וַיָּבֹ֨א מֹשֶׁ֣ה וְאַהֲרֹן֮ אֶל־פַּרְעֹה֒ וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ אֵלָ֗יו כֹּֽה־אָמַ֤ר יְהוָה֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י הָֽעִבְרִ֔ים עַד־מָתַ֣י מֵאַ֔נְתָּ לֵעָנֹ֖ת מִפָּנָ֑י שַׁלַּ֥ח עַמִּ֖י וְיַֽעַבְדֻֽנִי׃
모세와 아론이 바로에게 들어가서 그에게 이르되 히브리 사람의 하나님 여호와께서 말씀하시기를 네가 어느 때까지 내 앞에 겸비치 아니하겠느냐 내 백성을 보내라 그들이 나를 섬길 것이라
Kedushat Levi
Exodus 13,4. “this day you are leaving (Egypt) in the month that ushers in the spring.” It appears that the Creator, blessed be His name, chose only the Jewish people. Therefore no one has the right to speak badly of the Jewish people, but to interpret any actions of this people even if they seem at first glance to be sinful, in a manner that casts a favourable light on them. We have learned this from Esther 10,3 where Mordechai is complimented of speaking always favourably of his brethren, i.e. דורש טוב לעמו. The numerical value of the letters in that short phrase amount to the same as the numerical value in the words רב חסד, “an abundance of love.” In other words, G’d has expended much loving kindness on His people Israel.
We have a halachah that when washing one’s hands preparatory to performing some commandment, that one is to raise one’s hands in the process of doing so. (Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 162,1) The reason is that the word נטילה implies lifting. We have explained elsewhere that the human body is viewed as being composed of three parts, 1) The head and the limbs attached to it.; 2) the hands and the torso they are attached to;.3) the legs. The “limbs” (organs) belonging to the head i.e. the eyes, the ears, have been created primarily in order to focus on the words of Torah and moral instruction, whereas the mouth has been created primarily in order to speak words of Torah wisdom and to speak well of the Jewish people.
The hands are an allusion to “love,” i.e. raising one’s hands expresses love for one’s Creator, whereas the legs and feet allude to faith, as the saying goes that שקר אין לו רגלים, “lies have no feet, (no basis to stand on). Therefore, when a human beings sits down in order to eat, he is supposed to raise, elevate the “sparks” of spirituality within him so that consuming food becomes something more than a merely mundane activity intended to provide physical satisfaction for the person eating his food. This is why Rabbi Karo in his commentary on the Tur (בית יוסף), writes (inter alia) that the act of raising one’s hand prior to eating is an expression of love for the G’d Who has provided us with food and has blessed it.
We have a halachah that when washing one’s hands preparatory to performing some commandment, that one is to raise one’s hands in the process of doing so. (Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 162,1) The reason is that the word נטילה implies lifting. We have explained elsewhere that the human body is viewed as being composed of three parts, 1) The head and the limbs attached to it.; 2) the hands and the torso they are attached to;.3) the legs. The “limbs” (organs) belonging to the head i.e. the eyes, the ears, have been created primarily in order to focus on the words of Torah and moral instruction, whereas the mouth has been created primarily in order to speak words of Torah wisdom and to speak well of the Jewish people.
The hands are an allusion to “love,” i.e. raising one’s hands expresses love for one’s Creator, whereas the legs and feet allude to faith, as the saying goes that שקר אין לו רגלים, “lies have no feet, (no basis to stand on). Therefore, when a human beings sits down in order to eat, he is supposed to raise, elevate the “sparks” of spirituality within him so that consuming food becomes something more than a merely mundane activity intended to provide physical satisfaction for the person eating his food. This is why Rabbi Karo in his commentary on the Tur (בית יוסף), writes (inter alia) that the act of raising one’s hand prior to eating is an expression of love for the G’d Who has provided us with food and has blessed it.