Page 14 - Mizrachi RZC Sefer Berachot 5778 (2017-2018)

The Pesach Pattern – Perfect Thanks in Imperfect Times

This then, is the essence of Hallel, saying Shira and giving thanks. It is the ability to
feel perfectly grateful in an imperfect situation. It requires a capacity to feel a sense
of complete appreciation in a wholly incomplete reality. This is what gratitude and
appreciation are all about.
What is fascinating to contemplate is indeed just how incomplete and imperfect our
original deliverance from Egypt indeed was. Our Sages say that at least four fifths
of the Jewish people did not come out of Egypt and died in the plague of Darkness.
Whether or not this comment of the sages was meant as a historical fact, it is clear
that they wish to highlight how partial and imperfect the redemption from Egypt
1
was .

Furthermore, it was only three months later from the day of salvation itself that Bnei
Yisrael sinned with the unthinkable sin of the Golden Calf, from which only
Moshe’s intense supplication saved them from annihilation. It was barely a year
later when the entire people of Israel chose to follow the ill advice of the 10 spies
and decided not to enter the Promised Land. Even the heart-wrenching prayers of
Moshe, who interceded on their behalf once again, could not prevent their demise.

1 The Midrash Mechilta comments on the verse in Exodus (13, 18) – “ ץראמ לארשי ינב ולע םישומחו...
"םירצמ – “and the Children of Israel went up armed out of the land of Egypt”. Even though the
word םישומח literally does mean armed (the Book of Joshua [1, 14] and [4, 12]), the sages of the
Midrash reflected on the additional meaning which is also the number five. Rashi points out in his
commentary to this verse one of the opinions mentioned in the Midrash - which has now become
well known - that only one fifth of the Children of Israel came out of Egypt with the other four
fifths dying during the Plague of Darkness. Amazingly, the Midrash mentions two additional views
that only one fiftieth, or even remarkably only one five-hundredth of the Children of Israel came
out of Egypt. What seems clear is that the rabbis are not talking about historical facts, but rather
deep philosophical and hashkafic insights into these occurrences. If we assume that there were
around 3 million people who came out of Egypt, then according to the first view 12 million
remained behind and died in the plague of darkness. This would mean there were 15 million Jews
at the time. Even if this were feasible from a historic point of view, the other two points of view
seem highly unlikely, if not impossible - it would have meant that there were either half a billion
Jews or 1.5 billion Jews! Additionally, it would mean that only a miniscule 3 million people came
out with close to half a billion (or 1.5 billion) dying in the Plague of Darkness. This would have
been a Shoah of unparalleled and unimaginable proportions. It seems, therefore, that the central
point of this Midrash is not about the historical number of people, but rather teaches an important
point about the nature of redemption. Perhaps it is only that only small percentages merit seeing
the light of redemption, with the vast majority of others losing themselves in either the darkness of
exile or myopic philosophical vision. Whatever the meaning of this Midrash, it is clear that our
sages are highlighting how imperfect the redemption from Egypt was, and yet we still celebrate it
as our festival of freedom and redemption.