Page 25 - HaMizrachi #8 Pesach

The parents’ answer relates to the to revert once again to tyranny and murder in
commandment of “Pesach dorot,” the Pesach order to ‘correct’ his previous error.
sacrifice brought in future generations.
The Torah teaches us here that our second
We tell our children that there is room for thoughts in life reveal to a great extent who we
innovation and change where necessary, are and what path in life we wish to pursue.
in accordance with a changing reality; the We are often forced to do good things because
commandment of the Pesach sacrifice of social pressures and other unholy motives.
symbolizes this change. When these disappear so does our desire to do
good. And the same is true in the opposite vein.
Change is indeed essential, but only on
condition that it is undertaken with complete Sometimes we are forced to do things that
commitment to Halacha and its obligations, are really repugnant to us because of outside
rather than out of a desire to cast away or to pressures we cannot control. But we regret
submit oneself to fashionable philosophies. having done so because our inner self only
desires good and a sincere attachment to
G-d and His Torah.
Four Sons As One
Dr. Tova Ganzel
a stunning economy and awesome military Seeing G-d's Hand in Everything
All of us have parts of these four sons – lately judged the eighth most powerful Mrs. Shira Smiles
within us, and on Seder night we have a country in the world – with more Jews
special opportunity to connect to our own studying Torah than at any time in the last ם ָיּ ַה ךְוֹת ְבּ ה ָשׁ ָבּ ַיּ ַב וּכ ְל ָה ל ֵא ָר ְשׂ ִי י ֵנ ְבוּ (and
complex identities, to receive different and 2,000 years. the Children of Israel walked on the dry land
changing answers, to be both spectators and in the middle of the sea). Why does the verse
participants, to receive a short or a detailed And, b’ezrat Hashem – we are not done yet! include both “on the dry land” and “in the
answer, all simultaneously. And to internalize middle of the sea?”
that the different sons are all part of each
one of us. There is really no clear distinction Reaching Higher Doesn’t one phrase suffice? Rabbi Elimelech
between them, because the Torah was given The Lubavitcher Rebbe of Lizhensk explains that these phrases
to all… of us. represent different ideas. “On the dry land”
“And it came to pass at midnight” – the symbolizes this physical world and the
darkest moment in the daily cycle symbolizes natural course of events. “In the middle
a situation in which a person is stuck in the of the sea” symbolizes a fantastic, openly
10 Plagues darkness of the world. Even such a person miraculous event like the Splitting of the Sea.
Rabbi Stewart Weiss has the strength to “go out of Egypt” and
continue on. It is possible to leave the A deeper understanding is that Bnei Yisrael
The 10 Plagues represent a breakdown of darkest situation and become a free person. grasped parallel levels of G-d’s greatness in
all the barriers. Suddenly, stunningly, Nature the natural (on dry land) and the supernatural
does not “follow the rules:” The water turns In contrast, midday is the brightest moment (in the sea); the mundane and the miraculous
into blood, animals encroach upon humans, of the daily cycle and symbolizes the were equally awesome in their eyes.
the sun ceases to shine, fire and ice co-exist. brightest parts of a person’s life. However,
All this and more serve to demonstrate to us even those people have to “go out of Egypt” The Slonimer Rebbe explains that many
that as a people, as a cohesive nation of Yisrael and realize that their current situation, people are aware of G-d’s direct intervention
– rather than just a collection of individuals – however good, is considered to be slavery in their lives only when they experience open
we can do anything. There are no boundaries. when compared to even higher levels they miracles. But at that time, Bnei Yisrael saw
This is the timeless lesson for us all. should still be striving to reach. the Hand of G-d in everything. Our goal is to
reach that level now.
If we ever doubted this lesson, just look Second Thoughts
at what the State of Israel – badgered, Rabbi Berel Wein
beleaguered and bad-mouthed as it is – has
accomplished in its short history: We are Pharaoh has second thoughts about
one of the world’s great democracies with freeing the Jewish people and is determined

Image from Wikimedia Commons – “The Four Sons” (1934), Łódź, Poland. The Arthur Szyk Society, Burlingame, CA
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