Chasidut su Esodo 5:2

On the famous question, posed by the commentators: How could Choice be taken from [Pharaoh], when it was supposed to be free? And based on our way we should pay attention to read precisely the word these in [God’s] statement, that I may show these signs of mine among them (Ex. 9:1) – it is as if [God] points with a finger at the signs, that here they are before [Moses’] eyes; but in truth they were not visible to his eyes. However, the point of the Exodus from Egypt was that Awareness was in exile with Pharaoh; and that meant that the nation, although they were the Children of Israel, did not know God even though they had a tradition from the mouth of their holy ancestors, the fathers of the world. Nevertheless, since they were the fourth generation they had forgotten the true Awareness about which King David, peace be upon him, said to his son Solomon, know the God of your father (1 Chron. 28:9). And that is the essence of the exile, that Awareness was in exile in Egypt. And therefore wicked Pharaoh said Who is the LORD? etc. (Ex. 5:2), that he denied the essential principle and believed only in sorcery. For he was a great sorcerer and did not know God or that it is written, “there is none but [God] (Deut. 4:35), even sorcery,” “which contradicts the power of Heaven” (Sanhedrin 67b); they have no ability to act beyond Blessed God’s will, as is explained in the Talmud in the incident of Rabbi Hanina ben Dosa. And therefore when Blessed God wanted to redeem [God’s] nation the Children of Israel from Egypt so that they would have the true Awareness, and to teach them that the LORD is God (Deut. 4:35), powerful and master of all abilities and powers, [God] said that I may show these signs of mine among them. That is to say, it was with [Pharaoh] in exile, and through this combination the word “Elohim” will be in wholeness and, and it will be known that the LORD is God, [God] is powerful and master of ability, and there is none but [God], even sorcery as we have stated.

Therefore leaven is permissible throughout the year, and only on Passover must we eat unleavened bread, while leaven is very strictly forbidden, even in the minutest amount. This is because on Passover, which represents the Exodus from Egypt, we must eat only unleavened bread, representing Providence, while leaven, which represents nature, we must completely eliminate so that it will not be seen or found in our homes. For the truth is that nature itself is also divine providence, but since pharaoh and the Egyptians greatly overpowered us and denied G-d by saying (Exodus 5:2) "who is G-d?", therefore it is impossible to take leave of Egypt other than by means of a very great revelation of providence. Therefore, during the Exodus, G-d revealed His providence with a very great revelation, performing for us awesome wonders. For this reason, we must eat on Passover only unleavened bread, which corresponds to Providence and not leaven, which corresponds to nature. On account of the intensity of the exile in Egypt, which comprised all the exiles, it is impossible to take leave of it other than by a revelation of Providence alone. Nature though, represented by leaven, must be completely eliminated, not to be seen or found. Nature would have empowered the Egyptians and then, due to their great power over the Israelites at the time, it would have been impossible to leave. For this reason, we must eat on Passover only unleavened bread, which corresponds to Providence and not leaven, which corresponds to nature. But since for seven days we eat unleavened bread, corresponding to Providence, we can then eat leaven throughout the year. Once we have already left Egypt and the knowledge of providence has been revealed by having eaten unleavened bread, we are then allowed to eat leaven, corresponding to nature. By means of the great revelation of providence we truly know that nature is itself providence, that G-d created everything and guides everything according to His will, and therefore we may eat leaven for the rest of the year. Only at the beginning, during the Exodus, it is completely for bidden to eat leaven, for at that time, due to their great power, it was forbidden to acknowledge nature at all, for that would have even further empowered them and we would not have been able to be redeemed. But after having left Egypt and Providence was revealed, we know that even leaven, representing nature, is also divine providence, and we are then allowed to eat leaven after Passover. This corresponds to what is stated in the holy Zohar, that once we received the matzo, the medicine, we may then eat leaven (Zohar II 183b). This means that after providence was revealed, we may eat leaven, for knowledge was increased and we know that even nature is really Providence. Therefore, leaven only became permissible after the splitting of the Red Sea on the seventh day of Passover, for that was the ultimate fall of Egypt. Providence was then revealed more than ever by the many miracles that took place then. Natural sciences, corresponding to the great power of the nations, were then subdued and eliminated, for they all were very terrified by the revelation of providence that took place, as written (Exodus 15:15) "then the princes of Edom were terrified". Thus the revelation of providence also revealed that nature itself is really providence and therefore, after the seventh day of Passover, it became permissible to eat leavened bread.

The splitting of the Red Sea corresponds to Rabbeinu z"l's teaching in this lesson on 'G-d shed two tears into the great sea'. This means that He draws providence to subdue the nations, which correspond to the sea, as written (Isaiah 57:20) "the wicked are swept away like the sea", which brings about miracles and wonders, which are called 'great' as written (II Kings 8:6) "tell me of the great deeds". This is represented by the splitting of the Red Sea when there was a great revelation of providence. By means of providence came the miracle, providence that G-d drew came upon the sea which corresponds to the nations and the sea split. In other words, the splitting of the Red Sea took place on two levels, two that are one, for they are inter-dependent. The splitting of the Red Sea alludes that the sea of wisdom above was split, and knowledge, corresponding to providence, was revealed, for providence is the quintessential knowledge. This same dynamic also split the sea below, which alludes to the nations of the world who are swept away like the sea-they were all split, broken and eliminated, while Israel passed through the sea on dry land. The waters, representing the nations, could not wield power over Israel, since providence was revealed, as in, 'G-d shed two tears into the great sea'. For Pharaoh had gained power through the two letters מ'י' which spells י"ם (sea) and therefore he said "who is G-d that I should listen to him?} (Exodus 5:2) as stated in the Ari z"l's writings. Therefore Pharaoh was subdued mainly by the revelation of Providence with the splitting of the Red Sea as in, 'G-d sheds two tears', which is Providence, into the great sea.