Chasidut к Шмот 12:39
וַיֹּאפ֨וּ אֶת־הַבָּצֵ֜ק אֲשֶׁ֨ר הוֹצִ֧יאוּ מִמִּצְרַ֛יִם עֻגֹ֥ת מַצּ֖וֹת כִּ֣י לֹ֣א חָמֵ֑ץ כִּֽי־גֹרְשׁ֣וּ מִמִּצְרַ֗יִם וְלֹ֤א יָֽכְלוּ֙ לְהִתְמַהְמֵ֔הַּ וְגַם־צֵדָ֖ה לֹא־עָשׂ֥וּ לָהֶֽם׃
И они пекли пресные лепешки из теста, которое они вывели из Египта, потому что оно не было заквашено; потому что они были изгнаны из Египта и не могли задержаться, и при этом они не приготовили для себя ничего подобного.
Likutei Halakhot
...And this is the quality of eating matzah - "matzah, because our ancestors' dough did not have time to rise until the King of All Kings, Holy Blessed One, was revealed to them and redeemed them." As it says (Exodus 12:39) "and they baked the dough etc." Because matzah is the aspect of an extremely expansive awareness, that comes from above; for matzah is dough that is not left to rise but is rather baked immediately while it is still matzah, before it becomes leavened - similar to the light that comes from above which is condensed and concealed, which is the undifferentiated light that always takes shape according to the vessel [that receives it], as discussed above. But now it is formed above immediately, before it makes the descent below to be shaped according to the vessel.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Kedushat Levi
Based on the considerations outlined, we will try and explain why we have been commanded to eat Matzah on Passover and to offer certain sacrifices in the Temple, and why on the festival of Shavuot we have been commanded to present two loaves of bread which had to consist of leavened dough, as well as a thanksgiving offering consisting partly of unleavened breads and partly of leavened breads.
Matzah alludes to creatures who serve the Lord due to the impact upon them of G’d’s miracles; even the plain meaning of the text in Exodus 12,15-17 alludes to this as it contains a commandment to eat matzah as a reminder to future generations of the speed, i.e. suddenness, with which the Egyptians reversed their attitude as the masters of the Jews, to driving them out with all possible speed as we know from Exodus 12,39 which tells us that the departure of the Jews from Egypt occurred in such haste that they did not even have time to allow the dough for next day’s bread to rise before baking. Consuming the meat of the Passover took place in similar haste, the people being dressed while eating it, ready to begin marching at any moment. (ibid, i.e. ויאפו את הבצק עגות מצות וגו', “they baked the dough into matzah cakes etc.,) The symbolic acts that we, the descendants of the generation of Israelites leaving Egypt at that time, perform on the anniversary of that event, all reflect the suddenness and haste in which the redemption literally overtook them. These acts mirror the impact that G’d’s miracles had on the Jews at that time. In contrast to this, when the same people arrived in the desert of Sinai, prior to receiving the Torah, seven weeks later, they had time to prepare themselves for that event for three days, i.e. the miracles that occurred in connection with that event did not take them by surprise. By that time they had come to realize that G’d’s performing miracles was something “natural,” not supernatural, seeing that the source of these “miracles” was the same Creator Who had performed the greatest miracles by creating the universe. When they reflected that out of all the phenomena in the universe that they were aware of it was only G’d Who could have created them by merely uttering the necessary words, they no longer needed “miracles” to persuade them that there was such a power, [even though it remained invisible. Ed.] To reflect their new found insights, the offerings presented on the festival of Shavuot did not require matzah as a symbol of the Israelites’ recognition that their redemption had been a miracle, in the sense of something supernatural performed by G’d.
The Talmud in B’rachot 54, when stating that 4 types of individuals need to offer thanksgiving offerings (containing also leavened breads) after they had been saved by means of a miraculous event, reflects the sages’ recognition that for the people concerned the miracle had been performed in order that they serve G’d first of all because He demonstrated His ability to transcend the laws of nature. Subsequently, the people who had learned this lesson would become accustomed to serving the Lord for the same reasons that the Jewish people served Him starting with their experiences at Mount Sinai. This is reflected in the part of the thanksgiving offering consisting of leavened breads. The very fact that this offering consists of these apparently contradictory ingredients, indicates that the person offering it is aware of his own spiritual/philosophical progress.
Looking at the history of the Jewish people during their march through the desert, the sin of the golden calf represented a spiritual regression to the level of needing miracles to keep them aware of the greatness of the Lord and the duty to serve Him. The Jewish people only recaptured even the first level of serving the Lord, i.e. through the help of miracles to remind them of Him and His power at the time when the Tabernacle was inaugurated, almost nine months after their having worshipped the golden calf. According to Nachmanides, this is the reason why the Tabernacle is referred to as משכן העדות, “Tabernacle of Testimony,” i.e. its consecration bore testimony to the fact that the people had regained their spiritual level as it had been at the time when they had been redeemed from slavery in Egypt.
The word פקודי in our verse needs to be understood in the sense of something being lacking, absent, as we know from Numbers 31,49 ולא נפקד ממנו איש, “not a single man from us is missing.” [after the punitive expedition against the Midianites) The word appears in a similar sense also repeatedly in the Book of Samuel. Ed.] The Torah hints that even with the completion of the Tabernacle, the former lofty spiritual level of the Jewish people as it had been at the end of the revelation at Mount Sinai had not been restored.
Matzah alludes to creatures who serve the Lord due to the impact upon them of G’d’s miracles; even the plain meaning of the text in Exodus 12,15-17 alludes to this as it contains a commandment to eat matzah as a reminder to future generations of the speed, i.e. suddenness, with which the Egyptians reversed their attitude as the masters of the Jews, to driving them out with all possible speed as we know from Exodus 12,39 which tells us that the departure of the Jews from Egypt occurred in such haste that they did not even have time to allow the dough for next day’s bread to rise before baking. Consuming the meat of the Passover took place in similar haste, the people being dressed while eating it, ready to begin marching at any moment. (ibid, i.e. ויאפו את הבצק עגות מצות וגו', “they baked the dough into matzah cakes etc.,) The symbolic acts that we, the descendants of the generation of Israelites leaving Egypt at that time, perform on the anniversary of that event, all reflect the suddenness and haste in which the redemption literally overtook them. These acts mirror the impact that G’d’s miracles had on the Jews at that time. In contrast to this, when the same people arrived in the desert of Sinai, prior to receiving the Torah, seven weeks later, they had time to prepare themselves for that event for three days, i.e. the miracles that occurred in connection with that event did not take them by surprise. By that time they had come to realize that G’d’s performing miracles was something “natural,” not supernatural, seeing that the source of these “miracles” was the same Creator Who had performed the greatest miracles by creating the universe. When they reflected that out of all the phenomena in the universe that they were aware of it was only G’d Who could have created them by merely uttering the necessary words, they no longer needed “miracles” to persuade them that there was such a power, [even though it remained invisible. Ed.] To reflect their new found insights, the offerings presented on the festival of Shavuot did not require matzah as a symbol of the Israelites’ recognition that their redemption had been a miracle, in the sense of something supernatural performed by G’d.
The Talmud in B’rachot 54, when stating that 4 types of individuals need to offer thanksgiving offerings (containing also leavened breads) after they had been saved by means of a miraculous event, reflects the sages’ recognition that for the people concerned the miracle had been performed in order that they serve G’d first of all because He demonstrated His ability to transcend the laws of nature. Subsequently, the people who had learned this lesson would become accustomed to serving the Lord for the same reasons that the Jewish people served Him starting with their experiences at Mount Sinai. This is reflected in the part of the thanksgiving offering consisting of leavened breads. The very fact that this offering consists of these apparently contradictory ingredients, indicates that the person offering it is aware of his own spiritual/philosophical progress.
Looking at the history of the Jewish people during their march through the desert, the sin of the golden calf represented a spiritual regression to the level of needing miracles to keep them aware of the greatness of the Lord and the duty to serve Him. The Jewish people only recaptured even the first level of serving the Lord, i.e. through the help of miracles to remind them of Him and His power at the time when the Tabernacle was inaugurated, almost nine months after their having worshipped the golden calf. According to Nachmanides, this is the reason why the Tabernacle is referred to as משכן העדות, “Tabernacle of Testimony,” i.e. its consecration bore testimony to the fact that the people had regained their spiritual level as it had been at the time when they had been redeemed from slavery in Egypt.
The word פקודי in our verse needs to be understood in the sense of something being lacking, absent, as we know from Numbers 31,49 ולא נפקד ממנו איש, “not a single man from us is missing.” [after the punitive expedition against the Midianites) The word appears in a similar sense also repeatedly in the Book of Samuel. Ed.] The Torah hints that even with the completion of the Tabernacle, the former lofty spiritual level of the Jewish people as it had been at the end of the revelation at Mount Sinai had not been restored.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Likutei Halakhot
This is the aspect of eating Matzah and the prohibition of Chametz. Matzah is the aspect of Da'at/knowledge, the aspect of the greatness of the mentalities, the aspect of divine providence, which is the essence of da'at. Chametz (unleavened bread) corresponds to the lesser mentalities, the aspect of "Elokim", the aspect of judgments, as is brought in the Kavanot. This corresponds to the knowledge of natural science, which is the source of judgments and problems, G-d forbid, as explained above. "Nature" in Gematria equals "Elokim", as is brought. From here is where judgments take hold, as explained above. Because Chametz corresponds to (Psalms 73:21) "For my heart was in ferment, יִתְחַמֵּץ לְבָבִי", etc. This is said about the problems that fall upon a person due by the command of Hashem Yisbarach. This is the aspect of the knowledge of nature, from where all of the atheism and problems stem. Matzah, however, corresponds to da'at, as explained above. It is called Matzah because they left in haste and there was not sufficient time for the dough from our fathers to leaven, until the The King of Kings, the Holy One Blessed Be He revealed Himself to them and redeemed them, as it is said (Exodus 12:39) "They baked the dough that they had taken out of Egypt as unleavened cakes, for it had not leavened, for they were driven out of Egypt, and they could not tarry, and also, they had not made provisions for themselves". They had faith in the divine providence of Hashem Yisbarach and therefore they did not prepare any provisions, and we find they left in haste. Matzah is the knowledge of the faith of divine providence, which is the essence of the Greater knowledge, whereby a person merits the revelation of G-dliness, to see and know that everything is (by) the divine providence of Hashem alone. This is the aspect of 'haste', for 'haste' is the aspect of 'higher than time', which leaps over the end, and took them out with great haste, without any time except for a moment. And in a short while they came to Sukkot from Ra'amses and 600,000 people gathered together in a light hour, from all of the land of Egypt, as Rashi explains on the verse (Exodus 19:4) "I bore you on eagles' wings". All of this is the aspect of 'above time'; in other words, they were elevated beyond time. This is the aspect of divine providence which is above nature, above time. Through this they went out without any time, without any preparation - solely in a short while. The essence of the redemption was through the revelation of divine providence which is above time, the aspect of 'haste'. For haste is the aspect of quickness which is a very good trait, the aspect of faith, the aspect of nullification of the sleep that comes about through laziness, the aspect of (Proverbs 19:15) "Laziness causes one to fall into a deep sleep, and a deceitful soul shall suffer hunger", and as brought in the words of our Rabbi (Rebbe Nachman) in another place that quickness is the aspect of faith, see there. And this is the aspect of remembrance, the aspect of (Exodus 13:3) "Remember this day, when you went out of Egypt", etc., and as is written (Deuteronomy 16:3) "you shall remember the day when you went out of the land of Egypt all the days of your life", etc., and as seen in the words of Rabbeinu at the end of the lesson "And these are the judgments" (Likutei Moharan 7) that remembrance is the aspect of faith. The essence of forgetting is from the aspect of time, etc. And when you know and truly believe that everything operates solely by the divine providence of Hashem Yisbarach alone, which is above time, then one need not worry about the aspect of forgetting at all, etc., see there and understand. This is the aspect of remembrance which is said about the Exodus from Egypt, the aspect of 'Remember the day', etc., 'so that you may remember', etc. For with the Exodus from Egypt His Blessed divine providence was revealed, as explained above. This is the aspect of remembrance which is above time, above nature, the aspect of 'haste', the aspect of 'quickness' which is the lifeforce of the mentalities and knowledge. The essence of their existence/fulfillment is when you know and believe in divine providence. And this is the aspect of Matzah made in haste, etc., etc., as explained above.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy