Torah Teasers – PESACH Special

1. The Hagada tells us that Rebbi Yehuda made an mnemonic to remember the 10 makos. Was that all this is about? Is there any significance in the words themselves? Ans…The Chavas Da’as explains that while we are happy to see the downfall of our oppressors the Mitzrim, since we are in Galus we need to be quiet about our happiness. Dtzach is from Ditza, happiness. Adash is a lentil which is silent and has no opening or mouth as Chazal tell us. Dtzach Adash, our happiness at the seder should be done quietly so as not to make waves in Galus. For this reason we therefore also perform signs of aveilus at the seder like eating an egg. B’Achav, or B’Ahava means that we will continue to struggle in our galus with love for Hashem as we wait for the day of our final geula, when our happiness will be complete and out in the open.
2. We tell the Chochom, “Ein Maftirin Achar HaPesach Afikoman”, you cannot eat after the Afikoman. Why this halacha? Ans… When Eisav came in for the Brachos after Yaakov had already left and asks his father to eat his food, Yitzchok tells him, “Ba Achicha B’Mirma Vayikach Birchasecha”. Targum Yonasan ben Uziel translates this to mean, “your brother came with Chochma and received from me the Brachos.” Rav Yosef Chaim Zonnenfeld explains what the great “chochma” was. That night was Pesach night. Yaakov served Yitzchok the Korban Pesach and the afikoman. When Eisav told his father to eat the food he brought, Yitzchok said he could not do so because it is forbidden to eat after the afikoman. This was the great chochma of Yaakov which prevented his father from partaking in Eisav’s food. Rav Yosef Chaim Zonnenfeld adds that the Gematria of B’Mirma equals 287, the same as the word… afikoman. (Hagdah Shai LaTorah Brisk)
3. The Hagada tells us regarding the Rasha, “U’Lfi SheHotzi Atzmo Min HaKlal Kafar B’aIkar”, because he removed himself from the tzibur he is a Kofer. Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer asks shouldn’t it say the opposite way around, since he is a Kofer he has removed himself from the tzibur? Ans…Since he has chosen to remove himself from the tzibur that keeps Torah in order to chase his heart’s desires, therefore he is Kofer B’Eikar. His Kefira is only a justification for separating from the religious way of life and is not a real theological issue.
4. Why four Kosos? What do they represent? Ans… The history of the world is divided into four phases, Olam HaZeh, Yimos HaMoshiach, Techias HaMeisim, and Olam Haba. It is said in the name of the Vilna Gaon that these four worlds are represented in the four kosos. The first kos is Kiddush. In Olam HaZeh we need to make ourselves holy and rise above the mundane world, to make the world Kaddosh as well. The second is Go’al Yisroel which is the redemption of the days of Moshiach. The third kos is Birchas HaMazon which talks about Hashem sustaining us and granting life and alludes to Techias HaMeisim. The fourth kos is Hallel which is the purely ruchniyos singing of Shira to Hashem and represents the perfect world of Olam Haba.
5. Rebbi Elazar Ben Azarya was offered the position of Nasi but was only 18 years old. He went home that night and by the next morning his beard had turned white. Rav Shimshon Pincus asks what is the significance of black or white hair? Why do young people have black hair and old people have white hair? Ans…He explains that white and black are the only colors that are not colors in their own right. Within the color black is every other color. If a child uses every color crayon to scribble, the end result is black. White is the opposite. It is pure and without any color whatsoever. A young person who learns and does good deeds, it is entirely possible that he is doing it for a multitude of reasons. Maybe he wants Olam Haba or honor in this world. Maybe he has aspirations to become a Rosh Yeshiva or it will help him get a job. He is represented by the color black. His actions are a result of a hodgepodge of ulterior motives. However, an old man who sits and learns, has none of the above notions. On Olam Haba he has given up. To impress the Mechutanim? They are already dead. A Rosh Yeshiva he won’t be. He doesn’t even need to earn a living anymore. Why does he learn? Because a Jew needs to learn Torah. His Torah is pure and white — as he is.
6. The Hagadah tells the story of the great Tannaim who had a seder that went so long that the Talmidim needed to stop them for Krias Shema in the morning. The Hagadah tells us that this took place in Bnei Brak. Why was this detail so important? Ans… The Steipler Gaon answers that there is a Machlokes between Rebbi Akiva and Rebbi Elazar Ben Azarya whether the mitzva of Achilas Korban Pesach is until dawn in the morning or only until midnight. Rebbi Elazar Ben Azarya held it was only until midnight. If so then he also held that the mitzva of eating matza and Sipur Yetzias Mitzrayim is also only until Chatzos. Being that was the case why did he participate in the Seder past the time that it was a mitzva? The Baal Hagadah tells us that they were in Bnei Brak and Rebbi Akiva was the Rov there and Rebbi Elazar accepted his psak during his stay there.
Afilu Kulanu Chachomim… Kulanu Yodim Es HaTorah, even if we were all wise… and even if we all knew the Torah, we’d still be obligated in the mitzva Sipur Yetzias Mitzrayim. Why would we think that a wise or learned person is not exempt from this mitzva? Ans… The Talilei Oros brings and answer from the Zera Beireich. After Hashem miraculously killed the entire army of Sancherev that was laying siege on Yerushalyim ruled by Chizkiyahu, Chizkiyau did not say Shira. Had he done so he would have been Moshiach and Sancherev, Gog U’Magog. Chizkiya’s justification for saying shira was twofold. First the whole world already saw the miracle, so Shira which is meant to publicize a Nes was not necessary. Secondly, Chizkiya’s generation was totally immersed in Torah which Chizkiya felt exempt them Shira. Continued next page….
7.

However, both these reason were wrong and Chizkiya was punished. The Baal Hagada heads off these two arguments with regards to not saying the story of Yetzias Mitzrayim. Afilu Kulanu Chachomim, even if the whole world already knows the story we are obligated. Afilu Kulanu Yodim Es HaTorah, even if we are completely immersed in learning Torah, still we must sing Hashem’s praises for the great Nissim that He did for us.

Created By Rov Allen Sherman
786-565-9945
[email protected]