Bnei Yisroel’s Good Sense Of Humor When Bnei Yisroel was pinned between the raging waters of the Yam Suf and the bloodthirsty army of Mitzrayim seeking revenge, they did not expect to survive the ordeal. They turned to Moshe and asked (Bishalach 14:11) “HaMibli Ein Kevarim B’Mitzrayim” why did you take us out of Mitzrayim, was there a shortage of burial plots that you took us to the desert to die? av Shamshon Rephael Hirsch says as follows. There was sharp irony in their words. Even at the moment of fear and total unsurpassable despair, the Torah points out Bnei Yisroel’s positive character trait of being able to sustain a good sense of humor. This, says Rav Hirsch, is a trademark of the children of Yaakov who at even the darkest moment, can retain their clear thinking and intellectual capability.
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Freedom On The First Day, Freedom On The Last Day Yetzias Mitzrayim and Zman Cheiruseinu are on the first day of Pesach. On the seventh day of Pesach our oppressors met their final fate. Which is the real day that we were freed? The Maharal says that the number seven represents the earthly world. It was created in seven days and the world goes in cycles of seven, Shabbos, Shmitah, among others. On the seventh the world is complete. The eighth is beyond this world. It is the world of Ruchniyos. It is where man rises above this world. Mila is the first mitzva a person does and we do it on the eighth day.
On the first day of Pesach we were freed from Mitzrayim to explore the world. We learned that it is not all that we dreamed it would be. Even as free people in the world enemies will still pursue us. We don’t understand the things that happen to us from a natural point of view. On the seventh day the geula was complete. We saw Hashem with our own eyes and understood everything. We understood that there is something beyond this world, far greater than the smallness of the universe and the events that unfold in it. On the first day we are freed in this world but on the seventh day we were freed from this world. We are empowered to put civilization behind us and enter a barren wasteland abandoned by the civilized world and prepare to enter the real world, the world of the Torah.
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Only at Krias Yam Suf Did Bnei Yisroel Recognize Hashem? At Krias Yam Suf the pasuk (Shemos 14:31) says “VaYaaminu B’ashem”; Bnei Yisroel believed in Hashem. Were Yetzias Mitzrayim and the ten makkos not convincing enough for them? The Bais HaLevi teaches us an important yesod. He says that all that happened in Mitzrayim was punishment for the Mitzrim for their brutal treatment of Bnei Yisroel. Bnei Yisroel in their own right was not ready for the geula since we were supposed to wait 400 years and only 210 years had elapsed. It was simply the overzealous oppression on the part of the Mitzrim that got them in trouble and as a side effect led to our early redemption. The ten makkos were punishment for them, as nature changed its course to rein terror on Mitzrayim and avenge their cruelty. We however had no zechus in which to be redeemed. We were no angels ourselves. This is why we were told to stay indoors during Makas Bechoros, since we had no merit with which to be spared Hashem’s fury. Krias Yam Suf was quite the opposite. We already had the mitzvos of Mila and Korban Pesach to our credit. The entire basis of the miracle was not Hashem’s revenge on Mitzrayim; rather it was mercy on us who were facing annihilation while trapped on the bank of the sea before a bloodthirsty enemy. Hashem did a Nes that was pure rachmanus, as he changed Maasei Bereishis to allow us to pass through the raging waters. The death of Mitzrayim was not the Nes. That was simply the result of people trying to walk through a stormy sea. No big surprise that they ended up dead. The Nisim in Mitzrayim were revenge or din, which is represented by the name Elokim. That is the powerful Hashem we saw in Mitzrayim. However on the Yam Suf we saw an all merciful Hashem who changed nature to save his beloved children. Not only that, but we also witnessed how an all merciful Hashem can use his mercy to kill and destroy our enemies. That was a concept that Bnei Yisroel never knew existed. Only at Krias Yam Suf did the Bnei Yisroel see the great hand of “Hashem” the merciful, and not in Mitzrayim.
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Break Out of The Moment The Even Ezra (See Peleh Yoetz “DaAga”) says “HeAvar Ayin” the past is gone. “HaAsid Adayin” the future has not arrived yet. “V’HaHoveh K’Heref Ayin” and the present only takes a split second. Therefore he concludes, “DaAga Minayin?” Why worry, nothing actually matters in the long term. Rav Simcha Zisel Brodie Rosh Yeshiva of Chevron says this sums up the meaning of slavery. A person whose whole life is about caring only about himself and caring only about the moment is a slave. He is trapped in “the
Sponsored by Isaac & Shoshana Jaroslawicz, in honor of our children, Chana Shayna (“Joey”) and Avi (“Jerry”), who have returned to the roost for Yom Tov, and with tefillos for a refuah sh’laima b’karov for our dear friend, Nomi Weiss — Naomi Malka bas Hoshanah Leah עמו״ש . May she join us, too! moment”.
A free person, he says, cares not only about himself but his concern traverses the entire world, the entire creation. He lives not only the present but also the past and the future. On Pesach we get to exhibit our freedom. Our spirit of freedom soars as we immerse ourselves in years long gone by. We care about the past and we relive it.
Our heart rises and falls as we retell the story of the Galus and Geula of Am Yisroel. “Chayav Adam Lir’os Es Atzmo K’Ilu Hu Yatza MiMitztrayim.” By truly feeling as if you have left Mitzrayim you have captured the essence of the seder. You have freed yourself from your own bondage from the slavery of self. (Hagadah Shai L’Torah — Brisk)

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