Chasidut su Esodo 5:24

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.

And Moses returned to Hashem etc and since I came to speak in Your name, evil [it is] for this people, and saving, You haven't saved (Exodus 5:23). And on a first glace "saving, You haven't saved"(Exodus 5:23) is a double expression, since he said "evil [it is] for this people"(Exodus 5:23) - in any case He did not save them. And here is its explanation, that we in this bitter exile, in which in our pain He is pained (see Isaiah 63:9), and the Shechinah is exiled with us (see Eicha Rabbah 1:32 and Megillah 29a) - the only thing we should worry and complain about is the exile of the Shechinah, and not think at all about our sufferings, but only regarding the suffering and exile of the Shechinah. And if our direction and our suffering were only regarding the suffering of the Shechinah and not on our suffering, obviously we would be redeemed immediately, but we are flesh without the ability to tolerate our pain an grief, and so our days lengthen in this bitter exile due to our many sins, because we partner our suffering with the suffering of the Shechinah, and we worry about our suffering. And if there was one tzaddik like this he would be able to save the entire world from this exile. And this is what Moses our master peace be upon him said "and since I came to speak in Your name"(Exodus 5:23) - the explanation is that all my speaking was not only for Your great and holy Name, which is in exile, and not only due to our own exile; and the sign and the proof that the truth is with me, that my intent was not only due to Your holy Name is that I see that Pharaoh has done "evil to this people"(Exodus 5:23); that this is the sign to the person who wants to rebuke one's fellow or to say holy words: how does one know that one's intention was only for the sake of Heaven without any other thought or position? If one sees that when one speak in front of people who are not sincere and they get angry over those words, it is obvious that the intention of the words was completely only toward Heaven, and with the Help Of The Highest Name one's words will make a mark - and this is what Moses our Master may peace be upon him said: all my words were not for any other intention but Your Name, truly, and this is the proof - evil came to this people. And since my words were only for the holiness of Your Name, it would have been deserving that Israel be redeemed immediately "and why saved, You haven't saved (Exodus 5:23)"? And this is what King David peace be upon him said: "Return to me the happiness of Your salvation"(Psalms 51:14) - meaning, redeem us and return us speedily to our land, because all my intention is solely for "the happiness of Your salvation", that we should be redeemed quickly for Your salvation, to return Your captivity (Lamentations 2:14) which is the Holy Shechina, and not because of us, but only because of You. And the Name will redeem us speedily, and we will be joyful and be happy in His salvation. Amen.

"Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Let My people go that they may celebrate a festival for Me in the wilderness.” (Exodus 5:1) This can be explained according to what is written in the verse "I was asleep, But my heart was wakeful." (Song of Songs 5:2) This is the idea - every member of Israel should wake with great joy and powerful desire in the middle of the night to contemplate the following. If a king of flesh and blood wanted one to make him a crown, and they were able, and they knew that the king would take great pleasure and delight in this crown, and due to his joy the king would make them one of his intimate ministers, imagine with what alacrity they would arise, rejoicing and glad, to speedily make the crown. They would wipe the sleep from their eyes and neither rain, sleet, ice nor snow would stop them. All the more so this is true of the songs and praises from which a crown is made for the Kinng, king of kings, when they are a product of one's heartfelt will. The verse cries out "worship the LORD in gladness..." (Psalms 100:2) and it is explained in the holy Zohar 'even one who has sinned before their master and must return in repentance, confessing in brokenhearted bitterness, nevertheless must also fulfill "worship the Lord in gladness."' (Zohar 3:8a) The root of the matter is thus - when one prays the midnight fixing (tikkun chatzot) or when they confess, asking for pardon and forgiveness, they should do so with great weeping and bitterness of heart. In the same manner, when one says the songs and praises which were written by the sweet singer of Israel, their soul should ignite with tremendous joy that they merit to make a crown for the King, king of kings - just as King David said them in joy. It is also true that when one is occupied with Torah that they should be in a state of great joy. It is explained in the Reishit Chochmah (Sha'ar HaAhavah ch. 10) that one who desires to bring joy to their soul should seclude themselves for part of the day and contemplate the greatness of the letters of the four-lettered Name of God. A proof for this can be found in what David said "I have placed the Lord (four-lettered name before me continually...So my heart rejoices, my whole being exults..." (Psalms 16:8-9) This second part refers to the soul (neshama) because the neshama is an emanation from the four-lettered Name as it says "You are children of the Lord your God..." (Deuteronomy 14:1) Therefore when one contemplates the four-lettered name, the soul is illuminated and shines with a wondrous brilliance - this is joy. The power of this illumination has the strength to plant its sparks even with one's flesh, so that "...even my body rests secure," (Psalms 16:9) meaning that no rot will rule over it. These are his holy words, see there further. According to this our verse is explained 'Thus says the LORD (the four-lettered Name), the God of Israel, from whom the souls of Israel emanate, Let My people go that they may celebrate a festival for Me - this is as its says regarding Sukkot "You shall rejoice in your festival..." (Deuteronomy 16:14)

Exodus 5,22. “Moses said to G’d: ‘what is the purpose ‎of Your having brought harm to this people, etc;?”, ‎ויאמר ‏ה' אל משה עתה תראה כי ביד חזקה וגו'‏‎ , “G’d said to Moses: ‎‎‘now you will see that with a strong hand, etc.’”‎
We do not only need to understand what Moses meant by ‎adopting what sounds like accusatory attitude vis a vis G’d, but ‎that far from this being the case, he alluded to a very important ‎aspect of Judaism with his wanting to know G’d’s purpose in the ‎details of how He guides the fortunes of the Jewish people. [After ‎the sin of the golden calf, Moses again persists in his desire to be ‎taken into G’d’s confidence. [Compare Exodus Exodus ‎‎33,13-16 Ed.]‎
In our daily prayers in the amidah we pray for ‎‎Hashem to redeem us, justifying our request by the ‎conviction that it is within His power to do so by saying: ‎כי גואל ‏חזק אתה‎, “for You are a powerful redeemer.” Why did the sages ‎who formulated this prayer find it necessary to add the adjective ‎חזק‎, “powerful,” after the word ‎גואל‎, “Redeemer?” The very idea ‎of G’d “requiring” to resort to ‎התחזקות‎, “strengthening Himself,” ‎is strange, seeing that we perceive of Him as the personification ‎of “Strength.”
Let us first explain another verse in Exodus 13,2: ‎וידבר ה' אל ‏משה קדש לי כל בכור פטר כל רחם וגו'‏‎, ‎Hashem said to Moses: ‎‎‘sanctify unto me every first born male produced by the womb of ‎a Jewish mother, etc.’” In an apparent response to this ‎commandment, the Torah quotes Moses as saying (verse 3) ‎ויאמר ‏משה אל העם זכור את היום הזה אשר יצאתם ממצרים...כי בחוזק יד הוציא ה' ‏אתכם מזה‎, “Moses said to the people to remember this day when ‎you left Egypt, for Hashem took you out from here using ‎the “strength of His hand.” Moses appears to have departed ‎materially from what G’d had told him to tell the people in His ‎name. Instead of telling the people to sanctify their male ‎firstborns, both of man and beast (in most instances) he tells ‎them to remember the day that they left Egypt!‎‎

(215) And he said "and you will see etc if it is strong or weak" (Numbers 13:17-18) - and this is also the aspect that a person is able to check themselves in whatever level they are, as I wrote before regarding the verse in Song of Songs (Songs 8:1-2) " if only it could be as with a brother,as if you had nursed at my mother’s breast: then I could kiss you when I met you etc" and also regarding the verse in Genesis "they were naked and were not ashamed of themselves" (Genesis 2:25), that a person when checking oneself they know whether they are strong and connected in the service of Hashem, and when it never occurs to the person a laughing thought and a bad and dispersive thought, it is because they were able to divest from the physical, which are the husks and the illusions, and they cling to God and are called "naked" and then they are not ashamed. That is not the case when one thinks of a laughing thought, or the other impediments [to prayer] then one knows that "they are lazy, lazy in the work" (Exodus 5:17) of Hashem. And this is what it means "are they strong or weak": one should know from those signs whether one is strong or weak in the service of Hashem.