Let me begin with Rav Moshe’s Vort which is at the end of the Parsha
9:33. At the end of the Parsha we find the last Makkah in Parshas
Va’eira the Makkah of Barad. When it comes to an end the Posuk says
(וַיֵּצֵא מֹשֶׁה מֵעִם פַּרְעֹה, אֶת-הָעִיר, וַיִּפְרֹשׂ כַּפָּיו,
אֶל-יְרוָר; וַיַּחְדְּלוּ הַקֹּלוֹת וְהַבָּרָד, וּמָטָר לֹא-נִתַּךְ
אָרְצָה). The hail came to an end and the rain did not hit the ground.
Rashi explains (ואף אותן שהיו באויר לא הגיעו לארץ). Even the rain drops
that were already in midair did not hit the ground. Moshe was Mispalel
for the Makkah to end and it came to an abrupt end.
The question naturally is what is the purpose of this extraordinary Nais
this is more of a miracle than the rain and Barad just stopping on its
own. It is sort of a Neis B’soch Neis, a double miracle. What is the
purpose? Why did Hakadosh Baruch Hu do this extra miracle and make it
not hit the ground and what is the lesson for us?
Rav Moshe says that this comes to teach us a lesson. Hakadosh Baruch Hu
behaves or Kavayochel the way Hashem reveals himself to us as behaving
in a way that human beings should emulate. Moshe Rabbeinu made a request
and said let the Makkah come to an end. The Ribbono Shel Olam showed
that when the Tzaddik is Gozer, Hakadosh Baruch Hu is Mikayeim. That
when the Ribbono Shel Olam does what is asked of him he does it
completely and totally. He does it in a way that the request is
formulated. Just as the request was formulated for it to come to an end
which implies that even that which is in midair not hit the ground, the
Ribbono Shel Olam did so despite the fact that it was not a necessary
piece or necessary part of the request.
Rav Moshe brings another example that the Ramban says there was never
another locust infestation in Mitzrayim of the type that happened here.
That was for the same reason, because Moshe Rabbeinu Davened that the
Arbe (the Makka of locusts) come to an end and it came to an end totally
even for future generations. Again, Moshe Rabbeinu didn’t mean it, but
nevertheless since that is what he requested that is what took place.
The lesson is to be Mikayeim to do the words of the Tzaddik as they were
requested even though it wasn’t meant to that degree.
Says Rav Moshe, it is meant to teach us that that is the way we too
should behave. This small Vort of Rav Moshe actually touches on an
extraordinary Yesod which it says in a number of sources. There is a
Mitzvah L’kayeim Pashtei Dik’ra. That even when Torah She’bal Peh
teaches us regarding certain Mitzvos that they don’t have to be done
precisely in the way that it is spelled out in the Torah, nevertheless
Mitzvah L’kayeim Pashtei Dik’ra.
A source for this is a Ritva in the last Perek of Yevamos. The Ritva
there refers to a Gemara regarding the shoe that is used during
Chalitzah. The Posuk says in Devarim 25:9 (וְחָלְצָה נַעֲלוֹ מֵעַל
רַגְלוֹ). She removes his shoe from his foot. The Gemara says does it
have to be his shoe? It doesn’t have to belong to him. It is adequate
that it fit his foot. On that the Ritva comments that even though during
the Chalitzah ceremony it is not necessary that the shoe belong to the
man, nevertheless Mitzvah L’kayeim Pashtei Dik’ra. The simple meaning of
the Posuk is that it be his shoe and that is the way it should be done.
That is indeed what we do. We are Makneh the shoe to the man and the
man is the technical owner of the shoe until after the ceremony.
We find a similar idea in Yoreh Dai’a in the Halachos of Shiluach Hakan.
The Mitzvah of sending away a mother is found in Devarim 22:6 -7 (ו
כִּי יִקָּרֵא קַן-צִפּוֹר לְפָנֶיךָ בַּדֶּרֶךְ בְּכָל-עֵץ אוֹ
עַל-הָאָרֶץ, אֶפְרֹחִים אוֹ בֵיצִים, וְהָאֵם רֹבֶצֶת עַל-הָאֶפְרֹחִים,
אוֹ עַל-הַבֵּיצִים--לֹא-תִקַּח הָאֵם, עַל-הַבָּנִים ז שַׁלֵּחַ
תְּשַׁלַּח אֶת-הָאֵם, וְאֶת-הַבָּנִים תִּקַּח-לָךְ, לְמַעַן יִיטַב לָךְ,
וְהַאֲרַכְתָּ יָמִים). Taking the pigeon or the eggs. There is a
Teshuva from the Chacham Tzvi which is brought in Yoreh Dai’a and in the
Meforshim of Yore Dai’a. He was asked if it is necessary to take the
babies or the eggs or is it enough to just send away the mother. He
answered that the Mitzvah is just Shiluach, to send away the mother.
Nevertheless it is a Mitzvah L’kayeim Pashtei Dik’ra. It is good to be
Mikayeim the simple meaning of the Posuk and to pick up the eggs and
acquire them. You can put them back afterwards. (וְאֶת-הַבָּנִים
תִּקַּח-לָךְ), to acquire that which is in it. Again, Mitzvah L’kayeim
Pashtei Dik’ra.
A third source is in the Mikraei Kodesh which is in the volume on Sukkos
where it talks about the well-known Halacha that when one has Hadasim
the leaves are supposed to be in groups of three. How much of the Hadas
have to have Hadasim Mishulash (groups of three)?
The Halacha is Ruba K’kula, it is enough if most of the Hadas have it
and you don’t need all of it. Nevertheless the Halacha says it is
M’hudar (better) if the entire Hadas is Mishulash. Why? Rav Tzvi Pesach
Frank in Mikraei Kodesh brings the same idea and he quotes the Ritva and
says the same thing here. He says, the simple meaning of a Hadas is
something that is Mishulash, something that is in 3’s and Mitzvah
L’kayeim Pashtei Dik’ra.
By Hilchos Shechita we learn that it is enough to cut most of the
Simanim, the required parts of the animal but L’chatchila we try to cut
it entirely. Even though Ruba K’kula, Mitzvah L’kayeim the Pashtus of
the Mitzvah which is to do it without an exemption of Ruba K’kula.
And so Rav Moshe’s Vort on the lesson of the Parsha ties in well with
something that we do indeed find in Halacha, the idea of Mitzvah of
Mitzvah L’kayeim Pashtei Dik’ra. Just as Hakadosh Baruch Hu showed us
with his behavior towards Moshe Rabbeinu, he kept the words that Moshe
Rabbeinu asked even though that wasn’t the intention of Moshe Rabbeinu
to make the rain stop in midair, the same thing in our behavior and in
our Hanhaga.
