Page 4 - HaMizrachi Pesach 5782 USA

Revolution

through Evolution
Rabbi Doron
Perez

Redemption, Women Leaders, and

the Nature of Spiritual Renaissance

t the core of Judaism is a The redemption from Egypt occurred redemption cannot be rushed, but
revolutionary spirit: the ןֹוז ָּ פ ִח ְּ ב, in a hurry. It is this word that must be a slow, incremental process.
inability to accept things describes the rushed way the Korban Why is there such a sharp discrepancy
Aas they are and the desire Pesach was eaten in Egypt and it is also between the original redemption from
to continuously change ourselves why we ate unleavened bread, matzah, Egypt and its annual celebration? And
and the world for the better. In many as there was no time for the dough to why must the final redemption occur
ways, Judaism is a protest against how rise because we were rushing to leave slowly?
things are in favor of what they ought Egypt. Even the name Pesach, “to skip
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to be. In fact, our history was wrought over,” implies that Hashem Himself Rabbi Yaakov Moshe Charlap, the
through revolution. was in a rush, skipping over the homes great student of Rav Kook, explains
Avraham was a revolutionary, an of the children of Israel. 2 that because the original redemption
happened quickly, it was not internally
iconoclast who smashed the idols By contrast, our annual Pesach Seder transformative. The people of Israel
of his father’s house and society at is the antithesis of ןֹוז ָּ פ ִח. There is were physically redeemed but

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large. Moshe, too, was a revolutionary nothing fast about the Seder; the name remained psychologically unchanged,
leader. Hand-picked by Hashem, he led itself means order and structure. and so it is no surprise that many
millions of slaves to an extraordinary Broken into 15 orderly stages, each Israelites longed to return to Egypt.
redemption, unparalleled in the step builds upon the ones before it. The redemption from Egypt was not
annals of human history. In the manner of nobility, we eat food permanent; sadly, many exiles would
Like all phenomena of life, revolution slowly while reclining. We eat the follow in the generations ahead.
is a double-edged sword. A revolution Afikoman at the end of the meal, the The final redemption, however, will
is unique in its ability to effect change way the Korban Pesach was eaten in be everlasting, and so it must occur
extraordinarily quickly. But that haste Temple times – while full and satiated, slowly and thoroughly, without
requires skipping stages of development not like fleeing slaves. Interestingly, skipping any steps.
that are essential for lasting change. it is forbidden to drink the four cups The message is clear: sustainable change
It’s no surprise that many revolutions of wine consecutively, one after the may begin with revolution, but is made
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are short-lived, leaving a wake of other, highlighting the importance lasting through evolution. As our annual
destruction in their path. of the process of redemption. They Pesach Seder makes clear, sustainable
must be drunk in their allotted time as change can only occur through a
It is for this very reason that the fast-
paced redemption from Egypt, ח ַס ֶּ פ part of the order of the Seder. Each cup systematic process of incremental
םִי ַר ְצ ִמ, is not the paradigm for תֹורֹו ּ ד ח ַס ֶּ פ, fulfills a different part of the process of change.
our annual Pesach celebration – and it redemption; the process is paramount. The revolutionary redemption
is certainly not the paradigm for the The same is true of the future from Egypt was short-lived. A mere
future redemption. In fact, the way redemption, as the prophet Yeshayahu three months after the Exodus, the
ֵ
ָ
ֹ
we celebrate Pesach is, in many ways, states: ןּוכ ֵל ֵת אל ה ָסּונ ְמ ִבּו ּוא ֵצ ּ ת ןֹוז ּ פ ִח ְב אל י ִּכ, people descended into idolatry and
ֹ
the antithesis of how the redemption “for you will not leave in haste and worshipped the golden calf, followed
actually occurred. will not go in a rush.” The future soon afterwards by the tragic sin
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