Rabbi David Etengoff
 
ה' יעזור וירחם על אחינו כל בני ישראל בארץ ישראל ובכל חלקי הארץ
 
Parshiot Vayakel and Pekudei are narrative Torah portions that exactingly describe the construction of the Mishkan and the creation of the bigdei Kohanim (garments of the Kohanim). The word, “va’ya’os— and he made,” is used 40 times throughout these passages, 39 of which are stated anonymously. The one exception is the Aron Luchot HaBrit (Ark of the Covenant): “Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood, two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high.” (Sefer Shemot 37:1, this and all Bible and Rashi translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach). 
 
Why was Bezalel’s name mentioned solely in regard to the Aron Luchot HaBrit when he was designated by Hashem to be the designer and architect of every aspect of the Mishkan? This is particularly of the moment, since the Torah informs us:

“See, I [Hashem] have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have imbued him with the spirit of God, with wisdom, with insight, with knowledge, and with [talent for] all manner of craftsmanship to do master weaving, to work with gold, with silver, and with copper, with the craft of stones for setting and with the craft of wood, to do every [manner of] work.” (Sefer Shemot 31:2-5)
 
In his Commentary on the Torah, Rashi (1040-1105) suggests, “Since he [Bezalel] devoted himself to the work more than the other wise men, it [the Aron Luchot HaBrit] was called by his name [that is, the work was attributed to him alone].” In his Commentary on the Torah, the Ibn Ezra (1089-1167) notes that although Bezalel joined others in creating all of the Miskan’s holy vessels, his name was associated, in particular, with the Aron Luchot HaBrit based upon its singular kedushah. While both Rashi and the Ibn Ezra help answer our question, I believe the most holistic response has been offered by Rabbi Meir Simcha of Dvinsk (1843-1926) in his Torah commentary entitled, “Meshech Chachma.”
 
Rav Meir Simcha begins his analysis by noting that “other people participated in the construction of the various kalim at the time of the first and second Beit HaMikdash and will do so in the future.” (Sefer Shemot 37:1, this and the following translations my own)  This, however, is not the case regarding the Aron Luchot HaBrit, whose purpose was to house the Luchot HaBrit, since “from the time it was hidden away [shortly before the destruction of the first Beit HaMikdash], no other one could be built, for another set of  HaLuchot could never be constructed.” As such, the Aron Luchot HaBrit is called:

...the Aron Bezalel, which will exist throughout all the generations — and there will never be another. This is perhaps the reason for our verse’s specificity [when it states, “and Bezalel made,”] to teach us that throughout the generations another Aron HaBrit, and set of Cherubim, may never be produced — but, rather, only those that Bezalel fashioned.
 
According to Rav Meir Simcha, Bezalel’s name is associated with the Aron Luchot HaBrit because there can never be another one, since there will never be another set of Luchot. Consequently, the Aron Luchot HaBrit is forever known as Aron Bezalel, the one and only Aron Luchot HaBrit that was created by Bezalel.
 
Rav Meir Simcha continues his discussion by addressing why Hashem chose Bezalel to build the Aron Luchot HaBrit. His position is based upon his view of the order of historical events surrounding the sin of the Egel HaZahav and the Mishkan, which is hotly debated among the Torah commentators. In Rav Meir Simcha’s view, Hashem initially designated Bezalel as the architect of the Mishkan. Shortly following his appointment, however, klal Yisrael participated in the heinous incident of the Egel HaZahav. At that point, Bezalel was specifically charged with the construction of the Aron Luchot HaBrit:

The Holy One blessed be He was concerned following the sin of the Egel HaZahav that perhaps when someone would build the Aron HaBrit, they would have forbidden thoughts during its construction that would be infused with various kinds of idol worship. Therefore, Bezalel was chosen to build the Aron HaBrit, since his grandfather [Chur] was murdered because of his refusal to participate in the creation of the Egel HaZahav.
 
Rav Meir Simcha concludes his trenchant analysis with a clear explanation as to why Bezalel’s name was explicitly mentioned regarding the Aron Luchot HaBrit:
​
Therefore, based upon his [Bezalel’s] training and his natural orientation toward hating anything and everything associated with those who follow after foolishness, forms and images of all manner [of idol worship], he never would have embraced any of these foreign thoughts. Therefore, the Torah writes, “And Bezalel made,’ since he, and he alone, constructed the Aron HaLuchot without any [questionable] help whatsoever.
 
According to Rav Meir Simcha, Bezalel emerges as a true hero of the spirit who was blessed by Hashem with the unique talents and abilities not only to design and build the Mishkan in general, but to also construct the Aron Luchot HaBrit in particular. With Hashem’s help, may we be zocheh to follow in his footsteps b’taharah v’kedushah. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
 
The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email mailto:[email protected].
 
*** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd
 
*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link.

 
Rabbi David Etengoff
 
ה' יעזור וירחם על אחינו כל בני ישראל בארץ ישראל ובכל חלקי הארץ
 
The Tanach contains a number of instances when Hashem or His malach repeats an individual’s name within the same pasuk. One such example is Hashem’s command to Avraham to refrain from offering Yitzhak as a korban olah (completely burnt offering): “And an angel of God called to him from heaven and said, ‘Avraham! Avraham!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’” (Sefer Bereishit 22:11, this and all Tanach and Rashi translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)   In his Commentary on the Torah, Rashi (1040-1105) explains that this, and other such cases, reflect Hashem’s love for the person that is so called.
 
In contrast, our parasha contains a pasuk that is different from the usual manner of name repetition: “And it came to pass when Moshe descended from Mount Sinai, and the two tablets of the testimony were in Moshe’s hand when he descended from the mountain, and Moshe did not know that the skin of his face had become radiant while He had spoken with him.” (Sefer Shemot 34:29)  This is not your classic case wherein Hashem summons people by repeating their names, since our verse is part of a narrative and not a dialogue. In addition, this is the only pasuk in Chamisha Chumshei Torah that I have found wherein a name is cited three times. As such, it seems that Moshe’s name is not repeated because of Hashem’s love for him, but rather, for some other reason.
 
In his Commentary on the Torah, Rabbi Don Yitzhak Abarbanel (1437-1508) addresses the issue of the three-fold repetition of Moshe’s name and suggests two complementary explanations. Both focus on the spiritual-physical change that Moshe underwent as depicted in the conclusion of our verse, “and Moshe did not know that the skin of his face had become radiant while He had spoken with him.” The Abarbanel maintains that under normal conditions, Moshe’s transformation would have rendered him unrecognizable by the Jewish people. This, however, was not the case:

One ought not to think that as a result of the emanation of the brilliant Divine light the Jewish people were no longer able to recognize Moshe’s face. [Although] this lack of recognition takes place regarding an individual when their friend’s face changes because of a variety of reasons, this was most assuredly not the case regarding Moshe. Instead, the Jewish people perceived Moshe’s face as they always had done, and recognized that this was, indeed his face—even with the brilliant Divine light coming forth from him. (This, and the following translation, my own.)
 
In my estimation, it was crucial for our ancestors to continue to identify Moshe’s face, since this would eliminate the possibility of their proclaiming once again, “Come on! Make us gods that will go before us, because this man Moshe who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we don’t know what has become of him,” as they did earlier in our parasha. (Sefer Shemot 32:1).  As such, our forebears continued to view Moshe as the Moshe they had always known.
 
The Abarbanel’s second reason focuses as well on the Divine light that emanated from Moshe’s countenance, and informs us about the singular nature of his prophetic experiences and unique manner of receiving Hashem’s Word:
​
And the second matter that is made known to us regarding Moshe, and the [mystical] activity of the Divine light emanating from his face, is that he neither sequestered nor removed himself from his four senses—unlike the actions of all the other prophets at the time of their prophetic experiences. We know this to be the case, since he, himself, after receiving the Word from Hashem, returned his own veil to his face. This demonstrates that he never ceased to be aware of his senses, and that [during his prophetic communications] he was totally awake in the same exact fashion as he had been prior to receiving his prophecy.
 
Moshe’s prophetic encounters are unique in the annals of Jewish history. As the Torah teaches us, “And there was no other prophet who arose in Israel like Moshe, whom Hashem knew face to face.” (Sefer Devarim 34:10, underlining my own)  While none of us are capable of achieving this exalted level, may we have the zechut to establish a truly meaningful relationship with Hakadosh Baruch Hu. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
 
The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email mailto:[email protected].
 
*** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd
 
*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link.

 
Rabbi David Etengoff
 
ה' יעזור וירחם על אחינו כל בני ישראל בארץ ישראל ובכל חלקי הארץ
 
There are two well-known pasukim in Sefer Shemot that express the concept of Hashem’s dwelling amongst the Jewish people. The first appears in Parashat Terumah: “And they shall make Me a sanctuary (Mikdash) and I will dwell (v’shachanti) in their midst.” The second is found in our Torah portion: “I will dwell (v’shachanti) in the midst of the children of Israel, and I will be their God (v’hayiti lahem l’Elokim).” (25:8 and 29:45, these and all Tanach translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)  Whereas the first pasuk presents the idea of Hashem’s dwelling with us following the construction of the Mishkan, the second adds the notion that He will be our God. Taken in tandem, the following formula emerges: Construction of the Mishkan eventuates in v’shachanti in our midst, which leads to v’hayiti lahem l’Elokim.
 
Although the terms, v’shachanti, and v’hayiti lahem l’Elokim initially appear to convey similar content, v’shachanti, their differentiated phrasing indicates they differ conceptually. This approach was followed by both the Sforno zatzal (Rabbi Ovadiah ben Ya’akov,1475-1550) and the Ha’emek Davar zatzal (Rabbi Naftali Tzvi Yehudah Berlin, 1816-1893) in their respective Torah commentaries on Sefer Shemot 29:45.
 
According to the Sforno, v’shachanti refers to Hashem’s ready desire to accept our tefilot and avodah (korbanot in the Beit HaMikdash), while v’hayiti lahem l’Elokim, refers to that which He will do--bikvodo u’vatzmo, without any go-between. This parallels how He took us out from Egypt: “Not through the intermediary efforts of an angel (malach), not through the exertions of a ministering angel (saraf) and not as a result of a messenger but, rather, solely by the Holy One blessed be He, in His honor and glory.” (Haggadah, translation my own)
 
Ha’emek Davar pursues a different line of thought and suggests that “v’shachanti in our midst” denotes the everlasting connection that obtains between the Almighty and the Jewish people, even if no Mishkan or Beit HaMikdash is present:

Even in the absence of the Mishkan, wherein Hashem’s glory, may He be blessed, was explicitly manifest, [Hashem] will continue to ever be in the midst of the Jewish people. This means that His Schechinah (Divine Presence) will never depart from the community of Israel…even though it will not appear manifestly evident to all. (Translation my own)
 
Moreover, he maintains that the second phrase, “v’hayiti lahem l’Elokim,” describes Hashem as continually attuned to and “watchful of our needs and will fulfill them.” 
 
It is important to note that both the Sforno and the Ha’emek Davar conceptualize v’shachanti and v’hayiti lahem l’Elokim as referring to Hashem’s commitment to an eternal personal relationship with the Jewish people. In my view, this is the counterpoint to our passionate song at the Yam Suf: “This is my God, and I will ever praise Him; the God of my father, and I will exalt Him.” (Sefer Shemot 15:2)  Just as we were God-intoxicated at the Yam Suf and could not refrain from bursting out in a song of everlasting love to Hashem, in Parshiot Terumah and Tetzaveh, it is His turn to proclaim His everlasting love for our people. As we find so movingly expressed in Sefer Hoshea:
​
And I will betroth you to Me forever, and I will betroth you to Me with righteousness and with justice and with loving-kindness and with mercy. And I will betroth you to Me with faith, and you shall know the Lord. (2:1-2)
 
Shabbat Shalom
 
Past drashot may be found at my website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
 
The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you would like to be added, please contact me via email: mailto:[email protected].
 
*** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: Tefilah and Tanach
 
*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link.

Rabbi David Etengoff

ה' יעזור וירחם על אחינו כל בני ישראל בארץ ישראל ובכל חלקי הארץ

“And one [of the Seraphim] called to the other and said, ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts; the entire earth is full of His glory.’” (Sefer Yeshayahu 6:3) This is one of the most celebrated pasukim in Tanach, as it is recited twice every weekday, and at least three times a day on Shabbat, the Yamim Noraim, Yom Tov and Rosh Chodesh. It explicitly declares, “the entire earth is full of His glory.” As such, what need is there for the pasuk and mitzvah in our parasha: “v’asu Li mikdash v’shachanti b’tocham--And you shall make Me a sanctuary and I will dwell among them?” (Sefer Shemot 25:8) After all, if the entire universe is full of Hashem’s glory, what can the Mikdash, whether in the form of the Mishkan or the Beit HaMikdash, possibly add to kavod Hashem?

The Ramban (Nachmanides, 1194-1270) helps us answer this question in his introduction to our parasha. He opines that the Jewish people were a holy nation at this moment in time; accordingly, it was fitting “for there to be a Mikdash so that His Schechinah (Divine Presence) would infuse [its glory] among them.” (Commentary on the Torah, translation my own) In other words, beyond a doubt “the entire earth is full of His glory,” yet, this universal statement does not speak to the singular intimacy that Hashem sought to foster with b’nai Yisrael. In order to achieve this goal, Hashem knew He needed to make His Schechinah manifest among our people and, therefore, commanded us to build the Mishkan.

My rebbe and mentor, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zatzal (1903-1993), known as “the Rav” by his students and followers, was deeply influenced by the Ramban. Accordingly, he too asserts that the underlying purpose of the Mishkan was to enable Hashem’s Schechinah to permeate among them. At the same time, however, the Rav intriguingly states: “God wanted Moshe to build a Mishkan…because He wanted a home.” (This and the following quotations, Darosh Darash Yosef: Discourses of Rav Yosef Dov Halevi Soloveitchik on the Weekly Parashah, Rabbi Avishai C. David editor, page 180) Once again we can readily ask, if “the entire earth is full of His glory,” why would Hashem want a “home?” We are fortunate that the Rav addresses this question in a manner that sheds new light on the unique nature of the Mishkan:

God wanted a Mishkan that would attract and inspire the Jewish people. This could not be accomplished by means of hukotav (its decrees), but primarily through tzurotav (its form). The Mishkan had to radiate an aura of inspiration, beckoning the individual to reach out to new horizons. This is the real tzurah of the Mishkan.

The Rav’s answer is very profound. Of course, Hashem did not need a home for Himself. As Yeshayahu says, “the heavens are My throne, and the earth is My footstool.” (66:1) Instead, “God wanted a Mishkan [that is, a home] that would attract and inspire the Jewish people…beckoning the individual to reach out to new horizons.”

May the time come soon, and in our days, when we will experience the aura of inspiration of the rebuilt Beit HaMikdash, and may we be able to reach new spiritual horizons as we encounter the Almighty in His home once again. V’chane yihi ratzon.


Shabbat Shalom

Past drashot may be found at my website: http://reparashathashavuah.org

The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you would like to be added, please contact me via email: mailto:[email protected].

*** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: Tefilah and Tanach

*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link.

 
Rabbi David Etengoff
 
ה' יעזור וירחם על אחינו כל בני ישראל בארץ ישראל ובכל חלקי הארץ
 
“Na’aseh v’nishmah—We will do, and we will hear and understand,” are two celebrated words that appear in Parashat Mishpatim. This expression builds upon an earlier statement in Parashat Yitro: “All that Hashem has spoken na’aseh—we will do,” which is preceded by the introductory statement, “And all the people replied yachdov—in unison…” (19:8)  This leads to a classic exegetical question: “Why does the Torah utilize the term, ‘yachdov’ in reference to ‘na’aseh’ in Parashat Yitro, but refrains from so doing regarding ‘na’aseh v’nishmah’ in our parasha?”
 
One very beautiful answer to our question is offered by the Chortkover Rebbe zatzal, as summarized by Rabbi Yaakov Neuberger, a rosh yeshiva at Yeshivat Rabbi Yitzchak Elchanan Theological Seminary:

The [Chortkover Rebbe] suggests that when it comes to performing mitzvos, simply na’aseh, we seem unified and in fact do all the same activities. Yet we differ in the way that we understand the mitzvos and in the manner in which they impact upon us and inspire us. Thus, the “na’aseh” of Torah is “yachdov” but the “nishmah” of Torah will be as different as our hearts, minds and souls are from each other. (Personalized vs. Standardized Observance of Mitzvot, Parashat Mishpatim, 2010, Torahweb.org, underlining my own)
 
In sum, the Chortkover Rebbe differentiates between ma’aseh hamitzvah (performance of the mitzvah) and havanat hamitzvah (comprehension of the mitzvah). Since na’aseh, the ma’aseh hamitzvah, is universal in nature, the Torah uses yachdov to indicate that all Jews perform the mitzvot in the same manner. Nishmah, or havanat hamitzvah, is an entirely different matter, as it reflects our differentiated cognitive abilities and the degree of emotional and spiritual engagement that we have with the mitzvah. Therefore, yachdov is not used in reference to nishmah, since the act of understanding is unique to each individual.
 
The change from na’aseh b’yachdov in Parashat Yitro to na’aseh v’nishmah without yachdov in Parashat Mishpatim may now be viewed as a positive transformation, rather than the loss of achdut. In reality, it represents our nascent spiritual development as a nation comprised of very different people, each one searching for Hashem and performing His mitzvot in their own unique manner. As Rav Neuberger suggests:

We then realized how differently we perceived the very same facts, how they touched us distinctively and inspired us idiosyncratically. Through the appreciation of meaningful Torah study [that is, nishmah], we allowed ourselves to cede the “yachdov” and embrace, through the practice of the very same mitzvot, a depth that was private and personal.
 
May we ever sound the clarion call of na’aseh v’nishmah as members of the great chain of Jewish being forged on Har Sinai, for all time. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org

They may also be found on http://www.yutorah.org using the search criteria Etengoff and the parasha’s name.
 
The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email mailto:[email protected].
 
*** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd
 
*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link.

 
Rabbi David Etengoff
 
ה' יעזור וירחם על אחינו כל בני ישראל בארץ ישראל ובכל חלקי הארץ
 
Our parasha contains one of the three places in the Torah where the phrase, “atem ra’eitem—you have seen,” is found. (Sefer Shemot 20:19)  The other instances are Sefer Shemot 19:4 and Sefer Devarim 29:1. One of the essential principles of Torah analysis is the singular import of every word and verse in the Torah’s text. This is particularly the case when a phrase, such as, “atem ra’eitem,” is repeated, which almost always indicates crucial significance.
 
The Torah utilizes atem ra’eitem in our parasha to urge Moshe to remind the Jewish people that Hashem had directly spoken to them from the heights of Heaven which, in turn, serves as the mandate for proscribing molten gods:

Hashem said to Moshe, “So shall you say to the children of Israel, ‘Atem ra’eitem that from the heavens I have spoken with you. You shall not make [images of anything that is] with Me. Gods of silver or gods of gold you shall not make for yourselves.’” (20:19-20, this and all Bible translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)
 
Sefer Shemot 19:4 and Sefer Devarim 29:1 utilize atem ra’eitem as a reminder of the wonders and miracles that Hashem performed for us in Egypt:
Atem ra’eitem what I did to the Egyptians, and [how] I bore you on eagles’ wings, and I brought you to Me…And Moshe called all of Israel and said to them, ‘Atem ra’eitem all that the L-rd did before your very eyes in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh, to all his servants, and to all his land.
 
As we have seen, our three pasukim deploy atem ra’eitem to refer to two different actions of Hashem that were witnessed by our entire nation, namely, the Holy One’s verbal communication with the Jewish people during the Revelation at Mount Sinai, and the Eser Makkot against Pharaoh and his people. Why did the Torah specifically choose this expression to reference these pivotal events in our nation’s history? Rabbi Shimshon Raphael Hirsch zatzal (1808-1888) addresses this question In his Commentary on the Torah on Sefer Shemot 19:4. He begins by noting: “Atem Ra’eitem--The basis of your knowledge of God and of yourself does not rest on belief, which can, after all, allow an element of doubt. It rests solidly on the evidence of your own senses, on what you have seen with your own eyes, have yourselves experienced.” (This and the following quotations, The Pentateuch Translated and Explained by Samson Raphael Hirsh, translated from German by Isaac Levy, 2nd edition, The Judaica Press, New York, 1971.)
 
In Rav Hirsch’s view, experiential knowledge of the Exodus and the Revelation ensures that the Jewish people will forever recognize the unquestionable historical truth of these two pivotal events:

The two fundamental truths on which the whole of Judaism rests, the Exodus from Egypt and the Lawgiving on Sinai, stand firmly on the actual evidence of your senses, and as they were seen, heard, felt, and experienced simultaneously by so many hundreds of thousands of people, every possibility of deception is ruled out.
 
For Rav Hirsch, the foundation of Torah-true Judaism is built upon the incontrovertible knowledge that the Exodus and the Revelation were witnessed by multitudes of our ancestors in both Egypt and at Mount Sinai. As he emphasizes:
​
Both these fundamental truths accordingly share the highest degree of certainty, are completely out of the realm of mere believing or thinking, are within the bounds of what we know with certainty, and are, accordingly, irrefutable facts which must serve as the starting-point of all our other knowledge with the same certainty as our own existence and the existence of the material world we see about us.
 
In sum, these shared transformative events, and the experiential knowledge they endow, are the shared legacy of the Jewish people that echoes until our own historical moment. With Hashem’s help, may this legacy infuse our thoughts and actions forevermore.

V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom

Past drashot may be found at my website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
 
The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you would like to be added, please contact me via email: mailto:[email protected].
 
*** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: Tefilah and Tanach
 
*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link.

​
 


​Rabbi David Etengoff
 
ה' יעזור וירחם על אחינו כל בני ישראל בארץ ישראל ובכל חלקי הארץ
 
This Shabbat is called “Shabbat Shirah,” after the song of exaltation in our parasha sung by our ancestors in response to the miracle of Kriyat Yam Suf:

Az Yashir—Then Moshe and b’nai Yisrael sang this song to Hashem, and they spoke, saying, “I will sing to Hashem, for very exalted is He; a horse and its rider He cast into the sea.” (Sefer Shemot 15:1, this and all Bible translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach) 
 
In stark contrast, our ancestors did not sing a single verse of praise following Yetziat Mitzrayim. This notable difference led my rebbe and mentor, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zatzal (1903-1993), known as “the Rav” by his students and followers, to ask the following question:

…strangely at the time that the Jews left Egypt, neither Moses nor the people sang hymns of praise for the amazing miracle they had experienced. Only seven days later, after the splitting of the Red Sea, did Moses and the people sing Az Yashir. Why did Israel wait a week to give thanks? (Derashot HaRav: Selected Lectures of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, summarized and annotated by Arnold Lustiger, p.171, brackets and underlining my own)
 
According to the Rav, the answer may be found in the very different nature of these two nissim. Yetziat Mitzrayim was performed solely by Hashem and excluded the Jewish people’s participation: “…and you shall not go out, any man from the entrance of his house until morning. Hashem will pass to smite the Egyptians…” (12:22-23)  This idea is elaborated upon in Midrash Sifrei, Ki Tavo and underscored in the Haggadah: “I [Hashem] and not an angel, I and not a seraph, it is only Me and no other.” The Rav labels such a miracle, wherein Hashem acts exclusively on His own, a “yeshuah—an act of deliverance,” and notes; “The paradigmatic historical event signifying yeshuah was the Exodus from Egypt. No one—not an angel, not man—abetted God on the wondrous ‘night of watching.’” Our role on this amazing evening was severely circumscribed; we remained in our homes, ate the Korban Pesach and passively watched the unfolding of this miracle and the fulfillment of Hashem’s promise.
 
The miracle of Kriyat Yam Suf was very different. The entire Jewish people actively worked to save themselves from Pharaoh’s chariots and horsemen, and the Almighty joined them in achieving this outcome. The Rav conceptualizes this type of nase (miracle) as “ezrah—help from the Master of the Universe.” Therefore, Kriyat Yam Suf was a time when:

…the Creator offered the Israelites a role in their own redemption. He required a leap of faith: a jump into the water prior to the parting of the sea (Sotah 36-37a). The shock of cold water, the fear of drowning thus became Israel’s minute “contribution” to the miracle. At that moment they became partners with God, and as a result Moses and the people full-throatedly sang the majestic Az Yashir in gratitude. (Page 171, underlining my own)
 
The Rav notes that on the surface, “one would assume that Hashem should be thanked more for yeshuah [Yetziat Mitzrayim] than for ezrah [Kriyat Yam Suf],” since in the former He, and He alone, brought about the nase. Following this line of thinking, we should have had our “Az Yashir moment” when we left Egypt, rather than at the Yam Suf! Nothing, however, could be further from the truth:

We nonetheless arrive at the opposite conclusion: the more man participates in the effort needed [to achieve the Torah-sanctioned goal], the more he must thank the Creator. Our gratitude is increased in the case of ezrah [Kriyat Yam Suf], because we must bless God for the privilege of allowing us to be His partner. (Page 170, brackets and underlining my own)
 
In sum, we have the greatest obligation to praise the Master of the Universe when we join Him in bringing forth a nase. This is why we sang Az Yashir at Kriyat Yam Suf and refrained from so-doing following Yetziat Mitzrayim.
​
May we ever be Hashem’s partners as we continue on the grand march of Jewish history toward our ultimate redemption. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom
 
Past drashot may be found at my website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
 
The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you would like to be added, please contact me via email: mailto:[email protected].
 
*** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: Tefilah and Tanach
 
*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link.

 
ה' יעזור וירחם על אחינו כל בני ישראל בארץ ישראל ובכל חלקי הארץ
 
The essence of the Pesach Seder experience is the mitzvah of Sippur Yetziat Mitzrayim, the recounting of the story of the Departure from Egypt. The 13th century anonymous author of the Sefer HaChinuch begins his discussion of this commandment with these words:

The commandment to recount the exodus from Egypt: To tell about the Exodus from Egypt on the night of the fifteenth of Nissan—each person according to his own power of expression—to laud and to praise Hashem, may He be blessed, for all the miracles He performed for us there, as it is stated, “And you shall tell your son--v’he’gaddatah l’vinchah…” (Sefer Shemot 13:8, translation with my emendations, https://www.sefaria.org/Sefer_HaChinukh.21.1?lang=bi)
 
The Sefer HaChinuch generally follows the approach of the Rambam (Maimonides, 1135-1204) in his presentation of the mitzvot. When we examine the introductory words in the Mishneh Torah concerning our mitzvah, however, we find that the Rambam utilizes a different proof text:

It is a positive commandment of the Torah to relate the miracles and wonders wrought for our ancestors in Egypt on the night of the fifteenth of Nisan, as the Torah states: “Remember this day, on which you left Egypt--zachor et hayom hazeh asher y’tzatem m’mitzrayim” (Sefer Shemot 13:3) just as it states: “Remember the Sabbath day.” (Sefer Shemot 20:8, Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Chametz u’Matzah 7:1, translation, Rabbi Eliyahu Touger with my emendations)
 
The Sefer HaChinuch’s citation of “v’he’gaddatah l’vinchah” as the source for Sippur Yetziat Mitzrayim is in congruence with the position of nearly every commentator on the Taryag Mitzvot; if so, why does the Rambam cite “zachor et hayom hazeh asher y’tzatem m’mitzrayim” as his proof text? This question is particularly apropos, because the Rambam did adopt v’he’gaddatah l’vinchah as his source for the mitzvah of Sippur Yetziat Mitzrayim in Sefer HaMitzvot (Positive Commandment 157).
 
In his exploration of this topic entitled, “The Conjunction of Sippur and Zechirat Mitzrayim,” Rabbi Michael Rosensweig, rosh hayeshiva at Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary, suggests the following answer to our question:

The Rambam's carefully crafted articulation of the mitzvah of sippur yetziat mitzrayim subtly, yet artfully, conveys that the singular focus of the actual night of Pesach is further enhanced by its wide and pervasive impact, as expressed in daily zechirat mitzrayim…it is the ubiquitous zechirah…that determines sippur’s ultimate significance even as a concrete commemoration of the historical event of the Exodus. (www.Torahweb.org)
 
Rav Rosensweig further elaborates on the symbiotic relationship that obtains between sippur and zechirat mitzrayim:

Thus, zechirat yetziat mitzrayim and sippur yetziat mitzrayim are mutually enhancing, even mutually dependent. Without the detailed, intense and more concrete sippur practiced once a year, the more amorphous and abstract zechirah would be compromised; absent the continuous outlet and impact provided by daily zechirah, the anniversary of the Exodus would be nothing more than a nostalgic memory.
 
Rabbi Rosensweig provides deep insight into the inextricable relationship that obtains between Zechirat Yetziat Mitzrayim and Sippur Yetziat Mitzrayim. Each informs the other. Neither could reach their full potential without the powerful light of the other shining upon it.
 
May we be zocheh to intensify our focus on the significance of Zechirat Yetziat Mitzrayim in our daily tefilot, and may we infuse our Sippur Yetziat Mitzrayim with new and dynamic meaning. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom
​
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
 
The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you would like to be added, please contact me via email: mailto:[email protected].
 
*** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: Tefilah and Tanach
 
*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link.

Rabbi David Etengoff

ה' יעזור וירחם על אחינו כל בני ישראל בארץ ישראל ובכל חלקי הארץ
 
The Eser Makkot (10 Plagues) are the highlight of both our parasha and Parashat Bo. Their miraculous Nature-changing power stirs our religious imagination and demonstrates Hashem’s omnipotence writ large. The Torah teaches us that the overarching purpose of the makkot was in order that “… the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord when I stretch forth My hand over Egypt, and I will take the children of Israel out of their midst…” (Sefer Shemot 7:5, this and all Tanach translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)
 
While each plague profoundly affected every aspect of Egyptian society, barad (hail) alone elicited such an admission from Pharaoh: “I have sinned this time (chatati hapa’am). The Lord is the righteous One (Hashem HaTzaddik), and I and my people are the guilty ones.’” (9:27) Pharoah’s words contain three separate ideas: recognition of his personal sin, acknowledgment of Hashem’s righteousness, and assertion of his and the Egyptian people’s guilt for acting cruelly toward our nascent nation.
 
Why did Pharaoh make this proclamation regarding this particular plague? Midrash Tanchuma Buber provides us with an intriguing insight:

[Let us learn the reason for Pharaoh’s behavior based upon the manner in which most people would act:] If someone desires to go to war against his fellow man, and be victorious against him, he attacks him in an unexpected [and stealthy manner]. He then kills him and takes every possession his enemy has. Yet, the Holy One blessed be He acted in an entirely different fashion toward Pharaoh and proclaimed to him: “And now, send, gather in your livestock and all that you have in the field; any man or beast that is found in the field and not brought into the house the hail shall fall on them, and they will die.” (9:19) [It was precisely as a result of Hashem’s warning that Pharaoh,] following his experience of the [forewarned] barad, exclaimed, “The Lord is the righteous One.” (Parashat Va’era 20, translation and brackets my own)
 
According to this passage, Pharaoh was completely overwhelmed by Hashem’s merciful warning regarding the mortal danger barad would entail. Nonetheless, because of his arrogance, Pharaoh ignored Hashem’s adjuration, and his people suffered untold death and destruction. When he ultimately recognized the dire consequences of his behavior, however, Pharaoh had little choice but to proclaim, “The Lord is the righteous One.”
 
The Kli Yakar (Rabbi Shlomo Ephraim ben Aaron Luntschitz, 1550-1619) takes a different approach regarding barad. In response to the question, “Why was this plague so pivotal to Hashem’s plan?” he emphasizes that the hail was accompanied by thunder: “… the Lord gave forth thunder and hail…” (9:23). For the Kli Yakar, thunder played an essential role in Pharaoh’s recognition of the Master of the Universe:
​
The Plague of Hail and the thunder that accompanied it, came upon Pharaoh as a result of his refusal to listen to Hashem’s voice with the proper majesty (“b’hadar”) to which it was due. Therefore, Hashem forced him to hear thunder that was at once awe-inspiring and frightening. As a result, here, and here alone, he confessed to his sin and declared, “the Lord is the righteous One, and I and my people are the guilty ones,” since [until this point,] he had denied Hashem’s existence and verbally proclaimed His non-existence… Consequently, he was punished through the sound of thunder… [Once, however, Pharaoh confessed his sin, Moshe declared,] “The thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, in order that you know that the earth is the Lord’s.” (9:29, Kli Yakar translation, brackets and underlining my own)
 
The concluding Hebrew phrase in 9:29, “l’ma’an taida ki l’Hashem ha’aretz—in order that you know that the earth is the Lord’s,” finds its parallel in Dovid HaMelech’s celebrated pasuk in Sefer Tehillim: “L’Dovid mizmor l’Hashem ha’aretz u’mloah, tavel v’yoshvei vah—Of David, a song. The earth and the fulness thereof are the Lord’s; the world and those who dwell therein.” (24:1)  In his Commentary on Sefer Tehillim on this pasuk, Rabbi Shimshon Raphael Hirsch (1808-1888) zatzal opines that, since “the earth and the fulness thereof are God’s, the world of men and its inhabitants are also His.” (This and the following quotation, The Hirsch Tehillim, second printing, 2016, page 207)  What does this mean? Rav Hirsch maintains that: “The earth and the fulness thereof belong to God Himself, Who is also Hashem, the God of the Torah, the God of history. The earth must serve His sovereignty which trains men how to fulfill His moral Law…”
 
Rav Hirsch’s analysis and the commentary of the Kli Yakar provide valuable insight into why Pharoah abruptly declared: “the Lord is the righteous One, and I and my people are the guilty ones.” For one bright shining moment, Pharoah and his nation realized that when “the thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail,” it will be because Hashem was, is, and always will be the Adon Olam—Master of the Universe. Perhaps no greater lesson could ever be taught to humankind.
 
Shabbat Shalom
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
 
The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you would like to be added, please contact me via email: mailto:[email protected].
 
*** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: Tefilah and Tanach
 
*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link.
 

 
Rabbi David Etengoff
 
ה' יעזור וירחם על אחינו כל בני ישראל, בארץ ישראל ובכל חלקי הארץ
 
 
Rabbi Elchanan Wasserman zatzal (1874–1941) was one of the greatest disciples of the saintly Chafetz Chaim zatzal (Rav Yisrael Meir Kagan, 1838-1933). In his eulogy for his beloved rebbe, he explained that the Chafetz Chaim at first wanted to change the world, then lowered his expectations to his community. After then directing his efforts toward his family, he finally settled upon changing himself. According to Rav Wasserman, the Chafetz Chaim was so humble, he failed to realize that his self-transformation ultimately did change his family, community and the entire world.
 
Our parasha contains a similar narrative of change regarding Moshe Rabbeinu. As the Torah attests, his youth was spent as the adopted son of Pharaoh’s daughter and, according to Rashi, the head of Pharaoh’s household. (2:1) Most people in this situation would have embraced their opulent conditions and rejected their enslaved family of origin. Moshe, however, acted very differently. Although the Torah remains completely silent regarding the inner workings of his mind during this period, it is clear Moshe maintained a strong connection to his Jewish origins:

Now it came to pass in those days that Moshe grew up and went out to his brothers and looked at their burdens, and he saw an Egyptian man striking a Hebrew man of his brothers. He turned this way and that way, and he saw that there was no man; so he struck the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. (Sefer Shemot 2:11-12, this and all Bible translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)
 
Why did Moshe rescue his fellow Jew? Like any nobleman of his time, he could easily have ignored this all-too-common violence. Then, too, the very next day he again left the palace to continue to look after the welfare of his fellow Jews. When he discovered Datan and Aviram (Rashi 2:13) in the midst of a heated argument that threatened physical violence, Moshe immediately asked them to refrain from striking one another. Unfortunately, they rejected his intervention, and their harsh rebuke revealed to Moshe that his actions against the Egyptian taskmaster had become public knowledge:

He [Moshe] went out on the second day, and behold, two Hebrew men were quarreling, and he said to the wicked one, “Why are you going to strike your friend?” And he retorted, “Who made you a man, a prince, and a judge over us? Do you plan to slay me as you have slain the Egyptian?” Moshe became frightened and said, “Indeed, the matter has become known!” (2:13-14)
 
Moshe immediately fled Egypt and sought asylum in Midian, a wise plan, since when “Pharaoh heard of this inciden,t he sought to slay Moshe.” (2:15)  In sum, Moshe risked everything by identifying with, and defending his brethren.
 
Once in Midian, Moshe’s focus on justice and righteousness expanded to include the needs of non-Jews:
​
… so Moshe fled from before Pharaoh. He stayed in the land of Midian, and he sat down by a well. Now the chief of Midian had seven daughters, and they came and drew [water], and they filled the troughs to water their father's flocks. But the shepherds came and drove them away; so Moshe arose and rescued them and watered their flocks. (2:15-16)
 
At this point in in the narrative of Moshe’s life, we see him undertaking several crucial steps toward becoming a consummate leader. First, he refused to be corrupted by the life he had led as a palace prince. Next, he grew in his love of his fellow Jews to the extent that he placed his own life in danger. Lastly, in a true test of moral rectitude, he actualized his desire for universal justice and fought to protect the non-Jewish daughters of the chief of Midian. With righteousness, conviction of purpose, and singular bravery, Moshe became a true representative of the Master of the Universe. Little wonder, then, that the Almighty chose him to be the leader of our nascent nation.
 
With Hashem’s help, may we strive to emulate Moshe Rabbeinu and bring forth positive changes in ourselves, our nation, and ultimately, our world. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
 
The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you would like to be added, please contact me via email: mailto:[email protected].
 
*** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: Tefilah and Tanach
 
*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link.