Page 156 - HTUNA

Hakadosh Baruch Hu required Bnei Yisrael to descend to Mitzrayim. In
order to build them up as His nation, they first needed to be enslaved.
Only by becoming detached from all earthly matters and pleasures of the
physical world could they attach themselves to Him. They benefitted
greatly from their exile in Egypt, for when they were at last liberated, and
witnessed all of the great miracles, they appreciated Hashem and His
Torah all the more.

We find that Chizkiyahu received an additional fifteen years of life in the
merit of turning his head toward the wall in prayer. He thereby created a
partition between himself and his splendid palace, which reminded him of
his majesty and was liable to cause him to feel pride ( ), which has
the gematria of fifteen. By facing the bare wall, his heart was open to
supplicate Hashem.

“If you have grabbed a small amount, you have gained; if you have
grabbed a lot, you have not gained anything.” One who strives to attain
material wealth, in addition to his Torah acquisitions, will be
disappointed. He will not be able to hold on to his Torah studies. In order
to succeed in Torah, one must detach himself completely from all
mundane matters.
“Fortunate is the one who arrives here with his learning in his hand.”
“Here” refers to the World to Come, the world of yirat Shamayim.Torah
without fear of Heaven is worthless and has no endurance in the World
to Come.
“Who are coming to Egypt” is written in the present tense in order to teach
us the following lesson. In every generation, when Bnei Yisrael come
close to Hashem, He redeems them from galut. Just as Bnei Yisrael were
redeemed in the merit of four items which they preserved: their names,
their language, separation from lashon hara, and steering clear of