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Parashas Ki Sissa

March 8, 2012
When Moshe came down from Mount Sinai and saw how the Jewish People had sinned with the golden calf, he broke the Tablets of the Law that Hashem had given him. Later, Hashem told him (Shemos 34:1): “Carve for yourself two stone tables like the first ones, and I shall write upon the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke.” The Midrash comments (Yalkut Shimoni, Torah 397):
Rabban Yochanan ben Zakai was asked why the first tablets were the handiwork of Hashem but the second tablets were the handiwork of man. He replied: “I will explain this to you with a parable. A king took a wife, and he himself supplied the paper for the marriage contract. He gave the woman a crown and took her into his home. Later, he saw her jesting with one of his servants. He got angry with her and divorced her. Her marriage agent approached him and said: ‘Don’t you know where you took her from? She grew up among servants, and that is why she is close with them.’ The king responded: ‘What do you want from me? That I reconcile with her? Bring me some paper and I will write her a new marriage contract.’ Similarly, when the Jewish People sinned with the golden calf, Moshe said to Hashem: ‘Don’t You know where you took them out from? A place of idolatry.’ Hashem responded: ‘What do you want from Me? That I reconcile with them? Bring me some tablets of your own, and I will put my writing on them.’”
The Maggid explains this Midrash with a parable of his own. A certain merchant was accustomed to do all his business through an agent. Initially, he had an agent who was very trustworthy, but this agent died, so he had to hire another one. The only candidate available was a man who was efficient but dishonest. For lack of choice, the merchant hired this man, saying to himself: “Even though this fellow will steal a considerable sum from me, I will still gain some profit from his efforts.” When the time came to draw up the contract between them, the merchant told the man: “Go get a contract written according to the terms we discussed, bring it to me, and afterward I will sign it.” The man asked in surprise: “Why are you treating me differently from your first agent? I understand that when you hired him, you wrote the contract yourself.” The merchant replied: “The difference is this. With my first agent, I knew that his efforts would be entirely on my behalf. I therefore felt that I should write the contract myself. But with you, I know that you will first pocket for yourself a sizable percentage of what you collect, and afterward hand over to me what is left over after you have taken what you consider a satisfactory amount. So I figured we should work it the same way with the writing of the contract: You first get the contract written up, and afterward I will sign it.”
The parallel is as follows. At the revelation at Sinai, the Jewish People were purged of the primeval defilement and thus stripped of the evil inclination. They were still in this pure-hearted state when Moshe went up to the mountain to receive the first set of tablets. Accordingly, it was certain that the Jewish People’s Torah study and mitzvah observance would be entirely for Hashem’s sake, without any personal motives. Hashem therefore provided the tablets Himself. But through the sin of the golden calf, the evil inclination was infused within the Jewish People once again, and their hearts were no longer pure. Their Torah study and mitzvah observance would no longer be entirely for Hashem’s sake; rather, initially they would learn Torah and perform mitzvos for their own benefit, and only afterward would they reach spiritual maturity and engage in these activities for Hashem’s sake (mitoch shelo lishmah yavou lishmah). Therefore, with the second tablets, Hashem told Moshe: “First bring me some tablets of your own, and afterward I will put my writing on them.”
David Zucker, Site Administrator

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Parashas Zachor and Megillas Esther

March 1, 2012
In his commentary on Megillas Esther, the Maggid discusses a Midrash that links a verse in the Megillah with a verse in the haftarah for parashas Zachor. The Midrash states (Esther Rabbah 4:9, slightly paraphrased):
Royalty was given to Esther through the same type of statement with which it was taken from her forebear. Shmuel said to her forebear Shaul HaMelech (Shmuel Alef 15:28): “Hashem has torn the kingship of Israel away from you today, and has given it to your fellow man who is better than you (l’reiacha hatov mimcha). In regard to Vashti’s being replaced, ultimately by Esther, it is written (Esther 1:19): “Let the king give her royal estate to her fellow woman who is better than she (lirusah hatovah mimenah).”
The Maggid uses this Midrash to bring out a key insight regarding Vashti’s dethroning and eventual execution. This episode, on close examination, seems perplexing. If a man has a wife who is truly bad, and causes him constant consternation, then he no choice but to divorce her. It is different, though, when a wife commits a momentary and minor offense against her husband, but he still wishes to divorce her, because he wants a totally perfect marriage. In this case, common sense dictates that the husband consider carefully whether he will be able to find a better wife than his current one. Maybe the new wife will be the same as or worse than the old one.
Now Vashti’s offense against her husband Achasheveirosh was a momentary, relatively minor one: She refused to obey a summons from him to appear before him and his entourage, a refusal that could be viewed leniently since the summons – issued while Achasheveirosh was drunk – was accompanied by the outrageous demand that she present herself in an indecorous state (Esther Rabbah 3:13). We thus may wonder how Achasheveirosh could know definitively that his new wife would be better than his old one.
The Midrash answers this question through a comparison with how kingship of the Jewish People was taken from Shaul and given to David. In a moment of weakness, Shaul acceded to the people’s request to save some of the Amalekites’ livestock for sacrifices rather than destroying all the Amalekites’ property as Hashem had commanded. While this was a clear violation of Hashem’s word, it was not such an egregious offense, for it was not committed out of wickedness. How, then, could Hashem tear the kingship away from Shaul for this offense? True, Hashem is exacting with the righteous to a hairsbreadth (Bava Kamma 50a). Still, given that man has free will, how could it be clear beyond doubt that Shaul’s successor would be better than he? How could it be certain that he would never commit a similar act of disobedience?
The answer is that Hashem knew that Shaul’s successor would learn a lesson from Shaul’s severe punishment. The new king would perforce refrain from committing a similar offense, in order to avoid receiving a similar punishment. Thus, Shaul was told that the kingship will be given l’reiacha hatov mimcha – to your fellow man who is better on account of you [rendering mimcha as meaning from you instead of than you]. Even if the successor is comparable in character to you, still he will learn the necessary lesson from what happened to you. Likewise, Achasheveirosh was sure that his new wife would be better than his former wife Vashti, as a result of seeing the punishment that Vashti received. The new wife would learn the necessary lesson from what happened to Vashti and thereby would avoid committing the same offense.
David Zucker, Site Administrator

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Parashas Terumah

February 24, 2012
This week’s parashah presents the design of the Mishkan (Tabernacle) and its vessels. The Midrash records the following discussion that took place when Hashem instructed Moshe about building the Mishkan (Yalkut Shimoni, Torah 369, slightly paraphrased; cf. Tanchuma, Terumah 9):
Said the Holy One Blessed Be He to Moshe: “Make for Me a Tabernacle, for I desire to dwell among My children.” When the ministering angels heard this, they began to protest: “Master of the Universe! Why are You descending to the earthly realm? Your glory calls for you to abide in heaven. As it is written (Tehillim 8:2): “You who has set Your glory within the heavens!’ Said the Holy One Blessed Be He to them: “By your lives, I have been doing as you said, but My praise is infused through the earth [cf. Havakkuk 3:3].
The Maggid explains this Midrash using an insight from Rav Yosef Albo’s Sefer HaIkarim. Some prominent philosophers denied that Hashem manages the affairs of our world, arguing that He is too lofty to concern Himself with earthly matters. They claimed that heaven is the only place fit for Hashem to emplace His presence – earth is too lowly to serve as His abode. Rav Albo says that these philosophers thought they were promoting Hashem’s honor, but they were actually denigrating it. By saying that heaven is an abode that suits Hashem’s honor, they were implicitly setting a limit on the honor He is due. In truth, heaven is not a fitting abode for Hashem either; even heaven is infinitesimally puny in comparison with Hashem’s infinitude.
The discussion in the Midrash reflects the philosophers’ argument and Rav Albo’s counterargument. The angels protested Hashem’s seeking a dwelling place on earth, arguing that His glory called for Him to abide in heaven. They were asserting that heaven was the abode that befits His glory. Hashem replied: “By your lives, I have been doing as you said.” He was saying: “Here in heaven, I have already put Myself in the situation you I said I would be in by establishing an abode on earth, for heaven is equally ill-suited to My glory. Emplacing My presence on earth will actually bring Me praise, for it will make it all the more clear that, despite My greatness, I am prepared to humble Myself.”
David Zucker, Site Administrator

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Parashas Mishpatim

February 16, 2012
This week’s parashah presents some basic elements of the Torah’s code of civil and criminal law. In connection with the general topic of law, the Midrash (Shemos Rabbah 30:1, middle) relates a discussion the Jewish People have with Hashem about when He will impose judgment on our their enemies. The Jewish People ask Hashem: “Until when will You delay bringing our enemies to justice?” Hashem answers: “Until the time comes to harvest them up.” The Midrash elaborates:
As it is written (Yeshayah 27:2): “On that day it will be proclaimed about them – a vineyard yielding fine wine.’” No one harvests his vineyard before the grapes have ripened. It is after they have ripened that he picks them, puts them in the winepress, and tramples them. Then he sings, and those with him respond in song after him. In this vein, Hashem said to the Jewish People: “Wait for Me until Edom’s time comes, and then I will trample them.”
The Maggid explains this Midrash as follows. Retribution against an evildoer can be set in motion in one of two ways: either Hashem decides on His own that it is time to bring the evildoer to justice or someone petitions Hashem to do so. The Taz on Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 118 uses a similar idea to explain the difference in the eleventh blessing of the Shemoneh Esrei between the ending “the King of justice” that we use during the Ten Days of Repentance and the ending “King who loves righteousness and justice” that we use during the rest of the year: During the Ten Days of Repentance, Hashem Himself initiates the process of justice, whereas during the rest of the year He carries out justice only when someone enters a complaint that he has been wronged. In regard to retribution against evildoers, Hashem generally does not take action on His own initiative until the evildoer reaches his measure of sin, but He can be petitioned to take action. A person who puts forward a petition is taking a risk, however, for he himself will be judged either before or along with whoever he complained about. As the Gemara in Rosh Hashanah 16b says: “One who submits a case against his fellowman is punished first [for his own wrongdoings].” The reason is that a petition for Divine judgment leads Hashem to open His records and examine the petitioner’s file to see whether he is worthy of calling others to justice.
Accordingly, if we submit a complaint against our enemies to Hashem when we ourselves are not clean, we take the risk of having Hashem punish us for our misdeeds. It is thus better for us to keep quiet and wait until our enemies reach their measure of sin and Hashem brings them to justice on His own. This is what the Midrash is teaching. Once our enemies “ripen” – that is, they reach their measure of sin – Hashem will proceed to trample them. He then will sing, and we will be able to sing after Him – we will be able to present our indictments against our enemies without any risk of harm.
This message is reflected in the passage in Yeshayah which begins with the verse that the Midrash quotes. The passage runs as follows (Yeshayah 27:2-8, slightly paraphrased):
On that day it will be proclaimed about them – a vineyard yielding fine wine. … I have no wrath – if only I were at war with the weeds and thorns, I would trample them and set them altogether afire. Or let them grasp onto My stronghold and make peace with Me – yea, let them make peace with Me. … According to their measure [of sin] He contended against their farmland.
Hashem is saying: “I Myself have no wrath against your enemies now, for they have not yet reached their measure of sin. And if you lead Me to wage war against your enemies, you may be trampled together with them. Alternatively, you can grasp onto My stronghold – cling to My Torah and make yourselves whole, free of any defect or impurity. If you do so, you will be at peace with Me – you will be able to ask Me to bring your enemies to justice without putting yourselves at any risk that My wrath will also be turned toward you. But until then, it will be best for you to be quiet.”
David Zucker, Site Administrator

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Parashas Yisro

February 8, 2012
This week’s parashah recounts the revelation at Sinai. In the period leading up to the revelation, Hashem told Moshe (Shemos 19:9): “Behold, I am going to come to you in a thick cloud, in order that the people will hear as I speak with you, and also will believe in you forever.” The Maggid asks why Hashem used the phrasing “believe in you” (yaaminu becha) rather than simply saying “believe you” (yaaminu lecha)? Seemingly it would have been more correct to say “believe you,” just as Moshe said previously – when Hashem first told him to lead the Jewish People out of Egypt – “but they will not believe me (yaaminu li)” (Shemos 4:1). The Maggid asks further: What did Hashem mean by “forever”?
The Maggid explains as follows. It is a basic principle that the strength of a person’s belief depends on how critical-minded he is. Some people readily accept anything they hear. But such people can be just as readily convinced to abandon an idea they accepted previously, in favor of a contrary one. With a critical-minded person, it is just the opposite. He will not accept any claim until he investigates it thoroughly and obtains clear evidence for it. Once he is convinced, however, his belief is firm and unwavering.
This principle played a pivotal role in the discussion between Hashem and Moshe at their first meeting at the burning bush. Moshe told Hashem that the Jewish People “will not believe me.” Hashem replied (Shemos Rabbah 3:12): “They are believers, the children of believers.” Hashem was telling Moshe: “I call them believers because they are critical-minded.” We can see a hint to this idea in a homiletical reading of Yeshayah 25:1: “Hashem, You are my God. I shall exalt you and give thanks to Your Name, for You have done wondrously. From a distance, faith was firmly adopted.” That is, Hashem performed a wonder in implanting into the Jewish soul a critical nature, so that they would accept only claims that are proven reliable, and their faith would thus have a firm basis.
The Jewish People refuse to listen to charlatans who try to peddle their own fabricated ideas. In matters of basic world outlook, they accept only those ideas that are reliably known to have been taught by Moshe and handed down from generation to generation. When critical analysis reveals that a claim runs counter to this tradition, the claim is rejected.
This is what Hashem meant when He told Moshe that He will come down to him and speak with him before the Jewish People, in order that the people will “believe in you forever.” The revelation at Sinai firmly established the authenticity of Moshe’s teachings. The Torah testifies elsewhere to Moshe’s status as a true prophet of the highest order, saying (Bamidbar 12:17): “In My entire house, he is the trusted one.” By virtue of Moshe’s status, the one whom Moshe ordained as a reliable teacher – Yehoshua – is worthy of our trust, and is worthy as well of ordaining his successor. In this way, our faith is handed down through the chain of tradition, from teacher to teacher and from generation to generation. Moshe is the foundation of the entire chain, and thus our reliance on him continues forever.
David Zucker, Site Administrator

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Parashas Beshallach

February 2, 2012
In the middle of this week’s parashah, the Torah discusses the manna that the Jewish People ate in the wilderness. Hashem says to Moshe (Shemos 16:4): “Behold, I shall cause bread from heaven to rain down for you, and the people shall go out and gather each day’s portion every day, so that I can test them, whether they will walk in My law, or not.” The Maggid analyzes how the manna represented such a test. He begins with the following Midrash about the manna (Shemos Rabbah 25:9):
“The people shall go out and gather each day’s portion every day.” It is written (Tehillim 68:20): “Blessed is Hashem day after day.” Said Hashem to the People of Israel: “It is with the instrument that a person uses for measuring that I measure out for him. I gave you the Torah so that you should involve yourselves with it day after day, as it is written (Mishlei 8:34): ‘Praiseworthy is the man who listens to Me, to keep watch at My doors day after day.’ And similarly (Yeshayah 58:2): ‘They seek Me day after day and desire to know My ways.’ By your lives, I will satiate you with bread from heaven day after day.’”
The Maggid expounds on the verse from Mishlei that the Midrash quotes. He notes that just as Hashem provides us with sustenance for the body, in the form of food and drink, He provides us also with sustenance for the soul, in the form of Torah, mitzvos, and good deeds. In this vein, Shlomo HaMelech compares wisdom to bread and wine (Mishlei 9:5). And just as a person can choose to subsist on a bare minimum of food and drink, so, too, a person can choose to subsist on a bare minimum of Torah – the daily morning and evening recital of the Shema, which covers the obligation to study Torah day and night (Menachos 99b). Commoners suffice with this minimum ration of Torah, but the eminent seek more. Thus David HaMelech declares (Tehillim 111:1): “Praiseworthy is the man who fears Hashem and greatly cherishes His commandments.” Here, David is speaking of the man whose soul thirsts and yearns for Hashem’s word so much that even if he studied Torah day and night for a lifetime, his desire would not be satisfied.
The Maggid brings out the idea with an analogy. He describes two similar scenarios. The first scenario involves a servant is standing in an outer room of his master’s house waiting for orders. He is not allowed to leave – he must remain in the room ready for his master’s call. The second scenario involves a merchant is standing in an outer room of someone’s house waiting to show him merchandise. The man of the house is busy, and tells the merchant that he will call him when he is able to speak with him. In the first scenario, the servant is waiting for his master’s call but he is actually hoping not to be called – he would rather stand idle than do chores. In the second scenario, by contrast, the merchant is eagerly awaiting his customer’s call.
In the verse from Mishlei, the Maggid says, Shlomo HaMelech is teaching us the attitude we should take toward Hashem’s directives. We should not be like the servant, hoping to be left alone. Rather, we should be like the merchant, eagerly awaiting Hashem’s call. Shlomo describes Hashem as saying: “Praiseworthy is the man who listens to Me.” Note the phrasing: “listens to Me” rather than “listens to My word.” Hashem’s statement can also be rendered another way: “Praiseworthy is the man who listens for Me.” Under this rendering, we can understand the statement as referring to the man who inclines his ear toward Hashem and waits expectantly for Hashem’s call – the man who serves Hashem out of love and constantly strives for added duties.
Now, it is generally not possible to tell how much a person cherishes Hashem’s word, for what the person shows to the outside world does not fully reflect what is in his heart. But there is one way to get a clear indication: by seeing how the person reacts to errands that will interrupt his Torah study. If a person considers such errands a nuisance, and is thankful whenever a friend offers to take care of such errands, this shows he loves Torah. But if a person is happy to have the chance to close his books and go out on an errand, this shows he lacks interest in Torah. We can now see easily how the manna represented a test of whether or not the Jewish People desired to walk in Hashem’s law. The manna relieved them of the need to work for their sustenance; they could gather their daily portion without any effort. If they rejoiced over being free to spend their time in Torah study, it would be clear that they considered the Torah precious.

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Parashas Bo

January 26, 2012
In this week’s parashah, Hashem tells us to designate the month of Nisan, the month in which the redemption from Egypt took place, as the first month of the year (Shemos 12:2): “This month shall be unto you the chief of the months; it shall be the first unto you of the months of the year.” The Midrash expounds (Shemos Rabbah 15:12):
The redemption was for Me and for you: I, so to speak, was redeemed along with you. As it is written (Shmuel Beis 7:23): “Who is like Your people, like Yisrael, a unique people within the world – for whom God went forth to redeem for Himself as a people, gaining Himself renown, and performing for you great works and awesome acts for your land, before Your people whom You redeemed for Yourself from Egypt, [subduing] nations and their gods.” [The verse includes the phrases “for Himself” and “for Yourself” as well as the phrase “for you.”] Designate this month for Me and for you, because I see the blood of the Pesach offering and bring you atonement. … And let your joy be complete, even the one who is poor. A perfectly whole male lamb or kid, within its first year (Shemos 12:5) – A lamb or kid, because it was said (Bereishis 22:8), “God will seek out for Himself the lamb or kid for the burnt offering, my son.” Perfectly whole, for sake of the Name of Hashem, of whom is written (Devarim 32:4): “The Rock – perfect is His work.”
In discussing this Midrash, the Maggid begins by examining the directive that our joy should be complete, even the one who is poor. We find that Hashem consistently tells us to see to it that when we celebrate times of joy, we attend to the poor and make sure they also can rejoice. Thus, after assembling the Jewish People on Rosh Hashanah to teach them Torah, Ezra and Nechemiah told them to rejoice, and to send portions to those who lack (Nechemiah 8:10). Similarly, the laws of celebrating Purim include an obligation to give gifts to the poor. Likewise, in connection with the declaration the Torah tells a person to make in regard to the handling of tithes, in which a person is suppose to affirm that “I acted according to everything You commanded me,” the Sages teach that the intent of this affirmation is to say that “I rejoiced in the bounty You granted me, and I also distributed the proper tithes to make others rejoice” (see Yerushalmi, Maaser Sheini 5). The Maggid asks: Why is it crucial, in times of joy, to make sure the poor also rejoice?
He answers as follows. When someone is downcast because of misfortune, seeing a successful and happy man does not bring him joy. On the contrary, it makes him feel worse. Imagine a man who is starving for bread watching someone else eat his fill of fine delicacies. Not only does the sight not quiet his hunger, it magnifies it many times over. The same pattern appears in the emotional realm. When a rich man celebrates without providing for the needy, he creates a mixed situation: At the same time that his festivities bring him joy, they bring his less fortunate neighbors pain. The outcome is the very opposite of “perfectly whole,” and is contrary to what Hashem desires. In this vein, Shlomo HaMelech writes (Mishlei 10:22): “Hashem’s blessing is what brings wealth. Let it not bring along with it an increase of grief.” As a person rejoices in the wealth Hashem granted him, he must take care not to bring grief to the poor. Thus the Midrash tells us that we should make our joy complete, extending even to the one who is poor, and then concludes by saying that our offering should be perfectly whole, for the sake of the Name of Hashem, whose works are perfect.
The Maggid then turns to the Midrash’s opening segment. Hashem says: “The redemption is for Me and for you: I, so to speak, was redeemed along with you.” The Maggid analyzes the connection between this statement and the Midrash’s later statement, discussed just above, that we should make our joy complete, including even the one who is poor. Apparently the Midrash is saying that it is because the redemption is for Hashem and for us that we should provide for the poor. What does one have to do with the other? The Maggid explains as follows. The main reason Hashem redeemed us from Egypt was for the sake of His great Name, for He Himself, so to speak, was in exile along with us. Thus, Hashem told Yaakov (Bereishis 46:4): “I shall go down with you to Egypt.” Our hope for the final redemption is founded on the same notion. Hashem tells us (Yeshayah 48:11): “For My sake, for My sake, I shall do it, for how can [My Name] be profaned? And I shall not yield My honor to another.”
Various Midrashim teach that the Jewish People in Egypt did not deserve in their own right to be redeemed. In Shemos Rabbah 1:35, for example, the Sages teach that the Jewish People were bereft of good deeds, as hinted at in Yechezkel’s words (verse 16:7): “You were naked and bare.” Since Hashem granted us salvation from the Egyptian exile as a pure gift, it stands to reason that our rejoicing over this salvation should include every member of our people on an equal basis.
The Maggid brings out the point with a parable. A group of paupers was going together door to door seeking money to live on. They had with them some simple wares of the kind poor people typically sell: tzitzis, mezuzahs, and the like. Sometimes the person they approached was generous, and would give them a sum of money as a gift. And sometimes the person was not so generous, and would just buy a bit of what they had to sell. We can note one key difference between these two situations. If the person they approached had bought their wares, even if he handed over the money to just one of them, they would divide the money according to what each was due on account of the merchandise he had sold. But if the person gave them money as a gift, they would divide the money equally, for regarding a gift they were all on the same footing.
Similarly, if the Jewish People had attained redemption through the merit of their own good deeds, each Jew would have been entitled to rejoice in proportion to the contribution he made to the redemption. But, in fact, the redemption was not on our account. Hashem subdued the Egyptians for His own sake – to restore His honor, which had been impugned. He was, so to speak, redeeming Himself from exile. In the process, He redeemed the Jews as well, as a pure act of generosity. Hence all the Jews were on the same footing, and it would thus only be right for them to rejoice equally. Since the redemption was for the sake of the Name of Hashem, whose works are perfectly whole, it behooves us to take care – for the sake of Hashem’s Name – that our rejoicing is perfectly whole, encompassing all members of the community. The rejoicing that will take place at the time of the final redemption will also be for the sake of Hashem’s Name, and thus, in the same way, will extend to all segments of the Jewish population. Thus it is written (Yirmiyah 31:12): “Then the maiden will rejoice with dance, and the young men and the elders together.”
David Zucker, Site Administrator

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Parashas Vaera

January 19, 2012
This week’s parashah presents the first seven of the ten plagues that Hashem brought upon Egypt. In telling Moshe to warn Pharaoh about the initial plague of blood, Hashem said (Shemos 7:14-18):
Pharaoh’s heart is stubborn; he refuses to let the people go. Go to Pharaoh in the morning … and say to him: “Hashem, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you, saying, ‘Let My people go, that they may serve Me in the wilderness,’ and, behold, you have not listened up to now (ad coh). Thus (coh) says Hashem: ‘Through this you shall know that I am Hashem – behold, with the staff that is in my hand I shall strike the waters that are in the river, and they shall turn into blood. And the fish that are in the river shall die, and the river shall become foul, and the Egyptians shall be repelled from drinking water from the river.’”
Commenting on this passage, the Maggid analyzes the difference between the expression “Thus says Hashem” that appears here and the expression “This is the word that Hashem commanded” that appears in Bamidbar 30:2. The Midrash in Yalkut Shimoni, Torah, Sec. 784 notes that other prophets, just like Moshe, conveyed prophecies using the expression “Thus says Hashem,” but only Moshe conveyed prophecies using the expression “This is the word that Hashem commanded.” Both expressions serve to introduce a directive to perform or refrain from some action. The Maggid explains the difference between the two expressions as follows. The expression “Thus says Hashem” prefaces a substantive description of the nature and consequences of the action in question. By way of analogy, suppose Reuven wants to get Shimon to do something, but Shimon has no obligation to comply with what Reuven says. Shimon will first insist on knowing what the action entails, and Reuven will tell him: “Thus-and-so.” The expression “This is the word,” on the other hand, characterizes the directive as a order which must be obeyed no matter what it entails.
The fact that Moshe alone used the expression “This is the word,” whereas all other prophets used only the expression “Thus says Hashem,” reflects Moshe’s unique status as the premier prophet. Through the revelation at Sinai, Moshe was authenticated among the Jewish People as a consummately trustworthy agent of communication from Hashem to them – an agent whose reliability is beyond all doubt. Hence, whenever Moshe told the people what Hashem had said to him, the people accepted the message unquestioningly. Moshe could say “This is the word that Hashem commanded,” and the people would be prepared to accept the command without any analysis of its content. The messages of other prophets were not accorded this blanket acceptance; rather, the people first examined whether the message comported with the Torah tradition handed down from Sinai, and if they identified any conflict, they would reject the message. The person who related the message would be declared a false prophet, and would be put to death as the Torah prescribes (Devarim 13:2-6). Accordingly, all other prophets aside from Moshe introduced their prophecies with the expression “Thus says Hashem,” an expression that puts emphasis on the content of the message, because the people had to analyze the content to determine whether the message was reliable.
With this background, the Maggid turns to the statement Hashem told Moshe to make to Pharaoh. The statement begins: “Hashem, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you, saying, ‘Let My people go, that they may serve Me in the wilderness.’” The fact that Hashem, the Master of the Universe, had issued this order should have been enough for Pharaoh to comply with fearful alacrity. But Pharaoh refused, saying (Shemos 5:2): “Who is Hashem, that I should heed His voice to send out Yisrael? I do not know Hashem, and I will not send Yisrael out!” Pharaoh’s words suggested that once he came to “know” Hashem and was firmly convinced of His existence, He would obey Hashem’s orders. In response, Hashem told Moshe to show Pharaoh a miracle – converting his staff to a snake and then converting it back again. Hashem’s intent was that these supernatural effects would make Pharaoh convinced of His existence and thus prepared to accept His orders regardless of their content. But, even after being shown the miracle, Pharaoh maintained a hard heart and refused to listen to what Moshe and Aharon told him in Hashem’s Name. From that point on, it became necessary to spell out to Pharaoh the consequences he would suffer if he failed to obey Hashem’s command to release the Jewish People – he had to be warned of the fearsome plagues Hashem would cast upon him for his disobedience. A simple statement that Hashem had ordered him to do something was not enough.
Accordingly, the quote from Hashem continues: “Behold, you have not listened “ad coh.” Hashem was saying: “I see that you will not listen until you receive a message of the type prefaced by coh – a substantive description of the consequences of refusing to comply.” And Hashem told Moshe to follow up with a detailed message of precisely this form: “Thus (coh) says Hashem: ‘Through this you shall know that I am Hashem – behold, with the staff that is in my hand I shall strike the waters that are in the river, and they shall turn into blood. And the fish that are in the river shall die, and the river shall become foul, and the Egyptians shall be repelled from drinking water from the river.’”
In his Yerios HaOhel footnote on the Maggid’s commentary here, Rav Flamm expands on the concept of accepting Hashem’s decree for the simple reason that Hashem decreed it. He notes that the Jewish People’s pledge at Sinai – “we will do and we will listen” – was along these lines: When presented with the Torah, they were prepared to comply first and receive explanations later. Rav Flamm also calls attention to the Midrashic teaching (Bereishis Rabbah 39:9) that when Hashem gives a righteous person a mission, He initially conceals the details of what the mission entails and only afterward discloses them. A righteous person is prepared to accept Hashem’s decrees without knowing in advance exactly what they entail. Similarly, in one of the discussions between Moshe and Pharaoh about the Jewish People’s journey to the wilderness to serve Hashem, Moshe said (Shemos 10:26): “We will not know in what way we will serve Hashem until we arrive there.” An essential element of the Jewish People’s mode of serving Hashem is not knowing exactly what they will be called upon to do until the time comes for them to do it.
As we go through life, we face situations that may lead us to wonder: “What exactly is it that Hashem is asking from me now?” (I personally have found myself thinking this way many times ….) We must strive to press ahead with the missions Hashem gives us, even when we do not know exactly where they will lead to, and maintain faith in Hashem’s plans.

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Parashas Shemos

January 12, 2012
In the opening segment of this week’s parashah, the Torah relates (Shemos 1:6-12):
And Yosef died, and all his brothers, and that entire generation. And the Children of Israel were fruitful, and swarmed, and multiplied, and grew very, very mighty, and the land was filled with them. And a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Yosef. And he said to his people: “Behold, the people of the Children of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. Come, let us deal wisely with them, lest they multiply, so that it may be, if war occurs, that they also join our enemies and fight against us, and go up from the land.” Thus, they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh storage cities, Pisom and Raamses. And just as they afflicted them, thus did they multiply and thus did they spread, and they became disgusted because of the Children of Israel.
The Maggid comments as follows. Our Sages teach that the Jewish People’s enslavement in Egypt did not begin until all of Yaakov’s sons had died. Thus, Yosef’s death triggered the onset of the enslavement. Now, the enslavement was put into effect by the new king who arose over Egypt, as indicated at the end the above passage. But before the enslavement was put into effect, Hashem caused the Jewish People to grow extremely numerous.
Hashem brought about this great population increase for a specific purpose. Our Sages teach that the exile and enslavement in Egypt caused the Jewish People to degenerate. As David HaMelech writes (Tehillim 106:35): “And the mingled among the nations, and learned their ways.” Similarly, the statement that “the Egyptians did us evil” (Devarim 26:6) can be interpreted a meaning “the Egyptians made us evil.” Hashem saw in advance that this degeneration would take place, and that the Jewish People would lose their spiritual wholeness. He therefore arranged for them to become extremely numerous, so that there would be enough virtues among all of them together to make up one upright and spiritually whole man. And as the enslavement continued, Hashem maintained this state of affairs. In this vein, the Torah says: “And just as they afflicted them, thus did they multiply and thus did they spread.” The added afflictions that the Egyptians imposed on the Jewish People caused further degeneration, and to compensate Hashem made the Jewish People grow ever more numerous.
Note: Today, the 17th of Teves, marks the Maggid’s 207th Yahrzeit.
David Zucker, Site Administrator

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Haftaras Vayechi

January 5, 2012
This week’s haftarah records David HaMelech’s last words before his death, including a final charge to his son and successor Shlomo. One of these charges runs as follows (Melachim Alef 2:7): “And be gracious to the sons of Barzilai the Gileadite, and let them be among those who eat at your table, for they drew close to me when I fled your brother Avshalom.” With this charge, David was seeking to repay the sons of Barzilai for the favorable reception they extended him. Why, then, asks the Maggid, does David frame the matter in terms of “being gracious” when apparently he was merely telling Shlomo to return the favor that the sons of Barzilai had done for him?
The key to understanding David’s intent, the Maggid explains, is the phrasing he chose in describing what the sons of Barzilai had done: David did not say that they had drawn him close, but rather that they drew close to him. The difference between the two phrasings can be explained as follows. A person who draws close to a great man gains honor thereby, but the great man himself gains much more honor – the fact that someone else sought a connection with him demonstrates his greatness. Now, through that reception that the sons of Barzilai gave David, they extended him two benefits. First, they gave him food and drink, and supplied him with his other needs. Second, in the way they acted toward him, they demonstrated that they did not view him as an ordinary person, but still regarded him as the king. The proof was that they drew themselves close to him, thereby showing him special honor. David’s choice of words in describing their actions stresses this point.
David did not regard the food and drink that the sons of Barzilai gave him as a notable kindness, for it is basic human decency to provide food and drink to a person in need, even if the person is lowly. But he did regard as a notable kindness their maintaining allegiance to him as king. He therefore commanded his Shlomo to reciprocate and show them special graciousness and honor, going beyond simple compensation for their hospitality.
Specifically, David told Shlomo that they should be “among those who eat at your table.” Here again we have a careful choice of phrasing: “eat at your table” rather than “eat from your table.” Had David said that they should eat “from your table,” the message would have been that Shlomo should provide them food, which would have been really no more than simple compensation. But instead he said that they should eat “at your table” – that they should be made part of the esteemed inner circle of men who dine with the king himself. In granting this special honor, Shlomo would be extending them a considerable kindness. True, the sons of Barzilai had previously honored David, but the honor that David told Shlomo to show them went go well beyond the honor they showed him. In the reception the sons of Barzilai gave David, they did not really grant him added honor – they simply took care to show him the honor he was rightfully due as king, rather than rebelling against him or impugning his position as others were doing. By contrast, they would now be receiving a great boost of honor – originally they were ordinary citizens, and now they would become members of the king’s inner circle. Such a boost of honor is truly an act of graciousness.
David Zucker, Site Administrator

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