Parshas Bo Messages 5778

Parshas Bo:

This edition of Shabbos Sparks is dedicated as a merit for a Refuah Shleimah sent very swiftly to my dear friend, Chaya Shaina Chana bas Itcha.  She is in need of Mercy from Hashem.  Please Daven and/or say Tehillim, etc. for her.  Thank you so much, everyone.

The Sages Say:

‘This month shall be for you the head of months; first it shall be for the months of the year to you…’ (Shemos 12:2)

The Rabbis taught: [The Mishnah had said] ‘on the first of Nissan is the New Year for months…’

[The first of Nissan being the New Year] for months -- from where [do we know this]?  For it is written [Shemos 12:2 -- the verse quoted above]: ‘This month shall be for you the head of months; first it shall be for the months of the year to you…’

And it is [also] written [Devarim 16:1]: ‘Guard the month of the springtime [alt. first-ripening fruits]’.  Which month has in it the first-ripening fruits?  You should [i.e. must] say that this is Nissan, and it is called ‘first’.  

(Gemara Rosh Hashanah 7a)

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A Helpful Hint:

‘Matzos shall be eaten for the seven days [of Pesach], and it shall not be seen to you [in your possession] chametz, and it shall not be seen to you leaven in all your borders.  And you shall tell to your son on that day, saying:  It is because of this (בעבור זה) Hashem did [acted] for me when I went out of Egypt.’ (Shemos 13:7-8)

Perhaps, suggests the Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh {HaRav Chaim ben Attar zt”l}, the word זה -- ‘this’ alludes to the twelve marks of the Festival of Pesach (because it has the numerical value of 12):  Pesach, Matzah, Marror, the seven days of the Festival (which count as 7), and Kiddush for the two days of Yontiff (which count as 2).  This comes out to the number 12.  And this is what it says; ‘it is because of this [זה -- i.e. all these 12 things] Hashem did for me…’

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A “Lamdanishe” Insight:

‘And Hashem to Moshe: “One further Plague I will bring upon Paroah and upon Egypt; after so, he will send you out from this -- when he sends you out, he will completely drive you out from this.  Speak please, in the ears of the People, and they should borrow, [each] man from his neighbor and [each] woman from her neighbor, vessels of silver and vessels of gold.’ (Shemos 11:1-2)

We are told that the Jews really didn’t end up returning these articles to the Egyptians, so truthfully, how is it possible that the word ‘borrow’ was used in this context, when they were not merely borrowing these things?  What was going on?

Explains the Vilna Gaon {HaRav Eliyahu Kramer zt”l}:  The Midrash (Shemos Rabbah 5:18) tells us that originally in the enslavement, Paroah set the example by joining the labors himself and further encouraged the Jews to high production quotas by offering big incentives.  Then he demanded that these quotas be met on a regular basis.  

With this in mind, we now have the answer to our question:  The persecution of the Jews was conducted with trickery, such as the plan for the midwives to kill the infants and claim that they were stillborn (which, Baruch Hashem, was foiled).  

Therefore, Hashem -- Who punishes measure for measure -- decreed that the downfall of the Egyptians would be through trickery as well, for how they had drawn the Jews into servitude through trickery.

(Brought in Talelei Oros)

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Chassidishe Vort:

‘And Moshe said: “With our youths and with our elders we will go; with our sons and with our daughters, with our flock and with our cattle we will go, because it is a Festival of Hashem for us.  And he [Paroah] said to them [Moshe and Aharon]... “Let the men go now and serve Hashem, because that is what you are seeking…”’ (Shemos 10:9-11)

In the sefer L’Hisaneig Bi’Saanugim, the author tells that he heard to explain on this, that the main debate between Moshe Rabbeinu and Paroah was the attitude towards the Service of Hashem:  Paroah’s attitude towards Service of Hashem was just like towards mundane work (meaning that it was like a burden).  And if they were talking about that, then it was only applicable for the men, and not for the women and children.  

Said to him Moshe Rabbeinu; ‘With our youths and with our elders we will go; with our sons and with our daughters, with our flock and with our cattle we will go, because it is a Festival of Hashem for us’ -- what you see as work, as a yoke and a heavy burden, we view as a Festival; it is a Simcha (joy) for us!  And when you celebrate on a festival, (it isn’t only the men,) it is also for women, children and elders -- all of them are participants in the celebration.

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Mussar Message:

‘And you shall guard the Matzos -- ושמרתם את המצות’ (Shemos 12:17)

Brings Rashi HaKadosh from Mechilta:  Rabbi Yoshiya [zt”l] says:  Do not read it [המצות] ‘haMatzos’, rather ‘haMitzvos’.  Like the way that we cannot let the Matzah leaven, so too, we cannot let a Mitzvah “leaven” [i.e. wait too long to perform it], rather, if it comes to your hand, do it immediately [with alacrity].  

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Chazak V’ematz:

‘And I [Hashem] will pass in the land of Egypt on this night…’ (Shemos 12:12)

From this verse, the Sages derive (see the Haggadah) that Hashem personally carried out the Plague of the Firstborn, and did not dispatch an Angel or emissary to do so.

Says the Maharal of Prague {HaRav Yehuda ben Betzalel zt”l}:  From the foundation of the Jews as a Nation, Hashem’s relationship to us was direct and personal, without an intermediary.  When it was time to seal His Covenant with His People by freeing them from the land of their enslavement, Hashem did not delegate the task to any other.

(Quoted in The Stone Edition Chumash)

Indeed, HaKadosh Baruch Hu is still personally involved in all of our lives and He Himself is always available to us…

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Maaseh B’Rabbi…

‘And you shall guard the Matzos -- ושמרתם את המצות’ (Shemos 12:17)

There is a famous story told about the legendary founder of the Mussar Movement that connects to this verse:  

Before Pesach, HaRav Yisroel Salanter zt”l was once unable to be present at the baking of his shmurah Matzah, in which he was very careful.  The task was delegated to his Talmidim (students), and they asked him for directions.

Rav Yisroel instructed them to be very careful how they treated the widow who kneaded the dough.  For if they were to upset her, it would be a transgression of the Commandment to not oppress a widow.  relate

In his wonderful way, Rav Yisroel added that the Kashrus of the Matzos was not complete with only keeping the laws of Pesach in a nice way; but also with meticulous observance of the laws governing behavior between people.

(See Mussar Message for what Rashi HaKadosh brings on the quoted verse, and the above story connects beautifully with it:  For, while ‘guarding the Matzos’, we must still be careful to ‘guard the [rest of the] Mitzvos’).

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A Gut Shabbos to all!