Parashah Insights

by

Rabbi Yaakov Hillel

Rosh Yeshivat Ahavat Shalom

Parashat Bo

Surrounded by Miracles
Miraculous Beginnings
And Hashem said to Moshe, come to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his servants in order to place these, My [miraculous] signs, in his midst. And in order that you should tell your son and your grandson what I did in Egypt, and My [miraculous] signs which I placed on them, and you will know that I am Hashem (Shmot 10:1-2). The Torah explicitly tells us that the purpose of all the miracles of the Exodus was to demonstrate to the Jewish people that Hashem alone is the all-powerful G-d. This is why every aspect of the Exodus involved spectacular, outright miracles, which totally contradicted the natural order. Our Sages tell us that Ten miracles took place for our ancestors in Egypt and ten at the Sea. Ten plagues were brought by the Holy One, blessed be He, upon the Egyptians in Egypt, and ten at the Sea (Avot 5:4). The commentaries explain that the ten miracles are in fact the Ten Plagues. The Bartenura writes that there was a miracle specific to our ancestors inherent in every Plague they were spared its ravages. Only the Egyptians water turned to blood during the first Plague, and the frogs preyed only on them during the second Plague, and so on, throughout all ten Plagues (see also Commentaries of the Rambam and Rabbenu Yonah). By overturning the laws of nature in this manner, Hashem taught His nation that He

alone rules the world and decrees all events, both the natural and those which are beyond the natural. The miracles did not end when they departed from Egypt. Hashem split the Red Sea for Israel, with countless miracles openly performed before the nations eyes. Their sojourn in the desert was also accompanied by constant miracles. In the daytime, they were surrounded on all sides, overhead and underfoot, by the six Clouds of Glory, with a seventh traveling up ahead as a Pillar of Cloud to guide their travels. These clouds protected them from the elements, smoothed and leveled the paths they walked, and eliminated desert snakes and scorpions (Mechilta on Shmot 13:20). Many other miracles were performed by means of the Clouds of Glory. For example, they deflected the arrows and stones of hostile enemies (Shmot 14:19, Rashi), cleaned and pressed their clothing, and repaired their shoes (Devarim 8:4, Rashi). At night, the Pillar of Fire appeared to light their way (Shmot 13:21-22). The food they ate was manna, literally bread from Heaven, another open miracle (Shmot 16:15-16). We can gain insight into the spiritual qualities of the manna from our Sages teaching, The Torah was only given to be expounded by those who eat manna (Tanhuma Beshalah 20). The literal meaning of their words is that because the nation was freed from the burden of earning a livelihood, they were able to devote their entire time and energies to Torah study. However, on a more profound level, with these words our Sages describe the manna itself. It was sanctified, refined, spiritual food, provided for the nation which was to receive the spiritual Torah. Tosfot, citing the Midrash, writes, Before a person prays that Torah should enter his innards, let him first pray that delicacies should not enter his innards (Ketubot 104a). If we are submerged in the desire for the physical pleasures of food and drink, we cannot be a suitable receptacle for Torah. When the Heavenly manna was absorbed into the bodies of the nation living in the desert, they were sanctified and spiritually elevated. Detached from worldly desires, they became worthy of receiving the Torah. The water they drank was miraculously supplied by Miriams Spring (Taanit 9a, Shabbat 35a). This was no ordinary water; it had exceptional spiritual qualities, as we learn from an incident in the life of Rabbi Hayyim Vital (Shivhe HaAri, Chapter 13). Rabbi Hayyim Vital, the foremost disciple of the Arizal, was at first unable to grasp the enormous outpouring of extremely profound teachings which the Arizal transmitted to him. One day the Arizal took him to the shore of Lake Kinneret in Tiberias, and from there, rowed him out to the spot where Miriams Spring was submerged in the waters of the lake. He gave Rabbi Hayyim water to drink from this special source, with dramatic results. From that time on, it was as if the wellsprings of wisdom had opened for Rabbi Hayyim: he was able to comprehend and retain the
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vast quantity of the Arizals complex, profound esoteric teachings, to an extent beyond normal human capacities. We can understand the enormous impact on Rabbi Hayyim Vitals mental capacities by considering that altogether, he spent only a year and ten months learning from the Arizal. The entire range of his writings consists only of what the Arizal permitted him to reveal. By Rabbi Hayyims own testimony, it was only a minute portion of what he had actually learned from the Arizal. Our nations greatest Torah giants have labored for many years over this small legacy, and even then, they are only able to grasp as much as a dog licks from the ocean (see Sanhedrin 68a). Clearly, the waters of Miriams Spring had truly miraculous powers still in effect even after many centuries. The Exodus was followed by the Giving of the Torah at Mt. Sinai, the greatest miracle ever known to mankind. The seven Heavens and the loftiest Upper Worlds opened wide, and the Al-mighty in all His glory revealed Himself together with His Heavenly Hosts to speak openly and audibly to the Jewish people. They were raised to an unparalleled level which enabled them to survive this intense, exalted spiritual experience even while still clothed in their flesh and blood bodies. Undoubtedly, this was the biggest miracle of all.

Remembering Hashems Mighty Hand

We find an allusion to the miracles of the Exodus elsewhere in our parashah. Two of the parshiot placed in tefillin come from Parashat Bo: Kadesh li (Sanctify unto Me, Shmot 13:1-10) and Vhayah ki yeviacha (And it shall be when Hashem brings you, 13:11-16). Both conclude with a reference to the mitzvah of tefillin: And it will be for you a sign on your arm and a remembrance between your eyes (13:9), and And it will be a sign on your arm and an ornament of remembrance between your eyes (13:16). Both parshiot also include reference to the Exodus: Remember this day on which you left Egypt, from the house of bondage, for with a strong Hand Hashem took you out from here (13:3), and And you shall say to him, With a strong Hand Hashem took us out of Egypt, from the house of bondage (13:14). The Early Authorities, among them Rashi and the Ramban, teach that the sign of tefillin is specifically intended to remind us that the Al-mighty took us out of Egypt with a mighty Hand. However, the other two parshiot in tefillin, Shema Yisrael (Hear O Israel, Devarim 6:4-9) and Vhayah im shamoa (And it will be if you obey, Devarim 11:13-21), which are recited every day as part of Keriat Shema, make no mention of the Al-mightys mighty Hand at the Exodus they speak only of accepting the yoke of Torah and mitzvot. In fact, our Sages instituted recitation of parashat tzitzit
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(Bamidbar 15:37-41) in order to include remembrance of the Exodus in Keriat Shema. Clearly, the Torah considers the matter of the Exodus from Egypt through Hashems mighty Hand of great significance. Our Sages teach that no slave ever escaped from Egypts sealed borders (see Mechilta, Shmot 18:11). If not for Hashems miraculous intervention, we, our ancestors before us, and our children after us would still be slaves in Egypt, G-d forbid. In addition, the nation was sunk deep into the impurity and idolatry typical of their masters, only one final step away from total spiritual degradation. Through the great miracles of the Exodus, Hashem showed that for Him, nothing is impossible, even what appears to be totally removed from the realm of ordinary reality. In every generation and in every era, Hashem can redeem us from the very worst, most helpless of situations. The combination of these two major themes in the tefillin worn daily as a sign on [our] hand and a remembrance between [our] eyes teaches an important lesson. We must accept Hashem as our King and obey His commandments, even when it appears to be beyond our natural energies and strengths. We were miraculously delivered from Egyptian slavery in order to serve G-d; otherwise, we would still be there. The Exodus surpassed nature, and fulfillment of mitzvot surpasses nature. If we are truly devoted to Hashem and His Torah, we will merit Divine assistance and great success which transcend logic and natural confines.

Miraculous Nature
The extraordinary miracles in Egypt, at Sinai, and in the desert were directed to one all-important objective: Send out My nation, and they will serve Me (Shmot 7:16). This raises an interesting question. While the Jewish nation is distinguished by its G-dly soul, that soul resides in a flesh and blood body. We live by the Torah, but we are firmly grounded in the laws of nature: we eat and drink and sleep and fulfill all other bodily functions no differently than any other people. If so, why did the Al-mighty find it necessary to base the establishment of the Jewish nation and His handling of their affairs on miracles clearly beyond the natural? Apparently, even now the Jewish nation is not quite as natural as we may imagine. Our lives as Torah-observant Jews would be impossible without constant miracles.

Non-Jewish scholars also acknowledge the continued existence of the Jewish people after two thousand years of persecution, discrimination, and degradation, with neither country nor sovereign of their own, surrounded on all sides by hatred and hostility as nothing short of miraculous. A prominent non-Jewish historian wrote that the survival of the Jewish nation is the biggest miracle in the annals of man. Ordinarily, exiled nations soon shed their original culture and customs and assimilate into the society around them, so that within a few generations, they are indistinguishable from their hosts. Not so the Jews. Despite the lengthy centuries of exile, the Jewish people have retained their identity and their vitality. Tragically, there are always those who succumb to the pressures of the times and fall away, but the nations core remains firmly loyal to Hashem, His Torah, and its sacred commandments. This is the greatest of all possible miracles. The Ramban writes that the momentous open miracles in our nations past teach us to acknowledge Hashems ongoing hidden miracles. There is no coincidence or nature in our lives. The equation is simple and Divinely ordained: if we obey Hashems commandments, He will bless us with success. If we transgress, G-d forbid, we will be punished. Everything about His dealings with us is miraculous. We, however, are so accustomed to the natural order that we cannot see beyond it. The Ramban encourages us to change our viewpoint and recognize G-ds Hand in every aspect of our lives, and thank Him for Your miracles which are with us every day, and Your wonders that accompany us at all times (Modim Anachnu,Shemoneh Esre). We find this principle in an answer suggested by Rabbi Simhah Zissel Ziv (the Alter of Kelm,) to the Bet Yosefs question concerning Hanukah (Tur Orah Hayyim 670). On Hanukah, we celebrate the miracle which took place at the Hasmonean rededication of the Bet HaMikdash. The Hasmoneans found only one jar of pure, undefiled olive oil suitable for lighting the Menorah enough to last one day. Miraculously, the oil burned for eight days, until a new supply was ready. However, the Bet Yosef points out that since there was sufficient oil for the first day, the miracle really only began on the second day. Why did our Sages institute eight days of Hanukah to celebrate a seven-day miracle? Many answers have been proposed to this famous question. In light of our understanding of the nature of miracles, the Alters is especially interesting. He writes that the Hanukah miracle changes our perspective of ordinary, natural events, and

reminds us that the very fact that oil burns is not to be taken for granted that too is a miracle, albeit in natural guise (Kitve HaSaba MiKelm, Hanukah vPurim 5). The Noam Elimelech alludes to this concept in his explanation of the wording of the verses describing the Splitting of the Sea (Noam Elimelech, Likute Shoshanah). The Torah first tells us that when Hashem commanded Moshe to raise his staff and split the Sea, He said, And the children of Israel will walk within the Sea on dry land (Shmot 14:16). In concluding the account of the nations miraculous passage through the Sea, the verse reads, And the children of Israel walked on dry land inside the Sea (14:29). We know that the Torahs wording is never random. Why the change in order in describing the same event? At the Splitting of the Sea, the nation was completely enveloped by the great and miraculous majesty of the Al-mighty, represented by the miracles of the Sea. At that time, the miracles were too obvious to deny or ignore. But even afterwards, the righteous continue to walk on dry land inside the Sea. Treading the dry, ordinary ground of normal, natural daily life, they are nonetheless constantly aware of the Sea of miracles surrounding them on all sides.

Now As Then
Unfortunately, there are those who are blind to this reality. They maintain that while Hashem wrought miracles for our ancestors in the past, in our times, there are no more miracles. For us, Hashem is E-l mistater, literally the G-d Who conceals Himself. They are wrong nothing could be farther from the truth. Our Sages tell us that One who considers his ways, merits to see the salvation of the Holy One, blessed be He (Moed Katan 5a). This means that one who studies and analyzes the significance of events around him will be privileged to discern the miracles and wonders performed by the Al-mighty, and the salvation concealed within nature and routine. If only we open our eyes and look around us, the workings of personal Divine Providence are with us everywhere. Recognizing this will make us worthy of that very same Divine Providence. Instead, all too often, we ignore the obvious need for Hashems constant helping Hand, and casually dismiss events and circumstances as coincidence, luck (good or bad), or chance. Can we say that our nation still exists by coincidence? Did Eretz Yisrael recently survive massive missile attacks by luck? Do we succeed in raising children devoted to Torah in a permissive, hedonistic world by chance?

Extraordinary Blessing
Perhaps the most obvious miracle of our times is the extraordinary blossoming of the Torah world in the generation following the Second World War. The Torah community is under attack by powerful, vocal enemies eager to uproot Torah entirely, G-d forbid. Not only has Torah survived the onslaught, it has flourished beyond any expectations, reminiscent of the verse, But as they afflicted [the nation], so it multiplied and so it spread out (Shmot 1:12). Surely this spectacular growth surpasses nature, if only in sheer numbers; when have so many of our people been privileged to engage in full time Torah study? What is true of quantity is also true of quality. The post-war generation has embraced Torah study with love and devotion, meriting exceptional success in learning as a gift from Heaven (see Ruah Hayyim on Avot 4:1, citing Megillah 6b). This principle is true of every area of service of Hashem. It is well known that in our generation many returnees to Judaism have come from negative environments which fostered grossly poor middot and uninhibited involvement in worldly desires. When they dedicate themselves to Torah and mitzvot, the change is nothing short of remarkable. Their inherent Jewish traits of compassion, humility, and lovingkindness (see Yevamot 79a) come to the fore, miraculously transforming their personalities. The blessing of success beyond the natural extends as well to Torah supporters, as we learn from the story of Batyah, Pharaohs daughter. At Pharaohs wicked decree, all newborn Jewish baby boys were being drowned in the Nile. Desperate to save her child, Amrams pious wife Yocheved set the infant Moshe adrift on the riverbank in a waterproof woven basket. Batyah heard the baby crying, and instinctively reached out to pull him in from the river. Our Sages tell us that when Batyah stretched her hand towards the basket, even though it was so far away, her arm was miraculously extended, enabling her to reach it (Shmot 2:1-5, Rashi, citing Sotah 12b; Tanhuma Shmot 7; Shmot Rabbah 1:23). Moshe was destined to give the Torah to the Jewish nation. By reaching out to save him, Batyah exerted herself to rescue and support the future pillar of Torah. Her gesture, small and weak though it was, was granted miraculous Divine assistance which stretched an ordinary human arm well past its normal, natural length. Even in our times, we are witness to a miracle similar to Batyahs. Many of our Jewish brethren have been blessed with very great wealth, beyond their numbers in proportion to the population at large. All things considered, this great affluence is surely a phenomenon which exceeds natural bounds; it is far more than the product of good luck, impressive business acumen, or even solid hard work. It is G-ds
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blessing, granted for the sake of supporting His Torah. If we make the first move to extend ourselves for Torah, we will merit seeing our arm stretch very far indeed. Our peoples material success and spiritual success go hand in hand. The connection dates back to our earliest history, when the scholarly Tribe of Yissachar engaged in intensive Torah study, while their wealthy brother, the Tribe of Zevulun, supported their study through their skill in maritime commerce (see Devarim 33:18, Rashi). The partnership of Yissachar and Zevulun is the fulfillment of G-ds Will for the benefit of our people. Our Sages tell us, If there is no flour [a reference to financial means], there is no Torah (Avot 3:17). The enormous expansion of yeshivot, kollelim, and Torah schools on all levels would be impossible without adequate material support. And yet, the Sages continue, If there is no Torah, there is no flour. It is the merit and blessing of Torah which make us worthy of affluence. Now we can understand why the birth of the Jewish people was founded on outright miracles: nature and its limitations are set aside on our behalf, and through Hashems great hesed, we are granted exceptional success. Certainly in spiritual matters, we can extend ourselves beyond the natural, in anticipation of special Divine assistance. A businessman who undertakes an investment which risks more than the value of his holdings is ill-advised, for a loss would be catastrophic. Torah is different. A Torah scholar can devote himself to study and still keep afloat financially, in a manner which defies precise figures and calculations. Torah institutions can be established, maintained and expanded, with no clear and logical balance sheet to show how they will carry on, because it is G-ds Will that Torah surpass teva (the forces of nature). Those who support Torah generously, without counting the loss of every dollar donated, will be granted the blessings unique to Torah success which transcends nature.

Gain and Loss

Who would not exert himself to receive blessing and bounty direct from Hashems open Hand? However, our Sages warn us that we can lose it with our own foolish eagerness for dishonest gains. Because of [four] sins members of the community (baale batim) are handed over to the authorities: because they lend [money] at interest, and because they retain promissory notes that have already been paid, and because they pledge charity in public and do not honor their pledges, and because they shirk responsibility and place the burden of taxes on the unfortunate poor and destitute (Avot DRabbi Natan, Nusha Bet, Chapter 31).

Our Sages list is chillingly accurate. The community is still reeling from the impact of recent instances of baale batim who are handed over to the authorities, may G-d spare us. Lending money at interest is a transgression so explicit and so well known as to need no further explanation (see Vayikra 25:35-38). It is worth noting that in todays complex financial world, it will be very difficult for a businessman to avoid this grave sin if he does not consult daily with an halachic authority well versed in the laws of interest. Retaining promissory notes for debts or bills already paid, in order to claim payment a second time, is outright theft. Charitable pledges are made to be defrayed. At times, unscrupulous individuals may announce noteworthy pledges, gaining undeserved admiration and esteem, along with an equally undeserved reputation for financial stability. If a businessman can afford to give large sums to charity, it is assumed that he must be doing very well indeed. He is viewed as a good investment, even if the exact opposite is true, much to the potential investors detriment. The charitable cause, which never does see the money that was pledged, is used as a pawn to bolster a faltering financial image. A communitys institutions are maintained by the support of its members. Any given community will have members who are well off, and those who are not. Our Sages tell us that the poor cannot be expected to carry the same share of the burden as the wealthy, a particularly serious problem regarding tuition in community schools. Not every parent can afford to pay full tuition and yet, it is unthinkable for Jewish children to be relegated to the public schools for lack of a policy of slidingscale tuition. The Al-mighty has no shortage of blessing to bestow upon His people. We earn that blessing by obeying His commandments, including those concerning absolute financial integrity. We can lose it, and suffer dire consequences in the process, by stooping to dishonesty.

Forty Years, Forty Days

After the peoples miraculous experiences in Egypt and at the Giving of the Torah, they spent forty years in the desert. Our Sages teach that the world was created for the sake of Torah, and the Jewish nation who would learn and fulfill it (see Rashi on Bereshit 1:1). We learn from the Torah itself that the Jews were freed from Egyptian slavery to become servants of Hashem (Shmot 3:12, 6:7, 7:16). How would these purposes be served by decades spent in the desert? Could the Jews not have

entered the Holy Land immediately after Mt. Sinai, and embarked directly on their destiny as G-ds nation residing in G-ds Land? We can answer this question by comparing the Jews in the desert to a fetus in its mothers womb. An unborn baby learns the entire Torah from an angel. Just before birth, the angel flicks his tiny pupils upper lip, and it forgets everything it learned in utero (Niddah 30b). This beautiful teaching of our Sages raises a logical question. If the unborn child will in any case forget all its learning before it ever breathes its first, why bother with the teaching? Because Torah, even if forgotten, still has an impact. The sanctity of this early Torah study leaves an indelible impression on the child, enabling him to prevail against the rampant impurity in the world he enters, and cling to Torah despite the many obstacles. The Jewish nation in the desert lived in a sheltered, protected environment, much like a fetus in its mothers womb. Their needs were provided in a miraculous manner and they lived on spirituality while learning the entire Torah from Moshe Rabbenu. It is possible that the forty years in the desert correspond to the initial forty days of a fetus formation. These forty years of pure Torah, nourished by bread from Heaven and water from Miriams Spring, imbued them with the knowledge that Jewish existence is supra-natural, just as Torah is supra-natural. Equipped with this knowledge, the Jewish people are better able to face the overwhelming waves of temptation that abound in this world. Our deeply ingrained national experience of miracles far beyond nature teaches us that when we fulfill Hashems Will and live as He commands, He is with us and will grant us exceptional blessing and success.

This essay contains divre Torah. Please treat it with proper respect.

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