AMIT Pesach 2020

PESACH 2020

‫והגדת לבנך‬

A collection of Divrei Torah by AMIT students

Why These Ten Plagues?

HaShem delivered punishment upon Egypt in revenge for the pain they inflicted upon the Israelites, and each plague was brought for a specific reason.

Blood—The plague of turning the Nile’s water to blood was because the Egyptians worshipped the Nile.

Frogs—HaShem brought this plague upon Egypt because they caused distress to the Israelites by making them gather bugs and creepy-crawlies, and so HaShem delivered unto the Egyptians “creepycrawlies”—the frogs.

Lice—This is because the Egyptians forced the women to clear the land for the men, and the men to work for the women. They turned the Israelites into street sweepers, until the plague of the lice, at which time the Israelites were allowed to cease from this work.

Wild Beasts—The Egyptians would command the Israelites “Go and bring us bears and lions” in order to harass them, and thus HaShem brought the plague of the wild beasts upon them.

Cattle Plague—The Egyptians would use the Israelites to pull plows in place of beasts, so

HaShem punished them by killing off all of their work animals.

Boils—This plague was because the Egyptians did not allow the Israelites to take a break from their labors even to scratch themselves, so HaShem made the Egyptians suffer from severe itching.

Hail—The Egyptians worked the Israelites hard and beat them, making them plant gardens, fields, trees and vineyards. Therefore, HaShem sent hail to beat their fields and orchards in return.

Locust—HaShem brought this plague upon the Egyptians because they used the Israelites as slaves to sow and work the fields.

Darkness—The wicked always do their evil deeds in the dark, and forget that HaShem sees them everywhere and at all times. Therefore HaShem brought the plague of darkness, so that the Egyptians would not see the wicked of Israel dying.

Death of the Firstborn—HaShem wanted to hit Pharaoh “in a sensitive spot” and kill all of the children of Egypt, including Pharaoh and his sons.

However, in the end, HaShem decided not to kill Pharaoh so that he could witness the death of all the firstborn sons around him, including his own.

AMIT Kennedy Junior and Senior High School, Acco

Shaked Luzon, 7th Grade

Strengthening Our Children on the Path to HaShem Our ancestors spent a great deal of time understanding the verse “And you shall tell your child…” (Shemot 13:8). We are commanded to tell our children and our children’s children about what happened to us in Egypt.

The Sefer HaChinuch tell us that we don’t necessarily have to teach our own household about the Exodus, but rather we need to teach this lesson to everyone.

And if we pay attention, we can notice that the gematria of the word “to your child” (l’vanecha) is 102, which is the same as the word “faith” (emunah). Rav Kook emphasizes that faith is neither emotional nor rational, but rather the self-disclosure of the essence of the soul, which is a much stronger inner spiritual force.

Our children and our families carry with them the faith that we instill in them from the beginning. In order to strengthen them and to give them an inner spiritual force such as that of which Rav Kook speaks, we must remind them of the Exodus each and every year. In this way, we show them that through spirituality and faith we have become the mighty people that we are today, and thus we will help strengthen each and every person in his path towards HaShem.

AMIT Kennedy Junior and Senior High School, Acco

Ilai Lankri, 11th Grade

The Mitzvah of Korban Pesach: What’s the Big Deal?

In Parashat Beha’alotecha, the Torah tell us about a group of people who came to Moses with an unusual argument: “But there were [some] men who were impure by the person of a man, and therefore they could not make the Pesach [offering] on that day; and they appeared before Moshe and Aharon on that day. And these men said to him: We are impure by the person of a man; why should we stand back so as not to bring near the offering of G-d at its appointed season in the midst of B’nei Yisrael?” (Bemidbar 9:6-7). As a result of this argument, the Lord decreed “a second chance” (moed bet) to bring the Pesach sacrifice, for all of the generations, beginning on the 14th of Iyar. On this date, anyone who could not bring the Pesach sacrifice on the 14th of Nissan would bring it a month later, on the 14th of Iyar.

We can ask why it bothered that group of people so greatly that they would not be able to bring the Pesach offering, when after all, the reason that they didn’t bring it was that they

were occupied with performing a mitzvah, and therefore they were exempt from bringing the Korban Pesach (according to the Gemara in Sukkot 25). And in addition, according to the Tosafot, (Kiddushin 37b, title ‫ )ליאוה‬during all of the forty years that B’nei Yisrael were in the wilderness they were not obliged to observe the mitzvoth of the Korban Pesach; it was only after they entered the Land of Israel that they were obligated to do so.

Perhaps he reason why they were bothered by not being able to bring the Pesach sacrifice was because they were aware of the importance of this mitzvah for every Jew, because this mitzvah is a powerful signal that shows G-d’s providence in the world in general and to B’nei Yisrael in particular (as seen in Sefer HaChinuch, mitzvah 380).

In addition, this mitzvah is one of the two positive mitzvoth on which there is the severe penalty of kareth (exclusion).

AMIT Ashdod Yeshiva High School

Yinon Devesh, 9th Grade

It’s All in the Details In Parashat Vayakhal-Pekudei, the building of the Mishkan is described, and the verse “And Moshe did all that HaShem commanded “ is repeated several times.

We recently celebrated Purim, a holiday in which all of the miracles that occurred were hidden from sight, all within the natural realm. In contrast, on Pesach all of the miracles are above the natural order.

Why does the Torah repeat and emphasize something so obvious? Would it occur to us to think that Moses would behave differently than how HaShem had commanded him?

What is the significance of this difference between the two holidays? The Ramban explains to us that HaShem performed all of the miracles of the Exodus beyond the natural order so that B’nei Yisrael would understand that HaShem controls all of nature, HaShem supervises all of creation and reality, and thus wants us to learn that everything that happens in nature is under HaShem’s control. Similarly, in Purim, human endeavors are also under HaShem’s providence.

Apparently, the Torah wants to teach us about the greatness of a true leader, the greatness of Moshe. Given all that he had done for B’nei Yisrael—bringing us the Torah, fasting for forty days, and so on—we could think that a person such as Moshe understands the general idea, and it would not be such a terrible thing if he did not pay close attention to the details. Therefore, the Torah emphasizes to us that Moshe’s leadership is characterized by great humility and the understanding that the word of HaShem must be obeyed in great detail, exactly as HaShem commanded.

Why is this so?

This is what Moshe did and understood. He knew that all of his actions were controlled by HaShem, and therefore he was careful about every small detail, and was praised by the Torah for his actions.

This is what we need to understand—that everything that happens is under HaShem’s providence, even these difficult times, when our daily routines are drastically altered because of the corona virus, this is also under HaShem’s providence.

AMIT Yud Ashdod Junior and Senior High School

Noam Bar-Sheshet, 12th Grade

Holy Creations Once, Rabbi Eleazar was riding his donkey on his way back to his home. His heart was full of rejoicing because of the Torah he had learned that day.

Rabbi Eleazar realized that he had sinned with his words. He climbed down from the donkey, bowed down before the man and said to him, “I have sinned against you; forgive me.”

On his way home, he encountered an ugly man who said to him, “Shalom aleichem, Rabbi.”

The man said to Rabbi Eleazar, “I will not forgive you until you go to the Artist who created me and say to Him, ‘How ugly is the vessel You have created.’”

Rabbi Eleazer replied to the man, “How ugly you are! Are all the people in your hometown as ugly as you?”

The man said to Rabbi Eleazar, “I don’t know, but go to the Artist who created me, and tell him that the vessel He created is ugly.”

Rabbi Eleazar’s words did not refer to the man’s behavior nor to his learning, but rather to his appearance. The man was hurt, and he put Rabbi Eleazer on the spot and showed him that the insult he had hurled at the man was also defiant towards G-d.

Pesach requires of each of us not only to clean the rooms of our homes, but also the chambers of our hearts. We must check our actions and our statements carefully.

We need to respect each other and to be very careful not to hurt or offend others.

Because, after all, we are equal, we are all holy creations.

AMIT Kiryat Malachi Junior and Senior High School

Shachar Levinstein, 10th Grade

This Month Shall Mark for You the Beginning Nissan is the first month of spring. In the spring, all of nature is renewed. Everything blooms, the animals leave their winter hibernations, and the days begin to lengthen. In light of this, it is easy to understand why the redemption of B’nei Yisrael began in Nissan, with the very first mitzvah they received: “This month shall mark for you the beginning of the months” (Shemot 12:2). From now on, you are a nation; from now on, you are obligated to observe the mitzvot. From now on, a new story is being told.

*they* will decide how their lives will look—will they follow HaShem or not? Will they fulfill the commandments with joy or not? From now on, the choice is in their hands.

Nissan is a time to get out of our habits, to get out of our fixed mindset, to take responsibility for our future and to choose a new path, a better path.

May we all be zoche (merit) to succeed! *Based on Rav Yaakov Medan’s book about Pesach, “Miriam’s Well”.

But there is another layer to consider.

To be enslaved is a terrible situation, but it does have a convenient side to it—you do not have to worry about your future, your situation is stable.

Your master decides what you will do and how you will do it. You don’t have to bother yourself with thoughts about the future. At the Exodus, in Nissan, when they received that very first mitzvah, in their new beginning, B’nei Yisrael also received responsibility for their future. From now on,

AMIT Hatzor HaGlilit Junior and Senior High School

Nava Leibovitz, 12th Grade

Vehi She’amda L’Avotaynu V’Lanu “‫”והיא שעמדה לאבותינו ולנו‬

Vehi She’amda L’Avotaynu V’Lanu—And it is this that has stood for our ancestors and for us What is that stood for our ancestors and for us? And how does it make sense that there is something that helps both us and our ancestors, with the distance of generations and the tremendous cultural changes?

If we turn our attention to the previous section in the Haggadah, we will notice that it begins with the words “Blessed be the One who keeps His promise to Israel,” and afterward comes a reference to the Covenant between the Pieces (brit ben habetarim), in which HaShem tells Avraham that his descendants will be enslaved, but then they will be freed and will go forth with great wealth. Thus, many commentators interpret that what stood for our ancestors for was the brit ben habetarim, the Covenant between the Pieces.

What was that brit, that covenant? And how is it connected to us?

The Haggadah quotes: “and He said to Avram, ‘you should surely know that your seed will be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and they will enslave them and afflict them four hundred years. And also that nation for which they toil will I judge, and afterwards they will go out with much property.’”

In our times, we have no divine revelation.

HaShem can’t create a covenant with us, and cannot prepare us for what is coming. We exist in a situation in which we are not able to see the big picture. And yet, every year, we again say that we believe that we have a divine promise, and we that we believe that in every generation we have the same promise that HaShem made to Avraham. The promise of Avraham—the brit ben habetarim—is what protects us and promises us redemption from our own Egypt. We are aware that we may be in bondage, but we believe that the day will come when we will be redeemed, by means of the same brit that God promised Abraham, “…that has stood for our ancestors and for us.”

Midreshet AMIT Arts and Sciences Junior and Senior High School for Girls, Modi’in

Yahel Piguv, 10th Grade

The Circle of Life In honor of Pesach, I would like to share with you an interesting idea that I read about the holiday.

steps that people go through during the circle of life— birth, bar mitzvah, and wedding.

We attribute a special meaning to each holiday. For example, Pesach is the holiday of freedom, Shavuot in the holiday of the giving of the Torah, and we associate Purim with happiness and faith. We don’t usually find connections between the different holidays, but Rav Shimshon Dovid Pincus, a well-known American rabbi, explains that there is a connection between the three pilgrimage holidays—Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkot.

They should not be considered three separate entities, but rather we should relate to them as a cycle of connected holidays.

We go through this cycle every year because the steps need to be renewed each year, and also because each step depends on the success of the previous step. If we focus on the holiday of Pesach and the Exodus that is like a birth, it is not just the fact we were saved from bondage in Egypt and that we got our lives back (as in a birth). The idea of the holiday being compared to birth is in fact deeper, as is explained in the Haggadah, of which Chazal say: “It begins with condemnation and ends with praise”. The Haggadah begins with the difficult story of our enslavement and ends with the redemption of B’nei Yisrael. Just as childbirth is painful, but due to the difficulties and birth pains, we appreciate and rejoice in the end of the labor process, so too, due to the harsh slavery in Egypt, we felt great joy at our redemption and the Exodus from Egypt.

Rav Pincus explains that the three pilgrimage holidays that are mentioned in the Torah follow the life cycle.

The first is Pesach, which comes in the month of Nissan, the Hebrew New Year. It symbolizes birth; this holiday is the birth of the Jewish people when we went out of Egypt with great miracles and the nation of Israel was created. Next comes Shavuot, which is like a bar mitzvah, in which we are called to receive the Torah and to accept the obligation to observe the mitzvoth. The last of the pilgrimage holidays is Sukkot, which symbolizes our marriage to HaShem. During this holiday, we sit in sukkot for seven days, just as we celebrate the sheva brachot after a wedding. These are essentially the three

In these difficult days of global crisis, all we can do is wish that this Pesach will be a new birth and the beginning of the cessation of the spread of corona. We are all praying that we will soon see better days for Am Yisrael and the entire world.

Ulpanat AMIT, Givat Shmuel

Roni Schiff, 9th Grade

Pesach, Matzah and Maror In the Pesach Haggadah, Rabbi Gamaliel tells us that whomever doesn’t recite the following terms has not filled his obligations: “Pesach, matzahh and maror”.

The problem is that if we pay attention, we notice that these three things don’t appear in the Haggadah in this order! I would think that we would have to say these words in the order “maror, Pesach, and matzahh”. So why do we have to recite them in the order listed by Rabbi Gamaliel?

Until G-d took us out of Egypt, which is represented by the Pesach offering and the matzahh, B’nei Yisrael didn’t understand the “bitter (maror)” situation in which they were living. It was only after the Exodus that they were able to look back and understand how difficult their situation had been!

AMIT Eitan Junior and Senior High School for Boys, Ma’aleh Adumim

Yonatan Riffman, 12th Grade

Passover Passover is one of the most special and important Jewish holidays of the entire year. In this d’var Torah, we will be exposed to an aspect of this holiday that we have never seen before.

Special Miracles: We all know the story of the Exodus from Egypt and the great miracles that HaShem performed for us. HaShem also commanded us to recount these miracles to our children on one night every year. This is the Seder night.

One could ask what is so special about these specific miracles over all the others that HaShem did?

According to Sefer HaChinuch, in those days everyone thought that there was no one who controlled the world; by means of witnessing these miracles, which changed the course of nature, suddenly everyone knew and understood that HaShem controlled the world!

Slavery: Pharaoh enslaved us and made us build cities for him.

The question is: For how many years did Pharaoh enslave us? According to Genesis, Pharaoh enslaved us for 400 years. However, according to other sources, Pharaoh enslaved us for 430 years.

Commentators say that the 430 years is the time between the Covenants of the Pieces—brit ben habetarim--at which time HaShem told Abraham that his offspring would be slaves in Egypt, until the end of slavery, while the 400 years is the time between Isaac’s birth and the end of the slavery. In the end, the commentators conclude that the slavery lasted for 210 years.

Moses: Moses demanded that Pharaoh free his nation.

Pharaoh did not agree. As a result, HaShem punished Pharaoh and the entire Egypt nation with the Ten Plagues.

The first one plaque was blood in the Nile River, when Aaron hit the river and turned its waters into blood. This left the Egyptians unable to drink and they suffered from thirst.

The commentators ask: Why did Moses not hit the river?

The answer is that Moses didn’t hit the river because when he was a baby, the Nile River saved his life. He didn’t want to be ungrateful to the river!

I hope that all of us will be grateful like Moses.

Have a happy and a kosher Passover!

AMIT Hammer Junior and Senior High School for Boys, Rehovot

Omer Romi, 7th Grade

The Four Sons The Pesach Haggadah contains a large amount of information and sayings, many of which are famous. I would like to address one of the most famous parts of the Haggadah; that about the four sons and their meaning.

In the Haggadah it says: “The Torah refers to four sons: One wise, one wicked, one simple and one who does not know how to ask a question,” together with the command “You shall tell your son.”

Why do they tell us about the four sons? For whom is this important? We are often told that the seder is for the children. However, the part about the four sons does not appear to be for children. Sons do not need someone to describe their own character; they know themselves and come as themselves to the seder table. The parents have learned the Haggadah many times over the years, and they probably already feel that they know the children with whom they have to deal at the

seder. They assume that they already know what to do. Because of these assumptions, I think the part about the four sons is for the parents.

Children change from year to year, and the way they need to be taught as they develop.

Parents need to be ready for any son’s character that they may need to teach. This is why, at the very beginning of the Haggadah, the Torah reminds us that even 3,000 years ago, children were different from each other, and from themselves at different stages. If it is so important to teach your son, parents should get some guidance, so that they will be prepared. Such guidance can make teaching their sons easier. Also, the point of Passover is to pass over the knowledge from generation to generation. We have been doing this since we left Egypt, together with the guidance. The sons benefit from the parents’ learning.

AMIT Hammer Junior and Senior High School for Boys, Rehovot

Erez Ronen, 7th Grade

Ain Maftirin Achar HaPesach Afikoman The words “ain maftirin achar haPesach afikoman” (We may not eat an afikoman after the Pesach sacrifice) are taken from the conversation with the Wise Son in the Haggadah (they also appear in Masechet Pesachim 10:8). They are the response given after the Wise Son asks about the holiday’s meaning, its mitzvoth and halachot. According to the pshat (literal interpretation) this halakha commands us to eat the Pesach sacrifice when we are full, and after eating the Pesach sacrifice at the end of the meal, nothing more should be eaten.

“Afikoman” is a Greek word which means something sweet, a “dessert”, that is usually eaten at the end of meal, but which may not be eaten after the Pesach sacrifice. In our times, when there is no Pesach sacrifice, this halacha has come to refer to eating the matzah at the end of the seder meal, as the Rambam rules: “And in these times, we eat a kezayit (a small amount) of matzah, after which we don’t eat anything else. This is so that the meal will end with the taste of the Pesach sacrifice or matzah in his mouth, as eating both are a mitzvah.” (Halakhot Chametz and Matzah, Chapter 8, halacha 9).

Why must we end the seder with the taste of the Pesach sacrifice or the matzahh? Various commentators raised two primary suggested reasons for this halacha. The first reason is in order to remember the Pesach sacrifice in Egypt. By eating the meat of the Pesach sacrifice or of the matzah, we are actually reminded of what B’nei Yisrael ate on

the eve of the Exodus, and that is the primary focus of the mitzvah. The second reason is that this is the way in which princes finish their meals, with satiety and fullness, and that eating the Pesach sacrifice and the matzah symbolizes our thanksgiving for the full freedom that we were granted through G-d’s compassion.

Looking at these two approaches, it can be said that they completely oppose each other! The first line of reasoning views the eating of Pesach sacrifice/matzahh as the beginning of the story: Just as the people of Israel embarked on the Exodus with the eating of the Pesach sacrifice, so at the end of the Seder we actually begin the great journey of the Jewish people again and again every year. The second line of reasoning views the seder and eating of the Pesach sacrifice/matzahh at its end as a symbol of the great thanksgiving we merited, and as a completion of the Jewish People’s transition from slavery to freedom. These two opposite approaches demonstrate that there really is a duality in the idea of Passover, and we must live that duality frequently. On the one hand, to express thanks for the past, and on the other, to address the challenges of the future. On the one hand, we rejoice that we have gone out of slavery into freedom and have become a people, but on the other, our nation has an incomplete mission to continue moving towards freedom, and the responsibility for tikkun olam through faith, grace and mercy.

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

Ma’ayan Cherlow, 12th Grade

Eating in Haste?

The primary goal of the Pesach holiday is to remember the Exodus from Egypt and pass on that memory to the next generation. As the text itself says: “And it shall come to pass that when your children will say to you: What is this service to you? You shall say: It is a meal of deliverance performed through a halting passing over, consecrated to G-d, Who paused as He passed over the houses of the Children of Israel in Egypt when He struck Egypt mortally and rescued our houses!” (Shmot 12:26-27).

Naturally enough, the commandments we have of Pesach— if we were to still have the korban pesach (the Pascal offering) today—serve to symbolize the korban pesach that was offered in Egypt and perhaps even to recreate it. For example, eating in small clusters of people, eating bitter herbs and of course eating matzot. However, three differences can be found between the pesach that was brought in Egypt and the pesach that is celebrated for the generations.

These differences are brought in the Mishna and also in the Rambam’s ruling: “ What is the difference between the pesach [which was offered] in Egypt and the pesach of [subsequent] generations? The pesach in Egypt was taken on the tenth [of Nissan], and it required sprinkling with a bunch of hyssop on the lintel and on the two door-posts, and it was eaten in haste on one night, whereas the pesach of [subsequent] generations is kept the whole seven [days]” (Masechet Pesachim 9:5). And so the question is: Why is our pesach not eaten in haste?

In order to understand, we need to clarify what is meant by “in haste”. Ba’al HaTurim writes: we are not referring to the haste of the Jewish people, as it says, “But you will not leave in haste” (Isaiah 52:12) but rather in the haste of Egypt (“You shall eat it in haste” Shmot 12:11), which Ba’al HaTurim takes to refer to the haste of Egypt. The Keli Yekar (Rabbi Shlomo Ephraim

ben Aaron Luntschitz) disagreed with him and wrote: “it is the haste of Gd’s divine presence leaving….because Egypt was full of idolatry, there was no place for the Shechina there (‘You shall eat it in haste’ Shmot 12:11), from which we learn that, according to the Keli Yekar’s opinion, B’nei Yisrael left hastily in order to greet the Shechina.

The Ha’amek Davar (Rabbi Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin) approaches this question from a different angle, one that finds a common path between the two views. “But rather, everyone agrees that it was the haste of the Egyptians and of B’nei Yisrael, but it was not in one hour, at midnight the Egyptians hurried…and they strongly desired to leave immediately, but they did not hear B’nei Yisrael, but in the morning the Egyptians were not hurried at all, as they saw that they didn’t die…and only B’nei Yisrael were rushed because they had asked (the Egyptians) to lend them many goods assuming they would be returned, and if the Jews would have shared their plan to leave completely… then the Egyptians would have asked for their goods to be returned and would not have let the Jews leave.” (Shmot 12:11).

In other words, the Ha’amek Davar says that the Egyptians hastened at night, because they feared for their lives, while B’nei Yisrael made haste during the day, because they feared that the Egyptians would not let them leave. It seems to me that there is a statement here for those who brought the Pesach sacrifice in the Temple (and of course we can learn from this today as well), that those who left Egypt in the Exodus had to make haste to greet the Shechina, and if we will have merited in synagogues, and hopefully in our days, also in the Temple, we have to be careful to treat our synagogues and our worship seriously, and to replace the haste that is no longer relevant, with care and gratification.

YeshivatAMIT Kfar Ganim High School, Petach Tikvah

Ori Westreich, 11th Grade

Our “Egyptian Situations” Pesach is the foundation of all three of the Pilgrimage Festivals (Shloshet HaRegalim).

It celebrates the Exodus from Egypt, which cumulated in the giving of Torah on Shavuot.

Sukkot, too, is celebrated as a remembrance of the Exodus: “…I made the Children of Israel dwell in huts when I brought them out of the land of Egypt” (Vayikra 23:43).

Pesach is zeman cherutanu, the Time of our Freedom, and this is the essence of the holiday. The freedom of B’nei Yisrael is described in the verse “…take Him a nation from the midst of another nation…” (D’varim 4:34). The Holy One took B’nei Yisrael out from among the Egyptians. B’nei Yisrael were a people unto themselves, with their own language and their own way of dressing.

They lived on their own in a separate area, the Land of Goshen, far away from the Egyptians.

At the same time, however, they lived under Egyptian rule and were enslaved to the Egyptians. Chazal compares their situation to a fetus in its mother’s womb: on one hand, it

has its own life, it has all of its own organs, and yet at the same time, its existence comes from its mother and it is completely dependent upon her.

The way by which B’nei Yisrael could separate from the Egyptians was specifically by sacrificing the lamb, which was considered to be an Egyptian god, as their korban pesach (Pascal offering), and declaring it had nothing to do with the Egyptian deity.

Each of us has “Egyptian situations” in their lives. We consider ourselves to be independent, with our own thoughts and desires, and we don’t realize the degree to which we are slaves to our smart phones, money, work, and the daily grind. Pesach gives us the strength to achieve real freedom, by starting a process of liberating ourselves by “sacrificing” these “gods”. We can put an end to our enslavement to material objects that fill our lives and in doing so, we can free up space within ourselves to receive the Torah and the spirituality that is within us.

AMIT Nordlicht Religious Technological High School, Jerusalem

Reuven Weitzman, 10th Grade

Moshe, the Stuttering Leader Shmot 4:10: “And Moshe said to G-d: O my Lord, I am not a man of speech, not from yesterday, nor from the day before, not from the [very first] time that You have spoken to Your servant, for I am heavy of speech and heavy of tongue.”

While other religions glorify and exalt charismatic speakers, the Torah emphasizes that the leader of Israel, Moshe, is “heavy of speech and heavy of tongue”.

Biblical commentators are divided on what exactly was Moshe’s speech disorder.

Rashi writes “I speak heavily,” meaning that Moshe stutters. According to the tosafist Rabbi Yosef Bekhor Shor, the Holy One Blessed Be He intentionally did not heal Moshe from his speech disorder, and said to him (so to speak), “If I had wanted it thus, you would have spoken beautifully, but I do not want it to be so because it brings me respect and honor that a person who is as without speech and tongue is my messenger.” That is, the very fact that Moshe had a speech impediment and despite this, he still served

as G-d’s messenger shows us how great G-d’s power is.

Others commentators, such as the Rashbam, understood the text not to refer to a physical disability but rather to a lack of understanding of the Egyptian language. The selection of Moshe as the leader comes to teach us that, in Judaism, speech is not the most important thing, but rather action is.

The power of a prophet’s speech should be appreciated not due to his ability to capture the hearts of the people by means of words and empty promises, but rather through the fulfillment of the mission entrusted to him by G-d. The Torah teaches us that even a person with some sort of disability—in Moshe’s case, a speech disorder—can, and in fact must be, appreciated for his true qualities and not on the basis of his external disabilities.

The Torah emphasizes that every person— even someone with disabilities—was created in G-d’s image, and is worthy of respect and appreciation.

AMIT Renanim Sutker Science and Technology Junior and Senior High School for Girls, Ra’anana

Lehei Rosenberg, 9th Grade

A Pesach Mashal Once, a boy asked his father during the Seder, “Why does the Haggadah make such a big deal about the parting of the Red Sea? What’s the fuss about G-d splitting the sea in two? After all, G-d created the sea!”

His father answered him by saying “I’ll tell you a mashal (a parable) …”

what is so special about this horse? It looks just like all the others!”

The sculptor thought to himself, “What can I do to make everyone praise my statue?” He thought and he thought, until at last an idea came to him.

Once, the most talented sculptor in the entire country created a statue of a horse that looked so incredibly realistic that one couldn’t tell the difference between it and a real, live horse. Every single detail was perfect!

He would cut the statute in half! That would be a sight such as no one had ever seen! And then when people looked at his amazing work, they would understand that it wasn’t just a regular horse standing in front of them! Rather, they would know that they were beholding the masterpiece of greatly talented artist!

When the sculptor finished his work, he took the statue out to the streets and waited for everyone to see his sculpture and to exclaim “How beautiful the sculpture is and how talented the sculptor is!”

Thus the father answered his son. The Rambam writes “Man has no part in the Torah of Moshe Rabbenu until we believe in all things and occurences that all are miracles that do not occur naturally in the world.”

But wonder of wonders, no one came over and praised the beauty of the sculpture... The sculptor returned to his home very angry...His household asked him, “What happened? Why are you angry?”

The miracles of the Exodus from Egypt and the splitting of the Red Sea are meant to take us out of our everyday routines and to ingrain faith and love for HaShem in our hearts. But it is also important that we see the handiwork of the Almighty around us every day in the creation of the sea, the sun, and the stars.

The sculptor told them the whole story…

His household said to him, “But why are you angry? After all, everyone sees horses every day…

Have a very happy Pesach!

AMIT Sderot Religious Junior and Senior High School

Ariel Mana, 9th Grade

Matza and Maror Why do we eat the matzah together with the maror on Pesach?

After all, the matzah is a symbol of the freedom of the Exodus, while the maror is a remembrance of the slavery and hard labor.

Hillel believes that the matzah, the symbol of freedom and redemption, and the maror, the symbol of slavery, are connected!

HaShem watches over and protects B’nei Yisrael. Sometimes it as if He is hiding His face (hester panim) and we lack an understanding of what is happening to us. This state of affairs is represented by the maror. Sometimes his protection is clear for all to see, as in the Exodus. This is the matzah.

Exile and difficult things, too, are steps on the road to redemption, as Chazal teach us: “One must bless evil as one blesses the good.”

But how does one do this? How can we rejoice amidst evil? By understanding that everything that happens is according to G-d’s calculated plan, and that He watches over us and will never let us down! Our Father wants what is best for us and leads the world towards redemption.

Thus, by having a strong and constant belief in the Borei Olam (the Creator of the World), and by observing G-d’s commandments, we can pass through all of the trials we face, and with G-d’s help, reach our own complete and personal redemption. Amen.

All of these experiences are all stages on the eternal axis of B’nei Yisrael.

AMIT Shachar Junior and Senior High School, Beit Shemesh

Shira Avni, 12th Grade

The Four Expressions of Redemption (and a Fifth as Well) In the book of Shmot, the following verses hint at the various expressions for the Redemption of Israel: (6) Say, therefore, to the Israelite people: I am the LORD. I will bring you out from under the burdens 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 God. 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.”(Shmot, 6: 6-8) The order of the expressions of redemption begins with “‫”והוצאתי‬, “I will bring you out”, and ends with “‫”והבאתי‬, “I will bring you into”. ‫“ והוצאתי‬I will bring you out”: The Gerer Rebbe, Rav Yitzhak Meir, used to say of this verse that Holy One, Blessed be He, felt that as long as B’nei Yisrael can endure the life of exile, the redemption cannot come. Thus, G-d promised B’nei Yisrael while they were still in Egypt: I will bring you out from your tolerance of the Egyptians and I will make you fed up with the exile, with all of its abominations, until you can no longer bear it, and in this way the redemption gates will open before you.

And the Tzaddik Rabbi Ya’akov Shimon of Shipitovka,

one of the students of the Maggid of Mezritsh, used to say that it was easier to take the Jewish out of exile (galut) than to take the galut out of the Jews. ‫“ והבאתי‬I will bring you into”: Rabbi Zvi Yehuda Berlin, known as “The Netziv of Volozhin”, wrote in his Torah commentary: The promise of the Land of Israel was given not only to the generation of the Exodus, but to all the future generations of B’nei Yisrael. Thus it is written: “I will give it [the Land] to you as an inheritance”—it is an inheritance from the Lord, and you will bequeath it to your children after you. In a similar manner, Rabbi Ya’akov Tzvi Mecklenburg explained that the Torah was not given only to the generation that stood at Mt. Sinai, but rather to all the generations of B’nei Yisarel, and thus the Land of Israel was given as an eternal inheritance to all of the future generations of Israel.

Hence we connect the first expression of redemption ‫“ והוצאתי‬I will bring you out” to the final expression of redemption ‫“ והבאתי‬I will bring you into”, which contains all the other expressions of redemption, as explained by the Ba’al Turim, Rabbeinu Ya’akov Ben Asher. He wrote that the future redemption of B’nei Yisrael and the promise of the Land of Israel will be drawn from the redemption of B’nei Yisrael from Egyptian bondage and from the Torah of Israel that was given at Mount Sinai: “For by the merit of the Torah that they will be uphold and keep, Israel will be immediately redeemed from the nations.”

AMIT Wasserman Torah, Arts and Sciences Junior and Senior High School for Girls, Ma’aleh Adumim

Odeyah Kahat, 8th Grade

A Question of Questions In the Passover Haggadah, which is the story of the Exodus from Egypt, we come across an interesting fact. The Haggadah opens with questions: “Why is this night different…?” and ends with questions: “Who knows one, who knows two…?” More questions are contained in the body of the Haggadah. The Wicked Son asks, “What does this service mean to you?”; the Simple Son asks, “What is this?”; and other questions, such as “What did Lavan the Arami ask for?” “This matzah that we eat, for what reason are we eating it?”, and on and on. It appears that the questions in the Haggadah have a specific purpose, and I would like to find out what that purpose is.

If a child asks a question, it means that he is interested and he cares, and that he will listen to the answer and understand.

We can also take this lesson into our everyday lives, when we realize that in order for a lesson to be successful, the student must be involved—he has to be interested and ask questions. Not for nothing did Chazal say “He who is shy will not learn”. Those who are too shy and don’t ask questions don’t learn. Thus in life, as in the Haggaddah, it is important to ask questions, because that is the best way to understand and to learn.

The purpose of the Haggadah is to fulfill the mizvah of “You shall tell your child on that day…”. We have to tell the children the story of the Exodus from Egypt. Chazal created the Haggadah to make it easy for us to fulfill this mitzvah, so that we wouldn’t have to come up with a retelling of the story on our own every year. Chazal teach us that the best way to retell the story is by means of questions.

AMIT HaOfek Technological High School, Or Akiva

Shachar Stern, 10th Grade

Of Wine and Bread While reading the Haggadah during the Seder we perform many actions that we probably do not even take notice of. Today we will discuss one of them: Before we read “‫[ ”והיא שעמדה‬Vehi she’amda] the reader covers the matzot and holds up his glass of wine. Why? In order to understand the answer, we must first learn the laws of wine and bread of a gentile. Regarding the wine of a gentile, it is stated: Rabbi Elazar Hamodai says: Pinchas stood and made the Jewish swear using the holy name of Gd, and the writing from the tablets, and witnesses from the high holy court and the court of humans, that a Jew may not drink from the wine of a gentile, for all wine of gentiles is for idolatry and prostitution (Pirkei D’Rabbi Eliezer, chapter 26).

We learn from here that it is forbidden to drink the wine of gentiles because all their wine is used for idol worship and prostitution.

The halacha rules as follows: All wine of gentiles who worship idolatry is forbidden for pleasure, and this is the rule regarding their touching our wine (Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh De’ah, Chapter 124, section 6) Regarding the bread of gentiles, it is said: The following articles of non-Jews are prohibited but the prohibition does not extend to deriving benefit from them:… their bread and oil (Rabbi and his court permitted the oil) (Mishna Masechet Avodah Zara 2:6)

We learn from here that we are forbidden to eat the bread of gentiles and the halacha rules as follows: “Despite the fact that the bread of gentiles is forbidden, there are places to be lienent in the matter, and we can eat bread of the gentiles, in a place where there is no bread of Jews and it is a time of need.” (Rambam halachot of forbidden foods, chapter 17, halacha 2) The rule here is that when a Jewish baker is not available one may be lenient and eat the bread of gentiles, despite the abovementioned prohibition, because it is “‫[ ”שעת הדחק‬a time of need].

Now we have to understand the answer. In the Haggadah’s verses: Vehi she’amda: 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.

We praise HaShem that in every generation when nations have risen to annihilate us, He saves us from their hands, but when we say these verses, we cannot praise the bread that disunited the Jewish People and caused us to assimilate, because it is forbidden to be eaten, other than in a time of need.

Wine is forbidden even when there is no Jew around to prepare kosher wine, so we cover the matzot and hold up the wine – to praise HaShem as a united people.

Yeshivat AMIT Amichai Junior and Senior High School, Rehovot

Eitan Toledano, 8th Grade

Looking Inward at Pesach Pesach is based upon an astounding story, in every part of which we can see the amazing miracles that HaShem performed for B’nei Yisrael—a series of events full of morals and great faith in HaShem. One of the things that I notice every year is the great power that B’nei Yisrael were able to muster in themselves precisely in their most difficult moments, in order to do everything possible to improve their situation as much as they could.

We are in a difficult period; a terrible pandemic is roaming outside and many people need to be in isolation. People, most of whose power comes from their surroundings, suddenly need to deal with total physical isolation from everyone else, or more correctly, with a difficult and unavoidable encounter with themselves.

Isolation is the physical taking of our liberty, but we must remember that it isn’t taking our freedom!

This is the time to look inward. Every one of us has personal depth that we do not usually find the time to explore and maximize because we get so caught up in the daily routine. So now, this is our time to look inward and discover our spiritual strength and the tremendous abilities that we each have, so that we will be able to enlighten our surroundings preciously now, just as B’nei Yisrael succeeded in the effort that was both personal and communal to save themselves and to embark on the Exodus to true freedom.

May we be blessed to enlighten our souls and those around us, and may we all be healthy and well. Happy Pesach!

AMIT Bet Ashkelon Junior and Senior High School

Michal Shoval Danieli, 12th Grade

We, too, Have a Part in the Redemption…

HaShem performed great miracles for B’nei Yisrael in Egypt. First came the signs, such as when HaShem turned Moshe’s staff into a serpent that ate Pharaoh’s staff-serpents. The purpose of the signs was to build Israel’s faith in Moses, in the existence of the Almighty, and in the assurance that they would be brought out of Egypt. B’nei Yisrael’s belief was the first step in Israel’s leaving Egypt, and in Egypt’s leaving Israel.

The plagues, which are also signs, came next. These plagues, which were designed to make Pharaoh agree to free B’nei Yisrael from their servitude, were also intended to cause the Egyptians to know HaShem: “And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch out My hand over Egypt and bring out the Israelites from their midst” (Shemot 7:5).

Although one might think that the redemption of B’nei Yisrael is entrusted only to HaShem, that is not actually the case. Just before the Exodus, after all the signs, B’nei Yisrael were

commanded to mark their doorposts of their homes with blood, so that HaShem would pass over their homes and their firstborns would not be killed. Even though it is obvious to us that HaShem could have passed over the homes of B’nei Yisrael even if they had not marked them with blood, He commanded them to take that step so that they would play an active role in their own redemption.

B’nei Yisrael were required to take a step alongside, as it were, HaShem’s step, in order to demonstrate their faith in Him and their partnership with Him. Without this partnership, their redemption could not have been fulfilled. The mark of the blood was in fact a sign to B’nei Yisrael and HaShem, a sign that showed their willingness and desire to be redeemed; a corresponding sign to those that HaShem performed for B’nei Yisrael.

From this, we can learn that we also have an integral part in our own redemption, and that is entrusted also in our hands.

Dina and Moses Dyckman Ulpanat AMIT, Beersheva

Tohar Hadad, 12th Grade

Maturing and Overcoming Through Crisis I recently went with a group of my classmates on a trip dedicated to Lotan, an IDF solider who was killed in action on July 24, 2006, during the Second Lebanon War, while he was evacuating wounded soldiers from a Golani commando unit in the village of Bint Jbeil. Lotan put himself at great risk in order to save as many wounded soldiers as he could and get them to medical treatment. Lotan was the commander of a tank, and he was killed when it was hit by a missile. He was posthumously awarded a medal of valor for his actions.

I signed up for the trip and was looking forward to having a fun experience, a chance to get out of the everyday routine, and getting to know myself better. I was hoping that facing the challenges of this week-long desert trek, in which we would have to navigate on our own and make our own food with limited resources, would strengthen me and teach me how to deal with various challenges in the desert.

From day to day, the level of challenges facing me and my friends increased. Over time, as I overcame the various challenges and difficulties, my sense of success increased, along with my physical and emotional abilities. I am now close to finishing my final year of high school, and without a doubt, this journey was a significant part of my personal development and maturity.

During the journey, I received a letter from my homeroom teacher, who wrote me words of motivation, encouragement and appreciation. One of the things he wrote to me was related to the route of the B’nei Yisrael’s wanderings in the desert, “and from Mattanah to Nahaliel, and from Nahaliel to Bamot” (Bemidbar 21:19). While one way to read this text is as a literal list of places in which B’nei Yisrael camped, there is a deeper meaning: Whomever puts himself in the modest

place (the desert), will receive a gift (that is “Mattanah”), which is the Torah, that was given in the desert. This person will have HaShem be a part of his life (“Nahaliel”), and he will be able to achieve greatness (at the time of his death— ”Bamot”).

In this same way, overcoming challenges brought on by crises led me to a level of maturity.

Rabbi Aviner says in Tal Hermon’s book that forty years of wandering in the desert was necessary in order for B’nei Yisrael to overcome the cowardice of slavery and to create a brave nation. Despite all of the Divine assistance they received during their journey, such as the manna, the quails, the water wells, and the cloud that showed them the way, their lives in the desert were still difficult, as it is written: “He subjected you to the hardship of hunger and then gave you manna to eat” (Devarim 8:3).

Although B’nei Yisrael had the manna to eat, in between they still suffered from “the hardship of hunger.” The difficult conditions they lived in strengthened them and made them into soldiers who were willing to fight the giants of Canaan.

These strong people were of the generation that grew up in the desert, and not those who left Egypt.

The slave generation that left Egypt died, and in order to continue the development of the Jewish people, a new generation had to rise in the desert—a generation that was raised in freedom was the generation that was able to enter the Promised Land and conquer it.

Wishing you a happy Pesach, filled with contemplation, overcoming and maturing.

AMIT Fred Kahane Technological High School, Ashkelon

Eliran Shaye, 12th Grade

One, and One, and One, and One In another few weeks we will sit around the Seder table and we will read the Haggadah. When we get to the Magid section, we will ask the Four Questions, and the person leading the Seder will say “The Torah teaches of four sons: One who is wise, one who is wicked, one who is simpleminded, and one who does not know enough to ask.”

What actually is Seder night? Seder night is the time that parents personally pass on the history of the Jewish people to their children.

And who are the sons? The sons are different kinds of children. There is the smart one, the evil one, the simple one, and the one who doesn’t know how to ask. The Haggadah makes a point to tell us, regarding the four sons, that they are all children. We need to remember that when a child behaves in a way that displeases us, he is still our child.

The Haggadah talks about the four sons by specifically saying “One who is wise, one who is wicked, one who is simple-minded, and one who does not know enough to ask.”

Why does the text keep repeating the word “one,” “one,” “one,” “one”? After all, the text could have read, “One wise, the second wicked, the third simple-minded, and the fourth who does not know enough to ask.” Why is the word “one” repeated in the description of each of the sons?

One of the reasons why the Haggadah deliberately counts the sons using the word “one” repeatedly is order to show us that each son is his own entity—that each is an individual in his own right, whether he is, for example, the wise son or the one who doesn’t know how to ask. Furthermore, it is important that the Seder leader knows how to engage each one according to his unique qualities.

Another reason for the repetition of the word “one” is that perhaps the text is talking about the same child, who sometimes is in the position of the wise son and who sometimes wakes up on the wrong side of the bed and his behavior changes, and he has a day in which he behaves like the wicked son, and maybe on another day he is more like the simple-minded one and in yet another situation he is the one who doesn’t even know how to ask.

When we hold the Seder and we want to pass on the Jewish history and traditions to the children, we need to see that same child in the situation that he is in now, and to relate to him as he currently is, to that same “one”. It is only by doing so that we will be able to reach him and he will be able to accept what we are trying to pass on to him.

There are those who say there is a fifth son. He is the scariest of all, since the fifth son does not appear in the Haggadah, because he does not even show up at the Seder table. The wicked son, after all, at least comes to the Seder. He may be angry and defiant, but he is there. He is still interested and he cares enough to join with his family. He wants to make his point and he still feels that he belongs. The fifth son, however, doesn’t come. He has no interest in what his parents want. He doesn’t express his opinion; he goes his own way.

We need to make sure that, G-d forbid, that we don’t get to the situation of the fifth son, and if there is a fifth son, we need to make every effort to include him together with his brothers. We need to remember that they are all our children. Every one—and one, and one, and one—is unique and special.

May we all have a happy, kosher Pesach.

AMIT Kfar Blatt Youth Village Ellen and Stanley Wasserman Campus, Petach Tikvah

Gananet Amsalmo, Class of 2012, Currently a Counselor in a Kfar Blatt Mishpachton

Tzedakah on Erev Pesach All who are hungry….”

Erev Pesach is the night when Am Yisrael (the People of Israel) celebrate the Exodus from slavery to freedom. Chazal tell us that especially on this night we must take care of our poor brethren, and ensure that they, too, can celebrate the Exodus in joy and satiety.

Thus, at the very beginning of the Haggadah we find the lines: “All who are hungry, let them come and eat. All who are in need, let him come and partake of the Pesach sacrifice.”

What is unusual is that while the entire Haggadah is written in Hebrew, these lines are in Aramaic—the language that was commonly spoken in those days. And thus we ask: why weren’t these lines translated into Hebrew?

The answer is that if the lines were translated into Hebrew, it could happen that poor people who didn’t learn Hebrew well in school would misunderstand them. Thus these lines were left in Aramaic, even though the rest of the Haggadah is in Hebrew.

Another question we can ask is why the text uses two similar phrases “All who are hungry” and “All who are in need”? “Those in need” are not necessarily hungry, it could be that they have food, but what they are actually in need of is companionship.

Pesach is the only holiday in which we are commanded to celebrate as a society: “Go out and take for yourselves sheep for your families and slaughter the Pesach [offering]”.

“Kimcha D’Pesach” Another way we can take care of the poor at Pesach time is by means of “Kimcha D’Pesach.” Kimcha D’Pesach literally means “Flour for Pesach”; that is, flour for matzah. It is also known as Maot Chitim. It is a special tzedakah campaign that is held prior to Pesach, in which a community collects food or money to distribute to the poor for Pesach. In the past, this would be a local community campaign, but these days, in addition to local campaigns, public organizations hold pre-

Pesach tzedakah campaigns to bring food to the needy on the regional or even national level. These food drives are often supported by public bodies and government budgets.

In Israel, the term “Kimcha D’Pesach” is used for a wide range of ways to help the needy for Pesach. The aid is usually organized by local or regional organizations. Distribution to the needy is carried in various ways, according to the organization that is responsible for the undertaking: giving money directly to the needy, distributing food parcels—with the work usually being done by volunteers, subsidizing food products, and occasionally holding public Seders that anyone can attend for free.

The literal meaning of the term “Kimcha D’Pesach” is “Flour for Pesach”, meaning flour for the preparation of matzah. It is also known as Maot Chitim.

Soup Kitchens Another way to distribute food to the needy is via soup kitchens, which are a kind of restaurant that provides meal with free or at a minimal cost, to those in need who cannot afford to buy food for themselves.

The Hebrew term for soup kitchen is “beit tamchui.” According to Chazal, the word “tamchui” refers to a large vat used in the preparation of various stews. Community members would add assorted ingredients into the vat, and then it would be cooked up for the poor. Soup kitchens are run on a volunteer basis and their operation is based on financial contributions and donations of food, both packaged goods and leftover cooked food from restaurants, event halls and the like.

Because they rely on donations, the activity of soup kitchens is not guaranteed, and sometimes they need to reduce their operations due to a lack of means. On Pesach, soup kitchens would even distribute the required four cups of wine to every poor person in Israel.

Ulpanat AMIT Lehava, Kedumim

Mevaseret Hendel, 8th Grade

Teach the Child According to his Way “The Torah speaks of four children: One who is wise, one who is wicked, one who is simple-minded, and one who does not know enough to ask.”

The Torah refers to what parents need to tell their children about the Exodus from Egypt, and each time, different language is used. Why does the Torah change its language four times? From this point, we learn to treat the four types of children differently, and to tell each one about the Exodus according to his own character.

Of the wise child it is written “When, in time to come, your children ask you, ‘What mean the decrees, laws, and rules that the LORD our God has enjoined upon you?’” (Devarim 6:20). The wise child asks humbly, with a desire to understand things on a deep level.

Of the wicked child it is written “And when your children ask you, ‘What do you mean by this labor?’”

(Shemot 12:26). The wicked child stands apart and regards the Seder as “labor” (avoda) – he does not share in the faith.

The simple-minded child asks “What is this?”, as it is written “And when, in time to come, your child asks you, saying, ‘What does this mean?’” (Shemot 13:14). This child asks out of innocence and an inability to analyze and delve into the depths of things.

The fourth and last child that the Torah refers to is the

one who does not know enough to ask. Of this child it is written “Throughout the seven days unleavened bread shall be eaten…And you shall explain to your son on that day, ‘It is because of what the LORD did for me when I went free from Egypt.’” Shemot 13:7-8). The child who doesn’t know to ask is indifferent and not interested in the things his parents are doing.

The four children are divided by their questions, and so each must be answered differently. The answer to the wise child is more detailed and includes the story of the Exodus from Egypt, and it concludes with serving HaShem in the Land of Israel. To the wicked child, we must answer more straightforwardly. The Torah instructs us to answer the simple-minded child by talking about the impressive events that occurred.

And to the child who doesn’t know enough to ask, we must tell about the tradition of the Exodus with graphic images that will inspire his interest.

In fact, relating to every child in his own way demonstrates the very foundation of education— ”Teach the child according to his way” (Mishlei 22:6)!

In other words, we need to observe and get to know each child’s way of learning, and to educate him according to his nature and character. Only then will it be possible to achieve the pinnacle of success in education: “Even when he grows old, he will not turn away from it” (Mishlei 22:6).

Wishing you a Pesach kasher v’sameach!

AMIT Ulpanit for Girls, Or Akiva

Talya Kadosh

Inner Light “An inner light, from within my dreams An inner light, that lights up my way Towards the warmth, towards the innocence Towards myself…”

Inner light, by the late Israeli songwriter Ehud Manor I have a past that gives me strength and shapes the me who I have become. A past that reminds every day that miracles can happen, surprisingly, consciously, small or big, but that the main thing to remember is that the miracle goes on and on without ceasing. The miracle is an inner light that illuminates my way, from where I came from and where I am going to…

On Pesach we see the terrible slavery of B’nei Yisrael in Egypt, the slavery that appeared endless, like it would continue

forever. And then the miracles began, quietly, drop by drop… These miracles continue to give us power today, in the realization that we are part of something great that will never stop, and that we will never cease.

And they give us today the power, the realization that we are part of something great that will never stop, that we will never cease. The past—with all the beautiful, the difficult and the challenging things that it contains—continues within us. It enlightens us, who we are and who we will become.

May we, with G-d’s help, learn from our past, may we keep it in a warm corner of our souls, that it may always remind us that we can overcome hardships, from the everyday difficulties to the truly big things, through faith and togetherness.

AMIT Ulpana High School for Girls, Shiloh

Rachel Shachar, 9th Grade

Praising G-d In Judaism, there are holidays when we are commanded to recite the Hallel prayer, such as Chanukah and Sukkot, and there are holidays when no Hallel prayer is recited, such as Purim. Pesach has a unique, in-between status, where we recite partial Hallel as a minhag of the Jewish people. Two explanations are provided for this. Tractate Erchin 10 explains that Pesach is unique because every day of the holiday had the same sacrifice brought in the Beit HaMikdash (as can be seen today in the Mussaf prayer), whereas other holidays have different sacrifices brought each day. The Midrash Psikta D’Rav Kahane offers another explanation: Hallel on Pesach has a unique status because on Pesach, the Egyptians died.

This second explanation is similar to the well-known admonition of G-d to His holy angels, as stated in Sanhedrin 39b: Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachman stated in the name of Rabbi Yonatan: What does it mean when the verse states that, “…and one did not draw near the other all the night” (referring to the Jewish camp and Egyptian camp not nearing one another, when the Egyptians were chasing after the Jews following their leaving Egypt)? At this time, the angels wanted to sing praise (Hallel) to G-d. G-d replied to them, “My creatures are drowning in the sea and you want to sing praise to me?!”

Let us notice that this rebuke is given to the angels, but not to the Jewish people, whose song of “Az Yashir” was written down for generations and is still recited daily, to this day. So, it could be that the explanation offered

by the Psikta for the lack of Hallel recitation on Pesach is actually a deep mystical reason, on the basis of which we do not determine halacha, because we do recite Az Yashir. Perhaps this is why the Talmud in Erchin offers an alternate explanation, that of the daily sacrificial offerings.

We can learn an important message from this about leadership, which is particularly relevant in our time. In Sanhedrin 84a, the Gemara explains about a leadership test, “G-d wanted to make King Chizkiyahu the mashiach, and Sancheriv Gog U’Magog. The measure of justice said to G-d, ‘G-d, David, the king of Israel, who sang unlimited songs and praises to You, did not merit becoming Mashiach. And You want to make Chizkiyahu Mashiach, after You performed so many miracles for him, and he did not offer any song or praise to thank You?!’ and G-d agreed.”

A true leader knows how to praise G-d for the many miracles and gifts that He bestows upon us. “He has become my salvation” – it is the Jewish people, and not the angels, who are saved by G-d. Therefore, it is only appropriate that the human song, Az Yashir, should be recited as a means of praising G-d, but the angels do not offer their praise to G-d. When we recite praise and thank G-d, we express the traits of a messianic leader, like David King of Israel, who knew how to praise G-d so beautifully.

May we speedily be redeemed from the sorrows facing us, and may we be able to turn our troubles into a pillar of strength that is able to sing and praise the Almighty.

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

Tzvi Beck, 12th Grade

The Holiday of Pesach and the Commandment of ‫– ונשמרתם מאוד לנפשותיכם‬ Be Very Watchful of Yourselves When the Torah commands the Jewish people about the Pesach sacrifice as the Jews are leaving Egypt, it states, “… and as for you, no man shall leave the entrance of his house until morning. HaShem will pass through to smite Egypt, and He will see the blood that is on the lintel and the two doorposts; and HaShem will pass over the entrance and He will not permit the destroyer to enter your homes to smite” (Exodus 12: 22-23).

In a surprising answer, the Slobodka Rebbi says that G-d would have been willing to forgo all that he did for the Jewish people if they couldn’t follow this one commandment. He adds that if the Jews would violate this commandment, G-d would first begin with getting rid of the righteous ones. As we learn in Tractate Bava Kama, “Calamity only comes to the world when there are evildoers, but it begins with the righteous first” (Bava Kama 60a).

Regarding the end of the verse, “and He will not permit the destroyer to enter your homes to smite,” our sages in the Mechilta explain: “Because the destroyer was given permission to destroy, he does not differentiate between the righteous and the evil.”

This concept teaches us about the seriousness of the commandment to be very watchful of ourselves, and how it plays a central role in our responsibilities as Jews.

The Slobodka Rebbi asks how it could be that after all of the plagues that God punished the Egyptians with, and after all of the great miracles He performed for the Jewish people, why now, at the end of the process, would He allow the destroyer to harm the Jewish people if they don’t follow the specific commandments given? How could G-d allow one seemingly small act to derail the lengthy and central process of the Jewish people being freed from Egypt, with the ultimate goal of receiving the Torah?

In these trying times in which we find ourselves, it is incumbent upon each and every one of us to be careful and vigilant, and to listen to the instructions and guidelines of the authorities, so that we fulfill the important commandment of “Be very watchful of yourselves.”

May we merit the blessing that is stated in Micha 7:15, “As in the days when you came out of Egypt, I will show them my wonders,” and may G-d help extract us from this current challenge and show us tremendous salvation, speedily in our days.

AMIT Gwen Straus High School of Science and Technology, Ra’anana

Ariel Heffer, 12th Grade

“Mizmor L’Toda” I learned that there is an Ashkenazi custom not to say the psalm “Mizmor L’Toda” on Erev Pesach and Chol Ha’Moed. Why is this the case?

During the time of the Beit HaMikdash, the Toda sacrifice was not brought on these days. The reason for this is that this specific sacrifice was brought with 30 matzot and 10 leavened loaves of bread, and the priests were concerned that they might not finish eating the leavened breads before the start of Pesach.

The Sephardic custom is to recite this psalm on the days mentioned above, because they hold that the prayer is not a commemoration of the sacrifice, but rather, a means of offering praise to G-d.

The Commandment of ‫ – ושמחת בחגך‬rejoicing on the holidays In Devarim 16:14-15 we are commanded, “You shall rejoice on your festival – you, your son, your daughter, your slave, your maidservant, the Levite, the proselyte, the orphan, and the widow who are in your cities. A seven-day period shall you celebrate to HaShem, your G-d… and you will be completely joyous.”

The Rambam states that the obligation to be joyous relates to you and your entire household, and this is done through eating nice meals and drinking wine, giving the children candies, sweets and nuts, and buying special, new clothing and jewelry for the women.

Beyond this, the Torah teaches us that the greatest joy is making others happy, especially the poor, widowed, orphaned and converts.

Bringing joy to the hearts of the needy is equivalent to G-d’s presence, as is stated in Yeshayahu 57:15: “To revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” Sefer HaChinuch explains: One who violates this commandment, and does not gladden himself, his family, and the needy to the best of his ability, is violating a Torah commandment.

From here we learn about the significance of rejoicing on the holidays. Joy that begins with us, moves on to our families, and then reaches the highest of levels, impacting the entire Jewish people.

AMIT State Technological School, Jerusalem

Or Porat, 11th Grade

The Torah of the Babes As a child, the seder night was my favorite night of the year.

The uniqueness, the fact that my family stayed up until the early hours of the morning, and the ancient and enigmatic ceremony, all made this night magical for me, and I would eagerly await its arrival each year.

Indeed, one of the primary points of the Seder night is the commandment of ‫ – והגדת לבנך‬and you should tell your children, encouraging them to ask questions, and fostering their natural curiosity and wonder at things around them, which many adults tend to take for granted.

It is for this reason that Abaye puts the Torah study of children above the Torah learning of himself and his colleagues; children have a thirst for knowledge, a unique interest that is often lost on adults as the years go by.

(Tractate Shabbat, 119b).

The character of Moshe, who delivered the Torah to the Jewish People at Sinai, and who, according to the Midrash was eighty years old at the time of the redemption from Egypt, had an element of this childish curiosity to him. We can see this in the following text, where the Torah describes God’s reveal to Moshe for the very first time, “An angel of HaShem appeared to him (Moshe) in a blaze of fire from amid the bush.

He saw and behold! The bush was burning in the fire but the bush was not consumed. Moshe’s thought, ‘I will turn aside now and look at this great sight – why will the bush not be burned?’ HaShem saw that he turned aside to see; and God called out to him from amid the bush and said, ‘Moses, Moses,’ and he replied, ‘Here I am.’” (Exodus, 3: 2-4) This passage presents a very surprising possibility, wherein

Moshe could have ignored the burning bush, continuing on his way and not stopping to recognize the miracle that was happening in front of his eyes. Many people do not allow external events to distract them from reaching their goals, they don’t stop and look with the curiosity of a child at the miraculous reality surrounding them. We often find an excuse to tell ourselves, and continue on with our routine.

Moshe, however, chose to veer from his path of the safe and the known, to a mysterious path filled with the unknown, in his desire to take part in this miraculous occurrence. Had Moshe not possessed this childlike curiosity, he likely would have continued with his life and would not have become the great leader he became, freeing the Jews from slavery, turning them into a nation, and giving them the Torah.

I will conclude with the words of the MaHaral from Prague, who wrote “The entire universe exists thanks to the Torah of the babes of Beit Rabban.” (MaHaral of Prague, Netivot Olam, section 10).

The Seder night is focused on the children, and this can provide us with an important message: if we look at the Torah through tired, sober eyes, without excitement and passion, in a manner that Pink Floyd calls “comfortably numb,” the light that we see in the eyes of the children will be extinguished in our eyes.

However, if we can manage to view the Torah, even just for one night a year, as children see it, as a miracle, with a sense of renewal and wonder, we will look at it through shining eyes and allow it to surprise us – and then, perhaps, we can have the opportunity, on this most special night of the year, to view the Torah as if we just received it from Sinai.

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

Noam Maori, 12th Grade

Why “Haggadah”?

Why is the commandment of telling the story of our redemption from Egypt called “Haggadah”? Several answers are offered:

Since the commandment of “Haggadah” is from the Torah, why do we not recite a blessing on the completion of this mitzvah? I would like to offer several answers:

A. The simple answer is that it is based on the Torah commandment, ‫ – והגדת לבנך‬and you should tell your children, using the same root word as Haggadah.

A. The Rosh explains that because we are commanded to remember the redemption, the key is the remembrance and not the verbal utterance, and this remembering is required of us ten times every day. Also, there is no halachik option of reciting a blessing when the key element of the mitzvah is praising and blessing HaShem.

B. The Targum Yerushalmi and Targum Yonatan explain that Haggadah refers to telling in a way that praises and thanks G-d. This can be seen from the verse in Devarim 26:3, “You shall come to whomever will be the Kohen in those days, and you shall say to him, ‘I declare (‫)הגדתי‬ today to HaShem, your G-d, that I have come to the land that HaShem swore to our forefathers to give us.” Targum Yonatan explains that this declaration, which refers to the declaration that was stated when bringing the first fruits, is a declaration of praise and thanks to G-d. So, the Passover Haggadah is also meant to facilitate an experience of praise and thanks to the Almighty.

C. Rabbi Yaakov Tzvi Mecklenburg explains that the word Haggadah refers to something deeper, and that is offering praise and thanks to G-d for the merit we have to live in the holy land of Israel. The word ‫ הגדתי‬is derived from the root word “Gad”, and in Tractate Shabbat 67b we are told ‫ – האומר גד גדי‬one who states that they have been fortunate, as is written in Bereishit 49:19, “Gad will recruit a regiment.” When one comes to the dwelling of G-d with praiseworthy and special fruits that grew in the land of Israel, they should thank HaShem and sanctify the experience, for they are so blessed to be able to dwell in the holy land and worship G-d fully in this place.

B. The Rashba and Meiri explain that this mitzvah has no measurement. You can fulfill the mitzvah with one simple utterance, or extend it based on your own desire and ability.

C. The Rif writes that the blessing of Kiddush, recited at the beginning of the Seder ceremony, includes all of the night’s commandments within it.

D. In the book, “Shevach Pesach” it is suggested that the commandment is to tell the story to others, and we do not make a blessing on a mitzvah that is dependent on others.

In summary, the Passover Haggadah emphasizes to us G-d’s involvement in our world in general, and with the Jewish people in particular, and as the Ba’al Ha’Tanya states, “There is no reality without G-d’s presence.”

May we merit and full and complete salvation in this month of Nissan.

Based on a Dvar Torah by Rav Ben Tzion Mutzfi.

AMIT Sderot Religious High School

Yuval Levy, 12th Grade

The Plagues of Egypt and Free Will When G-d sends Moshe to Pharaoh, He tells Moshe in advance that He will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and Pharaoh will agree to his demand only after Egypt will absorb the blows of the plagues from G-d.

“But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he became stubborn and would not heed them, as the Lord had spoken” (Shemot 8:11). And so on with the plague of lice, wild animals, and cattle disease.

“… But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, that I may multiply My signs and marvels in the land of Egypt” (Shemot 7:3), thus says HaShem to Moshe prior to the start of the plagues.

Therefore, the Ramban says, Pharaoh did have free will, and he used it for evil, even after fully understanding the results of his actions. Therefore, it was only in the final five plagues that HaShem hardened his heart in order to punish him for the decisions he made after each of the first five plagues.

Moshe, together with his brother Aaron, turns to Pharaoh in the name of G-d with the minimum demand that he let B’nei Yisrael go into the desert for several days, in order to bring a sacrifice to G-d. Pharaoh refuses this demand.

Afterwards, HaShem orders Moshe and Aaron to bring plague after plague upon the Egyptians, and yet Pharaoh continues to stand by his refusal, time after time. Only after the plague of the killing of the firstborn does Pharaoh agree to Moshe’s demand to let B’nei Yisrael leave Egypt.

The question is, why, if it was HaShem who hardened Pharaoh’s heart, did He send the plagues? In other words, if HaShem hardened Pharaoh’s heart, then He deprived him of the ability to choose between doing good and doing evil.

In other words, Pharaoh did not have free will. In that case, why was he punished?

According to the Ramban, with the first five plagues, Pharaoh was only punished for his crimes. He could have still repented, but he hardened his heart intentionally, as it is said in the instance of plague of blood: “But when the Egyptian magicians did the same with their spells, Pharaoh’s heart hardened and he did not heed them—as the Lord had spoken” (Shemot 7:22), and also in the plague of frogs:

According to the Sforno, the main reason behind hardening Pharaoh’s heart was not to force an external will upon him, but rather to allow him to reasonably and logically determine, due to internal motivation only, to let Israel go.

In other words, the hardening of his heart was designed to correct the influence and the pressure that the plagues put upon him, which might have caused Pharaoh to let Israel go for the wrong reasons—fear of the damages— and not from his understanding that this was the correct thing to do.

It seems to me, that if we consider the words of these commentators in order to learn a lesson that applies to our own lives, we can see that a person who is in a stage of moral decline and cannot find within himself the power to resist (for example, an addition), then he might reach the situation where he is not able to stop, as if he has no free will. Therefore it is important that each person find his own inner strength, as it is written: “And you will find favor and praise In the eyes of G-d and man” (Proverbs 3:4).

AMIT Atidim Junior and Senior High School, Or Akiva

Tzlil Rokach, 12th Grade

A Pesach Tale Once there was a pious Jewish, an innocent, simple soul, who made his living from a tavern that he leased from the local nobleman. The nobleman was friendly with the Jew, and one time that they met, the nobleman asked him “Where does your livelihood come from?”

one time the monkey went down to the basement and began gobbling up the coins. It ate and ate until it collapsed and died.

Of course, the nobleman wanted to hear that the Jew felt beholden to him, because he knew that the Jew’s income came from him. But the simple, pious Jew answered him by saying “My livelihood comes only from G-d.”

When the nobleman went down into his basement, and saw the dead monkey on the floor, he immediately flew into a rage and decided to harass the Jew who used to rent his tavern. Right before Pesach, the nobleman sent his servant to throw the dead monkey into the Jew’s house. The servant did as the nobleman had commanded him, and then ran away, thinking to himself, “Stupid Jew, this is your portion for Pesach.”

Hearing the Jew’s answer annoyed the nobleman, and he began to ask the Jew the question over and over again in different ways. Each time, he expected to hear in the Jew’s answer some hint of an acknowledgement of the favor he was doing for the Jew in letting him rent his tavern.

When the monkey’s carcass landed on the floor of the Jew’s house, its stomach ripped open and all of the gold coins spilled out. The Jew took the gold coins and bought everything he needed for Pesach and then some, and he was happy and rejoiced as he sat with his family for the Seder.

Indeed, the Jews was very simple and didn’t hint any hint, and every time that the nobleman repeated his question, the Jew replied that his livelihood came straight from G-d, and not from anywhere else.

When darkness fell, the nobleman snuck over to the Jew’s house and peered in through the window. He saw how the Jew celebrated the Seder with much joy, and he saw the table filled with all manner of good things—the candles were burning and the house was filled with guests, and everyone was singing and rejoicing.

The nobleman got angry at the Jew and said to him, “Since you don’t know who it is who takes care of you and gives you your livelihood, you have to leave the tavern and find yourself a different way to earn your keep.”

And so, the Jew remained living in the same place, but he could no longer run the tavern. As Pesach approached, he found himself with no livelihood and with no money, and he had many needs for the holiday.

The nobleman had a treasure in the basement of his house, with many valuable gold coins that he loved to count. Every day the nobleman would go down to his basement, count his coins with great joy, and polish them until the shapes on them shone brightly. The nobleman would spit on the coins, and then polish them with a cloth. This was his habit, every day.

This same nobleman was known as one of the “greats of the land,” and he used to keep a monkey in his house—a real monkey—that he would take with him everywhere he went. As is well known, it is a monkey’s nature to imitate the people around it, and the monkey saw the nobleman go down to his basement every day, spit on the coins, and then shine them with great pleasure. The monkey, which after all was only a monkey, thought to himself that the nobleman must eat the delicious, shiny coins. And thus,

The nobleman didn’t understand—where did all of this bounty come from? The nobleman entered the Jew’s house and asked the Jew bluntly, “From where do you have all this?” And the Jew, who was pious and simple, told the nobleman that someone passed by and threw a monkey carcass into his house, and then the gold coins spilled out of it, and with those coins, he bought everything he needed for the holiday.

The nobleman reflected on the Jew’s words, and then admitted to the Jew that he was right when he had said that his livelihood comes directly from G-d. And the Jew had all he needed for a wonderful Pesach.

Today, when we are faced with difficult times in which there is much uncertainly, we need to know that every “monkey” that falls on us, like for example the corona virus, comes to encourage us and to give us the opportunity to repent, and to strengthen ourselves and our connection to G-d. And with G-d’s help, we will each be strengthened and Mashiach will come speedily. Amen.

AMIT Menorat HaMaor Hareidi High School, Petach Tikvah

Shoham Gadke, 10th Grade

Pesach, the Holiday of Unity Shalom, Pesach is almost here! The house is surely ready to welcome the Festival of Freedom, but are we ready to welcome it?

Have we already searched for the chametz that is in our hearts? Ha’Ari Hakodesh says that through our labor and sweat erev Pesach, man’s sins are cleansed and pardoned. But is this enough?

A person needs to cleanse all of the chametz from his heart. Perhaps this is one of the reasons that Pesach is also called the Festival of Freedom, because our hearts need to be free of any evil that may be in them.

One of the bad characteristics that we have in our hearts is that it is difficult for us to accept others. Pesach is also the holiday of unity.

At the Seder, we all sit together and discuss the Exodus from Egypt. When the Pesach sacrifice was brought in Beit Hamikdash, everyone would eat it together. We also have the four sons the wise, wicked, simple, and the one who doesn’t know how to ask. Despite all of their differences, they still manage to come together and sit around the same table.

Maybe each has his own perception and opinions, but still they are four, together, and not each one by himself.

We all need to accept and love each other, despite our differences.

The Baal Shem Tov would teach his students that Ahavat Yisrael (love of our fellow Jew) is love of HaShem, since we all children of G-d, and one who loves the Father loves also the sons.

Ahavat chinam (unconditional love) is one of the most important midot for every Jew, and not G-d forbid its opposite, sinat chinam (baseless hatred). With G-d’s help, thanks to ahavat chinam, we will merit a full and speedy redemption. *We were redeemed in Nissan and in Nissan will come the future redemption* *We should therefore have lots of ahavat chinam this month!* *Next year in the rebuilt Jerusalem*

AMIT Bienenfeld Havruta Yeshiva & Kollel, Kfar Batya, Ra’anana

Avishai Kopolovich, 11th Grade

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