Nice Clothes - Mishpatim 5770

22:8 ח  עַל-כָּל-דְּבַר-פֶּשַׁע עַל-שׁוֹר עַל-חֲמוֹר עַל-שֶׂה עַל-שַׂלְמָה עַל-כָּל-אֲבֵדָה, אֲשֶׁר יֹאמַר כִּי-הוּא זֶה--עַד הָאֱלֹ ר ים, יָבֹא דְּבַר-שְׁנֵיהֶם:  אֲשֶׁר יַרְשִׁיעֻן אֱלֹ ר ים, יְשַׁלֵּם שְׁנַיִם לְרֵעֵהוּ Salma is translated as clothing. Earlier in Parshas Bo, the Bnei Yisrael borrowed clothing from the Mitzrim, as it says in 12:35 לה  וּבְנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל עָשׂוּ, כִּדְבַר מֹשֶׁה; וַיִּשְׁאֲלוּ, מִמִּצְרַיִם, כְּלֵי-כֶסֶף וּכְלֵי זָהָב, וּשְׂמָלֹת  with the Mem before the Lamed while here it is Salma with the Lamed before the Mem.

The Ben Ish Chai in Ben Yehoyada explains the difference and significance between Salma and Smalois. The difference is that Salma means cheap clothing and Smalois means expensive clothing. How so? The Posuk that we just quoted from Parshas Bo is saying that the Bnei Yisrael didn’t borrow dungarees or T-Shirts from the Mitzrim, they borrowed the fancy clothing. By our Posuk it is talking about anything of value because you can go to Bais Din for anything that is worth a Perutah even though it is insignificant. 

With this we gain that we can explain a Chazal. In Rus 3:3 וְרָחַצְתְּ וָסַכְתְּ, וְשַׂמְתְּ שמלתך (שִׂמְלֹתַיִךְ) עָלַיִךְ--וירדתי (וְיָרַדְתְּ) הַגֹּרֶן; אַל-תִּוָּדְעִי לָאִישׁ, עַד כַּלֹּתוֹ לֶאֱכֹל וְלִשְׁתּוֹת Nomi was giving Rus directions for her encounter with Boaz. You should bathe, put on perfume, get dressed… Rashi Teitches that put on your clothes means that you should wear Shabbos clothing. How does Rashi know that it is Shabbos clothing? According to our Yesoid it is Geshmak. Simloisayich with the Mem before the Lamed means Chashuva Begodim which would be Shabbos clothing.

Another example of this is in Parshas Bo 12:34 לד  וַיִּשָּׂא הָעָם אֶת-בְּצֵקוֹ, טֶרֶם יֶחְמָץ; מִשְׁאֲרֹתָם צְרֻרֹת בְּשִׂמְלֹתָם, עַל-שִׁכְמָם The Yidden wrapped the extra dough which was going to be their Matza B’simloisam in their Chashuva clothing. It was Matza from a Mitzva so they didn’t wrap it in a Shmata.

The Frogs' Reward? - Mishpatim 5769

It says in the Posuk, (לַכֶּלֶב תַּשְׁלִכוּן אֹתוֹ), that we give the Nevailah to the Kelev. So it is well known that Chazal say that the Kelev deserves a reward for keeping quiet on the night of Makas Bechoirois. The Klovim get rewarded, very good. What about the Tzefar’dim (the frogs), where is their reward for jumping into the ovens?

The Velt says a Teretz, that to be quiet, not to bark, is much harder than jumping into an oven.  Therefore, the Kelev gets the S’char. The message is Emes. Sh’tika is very difficult. The Rambam writes on Pirkei Avos, Sh’tika Yafeh L’chachomim, Kal Vachoimer L’tipshim.

Leftovers - Beshalach 5770

14:28 וַיָּשֻׁבוּ הַמַּיִם, וַיְכַסּוּ אֶת-הָרֶכֶב וְאֶת-הַפָּרָשִׁים, לְכֹל חֵיל פַּרְעֹה, הַבָּאִים אַחֲרֵיהֶם בַּיָּם:  לֹא-נִשְׁאַר בָּהֶם, עַד-אֶחָד Rashi explains that Paroh was the one who remained alive in order to say over the story of Galus Mitzrayim and Kriyas Yam Suf. In the Siddur we seem to contradict this in Ezras Avoiseinu where we say Echad Mai’hem Loi Noisar meaning that no one remained alive. Actually this comes not only from the Siddur but also from Tehillim 106:11  וַיְכַסּוּ-מַיִם צָרֵיהֶם;    אֶחָד מֵהֶם, לֹא נוֹתָר.

The Malbim and Netziv say there is a fundamental difference between Nishar and Noisar. Nishar means that something is left over B’kavana (deliberately). Noisar means that something is left over incidentally. Mimeila it is good. In the Posuk 14:28 that is quoted above, Paroh was leftover deliberately to tell over the story of Galus Mitzrayim and Kriyas Yam Suf. However, in Tehillim we are saying a Shvach of Hakadoish Baruch Hu. Ususally in a battle at least one of the enemy gets away and escapes, however, here Loi Noisar no one escaped incidentally.

This concept of the difference between Nishar and Noisar will answer many different Kashas. In last week’s Parsha, 12:10 וְלֹא-תוֹתִירוּ מִמֶּנּוּ, עַד-בֹּקֶר וְהַנֹּתָר מִמֶּנּוּ עַד-בֹּקֶר, בָּאֵשׁ תִּשְׂרֹפוּ it says don’t leave over any of the Korban Pesach. That is called Noisar. In 12:34 וַיִּשָּׂא הָעָם אֶת-בְּצֵקוֹ, טֶרֶם יֶחְמָץ; מִשְׁאֲרֹתָם צְרֻרֹת בְּשִׂמְלֹתָם, עַל-שִׁכְמָם it says Mish’a’roisam which means the leftover dough. The Nafka Mina is Kidvareinu, the Matza was leftover deliberately to take out dough to eat when they left Mitzrayim while the Loi Sasiru is left over incidentally. 

Another example is in Parshas Noach 7:23 וַיִּמַח אֶת-כָּל-הַיְקוּם אֲשֶׁר עַל-פְּנֵי הָאֲדָמָה, מֵאָדָם עַד-בְּהֵמָה עַד-רֶמֶשׂ וְעַד-עוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם, וַיִּמָּחוּ, מִן-הָאָרֶץ; וַיִּשָּׁאֶר אַךְ-נֹחַ וַאֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ, בַּתֵּבָה The Ribboinoi Shel Oilam left over Noach deliberately. In Parshas Vayishlach we have in 32:25 וַיִּוָּתֵר יַעֲקֹב, לְבַדּוֹ; וַיֵּאָבֵק אִישׁ עִמּוֹ, עַד עֲלוֹת הַשָּׁחַר that Yaakov remained incidentally. There wasn’t a plan. He just went to get the Pachim K’tanim.

In Parshas Bo we have in 10:5 וְכִסָּה אֶת-עֵין הָאָרֶץ, וְלֹא יוּכַל לִרְאֹת אֶת-הָאָרֶץ; וְאָכַל אֶת-יֶתֶר הַפְּלֵטָה, הַנִּשְׁאֶרֶת לָכֶם מִן-הַבָּרָד, וְאָכַל אֶת-כָּל-הָעֵץ, הַצֹּמֵחַ לָכֶם מִן-הַשָּׂדֶה that whatever was leftover deliberately from the Barad will be eaten by the Arbe.

In Nach this is something to take notice of as it is just beautiful. Those of you who learned Melachim and Divrei Hayamim know that very often the Posuk says, that we will not tell you the rest of the story of this king, because the Posuk only brings statements of things that we will learn from.  So constantly the Posuk says V’yeser Divrei Melech so and so Haloi K’suvim B’divrei Hayamim. This appears 43 times between Divrei Hayamim and Melachim. There is one place that Yeser is not used for a king and Shar is used and that is by Shlomo Hamelech. The reason is because Koiheles, Shir Hashirim, Mishlei were leftover for the Chashivus and placed somewhere else. The other kings, only other incidental information was leftover somewhere else so it was Yeser.

After the Holocaust those who survived took on the name Shearis Hapleita. They saw themselves as people who were leftover with a plan. There was a purpose that the Ribboinoi Shel Oilam left them over for. Many Jews saw themselves as Noissar, that after the Holocaust Yiddishkeit was finished. The Shearis are the ones that took it upon themselves to rebuild. 

(א"ה כתבנו עוד מזה במגילת רות)

The Mystery Of The Captive Firstborns - Bo 5772

The question of the week is: in this week’s Parsha we are told that all the Egyptian firstborn were killed as it says in the Posuk 11:5 (מִבְּכוֹר פַּרְעֹה הַיֹּשֵׁב עַל-כִּסְאוֹ, עַד בְּכוֹר הַשִּׁפְחָה). Rashi says (עד בכור השבי: (שמות יב כט) למה לקו השבויים, כדי שלא יאמרו, יראתם תבעה עלבונם והביאה פורענות על מצרים) that even a Bechor of a captive of a different nation that was in Mitzrayim died. Rashi says so that the captive shouldn’t say it was my god that killed all the firstborn, he was doing it to rescue me. Therefore, even this Bechor died.

It seems from Rashi that if not for this reason the ( בכור השבי) would not have died. This is a Pele. One of the facts of the night of Makkas Bechoros is that even the Jewish (Bechorim) people were in danger and therefore they had to put blood on the doorposts. Why were the Jewish firstborn in danger?

So we are told Kivan Shenitan Rishus L’mashchis L’hashchis there is no difference if you are a Tzaddik or Rasha. If the Malach Hamaves is told to kill every first born he kills every first born and it doesn’t matter who you are. If so, it would seem simple that the Bechor Hashvi was killed because of this reason. Kivan Shenitan Rishus L’mashchis L’hashchis there is no difference if you are a Tzaddik or Rasha he killed everybody. Why then does Rashi say a new reason that the firstborn captives were killed? Tzorech Iyun Gadol!!

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.