Insights and Inspiration
from the
Holy Land
from
from
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz
"Your friend in Karmiel"
April 2nd 2015 -Volume 5, Issue 22 -14th
NissanAdar 5775
Pesach
His-Story Lesson
“Get off the computer now…it’s Erev Pesach, nobody should have
time to read your weekly E-Mails any way, there’s too much to do.” I disagree with my family. I think many of you
are just sitting at home this past week as you do most weeks and just stare at
your computer screens and wait until “ding- you have mail” pops up and you can
rest comfortably knowing that you have your weekly inspiration. But in order to
show respect and solidarity with the traditional Egyptian style slave labor
cleaning and preparing that goes on in the Schwartz home before Pesach I bring
you the abridged version this week. Shalom Bayis, boys and girls Shalom Bayis…
OK two quick ideas in a nutshell. The first came
to mind as my oldest daughter Shani experienced her first “March of the Living -style-(it
was through her seminary)” journey to Europe this past week I had mixed
feelings about it. I’m not a fan of Eastern Europe, not a fan of Concentrations
camps or anti-semitism either and don’t necessarily appreciate the value of
giving them one tourism dollar on the blood of my ancestors. I know that knowing
our history is important and never again and having an appreciation of the gift
of the State of Israel area all critical parts that become internalized on
these trips but still I don’t know how sold I am on actually having to travel
there and see it. On the other hand many of our Jewish holidays seem to be
about remembering our past, our roots and our history. In fact on Pesach we are
mandated to even act out the story of Egypt. We eat Matzos, bitter herbs, and
throw frogs and lice on the table. Or at least some of us do. So maybe there is
a point to re-experiencing the holocaust experience. In fact I read a few
stories of quite a few survivors that would actually put on their black and
white prison garb and would start their seder with the words “We were slaves
to Hitler in Poland.” Talk about passing on the message to the next
generation.
Yet I saw an idea from the Baal Shem Tov this
past Purim that I think applies equally to Pesach. There is a law that says
that if one is “Koreh Es HaMegilla LiMafraya LoYatza”-which literally
means one who reads the Megilla retroactively he does not fulfill his
obligation. The Halacha/law being that if one reads the megilla out of order of
the chapters and verses one does not fulfill their obligation. The Be”sht
though interprets the words homiletically though. He who reads the megilla and
understands the story of the Purim as being one only retroactively, as a story
that happened in the past or a Jewish history lesson, has missed the point of
the reading and does not really fulfill their obligation. The miracle of Purim
is an eternal miracle. It is how Hashem appears to each one of us in moments of
darkness and manipulates the world for us to persevere to thrive to overcome
and achieve our destinies. Purim isn’t a 2500 years ago story it’s a 2500 year
continuing story of us.
If this is true for Purim, it is even truer for
Pesach. There is a debate in the Gemara between Rav and Shmuel how does one
fulfill the obligation to recite the Hagada and story we are Biblically
obligated to recite this evening. Shmuel suggests that we must begin our story
with Avadim Hayinu- We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt. Rav on the other
hand suggests that we begin with story of our ancestors being idolators. We
talk about our “father” Terach and mention Esau, we go back to Jacob and Lavan
as well. For most kids (and not a few adults) it feels like we’re going over the
entire Torah from the book of Bereishis. Even more interesting though is that
the conclusion of of Rav’s recitation ends with us singin Dayeinu where we
mention the post Egypt stories that continue with the manna, the giving of the
Torah and ultimately the building of the Temple- “to atone for our sins”. C’mon
it’s late. Why do we feel the need to pack the entire Jewish story into one
seder. Leave the Torah giving stuff for Shavuot, the Temple stuff maybe for
Sukkot, atoning for Yom Kippur. Why are we packing it all in?
The answer is that Rav is coming to answer the
question that is not being asked by the Seder. Maybe it’s the question of the
son “who does not know how to ask”. Who perhaps feels too comfortable where he
is to ask. Why were we sent down to Egypt in the first place for? Hashem took
us out, Hooray! But he also sent us there. What is it all about. The answer is
that we should not read the Hagadda as only a history story. You can let your
kids watch the movie for that. Rav believes that story of Pesach is still an
ongoing story. It started with us as idolaters and it is still going on until
the Temple will be built. We went down to Egypt because we had a destiny to
fulfill. We were meant to redeem Egypt from Egypt. To build a home for God
starting from the lowest of the low, the 49th level of impurity and
raise the world up to the Highest of the high. We were meant to learn that each
of us have the power and the ability to slaughter the false gods that the world
worships and bring the glory of the one God, who created and maintains the
world and is awaiting for His glory to shine in the Temple we will build for
him. He who reads the story of Pesach “retroactively” hasn’t fulfilled his
obligation. We were brought down for a purpose and we are still rising up and
in the process of redemption until we achieve the final promise of “Ve’Havaysi”
that he will bring us all to the land
from where we will shine out His light to the world.
The Seder night is the night to pass that
message on to our children. But even more so it is a message to pass on to
ourselves. The Baal Shem Tov also taught that all four sons are not just our
children but they are all us. We are the wise son, we are the wicked son, we
are the simple son and perhaps most tragically we are the son who has even forgotten
to how to ask. To ask for the final redemption. To ask that we may fulfill the
purpose and mission of our Exile and Exodus from Egypt. To ask that we may very
soon be the vessels that bring the Shechina once again back to its home. So
this may Pesach let us all remember to ask. Don’t just tell stories. Tell His
story.
Have a Chag Kasher V’Samayach- A Happy Kosher
Pesach,
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz
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RABBI SCHWARTZ'S CORNY PASSOVER JOKE OF THE WEEK- WARNING NOT KOSHER FOR THOSE
THAT DO NOT EAT KITNIYOT
What
do you call someone who spent hours preparing the seder plat- egg-zosted
Why
do we eat horseradish with the four cups of wine? When it chrains it pours
Why
did the Egyptians have the Jews make all the pyramids and find their own straw?
They were anit-cementic
How
does NASA prepare its seder in space? They Plan—it
What
did Moshe say to Pharoah when he refused to let the Jews out after the first
plague? That was dumb
How
do you drive your mother crazy Erev Pesach? It’s a piece of cake
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