Musar su Esodo 12:52

... And on this the Torah says (Exodus 13:7) "there will not be seen and there will not be found" - it will not be seen b'maaseh (in action) and will not be found b'machshava (in thought), rather one should anul it in his heart. The mitzvot have 3 categories: mitzvot of speech, of the heart and of action, as it is written (Deuteronomy 30:14) "in your mouth and in your heart to do it". Comes the Torah (instructing us) to anul it in the heart, corresponding to the mitzvot which are dependent on the heart. Comes the 'kabbalah' (instructing us) to eradicate it from the house or to burn it, corresponding to the mitzvot of action. And to say 'kol chamira', corresponding to mitzvot of speech. In this way the 3 categories of mitzvot are fulfilled through the prohibition of chametz, teaching you that the prohibition of chametz incorporates all the mitzvot... Just as the 'kabbalah' comes (instructing us) to eradicate chametz and (livdok) to check the house in nooks and in cracks, so too we are obligated to search and check the chambers of our inner being for bad (machshavas) intentions and bad (hirhurim) thoughts. Just as bedikat chametz (checking for chametz) is not valid by sunlight, nor by moonlight, nor by the light of a torch, but only by the light of a candle, so too the bedikah (checking) of the yetzer hara must be by the light of the neshama (soul) which is called 'ner' (candle), this is what is written (Proverbs 20:27) "the candle of Hashem is the soul of man, which searches the chambers of one's inner being.

ושמרת את המצות. Rashi (12,17) comments on this verse: "Be careful with the מצות so that they will not become leavened. We learn from this verse that when the dough begins to swell you have to put cold water on it. Rabbi Yoshiah understands the word מצות here as having a different meaning. It can be read as Mitzvot, commandments. The message we can derive is that just as one must not allow the dough to become leavened through leaving it unattended for any length of time, so one must not tarry before carrying out a מצוה when the opportunity presents itself.

The third path is [that] when he hears reproof from the sages that are reprimanding [him], he listens, submits, repents and accepts in his heart all the words of reprimand - and not subtract one thing from their words. And behold that man went out from darkness to a great light at that instant. For at the time that he listened and paid attention and his heart understood and repented and accepted the words of the rebuker on the day he heard them, and took upon himself to do like everything that the holders of Torah instructed him - from that day onward - to be careful as the knowers of understanding of the times instructed him: His repentance is effective and he is changed into a different person. And from the time that he accepted this in his heart, he acquired merit and reward for his soul for all of the commandments and ethical acts. And happy is he for justifying his soul in a short time. And so did our Rabbis, may their memory be well, say (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael, 12:28), "And the Children of Israel went and did' - and did they do it right away? Did they not only do it on the fourteenth of the month? Rather since they accepted upon themselves to do it, [the verse] counts it for them as if they did it immediately." And he said in Avot of Rabbi Natan (Avot d'Rabbi Natan 22), "Anyone whose actions are greater than his wisdom - his wisdom will endure, as it is stated (Exodus 24:7), 'we shall do and we shall listen.'" The explanation of the thing is that when a man accepts upon himself with a faithful heart to keep and do according to the Torah that he was taught and about the law which those sitting upon judgement told him - from that day, he has the reward for all of the commandments that his ear heard and that he understood, [as well as] for all of the things which his ear has still not heard about. So he wore righteousness and acquired merit for all of what was revealed to him and for all that was hidden from his eyes. And after this, he should study from and regularly attend the doors of those that reprimanded him, and comprehend [the teachings] of all that teach him. And it comes out that the actions of this man are greater than his wisdom, since he did not know the thing, but behold its reward (for it) is with him. And it is like the matter that Israel said, "We shall do and we shall listen," at [Mount] Sinai - as they had the acceptance of the deed upon themselves, precede the listening. And in no other way it is possible for the actions of a man to be greater than what he knows.

זאת חקת התורה . Why did the Torah need this introduction? This is adequately explained by Eliyahu Mizrachi. There are numerous occasions in the Torah when such an introduction is used, e.g. זאת חקת הפסח, in Exodus 12,43. Even though the law is not in the nature of גזרה היא מלפני, "it is a decree that I have decreed," seeing that the reasons for this legislation have been explained, the Torah's expression here is in a class by itself since we have both the expression חוק and תורה. Surely one of these words is unnecessary. Later, while still discussing the same subject matter, the Torah writes: זאת התורה, אדם כי ימות באהל "This is the Torah concerning a person who dies in a tent, etc." (19,14). At the beginning of our פרשה, it would also have sufficed to write only one of these expressions. In the example before us, the words “Torat,” or “Chukat,” mean that the Torah is about to reveal certain commandments to us. I believe that this question is answered adequately without the Mizrachi pointing out that we are faced here with what seems to be a repetition. We read in Exodus 12, 14: חקת עולם תחגהו, "you shall celebrate is as a statute forever." The Torah sometimes speaks of the Passover as חקת הפסח. This means the expression חק is also tied to certain time frames such as חקך וחק בניך, in Leviticus 10,13, where the consumption of certain sacrifices is discussed. In that instance the time this statute applies is limited. Similarly the statute of the Passover is severely limited in the time it applies. We find the expression חק, even when dealing with social laws, משפטים, such as in Exodus 18,16, where Moses tells his father-in-law that he explains the Torah's litigation laws to those who approach him with complaints. The word חק implies something fixed, whether in quantity or time.

The first commandment in this portion, which is the fourth commandment of the Torah, is the need to sanctify the moon each month and to arrange for leap-years when necessary.

החודש הזה לכם. The commandment to sanctify the New Moon and to arrange for leap-years when necessary that we find in Exodus 12,2 is designed to ensure that the various holidays set out in the Torah occur in their respective seasons. Passover must occur in spring, Tabernacles in autumn. Leap-months and leap-years were determined by calendar calculation even during the eras when the appearance of the new moon was confirmed by visual observation. Astronomical factors were not ignored.

זאת חקת התורה . Why did the Torah need this introduction? This is adequately explained by Eliyahu Mizrachi. There are numerous occasions in the Torah when such an introduction is used, e.g. זאת חקת הפסח, in Exodus 12,43. Even though the law is not in the nature of גזרה היא מלפני, "it is a decree that I have decreed," seeing that the reasons for this legislation have been explained, the Torah's expression here is in a class by itself since we have both the expression חוק and תורה. Surely one of these words is unnecessary. Later, while still discussing the same subject matter, the Torah writes: זאת התורה, אדם כי ימות באהל "This is the Torah concerning a person who dies in a tent, etc." (19,14). At the beginning of our פרשה, it would also have sufficed to write only one of these expressions. In the example before us, the words “Torat,” or “Chukat,” mean that the Torah is about to reveal certain commandments to us. I believe that this question is answered adequately without the Mizrachi pointing out that we are faced here with what seems to be a repetition. We read in Exodus 12, 14: חקת עולם תחגהו, "you shall celebrate is as a statute forever." The Torah sometimes speaks of the Passover as חקת הפסח. This means the expression חק is also tied to certain time frames such as חקך וחק בניך, in Leviticus 10,13, where the consumption of certain sacrifices is discussed. In that instance the time this statute applies is limited. Similarly the statute of the Passover is severely limited in the time it applies. We find the expression חק, even when dealing with social laws, משפטים, such as in Exodus 18,16, where Moses tells his father-in-law that he explains the Torah's litigation laws to those who approach him with complaints. The word חק implies something fixed, whether in quantity or time.

“No work at all shall be done on them; only what every person is to eat, etc.” (Exodus 12:16). Our Rabbis said (Beitzah 12a), “From transporting being permitted for the sake of food for people, it was also permitted not for its sake - so long as it is for the sake of the day.” And it is like the matter that they said, “We transport a Torah scroll on a holiday to read it on that day.” But it is forbidden to transport for the needs of weekdays - only for the needs of the holiday. And many of the people sin by transporting a key for their containers into the public domain on the holiday, even though there is no food that can be eaten on the holiday in the container.

Let me now explain the mystique of the time unit “year” in its details. The year, according to our description, consists of 12 months. It is one solar revolution. The ''month” consists of one lunar revolution. Many ancient scholars have written a great deal pointing out that the word "year" should not be associated with "12 lunar revolutions," i.e. months. At the same time, when we talk about the sun, the term "month" would not be appropriate in any form, something that lbn Ezra has already pointed out in his commentary on Exodus 12,1. This is why "year" is part of the emanation תפארת, as outlined in Pardes Rimonim in the chapters called ערכי הכנוים, under the heading שנה. However, the root of the concept "year" is anchored in the emanation בינה also, as explained in the tenth chapter in Pardes Rimonim. The main element of the term שנה, year, is the solar year (365 days), the emanation תפארת. What applies to שנה and תפארת respectively, applies to חדש and מלכות which similarly symbolize לבנה, moon.

Therefore, the sages of blessed memory exhorted us: "And you shall watch over the Matzot" - if a Mitzva comes to your hand, do not delay its performance (lit. allow it to become Chametz)' (Mechilta Shemot 12:17).

Every addition of holiness to our status has a mystical connection with the Additional Sacrifices and furthermore contains allusions to a future time. The Torah says in connection with ראש חודש: "This month shall be to you the first (head) of the months" (Exodus 12,2). It means that the Jewish people's calendar is patterned after the lunar cycle. Shemot Rabbah 15,26, comments on this that the great achievements of the Jewish people from the time of Abraham to that of King Solomon spanned 15 generations during which they rose to ever greater stature. At that point, when the light of the moon is at its most potent, "Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord" (Chronicles 1,29,23). Just as the light of the moon diminishes progressively from the fifteenth of the month onwards until it is totally extinct at the end of the month, so the generations of the Jewish people after Solomon progressively declined in greatness until, after another fifteen generations, the last Jewish King, Zedekiah was totally blinded, as stated in Kings II 25,7: "He blinded the eyes of Zedekiah." In the future, however, a new light will shine upon Zion, "and the brightness of the moon will match the brightness of the sun" (Isaiah 30, 26). The "light of the sun" referred to in that verse is the mystical dimension added by the offering of the מוסף-sacrifices on the days we celebrate the appearance of the New Moon. The mystical dimension provided by the Sabbath is the concept of a world which is constantly wrapped in the holiness represented by the concept of the Sabbath. The mystical dimension provided by the Passover sacrifice is that it is the anniversary of our original redemption from the bondage in Egypt, which is also the date of the month on which the redemption of the future will occur. (Rosh Hashanah 11) The scriptural source for this opinion is found in Michah 7,15: "I will show miracles as in the days when you departed from the land of Egypt." Israel will then become endowed with an additional level of רוח הקודש, Holy Spirit, and the earth will be filled with the knowledge of G–d. The festival of Tabernacles, devoted to our reposing in "shade" i.e. the shade offered by the covering of the huts being the spiritual equivalent of sitting under G–d's direct protection- will provide an even greater amount of the Holy Spirit. New Year's Day, of which it says in our מוסף prayer: "This day is the day that recalls the beginning of Your handiwork, a reminder of the first day of Creation," will become the date on which the work of Creation will be renewed once it will resume the direction envisioned by G–d originally. At that time G–d will truly enjoy His works (Psalms 104,31). יום כפור, of course, represents the day in the future when all sins will have been atoned for, and the time of which the prophet Jeremiah 50,20, says: "The sins of Israel shall be sought and there shall be none; the sins of Yehudah, and none shall be found; for I shall forgive those I allow to survive." In the future then these are "My holidays." As long as Israel was steeped in sin, however, we are told in Isaiah 1,16: "Your new moons and holidays fill Me with loathing; they have become a burden to Me." In contrast with this, they will be called: "Holy Convocations," proclaimed by a holy congregation, at a time when we shall have merited eternal life. At that time body and soul will have achieved the mystical union hinted at by the words אך אשר יאכל לכל נפש, in Exodus 12,16. "Eating" is a dimension of the body's needs. The word נפש in that verse describes a dimension of the soul. The "food" (nourishment) of that element of man then is "knowledge of the Lord," as we know from Isaiah 11,9. The verse in Exodus hints at a time when even the body, i.e. "secular" matter, will be filled with such knowledge of the Lord. At that time we will experience fulfilment of the promise or commandment "שאו את ראש," in Numbers 26,2, which is a moral imperative to the Jewish people to elevate themselves to the highest moral/ ethical level they are capable of. The people who were counted at that time were rightly described by our sages as דור דעה, a generation which possessed knowledge (of G–d). This count took place "after the plague," after all those involved in the sin of בעל פעור had died. The term "אחר המגפה" can be understood more broadly as also referring to that time in the future of which it is said in Isaiah 25,8: "He will destroy death forever." During the first count of the people in the desert, the attribute of Justice predominated over the Jewish people, seeing they were all going to die during their trek through the desert, and would not be found worthy to enter the Holy Land. [That count had taken place after the episode of the golden calf, Ed.] Of this latter count, however, it states: "To these (the people to be counted now) the land will be distributed as an inheritance" (26,53). The prophet Isaiah (60,21), has already said of this future ועמך כולם צדיקים, לעולם יירשו ארץ "And your people, all of them righteous, shall possess the land for all time." The story of Pinchas is an allusion to this point in the future.

Every addition of holiness to our status has a mystical connection with the Additional Sacrifices and furthermore contains allusions to a future time. The Torah says in connection with ראש חודש: "This month shall be to you the first (head) of the months" (Exodus 12,2). It means that the Jewish people's calendar is patterned after the lunar cycle. Shemot Rabbah 15,26, comments on this that the great achievements of the Jewish people from the time of Abraham to that of King Solomon spanned 15 generations during which they rose to ever greater stature. At that point, when the light of the moon is at its most potent, "Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord" (Chronicles 1,29,23). Just as the light of the moon diminishes progressively from the fifteenth of the month onwards until it is totally extinct at the end of the month, so the generations of the Jewish people after Solomon progressively declined in greatness until, after another fifteen generations, the last Jewish King, Zedekiah was totally blinded, as stated in Kings II 25,7: "He blinded the eyes of Zedekiah." In the future, however, a new light will shine upon Zion, "and the brightness of the moon will match the brightness of the sun" (Isaiah 30, 26). The "light of the sun" referred to in that verse is the mystical dimension added by the offering of the מוסף-sacrifices on the days we celebrate the appearance of the New Moon. The mystical dimension provided by the Sabbath is the concept of a world which is constantly wrapped in the holiness represented by the concept of the Sabbath. The mystical dimension provided by the Passover sacrifice is that it is the anniversary of our original redemption from the bondage in Egypt, which is also the date of the month on which the redemption of the future will occur. (Rosh Hashanah 11) The scriptural source for this opinion is found in Michah 7,15: "I will show miracles as in the days when you departed from the land of Egypt." Israel will then become endowed with an additional level of רוח הקודש, Holy Spirit, and the earth will be filled with the knowledge of G–d. The festival of Tabernacles, devoted to our reposing in "shade" i.e. the shade offered by the covering of the huts being the spiritual equivalent of sitting under G–d's direct protection- will provide an even greater amount of the Holy Spirit. New Year's Day, of which it says in our מוסף prayer: "This day is the day that recalls the beginning of Your handiwork, a reminder of the first day of Creation," will become the date on which the work of Creation will be renewed once it will resume the direction envisioned by G–d originally. At that time G–d will truly enjoy His works (Psalms 104,31). יום כפור, of course, represents the day in the future when all sins will have been atoned for, and the time of which the prophet Jeremiah 50,20, says: "The sins of Israel shall be sought and there shall be none; the sins of Yehudah, and none shall be found; for I shall forgive those I allow to survive." In the future then these are "My holidays." As long as Israel was steeped in sin, however, we are told in Isaiah 1,16: "Your new moons and holidays fill Me with loathing; they have become a burden to Me." In contrast with this, they will be called: "Holy Convocations," proclaimed by a holy congregation, at a time when we shall have merited eternal life. At that time body and soul will have achieved the mystical union hinted at by the words אך אשר יאכל לכל נפש, in Exodus 12,16. "Eating" is a dimension of the body's needs. The word נפש in that verse describes a dimension of the soul. The "food" (nourishment) of that element of man then is "knowledge of the Lord," as we know from Isaiah 11,9. The verse in Exodus hints at a time when even the body, i.e. "secular" matter, will be filled with such knowledge of the Lord. At that time we will experience fulfilment of the promise or commandment "שאו את ראש," in Numbers 26,2, which is a moral imperative to the Jewish people to elevate themselves to the highest moral/ ethical level they are capable of. The people who were counted at that time were rightly described by our sages as דור דעה, a generation which possessed knowledge (of G–d). This count took place "after the plague," after all those involved in the sin of בעל פעור had died. The term "אחר המגפה" can be understood more broadly as also referring to that time in the future of which it is said in Isaiah 25,8: "He will destroy death forever." During the first count of the people in the desert, the attribute of Justice predominated over the Jewish people, seeing they were all going to die during their trek through the desert, and would not be found worthy to enter the Holy Land. [That count had taken place after the episode of the golden calf, Ed.] Of this latter count, however, it states: "To these (the people to be counted now) the land will be distributed as an inheritance" (26,53). The prophet Isaiah (60,21), has already said of this future ועמך כולם צדיקים, לעולם יירשו ארץ "And your people, all of them righteous, shall possess the land for all time." The story of Pinchas is an allusion to this point in the future.

ויעש משה נחש נחושת . The Tzror Hamor, in his commentary on Parshat Bo, in connection with the מזוזות ומשקוף, describes how jealous G–d was of the honor of the righteous, more so even than of His own honor. This is why the word מזוזות, plural, is mentioned first (corresponding to Moses and Aaron), whereas the word משקוף, lintel (which is above the מזוזות which corresponds to G–d), is mentioned last. Moses was unwilling to have that which symbolized G–d mentioned last, therefore when relaying the command, he mentioned the word משקוף first (compare Exodus 12,7, when G–d commands Moses, and Exodus 12,22, where Moses relays these instructions to Israel). We have a similar situation here in chapter 21,5-9. The people spoke up against G–d and against Moses. G–d dispatched נחשים ושרפים against them, the נחשים because they had spoken out against G–d, the שרפים because of their having criticized Moses who is compared to an angel of the שרף variety. Therefore, after the people repented, G–d told Moses to make a שרף for himself to put it on a pole, etc. Moses however, did not make a שרף; he rather made a נחש, seeing that he considered restoring G–d's honor as more important than restoring his own honor, even though a שרף was what G–d had instructed him to make. From all this we learn to what extent we must be careful not to besmirch the honor of Torah scholars, righteous people, etc.

ויעש משה נחש נחושת . The Tzror Hamor, in his commentary on Parshat Bo, in connection with the מזוזות ומשקוף, describes how jealous G–d was of the honor of the righteous, more so even than of His own honor. This is why the word מזוזות, plural, is mentioned first (corresponding to Moses and Aaron), whereas the word משקוף, lintel (which is above the מזוזות which corresponds to G–d), is mentioned last. Moses was unwilling to have that which symbolized G–d mentioned last, therefore when relaying the command, he mentioned the word משקוף first (compare Exodus 12,7, when G–d commands Moses, and Exodus 12,22, where Moses relays these instructions to Israel). We have a similar situation here in chapter 21,5-9. The people spoke up against G–d and against Moses. G–d dispatched נחשים ושרפים against them, the נחשים because they had spoken out against G–d, the שרפים because of their having criticized Moses who is compared to an angel of the שרף variety. Therefore, after the people repented, G–d told Moses to make a שרף for himself to put it on a pole, etc. Moses however, did not make a שרף; he rather made a נחש, seeing that he considered restoring G–d's honor as more important than restoring his own honor, even though a שרף was what G–d had instructed him to make. From all this we learn to what extent we must be careful not to besmirch the honor of Torah scholars, righteous people, etc.

The reason that the oral Torah is called תורה שב-על פה, is that it occupies a place in the lower Merkavot, carriers of the Divine entourage. This is the meaning of Genesis 2,10 that "from there it would be separated." [These concepts are all based on the interpretation of the word מקדם in Genesis 2,8 as referring to something that had preceded the creation of the physical universe, as stated in Pessachim 54. Ed.] Seeing that the oral Torah does not have its origin in the secluded regions of the heavens, the domain in which G–d is in total יחוד, Unity, i.e. privacy, and seeing that the oral Torah is not part of that sanctuary in the heavens, it is called על פה, [something the function of which is to communicate its content to the outside. Ed.] This entire mystical concept is called תורה שבכתב ותורה שבעל פה. The mystical relationship between the two Torahs is described in the verse שני שדיך כשני עפרים תאומי צביה (Song of Songs 4,3) Rabbi Yannai in Pessikta de Rav Kahane on Exodus 12,1: "This month shall be the head of the months for you," comments that in the verse יונתי תמתי אחת היא לאמה, ("My dove is perfect, she is unique to her mother," [this translation does not reflect the interpretation we deal with here, of course, Ed.]) the word תמתי, is to be understood as תאומתי, my twin. Each of the twins, the oral as well as the written Torah, proclaims that it is no more important than its counterpart. Seeing the written Torah is essentially a book that is concealed, emanates from regions hidden from us, the oral Torah must elucidate the hidden meanings contained in the written Torah for us. By means of the "bride," i.e. the oral Torah, the mysteries of the luminaries in the higher world become accessible. One may view the function of the oral Torah as putting a seal on the written Torah, converting something potential into something actual. The חכם הרזים, i.e. G–d Himself, alluded to this when Solomon was inspired to say in Proverbs 31,23: "Her husband has become known in the gates" (public gatherings). He means that through her acts of kindness her husband has become esteemed. The אשת חיל, woman of valor, in that chapter is none other than the oral Torah, and her husband is the written Torah. The influence of the oral Torah on the written Torah is described here. Not only this, but the holiest name of G–d has been revealed to the world through these שערי צדק. In the Midrash of Rabbi Nechunyah ben Hakanah we are told in the name of Rabbi Rechumai that Torah is the light of Israel and its lamp. How can we reconcile this with what is written in Proverbs 6,23 that נר מצוה ותורה אור, "that the commandment is a lamp, whereas the Torah is light," and we conclude that נר, "lamp," refers to the oral Torah, whereas אור, "light," refers to the written Torah? Why does this Midrash reverse the relative importance of "light and lamp?" Let us explain this by means of a parable. A lamp is able to penetrate with its light to the furthest corner of any room inside a house. However, even the greatest light in the outside world cannot illuminate certain hidden corners inside a house that are covered by shade. The only way such corners can be lit up is if the light of a lamp shines upon those areas. Similarly with the oral Torah. Even though the oral Torah is only comparable to a "lamp" when compared to the great "light" of the written Torah, the written Torah needs that lamp in order to illuminate the hidden recesses that the light of the written Torah cannot reach. The "hidden recesses" referred to are certain queries that arise from the wording of the text." So far the comments of the Tolaat Yaakov.

Moses' level of intimacy with G–d was such that he had what our sages call אספקלריא מאירא, a clear vision. G–d enlightened Moses with this clear vision and he acted as G–d's agent. G–d in His Essence, however, performed these miracles, using Moses as a "filter" i.e. עבר. This is the true significance of Exodus 12,12: ועברתי בארץ מצרים בלילה הזה, "I shall pass through the land of Egypt during that night, etc." Moses was called איש האלוקים, which our sages have interpreted to mean that his upper half was אלוקים, whereas the lower half of his body was איש, human. This simply means that Moses had not commenced his career on the same level as he completed it. Once he had ascended to Sinai, to אלוקים in Exodus 19,3, he became not only איש האלוקים but אלוקים. Shemot Rabbah 3 describes Moses as a טירון, "a private," in G–d's army in terms of his prophetic powers at the beginning of his career. Later on he rose to a level where he was described as אלוקים.

The first comment on that verse, which suggests that one must pour cold water on the dough the moment it displays signs of rising, teaches the same lesson. The evil urge "heats" up a person, arouses him to commit some act in line with his "natural" desires. The commentator suggests that in order to control the evil urge one should "take a cold shower;" he uses the מצה mentioned in our verse as an illustration for the advice of how to deal with the evil urge. The commentators in the Mishnah (Pesachim 1,1) have described the search for leavened things as being conducted אור לארבעה עשר, in the night of the thirteenth to the fourteenth of Nissan. The reason is that for thirteen [years Ed.] the evil urge has uncontested rule within us. We only become equipped with the "good urge" when we officially become בר מצוה. This is why the impurity that we have accumulated within us during the first thirteen years of our lives has to be searched out and neutralised at that time. This action on our part enables the fourteenth of the month to be described in the Torah as "the first day," although on the face of it, the first day of Passover is really the fifteenth of the month. The Torah (12,15) writes: אך ביום הראשון תשביתו שאור מבתיכם "But on the first day you must destroy all leavened things from your houses, etc." This day, allegorically speaking, is the first day that we are equipped with a יצר טוב.

Here is an instance that shows that the sequence in which the Torah reports events is not necessarily the chronological order in which things occurred. Remember that Abraham was seventy years old at the time of the covenant between the pieces in 15,18 (as we know on the authority of סדר עולם). Our sages also consider the count of the four hundred years that the Torah mentions in that covenant (15,13) as commencing with the birth of Isaac. When Exodus 12,40 mentions a period of 430 years that the Israelites "resided" in Egypt, our sages compute that period as having commenced at the ברית בין הבתרים "the covenant between the pieces," i.e. when G–d revealed Himself to Abraham in 15,1. [Rashi's commentary that this number includes the years spent elsewhere as strangers by Abraham and his descendants, may be based on the letter ו (and), before the word מושב in 12,40. Ed.]

The Zohar, commenting on 12,3: ויקחו להם איש ה לבית אבות שה לבית, "They shall each acquire for themselves a lamb per family or a lamb per household," comments that in effect G–d told the Jews to physically get hold of the Egyptians' deity, to keep it locked up for three days and to publicly excecute it on the fourth day. The Egyptians had to witness all this. This was a harder pill for them to swallow than all the other plagues that they had been subjected to previously, and this their idol was afterwards to be roasted on the fire as part of its execution. It was not to be boiled in water because the Torah's command to burn the idols (of the nations we conquered) in fire legislated in Deut. 7,25 would not have been carried out by boiling. If one were to boil the Passover lamb it would be equivalent to hiding it, covering it up, and one could not smell its fragrance. The distinctive smell of its roasting should permeate the house. The reason that it must be roasted whole with its legs and head is to prevent giving the impression that it is alive or that it is a pig, for instance. It must be prepared as food in such a way that everyone notices that it is an Egyptian deity that is being treated in this fashion. The Passover lamb must also not be eaten in a ravenous manner, but at a time when one has almost completed one's meal. No bone may be broken so that the skeleton can be viewed as whole, and its inability to save itself be demonstrated. For all these reasons the Torah speaks about ובאלוההים עשה שפטים "He executed judgments on their deities" (Numbers 33,4).

The Zohar, commenting on 12,3: ויקחו להם איש ה לבית אבות שה לבית, "They shall each acquire for themselves a lamb per family or a lamb per household," comments that in effect G–d told the Jews to physically get hold of the Egyptians' deity, to keep it locked up for three days and to publicly excecute it on the fourth day. The Egyptians had to witness all this. This was a harder pill for them to swallow than all the other plagues that they had been subjected to previously, and this their idol was afterwards to be roasted on the fire as part of its execution. It was not to be boiled in water because the Torah's command to burn the idols (of the nations we conquered) in fire legislated in Deut. 7,25 would not have been carried out by boiling. If one were to boil the Passover lamb it would be equivalent to hiding it, covering it up, and one could not smell its fragrance. The distinctive smell of its roasting should permeate the house. The reason that it must be roasted whole with its legs and head is to prevent giving the impression that it is alive or that it is a pig, for instance. It must be prepared as food in such a way that everyone notices that it is an Egyptian deity that is being treated in this fashion. The Passover lamb must also not be eaten in a ravenous manner, but at a time when one has almost completed one's meal. No bone may be broken so that the skeleton can be viewed as whole, and its inability to save itself be demonstrated. For all these reasons the Torah speaks about ובאלוההים עשה שפטים "He executed judgments on their deities" (Numbers 33,4).

Perhaps this is the reason the Jewish people consider the whole month of Nissan holy, as indicated by the opening words in chapter 12: "This month shall be the first of the months for you; the first of the months of the year it shall be for you." There seems to be a duplication here. Normally, we attribute this to the possible need to institute an extra month. If we want to see an allusion in this, however, the message may be that we should consider the entire month as on a higher spiritual plane than the other months of the year, i.e. we should treat the entire month as if it were on the level of ראש חודש.

We must try and understand why Rabbenu Bachyah was so selective in his comparison of the creation with the construction of the Tabernacle. He could have cited additional parallels. A look at a lengthy Midrash in Shemot Rabbah 33,4 quotes Rabbi Berechyah as presenting a long list of parallels between the Tabernacle and מעשה בראשית. The list includes many items found in the heavens such as ערפל, זבול, עצי שטים, כרובים, אופנים and many others. In each case Rabbi Berechyah demonstrates that the Tabernacle contained something parallel.

The commandment in 12,46: "You must not break a bone of it," applies only to the owners. Dogs are allowed to break the bones of the remains. The Egyptians would come and collect the bones and inter them so that the dogs would be unable to get at them which would constitute the utter destruction of the idol. According to Halachah a Jew cannot totally destroy the deity of a Gentile; in order to be fully effective this must be done by the Gentile himself. This is why the Egyptians had to bury these bones. Causing the Egyptians to perform this act of annihilating the remains of their one time supreme deity was the most effective act of boosting the belief in the One and Only G–d of the Jews. All of the foregoing is spelled out in the Zohar.

I have already pointed out that Moses was appointed אלהים over all the שרים in the Celestial Regions, and that the Ineffable Name is reserved for The deity who controls and suspends laws of nature at will. We pay tribute to this fact in the Haggadah shel Pessach, where we describe G–d's interference in the line: "I, and not an angel, I, and not a Seraph, I, and not any agent." In view of the above, how are we to understand the verse in Numbers 20,16: וישלח מלאך ויוציאנו ממצרים, "He sent an angel and took us out of Egypt?" Clearly the "angel" was Moses. G–d transferred His power העבר, as the Torah says in Exodus 12,23: "ועבר ה' G–d will pass through Egypt to strike, but will see the blood, etc." We have a similar verse in 12,12: ועברתי בארץ מצרים בלילה הזה, "I shall pass through the land of Egypt during this night." The expression עבר, is a way of transferring power. This explains the threefold statement תדע which we quoted at the very beginning of our commentary (page 409). All three verses describe that there is no one like the Lord our G–d. The first one emphasizes His existence, whereas the second one emphasizes that He exercises control everywhere in His universe. The third statement features the word בעבור תדע, instead of למען תדע. The expression בעבור must be understood as העברה, transfer of His authority via Moses.

The time to offer this sacrifice is בין הערבים (12,6), during the period when the מנחה prayer which the patriarch Isaac introduced is recited. You are familiar with the deeper significance of the prayer. The requirement to smear some of the blood of that sacrifice on the lintel and doorposts of your houses, [only on the first Passover, the one slaughtered prior to the Exodus] is a symbol of the attribute of מלכות, also displayed by Isaac, known as פתח האהל, "entrance or gateway to the tent." This is the meaning of: והיה הדם לכם לאות על הבתים אשר אתם שם, "The blood will be a sign for you on the houses wherein you are staying” (12,13). The consumption of the meat of the sacrifice, which must take place at night, is an allusion to the attribute לילה, and this is why you must not leave any of it until the morning (12,10). The reason it has to be roasted on the fire (12,9) is that the sacrifice is symbolic of the Heavenly Fire which is known as אש אוכלת, “a consuming fire.” By roasting it on the fire, the power of that אש אוכלת is diminished and the power of all the accusers of the Jewish nation who derive their “fire” from it is weakened. This is another reason why it is forbidden to boil the meat of the sacrifice in water.

I have already pointed out that Moses was appointed אלהים over all the שרים in the Celestial Regions, and that the Ineffable Name is reserved for The deity who controls and suspends laws of nature at will. We pay tribute to this fact in the Haggadah shel Pessach, where we describe G–d's interference in the line: "I, and not an angel, I, and not a Seraph, I, and not any agent." In view of the above, how are we to understand the verse in Numbers 20,16: וישלח מלאך ויוציאנו ממצרים, "He sent an angel and took us out of Egypt?" Clearly the "angel" was Moses. G–d transferred His power העבר, as the Torah says in Exodus 12,23: "ועבר ה' G–d will pass through Egypt to strike, but will see the blood, etc." We have a similar verse in 12,12: ועברתי בארץ מצרים בלילה הזה, "I shall pass through the land of Egypt during this night." The expression עבר, is a way of transferring power. This explains the threefold statement תדע which we quoted at the very beginning of our commentary (page 409). All three verses describe that there is no one like the Lord our G–d. The first one emphasizes His existence, whereas the second one emphasizes that He exercises control everywhere in His universe. The third statement features the word בעבור תדע, instead of למען תדע. The expression בעבור must be understood as העברה, transfer of His authority via Moses.

Rabbi Judah, the son of Tema, said, "Be bold as a leopard, light as an eagle, fast as a deer, mighty as a lion to do the will of your Father in heaven" (Aboth 5:24). See how they warned that one make himself light and strong in order to fulfill the commandments! Thus did David say, "I made haste, and delayed not, to observe Thy commandments" (Ps. 119:60). Thus did our Rabbis expound : " 'And ye shall observe the matzot (Ex. 12:17), do not read it as matzot (unleavened bread), but read it is as mitzvot (commandments)" — meaning if an opportunity comes to you to do a good deed, do not let it grow stale but do it at once (Mekhilta de Rabbi Ishmael, vol. I., p. 74). It is very necessary to be agile and alert and strong in order to strive against the wicked — to be mighty of heart as Moses, our teacher, when he said, "Put every man his sword upon his thigh" (Ex. 32:27). And to be like Phinehas of whom it is said, "And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from the midst of the congregation and took a spear into hand" (Num. 25:7). Therefore, take care to be quick to separate yourself from the company of the wicked, so that you will not be part of their designs and their plans. Above all it requires zeal to do repentence. One must hurry and he should not delay to follow the paths of repentence, and let him not be wicked for even one hour before God, may He be Blessed. See how alert the servants and ministers of kings are in the performance of their duties. All the more so must we be careful to be alert in our service to the King of Kings, the Holy One, Blessed be He.

Commandment 17 forbids the participation of a Jewish heretic in eating of the Passover sacrifice. The Torah says: כל בן נכר לא יאכל בו, "Anyone who has become estranged must not eat of it."

Commandment 282 forbids an uncircumcised priest to eat תרומה. The Talmud Yevamot 70 derives this law by association with the law prohibiting any non-circumcised Jew to eat from the Passover sacrifice. Since that prohibition extends to the resident stranger and the hired hand, so does this prohibition extend to the hired hand of a priest.

We read in 12,48 that any male convert who wants to participate in the celebration of the Passover [in later years, after the Exodus. Ed.] must first circumcise himself. The same applies to a slave owned by a Jewish master (12,44). The reason is simply that as long as the powers of impurity are still a tangible part of such a male by reason of the presence of his foreskin he is not fit to approach the Presence of G–d. It is only by revealing the sign of the holy covenant that he becomes fit, and the Divine Presence is viewed as if drawing nourishment from that sanctified spot of the Covenant. There is another dimension to the inability of Israel to be redeemed except by the combination of the blood of circumcision and the blood of the Passover lamb. I have elaborated on this in the treatise cited above; here I will only summarize. A major component of the experience in Egypt was the need to re-instate the Holy Covenant and to repair the damage of the 130 years during which Adam had not maintained marital relations but had emitted semen which resulted in the creation of destructive agents in this world. This is why the redeemer (Moses) was born only 130 yars after the family of Jacob came to Egypt. Yochevet was 130 years old when Amram re-married her and when Moses was born, and she herself was conceived in the land of Canaan, but was not born until Jacob and his family arrived in Egypt, [viz: Rashi when reconciling the numbers of the Israelites who came down to Egypt as counted in Genesis 46,26. Ed.] I have alluded to this fact already several times in פרשת שמות.

In 45, 23 Joseph hinted to his father that he should come down to Egypt to him to be exiled, seeing that the previous זקן, Abraham had chosen this path, and that this path had been approved since the six days of Creation, i.e. since the time of the יין ישן. It is interesting to note that the numerical value of the words יין ישן, equals the total number of years that the Jews experienced exile both in Egypt and other countries. This is described in Exodus 12, 40. The immediate cause for this was Joseph, because he was the בן זקונים, etc.

Moses understood that this commandment was for all time, an error on his part. He asked himself that if the commandment were a one-time commandment in order to let him know how many Jews had died as a result of the golden calf, he would not be able to see how such a count would provide proof positive for there had not been a previous census to compare the new figures with. While it is true that the Torah (Exodus 12,37) had given a round figure of 600,000 men of military age at the time of the Exodus, Moses did not know about this because the Torah had not yet been written down. Moses' question then was: "How can this commandment be performed in the future when the promise that the Jewish people will be so numerous that they cannot be counted will have become true?" Moses did not have a problem with the commandment as it applied at that time. G–d informed him that his difficulty was due to the faulty premise that there would be an annual census. The Israelites had to be counted now so that the number who had died during the tragic golden calf episode could be established.

Our sages in Baba Metzia 86, explain that the reason the bread was never brought to the table was that Sarah had unexpectedly menstruated, become ritually unclean through having become biologically rejuvenated as of that day. 18,11 which reports that Sarah had experienced her menopause some time ago, refers to her situation prior to the arrival of the angels. It was Abraham's custom not to eat anything that was not ritually pure. Still, even assuming that Abraham personally conducted himself on that basis, how could he apply such stringent yardsticks of conduct to others? One simple answer is that it is not good manners to offer guests dishes that the host himself is not prepared to partake of. Rabbeinu Bachyah answers the problem quite differently. Sarah had stopped handling the dough the moment she became aware of her condition, since she knew that otherwise her husband would not touch the bread. Abraham therefore had no need to worry about that. However, Abraham was concerned about the חמץ aspect, seeing the date of the angels' arrival coincided with the calendar date on which Passover would occur in the future. During the time in which Sarah had to make arrangements for someone else in her household to handle the dough, the dough could have become leavened and as such forbidden. The date is alluded to by Abraham saying to Sarah לושי ועשי עגות, "knead it and make into cakes." The expression עגות, occurs in connection with מצה, i.e. עגות מצות, Exodus 12,39. Since Rashi does not follow the above line, we prefer to accept the approach of the Midrash, who regards the whole procedure as sacrificial gifts. It is of course, totally inadmissible to offer as a sacrifice something that is ritually unclean, hence the bread could not be served.

The third thing that can stir the heart to repentance is when he hears the chastisement of the wise and of those who reprove him, and this arouses his heart to repent, and he receives upon himself all the words of these rebukes. From the time that he accepts them, this man earns great merit, and in a short space of time he has gone forth from darkness to light, and he has gained reward and merit for all of the commandments and all of the chastisements, inasmuch as he has resolved to receive them upon himself. And happy is he who receives this upon himself, for he has won merit in a brief moment. And thus did our Sages, of blessed memory, say "And the children of Israel went and did." Now had they already done this (i.e., prepared the Passover)? Surely, they did not do so until the fourteenth day of the month! But when they took it upon themselves to do it, Scripture ascribes it to them as though they had already done it" (Mechilta on Exodus 12:28). And thus did our Sages say, "All whose deeds are greater than his wisdom, his wisdom will endure" (Aboth 3:12). As it is said, "We will do and we will hear!" (Ex. 24:7).

Now we can get back to our main subject, the עבודה, service, which is mentioned in this portion many times, and the reason why the Torah repeats the warning to observe this service. We must understand why this paragraph repeats: "You shall be careful to observe this statute from year to year." Although I have written at some length about the importance of עבודה when discussing the meaning of שובבים ת"ת on page 386, I shall explain a number of verses in our portion in which עבודה is stressed. He (Pharaoh) said to them go and serve the Lord your G–d" (10,8). Or, in verse 24: עבדו את ה' רק צאנכם ובקרכם יצג, גם טפכם ילך עמכם, "Go and serve the Lord; only your flocks and cattle will remain; your children may go with you." Moses replied: "You too will give us various kinds of offerings which we will sacrifice to the Lord our G–d; our cattle will go with us, not a hoof will remain behind, for from it we will take to serve, לעבוד the Lord our G–d; we do not know how we shall serve, נעבוד the Lord our G–d until we get there."

When we keep this in mind we can understand the Midrash Rabbah 3,1 on Song of Songs 3,9 אפריון עשה לו המלך שלמה, that "King Solomon made for himself a canopy," as referring to the construction of the Tabernacle. Rabbi Yehudah bar Ulla explains this by means of the following parable: A king had a young daughter. As long as she did not reach the age of puberty, he would meet her in public and speak with her both in public and private. Once she reached the age of puberty the king said to himself that it was no longer seemly that he should converse with his daughter in public. He therefore constructed a pavilion for her so that whenever he felt the need to converse with his daughter he could do so within this pavilion. We find an allusion to this in Hoseah 11,1: "For when Israel was still a child I fell in love with Israel." As long as the people of Israel were in their national infancy in Egypt, they saw manifestations of G–d all around them such as when G–d smote the Egyptians both in Egypt and later on when He drowned them in the sea. This was a public manifestation as testified to in Exodus 14,31: "Israel saw the great hand of the Lord and what He did to Egypt". Even infants would point with their fingers declaring "This is my G–d I shall glorify Him" (Exodus 15,2). At Sinai they beheld G–d "face to face," as we know from Deuteronomy 33,2: "He (Moses) said The Lord came from Sinai, He shone upon them from Se-ir; He appeared from Mount Paran." At that point Israel received the Torah and declared כל אשר דבר ה' נעשה ונשמע, "All that the Lord has said, we shall do and hear." As a consequence Israel became G–d's nation in the fullest meaning of the word. G–d next said Himself that it was no longer seemly that He should speak to them in public, without the benefit of privacy, so He instructed them to build a Tabernacle so that whenever He wished to speak to them, He would do so from the interior of the Tabernacle. This is the meaning of Numbers 7,89: "Whenever Moses went into the Tent of Meeting to speak with Him, he would hear the voice of G–d addressing him from above the cover that was on top of the Ark of the Covenant between the two cherubim; thus He spoke to him." Thus far the statement of Rabbi Yehudah bar Ulla.

Having this in mind, we can understand an enigmatic Midrash Rabbah Genesis 63,3 on this פרשה: "These are the descendants of Isaac the son of Abraham, Abraham begat Isaac. Abraham was called Abraham; Isaac was called Abraham for the Torah says "these are the descendants of Abraham, Abraham." Jacob's name was called Israel because the Torah says in Genesis 32,29: "He said to him: 'Your name will no longer be called Jacob but Israel.' Isaac was called Israel, as the Torah says in Exodus 1,1 'And these are the names of the children of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob.' Abraham is called Israel." Rabbi Natan added that there is a profound meaning in: ומושב בני ישראל אשר ישבו במצרים ובארץ כנען ובארץ גשן שלושים שנה וארבע מאות שנה. "The period that the children of Israel lived in Egypt, Goshen and Canaan respectively prior to the Exodus was 430 years."

This is the secret of "finding favour in the eyes of Egypt," something which happened to the Egyptians after their first-born were slain. They humbled themselves before the Israelites, and as a result the Israelites emptied Egypt of silver and gold (12,36). Pharaoh also eventually humbled himself, when he asked Moses to give him a blessing in 12,32. He said this because he had come to realise that Israel itself represented blessing, and that he could be included in the blessing that is bestowed upon Israel.

This is why he instructed Israel to offer a male goat as a sin offering each New Moon in compensation for having reduced the moon's size (i.e. Israel's size in this world). The Rekanati, in his commentary on Exodus 12,2, explains at length that the function of this sin-offering on the New Moon is very similar to the function of the scapegoat which is tendered to Azzazel on the Day of Atonement. Allegorically speaking, the reduction in size symbolizes the diminution of the forces of holiness due to Adam's sin. This results in the powers we call חיצוניות experiencing an uplift, increased strength. By sacrificing the male goat on the New Moon as a sin-offering to G–d we are symbolically sacrificing the קליפה, the symbol of negative influences which in turn undermines the influence of this קליפה. By doing this we re-convert some of the forces that though they originated in a holy domain had become active as negative forces. Such a positive act results in atonement. Rashi describing Genesis 32,2,1 explains Jacob's motive in sending gifts to Esau with the words: אכפרה פניו, to mean קנוח, "wiping clean." Atonement then is a way of "wiping the slate clean." Sin is considered to be a stain on our soul or character. Atonement is the removal of the stain in question. We follow this procedure every month whenever the moon renews itself. This process will continue until the קליפה has been reduced so much that the moon can regain its former size and its light equals that of the sun. At such a time, when the world will be filled with knowledge of G–d, the physical part of our bodies as well as matter in the universe will be imbued with sanctity similar to that intangible part of man, his soul.

The following is an excerpt of the סמ"ג’s introduction to the list of negative commandments: " Maimonides includes a widow and an orphan as a collective entity whenever the Torah enjoins us to treat the widow or orphan in a certain way, or not to treat them in a certain way. Similarly Maimonides lumps the Moabite and the Ammonite together. Whenever we read in the Torah that a Moabite or a member of the people of Ammon is prohibited from something, this constitutes a single prohibition in Maimonides' count. Maimonides also treats the prohibition of שאור ודבש, leaven and honey which are forbidden to constitute a smoke or incense offering on the altar, as a single negative commandment (cf. Leviticus 2,11). Maimonides similarly views the physical blemishes mentioned in Deut. 23,2 (someone whose member is cut off, or whose testes have been crushed and who is therefore prohibited from marrying a Jewish woman), as a single negative commandment. The same applies to someone eating the Passover sacrifice whether it is raw or boiled in water (Exodus 12,9). Because Maimonides has thereby reduced the number of negative commandments making up the required number of 365, he was forced to look for other negative commandments to make up the required number. We have already demonstrated in the name of Rashi that the prohibition of offering leaven or honey on the altar constitutes two separate Biblical prohibitions. Rashi also admits that though the widow and the divorcee that the High Priest is prohibited from marrying (Leviticus 21), are mentioned together we deal here with two separate prohibitions. When discussing these respective commandments in our book, we have demonstrated clear proof that this is so." So far the introductory comments of the סמ"ג.

The סמ"ג goes on to quote a Rashi in the name of a Rabbi Yitzchak demonstrating that Rava considers such a transgression as a transgression of at least two if not four prohibitions. [Although the Rashi in our edition of the Talmud on that folio merely mentions that four penalties of lashes are administered, this does not change the point the סמ"ג tries to make. Ed.]

In order to properly understand this one needs to study the third chapter of the treatise מהות והנהגה in Pardes Rimonim. In that chapter the author, Rabbi Moshe Cordovera, explains that every single emanation is comprised of ten emanations. He arrives at the conclusion that, though the root of the קליפות does not extend higher than the emanation חסד, it, i.e. the emanation גבורה-דין may yet exist even as part of the emanation כתר, which is perceived of as completely רחמים. His main point is that the emanation דין is a potential ingredient in that emanation כתר, and is activated only through action by the קליפות. We must therefore suppose that in addition to the concept שורש, root, there is also such a thing as שורש שרשים, the root of roots. [Perhaps we can best illustrate this by the difference between conscious and subconscious thoughts. שורש would equal conscious thought, whereas שורש שרשים would equal subconscious thought. Ed.] The refinement that Abraham lacked was only in the area of שורש שרשים, and that is the "profound matter" Rabbi Natan had in mind. The 30 years of the 430 years that are described in Exodus 12,40 commenced with the "covenant between the pieces," when Abraham began to experience a "mental exile." This is when he qualified for the title ישראל.

Yalkut Shimoni item 191 on Exodus 12,1 has this to say: "You (Israel) count according to the lunar calendar, whereas the Canaanites do not count according to the lunar calendar. Rabbi, quoting Rabbi Yehudah bar llai-i, said it is good manners that the "senior" counts according to the great luminary whereas the "junior" counts according to the lesser luminary. Seeing that Esau was senior to Jacob, he counts according to the solar calendar, whereas Jacob counts according to the lunar calendar. Rabbi Nachman added that it is a good omen that the senior rules by day and not by night; as a result the wicked Esau's rule extends only during the present world whereas the rule of the junior Jacob will extend to both the present world and the Hereafter. He added that while the light of the senior is still shining brightly, the light of the junior cannot be noticed widely; as soon as the light of the senior has set, the light of the junior will become manifest and widespread. We have scriptural proof for this from Isaiah 60,1: קומי אורי כי בא אורך, "Arise, shine, for your light has arrived." Thus far the quote from the Yalkut.

Yalkut Shimoni item 191 on Exodus 12,1 has this to say: "You (Israel) count according to the lunar calendar, whereas the Canaanites do not count according to the lunar calendar. Rabbi, quoting Rabbi Yehudah bar llai-i, said it is good manners that the "senior" counts according to the great luminary whereas the "junior" counts according to the lesser luminary. Seeing that Esau was senior to Jacob, he counts according to the solar calendar, whereas Jacob counts according to the lunar calendar. Rabbi Nachman added that it is a good omen that the senior rules by day and not by night; as a result the wicked Esau's rule extends only during the present world whereas the rule of the junior Jacob will extend to both the present world and the Hereafter. He added that while the light of the senior is still shining brightly, the light of the junior cannot be noticed widely; as soon as the light of the senior has set, the light of the junior will become manifest and widespread. We have scriptural proof for this from Isaiah 60,1: קומי אורי כי בא אורך, "Arise, shine, for your light has arrived." Thus far the quote from the Yalkut.

We have learned in Kidushin 41: The commandment to be מקדש את האשה devolves first and foremost on the actual groom, though it may be performed by anyone he designates. When the Jewish people left Egypt, G–d (the groom) personally performed the act of קדושין: The Torah says of G–d: ועברתי בארץ מצרים (Exodus 12,12). The ceremony was, however, also performed by a messenger whom G–d had designated, viz: וישלח מלאך ויוציאני, "He sent an angel (messenger) and took me out" (Numbers 20,16). The actual wedding ceremony, the נישואין, must be carried out by the groom personally, not a stand-in. The giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai symbolised this wedding ceremony between G–d and the Jewish people. This wedding took place on the Sabbath, an occasion when G–d spoke to Israel פנים בפנים דבר ה' עמכם, "Face to face did G–d speak with you" (Deut. 5,4). The usual time for man and his wife to join conjugally is on the Sabbath. This is part of the mystical aspect of marriage.

We may understand the word שלי as referring to what is material, whereas the word שלך in the Mishnah in question refers to the mind, the abstract. When a person proclaims: שלי שלי ושלך שלי, it is as if he said: The body and the mind both belong to the secular, to earth-bound values. This is typical of the wicked person who wants to make life a totally physical experience and to drag down the spiritual part of man to the level of the merely physical. When a person declares: שלך שלך וגם שלי שלך, he is described as pious because he expresses his striving to elevate what is physical to the level of the spiritual. The person who says: שלי שלך ושלך שלי is similar to the person of whom Solomon said in Kohelet 2,24: "Is it not good for a man to eat and drink and enjoy?" Solomon refers to the person who wishes to partake of "both tables," i.e. life in the here and now as well as life in the Hereafter. When he refers to the enjoyment, he refers to the joy of studying Torah. Whereas some of our sages consider this attitude as average, i.e. tolerable, others consider it as the attitude espoused by the people of Sodom. The Rabbis who see in this attitude an average attitude believe that a philosophy of זה נהנה וזה לא חסר, "The fact that one person derives pleasure but not at the expense of his fellow," is something morally tolerable. It is similar to someone who lights his candle from another candle. He secures light for himself without diminishing the existing light for others. These rabbis compare such conduct to the verse in Psalms 34,11: ודורשי ה' לא יחסרו כל טוב, "Those who turn to the Lord are not failing to do something wholly good." The motto of: "What is mine is yours and what is yours is mine," is equivalent to turning the laws of nature upside down. When a person turns the weekday into the Holiday by denying himself all physical pleasure on weekdays, whereas he uses the Holidays for unbounded physical enjoyment, he reverses the order G–d has established for this world and is clearly ignorant of G–d's plans. The Torah has spelled out that only certain activities are allowed on the Holidays in order to ensure our minimal physical comfort on such days. This is the meaning of Exodus 12,16: אך אשר יאכל לכל נפש הוא לבדו יעשה לכם, "Only what every person has to eat, that alone may be prepared for you." When we examine what the author of Emek Berachah writes in connection with the above Mishnah we find that the desire to enjoy both the physical parts of this world as well as the spiritual ones is not enough for a person who wants to qualify as pious. People such as the prophets Elijah and Chanoch learned how to cope while availing themselves of less and less of the comforts available for the body in this world. In order to establish the closest possible ties with G–d the physical part of this world cannot be enjoyed in its own right. The enjoyment of the Holiday should comprise the life-force of the body, נפש הגופני, as well as the life-force of the soul, נפש הרוחני, through the study of Torah and engaging in prayer.

Shemot Rabbah 15,31 describes Exodus 12,1 in a parable. A king betrothed himself to a girl, promising her a few gifts in writing. When the time arrived for the wedding, he guaranteed her many gifts, as is the custom for a husband. One must view this present world and the Hereafter in a similar light. In this world only few gifts are guaranteed. Our existence in this world is comparable to that of a bride who, though betrothed, is still awaiting the wedding. We are reminded of this by the formula we recite whenever we put on the phylacteries on our arm: וארשתיך לי לעולם, I will be betrothed to you forever" (Hoseah 2,21-22). It is an allegory that in this world Israel has only been given the moon, as we know from our verse in Exodus 12,1. In Messianic times, however, there will be a real wedding (between Israel and G–d) as we know from Isaiah 54,5: "For He who has made you will be your spouse." When that time arrives, G–d will hand over all His treasures to the Jewish people as is recorded in Daniel 12,3: "And the wise will shine like the brightness of the sky, and they that turn the many to righteousness will be as stars forever and ever." Thus far the Midrash. The meaning of the parable is clear. Israel is the bride; the mystical aspect of the betrothal is the gift of the moon, whereas the Torah represents the gift to be received at the time of the wedding. It is the wedding document popularly known as the כתובה, which spells out the obligations the groom assumes when marrying a bride. The obligations spelled out in the document can only be claimed in the Hereafter.