בס״ד Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 2 The Significance and Meaning of the Seder by Abbie Lowenstein............................................. 3 The Four Cups of Wine by Yehuda Bromberg ............................................................................ 4 Four in the Haggadah by Tamar Grey ......................................................................................... 5 Ha Lachma Aniah Analysis by Revital Chavel ........................................................................... 7 Ma Nishtana by Emma Bellows .................................................................................................. 8 Understanding עבדים היינוby Avital Horowitz ............................................................................. 9 Remembering the Exodus at Night by Rebecca Shiner ............................................................. 10 Dealing With The Four Sons At The Seder Table by Rebecca Kahn ........................................ 11 Four Sons for the Price of One by Leah Gaynor ....................................................................... 13 The Ten Plagues; What You Didn’t Know by Moshe Brimm................................................... 15 Rabbi Yossi Says by Shana Rosenberg ..................................................................................... 18 Woman’s courage for Bnei Israel by Ariel Peritt ...................................................................... 19 Dayenu by Layla Stein ............................................................................................................... 21 What Rabban Gamliel Really Said by Samantha Miller ........................................................... 22 When Israel Left Egypt-Hallel By: Machol Benmeelech ......................................................... 24 The Sea Saw by Reuven Gottesman .......................................................................................... 26 Hallel by Kayla Eisenstein ......................................................................................................... 28 חד גדיה: The Key to Our Success by Gavi Stein ......................................................................... 29
הגדה תשע"ג
1
בס״ד
Introduction 'ה created the world in a unique manner in which the world becomes like “new” twice a year, in תשרי and ניסן. In fact, we find from the standpoint of הלכה this very same concept of renewal. In ('א:)רכ"ה חיים אורח we learn that if a person does not see his fellow friend for a time period greater than a year, upon meeting the person should say, “מתים מחיה ברוך.” The מהרש"א explains the reason that in the month of תשרי there is an ""התחדשות (“renewal”) equivalent to "המתים "תחית (a “resurrection of the dead”). This renewal also occurs in the month of ניסן, specifically the night of the סדר. The central theme of פסח is this unique התחדשות (renewal) that we receive. The world has two “birthdays,” one in תשרי and the other in ניסן. In the תשרי the world was born in פועל (operation and function), however the תוכננה (plan) was developed in the month of ניסן, specifically on the night of the סדר. We can see this theme, that ניסן is the beginning of the new year with the very first מצוה given to the ישראל בני as it is written in ()י"ב שמות, "השנה לחדשי לכם הוא ראשון ,חדשים ראש לכם הזה "החדש, “This month shall be to you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you.” Explain the ראשונים, this month will be to you, the source of all possible renewal within creation. This power of renewal was a necessity for ישראל בני who had fallen to the forty‐ninth level of טומאה (impurity), without it, ישראל בני could not have left מצרים (Egypt). In order to fully appreciate the greatness of this renewal that we find on פסח, we need to appreciate the tremendous depth that ישראל בני had fallen while in מצרים. The human body is made up of two distinct parts, the head and the body. The body which is the essential part of a person has all of the vital organs besides the brain. The head which is the connecting point between the physical body and a person’s spiritual נשמה, has the ability to control the body and direct it to spiritual endeavors (מצוות, mitzvoth). The mind has the easy ability to recognize that "אמת אלקיכם '"ה (Hashem is our G‐d, that is the essence of truth), while the body has the difficult task of changing our actions into spiritual works. As a side point, this is why we begin every holy day with קידוש, the physical lifting of a wine and the creation of קדושה (spirituality) with our words. With all of the wickedness the פרעה had bestowed on ישראל בני, the most damaging was forcing ישראל בני to forget this importance, that our thoughts need to direct our actions. We became so depraved that we forgot that our head leads our body and not the other way around. 'ה, with רחמנות, took us out in a renewal so long ago and will again sometime soon. However, this is only possible if we learn the lesson from our time in מצרים, our thoughts need to guide our body. This is the purpose of the סדר a night of learning, a night in which our minds our stimulated with תורה, a night in which we testify "אמת אלקיכם '"ה.
הגדה תשע"ג
2
בס״ד
The Significance and Meaning of the Seder by Abbie Lowenstein The Passover seder is one of the most sacred celebrations in Judaism. On Pesach, we became free, united as a nation, became the Am Hashem, The seder itself is the ritual meal to the Passover festivities. The Passover seder is the most familiar and widely observed ceremony in Jewish life. Through the exploration of various haggadot, it becomes evident that there are different views regarding the focus of the Passover seder. According to the Artscroll Family Series Haggaddah, the purpose of having a seder is to forge bonds between child and parent; a new link is added to the strengthening chain of generations. The family aspect of the seder is an integral part of the observance, for the Torah speaks frequently of the responsibility of parents to teach their children about Exodus. Of no other commandment in the Torah does it speak about children’s questions and parents’ answers. In essence, the focus of the seder is on the children and making an effort to ensure Jewish continuity through generations. The Complete Hebrew Chabad Haggadah says that the main focus of the Pesach seder lies in the idea that every person should see himself as if he were going out of Egypt. Beginning with our Patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, present day Jews should recount the Jewish people’s descent into Egypt and recall their suffering and persecution. Rabbi Naftali Silberberg of Chabad.org says that the Passover seder is not a commemoration of, but rather a reliving of Exodus. Such is the way we Jews aim to celebrate all of our holidays. What we should derive from the seder is that the same Divine revelation which triggered the miracles of Redemption in Egypt long ago is present every year on the night of the Seder. We, too, can be redeemed although we are not worthy. We need only to emulate our ancestors, to foster our faith in the impeding redemption, and commit to changing ourselves as befits a member of G‐d’s chosen nation. The message that Hinuch Yehudi Mishpati Haggaddah gives is that the purpose of the seder has to do with the preparation. In cleaning our house of any chametz and learning divrei Torah, we elevate ourselves on to a spiritual level that can only come at such a time in the Jewish year. Because ridding ourselves of something that plays such an important role in our daily diet only is commanded by G‐d once a year, it makes the act all the more meaningful. By the time we get around to actually having the seder, we are already at the spiritual level needed to fully understand the story of Exodus and feel G‐d’s presence at our table. An examination of different Haggadot reveals that there is no single meaning behind the Passover seder. As we gather around the table and discuss the hardships and miracles of our ancestors, we should keep all of the above explanations in mind. With such a mindset, we will gain the most meaning and be at the highest spiritual level achievable. All views aside, the הגדה תשע"ג
3
בס״ד
Seder is more than just a ritual. As the Malbim wrote, it is an educational experience. We must learn at the Seder, and we should teach at the Seder.
The Four Cups of Wine by Yehuda Bromberg The holiday of Pesach is one of the fundamental building blocks of the Jewish Faith. One of the essential Mitzvot of this holiday is drinking the four cups of wine. There are multiple questions revolving this Mitzvah and its practices. The following are answers to multiple questions surrounding the four cups of wine: 1. Why do we drink four cups of wine? The most widely accepted answer to this question is stated in the Talilay Orot. The rabbis concluded that the origins of the Mitzvah to drink four cups of wine, stems from the four utterances by Hashem when taking the Jews out of Egypt. The first cup is represented by the words “I will bring you out”. This sentence is in relation to the hard taxes the Jews had in Egypt. Hashem is telling the Jewish people that they will be rescued from their finical burdens. The second cup correlates to the words “I will save you”. The rabbis learn that this phrase is Hashem saying he will rescue the Jews from the Physical harm that the Egyptians inflicted upon them. The third cup is in regards to the phrase “I will redeem you”. This is in response to the psychological pain that the Jews felt in Egypt. Hashem is saying that he will help the Jews to regroup psychologically after this long traumatic experience. The fourth cup is in connection to the sentence “ I will take you out”. Hashem is saying that he will rescue the Jews from the spiritual low that they are on. He will raise up their faith in him and reignite their love for him. The four cups allow us to remember the four aspect in which Hashem saved us in Egypt. He rescued us financially, physically, psychologically, and spiritually. 2. When do we drink the cups of wine during the Seder? The cups are put in logical points in the Seder that correlate to their meanings. The first cup of the night we drink is the cup representing spiritual safety. We drink the cup during Kiddush, because Kiddush is representing our connection to Hashem. The second cup is the cup representing being saved from the physical harm of Egypt. We drink this cup after hearing the story of the Exodus to thank Hashem for rescuing us from slavery. The third cup הגדה תשע"ג
4
בס״ד
represents the finical rescue we received from leaving Egypt. We drink this cup after concluding Benching, to show our thanks for the meal we just enjoyed. The fourth cup is thanking Hashem from rescuing us psychologically. We drink this cup after Hallel to show that we were able to move on after this traumatic time in our history, and maintain a love for Hashem (Talilay Orot). 3. There is another utterance, “I will bring you out”, so why do we not drink another cup of wine? This is the fifth utterance of the pasuk in which Hashem describes taking the Jews out of Egypt. However, we do not drink this cup because it represents the future. This cup is designated for Eliyaho ha'navi. The final time of Hashem “bringing us out” is still not complete even after Egypt. The Jewish people still are in exile and therefore this cup is designated for the Meshiach (The Hagadah lyons edition by Rabbi Joseph Elins). Are woman obligated to fulfill this Mitzvah? The Gutnick Hagadah states the following: yes, women are obligated to fulfill this Mitzvah, because they also participated in the exodus from Egypt. Is all types of wine permissible ( red v. white) ? In the rendition of the Hagadah by Rabbi Moshe Finstein, there are several different sources and explanations on this question. The over whelming answer is that red wine is preferred over white. This can be due to the fact that red could represent the following: blood of the slain babies in the Nile River; the Korban Pasach; and/or the Mitzvah of Brit Milah. The Mitzvah to drink four cups of wine is rooted in the holiday of Pesach, because it highlights the staples of the holiday. We are thanking Hashem for taking us out of the over whelming burdens that the Egyptians inflicted upon us. Each cup has significances in its placement and origins.
Four in the Haggadah by Tamar Grey The haggadah contains many sets of numbers the most prominent of which is the number four. There are four sons, four questions, four cups of wine, the four expressions of redemption, and four phrases of Baruch Hamakom. The question is, then, why does the number four keep appearing in the haggadah? A possible answer could be that Pesach is the holiday celebrating our exiting the Egyptian exile, which is considered the paradigm for future exiles. In exile, the Jewish people, while we may forget many things that we had done while not in galut, still have the “law of your mother” as taught by Shomo Hamelech, which is the innate feeling of being Jewish; that through everything, we are still innately Jewish. The law of the mothers, which is the basic הגדה תשע"ג
5
בס״ד
guide for all Jews in galut, is shown in the fact that we got out of the galut in Egypt and so the number four comes from the four matriarchs to remind us of theis throughout the rest of the seder. Toras Menachem says that all four sons are essential because, like in the torah, if one letter is missing, it compromises the sanctity of the rest of the words, so all 4 sons are crucial to the Jewish people and they are equally important like all letters are equally important. So the word blessed is repeated four times because it’s our job to positively influence all four sons—to bring blessing to all their lives. Rav Kook mentioned that the wise and simple songs go together because they are both positive and interested in the Seder. The wicked son and the son that does not know go together because they are both not interested in the Seder In Baruch Hamakom, there are four phrases each of which represent one of the four sons. Rav Kook says that of the four phrases, two of them are hidden and two of them are revealed. “Blessed is the Omnipresent” represent the revealed aspect of the wise son. “Blessed is He” represents the hidden aspect of the wicked son. “Blessed is He who gave the torah” is the revealed aspect of the simple son. “Blessed is He” is the hidden aspect of the son who doesn’t know how to ask. The Arizal says that the four questions come from kabalah—there are four spiritual world between us and G‐d. atzilus (emanation), beriah (creation), yetzirah (formation), and asiyah (action), and each question corresponds to one of the spiritual worlds (now additions from torat menachem) it encompaces the chain of emanation stretching from hashem to man. Rav Kook says that the 4 expressions of redemption are another stage in the process of leaving Egypt and becoming a free nation. First we had to stop suffering under the Egyptians, Second we had to stop working for the Egyptians, third we had to actually leaving Egypt, and last of all, we had to make hashem our god through Matan Torah. Very similarily, each of the four cups may correspond to one of the stages of redemption: The beginning of the freedom, which was the lightening of the work; the act that was specific to the night of Pesach, physically leaving Egypt, and actually becoming gods people.
הגדה תשע"ג
6
בס״ד
Ha Lachma Aniah Analysis by Revital Chavel Man often tends to forget to appreciate his welfare when it becomes “the norm.” A theme of the Jewish holiday of Passover is the welfare of the Jewish people after their redemption from slavery. The Ha Lachma Aniah, a verse recited by Jews at the Passover meal, is geared toward reminding Jews to appreciate their freedom by hinting to the poor man and specifically to their lack of welfare when they were slaves. The verse hints to poverty in the following topic that is often discussed at the Passover meal: Why is unleavened bread that is usually called Matzah here called Lachma Aniah? According to the Abrabanel, the diction is to emphasize that this bread does not easily fill one up and therefore causes one to eat a lot of it and not leave any leftovers. Such are the ways of a poor man who does not have food to waste and therefore eats a lot and leaves no leftovers. According to the Maharal, the word aniah is a descriptive word for the bread that means small and thin and lowly, which is supposed to allude to the lowly poor man. According to Shiblei Halaket, the diction is to emphasize that the baking process is slow like the food‐ acquiring process of the poor man. Other great rabbinical sources argue that the same topic actually hints to the Jews’ slavery. According to Ramban, the word aniah is a descriptive word for the bread that means it was minimalistic, a reference to the bread that was eaten during the slavery in Egypt. According to Avodraham, the diction is to emphasize that this bread can be digested quickly and was therefore given to the Jews when they were in slavery. By alluding to not only the lack of welfare of the poor man, but also to the lack of welfare the Jews experienced in their own history, the Ha Lachma Aniah adds a personal level to the appreciation of freedom that it causes the Jews to express at the Passover meal. And therefore that appreciation will hopefully carry throughout the holiday and year.
הגדה תשע"ג
7
בס״ד
Ma Nishtana by Emma Bellows One of the most prevalent themes of the Seder night is to continue the Jewish tradition throughout each generation. We are commanded to use the Seder as a night focused on teaching. The teachings however, must be done out of interest. We must do things to provoke the child, so that he asks questions. Everything must be done to interest the child and inspire him or her to learn; we mustn’t bore the child with lecture. However, the Haggadah instituted specific questions that the child must ask at the Seder. The Ma Nishtana is a time where to child is practically told to be bothered. These questions are commanded of him or her, regardless of their interest. The practice of reciting the “Ma Nishtana” is often thought of as just another tactic into getting children to ask questions. However, the Malbim explains that the questions are asked for a much deeper reason. There is a major theme among the four questions. Each question compares a common night to the Seder night. On a deeper level, they juxtapose the painful life of persecution to the lavish life of freedom. In order to appreciate the Seder night, we must recount on our slavery. These questions make it more relevant. Instead of using historical references we make domestic references. Thus, helping the children and us comprehend just how miraculous the nisim of Pesach are. We need to be able to understand what we are thankful for before we express our gratitude. In regard to the Ma Nishtana the Ben Ish Chai asks the question: “The point is so that the children asks questions. Why would the child ask why they are reclining, wouldn’t they want to recline?” The customs of the Seder night are forced on the child. They may not understand completely why, but they know they must follow the laws. Although, they may prefer to recline on the Seder night tonight it is out of obligation. For a child the night is one of night of rule following and order. Isn’t that taking away a child’s freedom? On the night celebrating our freedom nonetheless. It is this perplexity that the Ma Nishtana is geared towards. This is why the child should be confused. The Rav Shach explains that the Ma Nishtana teaches much more than how to understand freedom, miracles, and gratitude; rather, how to learn. The content is important, but the format of the Ma Nishtana is its true lesson. Each question is prefaced with background information. Only after that, can one ask a question properly. When the children are memorizing the Ma Nishtana in school, they are learning a lesson that is applicable year‐ round and under all circumstances.
הגדה תשע"ג
8
בס״ד
Understanding עבדים היינוby Avital Horowitz היינו עבדים is a passage in the הגדה that’s supposed to remind us about מצרים יציאת. It states that Hashem saved us from slavery in מצרים and if He hadn’t, then we would still be enslaved by פרעה until this day. Even if we are wise and learn the תורה, we still need to tell the story of מצרים יציאת. The more we talk about it, the more Hashem will praise us. Although it may seem straight forward, there are a few questions that arise in order to understand this excerpt better. Tiferet Asher, the author of the Haggadah for Passover, asks a question regarding היינו עבדים. Why should we thank Hashem for taking us out מצרים if He put us there? Hashem didn’t take ישראל בני out of מצרים because He found us. If He did, our appreciation would make sense. But Hashem put us in slavery in the first place. The Talmud says, “A person must bless Hashem for evil that is visited upon him just as he blesses Hashem for the good which he was given”. This teaches us that even though Hashem caused us to suffer, we should still bless Him. Tiferet Asher poses a second question stating why would the Talmud expect a person to be happy about the hardships in his life? When we are reminded about the burdens in מצרים, we aren’t only reflecting on the slavery and the release from it. We are remembering all the other times that we’ve been in slavery. We are also commemorating the people who physically left מצרים. We need to recognize the physical trauma that our forefathers suffered. It’s important for a father to tell his son about the many miracles of Hashem. Rabbi Shalom Wallach, the author of The Palace Gates Haggadah, explains that חמץ represents the רעה יצר. Between חמץ and the מצה we eat on פסח, we are reminded that we cannot completely remove the הרע יצר from us. We can only control it. Another idea that Rabbi Wallach brings in is that in מצרים we were not obligated to keep the תורה and מצות. Why is that? The other nation’s pressures on us made it impossible for us to fulfill the ’תורהs laws. Presently, we are obligated to keep the תורה. אבהו רבי and אלעזר רבי both ask, why were ישראל בני punished to be slaves? What did אבינו אברהם do that his descendants were so severely punished? Three answers are given. The first answer is that אברהם stopped his students’ תורה learning so they could all go fight the four kings. Hashem punished ’אברהםs descendants with slavery for disturbing תורה learning. Another answer is when Hashem told אברהם that his descendants would receive ישראל ארץ, אברהם questioned Hashem by saying, “How do you know?” אברהם shouldn’t have questioned Hashem’s words. ספורנו gives the last answer which states that being enslaved wasn’t a punishment for אברהם. When ישראל בני first came into מצרים, they started to engage themselves in זרה עבודה. So therefore Hashem punished them.
הגדה תשע"ג
9
בס״ד
Another question that arises is how does נשתנה מה relate to היינו ?עבדים Why are they juxtaposed? We understand this through the act of leaning. Before we were עבדים and now we are like kings. This answers the fourth questions of נשתנה מה.
Remembering the Exodus at Night by Rebecca Shiner It’s a mitzvah on the Seder night To recount the Jewish people’s plight. From bondage to freedom the Jews did go With a mighty hand G‐d did show. Expounding on the Exodus from Egypt is a must, Giving praise to Hashem, the One we trust. No one should end the Seder early, He who continues all night is said to be praiseworthy. To prove the point, a story about some Rabbis is told To the face of the Romans, they were bold. Gathered were Rabbis Eliezer, Yehoshouah, Elazar, Akiva and Tarfon Talking about the Exodus from Egypt, not one did drone. Their Seder was conducted in the city of Bnei Brak, They continued their discussions until they heard their students knock. “Rabbis it is now morning, get on your feet, It is time to recite the Shema of Shacharit!” But should the story of the Exodus be told at night? Some people say that is not right. Rabbi Elazar ben Azriah had a theory That the story of Egypt must be told at night, even if one is weary. Rabbi Elazar be Azariah was the Sanhedrin leader, He was only eighteen; felt like a cheater. Hashem made a miracle to make him appear old הגדה תשע"ג
10
בס״ד
His hair turned white‐‐the rest of the members of the Sanhedrin were sold. The Rabbis questioned Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah’s autonomy, Until Ben Zoma explained the verse from Deuteronomy. Chapter sixteen, verse number three Requires us to remember the Exodus, we all agree. “Remember the Exodus all the days of your life A man, his sons, his daughters, his wife.” Remembering the Exodus during the day, is clear from the verse. Usually the Torah speaks in words that are terse. That the Torah added ""כלas an extra word, To mean that the Exodus must be remembered at night, Ben Zoma inferred. The Rabbis expounded, further deriving That the Exodus should be remembered even after the Messiah’s arriving. Ben Zoma’s interpretation is accepted as law, Next Year we should celebrate Pesach in ירושלים הבנויה.
Dealing With The Four Sons At The Seder Table by Rebecca Kahn Every year during the Peasach Seder we read about the four sons. Their presence is important because it shows that although Pharaoh tried to murder newborn baby boys, confine the babies in the walls of פיתום ורעמסס, interfere with Jewish family life, and keep the children from going with the adults to serve Hashem, he was unsuccessful in his quest to destroy the future of the Jewish people. Each son, mentioned in the haggadah, is unique and asks a question that serves a specific purpose. The first son is the ָחכָם and he asks אלוקינו ‘ה מַה ָהעֵדוֹת ְו ַהחֻקִּים ְוהַמִ שְׁ ָפּטִים אֲ שֶׁ ר ִצוָּה אֶ תְ כֶם. The טללי אורות explains that when he asks about עֵדוֹת, he is asking about the laws pertaining to historical happenings such as the קרבן פסח and eating matzah which testify to the miracles Hashem performed for us when we left Egypt. When he asks about the חֻקִּים, he is asking about certain commandments of Peseach we perform without understanding why and lastly, when he asks about מִ שְׁ ָפּטִי ִם he is asking about the details of particular laws pertaining to the מצוות of Peseach. A person might ask, “Why is the wise son not criticized for describing the מצוות of Peasach as applying to you just as the wicked son is?” The Artscroll Haggadah suggests that this child, who did not leave Egypt, is asking his father who did. The father was in Egypt when the commandments of Peasach were given so the child is saying “you” who הגדה תשע"ג
11
בס״ד were in Egypt and asks his question. Another reason why the ָחכָם is not criticized is because of how he phrases his question. He says אֶ תְ כֶם, you, implying you heard Hashem’s commandment as to opposed to ָלכֶם, which the רשָׁע says, implying the commandment was directed to you ָ rather than to me. The next son is the רשָׁ ע. He asks ֶם ָ מָה ָהעֲבדָ ה הַזאת ָלכ. The Kol Menachem Haggadah explains that the wicked son is asking, “Why are you imposing all this bother of the Seder on us which is delaying the meal? Therefore we are told to “hit his teeth” which are used to chew and eat. HaShir VeHashevach quoted by the Artscroll Haggadah suggests another reason why we should hit his teeth. When we look at the ’רשָׁעs question, we see that he is just concerned ָ with his earthly desires and does not want to live a life that rejects this senseless pursuit. Therefore, he needs to have his teeth knocked out so he will be unable to enjoy food, drink, or other physical things, which will then allow him to focus more on what is important in life and draw closer to the Torah. The רשָׁ ע is the complete opposite of the ָם ָ ָחכ so why is he placed after the ? ָחכָם The Kol Menachem Haggadah states that the four sons correspond to the four spiritual worlds. The wise son corresponds to the highest world which is Atzilus and the wicked son corresponds to the lowest world, Asiyah. Asiyah is placed next to Atzilus because Asiyah needs light which is taken from the highest world, Atzilus. The third son is the תָּ ם, simple son. He asks מַה זאת, what is this? It is a simple and sincere question and shows a desire to be informed. We explain to him that Hashem took us out of Egypt with a strong hand. This answer is given to him so that he understands that Hashem is with us even during the times when we are suffering and Hashem assures us of our survival. The last son, שֶׁאֵינוֹ יוֹדֵ ַע לִשְׁאוֹל, is unable to ask. Therefore, it says אַ תְּ פְּתַ ח לוֹ, you open for him. The Artscroll Haggadah explains that we need to make an opening for him so that he can get involved in the discussion of the redemption and thereby achieve an understanding of its basic points. It is interesting to note that it says אַת and not אתה. Since the child can not form his own question, he probably is at the age where he is dependent on his mother. She, therefore, will have the most success with explaining this story to the child and that is why the feminine form of you, אַת, is used. The Baruch She’amar believes that the word אַת which is made up of the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet is used to tell us that we should teach the child the entire story of יציאת מצרים from beginning to end. The four sons are all different, but they have one thing in common; they are all present at the seder table. We hope and pray that there will come a time when the רשָׁע, who rebels ָ against his Jewish heritage will become like the ָחכָם and embrace the Torah and its מצוות and that all children attending the seder will be Torah and מצוות observing Jews.
הגדה תשע"ג
12
בס״ד
Four Sons for the Price of One by Leah Gaynor By now, you’re probably starving and counting down the pages until Magid is over. I’ve already counted in my Hagadah: twenty‐six pages. So here you are again, reading yet another D’var Torah on the Four sons. You’re thinking, “Ok. There’s a smart guy, a wicked guy, the simple person, and the baby. Right? What’s there more to know? Why do I need to learn about these four people, their responses, and what we should say to them?” That, or you’re still staring hungrily at the matzah covered before you. Time to wake up and space in. You know those four sons you were not paying attention to? Yeah, well, there’s only one. “They” are us. So, the wise son: who is he? He can be knowledgeable. But wisdom here means that he had an epiphany. He has the realization that there is meaning behind the mitzvot, and they are not just there to constrain us. He wants to understand his purpose and G‐d’s reasoning.(ou.org) His curiosity isn’t limited to Judaism. He is the part of us that is always questioning and strives to find answers. He understands there is a purpose, he wants to know what it is. Why the response to his question that “we do not eat after the paschal lamb?” We don’t eat after the afikomen in order to preserve its flavor. It represents Hashem taking the us out of Egypt. Therefore, not eating after the afikomen is a way to preserve our remembrance that Hashem took us out of Egypt. But how could this be forgotten so quickly,especially after spending thirty‐one pages (in my megillah) on retelling the whole story? This is the flaw of the wise son. A wise person can depend on their wisdom to keep from from forgetting anything. “Of course I’ll remember this, how could a person with my curiosity and my wisdom forget this whole story?” Our response to his statement is a warning, “we do not serve any dessert after the Paschal lamb.” We have to remember that we are not infallible.(Torah Menachem.) Our minds can forget the presence of Hashem over and over again, as seen in Tanach and in modern times. So this response is a warning for us not to forget. The wicked son is the part of us that, like the wise son, has many questions about Judaism. However, the result of how he uses the answers he receives are different. He is the yetzer hara inside us. We can understand the reason of a mitzvah, but sometimes we just don’t want to do it. We don’t want to keep the halachot because they can feel constraining and limiting.. Therefore, he “asks” about the mitzvah in order to decide whether to do it or not. He wants to provoke us to respond because he wants to find a flaw in our answer in order to prove the Torah’s unreasonableness. This son asks, “why bother going through all this, just skip to the meal (Ritva.)” This is why we don’t answer with a rebuttal. He would just shoot every answer down with another argument. There is no reason. There is no way to explain because he is not in the mindset to understand to reason(The Redemption Hagadah). The only way to silence him, the yetzer הגדה תשע"ג
13
בס״ד
hara in us, is to simply explain to him, “you don’t want to be apart of this. Therefore, Hashem rescued me, did this for me, not for you.” We all have a part of us that is stubborn, and sometimes the only thing to cure it is to inspire ourselves, which is easier said than done. The simple son is the part of us that struggles. We all face difficult tasks that we find that we struggle with and feel like failures because they’re so hard. The simple son is simply facing a battle, whether internally or a physical one(The Redemption Hagadah.) He feels a lack of strength because he does not have the persistence of the wise or wicked son. We answer him that “Hashem took us out with an outstretched arm.” Hashem helped us during our time of weakness in Egypt, so too, Hashem will help us face our struggles now. We are reminding the part of ourselves that fears defeat and hopelessness to not give up, because Hashem is there to reach out and help us in our time of need. Finally, the son who does not know how to ask. I interpreted this characteristic the child who doesn’t care. He follows the law blindlessly without interest in the reasoning behind it. He lacks the passion and the drive necessary to be a part of the seder. He does not feel engaged (Torah Menachem). I think we all relate to this at some point. Magid is long, and can be very boring especially if you have no idea where you are in the hagadah or what you’re reading. We don’t feel a part of anything. The seder becomes a never ending passage of one Rabbi to the next. This is sad, and the exact opposite of what we should feel. Therefore, we respond to the son, ‘it is because of this that G‐d did for me when I left Egypt.” We must take the initiative and make him engaged.Talk to him, directly, in order to make him feel like he is a part of something, and eventually, he’ll become comfortable enough to talk and enjoy the seder the way it should be. We tell him the story so he’s no longer lost, and that is when he can ask a question. These four sons each make up a component in ourselves. We all are curious, have a yetzer hara, face struggles, and sometimes simply lose interest. Reading about these sons are a reminder to move forward, to keep questioning but remember that wisdom is not infallible, to defeat the yetzer hara inside of us, that Hashem is always there to help us in our times of trouble, and to inspire those who feel lost and unengaged.
הגדה תשע"ג
14
בס״ד
The Ten Plagues; What You Didn’t Know by Moshe Brimm
ONE‐ BLOOD Reasons Behind: The Egyptians wouldn’t let the women go to the Mikvah when they were in Niddah. What Happened During: The Egyptians bodily fluids turned to blood, the juice from fruits turned to blood and stones dripped with blood. All water turned to blood, even the wells that had been dug by the Egyptians. Salt water did not turn to blood, but it is inconsumable by humans. The fish died and rotted in the water because there was a tribe of Egyptians that drank blood, and this made them unable to drink it. Scientific Explanation (untrue): The Nile River had dried up and during that time and bacteria called Burgundy Blood algae or Oscillatoria rubescens grew so when it rained and the water flooded, it gave the red appearance of blood.
TWO ‐ FROGS Reasons Behind: The women had to soften their screaming from childbirth, so to, the Egyptians could not sleep or be in peace due to the constant noise the frogs made at all hours. What happened during: The frogs jumped into the stomachs of the Egyptians they lived inside. They jumped into the ovens and food, dying and making the food inedible. The frogs also jumped into the rectum of the Egyptians and exited through the mouth. There were 21,600 frogs for each Egyptian. Scientific Explanation (untrue): The frogs had to leave the Nile because of the toxic algae that was growing there. They were looking for a new habitat.
THREE ‐ LICE Reasons Behind: The Jews were forced to sweep the dust from the streets, homes, and shops. What happened during: There were 14 species of lice that enplagued the Egyptians. The smallest louse was the size of a chicken egg; the largest was the size of an ostrich egg. They covered everything including the walls and people. There was so much that the Egyptians didn’t even have to wear clothes. The Egyptians scratched at the lice until their skin fell off. Scientific Explanation (untrue): The dead fish and frogs attracted the lice. הגדה תשע"ג
15
בס״ד
FOUR ‐ WILD BEASTS Reasons Behind: The Jews were forced to go out into the wild and bring back animals for the Egyptians entertainment. What Happened During: Octopuses leaned their tentacles into houses and unlocked the doors from the inside so the other animals could get inside. The animals traveled with their habitats, so if they were from cold areas, they were accompanied by a snowy environment. Even animals which were natural enemies joined together to fight the Egyptians. Scientific Explanation (untrue): The animals came to eat all of the dead animals and insects that had come from the previous plagues.
FIVE – PESTILENCE Reasons Behind: The Jews were forced to do the backbreaking work instead of the animals. They pulled and plowed the fields by themselves. What Happened During: 90 percent of the Egyptian animals died. The all dropped dead and if there was an Egyptian riding one, it would die from the impact of the fall. Scientific Explanation (untrue): The dead fish and frogs had contracted malaria so when the animals came and ate them, they fell ill from the tainted food they had consumed.
SIX – BOILS Reasons Behind: The Jews had to maintain the bathhouses to be clean and warmed, but they were never allowed to bathe themselves. What Happened During: The boils covered the entire bod. Even their animals were covered in boils. The boils were so bad that they weren’t able to bathe. Pharaoh was hit with this plague more than all the other Egyptians and the magicians he had were cursed with boils for the rest of their lives. Scientific Explanation (untrue): The bites from the lice caused their skin to get infected and inflame to boils.
SEVEN – HAIL Reasons Behind: The Jews were forced to work in the fields without any rest, so when the hail fell, it did not rest and continued to fall. The hail also destroyed the fields which the Jews were being forced to work in. What Happened During: The hails was the size of six hands and as it fell there were earthquakes and lightning accruing at the same time. It was a mixture of fire and Ice. The fire burned in the insides of the ice. Scientific Explanation (untrue): There was ash in the air from a volcanic eruption which rose so high that it froze, so when it came back down it gave the appearance of being hail. הגדה תשע"ג
16
בס״ד
EIGHT – LOCUST Reasons Behind: The Jews were forced to plant the grain for the Egyptians, so the locust came and ate all of the grain of the Egyptians. What Happened During: There were so many locust that they blocked the sun from getting through. Their bites killed the Egyptians and they landed on the faces, eating their eyes. The locust ate through their clothing and jewelry. Scientific Explanation (untrue): Locust comes when the ground is damp, so because the ground was damp from the hail, they came and planted their eggs in the ground.
NINE – DARKNESS Reasons Behind: The Egyptians had to work from early in the morning until late at night and they were forced to hold the torches for them, bearing light when it was dark. What Happened During: The plague lasted for 3 days and during the time the Egyptians were rooted to their spot, not being able to move. It was a thick dark ness like fog. Scientific Explanation (untrue): There was so much ash in the air from recent volcanic explosions that it blocked their sight.
TEN – DEATH OF FIRSTBORN Reasons Behind: This was revenge for the Jewish babies that were drowned by the Egyptians. What Happened During: All the firstborns died, men and women. After they died, their bodies tuned to dust. This was a direct act of Hashem, he did not send an angle to do this worm, and he killed all of the children himself. Dogs dug up firstborns that had already died in the previous plagues and mutilated their bodies. 600.000 firstborns killed their own fathers because they wanted their fathers to release the Jews so they would not die. The screams from that night were so loud they were heard form far away. There were only two first born which did not die on that night: Pharaoh and his daughter Batya because she saved Moshe from the Nile. Scientific Explanation (untrue): The firstborns were the ones to take care of the families after the fathers died, so because the food was scarce, they were the only ones who got to eat. The food that they ate was moldy and destroyed from the hail and locust, so it got them sick and killed them.
הגדה תשע"ג
17
בס״ד
Rabbi Yossi Says by Shana Rosenberg Rabbi Yossi says the following: “From where do we learn that the Egyptians were stricken with ten plagues in Egypt, and with another fifty at the sea?” The first plague that took place in Egypt was the plague of blood. One may ask why the Egyptians were smitten with the plague of blood? According to Freedom of the Soul Haggadah by Rabbi David Goldwasser, when Hevel murdered his brother Kayin, Hashem told Hevel that the blood of his brother was crying out to him. Ever since then, the blood of the murdered refuses to be stilled. This is why the Egyptians were struck with the plague of blood. The plague of blood brought them face‐to‐face with their murders. The water that turned into blood was the blood of innocent children they had forced into the Nile. In Shemot 8:15, the magicians of Pharaoh tell Pharaoh that the finger of God struck the Egyptians with the plagues in Egypt and at the sea. In Touched by the Seder by Rabbi Yechiel Spero, the Avnei Nezer explains that one can split something in one of two ways. It can be split from the outside and torn into two, or it can be split from within. Not only did the finger of God stricken Egypt with plagues, but it also split the sea from the outside. Rabbi Yossi goes on to say that ten plagues came from that one finger. This explains how there were ten plagues that struck Egypt. Rabbi Yossi concludes by saying that if the Egyptians were struck with one finger in Egypt, then they must have been struck with a whole hand of Hashem, which explains that they were struck with fifty plagues at the sea. In The Seder Night: An Exalted Evening by Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchick, it is stated that on Pesach, God met the community of Jews in its entirety. No individual was singled out, no matter how great they were. This is why the name of Moshe does not appear in the Haggadah, except for one time, because he is not being singled out as better than any other Jew at the time. We should take this message to show that no one Jew is better than the other. No matter how great they are, no matter how much money they have, and no matter how inspiring they are, we are equal and we are special in our own different ways. Chag Sameach!
הגדה תשע"ג
18
בס״ד
Woman’s courage for Bnei Israel by Ariel Peritt Woman during the time of enslavement in Egypt played an enormous role in the Jewish nations outcome. Leaving Egypt could not have been done without the acts of courage, kindness, and determination of the woman figures at that time. The Talmud states, “In reward for the righteous woman of that generation, Israel were redeemed from Egypt” (Babylonian Talmud, Sotah). Yocheved, Bat Pharaoh, and Miriam affected the course of the Jewish nation through their individual acts in Egypt. We read about their behind the scene acts of goodness in the Haggadah every year. Yocheved, the mother of Moshe, Aaron, and Miriam, saved the Jewish nation through her courage and bravery. Her courage was shown when she willingly had a child after the decree had already been issued that all baby boys must die. She hid her baby boy for three months and when she couldn’t hide him anymore, placed him in a basket on the river against royal decree. Rabbi Jonathan Sack’s Haggadah states, “She is a person with action, determination, and courage.” She gave birth to three children destined to lead Bnei Israel and were all given the gene of leadership from their mother, Yocheved. Many commentaries agree that the two midwives, Shifra and Puah, were in fact Yocheved and Miriam. Based on this assumption, Yocheved saved many lives by using her courage to overrule the royal decree again and go by her beliefs. If Yocheved had chosen not to give birth to a baby, Moshe would not have been born and therefore Bnei Israel would not have left Mitzraim, received the Ten Commandments, or received Israel as their homeland. Bat Pharaoh, brave, affectionate, and kind, single handedly altered the course of Bnei Israel by choosing to save the little boy in the basket. She grew up in a mitzri palace, with mitzri beliefs and when she found a baby boy in the nile, she saved him. There have been many disputes on why Bat Pharaoh saved the boy and what saving the boy did to her. Some commentaries say that she converted and went against her father’s ways. Rashi says that when she opened the basket, she saw the schina that accompanied the boy. To be able to see the schina shows her holiness. In addition, we see what great kindness she did before Hashem because when she names the baby Moshe, we still call him by that name “And she called his name Moshe” (Shmot 2:10). From here we understand how great the reward is for those who perform acts of kindness because although Moshe had many names, the name which he is known throughout the Torah is the one Bat Pharaoh gave to him and Hashem didn't call him by any other name then that one (Midrash Rabbah). If it weren’t for this act of Bat Pharaoh’s courage, the whole story of the exodus from Egypt would have been different. Since the beginning of her life, Miriam has played an immense role in altering the path of the Jewish nation. We learn from Rashi that Yocheved and Amram, the parents of Moshe, Miriam, and Aaron, got divorced to insure they would not have a baby due to Pharaohs decree of killing Jewish babies boys. Rashi explains that Miriam, as a little girl, convinced her הגדה תשע"ג
19
בס״ד
parents not to get back together and have a child, which would later become Moshe. She urged them by saying that their decree was worse then Pharaohs; Pharaoh was instilling no baby boys, which is 50 % while they are making it 100% with no child at all (Rashi shmot 2:1 לוי בת את )ויקח. By convincing her parents to have a child, Miriam was the essential reason Moshe was born. If Moshe weren’t born, the Jewish nation would remain slaves in Egypt, never receive the Ten Commandments, and never travel to their homeland, Israel. Miriam took a risk of following the basket containing the baby as it went down the Nile. Just like her mother, she had the courage to go against royal decree and walk up to a princess and ask if she wants her to go find a Jewish mother to nurse the baby. The idea that a little girl could walk up to royalty with no reprimanding is amazing. Without her, Moshe would never know his identity (sacks). Without Miriam, the Jewish people would not have been able to leave Mitzraim for lack of Moshe, lack of hope, and lack of unity. Through their individual acts of courage and determination, Yocheved, Bat Pharaoh, and Miriam were the reasons of Exodus. Without them, Moshe would never have been born. Although there is no direct mention of these woman figures in the Haggadah, Moshe’s name is absent as well. The two themes in the Haggadah, being enslaved in Egypt and leaving Egypt, would not have been possible without the actions of Miriam, Yocheved, and Bat Pharaoh. Once a year at our Passover Seder, we must acknowledge the actions of these woman leaders. Without them, there would be no Moshe, Exodus, or nation of Israel.
Bibliography Rabbi Jonathan Sack’s Haggadah. Woman and the Exodus. Parsha Shmot in Depth. Chabad.org http://www.chabad.org/parshah/in‐depth/default_cdo/aid/35803/jewish/In‐Depth.htm Kadari, Tamar. DAUGHTER OF PHARAOH: MIDRASH AND AGGADAH http://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/daughter‐of‐pharaoh‐midrash‐and‐aggadah Chabad.org. Shmot 2:10 http://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/9863/jewish/Chapter‐2.htm Babylonian Talmud, Sotah http://www.come‐and‐hear.com/sotah/sotah_0.html Midrash Rabbah הגדה תשע"ג
20
בס״ד
Dayenu by Layla Stein From the moment that Moshe confronted the Jews and revealed the possibility of freedom to his death forty years later, the Jews did nothing but complain. They whined about every contributing factor that brought them a bit closer to Israel, and they never truly seemed to realize that everything that Hashem did for them in the midbar was a gift. They had no right to complain at all—they didn’t even earn their special treatment. But now we have a song in the Haggada that specifically emphasizes the fact that each deed that Hashem did for us would have “sufficed” us—dayenu. Dayenu can mean a number of things. It could mean that every act of Hashem was enough to make us appreciate Him—but we know that that’s not exactly true. The piece can’t simply be a cover‐up for the sad fact that we didn’t appreciate anything that Hashem did for us at the time. Dayenu could mean that each deed of Hashem was enough to satisfy our basic needs. The most popular interpretation of dayenu is that each act of Hashem was enough for Him to earn our praise. Dayenu seems like a nice gesture, but it also seems that some of the humble claims made in the song can’t be true. How would it have helped us if we got the Mitzrim’s possessions but we couldn’t cross the Red Sea? Why would it have mattered if Hashem brought us to Har Sinai if He didn’t give us the Torah? Or not brought us to Israel? And this inquiry might raise another question: Did Hashem really do all of this for our sake? What indicates that His actions were not just to punish the Mitzrim? Just to quickly establish a sense of peace on that last issue—while Hashem was simultaneously saving the Jews while also punishing the Mitzrim, there was no clear indication of whether His actions were primarily to save the former or to spite the latter. But what does indicate His intentions is His choice of action once the Mitzrim are punished. The fact that Hashem continued to care for us (even through our complaints) after the Mitzrim’s demise shows that His previous actions were for us (The Palace Gates Haggadah). So what about the claim that all would have been well even if we were brought to Har Sinai but not given the Torah? It’s a gift that seems to benefit Hashem more than us, and we’re saying that we didn’t need it? That’s a bit insulting, considering the apology we’re essentially trying to slip into the song. But there was a drastic change at Har Sinai, even before we got the Torah. Despite all of the miracles that the Jews saw Moshe perform, they couldn’t believe that they were an act of G‐d. It could have been magic—or happenstance. Har Sinai was the first time that the Jews encountered Hashem directly. His presence alone would have been enough to convince the Jews of His existence and care for them. They didn’t need the Torah in order to believe (Rabbi Jonathan Sacks’s Haggadah). There is also the random but important question concerning the macot. The song seems to mention the macot twice—once in general and once with a specific macah. The first time, it says that Hashem judged against the Mitzrim, and the second time, it mentions the final macah—the killing of the first‐borns. No other macah is specifically mentioned. What’s different about the tenth macah? The first nine were specifically directed at those who הגדה תשע"ג
21
בס״ד
deserved the punishment. (The text that refers to it even says “judged against.”) The tenth was not. Obviously, not all the first‐borns deserved the same fate. The distinction between the first nine macot and the tenth shows that Hashem recognized the discrepancy and didn’t wish to punish the first‐borns unjustly (Haggadah shel Pesach). Despite (and more likely due to) the Jews’ lack of faith and appreciation in Hashem, we proudly recite dayenu during the seder. But dayenu isn’t just an apology for our actions in the midbar—it’s used to enhance our vague connection with Hashem by listing His aspects that naturally connect to us. The song shows that Hashem acted purely for our benefit, His appearance secured our belief in Him, and He acts justly even when it doesn’t seem like it. Those attributes and connections are essential, especially coming from a nation that is so easily led astray from the important aspects that life has to offer.
What Rabban Gamliel Really Said by Samantha Miller Zaidie: Okay everyone, listen close. I am going to tell you all about Rabban Gamliel’s discussion of Pesach, Matzah, and Maror. I know you’re all getting a little tired, but trust me, this is the most interesting things I will have said all evening! Shmuli: But Zaidie! I want to hear a story! Zaidie: A story, eh? Hmm, let me look into my Weinstock edition, ArtScroll Haggadah. Ah, yes. I have a beautiful story right here! But first, let me ask you a question. You all know that Matzah represents our freedom and Maror represents Egypt’s embitterment of our lives, right? Everyone at the seder table: Yes, Zaidie… Zaidie: Great! Well then, how come we mention Matzah, our salvation, before Maror, the embitterment, in this passage with Rabban Gamliel? Don’t we want salvation to come after the embitterment of our lives? Dovid Mendel Yitzchok: Do we mention it after because the walk was still hard? Zaidie: No. Stop Talking. Dovid Mendel Yitzchok: But… Zaidie: Shhh. Anyways, here’s where the story plays in. The Chafetz Chaim brings in a personal story. During World War I, many European Jews were forced to flee, which meant that they had to abandon their businesses. After the situation got a little better, a successful business man came to the Chafetz Chaim and asked for continuous success. The Chafetz Chaim explained that if he was successful when the times were bad, how much more successful would he be when the times are good! But the business man then clarified to the Rabbi that he was a grain merchant who was only successful because of the harsh time period. During a famine, everyone is willing to pay extra money to get their hands on some הגדה תשע"ג
22
בס״ד
food, regardless of its quality. But now that almost everything is back to normal, business will be difficult because everyone can again afford to be picky with their food. Shmuli: But what does that have to do Matzah coming before Maror? Zaidie: I was hoping you’d ask that! The lesson that the Chafetz Chaim derived from this business man can be seen as a metaphor. Torah study is declining and we are experiencing a spiritual famine. Every act of kindness you do now will count more than it did in the past. Similarly, when the Jews were in Egypt, Hashem had no real justification for their liberation. He, therefore, gave them the mitzvot of the pesach sacrifice and circumcision. It was a big deal if they did those mitzvot. Our redemption was brought on by the bitterness we faced. Through bitterness, spiritual success was born. Therefore, Maror can also be seen as a symbol of redemption. Dovid Mendel Yitzchok: Wait, I don’t understand. Zaidie: Oy. Of course you don’t. You never do! Here’s an idea! Pay attention! Dovid Mendel Yitzchok: But I was… Zaidie: Dovid Mendel Yitzchok! Please! Be quiet. Devorah: That was beautiful, Tati. But what does Rabban Gamliel mean when he points out the Pesach, Matzah, and Maror? Is he telling us the duty of the Haggadah, which includes these 3 things, or is he stressing the duty of eating and pointing out these 3 things? Shmuli: Haha, Ima said doody. Zaidie: That she did, Shmuli. That she did. But seriously, your question is exactly what the regular ArtScroll Mesorah Series Haggadah points out! According to most commentators, this one specifically being Malbim, Rabban Gamliel means that in order to properly fulfill the duty of telling the story of Exodus, we must also talk about the Pesach, Matzah, and Maror. We know this because the telling of the Pesach story is triggered by the breaking of the Matzah, and other actions. This action of pointing is like a summary of the whole seder thus far. Devorah: Wow! Um, Zaidie? Dovid Mendel Yitzchok has some questions for you, and he asks that you don’t yell at him this time. Zaidie: I’ll try my best. But be snappy. Dovid Mendel Yitzchok: What Mitzvah do you not fulfill if you don’t mention the Pesach, Matzah, and Maror? Zaidie: The mitzvah of reading the haggadah. Good question. Dovid Mendel Yitzchok: Why do we speak this out loud? Zaidie: When we say things out loud, it means that they are important to us. By saying Pesach, Matzah, and Maror, it shows our appreciation for the miracles Hashem performs. Dovid Mendel Yitzchok: Aren’t these things already discussed in the Mah Nishtanah? Zaidie: Actually, in Mah Nishtanah, they are only mentioned. It is here that they are discussed. Dovid Mendel Yitzchok: Thank you, Zaidie! You’re so smart! Zaidie: Maybe I underestimated you. You do seem to have an actual head on your shoulders. Those were really great questions! Dovid Mendel Yitzchok: Well… Actually… I was just reading 400 Mi Yodea, a Hebrew source, and I can only translate the questions. But thanks… הגדה תשע"ג
23
בס״ד
Devorah: Dovid Mendel Yitzchok, don’t upset your Zaidie. Please keep your mouth shut for the rest of the seder. Food is coming soon.
When Israel Left Egypt‐Hallel By: Machol Benmeelech Israel, the house of Jacob, Who came to Egypt and left unchanged Left, from a people‐ Who’s language was unlike their own, Alien as the plagues that struck them down. It would be then that Judah would become His sanctuary, His dwelling A tribe that would hold up his crown, For while all of Israel fled, Only Judah led. Still the nation of Jacob remain his dominion, Loyal and of one heart, All stood together never to part. Look oh sea! Look and flee, And Jordon, you turn back As Israel retains the purity you lack! The mountains were as rams, The hills like lambs What did you see you sea? Was it the staff engraved with His name? Or was it Joseph’s casket, That made you understand That just as he removed himself from adultery And understand the importance of purity, So you parted and left open sand? Your actions left the non‐believers to question, Their disbelief in Him. הגדה תשע"ג
24
בס״ד
Jordon why turn backwards? Was the presence of Hashem to great? That caused your turning fate? Mountains you skipped like rams, Little did you know you skipped for the promise, The promise of your future, When His commandments will be upon you. And Hills like lambs, Like the sheep who followed Israel’s great leader. The only answer you shall need You found in the heavens, The answer is that such miracles Against natural order, Would only for the chosen nation occur. Through their guarding of, Name, Language, And Morality, They merited the protection of the Lord of their forefathers. It is at this moment, The world will turn and change, And realize That greatness is found, Not in man, But above. Let the people of the earth watch The sons of Jacob glorify Him. Before the presence of The God of Jacob, Who turns rock into a pond, As when Moshe will hit the stone it will respond The flint into a flowing fountain. This is the moment in time, הגדה תשע"ג
25
בס״ד
That began our nation.
Bibliography Heritage Haggadah‐Eliyagu Kitov הגדה מדרש The Malibim Haggadah Freedom of The Soul‐Rabbi David Golwasser The Sepharidic Heritage Haggadah The Chofetz Chaim Haggadah Let my People Go
The Sea Saw by Reuven Gottesman As we conclude מגיד, immediately before we make a ברכה on the second כוס, we say the first two paragraphs of הלל. The second paragraph of הלל is a lyrical account of how even nature itself trembled and rejoiced at the מצרים יציאת, exodus, when the Supreme Power, The King of Kings, הוא ברוך הקדוש intervened to rescue us, as we were powerless in front of our pursuers. Within the paragraph we come across a פסוק that requires more than a simple explanation. We will look at a number of sources that appear to contradict each other or have little connection, hopefully being able to answer the questions and bring הלל into a new light. The פסוקsays, "וינוס ראה "הים “the Reed Sea saw, and it fled.” The מדרש טוב שוחר ()קי"ד asks, “What did the סוף ים see, it saw the "יוסף של ”"ארונו, “the casket of Yosef.” The גמרא in (.)י"ג סוטה מסכת explains based on the פסוק of את משה "ויקח "יוסף “עצמותand משה took the bones of יוסף with him,” that a person should come and see how precious מצוותopportunities are to משה, because while all of ישראל בני were going around מצרים and gathering gold, משה was doing a מצוה. The גמרא then brings a פסוקfrom משלי to strengthen this point, "חכם "מצוות יקח לב “A person with a wise heart takes mitzvoth.” Every night in מעריב, immediately after שמע קריאת we say the paragraph of ואמונה אמת. In this paragraph we say, "משה לפני ים "בוקע “the Reed Sea split in front of משה.” חז"ל explain that this means that the sea split in honor of משה. Finally, there is a מדרש near the very end of the תורה, in which משה asked on the day of his death one final time for 'ה to allow him into ישראל ארץ. 'ה responded “I have already written about you in משלי that you are יקח לב 'חכם הגדה תשע"ג
26
בס״ד 'מצות, and now you want to enter into ישראל ארץ, surely you know that this is impossible.” Based on the sources previously stated, we have a number of difficulties. First, what is the reason that the סוף ים split, was it for the bones of יוסף (as the מדרשexplains) or משה (as we say in ?)מעריב Second, The famous מהרש"א, asks on the גמרא, what was so unique about this action that makes משהwise? Why could the גמרא not call משה a ""צדיק or "?"חסיד What did משה do that he was deserving to be called a "?"חכם Third, how was 'ה response appropriate, משה made a fair request, and 'ה responded, “I already gave you a compliment?” In order to be begin to develop an answer, we need to understand that ישראל בני left מצרים before they completed the four hundred years that 'ה promised that they would be in גלות. Further, (.'י )שבת תוספות explains that ישראל בני were punished with hard work because the brothers, the 'ה שבטי, sold יוסף. Based on this תוספות, we cannot give the answer that we have all learned in school, that when 'ה mentioned that ישראל בני were to be in גלות for four hundred years, that was either four hundred physical years or the equivalent of four hundred years of work. Why were the ישראל בני allowed to leave early? The חיד"א in his דוד אהבת ספר explains based on the פסוק in בשלח פרשת of: "ויקח "עמו יוסף עצמות את “משה And משה took the bones of יוסף with him,” that משה took all of the bones of יוסף as a symbolic gesture to represent that he removed the sin that was done to יוסף. If you want to attempt to envision the conversation that משה had with the סוף ים, we can explain that it went like this: משה: 'ה told me to command you to split סוף ים: I cannot do anything that goes against הטבה דרך, the way of nature. If I go against nature, 'ה will immediately destroy me. משה: But 'ה commands you to split! סוף ים: That cannot be true, 'ה commanded ישראל בני to be in גלות for four hundred years on account of the 'ה שבטי selling יוסף into slavery. משה: I have taken responsibility for the sins against יוסף. סוף ים: Prove it! משה: Here are the bones of יוסף. We can say that the סוף ים did not want to split on behalf on ישראל בני because they did not complete the appropriate amount of time in גלות, because the hard work was not to release ישראל בני early, but to punish them for selling יוסף, and the סוף ים knew that if it would defy its role in nature without permission from 'ה it would be destroyed. However, once the סוף ים saw that משה was carrying the bones of יוסף as a symbolic gesture to show that he took responsibility for the חטא, sin, that was done to יוסף, it readily split. Once משה took responsibility for the sin of selling יוסף, the additional hard work that ישראל בני did in מצרים was no longer necessary to be a punishment for selling יוסף, and could revert back to being a credit of additional labor to allow ישראל בני to leave early. Now we can answer the first question about the differences between the מדרשand מעריב. In מעריב, we say that the הגדה תשע"ג
27
בס״ד sea split in front of משה, which means because of משה. What did the סוף ים see to cause it to split? The bones of יוסף, משה accepting responsibility for the sin of selling יוסף. We can see a small hint of this from the תבות ראשי of the word ""ים which can mean, "משה "יוסף The גמרא in סוטה which explains that משה was called a חכם for gathering the bones of יוסף while all of ישראל בני were gathering the gold of מצרים now can easily be understood. משה knew that ישראל בני were leaving מצרים before they were supposed to. משה also understood that currently as ישראל בני were leaving, the additional hard work that they performed was being credited to sin of selling יוסף. Therefore, משה knew that he had to go and take responsibility for the sin of יוסף freeing up the additional hard labor that בני ישראל did, so the labor could be credited to leaving early. This is why משהtook the bones of יוסף out of מצרים to show that he took responsibility for the sin of selling יוסף. Therefore, it is an appropriate statement to call משה a חכם for this well thought out plan. Finally, now we can understand the מדרש describing ’משהs final plea to enter into ארץ ישראל. 'הresponded to משה that he was already called a חכם. 'ה told משה that ’משהs plan was accepted and he was allowed to take responsibility for the sin of selling יוסף allowing the hard labor to be credited to leaving early, and forcing the סוף ים to defy nature and split. However, there were consequences for this plan, משה now has responsibility for the sin of selling יוסף, so he cannot enter into ישראל ארץ. May it be the will of 'ה that our punishment will speedily end and משה will be allowed to lead into ישראל ארץ in the coming year!
Hallel by Kayla Eisenstein The phrase that is repeated after every statement is “His kindness is forever”. In this, the “His” is referred to as Hashem. In this piece of Hallel we are thanking Hashem. We are thanking him on a large variety of reason. From creating the earth to taking us out of Egypt, we are thanking Hashem for the every little thing he has given us. Nevertheless, this piece from Hallel does target specific people rather than the Jewish people as a whole. It can be seen that Hashem targets certain people based off of the line, “To Him Who performs great wonders alone”. It is known that one must be worthy in order to personally witness a grand miracle. But this can also bring up the issue about what if a person does not merit a miracle at a time where a miracle is needed. Toldos Yitzchok helps explain that Hashem will perform a miracle on his own even if a person does not merit the miracle. A different group of people that were later on called out specifically were people from Bnei Yisrael based on the quote, “And took Israel out from their midst”. The ‘their” is referring to the Egyptians. Rabbi Ychezkel Abramsky points out that later on this line is somewhat repeated but in a different wording. The slight repetition of this phrase later on was, “It was on that very day that Hashem took out the Children of Israel from the land of Egypt by their legions”. The repetition of the information must have a reasoning behind it. Rabbi Abramsky explains a term, “legions of Hashem”. These were the Jewish people who were anxious to escape the immoral atmosphere of Egypt. These were the people who were quick when it הגדה תשע"ג
28
בס״ד
came to purifying themselves and follow the directions that were given by Hashem. The other Jews were the ones who were not excited about leaving the land of Egypt and following the requests of Hashem. “The Legions of Hashem”, refers to the first group of Jews who were ready to get out of the land of Egypt. While, “the Children of Israel” referred to the other Jews who were less enthusiastic about being taking out of Egypt against their will. This piece in Hallel allows the Jewish people to take a moment and reflect on the various acts that Hashem has done for us. Although some of these phrases were directed towards certain types of people, we are Hashem’s people and we can learn from those specific people. On this Passover, we should take a moment to reflect on what Hashem has done for us in the past, taking us out of slavery and out of Egypt, and present such as miracles or the sun. Taking just a moment to reflect can make anyone’s Passover just a bit more meaningful.
חד גדיה: The Key to Our Success by Gavi Stein One of the timeless questions of humanity is “How can an omnipotent God exist when there is evil in the world?” The midrash says that when God was going to create the universe, Truth said, “Let him not be created, for he will be full of falsehood.” Peace said, “Let him not be created, for he will never cease quarreling.” And Peace is right; if man will never stop fighting, it does not matter how much good he does. The world will be inherently evil. As Rabbi Jonathan Sacks points out in his book Essays on Passover, this midrash flips around our question of faith: “The question is not: given the nature of the world, how can God exist? but rather, given the nature of God, how can the world exist?” (Sacks, 134). The first question blames God; the second blames man. The midrash continues: “What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He took truth and threw it to the ground.” The problem was that with the existence of God’s truth, nothing as cruel as man should be able to exist. To solve this, God put truth down to Earth, within our reach. The only way to quell our animalistic instincts for war and conflict is to see the truth in front of us and grow outward with truth as our foundation. So will we never achieve peace? The fact that God created us indicates otherwise. He has faith in what He created, so much so that He believes that we will overcome the obstacles of our very nature in order to champion truth. However, the only way to accomplish this task is to grasp onto the truth that dwells on Earth. We only know truth because it is shown to us, and we have to put forth the effort in order to master it. During the Seder, we say, “”בשנה הבא בירושלים: “Next year in Jerusalem.” This is a statement that relies on God to forgive us for all the bad that we have done and to bring us home to Israel. In the song חד גדיה, a line in the last verse reads, “And then came the Holy One, blessed be He, and smote the angel of death.” God is the last one to overcome the sequence of animals, natural resources, manmade weapons, man himself, and finally the angel of death. This song ends the Seder with the notion that God is all-powerful, and just like הגדה תשע"ג
29
בס״ד everything in the song is able to—and does—overcome the previous, God is able to, and will, overcome the angel of death. In contrast to “next year in Jerusalem”, here we are not only putting our faith in God, but we are putting ourselves next to Him, asking Him to help us finally realize the truth about His omnipotence and our potential. We are no longer passive and dependent; we are proactive, aiming to become something that can only be achieved through both our will and God’s.
הגדה תשע"ג
30