The older generation’s absence made us feel the lack of connection between the generations and the difficulty in keeping the mitzvah “You shall tell your children” in which the generation of the grandfathers passes on the story of the Exodus to future generations. The need to limit ourselves to being closed within our homes with only our nuclear family is reminiscent of the first Passover night with the plague of the firstborn, of which it is said: “And the blood will be for you for a sign upon the houses where you will be, and I will see the blood and skip over you, and there will be no plague to destroy [you] when I smite the [people of the] land of Egypt” (Shemot 12:13). Also there, on that historic Seder night, families were closed up within their homes because of the plague outside, and thus they were saved. After a difficult year in which the “plague” passed over all of humanity, we hope that just as the plague of the firstborn of Egypt was the last plague and the sign of redemption, so too this year Pesach will be a symbol of the end of the pandemic, and that this year we will be able to return to sitting around the Seder table with our grandparents, to tell the story of the Exodus from Egypt in health and joy. And as it is written at the end of the Haggadah, we should all merit another year of redemption, to be taken: “From slavery to freedom, from sorrow to joy, and from mourning to Yom Tov, from darkness to great light, and from enslavement to redemption. And a new song was sung before Him: Hallelujah.” Have a very joyous Pesach!

AMIT Bellows Ulpanat Noga High School, Beit Shemesh

Yael Fribor, Ayelet Koren, Reut Ashkenazi, and Tal Gotlieb, 10th Grade 43

New Insights on the Ten Plagues Why is the death of the firstborn the only one described as a plague (makah) in the Pesach Haggadah? The Pesach Haggadah lists the ten plagues: blood, frogs, lice, wild beasts, blight, boils, hail, locusts, darkness, the slaying of the firstborn. I was asked why only in regard to the slaying of the firstborn does the word plague (makah) appear. I thought, with Hashem’s help, of several reasons: 1. When the firstborn of Egypt heard about the nature of the plague and that they were going to die if Pharaoh did not agree to release the People of Israel from Egypt before then, they tried to convince Pharaoh to do this, and when they encountered his complete refusal, they broke out in war against the Egyptian police and soldiers to save their own lives. This caused many deaths in Egypt beyond the plague itself in which the firstborn died, and from here we learn that this was the only plague that was doubled and multiplied and caused harm to the Egyptians from several directions. There is “measure for measure” here, as the Holy Blessed One says to them, just as you harmed my firstborn son Israel, so your firstborn will be harmed. The Egyptians not only caused the murder of infants and adults as one, but also caused them to sin grievous sins. As Rabbi Shimon said, “Anyone who causes another person to sin, it is worse than if he killed him, because if he kills him, he kills him in this world but he has a portion in the world to come, and one who causes him to sin kills him in this world and in the next world” (Midrash Tanhuma Pinchas 4). In addition to this, there were quite a few women who were killed by their husbands after they discovered that in addition to their eldest sons, other children died whom they had not doubted that they were their children before, but the plague of the firstborn exposed the bitter truth about them, that their wives had been unfaithful to them with other men, and their husbands had not discovered that these were not their children and it was kept secret, and when their husbands discovered this they lost their minds from their anger and added sin to crime, and when they regretted this it was already too late. And it can be said that the three letters in the Hebrew word 44

“makat” (plague) hint at the threefold harm caused to the Egyptians from the plague of the firstborn: a. the plague itself, b. the war of the firstborn against the Egyptian authorities, c. the Egyptians who killed their wives. 2. The plague of the firstborn is abbreviated with the Hebrew letters mem-bet, just as the name of Hashem has 42 letters, as learned from the piyyut Ana Bechoach, which is made up of seven lines, each of which has six words, which create a total of 42 words, which are the abbreviation of one of His Blessed Names, and therefore we say “Blessed is His glorious kingdom forever” afterwards, and this is an allusion to the fact that Hashem Yitbarach was the one who killed the Egyptian firstborn and was the one who brought all the other plagues upon Egypt. In the plague of the firstborn He proved to everyone that He rules not only over the seas, the air and land but over all created souls, the most elevated thing in this world. In other words, He rules both the material side and the spiritual side, what is revealed and what is hidden from the senses, and the wisdom and knowledge of man. As it is written: “The Lord struck down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on the throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of the cattle” (Shemot 12:29), and also: “When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord slew every firstborn in the land of Egypt, the firstborn of both man and beast” (Shemot 13:15), and in the words of the Midrash of the sages, “’I will pass through the land of Egypt,’ I and not an angel; ‘And I will smite every firstborn in the land of Egypt,’ I and not a seraph; ‘And I will carry out judgments against all the gods of Egypt,’ I and not a messenger; I the Lord, it is I and none other.” 3. The addition of the word “plague” increases the number of words in the list of the ten plagues to eleven, an allusion to the two legs of the human, which symbolize the fact that humans are called “walking” and are required to walk in this world from strength to strength and to ascend from one step to the next, and not to be stuck in place and how much more so not to commit sins that cause them and the reality of life around them to deteriorate downward, as in the words of the great Rabbi Zamir Cohen, “If it is hard for you, 45

you are ascending; if it is easy for you, you are descending, and if you stop, you are liable to fall.” And this is exactly what it was like in Egypt, where the Egyptians were afflicted with forbidden desires and multiplied their sins and thus brought all these punishments upon themselves with their own hands, when the Holy Blessed One acted against them measure for measure in all the plagues that He brought upon them related to the sins and crimes that they committed against Israel. And it is possible that the fact that in the number eleven the two digits are equal is related to the verses: “I have set the Lord always before me” (Psalm 16:8), and also “The Lord is your protection at your right hand” (Psalm 121:5), and also “which abides with them in the midst of their uncleanness” (Leviticus 16:16). That is, wherever a person goes, he takes Hashem with him, in every time, place and situation. If his legs lead him in this world to sins and transgressions, he will come to his punishment in accordance with his wanton life, but if he has the wisdom to do teshuva, and to repair his deeds, only to use his legs to go to Torah studies, commandments, prayer, tikkunim and other holy things, then human wisdom cannot apprehend the reward that he will receive in the next world, which is infinite and eternal forever and ever. 4. The number of words, which is double that of all the other plagues, demonstrates the fact that this was the most difficult plague of them all, and the proof for that is that after this plague in which Pharaoh’s firstborn son also died, he himself asked Moshe Rabbenu to leave Egypt with his people. It is possible that he feared for his life because he knew that he too was a firstborn and therefore his life was also in danger, and also if he had not died in this plague apparently he thought that if he didn’t agree to release them, he would be the one to die in the next plague in order to bring about the release of Israel. But in truth Pharaoh did not die in the plague of the firstborn because of recognition of the good, that in the end he was the one who raised Moshe in his home for many years, and for the same reason he was the only Egyptian for whom the plague of blood did 46

not prevent him from drinking and enjoying water without buying it from the Jews, except for the fact that he was disgusted by the terrifying sight of blood that dirtied his luxurious palace. Due to this same recognition of the good, it was Aaron the priest who hit the Nile with his staff and not Moshe Rabbenu, whose life was saved through the Nile when he was three months old and was placed there by Miriam his sister in a basket of reeds in the period when the lives of all male babies were in danger after Pharaoh commanded: “Every boy that is born you shall throw into the Nile” (Shemot 1:22). For the same reason Aaron the priest was also the one who hit the ground with his staff, since the ground also saved Moshe when he buried the evil Egyptian whom Moshe killed after he saw that he attacked one of his Hebrew brothers. And for the same reason, the Torah chose not to call the savior of Israel Yekutiel, the name that his parents chose for him, but rather Moshe, the name that Bitiya the daughter of Pharaoh called him, as a recognition of the good because she took him from the Nile and saved his life when she went down to wash away the idolatry of her father and according to one opinion, she wanted to convert.

AMIT Karmiel Junior and Senior High School

Ilay Vaknin, 10th Grade

Why were the Ten Plagues Needed? The question is asked: Why did the Holy Blessed One need to bring ten plagues on the Egyptians and only after that did He bring out the Israelites out of Egypt, when He could have in one moment brought them out of Egypt. Why were the ten plagues need? A story is told of a Jew who received an inheritance and he said to his wife, “Take half of the inheritance for ten years, and the other half I will take to the other side of the dark hills where I will open a felafel stand,” and so it was. This Jew traveled to the dark hills, got down from his wagon and saw that the ground was covered with precious stones and jewels. He began to hurry to gather them, until one of the local residents came to him and said, “What are you doing? Lift your eyes and you will see how many mountains of precious stones there are here. Here diamonds are not rare commodities, here whale oil is a rare and precious commodity.” The Jew heard this and took all his money and bought a boat and went to fish out in the ocean. He gathered quantities of whale oil and said that if diamonds were a cheap commodity in their place, and worth millions in our place, then certainly whale oil will be even more costly in our place. After a decade of collecting whale oil, he headed back home, and on the way, he fell asleep, and on one of the turns the wagon hit something and one of its sides broke. The Jew stopped, fixed what was needed, and continued his journey. He arrived home to his wife and said to her, “Look, I have whale oil.” His wife said to him, “You stupid man, in Israel, a country with three hundred days of sun each year, we have no need for whale oil!” The man was very sorry and went to sleep. In the meantime, his wife said to herself, “I will go and sell the wagon so we will at least have a few shekels.” And then she saw the broken side and she saw something shiny. When her husband had gathered the broken boards, he had picked up a few stones from the road. She looked and saw diamonds. She immediately gathered the diamonds and sold them for a lot of money, and they lived richly on the profits.

What do we learn from this parable? In this world, instead of gathering diamonds, we gather whale oil. The People of Israel, when they were in Egypt, were an enslaved people, a people who were occupied with the material world, with building a city, with living one more day, and in order for them to go from being a slave people to the people who received the Torah, and a people who were not occupied with whale oil, a people occupied with diamonds, the Holy Blessed One brought plague after plague upon Egypt and showed them that the idols of Egypt were not worth it, that he could turn day into night, join water and fire, and kill all the firstborn in order to show them that this world is a world of whales, but you are all diamonds of the King of Kings, the Holy Blessed One.

AMIT Menorat HaMaor Haredi High School, Petach Tikvah

Harel Geva, 11th Grade

“But to all the children of Israel, not one dog will whet its tongue” Parashat Bo, in which we celebrate Passover, is a parasha in which there are also less visible miracles. We will refer to one of the miracles and why it is so unique and special, and what happened in its wake. In the parasha we are told that when the Children of Israel came out of Egypt, the Egyptians’ guard dogs did not bark at their departure— not a single howl, as it is written: “But to all the children of Israel, not one dog will whet its tongue” (Shemot 11:7). This is a little hidden miracle for two reasons: The first reason is that the Exodus from Egypt happened at midnight, a time known according to the Sages as when dogs bark. Yet in this case, the dogs did not bark at this time, and this is the first sign of a miracle. The second reason that this is a miracle is that it happened immediately after the plague of the firstborn, when the angel of death descended to earth and killed everywhere that was not marked with the blood of the Passover sacrifice. It is said in the Talmud that when the angel of death descends to earth in order to do its deeds, dogs in the area begin to bark without restraint. But again, this did not happen. There is, however, a disagreement regarding this point, since it is written that it was not the angel of death who came down to earth and killed the firstborn Egyptians, but rather it was G-d Himself who went down to Egypt. Therefore, it can be said that it is for this reason that the dogs did not bark, because it was not the angel of death and thus there was no reason for them to bark. In addition to the silence of the Egyptians’ guard dogs, also the Children of Israel’s dogs did not bark, which raises and adds value to the miracle. And what is the reward for the dogs? It is stated in the Torah that all meat that is killed in an unkosher manner and thus forbidden to eat will be given to the dogs, as a reward for not barking at the time that B’nei Yisrael left Egypt. This reinforces the saying in the Midrash: “G-d doesn’t deprive the wages of any creature.”

AMIT Gwen Straus Junior and Senior High School for Boys, Society and Law Track, Kfar Batya, Raanana

Dolev Sharai, 10th Grade 50

Shabbat Shira Many of the miracles that happened to B’nei Yisrael were against nature. The first miracle was the Clouds of Honor that G-d had sent to them: a cloud on their backs so the sun, winds and storms wouldn’t bother them; a cloud underneath them so their feet wouldn’t be hurt by snakes and scorpions; and a cloud that went in front of them, flattening the mountains so that B’nei Yisrael could walk comfortably. Another miracle that G-d made occurred on the seventh day of Passover. On that day, the Clouds of Honor didn’t continue moving; it stood behind B’nei Yisrael, with half of it lit up and the other half darkened. The dark part faced towards the Egyptians while the light part faced towards B’nei Yisrael. The darkness caused a problem for the Egyptians: they couldn’t stand up, while those who were standing weren’t able to sit down. Once in a while a light came from B’nei Yisrael and lit up the world. The Egyptians saw B’nei Yisrael eating, drinking and rejoicing, while they couldn’t move from their place because of the darkness. When they tried to send arrows to kill B’nei Yisrael, none of the arrows hurt them. When B’nei Yisrael walked into the sea and the water covered them up until their noses, G-d performed a miracle and the Red Sea spilt into two halves. It was not only the sea that split, but rather all the water throughout the entire world—all of the rivers and springs split, too. The Moabites were frightened by G-d, as is written in the Song of the Sea: “Then were the chiefs of Edom affrighted; the mighty men of Moab, trembling taketh hold upon them.”

AMIT Junior College at AMIT Elaine Silver, Beersheva

Shaked Elmaliach, 14th Grade 51

Pesach, Matza and Maror We are all familiar with the well-known saying of Rabban Gamliel: “Anyone who does not mention these three things on Passover does not fulfill his obligation, and these are they: Pesach (the Passover offering), matza, and maror (the bitter herbs).” If failing to mentioned these three things means a person does not fulfill his obligation, then it is clear that they are very important, and it is important we understand their significance. The first mentioned is the Passover offering, about which Rabban Gamliel explains: Why do we eat the Passover offering? “It recalls how the blessed Holy One passed over the houses of our ancestors in Egypt”. From this, we see that the reason for saying the word “Passover” is that G-d passed over the houses of the Jews and killed only the firstborn of the Egyptians. This explanation raises a great difficulty! What is the miracle that G-d did not kill the firstborn of Israel? How could it be that after the 10 plagues that G-d sent to the Egyptians in order to convince them to release B’nei Yisrael, he would kill the firstborn of Israel? That would undo the entire point of the plagues! It could be said that after B’nei Yisrael sank to the 49 levels of impurity, it was difficult to distinguish between Israel and Egypt; so much so that some have said that if Israel had remained in Egypt for another moment, they would have had no salvation and would have died along with the firstborn of Egypt! And so Ezekiel describes the terrible rebellion of the Children of Israel at that time: “But they rebelled against Me and would not consent to hearken to Me; they did not cast away, every man, the despicable idols from before their eyes, neither did they forsake the idols of Egypt; and I said to pour out My wrath over them, to give My anger full rein over them, in the midst of the land of Egypt” (Ezekiel 20:8). Therefore, according to this miracle of G-d’s passing over the houses of B’nei Yisrael, we understand that it is not because we are righteous, since after all we only sinned and were corrupt, but rather 52

the miracle occurred because the Holy One chose us with love, and because He loved us, He redeemed us from Egypt, and His love for us doesn’t disappear even when we sin and do evil deeds. The passing over the house of B’ne Yisrael, even though in their conduct they were not much better than Egyptians, and in fact were very much like them, was the great miracle and the root of all the miracles! Rabban Gamliel stated that he who did not say “Passover” did not fulfill his obligation because he did not understand the root of the Exodus from Egypt. Happy Passover!

Yeshivat AMIT Kfar Ganim High School, Petach Tikvah

Yoav Spirer, 11th Grade 53

Therefore, We are Obligated As we know, there are several names for the Pesach holiday, and each of them comes to teach about a different aspect that the holiday focuses on. We are used to calling Pesach the following names: the Festival of Matza, in remembrance of the matza that did not have time to rise; Passover, in remembrance of the Holy Blessed One passing over the homes of the Israelites; the Festival of Spring due to its place in the year; and other names with different meanings. But the Pesach holiday has many other aspects that we can talk about, and there is one topic in the Haggadah that we talk about a great deal. “If He had brought us out from Egypt and not carried out judgments upon them, it would have been enough for us (Dayenu)!” The entire famous piyyut “Dayenu” expresses one idea: “Thank you.” Before the beginning of the piyyut, the author adds the sentence: “How many degrees of good did the Makom bestow upon us,” which expresses his wonder and the desire or perhaps even his obligation to offer thanks to Hashem. After we read this sentence, we go stage by stage through the redemption in which the Holy Blessed One Himself redeemed us and we express our thanks through saying “dayenu” 14 times. But this not the only section of the Haggadah in which we express thanks to Hashem. “Rabban Gamliel was accustomed to say, ‘Anyone who has not said these three things on Pesach has not fulfilled his obligation,’ and they are: the Pesach sacrifice, matza and maror.” What is perhaps the most key sentence in the entire Haggadah speaks in part about expressing thanks. The author of the Haggadah asks: “The Pesach [Passover] sacrifice that our ancestors were accustomed to eating when the Temple existed, for the sake of what [was it]?” and responds with Rabban Gamliel’s answer: Because the Holy Blessed One passed over the houses of our ancestors in Egypt.” We see here something amazing. In fact, the entire essence of the Pesach holiday is to remember the miracles that the Holy Blessed One did for us, in order to thank Him. We make symbols for our selves to remember and to thank as one. 54

Expressing thanks around the Pesach holiday begins even before the holiday starts. The 14th of Nisan is known as the day of the fast of the firstborn. The day in its entirety is one expression of thanks, on which the firstborn of Israel fast in memory of the fact that they were saved during the plague of the firstborn. The Haggadah in fact imparts to us a way of life of expressing thanks, something that reminds us very much of the saying, “Who is rich? One who is happy with his lot.” To be rich–happy—you must be happy with your lot and constantly express thanks to those around you. Expressing thanks strengthens a person’s humility, in that he says that everything he has is not to be taken for granted. With Hashem’s help, just as Moshe, who was the humblest of men, redeemed B’nei Israel from Egypt, may we also merit complete and speedy redemption, amen. Next year in rebuilt Jerusalem!

AMIT Gwen Straus Junior and Senior High School for Boys, Science and Technology Track, Kfar Batya, Raanana

Adi Silverstein, 11th Grade

Biblical Exegesis for Passover Passover is the most important holiday of the three pilgrimage festivals. It is the basis of the giving of the Torah. This pivotal moment happened at the end of the Exodus from Egypt and is also celebrated on Sukkot, as another commemoration of the Exodus. As a matter of fact, when the Jewish people left Egypt, the Torah describes it as “G-d ventured to go and take for Himself one nation from the midst of another.” B’nei Yisrael are compared to a fetus in its mother’s womb: During the time that the fetus is in the womb it has a life of its own and all of its own organs, yet it has no life without the mother who carries it. When the Jewish people were in Egypt, they theoretically had a nation of their own with their own language, and yet, although they lived in the land of Goshen apart from the Egyptians, they were still very dependent upon the Egyptian people. A question arises: What was their way of leaving Egypt? They sacrificed lambs, which were the Egyptians’ deity, as the Passover sacrifice. That in fact was their declaration of independence and from now on they could actually be “one nation from the midst of another” and start living their lives. How does this resemble our life nowadays? Everyone has their own “Egypt”, their own slavery manifested as addictions to money, smartphones, etc. We need to forgo these addictions and free ourselves. It is important to remember that freedom is not just about physical attachments, like many people think. Rather, one’s freedom depends mostly on their soul and not on the physical things surrounding them. When the Jewish people were in Egypt, they were enslaved both physically and mentally, and G-d redeemed them from both kinds of slavery—they didn’t have to work their fingers to the bone, and they were given the Torah soon after, and as Chazal say, “There’s no free man as the man who studies the Torah.” So it is in our times as well; if we free ourselves from our deities we could achieve real freedom of closeness to G-d and the Torah. May we all receive strength from this Passover and be freed as individuals and may the Jewish people will be wholly and truly redeemed.

AMIT Ulpanit for Girls, Or Akiva

Talya Barak, 10th Grade 56

Eating Matza Matza, one of the most important characteristics of Pesach, is eaten because the dough of the Israelites did not have time to rise. Is this an important enough reason to command the eating of matza? Could Hashem not have caused the Israelites’ dough to rise a little more quickly? In addition, in Parashat Bo it is written that the Israelites were in their homes all night. During that time, the dough could have risen! Moreover, on Pesach in Egypt, which was before the Exodus from Egypt, even then Hashem commanded them to eat matza! This was before the story of their leaving in a hurry and their dough not having time to rise! An additional question that arose for me is not directly connected to matza, but rather to the way in which B’nei Israel left Egypt: Why did the Israelites need to eat in haste and under pressure? After all, they left Egypt in daytime, and not like thieves in the night…why were they commanded to eat with shoes on their feet, a staff in their hand and with their loins girded? I looked at midrashim and at the Haggadah and I decided to deal with the deeper spiritual matter of matza: the Israelites did not eat matza by chance, only because there was not enough time for the dough to rise. This special eating comes to teach us something deep about two simple and clear fundamental principles and they are: simplicity and agility. Our reality is the reflection of fulfilling the commandment. The first matter we learn from matza is the simplicity of humility. In matza there is no leavening; there no great swelling of pride, but rather simple contentment. Eating matza comes to convey to us in our lives: “Distance yourself form all pride and arrogance. Choose simplicity! Always be humble…” The second matter we learn from matza is agility – if we are not agile, the dough will rise and become hametz; it will miss the opportunity (in Hebrew, this is yahmetz, from the same root as hametz). “A mitzvah that comes to you, don’t miss the opportunity” – we can learn from this not to miss the time, but to do everything with agility and hurry to do the work, otherwise the opportunity may pass. There are many examples of the ancestors of our nation and tzaddikim throughout the generations, all of whom hurried to perform the mitzvot. We need to be agile, to act and to help, not to miss the mitzvah. This is correct not only regarding mitzvot, but for everything in life. Every opportunity we have – we need to grab hold of it – don’t miss out!

Ulpanat AMIT Lehava, Kedumim

Tuv Arad, 7th Grade 57

“A Person is Obligated to Regard Himself as if He had Come Out of Egypt” In a few weeks we will celebrate Passover. The main event of Passover is the Seder night and especially the reading of the Haggadah. One might think that the purpose of the Haggadah is to tell us the story of the Jewish people in Egypt. But if that is true, what is the purpose of all the parts in the Maggid section which speak on other subjects like the story of the five sages in Bnei Brak? The true purpose of the Haggadah is revealed at the very end of the Maggid, right before the “Shevach” section: “In every generation a person is obligated to regard himself as if he had come out of Egypt.” We ourselves weren’t in Egypt, and no matter how hard we try, we will not experience an exodus. But the truth is that every person has in his life his own “Egypt,” and will eventually have his own exodus. We can fulfil our obligation by using insights from the Haggadah to overcome our own personal “Egypt.” The corona virus is an “Egypt” for us all, and from the Haggadah we can find strength to cope with it, and maybe answer the ancient question: Why did G-d bring this upon us? Over the generations, there were many versions of the Haggadah. Nevertheless, they all had one thing in common: they begin with condemnation and end with praise. This structure is important, because only by understanding the misery and the suffering can one really appreciate the good and praise G-d with a full heart. Indeed, the corona pandemic made us appreciate things we used to take for granted. Rav Kook explained that misery and suffering have an important role: G-d brings them upon us to prepare us for a better, more elevated era. Let us hope and pray that we will indeed emerge from this crisis into better times.

AMIT Ginsburg Bar Ilan Gush Dan Junior and Senior High School for Boys, Ramat Gan

Gilad Berman, 12th Grade 58

Why Do We Recite Hallel on Pesach Night? Why is Pesach the only holiday of the year on which Hallel is recited at night (other than all the other days on which Hallel is recited, as it says in Tractate Taanit 28)? I thought to interpret it this way: ostensibly we say the [complete] Hallel to remember the miracle and to give thanks for it. Pesach is the holiday of redemption. The Gemara says “In Nisan they were redeemed and in Nisan they will be redeemed” (Rosh Hashana 11). On Pesach we retell with praise the story of the Exodus from Egypt, and, as the Haggadah says, “Moreover, one who elaborates on the Exodus from Egypt is worthy of praise”. G-d brought us out of Egypt after we were slaves to Pharaoh, so it can be said that the recitation of Hallel is in praise of the miracle of the Exodus from Egypt. But if is so, why do we not recite Hallel on other holiday evenings? After all, sitting in the sukkah is also a reminder of the miracles when G-d surrounded us with the Clouds of Glory, and Shavuot in which the Torah was given to us on Mount Sinai. So we do we not recite Hallel on these holiday nights? It seems to me that the answer to this is that at Pesach, on Seder night, there are two reasons for our reciting Hallel. The first is because of the miracle—remembering the Exodus from Egypt. The second reason for saying Hallel is the emphasis on being free (b’nei chorin). That is why we also emphasize and behave on Seder night as free men—dipping the greens before eating as is the custom of royalty, eating while reclining, drinking four glasses of wine and keeping the commandment “and you shall tell to your son” (Exodus 13:8). Therefore, Seder night was uniquely designated to be the time that Hallel is recited at night. May G-d bless us with good tidings, salvation and comfort, and may we merit complete redemption, speedily in our day. Amen, and amen.

AMIT Yud Ashdod Junior and Senior High School

Yochai Mashiach Ben Oren, 10th Grade