The Lesson Of The Word "Sh'air" - Emor 5773

In the beginning of the Parsha we have the rules of a Kohen who is not allowed to be Mitamei. A Kohen Hedyot we are told is allowed to be Mitamei to his relatives. In the language of the Posuk in 21:2 (כִּי, אִם-לִשְׁאֵרוֹ, הַקָּרֹב, אֵלָיו). What is (שְׁאֵרוֹ). Rashi says (אין שארו אלא אשתו). That he is allowed to be Mitamei to his wife. As the Posuk says the other of the 7 relatives as well.

I would like to discuss the idea of (שאר) being a wife. Rashi says (אין שארו אלא אשתו) the word Sh'air refers to a wife. Now that comes from Toras Kohanim in the Medrash. The Medrash says a few more words. Ain Sh'airo Ela Ishto Shenemar Sh'air Avicha Hi. The Tosafos Yom Tov in Masechese Bava Basra in the beginning of Perek Ches brings this Medrash and he says Divrei Taima Haim. He says this is a Pele. Sh'air means a wife Shenemar (שְׁאֵר אָבִיךָ, הִוא) Sh'air Avicha Hi. The Posuk (שְׁאֵר אָבִיךָ, הִוא) Sh'air Avicha Hi appears in the Parsha of Arayos in Vayikra 18:12. (שְׁאֵר) Sh'air there means a sister. We are talking about the prohibition about marrying your father's sister and the Posuk says (שְׁאֵר אָבִיךָ) Sh'air Avicha and there Sh'air means a sister. The Tosafos Yom Tov שדלד how does the Toras Kohanim seem to understand Sh'air to means a wife? It is a tough Kasha.

I would like to share with you an answer that it says in both the Torah Temimah and actually is written more clearly in the Sefer Haksav V'hakabalah (page # 119). These sources say that the word Sh'air does not literally mean wife. As a matter of fact the Haksav V'hakabala brings from the GRA (the Vilna Gaon) that D'vadai Lashon Sh'airo Hainu Sh'air Bisaro V'lo Ishto. The word Sh'air means someone connected to your flesh. So that a sister is Sh'air (connected to your flesh) and it doesn't literally mean a wife. Why then here do we say that Sh'airo Zu Ishto? So we say that the Posuk says (כִּי, אִם-לִשְׁאֵרוֹ, הַקָּרֹב, אֵלָיו) the flesh who is closest to him. Closest? Yes, that is a wife. So that the word Sh'air implies someone is from the same flesh. Now we understand that blood relatives can be called from the same flesh. Now what about a wife? A wife comes from different parents? The answer is that this Limud is that Sh'air is from the idea that is found in Beraishis 2:24 (וְהָיוּ לְבָשָׂר אֶחָד). That they are actually one. Husband and wife are one. In that way, the idea of Sh'airo Zu Ishto is important. Sh'airo your wife in the language of the Rashbam there in Masechta Bava Basra 109b (כדכתיב והיו לבשר אחד (בראשית ב)). The Rashbam is saying the Yesod that the Torah Temimah and the Ksav V'hakabala say that Sh'air is the idea of being one of oneness. Therefore, Sh'airo Zu Ishto is an idea, is a sense of oneness that husband and wife need to have one with the other.

There is an interesting Hagahos Mordechai in the beginning of Maseches Kesuvos. The Hagaos Mordechai was asked whether it is proper that Arus V'arusoso, a man and woman who plan to be married, whether they are allowed to live in the same house. To that Hagaos Mordechai responds that they should not live in the same house even if they are planning to be married. He brings two reasons. One is the Issur Yichud problem and Kallah B'lo Beracha Asura L'bayla and there is an Issur Yichud. Secondly, and this is where it becomes interesting, he says that it is not good for a couple that are engaged to be married to spend time living together as they will end up fighting and come to hate each other. There will be fights. He brings from Beraishis 2:21 (וַיַּפֵּל י רוָר אֱלֹרים תַּרְדֵּמָה עַל-הָאָדָם) when HKB"H prepared Chava for a wedding Adam was sleeping.

This idea is brought in the Rama Even Ha'ezer Siman 51 where he says a Chosson and Kallah shouldn't live in one home because they may come to despise one another. I believe that this is where the custom comes that when the Chosson or Kallah comes to their future partner's family for Shabbos like when the Kallah comes to the Chosson's family for Shabbos that the Chosson sleeps in a different home. This is the source. Here there is an obvious question. We are afraid for them to live together in the same house because they will have too much of each other and they will come to hate each other. What are you talking about? Better they should find out before they are married than after they are married! They are about to get married. If they can't be happy living in the same house they should find out now. Isn't that a Pliya?

The answer lies in the words of the Hagaos Mordechai. A man and a woman who live together in the same house certainly they will come to disagreements certainly they will get on each other's nerves. Marriage only works because there is a sense of Sh'air. There is a sense of Basar Echad, there is an idea of permanence. There is an idea of making it work. Once a couple is married and in the same house assuming they are sensible people and have feelings for each other, they will be able to make it work. The problem is before they are married. If they are going to be together and there is no sense of permanence it is not going to happen. It is not going to end up being able to work because it just doesn't work. Ahava is Gematria Echad. Ahava requires that there be a sense of oneness. If there is a sense of trying it out you can be sure that it is not going to work. This is an important Yesod to understand. The key to Sholom Bayis in a home is not for a husband and a wife never to get on each other's nerves, never to do things that the other doesn't like. It is normal that these things happen. The key rather is to have a sense of oneness, a sense of Sh'air, (שְׁאֵרוֹ, הַקָּרֹב, אֵלָיו), a sense of Basar Echad. When there is a sense of Basar Echad it works.

I love to say this over. I once brought from the Aleinu L'shabaiach on Parshas Metzora. Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach's wife passed away and he said at the Levaya I have nothing to ask my wife Mechilah for. It moved everybody. A husband married more than 60 years could say that there is nothing that I have to ask Mechila for, it is very moving. That part of the story I think is rather well known. There is a second part. The Aleinu L'shabaiach brings that awhile later one of Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach's Talmidim came to Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach and told him we are married for such and such a period of time and we have never had an argument, never had a disagreement. He meant to say that I am following in your footsteps. Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach answered you have never had a disagreement with her? Are you divorced, did she die? The young man was bewildered. To which Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach replied it is not normal for a couple that is married to never have a disagreement, to never argue over anything. For that you don't have to ask for Mechila. As long as you treat each other with respect when you disagree, that is fine. But to say that you will have a home where you will never disagree that is not possible.

After the Chuppah - Naso 5772

As you know, the Parshios are divided in ways that separate between topics. It is very strange that Parshas Bamidbar contains Masa Bnei Kehas, the Tzavaa and different details of what the family of Kehas carried and this week’s Parsha begins with Masa Bnei Gershon and the Masa of the Bnei Mirari (with the details of the job of the Bnei Gershon and Bnei Mirari and the things that they carried when transporting the Mishkan). It is very strange that the 2 Parshios should be broken up in a way that it doesn’t leave either the Bnei Gershon or the Bnei Mirari together with Parshas Bamidbar. After all Parshas Naso has plenty of Pesukim to spare. Or the reverse, putting the Bnei Kehas in this week’s Parsha. It is a very strange way for it to be broken up.

In the Sefer Acharai Ro’i he has a beautiful Pshat. The Hakdama to this Pshat is the Ohr Hachaim Hakodosh who writes that when the three families of the Leviim divided the job of carrying the utensils of the Mishkan from one place to another it wasn’t one job that was divided among three. Rather it was three jobs in the sense that each carrying job had its own personality had its own uniqueness. The Bnei Kehas carried the Aron. Ha’aron Nosei Es Nosav. It was not a job that involved heavy physical work. It was easy to do. The Aron carried those who carried it. It was a certain level of carrying. Bnei Gershon carried the curtains that housed the Shechina. They carried things that were very close to the Shechina. The Bnei Mirari had the hard job of carrying the Kerashim the wooden beams that formed the walls of the Mishkan and their job was the most physical of all. In sorts the Bnei Kehas had the most spiritual job, the Bnei Gershon in between, and the Bnei Mirari the most physical part of this holy work of carrying the Mishkan.

Parshas Bamidbar always occurs before Matan Torah, before Shavuos. This is something mandated by the Gemara in Maseches Megillah 31b (13 lines from the bottom) (תניא ר' שמעון בן אלעזר אומר עזרא תיקן להן לישראל שיהו קורין קללות שבתורת כהנים קודם עצרת) (Ed. Note: the Gemara mentions that the Klalos of the end of Sefer Vayikra in Parshas Bichukosai are read before Shavuos, however, Tosafos in Dibbur Hamaschil (קללות שבת"כ קודם עצרת ושבמשנה תורה קודם ראש השנה) mentions (ומטעם זה אנו קורין במדבר סיני קודם עצרת כדי שלא להסמיך הקללות שבבחוקותי לעצרת)). Parshas Naso is always afterwards. As you know Mattan Torah is very much like a Chuppah between Klal Yisrael and the Ribbono Shel Olam. When it comes to getting married there are different attitudes which a person must succeed at dealing with in marriage.

When ones comes to a Chuppah, Ha’aron Nosei Es Nosav. A person is carried to the Chuppah on cloud 9. A person is carried there happily. It is not a hard job to come to one’s own wedding. However, after the wedding a person has to know that the job changes. It becomes much more tedious and it becomes much more difficult. First you have the job of having walls, utensils, things in the house that keep the Kedusha of the house going. Later on in life if one is successful and is Zoche to have a family, Zoche to have a business, Zoche to have a home, than the job becomes a much more physical job. A job that involves much more labor and much more difficulty. All of this to build a Mishkan, a place of Kedusha.  Therefore, the Parsha was broken up this way. Before Mattan Torah which is the Chuppah of Bnei Yisrael with the Ribbono Shel Olam, we have the carrying of the Ha’aron Nosei Es Nosav. We talk about carrying the Mishkan and the matter of carrying the Aron, of flying high as one approaches Mattan Torah as one approaches the Chuppah. After the Chuppah which was Shevuos, we read about the next job, maintaining the Kedusha that we have and ultimately the Bnei Mirari which is the job of doing physical things, hard things that have to do with our physical existence. For example, going to work, paying bills, struggling with physical challenges. All of this in a manner of Kedusha of leading to the building of the Mishkan. Therefore, the Seder is B’davka. The Seder is Kehas first, Shevuos second, Gershon & Mirari next. A beautiful Vort for the Parsha and a beautiful Vort for this coming month of June where many of us have Aufrufs, Chasunah, Sheva Berachos, Simchos relating to Chosson V’kallah. This is a very appropriate Vort for such an occasion.

Yom Kippur Wedding - Acharei Mos 5771

The entire first section of the Parsha is about the Avodas Yom Hakippurim that was done in preparation of Yom Kippur. As you have heard on Monday and Thursday, the Kohen Gadol is told 16:6 (וְכִפֶּר בַּעֲדוֹ, וּבְעַד בֵּיתוֹ). The Kohen Gadol has to bring a Kapparah for himself and for his family.

The Gemara in the beginning of Maseches Yoma Darshuns from here that the Kohen Gadol must be married, he must have a family for which to ask forgiveness. (ר' יהודה אומר אף אשה אחרת מתקינין לו שמא תמות אשתו שנאמר (ויקרא טז) וכפר בעדו ובעד ביתו ביתו זו אשתו). He is only allowed to have one wife because (ביתו זו אשתו) is in the singular. The Gemara therefore explains what would be done if the Kohen Gadol’s wife were to die on Yom HaKippurim. The Mishna explains that they would prepare for him another wife in case his original wife would pass away on Yom Kippur because if she would die, then he would be ineligible to do the Avoda on Yom Kippur and a Kohen Hedyot would not be allowed to do the Avoda either.

So how does it work that they prepare for him another wife? It is a Machlokes in the Gemara. If one looks in the Rambam, he says that they would prepare for him a woman who would be willing to marry him and he would be willing to marry her. If his wife were to die on Yom Kippur then the Kohen Gadol would marry her on Yom Kippur. They would need Kiddushin and Nisuin because she has to be fully married to him. Therefore the Rambam says that he would do that on Yom Hakippurim.

Many of you will remember from when we learned Maseches Kesuvos and Maseches Kiddushin that we discussed the different Shittas of what Chuppah is. Kiddushin, the Mishnah says in Kiddushin the first Mishnah (האשה נקנית בשלש דרכים וקונה את עצמה בשתי דרכים נקנית בכסף בשטר ובביאה). Chuppah however, is not something that is explained in the Mishnah. So there are different Rishonim who have different opinions of what constitutes a Chuppah. Some of them are: 1) the canopy that we use for the Chuppah, 2) the veil that the Kallah wears, Or the Rambam’s Shitta 3) that it has to be a private room that there is possible to have intimacy there in order for the Nisuin to be Chal. In other words, the Yichud room.

The Ran asks a Kasha on the Rambam. The Rambam says that the Kohen Gadol will get married on Yom Kippur. How can that be? Yom Kippur is a day on which there is an Issur of Tashmish Hamitah and the Rambam’s Shitta is that the Kohen Gadol would get married on Yom Kippur. The Rambam’s Shitta is also that there has to be a Yichud Haraui L’biya and how can this be if Tashmish Hamitah is Assur on Yom Kippur?

I want to remind you briefly of the Shitta of Rav Naftali Trop (1871–September 24, 1928) in his Chiddushei Ha Granat that there are 2 levels of Yichud, one that is a Yichud Haraui L’biya (that is a complete Nisuin) and one that is not a Yichud Haraui L’biya (which is a Nisuin for certain things). It answers numerous problems of the Rambam. We discussed it in Shiur in Maseches Kesuvos on 2a on the bottom, so pull out your notes and review them and I hope you will have a Geshmak from it. This is one aspect of the Avoda of Yom Hakippurim.

J019 - 3-1 - Preparing For The Big Day

עג-ב ויהי מקצה שלשת ימים.

קודם כל צריכים לברר מתי זה היה.

רש"י ריש פ"ב כת' "ע"כ אני צ"ל שבתוך ימי אבל משה שלחם (-המרגלים)" שהרי המרגלים ישבו שם ג' ימים, וישכם יהושע הרי ד' וילינו שם הרי ה'. אף שכבר כתיב א-יא "בעוד שלשת ימים" צ"ל אין מוקדם ומאוחר.

ר' יוסף ענגיל בספר בית האוצר מסתפק האם אמרי' אין מוקדם ומאוחר בתורה בתנ"ך.
מרש"י הנ"ל מוכח שאמרי' כן בתנ"ך. וכן מצינו בירמיה כמה פעמים, למשל פרקים מא-מד, מעשה גדליה בן אחיקם, היו אחר החורבן שנכתב בפרק מה. גם עי' פסחים קיז. "כלו תפלות דוד בן ישי" (תהלים עב) ואמרי' אל תקרי כלו אלא כל אלו, וכת' מהרש"א שדרש כן כיון שעומדים באמצע תהילים ודוחק לומר בזה אין מוקדם ומאוחר, נר' כוונתו בזה דוקא ודוק אבל בעלמא בתנ"ך שייך אמו"מ. גם משאר ספר תהלים מוכח כן שהרי המאורעות אינם כסדרם. בברחו מפני אבשלום בפרק ג' ובמערה תפילה (בברחו משאול) בפרק קמ"ב וכהנה רבות.

משא"כ הגר"א מיישב כאן ששייך שיצאו המרגלים אחרי סוף אבל משה.

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"התקדשו" פרש"י הזדמנו. במצודות מסביר שמדובר בהכנה רוחנית. ובאמת כל ענין רוחני צריך הכנה. בפרשת יתרו יט-? "והתקדשתם היום ומחר", כת' האוהחה"ק "קדושה לא תקדים אלא למזמין אותה... ומאמרם בזוהר באתערותא דלתתא אתערותא דלעילא". וכ"כ הנצי"ב שם.
לכן אנו מכינים לשבת וגם מוסיפים עליו. וכן ענין הכנה לתפילה.

בכגון דא נעיין בעניין הכנת החתן ליום לופתו, מה שקורין אופרוף.
מעיקרא הו"א שאופרוף צריך להיות השבת שלפני החתונה, ואם עושים אופרוף לפני כן אי"ז ענין אופרוף אלא שמחה בעלמא. אבל מג"א סי' רפ"ב וביה"ל בהל' קרה"ת בענין החיובים בעלייה, כת' רק "השבת שמזמרין החתן" ולא כת' שצ"ל דוקא מיד לפני החתונה.
ר' גדליה שור היה אומר: "אופ-רוף" - קורין לחתן "לעלות" - ברוחניות. הוא הדבר אשר דיברנו, כל ענין רוחני צריך הכנה קודם.
 
"התקדשו" - הנה פירוש המלה קדושה צריך הסבר. מצינו שקדוש פירושו מובדל. קדושים תהיו - פרושים תהיו. אשר קדשנו במצותיו וצונו - כת' התוספות ברכה, שקדשנו היינו שהבדילנו מן הגויים. והסביר בזה הטעים שאין מברכים על מצוות בין אדם לחבירו, שזה שייך גם בגוים ואינו דבר שמראה אשר קדשנו.
מאידך מצינו קדושה שפירושו חיבור. הרי את מקודשת לי.

הוא הדין מילת "דעת". מצד א' - חיבור. "וידע אדם את קין". מצד שני - הבדל. "אם אין דעת הבדלה מנין."
הענין הוא, שחיבור אמיתי לדבר שייך רק עם הבדלה מדברים אחרים. למשל אם יאמר אדם שהוא אוהב את אשתו אבל הוא גם אוהב באותו מדה כל ישראל, אי"ז נקרא אהבה כלפי אשתו כלל. אהבתו לאשתו הוא אהבה מיוחדת של"ש לאחרים.
בקידושין ב: כתוב שלשון "קידושין" הוא "דאסרה אכ"ע כהקדש" - הבדלה. ותוס' שם כת' שפשוטו - "מיוחדת ומזומנת לו" - חיבור. ויובן ע"פ הנ"ל.

ואחרי שנשתדכו החתן והכלה הרי הקשר אמיץ וההבדל לאחרים מוחלט.
ר' פאם זצ"ל היה אומר שלפני שנתארסו אין לו לאדם להתפלל על שידוך מסויים רק להתפלל שימצא זיווגו. משא"כ אחרי האירוסין אין לו להתחשב אלא עם הכלה ויתפלל שזיווגו עמה יעלה יפה.
גם הלכה למעשה נקבע ע"ז. בענין אדם אשר מותר לבא בקהל רק בשעת הדחק, ושאלו הניחא החתן, אבל מצד האשה אי"ז דחק שתתחתן דוקא עמו. והשיב הסטייפלער שאם עוד לא התארס אה"נ אין לשום אשה דחק להתחתן עמו. אבל אם כבר נתארסו אז נחשב שעת הדחק גם להכלה.

"שמח תשמח רעים האהובים כשמחך יצירך בגן עדן" - היכן מצינו ששימח ה' את אדם הראשון? אלא הענין הוא שהקב"ה נתן לו לחזור על כל בהמה חיה ועוף ולא מצא עזר כנגדו, כדי שלבסוף יבין שאין אלא אחת שראויה לו, ולא יחשוב שיש אחרת יותר הגונה לו. השמחה הזו, הידיעה שהחתן והכלה ראויים זל"ז למעט כל האחרים,  היא השמחה שמברכים להחתן והכלה בברכת שמח תשמח.
ויש שתי ברכות אודות יצירת האדם, יוצר האדם ואשר יצר את האדם, ופרש"י בכתובות א' כנגד יצירת דו פרצופים וא' כנגד היצירה הסופית, איש ואשה נפרדים. וקשה למה מברכים על יצירת דו פרצופים אשר היתה רק זמנית ולא נתקיימה, היה לנו לברך רק על היצירה הקיימת. התשובה הוא שרושם היצירה המקורי קיימת לעד, ואדרבה דוקא רוצים לברך החתן וכלה שיהיו כעין אדם וחוה דמעיקרא, שאז היתה ברור בהחלט שראויים זל"ז.

ברכת "שהכל ברא לכבודו" כת' רש"י כתובות ח. "אינה מן הסדר אלא לאסיפת העם... זכר לחסדי המקום שנהג עם אדם הראשון שנעשה לו שושבין... כבוד המקום הוא...". הרי במצות בין אדם לחבירו יש פטור של "אינו לפי כבודו" ואילו בשמחת חתן וכלה כת' בפתחי תשובה יו"ד קמ"ד ד' בשם חות יאיר ר"ב שמצוה לת"ח לנגן בכנור לפני חו"כ, ע"ש וקובץ שיעורים כתובות יז דמוכח שהמצוה לשמוח חו"כ הוא מצוה בין אדם למקום. 

התקדשו. באמת כל העולם הזה הוא הכנה, יש מכינים גשמיות ויש מכינים ברוחניות, כולם מכינים.
יש ניגון ידוע "עולם הבא איז א גוטע זאך" כו'. ר' יעקב קמנצקי הסביר: הגר"א נפטר לפני שמחת תורה, ולא היו תלמידיו יכולים לשמוח בשמח"ת. אמרו: אף שהגר"א בעוה"ב "עוה"ב איז א גוטע זאך", מ"מ היה יותר טוב להיות בעוה"ב שיכול ללמוד תורה "לערנען תורה איז א בעסער זאך". (א"ה כמתני' דאבות ד יז יפה שעה אחת כו') אמר להם הגר"ח וואלאזינער שאה"נ "לערנען תורה איז א בעסער זאך" ויש להתחזק "לערנען תורה נאך און נאך", "מ"מ עולם הבא איז א גוטע זאך".
א' מבעלי המוסר שמע מישהו אומר "עוה"ז זה כלום", ואמר "אדרבא עוה"ז זה הכל!" צריך להכיר חשיבות עוה"ז כשמנצלים אותו לקיים "התקדשו..."

The Women's Jewelry - Vayakhel 5769

In Parshas Vayakheil, the Posuk discusses donations to the Mishkan, in 35:22. The Posuk says, (וַיָּבֹאוּ הָאֲנָשִׁים, עַל-הַנָּשִׁים). The bottom line is, the men and women came together. Why is this significant for the Torah to mention it? Why didn’t the husbands just bring those donations?

The Ragechavah has a vort why we perform Kiddushin with a ring. Kiddushin can be performed with any Shavah Kesef, yet our Minhag is to always perform it with a ring. Why? We have a principle that Ma Shekana Isha Kana Ba’alah. There is an exception to that rule noted by the Rambam, who says that a woman’s clothing is exempt from this rule. In addition, her clothing does not fall into the category of Nichsei Milug. In the time of the Gemara when the time between Kiddushin and Nisuin would be a year apart, you could give her anything that is Shavah Kesef as the husband has no rights to it until Nisuin. However, in our times, where Kiddushin and Nisuin are performed instantaneously, if the husband gave money, he would retain the rights to use it. Therefore, we Davka give a Tachshit that the husband has no rights to use. So in our Posuk, the men came to donate Tachshitin that belonged to the women because men didn’t have gold and silver. So the men had to bring their wives with them in order for them to give permission to donate it. The Posuk says they brought jewelry, so it fits good.

By the Maaseh HaEigel the women were not interested in donating their jewelry. How did the husbands get jewelry to donate? They took it against the woman’s will. They stole it. So it really was an Aveira Goireres Aveira. So now by the Mishkan, the husbands no longer had Ne’emanus, so they brought their wives who agreed to the donation of their jewelry.

No Break - Bo 5772

The next thought which is from Rav Schwab is not from his Sefer on Chumash but it is from his Sefer on Tefillah by Kriyas Shema where he discusses Yetzias Mitzrayim at the end of Kriyas Shema. I will start with a basic concept and then go to a Kasha and answer.

When Klal Yisrael left Mitzrayim we went from being slaves to Paroh to being Avdei Hashem. There was no in between stage where we were free agents so to speak. The truth is that it is a healthy thing. The healthiest thing is when a person goes from one obligation to another. By marriage we say (Beraishis 2:24) (עַל-כֵּן, יַעֲזָב-אִישׁ, אֶת-אָבִיו, וְאֶת-אִמּוֹ; וְדָבַק בְּאִשְׁתּוֹ). It is healthy to go from a home where you live with parents and you are obligated to follow their wishes to a certain degree and then to get married. It is going from one Avdus so to speak to another. When a person lives alone for a period of time it is very difficult to adapt to living and having to put up with other people. So the healthy relationships go directly to directly to their next obligation and that is what the Ribbono Shel Olam did. They went straight from being Avdei Paroh to being Avdei Hashem.

Now let’s turn to the Parsha. In the Parsha we learn about the Mitzvah of Matzah. (מַצָּה זוֹ שֶׁאָנוּ אוֹכְלִים, עַל שׁוּם מָה). Why do we eat Matzah we ask at the Seder? (עַל שׁוּם שֶׁלֹא הִסְפִּיק בְּצֵקָם שֶׁל אֲבוֹתֵינוּ לְהַחֲמִיץ עַד שֶׁנִּגְלָה עֲלֵיהֶם מֶלֶךְ מַלְכֵי הַמְּלָכִים, הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא). That when we left Egypt our dough did not have time to rise. There are two difficulties with this? First of all it is hard to understand that the dough did not have time to rise. It takes only 18 minutes for the dough to rise. Certainly Yetzias Mitzrayim took longer than 18 minutes. In addition, Chazal say that once one works on the dough, once one is actually kneading the dough it becomes Chometz quickly afterwards and it does not need 18 minutes. 18 minutes is when you are mixing flour and water. However, once it is made into a dough it becomes Chometz more quickly. So what does it mean that there wasn’t enough time? It must be that there was some miracle involved. What was the purpose of the miracle?

Kasha # 2 (הָא לַחְמָא עַנְיָא דִי אֲכָלוּ אַבְהָתָנָא בְּאַרְעָא דְמִצְרָיִם). At the outset of the Seder we say this. The Matzah is the same bread that we ate in Mitzrayim because it takes a long time for the Matzah to digest. The Mitzrim fed their slaves Matzah so that they wouldn’t have to feed them again. So that Matzah is the food of Avadim. Now, that is a second reason for Matzah. At the outset of the Seder we give that reason. Then when it comes to (מַצָּה זוֹ שֶׁאָנוּ אוֹכְלִים, עַל שׁוּם מָה) we give the reason of (עַל שׁוּם שֶׁלֹא הִסְפִּיק בְּצֵקָם שֶׁל אֲבוֹתֵינוּ לְהַחֲמִיץ עַד שֶׁנִּגְלָה עֲלֵיהֶם מֶלֶךְ מַלְכֵי הַמְּלָכִים, הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא) that we went out so quickly that it didn’t have time to rise. They seem to be 2 totally different reasons.

Rav Schwab answers that they are not 2 reasons they are one. In Egypt as slaves we ate Matzah. When Klal Yisrael left Mitzrayim they must have been thinking that this dough is going to rise and now we no longer are going to eat the bread of Avadim. (הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא) caused a miracle for a reason. (הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא) caused it not to rise and indeed they were continuing to eat the bread of Avadim because Hashem was saying to Klal Yisrael Avadai Heim, a human being is not a free person. A human being is obligated to do the Ratzon Hashem. This is the Machshava thought on the Parsha.