Charity and Redemption :
Ha Lahma Anya.

Three questions arise regarding the paragraph, “Ha Lahma Anya”:

A. Why do we introduce the Seder with this paragraph, in which we extend an open invitation to the poor to join us at the table?

B. Even before this invitation, we begin by briefly describing the matzah: “This is the bread of affliction that our forefathers ate in the land of Egypt.”  Why do we mention this before extending an invitation to the poor? 

C. Why do we conclude this paragraph with our wish that “this year, we are here, next year in the Land of Israel”? 

The answer lies in the power of tzedakah (charity) to bring the redemption.  The Gemara (Masechet Bava Batra 10) says, “Tzedakah is great in that it brings the redemption closer.”  Likewise, the verse states in Yeshayahu: “Tziyon will be redeemed through justice; the return to it - through charity.”  It is thus appropriate to begin the Seder with the mitzvah of tzedakah, which brings the redemption, as in the merit of our retelling of the Exodus, too, the redemption will hopefully arrive. 

When we welcome the needy guests into our home, we speak to them comforting words of consolation so that they do not feel ashamed.  We remind them that long ago our forefathers were slaves in Egypt and were forced to eat matzah - the bread of affliction - amidst bitterness and slave labor.  We tell our guests that “Whoever is hungry may come and eat” – they, too, may come and join us without any embarrassment or shame.  We then conclude, “This year, we are here; next year - in the Land of Israel.”  This, too, is meant to comfort the poor who have joined us.  In the merit of this mitzvah of charity, which brings the redemption closer, Hashem will increase His kindness towards us, such that next year we will all - rich and poor alike - have the privilege of living as free men in Jerusalem. 

The importance of speaking warmly and comfortingly to the poor is emphasized in the Gemara (Bava Batra 9b).  The Gemara there states that whereas one who merely gives money to the poor, receives only six blessings, one who comforts a needy person with words, receives eleven blessings.  The verse in Tehillim likewise says, “Good is the man who lends generously, who conducts his speech with righteousness.”  This refers to one who speaks properly and with kind words to a needy person to comfort him. (Binah Le’itim) 

This idea is alluded to in the words, “Ha lahma anya.”  The word “anya” is related to the word “oneh,” speech, thus alluding to the words of consolation spoken to the poor.  The last two letters of the word “anya,” “yud” and “alef,” have a combined numerical value of eleven, alluding to the eleven blessings earned by speaking kindly with the needy.  (Hid”a)

 

A beautiful story is told of the Chafetz Chaim, one which helps explain this power of kindness to bring the redemption.  During World War I, much of the world suffered from harsh conditions of poverty.  A certain man, however, became very wealthy even during this turbulent period.  The Chafetz Chaim asked him how he could have amassed such wealth in a time of economic crisis.  The man replied that he made his fortune by selling leather to the army, which would purchase anything, even leather with holes and the like. 

“Why,” asked the Chafetz Chaim, “would they purchase such low-quality merchandise?” 

The man explained that he would bribe a certain government official to order that all leather materials be purchased from him. 

The Chafetz Chaim said: “In earlier generations, every mitzvah was performed with genuine fear and love, and the Almighty willingly accepted them all.  In our times, however, when most of our mitzvot are not performed on the proper level, what can we do so that the Almighty will accept our mitzvot?  We can give Him a bribe to accept our mitzvot.  Our Sages say, ‘Whoever has compassion on other people, the Almighty has compassion on him.’  Thus, if one gives tzedakah and performs acts of kindness for others, the Almighty deals compassionately with him, as well, and will accept his mitzvot to save him from trouble and exile.” 

We therefore begin our Seder with an act of kindness, so that Hashem will accept the mitzvot that we perform over the course of the evening.
                                                                                                                                                                                                               

 Hashem’s Presence at our Seder:
The paragraph of “Ha Lahma Anya” is written in Aramaic.  As the ministering angels understand only Hebrew, we recite this paragraph in Aramaic to demonstrate that we do not need the angels to bring our retelling of the Exodus before the Almighty; it rather directly ascends to Hashem without any intermediary.  The Zohar in fact writes that Hashem comes Himself to hear our praise of Him on this night. 

The story is told of Hacham Ben-Tziyon Abba Shaul, who served as Rosh Yeshivah of Yeshivat Porat Yosef, that once as he cited this passage in the Zohar in a lecture, he began crying.  “How,” he exclaimed, “can a person engage in idle talk during the reading of the Haggadah, if the Almighty Himself sits there to hear His praises?!” (Taken from the Artscroll Sephardic Haggadah – the Ellis A. Safdeye edition)
                                                                                                                                                                                                               

The 117 Years of Bondage:

The first letters of the words, “Ha lahma anya di achalu avhatana be’ar’a de’Mitzrayim” (“This is the bread of affliction that our forefathers ate in the land of Egypt”) have the combined numerical value of 117.  This alludes to the fact that the Egyptian exile lasted 117 years, as Rabbi Eliezer of Worms, the “Roke’ah,” writes in his manuscripts. 

It is similarly written in Seder Olam that 117 years transpired from the death of Levi - the last of Yaakov’s sons to die - until Bnei Yisrael’s departure from Egypt. 

Thus, this numerical value is most appropriate for this passage - “This is the bread of affliction that our forefathers ate in the land of Egypt,” as Bnei Yisrael spent 117 years as slaves in Egypt.  It therefore says in Tehillim (91:15), “I am with him during crisis.” The word “Imo” (“with him”) has the numerical value of 117; the verse thus teaches that Hashem was with Bnei Yisrael throughout their 117 years of hardship in Egypt. (Hid”a - Ge’ulat Olam, Batei Henefesh)
                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Experiencing the Exodus:

The question arises concerning “Mah Nishtanah,” why must we wait for the children to ask about the peculiarities of the Seder before telling them the story? Why don’t we tell them about the Exodus immediately?

Furthermore, why must we perform all the symbolic acts of slavery and freedom; should it not be enough just to remember the event of the Exodus? 

The answer is that our departure from Egypt constitutes a fundamental tenet of our faith.  Through this act God demonstrated His authority over nature.  The Ramban explains (in his commentary to the end of Parashat Bo) that there were people who thought that God created the world and left it; once He left, things happen naturally without God’s control.  Hashem therefore performed these miracles to show that He continues to rule over the earth.  He does not perform miracles in every generation; instead, He commanded us to commemorate that which occurred during the time of the Exodus from Egypt and convey this message to our children who will convey it to theirs.  The Torah is therefore very strict when it comes to the laws of Pesah.  Eating hametz and failure to bring the Korban Pesah are both punishable by the severe punishment of “karet.”  We are also commanded to wear tefillin, in which these miracles are mentioned, on our arms and heads, as well as place mezuzot on our doorposts.  The Torah also obligates us to recall the Exodus every day.

Given the importance of the Exodus, our Sages require that we not only remember this event, but that we actually feel it.  There are many things that a person knows intellectually, but does not feel emotionally until he actually sees or experiences it. For example, telling someone a fictional tale will make some impression, but a stage performance of the same story will leave a much stronger impression to the point where it appears to the viewers as if the incident actually occurred.  Audiences therefore begin crying and laughing and believe that what they see, is in fact true. This happens to both the viewers and those who put on the show. 

Therefore, on Pesah, since the story of the Exodus must be firmly implanted within our hearts and our children’s hearts, simply telling of the incident does not suffice. The story must be actually shown, such as through a play portraying the Exodus and physical demonstrations of freedom - such as the four cups of wine and reclining - and, conversely, the suffering of bondage - such as the marror.

This is all meant for us to actually feel the Exodus.  For this same reason, we do not initiate the retelling of the story to the children.  Instead, we wait for them to notice all the changes and see with their own eyes the symbols of both freedom and slavery and ask, “What is this all about?”  Only then do we explain to them the meaning behind everything they see, such that they, too, can fully experience and appreciate the concept of the Exodus, rather than just hear about it.  (Based on Rav Chaim Shemuelevitz, as cited in the Artscroll Haggadah) 

An extraordinary story is told by a close student of the Chafetz Chaim of how he actually felt and sensed the Exodus.  Once, at around midnight on a Friday night, the student passed by his rabbi’s house and heard his sweet voice.  He approached the window and saw the Chafetz Chaim sitting on his bed and studying Humash, specifically Parashat Vaera.  As he read through the plagues as described in that parashah, he was overcome by intense excitement with every plague cast upon the Egyptians.  When he reached the plague of boils, during which, the Torah writes, “The magicians were unable to stand before Moshe because of the boils,” he began laughing loudly.  The student pointed out that he had never before heard the Chafetz Chaim laugh in such a manner.  His face expressed such wonder and amazement, as if he stood in Egypt and saw with his very eyes the plagues descend upon the Egyptians, and as if he himself saw the magicians covered with boils, too ashamed to appear before Moshe in such condition. 

Such was the Chafetz Chaim’s genuine belief in that which is written in the Torah! 

The student concludes, “I stood there stunned for over half an hour!”
                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Answering the Four Questions:

An additional question must be asked regarding the Mah Nishtanah: when do we answer these four questions?  Where in the pages that follow in the Haggadah do we find the answer?

The Abarbanel (cited in the Migdal Eder Haggadah) explains that the answer is found immediately in the Haggadah’s initial response to these questions: “We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, but Hashem our God took us out from there… “  On this night we underwent a transition from slaves to free men.  We therefore conduct some rituals symbolizing slavery – such as eating matzah and marror – as well as rituals expressing freedom – such as dipping our vegetables and reclining.  This one idea answers all four questions raised in the Mah Nishtanah.  Our conduct on this night commemorates the wondrous miracle of this drastic transformation that occurred over the course of a single night.
                                                                                                                                                                                                               

The Triple Miracle :

The Haggadah says, “We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, but Hashem our God took us out from there… “  The Gaon of Vilna notes that the Haggadah describes here three aspects of Bnei Yisrael’s bondage in Egypt.  First, “avadim hayinu” – “we were slaves.” Secondly, not only were we slaves, but we were “slaves to Pharaoh” – a particularly cruel and harsh oppressor.  Thirdly, we served Pharaoh “in Egypt,” a powerful people. The second half of this sentence describes our deliverance from all three aspects.  First, whereas Pharaoh, who had declared himself a deity, had subjugated us, Hashem freed us, overpowering the evil king.  Secondly, Hashem “our God” took us from Egypt: whereas previously we were slaves, we are now His servants.  Thirdly, “from there” – we were saved from the ruthless Egyptians.  We thus find it appropriate in this context to cite a Midrash of the strength of Pharaoh and Egypt.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Moshe and Aharon’s Arrival in the Palace

The area around Pharaoh’s palace had four hundred entrances, each one guarded by lions, bears and other fierce animals (all brought about through sorcery).  Nobody could enter the palace without permission.  When Moshe and Aharon came, the animals all gathered and surrounded the two visitors.  They licked their feet and began escorting them.  Before they entered, they saw around the palace hundreds of thousands of strong men and were terrified.  But the angel Gavriel came and brought Moshe and Aharon inside.

They approached the royal gate which was surrounded by two lion cubs bound by iron chains.  Nobody could pass through unless the king ordered them to enter, in which case the magicians would remove the lions with their sorcery.  But Moshe quickly waved his staff at the cubs and set them free.  The lions then joined Moshe and Aharon with pride and joy, as a dog walks with its owner back from the field. Pharaoh saw what happened and was astounded.  He immediately called his guards and had them punished - some were executed, others were whipped. “How did you allow them to get in?” he asked.  They replied that they did not know who permitted them to enter the premises. That day was Pharaoh’s birthday, when he would host a lavish celebration attended by kings and dignitaries from all over the world who would come and shower gifts upon him, as he ruled over the entire world.  Seeing all the aristocrats speaking with the king, Moshe and Aharon stood at the entrance of the palace.  Eventually, word came to Pharaoh that two elderly men were standing at the door.  He asked whether or not they brought gifts, and the servants said that they had not.  He therefore instructed that they come in last.  When they finally entered, they found Pharaoh sitting on his throne in all his glory with the kings and dignitaries sitting all around him.  They looked with awe upon Moshe and Aharon, who looked like angels.  Their eyes shone like the sun, and their beards were long and dignified, like clusters of dates.  They stood tall like cedars, their faces radiated like sunlight, and their words emanated from their mouths like a flame.  Moshe’s staff was an awesome sight to behold, as the letters of Hashem’s Name were inscribed upon it. 

All the kings from the east and the west were gripped with fear, awe and trepidation, as was Pharaoh.  They removed their crowns from their heads and bowed before Moshe and Aharon. 

“What do you want?” Pharaoh asked. 

They replied, “The God of the Hebrews sent me to you - let my people go!” 

“Who is God that I should listen to Him?  Why has He not sent me a gift like all the other kings, and instead sent me only words?”

He then took out a record of all the gods and read through the list. 

“I read the entire record,” he said, “and I did not find the name of your God.”

This situation may be compared to a kohen who had a servant.  Once the kohen left the country and the servant went to find him.  He searched all over and looked even in the cemetery, walking around shouting, “Master!  Master!” 

“Who is your master?” he was asked. 

“So-and-so the kohen,” the servant replied.

“You fool!  You are searching for a kohen in the graveyard?!”

Similarly, Moshe said to Pharaoh, “You fool!  All the gods you have are already dead. But our God is the living, eternal God - you are looking for Him there?!”

Pharaoh was then stricken by terrible suffering.  He was so frightened by the sight of Moshe and Aharon that he had to perform his bodily functions.  He entered the restroom and suddenly a swarm of mice came and bit him.  He cried out in pain, and then promised to improve his treatment of Bnei Yisrael.  But when he returned to his throne, he hardened his heart and declared, “I do not know God!  He never sent me a letter of greeting or gift - I do not know of Him!” (From Sippurei Nifla’ot, printed in the back of the Haggadah, Migdal Eder, 2-11) 

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 Hashem calculated the end of the bondage

In the sefer, Nahalat Binyamin, the duration of the Egyptian exile was calculated to be 212 years. However, Hashem redeemed the Jews after 210 years because if they would have remained in Egypt for an additional two years, G-d forbid, they would have become completely assimilated. Eventually, the Jews settled in Eretz Yisrael. Unfortunately, they sinned so badly that had they remained an additional two years, Hashem would have decreed that they be destroyed. The Torah gives us a remez (hint) that if they will remain in the land 852 years (the numerical equivalent of ונושנתם (then they will descend to the level of sin requiring a severe punishment of תאבדון אבד” ,You will surely be destroyed.” Therefore, Hashem exiled them after 850 years, imposing upon them two extra years of exile, thereby completing the two years of servitude that were cut short in Egypt.

To what can this be compared? A man once had a great and rare opportunity he could purchase merchandise for 1000 gold coins and resell it for 4000 gold coins! To his great dismay, he only had 800 coins. He was very upset and did not know what to do. Fortunately, a friend of his just happened to come by at thistimeand willinglylent himthe 200 gold coins. Theman’sjoy was overwhelming. Indeed, he realized the profit that he expected, and he could not thank his friend enough for making it possible

One month later, the two friends were traveling through a desert when they were attacked by robbers. If the robbers didn’t find any money with their victims, they allowed them to continue on their way. However, if the victim had money, they killed him so he could not inform the authorities. 

The merchant had 200 gold coins in his possession and knew that he would be murdered for it. Suddenly, his friend said something totally unexpected — he asked him to repay the $200 loan! This friend had loaned him money when he was in need and now he took it back in order to save his life. His gratitude knew no bounds.

Similarly, Hashem calculated the end of our exile in Egypt two years early when we so desperately needed it and sent us into exile after 850 years of settling the land (2 years before 852, which is numerically equivalent to ונושנתם.)  Now we can understand why Tisha B’Av occurs on the same night of the week as the Seder. In His great kindness, Hashem spared the Jews two years of bondage in Egypt because of their terrible circumstances. By the same token, Hashem had them make up for those two years centuries later when they were exiled from Eretz Yisrael two years early, again saving them from a worse fate. 

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 The Key to Survival

“V’hi She’amdah”  - “It is this that has stood by our forefathers and us”

The twenty-two letters in this paragraph correspond to the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet in which the Torah is written. This teaches us that it is the Torah that has been the key to our survival throughout the centuries. Similarly, the numerical value of the word, “ve’hi” (“it is this”) equals twenty-two. (Rabbi Eliezer Ginsberg)

The Haggadah is telling us here that our existence among the nations of the world is only assured if we observe the Torah. Those people who think that we will be loved more if we behave like the gentiles and assimilate could not be more wrong. On the contrary, only when we follow Hashem’s will can we be assured of Hashem’s protection. History has proved this again and again.

The Haggadah draws proof to the fact that “in every generation they rise against us to destroy us” from the efforts of Lavan to destroy our patriarch, Yaakov. No Jew in history should have been loved by a non-Jew and “assimilated” more than Yaakov. As the Torah describes, Yaakov’s arrival and work on behalf of his father-in-law brought remarkable success, wealth and prosperity. The Midrash tells us that Lavan was blessed with sons only in Yaakov’s merit; Yaakov labored day and night for twenty years tending to Lavan’s flocks. What more, Yaakov was married to four of Lavan’s daughters (the Midrash says that Bilhah and Zilpah were also Lavan’s daughters) and fathered twenty-three of Lavan’s grandchildren (each of his eleven sons - born until this point - was born with a twin sister; Dinah brings the total to twenty-three). Yet, in spite of all this, Lavan still sought to kill Yaakov, his wives and his children - Lavan’s own daughters and grandchildren!

This demonstrates that no matter how much we do for the non-Jews they will still seek our destruction. Only our observance of Torah can sustain us in exile. 

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Without our ever Knowing

“Go out and learn”

The Haggadah tells us that “in every generation they rise up against us to destroy us.” The question arises, although certainly our history has seen many periods in which our enemies have attempted to destroy us, this cannot be said to occur in every generation. How can the Haggadah claim that our enemies seek our destruction in each and every generation? 

The answer is, that the Haggadah here teaches us this very point. Hashem saves us from our enemies often when we are not even aware of it. The Haggadah draws proof to this effect from Lavan, who sought to destroy us while we never knew of his intentions. The Almighty saved us when He appeared to Lavan in a dream and said, “Beware of attempting anything with Yaakov, good or bad.” This shows how our enemies come to destroy us even without our knowing of their plans; and Hashem saves us also, without our ever knowing.

The verse thus states, “Praise Hashem, all the nations; extol Him, all peoples, for great is His kindness towards us.” All nations must praise Hashem because they saw the kindness He performed for us. They know all that they plotted against us, and that it did not succeed. This is what the verse means: all the nations should praise God, because great is His kindness towards us, Bnei Yisrael. (Hazon Ovadiah)

It is told that J. Edgar Hoover, who served as head of the FBI, commented after he completed his term, that there must be a God who protects the Jews. Several attempts were made to issue decrees against the Jews, but failed. This happened over thirty years ago. We see that the other nations try destroying us, without us knowing anything about it. 

A remarkable incident further illustrating this point occurred in Halab, told in the book, Lik’doshim Asher Ba’aretz, about an attempted blood libel against the Jews. A rabbi from the Dayan family lived right next to the synagogue, and every night after Arbit, the synagogue was locked and the keys were kept in his home. At midnight, the keys were taken from the rabbi’s home to open the synagogue, as from midnight until morning people would begin arriving in the synagogue. One night, the rabbi dreamt that he was told to immediately awaken, as the synagogue and Sifrei Torah were on fire. He immediately jumped out of bed like a warrior and looked at the synagogue from his window. He saw nothing and heard not a sound. He figured that his dream was just nonsense, and he went back to sleep. A half-hour later, he dreamt that it was told to him, “Have we not already told you - the synagogue and all the Torah scrolls are on fire!” He once again jumped out of bed and ran to the window; this time, too, he saw nothing. The repetition of the dream, he thought to himself, certainly could not be for naught; something must have happened. He took the keys to the synagogue and went to open it. He walked through the entire building checking every room, until finally he came to the sanctuary where the Sifrei Torah were kept, and saw nothing. He stood in bewilderment and then began leaving the sanctuary. On his way out, he saw that one Sefer Torah was slightly opened, unlike the others which were all completely closed. He tried closing the Torah, but it would not close all the way. He opened it to see what was there and saw a container filled with blood. He took the container out of the sanctuary, poured the blood into the gutter, and then drew water from the well and washed the entire area so that no trace of blood could be found. He then took the container to his house, filled it with reddish-black wine resembling the color of blood, returned to the synagogue and placed the container in the spot where he found it. He then locked the synagogue, took the keys to his home, and went back to sleep. After an hour or so, just before midnight, the deputy general came with his soldiers and asked the rabbi for the keys. He immediately gave them the keys, and feared what they might do in the synagogue. He went to his window to see what would happen. The enemies entered the synagogue and searched the entire building. The deputy general entered the sanctuary, took out the container, and gave it to the governor himself. 

“Here,” he said, “just as I told you, every year they kill some gentile, take his blood and hide it in their sanctuary with the Torah where it is kept until Pesah so that they can use it for their matzot.” 

The governor was perplexed. One of his servants approached him and said, “My lord, do you really believe this accusation? Maybe it is not blood in the container?” He immediately poured some of the liquid into his hands, and it smelled like wine.

He turned to the apostate and said, “You are lying and playing tricks on us!” The man was stunned and did not know what to answer, knowing full well that he himself had placed the blood there. He was immediately beaten to death. The soldiers left angry and frustrated. They locked the synagogue, returned the keys, and went along their way. Later that night the synagogue was opened as usual, and everyone came without knowing anything of what had transpired during the night. When the rabbi came for prayers in the morning, he stood up and told everyone of the miracle that occurred. The entire community rose, recited hallel, and observed that entire day as a day of joy and celebration. 

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Power of the Korban Pesah 

“And I saw you trampled  in your blood”

When the time came for the Almighty to redeem Bnei Yisrael, He found that they had no mitzvot by which to earn redemption. The pasuk cited here in the Haggadah describes Bnei Yisrael as “bare and naked,” without any mitzvot to their credit. Hashem therefore instructed them with regard to two mitzvot: the blood of the Korban Pesah and the blood of circumcision. He declared, “Through your blood shall you live… Through your blood shall you live!” In the merit of these two mitzvot, the nation earned redemption.

(Ritva, quoting a Midrash, cited in the Migdal Eder Haggadah) The power of specifically these mitzvot requires some explanation. That Bnei Yisrael earned salvation in the merit of the mitzvah of circumcision we can understand; this mitzvah entails significant pain and discomfort. But wherein lies the unique importance of the Korban Pesah that rendered Bnei Yisrael worthy of redemption?

During their stay in Egypt, Bnei Yisrael adopted the idolatrous practices of the Egyptians, who worshipped sheep. Hashem therefore instructed them to sacrifice the Egyptian god, eat of its meat, and publicize this sacrifice by placing some of its blood on their doorposts. 

Whenever an Egyptian would walk by a Jewish home, he knew immediately that his god was sacrificed and its blood placed on the door specifically to anger the Egyptians. Undoubtedly, the Egyptian would be incensed and seek to kill the Jews inside. By obeying Hashem’s command to perform this ritual, and to remain inside their homes rather than seeking refuge elsewhere, Bnei Yisrael demonstrated their rejection of Egyptian idolatry and firm belief in Hashem. (Binah Le’itim, p.253)

For this same reason, Bnei Yisrael were to take the sheep for the Korban Pesah on the day when the constellation of the sheep was at its peak. This showed the Egyptians that even at the point where their god is considered particularly strong and invulnerable, it fell prey before Bnei Yisrael, who took a sheep, bound it, and ultimately slaughtered it as a sacrifice. (Binah Le’itim)

Thus, the placing of the blood on the doorposts served as an important demonstration of faith in Hashem, rendering Bnei Yisrael worthy of miraculous salvation from Egypt. The Midrash (Parashat Bo) says that Hashem took each individual from Bnei Yisrael, as it were, and kissed and blessed him. To this blessing the pasuk refers when it says, “I said to you, ‘Through your blood you shall live!’” The Gemara (Shabbat 55) likewise comments that the Almighty ordered the angel Gavriel to imprint a mark on the foreheads of all the tzadikim to protect them from the destroyer. 

(Emet Le’Yaakov, quoted in the Migdal Eder Haggadah)

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Plague of the Firstborn

“I will smite every firstborn  in the land  of Egypt”

The verse (Shemot 12:30) states that every Egyptian home suffered a casualty as a result of the smiting of the firstborn. This requires explanation: since the plague killed only the firstborn, how did it affect every home? Weren’t their homes without any male firstborns? Several answers have been given. First, in houses without any firstborn the eldest member of the household died. Furthermore, given the widespread immorality in Egypt at that time, every family may very well have had several children who were technically the firstborn. Additionally, there was a custom when a firstborn died to draw his picture on a wall in the house to comfort the grieving family. The plague of the firstborn destroyed these pictures, as well, causing great distress to the family as if the firstborn had died just then. Similarly, deceased relatives buried in or around the house were on this night dragged from their graves by dogs, who then gnawed at their bones. This, too, was considered as if the relatives had died that night. 

The plague struck in the middle of the night, as the Torah describes (Shemot 12:29), but the victims did not die immediately. In order for Bnei Yisrael to see the punishment God sent upon their former oppressors, the firstborn remained living until morning. Hashem also ensured that Bnei Yisrael would sleep soundly, undisturbed by the shrieks of terror that were heard all around them. Yet, they were shown in their dreams the effects of the plague so they could personally withhold the Egyptians’ punishment. (Me’am Lo’ez, Shemot 12:30)

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Leaving with  Pride and Dignity

 “And with an outstretched  arm” 

The Almighty wanted that the Exodus would unfold, before everything else, “with an outstretched arm,” that Bnei Yisrael would not escape like slaves fleeing from their master, but would rather leave with respect and dignity. He wanted that Pharaoh himself would come and declare their freedom, as this would lend Bnei Yisrael a degree of respect and honor. The pasuk thus says, “It was, when Pharaoh sent Bnei Yisrael” - indicating that Pharaoh personally set them free.

We therefore cite here the Midrash’s description of the trouble Pharaoh went through in order to personally emancipate the slaves: 

Throughout that night, Pharaoh went around through every street asking for Moshe and inquiring as to where he lived. The children from among Bnei Yisrael would laugh and say, “Pharaoh, where are you going?”

“I am looking for Moshe,” he would answer.

They would then fool him and say, “He lives over here.” They played this game until finally he came to Moshe’s home.

“Pharaoh,” Moshe said, “what do you want? Who comes to whom - you to me, or I to you?” 

Pharaoh then pleaded, “Get up and leave my country.” 

Moshe replied, “Are we thieves, that we must sneak out in the middle of the night?” He then added, “You fool - are we going to leave at night?” Pharaoh repeated his request: “Get up and leave my country.” 

Moshe answered, “The Almighty commanded us not to leave our homes until morning. We will leave in the middle of the day with dignity and freedom, publicly, like princes, not secretly in the middle of the night.” Moshe then asked, “Why are you going through all this trouble?” 

“I am a firstborn,” he answered, “and I am afraid that I will die.” 

“Do not fear,” Moshe said, “greater things await you.” 

Moshe then ordered, “Go proclaim, ‘You are now your own; you are the servants of the Almighty!’” Pharaoh obeyed and declared, “In the past you were my slaves, but now you are free, you are the slaves of the Almighty! You must therefore praise His Name, as it says, ‘Praise, servants of Hashem’!” As Bnei Yisrael recited Hallel, there was an outcry throughout Egypt and the Egyptians came to kill Pharaoh. (Sippurei Nifla’ot, 58-59)

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Exodus and Mashi’ah 

 “I will show  wonders in the sky and on the earth” 

The Haggadah cites the pasuk, “I will show wonders in the sky and on the earth - blood, fire and columns of smoke.” How does this pasuk relate to the Exodus? After all, it speaks of that which will occur during the time of Mashi’ah; of what relevance is it to the story of the Exodus?

The answer is that the wonders that will occur during the times of Mashi’ah result from the power of the Exodus. The miracles that Hashem performed in Egypt remain in force, as indicated by the pasuk: “Hodu l’Hashem ki tov, ki le’olam hasdo” - “Praise Hashem, for He is good, for His kindness is eternal.” Meaning, the miracles that the Almighty has performed retain their potential forever, even after the miracles seem to have been completed; the potential remains for them to occur yet again. (Maharal of Prague)

We therefore tell the story of the Exodus even while we live in exile, since the Exodus is what makes our future redemption possible. Indeed, the pasuk in Sefer Michah (7:15) states, “Like in the days when you left Egypt, I will show you wonders.” 

We therefore cite in this context a pasuk describing the Messianic era, to teach us that the Plague of Blood that will take place in the future results from the power of the Plague of Blood that struck Egypt. 

It turns out, then, that at this point in the Haggadah we are reminded of, and inspired by, the events that will take place in the times of Mashi’ah. We thus find it appropriate in this context to cite a passage in the Zohar relevant to this topic: 

The Zohar (in Parashat Vaera) asks, how will the divine punishment of “blood and fire,” which will befall the wicked in the days to come, unfold? Which will come first, and which nation will be the first to receive punishment? The Zohar says that Yishmael will come first, since that nation’s “sar,” or representative angel in the heavens, constantly prosecutes against Bnei Yisrael, more so than any of the seventy nations, and Yishmael is the partner of Amalek. The thirteen hundred years that Yishmael ruled over Eretz Yisrael were a reward for his having been circumcised. The Zohar adds, “Woe unto that time when Yishmael was born and circumcised!”

Because of it, Yishmael’s representative angel stood for four hundred years demanding a portion in the land, arguing, “Does not one who circumcised himself deserve a share in the land?” 

The Almighty responds, “Yes, but Bnei Yisrael observe this mitzvah properly.” But Yishmael then insists, “Nevertheless, does not one who circumcised himself deserve a share in the land?” It is they who prevent Bnei Yisrael from returning to their land, until that merit of Yishmael’s descendants will expire. When that time arrives, Yishmael will initiate fierce wars in the world, and the nation of Edom will join them. One will be positioned at sea, the other on dry land, and another near Jerusalem, and each will rule over the other. Eretz Yisrael, however, will not be given to the nation of Edom. At that time, a nation from the other end of the world will rise up against the wicked Roman Empire and wage battle for three months. The nations will gather and fall into their hands, until all the people of Edom from all corners of the earth will gather together. At that point, the Almighty will rise up against them, and this is what the pasuk means when it states, “Hashem holds a sacrifice in Botzrah.” The Zohar continues that the Almighty will then grab hold of the edges of the earth and shake the wicked out from it - referring to Yishmael. Just as a person holds onto the edges of a tablecloth to shake out the crumbs, so will Hashem shake out Yishmael and destroy all its forces in the heavens, such that only Yisrael’s forces in the heavens will remain from among those of all nations, as the pasuk states, “Hashem is your shadow on your right side.” Then, “Hashem will reign forever.” Thus, because Yishmael was circumcised at age thirteen, his descendants ruled over the land for thirteen hundred years and still prevent Bnei Yisrael’s return. For this Hashem will “shake them out” from the world together with Edom who joined them. But it is Yishmael who will be punished first. (Zohar, Shemot 32b; this passage from the Zohar is translated into Hebrew in the work, Ahavat Chaim.)

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 The Benefits of Exile

Rabban Gamliel used to say: Whoever has not discussed (said) these three things on Pesah has not fulfilled his duty, namely, Pesah, Matzoh, and Marror.

Why does Rabban Gamliel mention marror after the Korban Pesah and matzah? After all, the marror commemorates the bitterness of slavery, the period before the redemption that we celebrate with the Korban Pesah and matzah. At first glance, then, marror should be mentioned first. Furthermore, as the bitterness of slavery did not constitute part of the process of salvation, why must we discuss the marror at the Seder at all? 

the marror at the Seder at all? The answer is that during the exile we do not see the Hand of God; only after redemption can we look back retroactively and recognize His Hand, that everything that occurred actually took place for our benefit. After the redemption from Egypt, we can point to several ways in which the exile served our interests: 

A. The Torah (Devarim 4:20) refers to the Egyptian exile as “kur ha’barzel” - the iron furnace. It served to cleanse and purify us so that we could receive the Torah. One who indulges in the fulfillment of physical desires cannot accept the Torah; it can be received only by one who has become accustomed to hard work and a degree of self-denial. The Almighty wanted to accustom us to rigorous labor in order to prepare us for the receiving of the Torah.

B. The Zohar in Parashat Shemot writes that upon seeing the beauty and exalted level of the twelve tribes, Hashem feared that other nations will wish to join Bnei Yisrael to attain their stature. He therefore subjected Bnei Yisrael to slavery in Egypt so that no other peoples would wish to join them

C. The Zohar also says that through Bnei Yisrael’s work in Egypt they collected the sparks of kedushah that had been scattered throughout Egypt. 

 D. Whereas the Almighty had decreed a four-hundred year period of exile, He instead intensified the suffering so that He could redeem Bnei Yisrael after a shorter period. The Midrash gives an example of a king who promised to whip his son with one hundred ropes. Realizing that his son would not survive this multiple whipping, he took a single rope and foldedit over one hundredtimes.Similarly,Hashemhastenedthe redemption byintensifyingthe bondage,thus ensuringBnei Yisrael’s abilitytowithstand the exile and survive. In retrospect, then, the intensified bondage was for our own benefit. (Binah Le’itim, pp.251-252)

E. Even the most difficult element of the Egyptian exile - Pharaoh’s decree that Bnei Yisrael must collect their own straw - was for their own good. Until that point, only the Egyptian noblemen knew of the suffering to which Egypt subjected the Hebrew slaves; the masses knew nothing of this. The Almighty wanted the commoners to witness the persecution so that they, too, would be deserving of punishment, and He would take their wealth and give it to Bnei Yisrael. Hashem therefore saw to it that the slaves would have to scatter about throughout Egypt for a period of time, so that ultimately, they would take all the Egyptians’ wealth with them when they left. (Or Gedalyahu, Parashat Vaera)

In this sense, exile may be compared to sowing seeds in the ground which ultimately yield vast amounts of produce. Townspeople who see a villager planting choice grain in the field may wonder why such high quality grain, which could be used for baking, is instead placed in the ground. They do not realize that this small handful of seeds will become a large yield. Similarly, exile is the seed planted in the ground; from the suffering of exile grows the sanctity of the Nation of Israel. Just as the farmer does not understand why and how these seeds will yield produce, but knows from experience that this in fact occurs, so must we believe that from the seeds of exile our redemption will emerge. When the redemption unfolds, we will see clearly and understand how the entire exile was, in effect, for our own good. (Or Gedalyahu, Parashat Shemot) 

The marror, then, is also part of our freedom, as through the bitterness of exile Bnei Yisrael were redeemed. This awareness, however, comes only after the redemption and freedom, when we can retroactively appreciate the benefits of exile. We therefore discuss the marror, too, as part of our discussion of our freedom from Egypt, but only after we tell of the matzah and Korban Pesah.

The Reason Behind the Four Cups of Wine

The Egyptians planned to harm Bnei Yisrael in four ways:

A. Financially: they took their money and drove them to hunger and destitution

B. Physically: they inflicted harsh pain and suffering upon Bnei Yisrael 

C. Emotionally: they subjected the people to shame and humiliation

D. Spiritually: they prevented Bnei Yisrael from observing the Torah

Hashem saved us from all four aspects of bondage. After years of poverty, we left Egypt with great wealth; our humiliation was replaced by the pride and glory of the Exodus; our physical suffering turned into freedom; and our spiritual emptiness was filled as we became Hashem’s nation.

We commemorate these four aspects of the Exodus by drinking four cups of wine at the Seder. First, we mark the most important aspect - our spiritual salvation - through the recitation of kiddush. We bless the Almighty “who chose us from all nations… and sanctified us with His mitzvot.” The second cup is that upon which we recite the Haggadah, the story of our freedom from the humiliation and shame of bondage. The third cup is that of birkat ha-mazon, in which we praise the Almighty for His kindness in providing us with a livelihood and sustenance, rather than our suffering from poverty and hunger. The fourth cup, associated with Hallel, celebrates our deliverance from our cruel enemies who sought to inflict pain and hardship upon us. We therefore introduce Hallel with “Sh’foch Hamatecha,” asking Hashem to punish those nations who sought to destroy us. (Binah Le’itim, p.257)

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“It is better to seek refuge in Hashem than to trust in man” 

Rabbi Machluf Hadad zt”l of D’Jerba, in his work, Ke’rahem Av, tells the following story he heard from a messenger visiting from Eretz Yisrael. A man lived during the time of King Shelomoh, named Elkanah. He was very wealthy and opened his home to all those in need; his arm was constantly outstretched ready to give charity and perform acts of kindness. The time came, however, for his wheel of fortune to turn, and he lost all his money. All that remained from his immense wealth was a single goat. Elkanah contemplated his situation, was anguished over his poverty and felt embittered and distraught.

King Shelomoh would every so often disguise as a poor person and walk about through the streets to hear what the citizens are saying. In this way he got a sense of their situation and learned of their needs. That day the king disguised himself, as usual, and went outside to the market where the sun beat down upon him fiercely. Elkanah approached him and invited him to rest in the shade and comfort of his home. He gave the guest some cold water and begged him to join him for a meal. He served him fine, roasted meat and the two sat and conversed together over the meal. Elkanah innocently told of his unfortunate situation and revealed that he had slaughtered his very last goat, the remnant of his fortune, in his guest’s honor. 

The king was amazed at his host’s generosity and said, “I am a close friend of King Shelomoh. I am giving you a letter to the king. Give it to him, and he will bring you back to your former status and grant you immense wealth. You deserve to be wealthy - for one who pursues charity and kindness will find life, charity and honor!” 

Elkanah took the letter and went to Jerusalem. Upon his arrival in the city, he headed towards the royal palace. He reached the palace and was told that the king was currently in the Bet Hamikdash. Elkanah went to the Bet Hamikdash and saw the king kneeling with his hands spread towards the heavens. He prayed before the Creator that He should bless the coming year and its produce, and that the year will bring life, prosperity and peace.

Elkanah heard the king’s prayer and thought, “If King Shelomoh himself requests goodness and blessing from the source of all blessing - the Almighty, then why should I turn to him and request his favor? Why don’t I go straight to the source? Additionally, even if the king grants me some of his wealth, he cannot guarantee that it will not be lost - as happened to my previous fortune. But if the Creator blesses me with wealth, He will also guarantee its protection, as it is written, ‘Hashem will bless you - and protect you.’”

He immediately kneeled and bowed, and asked the Almighty for His assistance. Elkanah then rose, his heart ablaze with faith and trust. He returned to his town and decided to begin some work, knowing that Hashem will be with him.

And so he took an ax and went to the forest to chop wood. He approached a tree and tried cutting it down. It was an especially hot and dry day, and the wood was too hard to chop. He quickly grew tired and cried out in despair. He pleaded before the Almighty for assistance, and once again tried chopping the tree, but to no avail. He decided to try dislodging the entire tree with its roots and, much to his astonishment, it worked. He discovered that there was hollow ground underneath the tree; an open ditch opened before his eyes in the ground. From the bottom of pit a brilliant, golden light shone. Elkanah leaned down and discovered a treasure of gold coins. He thanked the Almighty for this gift and invested the money in business. Hashem blessed his work and he became ten times as wealthy as he had been previously.

Some time later, King Shelomoh remembered Elkanah and wondered why he never came to present the letter. He asked his servants, and the doorman informed him that indeed a man had come to bring a letter to the king but was told that the king was in the Bet Hamikdash. He left the palace towards the Bet HaMikdash and never returned. The king was curious as to what could have happened and decided to investigate the matter. He disguised as a commoner and went to Elkanah’s town. This time, he found Elkanah living in a glorious mansion with scores of visitors whom he served and brought fine delicacies. Elkanah saw the king in his simple attire and invited him to wash his hands and sit down to eat. 

“No,” the man replied. “I went to Jerusalem and I saw that the king himself prayed for divine assistance. I said to myself, if so, then isn’t it better to place one’s trust in God rather than in royal dignitaries? I, too, prayed to Hashem that He should help me.” 

King Shelomoh responded, “I am King Shelomoh; fortunate are you that you placed your trust only in Hashem, and not in man! This is what my father, David, meant when he said, “Put not your trust in the noblemen, in mortal man who cannot save.” The nobleman himself is not saved through his own efforts, but rather by the Almighty. Therefore, why should one turn to him, rather than turning directly to the source of all blessings!” (Ke’rahem Av, Hayyei-Sarah)

Rabbi Avraham Antebbi zt”l of Aleppo also brings this story with slight variations. He concludes: “Undoubtedly, it was with regard to such an incident that David said, ‘It is better to seek refuge in Hashem than to trust in the noblemen.’ Even in such a situation, when the king was clearly prepared to give him a sizable gift, the man placed his trust only in Hashem who gives to all. About such a person the pasuk states, ‘One who trusts in Hashem - kindness will surround him.’ A person must learn from what this man did and realize that all the more so he must place his trust only in the Almighty. Look how Hashem rewarded this man for his trust. Certainly, then, one who sincerely and truly trusts in Hashem will not be sent away empty-handed, as it says, ‘In You, Hashem, I have found refuge, I will never be ashamed.’” (Sippurei Nifla’ot, pp.209-211)

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Who smote Egypt with their firstborn 

Seeing that they were doomed to die in the plague, the Egyptian firstborns went and shouted as loudly as they could, “Let us quickly send this nation from here, for otherwise we will all die!” But no one listened. The firstborn therefore took up arms and killed many Egyptians. The verse therefore states, “… who smote Egypt with their firstborn,” meaning, that God punished the Egyptians through the firstborns’ uprising. (Sippurei Niflaot, 57)

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 You have fed us in famine

In Halab, Syria there lived a wise man named Rabbi Yehudah Abud zt”l who earned a meager livelihood from his work teaching schoolchildren.

If throughout the year he scarcely made a living, when Pesah came along his salary could not cover the holiday expenses at all. Rabbi Yehudah took the few coins he earned and went to the market to purchase his bare necessities. As he walked through the marketplace, he felt inside his pocket and shuddered - the pocket was empty. A quick pickpocket had taken his money. He turned around, heartbroken over having experienced Hazal’s saying, “Poverty follows the poor” (Bava Kama 92a). Rabbi Yehudah returned home, wondering where he could find help

He then came up with the answer: “Help will come from Hashem, who made heaven and earth!” He sat and wrote a letter to the Almighty, listing all his needs for the festival and expressing firm trust that Hashem, who redeemed Am Yisrael from Egypt, will redeem him, too, from his crisis and provide him with his needs. He placed the letter in an envelope and wrote on it: “For the Almighty.” He went outside into the yard and tossed the letter up in the air.

A strong wind blew and carried the letter out of sight. 

Ezra, one of the wealthy residents of Halab, sat in his office tending to his affairs. Suddenly, a powerful wind blew and cast a letter into his yard. He picked up the envelope and saw the words “For the Almighty” written on it. He was curious as to what this was, and he opened the envelope. He read the letter and thought to himself, “If I chanced upon this letter, this can only be a sign that I have been chosen as God’s messenger.” 

He called his servant and said, “Take this list and purchase all the items written there. Bring them to the home of Rabbi Abud.”

Rabbi Yehudah sat dumbfounded in his home when suddenly he heard a knock on his door. He opened the door and in marched a procession of servants, each carrying groceries in full baskets and bags.

“Who are you?” he asked in bewilderment. 

“We are servants of Ezra,” they replied. 

“What do I have to do with the wealthy man, Ezra?” Rabbi Yehudah thought to himself. “As a wealthy man, he has the obligation to give charity, but I do not want to be among the recipients!” He immediately went to the wealthy man’s home to thank him for his gift and offer to pay back the debt in several installments, as he did not want to accept charity. 

“This is not charity,” the wealthy man replied. “I have been granted the great privilege of serving as the Almighty’s messenger - and for this I am overjoyed!” (Pi Yesaper, pp.75-76; cited in Sippurei Nifla’ot, pp.259-260)