Makkas
Bechoros happened at the stroke of midnight. What was so special about midnight
that that became the time that they were going to get permission to go out of
Mitzrayim, that this was the time that the Bechorim died? Is it coincidental?
It could have been a sunset, sunrise, midday? What is special about midnight?
We know
Kabbalistically an idea that is brought in Halchacha that the first half of the
night is a Zman Hadin, and the second half of the night is Zman of Rachamim.
Those who say Tikkun Chatzos only say it after midnight. What is special astronomically
about midnight that it becomes a Zman Harachamim?
The
answer is that the sun which is not visible during the entire night is as we
know traveling on the other side of the earth. The first half of the night it is becoming
more and more distant from the location in which a person is. So that here in
Brooklyn when the sun sets it is becoming more and more distant from where I am
during the first half of the night. At midnight a change occurs. The sun turns
the corner so to speak. Now it becomes closer and closer to me as it makes it
circuit around the earth. So that midnight is the idea of coming in the right
direction. We know that in Yiddishkeit that direction is everything. Where you are holding in your Avodas Hashem
is meaningful but not that meaningful. The direction you are going in is much
more meaningful. The direction of a Baal Teshuva brings him to a greater level than
the direction of a regular person who might in absolute terms might be on a
higher level but might not be moving to a higher level and becoming closer to
Hakadosh Baruch Hu.
The idea
of Chatzos Laylah is the direction. After midnight you are going towards a time
of more light, more Rachamim and therefore after midnight is a special time a
Zman of Rachamim. The idea is the same idea as (מִשְׁכוּ, וּקְחוּ לָכֶם). Mishchu Yidaichem Mai’avoda Zorah, be heading in the right
direction. After all is said and done that is really what counts.
Rav Pam
once said a similar idea and it was printed in the Haggadah in which they put
Rav Pam’s Vertlach. He said that in Shulchan Aruch we find that we put on
Tzitzis first and Tefillin second. As a matter of fact in Shulchan Aruch,
Mitzvas Tzitzis is first and Mitzvas Tefillin is second. This is because Maalin
B’kodesh V’ain Moridin. We want to move upwards in Kodesh.
The
Shagas Aryei in Siman 28 asks a Kasha. We don’t find such a concept of Maalin
B’kodesh V’ain Moridin except by an individual Mitzvah. If you have Tefillin
and you want to change the Retzua of the Tefillin Shel Rosh and put it on the
Shel Yad we say Maalin B’kodesh V’ain Moridin. If there are 2 different Mitzvos
we don’t find the concept of Maalin B’kodesh V’ain Moridin. Each Mitzvah stands
for itself.
The
Eliyahu Rabba answes the Shagas Aryei’s Kasha. Maalin B’kodesh V’ain Moridin he
says, is not talking about the Mitzvas of Tzitzis or Tefillin. It is talking
about the person. The person has to be a person of Maalin B’kodesh V’ain
Moridin. He should put on Tzitzis first
and Tefillin second. His body should be moving up B’kodesh. The direction is
everything.
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