Rabbi David Etengoff
 
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City and the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, Moshe ben Itta Golda, Yocheved Dafneh bat Dinah Zehavah, Reuven Shmuel ben Leah and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
Different Jewish ethnicities have varying traditions regarding the proper way a Torah scroll should be written. Yet, vayikra — the first word of our parasha and the namesake of Sefer Vayikra — is universally written with a diminutive aleph as its final letter. In his commentary on the Torah entitled, Ba’al HaTurim, Rabbeinu Yaakov ben Asher zatzal (1270-1340) provides the following explanation as to why vayikra is written in this way:

Moshe was [simultaneously] great and humble. Therefore, he did not want to write “vayikra” (and G-d called), rather, he desired to write “vayikar” (and G-d happened to appear), which is an expression of a purely accidental meeting. By using vayikar, it would be as if Hashem spoke to him in a trance or in a dream, as the Torah states regarding Balaam. [Hashem, however, ruled against this view] and explicitly commanded Moshe to write the aleph [in order to represent his true eminence to the world.] Moshe, however, responded to Hashem— based upon his thoroughgoing humility — and told Him that he would only consent to write a miniature aleph that would be smaller than any other aleph in the Torah; and so he wrote it in this manner. (Translation and brackets my own)
 
According to Rabbeinu Yaakov’s interpretation, there was palpable tension between Hashem and Moshe, as Hashem perceived Moshe in an entirely different manner than Moshe’s view of himself. In the Almighty’s judgment, Moshe was truly great and ever His faithful servant, for with Moshe alone did He: “… speak mouth to mouth; in a [direct] vision and not in riddles.” Moreover, only Moshe, of all the prophets, was able to see marot — visions of the Almighty. (Sefer Bamidbar 12:8, this and all Tanach translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)  Clearly, as Moshe was different than any other human being who has ever lived, Hashem sought to give voice to this idea by writing vayikra as the first word of our parasha.
 
In stark contrast, Moshe was so humble that he described Aharon and himself as, “v’nachnu mah — of what significance are we?” (Sefer Shemot 16:7,8)  Little wonder, then, that the Torah famously teaches us, “V’ha’ish Moshe anav m’ode mi’kol ha’adam asher al p’nai ha’adamah — Now this man Moshe was exceedingly humble, more so than any person on the face of the earth.” (Sefer Bamidbar 12:3)  The last thing Moshe wanted, therefore, was to write vayikra, rather than vayikar. As such, he was faced with a true dilemma: How could he follow the command of the Master of the Universe while remaining existentially true to himself?  Moshe’s solution was an elegant compromise: He wrote vayikra with a tiny aleph as its concluding letter, thereby implementing Hashem’s p’sak (decision) while maintaining his personal integrity.
 
Anivut (humility) unmistakably emerges as one of the driving forces of Moshe’s personality. Based upon a variety of midrashic sources, it appears that this middah (ethical characteristic) was woven into his very being. Most of us, however, need to work at developing this middah. We are fortunate that the Ramban (1194-1270) gives us ready guidance as to how to undertake this process:

Therefore, I will now explain to you how to always behave humbly. Speak gently at all times… with your heart focusing on Hashem… In all your actions, words and thoughts, always regard yourself as standing before Hashem, with His Schechinah [Divine Presence] above you, for His glory fills the whole world. Speak with fear and awe, as a servant standing before his master. Act with restraint in front of everyone. When someone calls you, don’t answer loudly, but gently and softly, as one who stands before his master. (Iggeret HaRamban, translation, with my emendations, http://www.pirchei.com/specials/ramban/ramban.htm, brackets and italics my own)
 
Two salient points emerge in this section of the Iggeret HaRamban that guide us toward the acquisition of anivut: Our encounters with others should embody respect, and our minds and hearts should be focused upon Hashem with the conscious recognition that we ever stand before His Divine Presence.

With the Almighty’s help and our fervent desire, as we follow the Ramban’s roadmap for acquiring anivut, may we fulfill the verse, “And you shall do what is proper and good in the eyes of the L-rd” (Sefer Devarim 6:18).  In so doing, may we choose the path that is “harmonious for the one who does it, and harmonious for all humankind.” (Pirkei Avot II:1)  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:rdbe718@gmail.com.
 
*** 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
 
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, the Kedoshim of Har Nof and Pittsburgh, and the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, Moshe ben Itta Golda, Yocheved Dafneh bat Dinah Zehavah, Reuven Shmuel ben Leah and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
The final five parshiot of Sefer Shemot describe every conceivable aspect of the construction of the Mishkan, including its kalim —vessels and utensils — and the bigdei kohanim — the garments worn by both the kohanim and the Kohane Gadol. Within this context we find a number of pasukim wherein the kiyor and its base, the copper washstand used by the kohanim to sanctify themselves, are referenced. One of these verses is quite unusual, as it specifies the exact group from whom the copper for constructing the kiyor was sourced — something that is not found regarding other kalim: “And he [Bezalel] made hakiyor of copper and its base of copper from the mirrors of the legions who congregated at the entrance of the tent of meeting. (38:8, this and all Bible translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach) 
 
Chazal teach us that “the legions who congregated at the entrance of the tent of meeting” refers to the Jewish women who responded to Hashem’s command to the Jewish people to donate items for the building of the Mishkan. (25:2)  They sought to fulfill this mitzvah by bringing their highly polished copper mirrors before Moshe. His reaction to their heartfelt offering, however, was anything but positive: “And when Moshe saw these mirrors, he became angry at them [the women] and declared… ‘Of what possible value are these mirrors!’” (Midrash Tanchuma, Parashat Pekudei IX, this and the following translations my own) What accounts for Moshe’s angry response to the women, especially since the mirrors were given b’nidvat leban — from the depths of their hearts?
 
The answer to this question is found in the opening words of our midrash that explain the exponential population growth of our ancestors during the period of their terrible Egyptian servitude:

But as much as they [the Egyptians] would afflict them, so did they [the Jewish people] multiply and so did they gain strength… (1:12)  In the merit of the mirrors; they had mirrors [to beautify themselves] for their husbands in order to encourage them to have intimacy with them — even in the midst of their back-breaking labor. It is from these acts that untold numbers of children sprang forth.
 
In his Commentary on the Torah on our pasuk, Rashi (1040-1105) elaborates upon our midrash and states that, “Moshe was disgusted by the mirrors because they were made for the yetzer harah (that is, lustful purposes).” As such, he viewed their origin and use as antithetical to the kedushah that was to reign supreme in the Mishkan — the dwelling place of Hashem’s presence on earth. Our midrash continues by teaching us that the Holy One blessed be He radically disagreed with Moshe and summarily overruled him:

Moshe — are you [honestly] willing to reject and degrade the singular import of these [mirrors]? Do you not realize that it is precisely these mirrors that brought about the birth of myriads of Jews in Egypt? No! Take these from them [the women] and make from them [the mirrors] the copper kiyor and its base — for it is precisely from them that the kohanim will sanctify themselves.
 
Quite often, Rashi’s presentation of a midrash will differ from the original text of the midrash in order to allow him to teach what he deems to be a crucial lesson. Our case follows suit when he reframes Hashem’s response to Moshe in the following manner: “The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Accept [the mirrors], for they are more beloved to Me than anything else that has been brought; for it is because of them that the women were able to bring forth myriads of Jews in Egypt.’”

Rashi’s restatement is an exegetical tour de force that gives him the freedom to teach us that the copper mirrors of the Jewish women of Egypt were more beloved to the Almighty than gold itself. Little wonder, then, that Talmud Bavli, Sotah 11b, famously states: “Because of the reward of the righteous women that were in that generation [the final generation of Egypt bondage], the Jewish people were redeemed from Egypt.” This is a powerful thought, indeed, and one that enhances our understanding of the depth-level spirituality of the Jewish women in Egypt. May they ever serve as a model of devotion to Hashem. 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:rdbe718@gmail.com.
 
*** 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
 
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, Shmuel Yosef ben Reuven and the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh and Jersey City, and the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, Moshe ben Itta Golda, Yocheved Dafneh bat Dinah Zehavah, Reuven Shmuel ben Leah and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
Parashat Ki Tisa is a multi-themed parasha that includes six pasukim focusing on our people’s singular relationship to Shabbat. I find one of these particularly intriguing: “V’shamru b’nai Yisrael et HaShabbat — The Jewish people shall keep the Shabbat, la’asot et HaShabbat — to make the Shabbat throughout their generations as an eternal covenant.” (31:16)  We are immediately met with a classic exegetical challenge: If the Torah deploys the word “v’shamru,” why does it also need, “la’asot?”
 
The Ibn Ezra (1089-1167) often presents peshat-level (direct) analyses of Torah expressions. He follows suit regarding our pasuk when he explains v’shamru as:

the Jewish people’s obligation to concentrate upon (literally, to guard) the days of the week so that they will not forget which day is Shabbat. In so doing, they will be able to prepare all of its needs — and hone their approach toward keeping Shabbat by the sixth day of the week — in order to guard the integrity of Shabbat and refrain from violating its kedushah — holiness. (Translation my own)
 
For the Ibn Ezra, v’shamru connotes keen focus on the days of the week preceding Shabbat to ensure that we maintain the proper levels of shmirah — watchfulness and preparation — to safeguard its kedushah. Little wonder, then, that he perceives la’asot as a natural extension of v’shamru, and finds its parallel in an earlier pasuk wherein la’asot is used regarding Avraham’s alacrity in preparing a meal for his guests (that is, the three Angels): “And to the cattle did Abraham run, and he took a calf, tender and good, and he gave it to the youth, va’yimahare la’asot oto — and he hastened to prepare it.” (Sefer Bereishit 18:7, translation, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)
 
In his Commentary on the Torah on our verse, Rabbeinu Bachya ben Asher (1255-1340) follows the Ibn Ezra’s general approach regarding the relationship that obtains between v’shamru and la’asot. He does more, however, than merely provide us with a reframe of the Ibn Ezra’s words, and cites a thought-provoking midrashic statement that does not appear in any of our standard collections of Midrashim: la’asot et HaShabbat: “Kol hameshamare — Anyone who guards — the Shabbat in this world k’eilu asah — is as if they have made it — in the Heavens above.” He explains this aphoristic sentence in the following manner:

One who fulfills the mitzvah of Shabbat in this world bears testimony that they recognize and believe that Shabbat’s roots and essence were [eternally] engraved from above [by the Almighty] …This, then, is why the Torah writes, la’asot et HaShabbat. (Translation and brackets my own)
 
Rabbeinu Bachya’s explanation of the midrash teaches us a central lesson, namely, that when the Jewish people guard the integrity of Shabbat — v’shamru — and honor it in this world, we demonstrate our recognition and belief “that Shabbat’s roots and essence were engraved from above.” The ongoing act of la’asot et HaShabbat, therefore, denotes our connection to Shabbat both in our world and the Heavens above, and enables us to bring glory to Hashem’s holy Name.
 
The following deeply insightful midrashic passage discusses the unique link between Shabbat and the Jewish people, and brings our understanding to an entirely new level:

Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai taught: “Shabbat spoke before the Holy One blessed be He and said: ‘Master of the Universe, every other day of the week has a ben zug — corresponding partner — yet, I have no partner!’ The Holy One blessed be He responded to her: ‘Knesset Yisrael [the transhistorical community of the Jewish people] is your ben zugach [and you are, therefore, not alone].’ And when the Jewish people stood before Mount Sinai, the Holy One blessed be He said to them: ‘Remember what I told Shabbat [when I created the world] — “Knesset Yisrael is your corresponding partner…’” (Midrash Bereishit Rabbah 11:8, translation and brackets my own)
 
Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai teaches us that Shabbat’s eternal relationship with Knesset Yisrael, and our exclusive connection to her, is built into the very fabric of the Universe. Like the relationship between husband and wife, we are Shabbat’s ben zugach, and she is our ben zug. While the famous words of Shlomo HaMelech (King Solomon) in Shir HaShirim, “ani l’dodi v’dodi li — I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine,” are almost always interpreted as referring to Hashem and the Jewish people, Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai informs us that they can refer as well to the inextricable connection that obtains between Shabbat and the Jewish people. Perhaps a more beautiful and inspiring idea has yet to be found.
 
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:rdbe718@gmail.com.
 
*** 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
 
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, Shmuel Yosef ben Reuven, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City, and the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, Moshe ben Itta Golda, Yocheved Dafneh bat Dinah Zehavah, Reuven Shmuel ben Leah and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
Jewish history has many authentic heroes who reached the ultimate heights of spirituality. This special group includes, but is not limited to, the Avot (Patriarchs) Emahot (Matriarchs), Moshe, Aharon, the Nevi’im (Prophets), and Chazal (Torah Sages throughout the ages). These individuals created the foundations of the Jewish world in which we live, and modeled the ethical behavior that we should ideally emulate.
 
In my estimation, one of the truly great heroes of the spirit was the Chasidic Master, Rav Levi Yitzchak ben Meir of Berdichev, Russia (1740-1810). His most famous work, Kedushat Levi, contains Torah analyses that are quite often novel and always thought- provoking. One such example occurs in reference to Parashat Zachor. Rav Levi Yitzchak was challenged by a conceptual and psychological problem regarding Amalek: “How can we maintain such a strong emotional revulsion against a people that no longer exists and whose heinous behavior took place in the 13th century BCE?” After all, according to Mishnah Yadayim 4:4, Sennacherib, the King of Assyria (720-683 BCE approx.), destroyed the ethnic cohesiveness of nearly all the nations of his time. They were decimated, and their members cast to the wind and consequently lost in the sands of time. Since this is the case, why does the Torah instruct us to “Remember what Amalek did to you,” and mandate three separate and eternal mitzvot regarding a people that is no more? How are we to understand this seeming anomaly?
 
In his analysis of these issues, Rav Levi Yitzchak suggests that remembering what Amalek did to us and blotting out his accursed memory are only a part of the obligations that are incumbent upon us. Rather, in an interpretive tour de force, he removes the concept of Amalek from its historical roots and transfers it to the innermost part of our being: “Each and every individual among the Jewish people is mandated to wipe out the evil portion [of his personality] that is called ‘Amalek’ that is hidden in his heart.” (All translations my own)  Suddenly, these three mitzvot are very relevant, since Amalek is no longer a historically bound figure, but a very real psychological challenge that each of us must encounter:
As long as the “seed of Amalek” is found in the world, as man is considered to be a “small world [unto himself],” there therefore exists the reality of Amalek [as the causative element of] the power of evil in each person. This [power ceaselessly] awakens anew to cause a person to sin. This is precisely why the Torah reminds us: [“Remember what Amalek did to you…”]
 
 
Rav Levi Yitzchak further suggests that when we are involved with Torah study and heartfelt prayer, the Amalek that lurks within can do us little harm, for at these holy moments we are surrounded by Hashem’s divine light and holy presence. When, however, we are not immediately engaged in these mitzvot, whereby we experience an overflow of the Almighty’s chane v’chesed v’rachamim (favor, kindness, and mercy), we run the risk of falling under Amalek’s hypnotic spell. Rav Levi Yitzchak therefore teaches us that we must never deviate from the path of serving Hashem, for when we live lives as authentic ovdei Hashem — servants of Hashem — then, and only then, do we have: “a formidable reminder to never allow the great power of Amalek to cause us to err.”
 
May Hashem give us the wisdom to recognize our true Jewish spiritual heroes, and may we develop the heartfelt desire to emulate them in all that we do. Then, too, may He help us recognize the Amalek that resides within, and may we overcome its overwhelmingly pernicious power through Torah study, wholehearted prayer and the joyous fulfillment of Hashem’s holy Torah. 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:rdbe718@gmail.com.
 
*** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd
 
*** I have posted 164 of Rav Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link.

 
Rabbi David Etengoff
 
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, Shmuel Yosef ben Reuven, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City, and the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, Moshe ben Itta Golda, Yocheved Dafneh bat Dinah Zehavah, Reuven Shmuel ben Leah and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
The focus of our parasha is the construction of the Mishkan (Portable Desert Sanctuary) and its kalim — the holy vessels contained therein. As the Torah declares: “And they [the Jewish people] shall make Me a sanctuary and I will dwell in their midst.” (Sefer Shemot 25:8, this and all Bible and Rashi translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach, brackets my own)  Over time, the menorah has emerged as the best-known of the kalim, perhaps because of the Chanukah story and the small amount of oil that miraculously burned for eight days, a nearly universal symbol of light that can dispel even the deepest darkness and offer hope to a suffering world.
 
The Torah introduces the construction of the menorah in the following words: “And you shall make a menorah of pure gold. Mikshah tei’aseh hamenorah — The menorah shall be made of hammered work; its base and its stem, its goblets, its knobs, and its flowers shall [all] be [one piece] with it.” (25:31)  In his Commentary on the Torah on our pasuk, the Ibn Ezra (1089-1167) notes that the word “tei’aseh” can be spelled with or without the letter yud, and that “if it does have a yud it is a milah zarah —a highly unusual word.” This observation is preceded by the following fascinating observation:

I have seen Torah scrolls that were meticulously checked by the Sages of Tiberius. 15 of their sages have sworn they have carefully reviewed every word and every vowel as well as every full and incomplete spelling within them. They attest that there is a yud in the word, “tei’aseh.” I have never found this before in the scrolls of Spain and France and in those from ma’avare hayam — over the sea. (Translation and brackets my own)
 
Clearly, at this point in the middle of the 12th century, there were spelling variations of the word tei’aseh in the Torah scrolls in different geographically based communities as to whether it was spelled maleh — with a yud, or chaser — without a yud. The eighth or ninth century work, Midrash Tanchuma, Parashat Beha’alotecha III, however, deploys the maleh form and presents the following fascinating drasha based upon this spelling:

When [Hashem] recognized that the menorah was too difficult [for Moshe] to construct, the Holy One blessed be He said to Moshe: “Take a talent [sixty four pounds] of gold and toss it into the fire and bring it out therefrom — and it [the menorah] will be created by itself...” [Once Moshe removed it from the fire, Hashem said to him:] “And now, you are to strike it with a hammer, and it will be created by itself.” This is the reason why the Torah states: “Mikshah tei’aseh hamenorah,” with a yud so that the spelling of tei’aseh is maleh, rather than chaser without a yud...This teaches us that the total menorah [with all of its parts] was created by itself. (Translation and brackets my own)
 
Rashi (1040-1105) apparently knew our midrashic passage and synopsized it in his Commentary on the Torah on our verse in the following manner:

the menorah shall be made: By itself. Since Moses found difficulty with it [that is, how to form the menorah], the Holy One, blessed is He, said to him, “Cast the talent [of gold] into the fire, and it will be made by itself.” Therefore, it is not written ta’aseh [without a yud], but tei’aseh [with a yud]. (Underlining and emendations my own)
 
In my view, Rashi’s summation of our midrash leaves out a crucial part of its text, namely, “And now [said Hashem], you are to strike it [that is, the talent of gold] with a hammer, and it will be created by itself.” This leads us to ask a classic exegetical question: “If Hashem was going to perform a great miracle with the talent of gold so that the menorah would be created by itself, why did Moshe need to do anything at all — let alone strike the gold with a hammer?”

I believe that Moshe striking the gold and its subsequent transformation into the menorah is similar in kind to what transpired at Kriyat Yam Suf — the Splitting of the Sea of Reeds: “The L-rd said to Moses, Why do you cry out to Me? Speak to the children of Israel and let them travel. And you raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and split it, and the children of Israel shall come in the midst of the sea on dry land.” (Sefer Shemot 14:15-16)  It certainly seems that Hashem, and Hashem alone, was to split the Yam Suf. Yet, as the midrashic tradition repeatedly attests, this wondrous event did not transpire until Nachshon ben Aminadav courageously jumped into the roiling waters: “And Nachshon was the first to jump up and go into the Sea. In so doing, he sanctified His great Name in the eyes of all. [As a result,] under the Tribe of Yehudah’s leadership [that was led by Nachshon], the entire Jewish people followed their lead and entered the Sea.” (Midrash Pirkei d’Rabbi Eliezer, Chapter 22, translation my own)  Clearly, Nachshon’s courageous act of kiddush Hashem was the “trigger” for Kriyat Yam Suf.
 
In my estimation, we can learn a crucial lesson from Nachshon’s literal leap of faith and Moshe’s seemingly minor act of striking the talent of gold: While in both instances a Nature-defying deed was planned and executed by the Almighty, He nonetheless waited patiently for a spiritually-infused individual to join Him in the performance of the miracle. In sum, the Master of the Universe split the Yam Suf and created the Menorah — but not before Nachshon and Moshe became His beloved partners in His holy task.
 
We are not on the level of Nachshon and Moshe; nonetheless, each of us, in our own unique manner, can become partners with Hashem. While this requires great effort and unceasing dedication on our part, we must always remember the stirring words of Ben Hei Hei in Pirkei Avot, “l’fum tza’ara agra — According to the effort is the reward.” (V:21)  May we ever strive to partner with the Almighty to be metakane ha’olam b’malchut Sha-dai — improve and perfect the world under His sovereignty . With Hashem’s help and our fervent desire, may this be so. 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:rdbe718@gmail.com.
 
*** 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
 
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, Shmuel Yosef ben Reuven, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City, and the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, Moshe ben Itta Golda, Yocheved Dafneh bat Dinah Zehavah, Reuven Shmuel ben Leah and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
Na’aseh v’nishmah —We will do, and we will hear and understand — are two of the most celebrated words that appear in Parashat Mishpatim. (24:7)  In some ways, this phrase builds upon an earlier expression found in Parashat Yitro: “All that Hashem has spoken na’aseh —we will do,” that is preceded by the introductory statement, “And all the people replied yachdov — in unison…” (19:8)  This leads us to ask a classic exegetical question: “Why does the Torah utilize the term, ‘yachdov’ in reference to ‘na’aseh,’ but refrain from doing so when it states our forebears proclaimed, ‘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 nearly 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 our parasha may now be viewed as a positive transformation, rather than a loss of achdut — unity. It represents our nascent spiritual development as a nation comprised of very different people — all searching for Hashem and performing His mitzvot in their own individual 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.
 
With Hashem’s help and our fervent desire, may we ever sound the clarion call of na’aseh v’nishmah as we stand as new links in the great chain of Jewish being forged so long ago, and forevermore, on Mount Sinai. 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:rdbe718@gmail.com.
 
*** 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
 
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh and Jersey City, and the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, Moshe ben Itta Golda, Yocheved Dafneh bat Dinah Zehavah, Reuven Shmuel ben Leah and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
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 word or phrase, such as, “atem ra’eitem,” is repeated, which almost always indicates its crucial significance.
 
In our parasha, Hashem deploys atem ra’eitem to urge Moshe to remind the Jewish people that He had spoken to them from the heights of Heaven. The verse, and the usage of this expression, is a natural prologue to the prohibition of creating golden or silver images of other gods. To paraphrase: Since I, Hashem, directly communicated with you (the Jewish people) during the Revelation on Mount Sinai, you are thereby proscribed from making idolatrous silver or gold images of other gods:

The L-rd said to Moses, “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 Moses 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 (verses) each use 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 (Ten Plagues) against Pharaoh and his people. Why did the Torah specifically choose this expression to reference these pivotal events in our nation’s history? We are fortunate that in his Commentary on the Torah on Sefer Shemot 19:4, Rabbi Shimshon Raphael Hirsch zatzal (1808-1888) addresses this very question. He begins by noting: “Atem Ra’eitem — The basis of your knowledge of G-d 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, undeniable 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 [in part predicated upon the eser makkot] 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 very foundation of authentic 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 Rav Hirsch 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 entire people that reverberates until our own historical moment. With Hashem’s help and our fervent desire, may this legacy infuse our thoughts and actions forevermore. 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:rdbe718@gmail.com.
 
*** 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
 
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, the Kedoshim of Har Nof and Pittsburgh, and the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, Moshe ben Itta Golda, Yocheved Dafneh bat Dinah Zehavah, Reuven Shmuel ben Leah and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
This Shabbat is called “Shabbat Shirah,” as our parasha contains the 21-verse song of exaltation sung by our forebears in response to the miracle of Kriyat Yam Suf (Splitting of the Sea of Reeds):

And the waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen, the entire force of Pharaoh coming after them into the sea; not even one of them survived. But the children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea, and the water was to them like a wall from their right and from their left. Az Yashir — Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the L-rd, and they spoke, saying, “I will sing to the L-rd, for very exalted is He; a horse and its rider He cast into the sea.” (Sefer Shemot 14:28-29, 15:1, these and all Bible translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach) 
 
Fascinatingly, our ancestors did not sing a single verse of praise following Yetziat Mitzrayim (The Exodus from Egypt). 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 to this question is to be found in the very different nature of these two nissim (miracles). Yetziat Mitzrayim was performed solely by Hashem and banned our people’s participation: “…and you shall not go out, any man from the entrance of his house until morning. The L-rd will pass to smite the Egyptians…” (12:22-23)  This idea is famously elaborated upon in Midrash Sifrei, Ki Tavo and emphasized 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 observes; “The paradigmatic historical event signifying yeshuah was the Exodus from Egypt. No one — not an angel, not man — abetted G-d on the wondrous ‘night of watching.’” Our role on this amazing evening was severely circumscribed; we remained in our homes, ate the Korban Pesach (Paschal Lamb) and passively watched the unfolding of this miracle and the fulfillment of the Holy One’s promise.
 
The miracle of Kriyat Yam Suf stands in stark contradistinction to Yetziat Mitzrayim. Now, the entire Jewish people actively worked to save themselves from Pharaoh’s chariots and horsemen, and the Almighty joined them in achieving this great goal. The Rav conceptualizes this type of nase (miracle) as “ezrah — help from the Master of the Universe.” As such, 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 G-d, and as a result Moses and the people full-throatedly sang the majestic Az Yashir in gratitude. (Page 171, underlining my own)
 
Rav Soloveitchik notes that, on the surface, “one would assume that Hashem should be thanked more for yeshuah [herein, Yetziat Mitzrayim] than for ezrah [herein, Kriyat Yam Sum],” since in the former He, and He alone, brought about the nase. Scaffolding on 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 G-d for the privilege of allowing us to be His partner. (Page 170, brackets and underlining my own)
 
In sum, when we are privileged to join the Master of the Universe as His partners in bringing forth a nase, we have the greatest obligation to praise and extol Him. This, then, is why we sang Az Yashir at Kriyat Yam Suf, rather than something similar-in-kind following Yetziat Mitzrayim. May it be Hashem’s will and our fervent desire to ever be His partners, as we continue on the grand march of Jewish history toward the time of the Mashiach and our ultimate redemption. 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:rdbe718@gmail.com.
 
*** 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
 
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, the Kedoshim of Har Nof and Pittsburgh, and the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, Moshe ben Itta Golda, Yocheved Dafneh bat Dinah Zehavah, Reuven Shmuel ben Leah and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
Our parasha contains the mitzvah of sippur yetziat mitzrayim — the recounting of the story of the Departure from Egypt — that is fulfilled during the Pesach Seder experience. The 13th century anonymous author of the Sefer HaChinuch begins his discussion of this commandment in the following manner:

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. Yet, when we examine the Rambam’s introductory words in the Mishneh Torah concerning sippur yetziat mitzrayim, we find that he bases this commandment on an entirely different proof text than that of the Sefer HaChinuch:

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, Hilchot Chametz u’Matzah 7:1, translation, Rabbi Eliyahu Touger with my emendations)
 
In truth, when the Sefer HaChinuch cites “v’he’gaddatah l’vinchah” as his source for sippur yetziat mitzrayim, he does so in congruence with the position of nearly every classic meforash (commentator) on the Taryag (613) Torah commandments. This leads us to ask, “Why does the Rambam in the Mishneh Torah act as an outlier in his selection of zachor et hayom hazeh asher y’tzatem m’mitzrayim for his proof text, rather than  the universally accepted v’he’gaddatah l’vinchah?” This question is particularly apropos, since the Rambam did adopt v’he’gaddatah l’vinchah as his source for the mitzvah of sippur yetziat mitzrayim in his Sefer HaMitzvot! (Positive Commandment 157)
 
In order to better understand the Rambam’s choice in the Mishneh Torah of zachor et hayom hazeh asher y’tzatem m’mitzrayim as the source for the mitzvah of recounting the story of the Exodus, we need to analyze how this verse is usually interpreted. In his Commentary on the Torah, Rashi (1040-1105), basing himself upon the Mechilta, Parashat Bo 16, states: “This teaches us that we have a daily [obligation] to mention the Exodus from Egypt.” It is noteworthy that while this is a daily, and for that matter, nightly chovah (obligation), the Rambam does not count it as one of the Taryag Mitzvot. Instead, he places it within the laws of kriat sh’ma: “There is a mitzvah to mention the Departure from Egypt during the day and at night…” (Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Kriat Sh’ma I:3). While the Rambam supports this statement with a citation from Sefer Devarim 16:3, my rebbe and mentor, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zatzal (1903-1993), known as “the Rav” by his students and followers, notes that “regarding the truth of the matter, the mitzvah [that is, the daily obligation to mention the Exodus] was really stated in the verse, ‘zachor et hayom hazeh.’” (Shiurim l’Zacher Abba Mori, II, page 152, translation and brackets my own)  Why, then, did the Rambam chose zachor et hayom hazeh as the proof text for the commandment of sippur yetziat mitzrayim, when it seems its proper purview is the daily obligation to mention the Exodus?

In his exploration of this question entitled, “The Conjunction of Sippur and Zechirat Mitzrayim,” Rabbi Michael Rosensweig, rosh hayeshiva at the 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)
 
At this point, Rav Rosensweig elaborates upon 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 has provided us with the tools to gain a deeper understanding of the inextricable relationship between zechirat yetziat mitzrayim and sippur yetziat mitzrayim. Each informs the other, to the extent that neither could reach their full potential without the powerful light of the other shining upon it.
 
May the Master of the Universe help us recognize the power and significance of zechirat yetziat mitzrayim, and in so doing, may we be zocheh (merit) to 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
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:rdbe718@gmail.com.
 
*** 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
 
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, Shmuel Yosef ben Reuven, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City, and the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, Moshe ben Itta Golda, Yocheved Dafneh bat Dinah Zehavah, Reuven Shmuel ben Leah and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
Our parasha contains five instances of the term, “taida — that you know,” as found in the context of the eser makkot (10 Plagues). The Ramban (Nachmanides, 1194-1270) focused his analytical efforts on three of them:

And I [Moses] will separate on that day the land of Goshen, upon which My people stand, that there will be no mixture of noxious creatures there, in order that you [Pharaoh] know that I am the L-rd in the midst of the earth. (Sefer Shemot 8:18)
 
Because this time, I [G-d] am sending all My plagues into your [Pharaoh] heart and into your servants and into your people, in order that you know that there is none like Me in the entire earth. (9:14)
 
And Moses said to him [Pharaoh], “When I leave the city, I will spread my hands to the
L-rd. The thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, in order that you know that the land is the L-rd’s. (9:29, all Tanach translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)
 
In his Commentary on the Torah, Sefer Shemot 13:16, the Ramban suggests that a considered reading of these pasukim reveals the eser makkot as essentially heuristic devices divinely designed to teach Pharaoh and his people crucial aspects of Hashem’s power and relationship to the world. Following this line of reasoning, he conceptualizes the phrase in 8:18, “that I am the L-rd in the midst of the earth,” as underscoring G-d's hashgacha — divine providence over the entire universe. In the Ramban’s view, it was necessary for the Torah to present this notion at precisely this time in order to teach Pharaoh and his nation that “He never abandoned the world to capricious happenstance as they had thought;” rather, Hashem was, and is, ever in control of the world. (All Ramban translations my own) 
 
For the Ramban, the expression in verse 9:14, “that you know that there is none like Me in the entire earth,” was uttered in order to teach the Egyptians that Hashem, and none other, is omnipotent: “He rules over everything and there is nothing whatsoever that prevents Him from so doing.” The Egyptians needed to learn this fundamental lesson, as we see succinctly formulated by Dovid HaMelech: “The L-rd established His throne in the heavens, and His kingdom rules over all.” (Sefer Tehillim 103:19)
 
The Ramban interprets the phrase in 9:29, “that you know that the land is the L-rd’s,” as referring to Hashem’s role as the Creator, and His act of creating the Universe “...hechidush — out of absolute nothingness.” The Egyptians needed to understand that “everything that exists is His, since He created all things m’ayin — from nothing.” Here, too, we can cite a verse from Sefer Tehillim that strongly supports the Ramban’s exegesis: “The land and the fullness thereof are the L-rd’s; the world and those who dwell therein. For He founded it upon seas and established it upon rivers.” (24:1-2)
 
The Ramban concludes his interpretation of our three pasukim by suggesting that:
​
...the Egyptians either completely denied, or at the very least, doubted, these essential principles of belief regarding the Almighty [hashgacha, omnipotence, and hechidush]. As such, the great signs and wonders [of the eser makkot] serve as true witnesses regarding proper faith in the Creator — and belief in the entire Torah.
 
We live at a time when much of the world denies the Almighty’s existence, repudiates His hashgacha and omnipotence, and rejects the very concept of hechidush. Therefore, may we be guided by the stirring words of the prophet Yeshayahu: “You are My witnesses,” says the L-rd, “and My servant whom I chose,” in order that you know and believe in Me, and understand that I am He...” (43:10) In so doing, may we teach humankind the truth of His presence and omnipotence in the world. Then, with the Almighty’s help, we will truly become His “light unto nations,” and sanctify Him before all. (49:6)  May this time come soon and in our days. 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:rdbe718@gmail.com.
 
*** 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.