Chasidut su Esodo 1:24

Exodus 1,1. “And these are the names of the tribes of ‎Israel; Reuven, etc.”; the reason why the names of the holy ‎tribes are enumerated once more is because their qualifications as ‎being part of the twelve holy tribes is already alluded to in their ‎names, as we shall see. Reuven was called by that name as his ‎mother had proclaimed at his birth (Genesis 29,32) “G’d has seen ‎my distress; now my husband will love me.” When Leah bore ‎Shimon (verse 13 ibid), she gave thanks to G’d to listening to her ‎prayer. When Levi was born (verse 34) she expressed her ‎conviction to G’d that from then on her husband would devote ‎more of his time to her. Both Shimon’s name from the word ‎שמע‎ ‎‎“to hear,” and Levi’s name from the word ‎ללוות‎, “to keep ‎company with,” reflect the connection to G’d that Leah saw in ‎these sons as accompanying them already from birth. When the ‎reader will once more peruse the relevant chapter in Parshat ‎Vayetze‎‎ he will see that all the names bore testimony to the ‎mothers seeing in these sons being born a gift of G’d, so that it ‎was no more than natural that the sons when growing up would ‎excel in their service to G’d, i.e. they would qualify for the title: ‎קדוש‎, “holy.”
It would be quite inconceivable that the ‎matriarchs would have named their children in commemorating a ‎physical craving of theirs as having been fulfilled. The fact that ‎the Torah refers to these tribes, i.e. ‎שבטים‎, not by their secular ‎name, but calls them ‎מטות‎, a word reminding us of someone, i.e. ‎G’d leaning out of a window to see what goes on beneath him. ‎According to our author it is used to describe physical cravings ‎which have been sublimated to become spiritual cravings.‎

Exodus 1,6. “and Joseph had meanwhile been in Egypt ‎already.” We need to examine why the Torah had to repeat ‎the word ‎במצרים‎, “in Egypt,” when it would have sufficed to ‎simply write ‎ויוסף היה שם‎, “while Joseph had already been there.” ‎Perhaps the Torah wanted to stress that during all the years that ‎Joseph had been in Egypt without the moral support of his family ‎he had not changed his name (although Pharaoh had given him ‎an Egyptian title, i.e. ‎צפנת פענח‎). He himself used to refer to ‎himself by his Jewish name. Even Pharaoh realized this when ‎during the early days of the famine he had instructed the people ‎to turn to Joseph for help, i.e. ‎לכו אל יוסף אשר יאמר לכם תעשו‎, ‎‎“what Joseph will tell you, you are to do.” (Compare Bereshit ‎Rabbah 20 slightly differently wording.)‎

Exodus 1,6. “and Joseph had meanwhile been in Egypt ‎already.” We need to examine why the Torah had to repeat ‎the word ‎במצרים‎, “in Egypt,” when it would have sufficed to ‎simply write ‎ויוסף היה שם‎, “while Joseph had already been there.” ‎Perhaps the Torah wanted to stress that during all the years that ‎Joseph had been in Egypt without the moral support of his family ‎he had not changed his name (although Pharaoh had given him ‎an Egyptian title, i.e. ‎צפנת פענח‎). He himself used to refer to ‎himself by his Jewish name. Even Pharaoh realized this when ‎during the early days of the famine he had instructed the people ‎to turn to Joseph for help, i.e. ‎לכו אל יוסף אשר יאמר לכם תעשו‎, ‎‎“what Joseph will tell you, you are to do.” (Compare Bereshit ‎Rabbah 20 slightly differently wording.)‎

Exodus 1,21. “It was because the midwives had ‎demonstrated fear of the Lord, that He built houses for ‎them.” In these houses the midwives lived and could ‎practice their G’d fearing ways undisturbed. In the event that ‎someone would think that the midwives continued their ‎dangerous way of saving Jewish boy babies on account of the ‎heavenly reward they expected for this, the Torah twice ‎mentioned that they were G’d-fearing, so that there was no ‎element of serving G’d for the sake of the eventual reward.‎

Exodus 1,21. “It was because the midwives had ‎demonstrated fear of the Lord, that He built houses for ‎them.” In these houses the midwives lived and could ‎practice their G’d fearing ways undisturbed. In the event that ‎someone would think that the midwives continued their ‎dangerous way of saving Jewish boy babies on account of the ‎heavenly reward they expected for this, the Torah twice ‎mentioned that they were G’d-fearing, so that there was no ‎element of serving G’d for the sake of the eventual reward.‎

[Regarding] the statement in the Holy Zohar, “Come to Pharaoh (Ex. 10:1) – it should have said ‘go to Pharaoh!’” (cf. Zohar Bo, 2:34a), as well as the question posed by the commentators, which I wrote above – the miracle of the Exodus from Egypt was that the Awareness was in exile with wicked Pharaoh in Egypt; and therefore Israel was exiled there to bring the Awareness from there. And the difficulty of the servitude made it whole, as is stated in Tikkunei Zohar: “And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve… in mortar [be-homer] (Ex. 1:13-14), that is [the logical argument of] ‘…and certainly…’ [kal ve-homer]; and in brick [oo-vil’venim] (Ex. 1:14), that is the heating [libbun] of halakhah; and in all manner of service in the field (Ex. 1:14), that is the external sources; in all their service, wherein they made them serve with rigor [b’farekh] (Ex. 1:14), that is argumentation [pirkha]” (Tikkun 9, Supplement 147a), which is to say that all of this was in exile in Egypt. And through their servitude they took the Awareness, which is the Torah, out of the exile. When they served in mortar they brought [the logical argument of] “…and certainly…” out of the exile, and so on for all the other servitudes as we have stated. And therefore when Moses our Teacher, peace be upon him, said, Behold, the people of Israel have not listened to me [ – How then shall Pharaoh listen to me] (Ex. 6:12), and Rashi explained, “This is one of ten ‘…and certainly…’ [arguments] in the Torah,” that is to say that when [Moses] said this “…and certainly…” [argument] he brought the “…and certainly…” [argument] in the Torah out of the exile. For the all of the Torah was in the Egyptian exile, since the Awareness was in exile; and the Awareness is the Torah. Now, the Torah begins with [the letter] bet, In the beginning [God] created etc. (Gen. 1:1); but why didn’t the Torah begin with aleph, which is the first of all the letters? Because [if that were the case] the world would not be able to exist for even one hour, and would be nullified from existence because of the letter aleph’s great brightness, since it alludes to the Champion [aluf] of the World, who is Blessed God in [God’s] Glory and [God’s] Essence, as if it were possible. But because the LORD God is a sun and shield (Psalm 84:12) – which is to say just like one can not look at the sun because of its great brightness, only by way of a shade or a shield can one look at the sun’s light – so too, as if it were possible, with a thousand thousands of thousands of distinctions without end or boundary, would it be impossible to exist because of the letter aleph’s great brightness, since it is the Champion of the World. Only by way of a shade or a shield, which is the letter bet – [only] through it does it become possible to constrain the letter aleph so that it can also be in the Torah. For after the letter bet in bereshit we find several alephs, in the word bereshit and in the words bara elohim, once it was constrained by the letter bet. And that is [the meaning of] Come [בא] to Pharaoh, which is to say through the bet the aleph will be in the Torah. And since now the Torah is in exile, therefore I have hardened his heart and [the heart of his servants] (Ex. 10:1) so that Israel will serve in mortar and in brick (Ex. 1:14) to bring the Torah out of exile. And as is stated in Tikkunei Zohar, “… in mortar [be-homer] (Ex. 1:13-14), that is [the logical argument of] ‘…and certainly…’ [kal ve-homer],” as we said above – through this they brought [the argument of] “…and certainly…” out of the exile, and so on for the other servitudes. And that is [the meaning of] that I may show these signs [otot] of mine among them (Ex. 10:1), that the letters [otiot], which belong to the Torah, must be taken out of exile. And the verse concludes, that you may tell … how I have toyed (Ex. 10:2), which is to say that I made Myself small since the Awareness was in smallness. And now you may know (Ex. 10:2), as was stated above.

[Regarding] the statement in the Holy Zohar, “Come to Pharaoh (Ex. 10:1) – it should have said ‘go to Pharaoh!’” (cf. Zohar Bo, 2:34a), as well as the question posed by the commentators, which I wrote above – the miracle of the Exodus from Egypt was that the Awareness was in exile with wicked Pharaoh in Egypt; and therefore Israel was exiled there to bring the Awareness from there. And the difficulty of the servitude made it whole, as is stated in Tikkunei Zohar: “And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve… in mortar [be-homer] (Ex. 1:13-14), that is [the logical argument of] ‘…and certainly…’ [kal ve-homer]; and in brick [oo-vil’venim] (Ex. 1:14), that is the heating [libbun] of halakhah; and in all manner of service in the field (Ex. 1:14), that is the external sources; in all their service, wherein they made them serve with rigor [b’farekh] (Ex. 1:14), that is argumentation [pirkha]” (Tikkun 9, Supplement 147a), which is to say that all of this was in exile in Egypt. And through their servitude they took the Awareness, which is the Torah, out of the exile. When they served in mortar they brought [the logical argument of] “…and certainly…” out of the exile, and so on for all the other servitudes as we have stated. And therefore when Moses our Teacher, peace be upon him, said, Behold, the people of Israel have not listened to me [ – How then shall Pharaoh listen to me] (Ex. 6:12), and Rashi explained, “This is one of ten ‘…and certainly…’ [arguments] in the Torah,” that is to say that when [Moses] said this “…and certainly…” [argument] he brought the “…and certainly…” [argument] in the Torah out of the exile. For the all of the Torah was in the Egyptian exile, since the Awareness was in exile; and the Awareness is the Torah. Now, the Torah begins with [the letter] bet, In the beginning [God] created etc. (Gen. 1:1); but why didn’t the Torah begin with aleph, which is the first of all the letters? Because [if that were the case] the world would not be able to exist for even one hour, and would be nullified from existence because of the letter aleph’s great brightness, since it alludes to the Champion [aluf] of the World, who is Blessed God in [God’s] Glory and [God’s] Essence, as if it were possible. But because the LORD God is a sun and shield (Psalm 84:12) – which is to say just like one can not look at the sun because of its great brightness, only by way of a shade or a shield can one look at the sun’s light – so too, as if it were possible, with a thousand thousands of thousands of distinctions without end or boundary, would it be impossible to exist because of the letter aleph’s great brightness, since it is the Champion of the World. Only by way of a shade or a shield, which is the letter bet – [only] through it does it become possible to constrain the letter aleph so that it can also be in the Torah. For after the letter bet in bereshit we find several alephs, in the word bereshit and in the words bara elohim, once it was constrained by the letter bet. And that is [the meaning of] Come [בא] to Pharaoh, which is to say through the bet the aleph will be in the Torah. And since now the Torah is in exile, therefore I have hardened his heart and [the heart of his servants] (Ex. 10:1) so that Israel will serve in mortar and in brick (Ex. 1:14) to bring the Torah out of exile. And as is stated in Tikkunei Zohar, “… in mortar [be-homer] (Ex. 1:13-14), that is [the logical argument of] ‘…and certainly…’ [kal ve-homer],” as we said above – through this they brought [the argument of] “…and certainly…” out of the exile, and so on for the other servitudes. And that is [the meaning of] that I may show these signs [otot] of mine among them (Ex. 10:1), that the letters [otiot], which belong to the Torah, must be taken out of exile. And the verse concludes, that you may tell … how I have toyed (Ex. 10:2), which is to say that I made Myself small since the Awareness was in smallness. And now you may know (Ex. 10:2), as was stated above.

Exodus 2,4. “his sister positioned herself at a distance, ‎in order to find out what would be done with him.” This ‎verse helps us understand Jeremiah 31,2 “the Lord appeared to ‎me from a distance, etc.;”‎
There is a general rule that when the people in the physical ‎universe are fully preoccupied with their secular concerns, they ‎will not be able to elevate themselves to true service of the Lord. ‎This idea is hinted at when the Bible uses the term ‎מרחוק‎. ‎‎[The term does not describe distance in terms of ‎kilometers. Ed.] Rapprochement to the Creator ‎progresses at the same speed as distancing oneself from purely ‎secular concerns. The Torah chose to describe Miriam as ‎אחתו‎, ‎‎“his sister,” as it wished to allude to the word ‎מאחה‎, meaning ‎‎“attached,” i.e. ‎מדובק‎. Miriam was anxious to see if the attribute ‎of ‎אין‎, the eternal element of G’d, would continue to influence the ‎baby’s fate. On some occasions this attribute ‎אין‎ is also known as ‎מה‎, the word used in our verse.‎

“And they embittered their lives with hard labor, with mortar and with bricks, and all manner of agricultural work.” (Shemos 1:14) The cruel Egyptian taskmasters had no need of the buildings that they forced the Jews to build. Their desire was only to torture the Israelites and embitter their lives. Thus it was solely out of cruelty that they invented the project of having the Jews build the cities of Pitom and Ramses.¹³²The footnote in the original text points out that the narrative first has the Egptians saying, “come, let us deal wisely with them, lest they multiply and join our enemies,” and only after that it says, “and the built treasure cities for Pharaoh – Pitom and Ramses.” Building these cities was not the only way they tortured the Jews, but even after the cities were built they devised new ways to cause the Jews to suffer. The Talmud (Sotah, 11) tells us that in the eyes of the Egyptian, the life of a Jew was worth less than the life of an animal. A Jewish life was not only cheap when they sent Jews to the wilderness to perform life threatening task like capturing lions and bears,¹³³Shemos Rabbah, 11. they scorned the lives of the Jews even amid the Egyptian metropolises. Every wicked Egyptian imbecile, every shameful Egyptian teenager, would brazenly curse and beat even respected elders of Israel, breaking their bones or even killing them. If an Israelite was physically stronger than his Egyptian oppressor it was no protection. He would have to suffer the blows of every despicable adolescent, because if a Jew so much as raised his hand to an Egyptian it would be reported and the Egyptians would slaughter large numbers of Jews as a collective punishment. There were few Jews who did not go about with broken bones, if not tokens of their oppressors affections in wanton beatings in the street, then surely from being forced to do labor far beyond their physical abilities.¹³⁴Midrash, and Yalkut, Parshas Yitro, Remez 276. They would beat them until their bodies were covered with bruises and lesions, making the Jews thoroughly abhorred.

Still on the subject of G’d “only” asking us to revere Him, etc; ‎the Talmud in B’rachot 33 asks how Moses could possibly ‎describe fear of and reverence for G’d, as something qualifying for ‎the description as something “minimal,” i.e. ‎כי אם‎? Surely a ‎person who is in awe of Hashem has attained a lofty ‎spiritual platform. The Talmud answers that from Moses’ ‎personal vantage point, possessing reverence and awe for G’d was ‎indeed something very minor, not requiring any great effort. The ‎commentators, puzzled by this, ask that seeing Moses asked the ‎Israelites at large to acquire such reverence and awe, Moses’ ‎personal ease in having acquired it seems quite irrelevant?‎
It appears that an appropriate answer to this would be ‎Exodus 1,21 where the Torah reports the reaction of the Jewish ‎midwives to Pharaoh’s command to kill Jewish boy babies before ‎they had actually been born. The Torah describes the midwives’ ‎refusal to carry out Pharaoh’s command as being based on the ‎fact that they were in fear and awe of the Jewish G’d not to ‎commit murder. As a reward, G’d “built houses for these ‎midwives.” Rashi explains that the “houses” referred to in ‎that verse meant that their offspring would be Levites, Priests, or ‎Royalty, i.e. the elite of the nation. In other words, Moses was ‎born as a result of the reverence and awe for G’d displayed by his ‎mother Yocheved when she put her life in danger by making sure ‎that Jewish boy babies survived.‎
Moses was an extremely humble and modest man, according ‎to the Torah’s testimony, more so than any other human being; ‎from this it follows that he viewed the fact that he had survived ‎birth at all as a reward for his mother’s awe of G’d which had ‎prompted her to defy Pharaoh’s order to murder Jewish boy ‎babies. He naturally, considered possession of such awe for G’d as ‎something relatively easy to acquire, just as it had been a natural ‎attribute of his mother. This is what the Talmud had in mind ‎when it described this attribute as something relatively minor.‎

And this is (Ex. 1), “And it came to pass, when the midwives feared God, and He made them houses.” This is the aspect of the housings of the tefillin. For the midwives are the aspect of the children's mother, drawing the light of tefillin, which are the aspect of mother, upon the son, who are the aspect of giving birth to the brains, the aspect of (ibid. 13), “Sanctify to Me all the male firstborns, whatsoever opens any womb” as mentioned. And this is, “And it happened, when they feared” specifically. For tefillin are the aspect of fear, as written, “And all the people of the land shall see that Hashem's name is called upon you, and they will fear you.” And our Rabbis z”l explained these are the head tefillin. For the midwives are the mother of Aharon and Moshe. And Miriam their sister was the second midwife, from whom royalty issued, as Rashi explained there. For Moshe and Aharon are the essence of the tefillin. Aharon the Kohen Gadol is the aspect of the Eight Tiqunei Diqna of the Kohen Gadol, which are the aspect of the eight elders, the aspect of the eight head and arm tefillin passages as mentioned. Moshe Rabbeinu is the aspect of the Supernal Elder, who boasted that he is extremely old and yet is young and suckling entirely etc. and the whole world does not amount to him so much as an eyeblink etc. This is the aspect of Moshe Rabbeinu a”h who is the aspect of (ibid. 2), “And behold, a crying youth,” that even tough he reach what he reached, the perfect aspect of the Elder in Holiness, still he was entirely in the aspect of youth and suckling, in the aspect of (Ps. 37), “I have been young and also old,” that even though I have become so much an elder, still I am entirely young and suckling, which this is the aspect of the boasting of the foremost level elder who is the Blind One as mentioned. And therefore Moshe attained that it was written of him (Deut. 34), “His eye was not dim and his natural force was not abated” — even after death. For no oldness jumped upon him at all, even when dying at 120 years age. For he attained the ultimate elderliness, yet remained entirely suckling, as if he still had not begin living at all, as written (ibid. 3:24), “You have begun to show” etc.; that is, he still did not grasp at all; Hashem Yithbarakh only began showing him his greatness etc. Which, all this is the above aspect, always beginning anew as mentioned. For Moshe is the aspect of “MaN/Manna,” as is known, of which it says (Ex. 17:15), “For they did not know MaH/what it is.” It is impossible to at all know what he is, that someone born of a woman should attain what he attained. And this is the letters of MoSheH being Shin MaH — Shin, the three fathers who are the entirety of the brains, entirety of the tefillin; but everything is drawn from the aspect of MaH, the aspect of, “For they did not know what it is,” which this is the essence of the aspect of Moshe, who is the aspect of the aforementioned elder, who was elder and suckling etc. as mentioned, who is the root of everything and above everything as mentioned. As written (Num. 12), “And the man, Moshe, was extremely humble” etc., which is the aspect of (Ps. 131), “Like a weaned child with his mother; my soul is with me like a weaned child,” which David said. And this is that it is written in the Zohar, regarding Moshe, that amongst the Sabas/Supernal Elders he is the Elder, and amongst the sucklings he is the suckling, that is, as mentioned, that he is old and suckling etc. as mentioned. And this is his saying (Deut. 31), “I am one hundred and twenty years old today” — today my days and years are filled, for he can longer go, as our Rabbis z”l said (Sotah 13b), “this teaches that [the gates of wisdom] were closed to him. For he needed to live the aforementioned long life, going each time further and further, and when he cannot go further he was forced to pass away, as discerned in the holy talks of Rabbeinu z”l. And therefore (ibid. 34), “And no man knew his burial-chamber,” for they did not know what he is, as mentioned. Hence Moshe is the aspect of the aforementioned Supernal Elder, who is the root of tefillin, which are the aspect of the face's skin beaming, which Moshe attain, which are the aspect of the light of tefillin, as Rabbeinu z”l said in the torah, “Markevoth Par`oh..” (LM #38), from the aspect of that Elder. And Aharon is the aspect of the eight Tiqunei Diqna, which are the aspect of the eight tefillin passages that are drawn from Moshe's aspect, from the aspect of that Elder. And this is, “And He made them houses” — houses of priesthood and royalty (Sh”R 1). Houses of priesthood are the aspect of tefillin, which are the aspect of the priesthood's sanctity as mentioned, the aspect of the sanctity of the firstborn, to give him to the Kohen as mentioned. And houses of royalty are the aspect of kingship of David Mashiach, the aspect of Emunah, which all this is the aspect of tefillin as mentioned. And the essence of tefillin's sanctity is the aspect of grasping Godliness, which the true tzaddiqim, who are from the aspect of Moshe, draw upon us, through many constrictions, which this is the main thing, that they manage to attain such a high and enormous perception, that they can constrict and clothe the perception in many constrictions and vestments until we too can manage to grasp Godliness as mentioned. And this is the aspect of tefillin housings, for it is impossible for us to receive the light of the passages themselves except by way of the housings and straps, which are the aspect of limitations and vessels of `Olam haTiqun, to receive the light by degree and measure. For they are able to enter the aspect of the “Empty Space" and reveal His Godliness there, and thereby make holy vessels. For the essence of these vessels' genesis is by means of repair of the Empty Space which is the beginning of the limitation, which is the root of all the vessels and masks generated from the coarsening of the light and its becoming distant from the Emanator. For if there was no Empty Space then the coarsening of the light and its distancing would be irrelevant etc., as explained and discerned in the Writings. Hence the essence of the vessels' genesis derives from the aspect of the Empty Space. But by means of Adam haRishon's failure he was seized in his vessels, the essence of which is in the aspect of the skin, which is the ultimate vessel, the exterior of the exterior; and that is where he was seized the most as mentioned, which this is the aspect of the “Serpent's bite,” from whence is the grip of all the Qelipoth/Husks, God forbid. And therefore the main repair is by means of purifying and processing the hide in sanctity, which is the aspect of repair of the imagination, repair of the Empty Space, which the aforementioned great Tzaddiqim attain repairing, to the point that from it, specifically, they make the aspect of holy vessels to receive the light in degree and measure. Which, this is the aspect of the hide of a pure beast, insofar as the essence of writing the Torah and tefillin is on the hide specifically, and as mentioned. And this is the aspect of the housings made of hide. For we need to receive the light through limitations and vessels that are made by the repair of the Empty Space which is the aspect of repairing the imagination, which is the aspect of hide, as mentioned. And this is the aspect of (Gen. 3), “And Hashem-God made Adam and his wife garments of skin and clothed them” — garments of skin specifically, for the main repair is repairing the skin etc. as mentioned. For, the garments of skin are the aspect of Tallith and Tefillin, which come from skin and from the hair that grows on the skin, as explained in the Etz Chayim. Which, this is the aspect of (Ex. 22:26), “ki hu kesutho levaddah/for that is his only covering” — this is tzitzith; “hi simlatho le`oro/it is his garment for his skin” — this is tefillin (Tiqqunim #69), which are more internal and lofty than tzitzith, as written there. And all this is the aspect of repair of the imagination, which is repair of the Empty Space, as the essence of the repair is by means of Emunah as mentioned. And this is, “And it came to pass, as the midwives feared God” — feared specifically. For holy piety is the aspect of repair of the constriction and stricture of the Empty Space, which is sweetened at it root by means of holy piety, which is the aspect of a “holy decree,” as is known. Therefore by the aspect of piety are made housings, which are the aspect of fixing the vessels and limitations to receive the tefillin's light by degree and measure as mentioned. And this is, “And it came to pass, as they feared... [God] made them housings” as mentioned.