וָאֶשְׁבֹּ֣ר עָלָ֣יו חֻקִּ֑י וָֽ֝אָשִׂ֗ים בְּרִ֣יחַ וּדְלָתָֽיִם׃
at umukit Ako para rito ng Aking itinakdang hangganan, at naglagay Ako ng mga halang at mga pinto,
Kli Yakar
And in passing, I will also explain the words of the wise son mentioned in the portion of Va’etchanan, as one could ask about the statement that says “You too should tell him according to the laws of Passover: ‘One does not eat dessert after the Passover sacrifice.’” Why doesn’t it mention the response written alongside it in the portion of Va’etchanan (6:21)? I say that the wise son asks about the reason for the Passover sacrifice, matzah, and bitter herbs in the order they are written in the Torah, as it says (12:8), And they shall eat the meat roasted over fire… and matzah with bitter herbs. Regarding these three, he asks, What are the testimonies, statutes, and judgments?
Regarding the roasted meat of the Passover sacrifice, he says, What is the testimony? For the slaughtering of the Passover sacrifice gives faithful testimony that the Holy One, blessed be He, rules over the celestial order, even over the constellation of Aries, which is the firstborn and head of all constellations, and certainly over the other constellations, as it says, And the blood will be a sign for you. For every sign is a testimony and proof of something, as explained above in the verse This month shall be for you (12:2).
The statutes refers to the matzah, which represents humility, like this dough that does not rise upward, as all this is well explained in my small work Orach L’Chaim, discourse 25. For every statute [chok] indicates something that has a limit and boundary, as it says regarding the sea (Job 38:10), I imposed My limit [chuki] upon it and set a bar and doors. Similarly, a limit and boundary was given to the matzah dough so that it would not rise, for from it we learn about humility. Therefore, matzah is a symbol of freedom, because by virtue of humility our ancestors were redeemed from Egypt, as it says (Deuteronomy 7:7), Not because you are more numerous than all the peoples did the Lord desire you and choose you, for you are the fewest of all the peoples. By virtue of your making yourselves small before Me [you were chosen]. Therefore, leavened bread [chametz] must be burned because anyone who is arrogant is judged by fire, as mentioned in the Yalkut (Parashat Tzav 480) on the verse It is the burnt offering on its pyre, because the nature of fire is to rise upward, so one who rises up [in arrogance] is judged by it. And chametz is forbidden even in the smallest amount because this is the measure for haughtiness — in all character traits a person should follow the middle path, except for haughtiness, about which our Sages said (Sotah 5a), “Not any of it, not even a part of it.” Thus, they prohibited even the slightest amount. Similarly, our Sages said (Avot 4:4), “Be exceedingly humble in spirit,” emphasizing the matter and distancing it completely.
The judgments alludes to they embittered their lives, for the judgments carried out against Egypt were because they made our ancestors’ lives bitter. Afflictions are called “judgment,” as it says (Isaiah 28:26), He disciplines him for judgment.
Regarding the roasted meat of the Passover sacrifice, he says, What is the testimony? For the slaughtering of the Passover sacrifice gives faithful testimony that the Holy One, blessed be He, rules over the celestial order, even over the constellation of Aries, which is the firstborn and head of all constellations, and certainly over the other constellations, as it says, And the blood will be a sign for you. For every sign is a testimony and proof of something, as explained above in the verse This month shall be for you (12:2).
The statutes refers to the matzah, which represents humility, like this dough that does not rise upward, as all this is well explained in my small work Orach L’Chaim, discourse 25. For every statute [chok] indicates something that has a limit and boundary, as it says regarding the sea (Job 38:10), I imposed My limit [chuki] upon it and set a bar and doors. Similarly, a limit and boundary was given to the matzah dough so that it would not rise, for from it we learn about humility. Therefore, matzah is a symbol of freedom, because by virtue of humility our ancestors were redeemed from Egypt, as it says (Deuteronomy 7:7), Not because you are more numerous than all the peoples did the Lord desire you and choose you, for you are the fewest of all the peoples. By virtue of your making yourselves small before Me [you were chosen]. Therefore, leavened bread [chametz] must be burned because anyone who is arrogant is judged by fire, as mentioned in the Yalkut (Parashat Tzav 480) on the verse It is the burnt offering on its pyre, because the nature of fire is to rise upward, so one who rises up [in arrogance] is judged by it. And chametz is forbidden even in the smallest amount because this is the measure for haughtiness — in all character traits a person should follow the middle path, except for haughtiness, about which our Sages said (Sotah 5a), “Not any of it, not even a part of it.” Thus, they prohibited even the slightest amount. Similarly, our Sages said (Avot 4:4), “Be exceedingly humble in spirit,” emphasizing the matter and distancing it completely.
The judgments alludes to they embittered their lives, for the judgments carried out against Egypt were because they made our ancestors’ lives bitter. Afflictions are called “judgment,” as it says (Isaiah 28:26), He disciplines him for judgment.
Kli Yakar
And you shall make the robe of the ephod entirely of blue. Since the robe atones for evil speech, it was therefore made entirely of blue, because blue resembles the sea, and through the blue one will look at the sea and observe it and act accordingly. For regarding the sea it is said I broke My decree upon it, and set bars and doors, and I said, “Until here you shall come and no further…” (Job 38:10-11). Similarly, the Holy One, Blessed be He, placed a wall and a bar for the tongue, as our Sages of blessed memory said (Arachin 15b), “And not only that, but I surrounded you with two walls, one of bone and one of flesh.” What then could He add or increase protection from a deceitful tongue? For it goes outside, speaks, shoots its sharpened arrows to all four corners of the world, and passes through bars and doors. It would be proper for a person to learn from the sea, which does not pass through doors and bars and does not breach its boundaries. This is the reason for the blue, which resembles the sea, because when one looks at the blue, one will be reminded of the sea that resembles it in color, and consequently will then contemplate the sea’s behavior, observe it and act accordingly.