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Parsha Perspectives

by RABBI LEIBY BURNHAM

דברו אל כל עדת ישראל לאמר בעשר לחדש הזה ויקחו
להם איש שה לבית אבת שה לבית

“Speak to the entire community of Israel, saying, ‘On the tenth of this month, let each one take a lamb for each parental home, a lamb for each household.’” (12:3)

This week’s parsha continues the story of the Ten Plagues that started in last week’s parsha. After we learn about Moses warning Pharaoh about the last plague, the Death of the Firstborn, there is a peculiar break in the narrative. Suddenly, the story of the redemption from Egypt is broken by 28 verses that bear very little relation to the actual storyline. Instead, these verses contain the first mitzvos the Jews were commanded to observe as a nation.

We know that the Torah was given by G-d, and is therefore perfect by its very nature. Nothing is superfluous; everything is calculated down to the very vowels of the letters. Why, then, would G-d choose to interrupt one of the most important narratives to these commandments? If anything, the story was just beginning to peak; it was reaching its climax. We spent the last few weeks reading about the rise of Moses from an infant cast into the Nile to the redeemer of the Jewish people. We learn how G-d sent him back into Egypt with a message of hope for the enslaved Jews. Hashem told him to challenge Pharaoh and demand freedom for the Jews. The dialogue continued with Pharaoh’s refusals, which were met with miraculous plagues that brought harsh punishment upon the Egyptians. All of these events were for the single cause of freeing the Jews. Now, we are about to reach the last plague, freedom is near, and G-d decides to interrupt this riveting story with a few commandments! Why?

The answer to this question holds an important lesson for us. The Jews were at a pivotal moment in their national history. Until now, they were slaves; physically, they were oppressed and broken people. As bad as things were from a physical perspective, their spiritual state was even worse. They were totally unaffiliated with their heritage, disconnected from the legacy of their great predecessors. But, now they were about to leave Egypt and venture into the desert to begin a journey of spiritual growth. G-d wanted to give us the first commandments specifically before the journey began.

In doing so, G-d taught us that you don’t have to be far into a spiritual journey to begin observing some of the mitzvos. In fact, you can be at the very beginning of your spiritual enlightenment, and still begin practicing those mitzvos that are within your power to keep. Sometimes we feel like we are not “on the level” to do a particular mitzvah, or that due to a past that was deprived of spirituality, we cannot possibly be ready to perform a specific mitzvah. The truth is that you don’t have to be worthy to perform a mitzvah; the mitzvah itself gives you worth.

In Egypt, when the Jews were in a deep spiritual slump, G-d gave them a few mitzvos which provided the merit needed to get the Jews out of Egypt. G-d clearly showed us that mitzvos are relevant to everyone, and every single person is worthy and capable of performing them. Once we tap into that opportunity, we are on the path to our own personal and spiritual redemption.

A beautiful story illustrates this point. In the seventies, a young man who grew up without any Jewish identity somehow found some Jewish classes and began to study. He was enthused by what he learned, but was soon drafted into the army, and prepared to fight in Vietnam. On his last leave of absence before being deployed, he visited his rabbi back home. His rabbi encouraged him to begin doing one mitzvah, but he was reluctant as he had never really done any before. In the end, they agreed that he would try to do the mitzvah of netilas yadayim, ritually washing ones hands before eating bread.

One day, after a long day of fighting, his platoon settled down for chow. While everyone ravenously attacked their food, this soldier went to a nearby stream to wash his hands. While he was washing his hands, he heard a series of explosions and came running back. Somehow, his platoon had been ambushed, and by the time he got back, he was the only survivor. Like our forefathers in Egypt, this man took upon himself a mitzvah even though he was not sure he was ready for it, and it proved to be his personal redemption. In the merit of our increased mitzvah observance, may we all merit the Final Redemption!

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Parsha Talking Points

by RABBI ELAZAR MEISELS

1. SAY WHAT?

“The locusts came up over the whole land of Egypt, and rested within all the borders of Egypt. It was very severe. Never before had there been such locusts and never again after them.” 10:14

And never again after them – There were locusts in the days of the Prophet Yoel too, and about them it is also said, ‘There was never one like it?’ This teaches that those were more difficult to tolerate than the ones in the days of Moses. However, that was said only in regard to multiple species. But the locust in the days of Moses was comprised only of one species, the likes of which never had been seen and never would be again. – Rashi

Sifsei Kohen notes that this verse contains a remez [hint] to this idea that the locust plague that would occur in the times of Yoel with multiple locusts would be even more severe. The Hebrew for “and never again after them” is “V’acharov Lo Yehiyah Ken.” The word “V’acharav” can be split into two words, “V’achar” – and after, “av-lo” these next four Hebrew letters [yud, vav, lamed, aleph] can be rearranged to spell Yoel. Thus, it can read, “Never before had there been such locusts and after – Yoel – there would be again.”

2. THE MISSING INGREDIENT

“The Israelites baked the dough that they had brought out of Egypt into matzah cakes, since it had not risen. They had been driven out of Egypt and could not delay, and they had not prepared any other provisions.” 11:4-5

Matzah Cakes - Cake made of unleavened bread. Dough that has not leavened is called matzah. – Rashi

They could not delay – It should not be understood from the verse that had they had more time, they would have allowed the dough to rise, for that is not the case. Rather, had they had sufficient time, they would have sought other provisions. – Rivah

They could not delay – Although Moses had informed them that they’d soon be leaving, they did not expect to leave so soon and thought that there would still be time to prepare provisions. – Rabbi Yosef Bechor Shor

They could not delay – “Do not eat chametz on it; seven days are you to eat on it matzos… since in haste you left the land of Egypt…” – Deuteronomy 16:3

Our sages tell us that the reason for the great haste in departing Egypt was because they had already sunk to such a low moral level that they were in danger of never extricating themselves had they sunk any lower. Rabbi Zalman Sorotzkin (of blessed memory) points out that it is known that in Egypt they had many of the popular cultural ties to Judaism. They spoke Hebrew, called themselves by Jewish names, and even wore distinctly Jewish garb. They took great pride in their Jewish culture and retained it even throughout the years of bitter persecution. Yet, after only 210 years they were in danger of losing their identity altogether. They were minutes away from eternal assimilation. We, on the other hand, after 2,000 years of bitter exile, somehow still retain a strong attachment to Judaism and grow stronger in our faith by the minute. What is it that offers us this incredible shield against assimilation? The only difference between us and our ancestors in Egypt is that we have the Torah, whereas they still hadn’t received it. Cultural Judaism appears vibrant, but in reality, it’s terribly limited in terms of life-expectancy. When fortified with Torah, however, it is truly eternal!

3. GOOD NIGHT

“This was a night of vigil for Hashem, to bring them out of the land of Egypt. This is the night which remains a night of vigil to Hashem for all the Children of Israel for all their generations.” 12:42

It Is A Night of Vigil - It is continuously protected from destructive forces. As is said: ‘He will not permit the destroyer, etc.’ – Rashi

It Is A Night of Vigil – On this same night, five great miracles happened [or will happen] to the Jewish people over the centuries and each set of words in this verse allude to one of those miracles:

• Night of Vigil for Hashem – Abraham vanquished the four mighty kings and through this it became clear to even the doubters that the Almighty was on his side and capable of overcoming all foes.
• Out of the Land of Egypt - The Jews were freed from Egypt.
• This is the night – An angel smote the entire encampment of Sancheirev who sought to destroy the Jews and the verse writes, “And it was on that night, and the Almighty instructed an angel…” (Kings 2 19:35).
• To Hashem – This was the night King Achashveirosh suffered insomnia, and the first seeds of salvation began to sprout.
• A night of vigil…for all generations - The Final Redemption will occur on this night – Ohr Hachaim

Beis HaLevi (Rabbi Yosef Dov Soloveitchik) adds that although these five miracles occurred on this date, they differ in one crucial area. The first four occurred during the night, whereas the fifth, which has not yet occurred, will transpire in broad daylight. This is because the first four were impermanent redemptions as much suffering was still to come. The fifth and final redemption, however, that of the Messianic Era, will be permanent and irreversible. Thus, it will occur during the daytime which is a symbol of freedom and bliss, as opposed to nighttime which is a symbol of exile and suffering.

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Partner Talk

TO CHEAT OR NOT TO CHEAT

by RABBI LEIBY BURNHAM

Dear Rabbi,

I’m a high school junior, and I just joined Partners in Torah after seeing how much my mother has enjoyed studying with her partner for the last five years. My partner and I were talking about academic cheating, and about how prevalent it is in both of our schools. A lot of my friends think it’s not a big deal because you aren’t saying any direct lies about anything. I know it’s wrong, but what is the Jewish view on academic cheating?

Thanks,
Loni H.

Loni,

Your question actually doesn’t only touch on high schools, as unfortunately academic cheating is rampant in colleges, and even graduate programs across the nation. In a US News and World report from 1999, over 80% of high-achieving high school students, and 75% of college students admitted to cheating. Almost 85% of college students said they believed cheating was necessary to get ahead.

We live in a world reeling from the shockwaves of a financial meltdown largely brought on by fraud and deceit (and a bit of greed too!). If people are being “schooled” in deception throughout their education, it should be no surprise when it carries over to their business practices. But you do have a legitimate question. When a student hands in a paper they “borrowed” from someone, it’s not like they told the teacher that they made it up themselves. If they used a tiny “cheat sheet” during a test, they never told the teacher that they didn’t. Where is the lie, where is the halachic problem?

The answer is that this always falls under the rubric of a prohibition against “geneivas da’as,” but can even lead directly to long-term sustained stealing. Let us examine each of them in increasing order of severity. The term geneivas da’as, which literally translates as stealing one’s mind, refers to fooling someone into believing something is not true, even without lying directly. Already in the Talmud we find this singled out as a prohibited behavior. “As Shmuel said, it is forbidden to steal the mind of people” (Chullin, 94A). This prohibition is codified as law in the Maimonides codex (Hilchos Deos, 2:6), as well as the most significant Jewish code of law, the Shulchan Aruch.

“It is forbidden to fool people in business or to steal their awareness. If there is a blemish in his merchandise, he needs to report it to the buyer. Even if the buyer is a non-Jew, he should not sell him neveila (nonkosher) meat as if it is kosher meat (kosher meat is a more expensive product). It is also forbidden to rob people’s awareness by pretending to do something for them, and in reality you are not doing anything. For example: He should not repeatedly invite his friend over for a meal when he knows that his friend can’t make it. He should also not offer someone all sorts of gifts if he knows he won’t take them” (Choshen Mishpat 248:6).

One pattern we see emerging from all the cases brought in the above paragraph is that in all of them someone is getting credit for something they didn’t do, or intend to do. Academic cheating falls squarely in the middle of this, a clear example where people get credit for something they didn’t do, and only accomplished by fooling the teacher. Academic cheating is a classic example of gneivas da’as, and as such is entirely prohibited.

However, Rabbi J. D. Bleich points to a much more dangerous outcome of academic cheating, one that could brand the cheater as a thief for their entire professional career. If someone gets into a better college due to scores they never really earned, and based on that gets a higherpaying job, every paycheck they ever receive is laced with money they never earned. This would be all the more true of someone who cheats in college, where their GPA will have a much greater impact on their earning power. In any case, it is clear that academic cheating is patently forbidden according to Jewish law. But I’m sure its nothing a few extra hours of studying can’t fix!

Wishing you success,
Rabbi Leiby Burnham

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Soul Talk

In his Haggadah Maaseh Nissim, the author of Nesivos HaMishpat asks a fundamental question regarding the mitzvah of סִפּוּר יְצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם, relating the narrative of the Exodus from Egypt: Why should an event that happened to the Jewish people several thousand years ago still play such a central role in our lives? Furthermore, although it was unquestionably a tremendous joy for the Jews when they were freed from Egyptian slavery, the Jewish people have unfortunately returned to exile (which we continue to endure today) since that time. Why should an event whose impact is no longer felt continue to be remembered?

In answer to these questions, the author of Nesivos HaMishpat gives an example of a person who was sentenced to a long prison term of hard labor. When he was suddenly freed after serving only part of his sentence, he made a festive celebration for his family and friends. As time went on, he would often remember his day of freedom with great joy, and, every year on the anniversary of the day on which he was freed, would make another celebration, in which he would describe how his sudden freedom occurred. One day, this person was rearrested, and sent to a prison that was harsher than the first. Surprisingly, even while he was within the prison walls, he continued to celebrate the anniversary of the day on which he was first freed. His astounded cellmates asked him why he did so; how did his previous liberation make a difference to his present, imprisoned, life? The prisoner explained his actions. It is true, he said, that I am once again imprisoned. However, I know the reason why I was freed after my first imprisonment, and furthermore, I understand that the reason is no less valid today than it was on the day on which I was freed. Thus, I am certain that although I am once again incarcerated, the dimension of freedom I experienced on this date will soon show itself once again. It is for this reason that I continue to celebrate on this day, for I am confident that I will soon taste freedom once again!

The same is true, concludes the author of Nesivos HaMishpat, with regard to the Jewish people’s continuing celebration of yetzias Mitzrayim (the Exodus from Egypt). Although it is true that we are once again living in exile, Hashem’s taking us out of Egyptian bondage was in order that we receive the Torah at Sinai and live a lofty national existence of representing Hashem to the nations of the world, which is a role that is no less applicable today than it was at that time. Thus, just as Hashem freed His chosen nation many years ago to allow them to fully perform His mitzvos, we understand that the love He demonstrated is still very real, and will soon be shown to us once again. Internalizing this love and national mission that became apparent on this night — by vividly relating the narrative of the Exodus at the Passover Seder — is thus the key to the entire existence and uniqueness of the Jewish people, for it was the events of this night that shaped our nation into one that is, until our times, distinctive.

Sefer HaChinuch (mitzvah 21) offers another reason for the importance of internalizing yetzias Mitzrayim, through which we may also appreciate why this great event continues to affect our lives many years later. Seeing Hashem openly change nature in order to punish the Egyptians and redeem the Jewish nation unequivocally showed all that He is the Creator, and furthermore, remains very much involved in managing the world that He created. Thus, even in our times many years later, we may continue to look at yetzias Mitzrayim as a demonstration and reminder that Hashem manages every single aspect of our lives.

With permission from Artscroll’s Daily Dose

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Table Talk

FOR DISCUSSION AROUND THE SHABBAT TABLE

by OZER ALPORT

א) Even though Rashi (7:25) writes that each plague lasted seven days, the Baal HaTurim writes (10:14) that the plague of locusts rested on Shabbat. Similarly, the Rokeach writes that the plague of darkness also ceased on Shabbat. What was unique about these two plagues which prevented them from occurring on Shabbat like the other eight plagues? (Imrei Daas by Rabbi Meir Shapiro)

ב) Why would the Torah give so many mitzvos (see e.g. 13:9) all with the purpose of remembering the Exodus from Egypt? (Sefer HaChinuch Mitzvah 16)

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Parsha Summary

Parsha Summaries are coming soon!