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The Light of Redemption
Nisan 20, 5768 / April 25, 2008
Erev Shvi'i shel Pesach - Eve of the 7th Day
So
much time and effort goes into preparing for the
Passover seder.
However,
Passover doesn't end with the
seder - it's
only the beginning. But the next day, with the week-long
festival before us, we cannot but help feeling somewhat
let down. What is this feeling some complain of?
Something of an anticlimax, perhaps; we are left hanging
in the air. We've left
Egypt; so what do we do now? In reality, these
feelings are only natural, and actually fit in perfectly
with the sublime teachings of our greatest sages
regarding the spiritual configuration and challenges
that have begun on the first night of Pesach. On that
night, G-d delivered His people
Israel "with an
outstretched arm" (Ex. 6:6) exclusively of His
own initiative, at the exact moment of their greatest
need for redemption. The illumination of that direct,
gratis Divine intervention was so powerful, so
overwhelming, and yet so elusive - that it could not
remain with the people.
Israel walked out of
Egypt by that Divine light, but in the morning it
was gone... and now they would have to work hard, with
self-motivated, slow spiritual progression - of their
own initiative - in order to get that light back. This
is one of the most important messages of
Passover: In order for that light to shine for
us, in order to make it real, we have to make it our
own, by deserving it. Now,
"and you shall count
for yourselves from the morrow of the Great Sabbath
(i.e.,
Passover) seven complete weeks" (Lev.
23:15), and slowly regain that level of illumination. So
too, the same powerful light washes over us each year on
that night, as G-d in His mercy and love extends His arm
once again, and grants us the opportunity to leave
Egypt behind and begin a new Exodus towards true
freedom. In the morning we awake as from a dream, with
the notion that something profoundly important has
happened. But as with a dream, it cannot last unless it
can be made tangible, solid, and lasting.
This
is one purpose of the
omer count, which we have already begun. But what
do we need to do in order to deserve that illumination?
We had it as a gift outright on the first night of
Passover, but what must we do to acquire it
fairly, and make it our own?
The
answer to this lies in an understanding of the nature of
this Seventh day of
Passover. Clearly, if
Passover is the quintessential Jewish experience
of emancipation and birth as a nation, then the
culmination of this experience is Israel's crossing of
the Sea of Reeds, which takes place on the Seventh day
of the festival.
The
experience of the splitting of the sea was an
unparalleled showcase of spiritual power and clarity in
the true knowledge of G-d. The people of
Israel, great and small alike, were totally
transfixed by this vision of the reality of G-d's power
and providence, and the entire nation ascended to the
highest level of prophecy, as our sages enigmatically
express: "The entire
people cried out, 'this is my G-d and I will extol Him,'
(Ex. 15:2) for even the simple, ordinary handmaiden saw
more at the splitting of the Sea of Reeds than even (the
experienced and righteous prophet) Ezekial" (Mechilta).
But a
closer examination of what took place at the sea reveals
the complexity of Israel's struggle to free herself from
the shackles of
Egypt that still remained in her mind.
Our
sages relate that upon reaching the sea and finding
themselves pursued by the Egyptians, our forefathers
were divided into four distinct groups. Each group
expressed a different stance and opinion as to how to
proceed with the situation at hand. One group, filled
with hopelessness, said
'let us throw ourselves into the sea and drown.'
Another said 'let's
just go back to
Egypt.' The next group said
'let us fight them.'
And the last group said
'let us cry out.' Finally,
Nachshon, prince
of the tribe of Judah, jumped into the water and began
walking until it reached his nostrils, and when he could
walk no further, the sea split, and remained open for
the entire nation to walk through.
Perhaps, on a deeper level of meaning, these opinions
expressed their "take" on how to get on with fulfilling
the Jewish people's mission, or, in modern day
vernacular: What to do about the Jewish problem. Some
said: We are simply up against too much in this world.
It's pointless and we might as well just give up. Others
said, let us try to placate the Egyptians, we'll
apologize for leaving, and gladly serve them again, and
we'll do anything to make them happy. Others said, we'll
confront them militarily. Some felt that all we can do
is cry.
In the
end, Moses told them, each of you is wrong. G-d will
handle all of this Himself:
"Do not fear! Stand
fast and see the salvation of Hashem that He will
perform for you today, for as you have seen Egypt today,
you shall not see them ever again! Hashem shall make war
for you, and you shall remain silent" (Ex.
14:13-14).
To the
group that wanted to jump into the sea - Moses said,
"Stand fast."
To the group that wanted to return to
Egypt - Moses said,
"You shall not see them
ever again."
To the group that wanted to wage war - Moses said,
"Hashem shall make war
for you."
To the group that wanted to cry - Moses said,
"You
shall remain silent."
So,
it's not so easy for a slave to stop being a slave.
Freedom from physical bondage is only the first step.
What is the next step to true freedom - and to getting
back the light?
In
another of the astounding insights of our sages, it is
related that the Sea of Reeds only split in the merit of
the righteous Joseph, who withstood the temptation of
his master's wife. The verse states
"The sea saw and fled
(Psalms 114:3), and the rabbis ask: What did the sea
see, that caused it to 'flee,' to split and part its
waters? It saw the coffin of Joseph" (Midrash
Tehillim 114).
This
teaching expresses a profound allegorical message. What
is the connection between Joseph and the splitting of
the sea that the great sages wish to emphasize? Why was
"seeing" the coffin of Joseph - transported across the
sea by Moses (Ex. 13:19) - enough to make the mighty Sea
of Reeds
"up and flee?"
Joseph
is called tzaddik,
righteous, because the
Torah testifies (regarding his temptation with
his master's wife), that Joseph was truly pure and able
to control himself particularly in that area of human
life, which is the true test and testimony of an
individual's righteousness.
When a
person endeavors to serve G-d by breaking and training
his character traits in order to bring the entire
spectrum of his personality into the realm of holiness
for the service of G-d, he needs superhuman strength. To
gain mastery and dominion over one's own human nature is
to master the power of nature and to become elevated
above it. And such a person is called a
"tzaddik", one
who is truly righteous. Thus we are taught that the Holy
One, blessed be He, may make a decree, but a
tzaddik - a
truly righteous person - can nullify that decree. How is
it that a righteous individual has the power to nullify
G-d's will, His decrees? Precisely because such a person
can change and even reverse his very nature for the
honor of G-d. Thus in the inimitable style of Divine
'measure for measure,' G-d reverses His decrees as well
in the merit of this person.
Thus
"the sea saw and fled,"
the splitting of the sea was in the merit of Joseph. For
the sea changed its very nature for the honor of the
will of G-d. At the time of creation, G-d had originally
declared "let the
waters gather together... " (Gen. 1:9); the
nature of water is to stand together in one place. But
in the merit of Joseph, who changed his own nature, who
gained mastery over his nature for the sake of the honor
of G-d... and therefore earned the title of
"righteous... "
the sea changed its very nature as well, as if the sea
reasoned to itself: If Joseph could change his nature
for the Creator, then so can I.
It all
comes together on the seventh day of
Passover. The first day, and the overwhelming
wash of the light of redemption, is inexorably bound up
with the last day. The more we can change ourselves into
the people that we have the potential to become, the
more we are deserving of that light. After all, what was
the purpose of the exodus in the first place? G-d states
clearly, "I am the L-rd
your G-d who took you out of the land of
Egypt, to be for you a G-d" (Lev. 22:33
and others).
If we
will not have Him as a G-d, does He not wonder why He
bothered to take us out?
Passover is the call for
Israel to be G-d's people, and being His people
carries with it the responsibility of constant spiritual
growth. It means never looking back towards
Egypt.
This
is part of the secret of the splitting of the sea, the
secret of breaking the pattern of
Egypt and getting back the light of Redemption.
Coming to the sea, we must cross it, and not stand there
vacillating, moaning, and recriminating. The highest
level of prophecy and the fulfillment of our destiny
awaits us - on the other side.
With
blessings for Redemption,
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