Bo 5634 תרל”ד

תרל”ד

1

במדרש כובד אבן כו’ וכעס אויל שמכעיס לפני בדברים בטלים כו’. ד”א כ”א ונטל החול אלו ישראל. 

Medrash (Shemot Rabba 13:1 on the pasuk in Mishlei 27:3)

כֹּֽבֶד־אֶ֭בֶן וְנֵ֣טֶל הַח֑וֹל וְכַ֥עַס אֱ֝וִ֗יל כָּבֵ֥ד מִשְּׁנֵיהֶֽם׃

A stone has weight, sand is heavy,  But a fool’s vexation outweighs them both. 

HaShem says that the wicked cause Him much heaviness / effort. Another explanation is that this pasuk is referring to Bnei Yisrael that they act as sand and stone for the world.

דהנה בעשרה מאמרות נברא העולם. ורק פרשה א’ של בראשית שנשלם ע”י כל מ”ב, ולהוציא ב”י ממצרים נצרך כ”כ פרשיות ע”ז. 

The world was created with ten utterances, and the entire creation takes up only one parsha in the Torah, yet taking Bnei Yisrael out of Mitzrayim, takes up so many parshiot. (why the difference?)

כי לתקן מעשה רשעים הוא עבודה רבה יותר מלברוא חדשות כי הוא כל יכול. אבל מה שניתן הבחירה לב”ו והוא מקלקל. לזה צריכין עצות. 

The answer is because it is far more difficult to repair the actions of evil doers than to create new things. For HaShem is infinite, yet He gives the ability to choose to man (yet when man ruins that choice he’s been given, the repairing of that is more difficult). And this warrants more solutions. 

(The ability to choose is really a G-d given right, for the choice is when all things are equal, yet when it comes to choosing between good and bad, they are not equal, and nevertheless HaShem gives us that ability to choose. When man takes that choice and ruins it, it takes much effort to repair the damage). (Obviously there is nothing difficult for HaShem as He is infinite, it is in His relationship with us, that it is viewed as more or less difficult)

לכן תיקון הבריאה וקיומו הוא יותר גדול מגוף הבריאה. 

This therefore means that repairing the world and giving it existence is greater than the actual creation.

והבריאה הי’ בכלל. ויצ”מ הוא תיקון הבריאה בפרט. 

Creation of the world was the general principle, whereas exodus from Mitzrayim, was repairing the world on an individual level

ונשתנו כל הנבראים. אור ואש ורוח שמים וארץ יבשה וים כו’. בכל דבר נעשה שינוי בעשר מכות. כי הוא תיקון הבריאה כנ”ל. והוא בבחי’ פרט. 

All of creation changes, light, fire, wind, heaven earth,dry land and sea etc (took on different forms). For the ten plagues changed everything, for this was the repairing of the creation, which takes place on an individual level. (HaShem became more and more revealed through each plague – undoing our concept of nature)

לכן כ’ אשר הוצאתיך מא”מ. ולא אשר בראתיך. כי יצ”מ יותר פלא. 

Therefore it says (Shmot 20:2) “I am HaShem that took you out of Mitzrayim” and not “I am HaShem that created you”, for exodus from Mitzrayim, is a greater wonder.

והוא מיוחד לבנ”י שהוציאנו מא”מ להיות מיוחד אליו ית’. דכתיב יצב גבולות עמים למב”י. פי’ שבנ”י הם שמירה להקדושה שלא יוכל שום עם ולשון לגשת עוד לכח הפנימיות שנתן הש”י תוך הבריאה. 

Now this exodus is unique to Bnei Yisrael, “He took us out of Mitzrayim ”, so that we should be especially set aside for Him. “He fixed the boundaries of the nations of the world, in relation to the numbers of Yisrael” (Devarim 32:8), meaning that Bnei Yisrael serve as a protection for the Holiness that no foreign nation or language can reach the holiness, the pnimius that HaShem has place in creation. 

וכ’ ושמרתם מצותי. פי’ מה שרוצה הש”י לחבר ולדבק אל הקדושה מלשון צותא. ולא יותר. 

It says “You shall guard my commandments מצותי” (Vayikra 22:31) (aside from the simple reading this can also read) You shall guard our connection The word מצותי is connected to the word צותא a connection. And no other. (As explained above that no foreign force should be able to get to the pnimius, that nothing that is unholy should enter into the level of purity). 

וכ”כ ושמרו בנ”י את השבת כו’. 

Similarly it says “Bnei Yisrael shall guard the Shabbos it is a sign between Me and them”(Shmot 31:16) (A gentile is forbidden to keep the Shabbos for it is like a king and queen are together whoever comes between them deserves to be put to death. So too the Shabbos is the day where Bnei Yisrael protects the holiness by not allowing any foreign interference.)

לכן נק’ חול שהם שמירה לים שהוא החכמה כמ”ש כח מעשיו הגיד כו’. 

Therefore Bnei Yisrael are compared to the sand of the sea, for the sand is the fence that contains the sea (from overflowing and flooding the world). This is compared to wisdom (that requires protection from outside forces, just as anything good needs to be protected or else it gets ruined by foreign elements). As it says the energy of His actions He told His nation (this is unique to Bnei Yisrael only). 

וכ”ז נעשה ביצ”מ. 

All this took place at the exodus from Mitzrayim, (when we became set aside as His nation to protect the holiness).

לכן כתיב בשבת כי בו שבת. ביד חזקה הוציאך כו’ שהבריאה ויצ”מ הוא דבר א’ והוא תיקון הבריאה. 

therefore it says on Shabbos “On that day He rested” (Bereishis 2:3) and 

וְזָכַרְתָּ֞֗ כִּ֣י־עֶ֤֥בֶד הָיִ֣֙יתָ֙ ׀ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔֗יִם וַיֹּצִ֨אֲךָ֜֩ יְהוָ֤֨ה אֱלֹהֶ֤֙יךָ֙ מִשָּׁ֔ם֙ בְּיָ֤֥ד חֲזָקָ֖ה֙ וּבִזְרֹ֣עַ נְטוּיָ֑֔ה עַל־כֵּ֗ן צִוְּךָ֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ לַעֲשׂ֖וֹת אֶת־י֥וֹם הַשַׁבָּֽת׃

Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt and the HaShem your G-d freed you from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm; therefore HaShem your G-d has commanded you to observe the Shabbos day.

We see that the creation of the world and exodus from Mitzrayim, are the same idea, that of repairing the world.

ובששת ימי המעשה ע”י שהי’ בהם בריאת שמים וארץ. עי”ז יש אחיזה לכל הנבראים. וצריך תיקון ע”י בנ”י כנ”ל. 

During the six days of the week, which are the days in which the world was created, the nations of the world have a connection to them. Yet they need to be repaired and protect by Bnei Yisrael (that nothing unholy can reach the holiness)

ובש”ק אין שייכות לאומות כמ”ש אות היא ביני כו’ כיון שלא נברא בו דבר. לכן איתא כי בנ”י והשבת מעידין זה ע”ז. 

However the Shabbos does not belong to the nations of the world “it is a sign between Me and Bnei Yisrael ”. For on the Shabbos day nothing (Physical)  was created, (therefore physical things and the nations of the world, do not have that connection to the Shabbos. Ony Bnei Yisrael who are connected to the spiritual pnimius, have that connection to the Shabbos.) Therefore it is Bnei Yisrael and Shabbos that testify to one another (they are the pnimius of the world. Tosafot Chagigah 3b)

וכפי התיקון בימות החול זוכין לבחי’ שבת. כמ”ש מי שישנו בשמירה כו’. 

And in as much as one repairs during the days of the week (and guards the holiness) one is able to merit to the aspect of Shabbos. (When we don’t get sucked into the desires of this world, we erit on Shabbos to the real taste of that which is above this world). As it says (Brachot 20b) “One who has guarding (of the Shabbos has remembering (the Shabbos)” 

ובחול הוא שמירה לשבת כנ”ל. 

For the days of the week are a protection שמירה for Shabbos. as explained. (Guarding שמירה is protecting from negative, whereas remembering זכירה is positive).

וש”ק הוא שורש החיות של כל הימים. כמ”ש מיני’ מתברכין שיתא יומין. וע”י עבודתינו בחול מקבלין בש”ק קודם כל הנבראים. 

It is the Shabbos that is the source of our life force for the week. As it says (Zohar Yisro 88b) “From it (the Shabbos) the six days receive their blessing”. It is through our effort during the days of the week, that we merit receiving before the rest of creation. (The more we protect שמירה the more we mert remembering זכירה ).

וז”ש החודש הזה לכם שבנ”י זכו ביצ”מ להיות ראשונים לקבל השפע משמים כנ”ל. וכ”ז הי’ כשהיינו שרוין על אדמתינו כמ”ש חז”ל:

Therefore it says (Shmot 12:2) “This month is yours” that Bnei Yisrael merited in the exodus to be the first to receive the blessing from Heaven. as above. This was ultimately fulfilled when Bnei Yisrael were in Eretz Yisrael that the blessing would come down from Heaven onto them and the remainder would flow to the nations of the world. (See Zohar 2:152b)

Yesod: Creation of the world was ‘easier’ (kivyachol) for HaShem than Yetzias Mitzrayim (it takes up less in the Torah). This is because for HaShem to create the world is easy, however once He gives this great gift of free choice to mankind, and they abuse it, to correct all that damage is difficult.

Yesod: The concept of free choice is really not physically applicable to mankind. This is because by definition free choice must be when all things are equal. However if they are unbalanced for example the choice between good and bad, that is no longer considered free choice, because the good outweighs the bad. It is only in HaShem’s great kindness that He bestowed such an ability onto mankind!

2

כי אני הכבדתי כו’ ולמען תספר כו’ וידעתם כי אני ה’.

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה בֹּ֖א אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֑ה כִּֽי־אֲנִ֞י הִכְבַּ֤דְתִּי אֶת־לִבּוֹ֙ וְאֶת־לֵ֣ב עֲבָדָ֔יו לְמַ֗עַן שִׁתִ֛י אֹתֹתַ֥י אֵ֖לֶּה בְּקִרְבּֽוֹ׃

Then HaShem said to Moses, “Go to Paroh. For I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his courtiers, in order that I may display these My signs among them,

וּלְמַ֡עַן תְּסַפֵּר֩ בְּאָזְנֵ֨י בִנְךָ֜ וּבֶן־בִּנְךָ֗ אֵ֣ת אֲשֶׁ֤ר הִתְעַלַּ֙לְתִּי֙ בְּמִצְרַ֔יִם וְאֶת־אֹתֹתַ֖י אֲשֶׁר־שַׂ֣מְתִּי בָ֑ם וִֽידַעְתֶּ֖ם כִּי־אֲנִ֥י יְהוָֽה׃

and that you may recount in the hearing of your sons and of your sons’ sons how I made a mockery of the Egyptians and how I displayed My signs among them—in order that you may know that I am HaShem  (Shmot 10:1,2)

 פי’ שצריכין לבוא לידיעת הש”י ע”י הנפלאות במצרים שהוכבד לבו. 

This means that it is through the wonders that HaShem did to Mitzrayim, through the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart, this brings us to knowledge of HaShem.

ואעפ”כ הי’ הכל במשפט אמת. 

Nevertheless everything that HaShem did to Paroh was exacting with a true judgement. (even though HaShem hardened Pharaoh’s heart, Paroh nevertheless received exactly what he deserved. The hardening of Pharaoh’s heart was to offset the effect of the plagues on Pharaoh’s free choice.)

ונמצא שכן בכל המעשים וההנהגה שבכל א’ הכל בהשגחת עליון. וכל הוי’ היא מאתו ית’ המהוה כל. וז”ש כי אני ה’.

We learn from this that in every action and process that a person does it is always by the decree of Heaven. And every existence is from HaShem, that gives everything existence, as it says “And you shall know that I am HaShem”. 

(The Sfas Emes is teaching us an important principle in service of HaShem. Everything that happens to a person is the will of HaShem. So much so that even after a person sins, when one looks back in retrospect that is exactly HaShem’s will. Obviously one needs to stay away from sinning as much as possible, however looking back, one should never give up hope, for that is exactly what the evil inclination wants us to do, so that we fall into his power through despair. And as we know that when a person returns to HaShem out of love, then even their willful sins turn into merits. This is because with regret, one changes one’s original intentions to thoughts of repentance and service of HaShem.)

וכ’ הן בנ”י לא שמעו כו’ ואיך ישמעני פרעה. נמצא בא ללמד ונמצא למד שאחר שהשי”ת פעל בנפלאותיו שגם פרעה הרשע הוכרח לשמוע. ואיך לא נשמע אנחנו. 

Moshe said Bnei Yisrael did not listen to me, so how can Paroh possibly listen to me? This method of reasoning – kal vachomer, came to tell me one thing but actually taught us a different lesson. (Moshe used the reasoning to explain why it was futile to convince Paroh, yet it actually teaches Bnei Yisrael a lesson in service of HaShem as will be explained). For HaShem showed Moshe that once He had done all the wondrous miracles, that even the evil Paroh was forced to listen to HaShem, how much more so we (Bnei Yisrael who wish to do HaShem’s will) will learn about HaShem’s greatness though His wondrous miracles.

ואפשר אמר מרע”ה זה הק”ו כדי להתברר על אחר הגאולה. שיהי’ הידיעה אצל בנ”י בק”ו זה. כי ק”ו אדם דן מעצמו. וכפי שמבין אצלו הק”ו. יוכל לבוא לזה.

And perhaps Moshe said this kal vachomer for Bnei Yisrael in future generations to serve as clarity after the redemption. Moshe wanted this knowledge of HaShem’s greatness to be known to us. For the principle of kal vachomer is something that a person can learn on his own accord (and does not need to have a tradition of its accuracy). Therefore in as much as one is able to understand this kal vachomer for himself one can attain this level. (The more one is attuned to one’s ability to understand and get closer to HaShem, through awareness of His presence, the more one is able to actually attain such high levels of connection to Him.

 לכן התעורר מרע”ה בזה הק”ו בעבור בנ”י כנ”ל:

It was for this reason that Moshe used the principle of kal vachomer, for Bnei Yisrael to subsequently learn from. As above.

Yesod: Everything that happens to a person is the will of HaShem. So much so that even after a person sins, when one looks back in retrospect that is exactly HaShem’s will. Obviously one needs to stay away from sinning as much as possible, however looking back, one should never give up hope, for that is exactly what the evil inclination wants us to do, so that we fall into his power through despair. And as we know that when a person returns to HaShem out of love, then even their willful sins turn into merits. This is because with the regret, one changes one’s original intentions to thoughts of repentance and service of HaShem.

3

כלה גרש יגרש.

(Shmot 11:1) 

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֗ה ע֣וֹד נֶ֤גַע אֶחָד֙ אָבִ֤יא עַל־פַּרְעֹה֙ וְעַל־מִצְרַ֔יִם אַֽחֲרֵי־כֵ֕ן יְשַׁלַּ֥ח אֶתְכֶ֖ם מִזֶּ֑ה כְּשַׁ֨לְּח֔וֹ כָּלָ֕ה גָּרֵ֛שׁ יְגָרֵ֥שׁ אֶתְכֶ֖ם מִזֶּֽה׃

And HaShem said to Moshe, “I will bring but one more plague upon Paroh and upon Egypt; after that he shall let you go from here; indeed, when he lets you go, he will drive you out of here one and all.

 י”ל הפי’ שאחר העבודה במצרים היו בנ”י יגיעים מאוד. כמ”ש בזוה”ק ויהי בשלח שהיו שבורי לב מרוב היגיעה ע”ש.

We can explain that after Bnei Yisrael’s hardship in Mitzrayim, they were truly exhausted, as the Zohar says that they were broken-hearted from the toil. (When the work stopped then they really felt the exhaustion physically, emotionally and spiritually)

לכן הבטיח השי”ת כי המצריים יגרשו אותם. 

Therefore HaShem promised them that the Egyptians would actually expel them (for they were too tired to leave on their own accord).

והוא ללמוד הבטחה לכל אדם. שאף שנתיגע נגד היצה”ר וניטל הכח ממנו. יוכל אח”כ לעשות בכח היצה”ר עצמו. 

This is actually a lesson for each and every person. After exhausting oneself fighting the evil inclination, and one has no strength left, nevertheless one needs to realise that one can beat the evil forces using their own strength. (Just as the Egyptians, representing all evil, helped Bnei Yisrael and forced them to leave, so these evil forces were actually the energy that caused them to be redeemed!)

וכמ”ש וקוי ה’ יחליפו כח. והבן. 

As it says (Yeshayahu 40:31) “Those that hope to HaShem will have renewed strength”. Understand this.

וכ”כ בכל לבבך בשני יצריך שאח”כ מסייע גם הוא כמ”ש זוה”ק ואתחנן ע”ש:

SImilarly one must serve HaShem “With all of one’s heart” The Gemara explains (Brachos 9b) that one must serve HaShem with both his good and evil inclination. For as we have explained the evil inclination can also help in service of HaShem. (See Zohar Va’etchanan).

Yesod: When a person tries the best he can to fight the yetzer hara and feels that his energy is depleted, he should never give up hope, for sometimes the actual evil forces will expel him and drive him to closeness to HaShem. We find this concept by Paroh expelling Bnei Yisrael when they had no energy to leave.

4

במדרש על שהכביד לב פרעה. אם ללצים הוא יליץ כו’. 

The Medrash (shmot Rabba 13:3) (on the Pasuk Mishlei 3:33) “At scoffers He scoffs”. (The Medrash explains that HaShem hardened Pharaoh’s heart and refused his repentance, because Paroh refused to repent when HaShem gave him the chance).

איתא בע”מ נברא העולם כדי להפרע ולתת שכר לצדיקים שמקיימין העולם שנברא בע”מ. 

The Mishna (Avot 5:1) The world was created with ten utterances. Even though HaShem could have created the world with one utterance, however He created it in ten to give more reward to the righteous who give the world existence that was created in ten utterances, and to give the evil doers more punishment who destroy the world that was created in ten utterances. (The simple understanding is difficult, does HaShem want to judge the evil doers extra harshly? And is he overly favorable to the righteous?)

פי’ שהשי”ת תלה המאמרות זה בזה. כי מאמר לשון חיבור כמ”ש האמירך עשנו חטיבה א’. לבוא ממדריגה קטנה עד אליו ית’. 

The explanation rather is that HaShem made each utterance מאמר depending on each other, for the word מאמר is an expression of connection as we find the word האמיר chosen and unique. For it is through the process of one step following the next (ten utterances = ten steps), to reach HaShem.

כי אם הי’ נברא במאמר א’ לא הי’ יכול הרשע לבטל רצונו ית’. וכן הצדיק שיוכל להתדבק מיד במאמר הש”י בשורשו א”א. 

For if HaShem would have created the world with only one utterance, then the evil doers would not be able to go against His will (for the clarity of HaShem would have been so great), and so too the righteous could not immediately cling to the essence of HaShem (without having gone through a growth process). 

רק ע”י מדרגות נתן הש”י שהצדיק שעושה דבר טוב יביאנו לדבר טוב יותר כמ”ש מצוה גוררת מצוה. והושם זה בעולם שמי שעשה טוב יביאנו לכל המדריגות. וזה ענין החלוקה לעשרה. 

Therefore it is only through levels, that HaShem enables the righteous who do a good deed to merit another good deed. As it says one mitzvah causes another mitzvah. This concept of levels is therefore in this world so that one who does good, can reach all the higher levels (through the gradual growth process). This is the division of ten utterances.

וכן לרשע ע”י שמבטל מאמר א’ יביאנו לזה לבטל יותר עד שיבטל הכל. 

And conversely with the evil doers through defying the utterance of HaShem (and denying His existence), this causes the evil doer to drop a further and further level, until he is completely disconnected.

וכן הוי עובדא ע”י עשרה מאמרות זכה פרעה לעשר מכות. 

We see that this is actually what happened in Paroh, the ten plagues were because of (that revealed HaShem was the creator of the world) in ten utterances, 

וזהו להפרע מן הרשעים שהוא פרעה הרשע. 

This is therefore the meaning to punish the evil doers, embodied in the evil Paroh.

ובנ”י זכו לעשרת הדיברות כמ”ש ועמך כולם צדיקים 

Conversely, Bnei Yisrael merited (through the ten plagues such a revelation) of the ten commandments, (for they are the embodiment of good) as it says “Your nation is all righteous” (Yeshayahu 60:21). 

וז”ש המד’ שע”י שחטא פעם וב’ ניטל ממנו דרכי התשובה כנ”ל וק”ו במדה טובה ע”י שעושין מעש”ט אין מניחין משמים ליפול עד לגמור הכל בכי טוב וכנ”ל:

This therefore is the meaning of the Medrash above, when an evil doer sins once and again, the path of repentance is taken away from him (for they are on the slippery slope of distancing from HaShem).
Form here we can learn conversely in an opposite direction to the good which is much greater than the bad, though doing good deeds HaShem does not let the person to fall (for he is on the path of steps toward closeness to HaShem), until everything is completed and everything is good. As above.

Yesod: The reason why the world was created with ten utterances and not just one. As well as the reason for the myriads of options and complexities of this world, are there for our benefit. It benefits the tzadikim by giving the ability of getting closer to HaShem in a methodical approach, for there is not too much holiness in one go, and conversely for the wicked the truth of HaShem is less obvious and all the options are what drag one away from closeness to HaShem in a progressive fashion.