W A PESACH READER 5774/2014 Celebrating 50 YEARS of dedication to our students and the community. YESHIVA OF GREATER WASHINGTON WWW.YESHIVA.EDU 301-962-5111
Celebrating 50 YEARS of dedication to our students and the community. Fifty years ago Rabbi Gedaliah Anemer, zt l, founded our yeshiva with a small handful of students. It was a time of pioneering, a time of enormous dedication. People took second mortgages on their homes to enable the yeshiva s existence. We look back with much gratitude to Hashem for all of the chesed He has bestowed upon us, and we dedicate ourselves anew with the spirit and determination of our founders to the cause of Jewish education Rabbi Anemer held so dear. SPONSORED BY Rabbi Benzion and Chana Berliant in memory of Chana s mother, Sarah bas Yisroel Leib, whose Yartzeit in observed on 11 Nisan. In memory of Alfred and Betty Rosenblatt a h And in honor of William and Barbara Silver Rabbi Aryeh and Netanya Silver And Moshe Tzvi, Avraham, Shayna, Shira, Gedaliah, and Dina Leib and Sarah Don And Naftali, Reuven, Shmuel and Leah Dustin and Malka Widofsky And Adiella By Rochelle and Paul Silver
The Daily Cause for Shira Rabbi Yitzchak Scher Rebbe, Yeshiva Gedolah, Kollel Zichron Amram This month shall be for you the head of the months. It shall be the first for you of the months of the year. Speak to the entire congregation of Israel saying that on the tenth of this month they shall take for themselves a sheep for each family, a sheep for the household... 1 The introduction to the holiday of Pesach in the Torah begins with the mitzvah of Rosh Chodesh. This indicates that Rosh Chodesh is an essential element to the holiday of Pesach. Indeed, this connection is so essential that the rabbis ordained that we read Parshas Hachodesh every year prior to Pesach 2. It is true that the month which contains Pesach, Nissan, is the first of months, but how are these two concepts of Rosh Chodesh and Pesach inherently connected? One section of the Haggadah itself implies this connection. One may have thought that we should begin the mitzvah of sippur yetzias mitzrayim (retelling the story of the Exodus) on Rosh Chodesh. However, the Torah teaches on that day. If not for the Torah s emphasis that it should be done on that day (the 15 th of Nissan), the Rabbis had a genuine thought that Rosh Chodesh was the proper time to begin the mitzvah of sippur yetzias mitzrayim. Why did the Rabbis have this thought? Some commentaries explain that the redemption began on Rosh Chodesh Nissan 3. However, this requires some analysis, since the Torah records no events or miracles of the Exodus occurring on that day! The Gemara 4 further points out the connection of these two concepts: Rav Asi said in the name of Rav Yochanan-anyone who makes the blessing on the new month [Kiddush Levana] at the correct time is as if he has received the Shechina (Divine Presence). It says concerning Rosh Chodesh Hachodesh HaZeh Lachem- this month shall be for you and it says [when the Jews experienced G-d s miracles at the splitting of the Yam Suf] Zeh Keli v anvehu- this is my G-d and I shall glorify Him. 1 Shemos 12:2-3 2 Megillah 29a 3 See Meyuchas L Rashbam, Rashbatz, and Orchos Chaim on the Haggadah 4 Sanhedrin 42a CELEBRATING 50 YEARS 1
Rav Yochanan reveals to us a connection between our monthly acknowledgement of the new moon and its cycles and Kerias Yam Suf, the climax of the Exodus. The same zeh proclaimed at the Yam Suf is proclaimed upon seeing the new moon. However, these events seem to be more different than similar. The moon s process of waxing and waning is a constant, natural event, to be witnessed by all on a monthly basis. Kerias Yam Suf was a one-time miracle, defying nature. How can both these events present the same powerful results to the participant and lead to experiencing the Shechina? How can the same zeh that indicated our vision of the Shechina at Yam Suf be recited upon watching the boring, mundane moon? To answer the above questions, we must first understand the underlying significance of Yetzias Mitzrayim and then we can discover its connection to Rosh Chodesh. Yetzias Mitzrayim is the foundation of our faith. Besides the observance of Pesach and its mitzvos, we have countless other mitzvos that revolve around or emanate from the story of Yetzias Mitzrayim. Twice daily, we are obligated to remember this event 5. Every Shabbos and Yom Tov Kiddush declares that the upcoming day is zecher leyetzias mitzrayim, a remembrance of the Exodus. This story permeates the life of every Jew. The Ramban 6 discusses the reason for the fixation that the Torah has with this story. Yetzias Mitzrayim is the one time in history when Hashem revealed Himself and His ways to the world. All that we know concerning Hashem s existence and hashgacha (providence) was taught to us through the events of the Exodus. These events showed us that Hashem exists, is aware of what happens in the world, cares about our actions, has the power to intervene and overturn nature, rewards the righteous, punishes the wicked, and has an ultimate plan for history. We were then instructed by Hashem to take this model and relate it to every generation so that all can be cognizant of these truths for the rest of world history. We see that the world is not left on its own, but constantly subject to hashgacha, divine intervention and guidance. The world is in no way subject to the natural flow of events, but rather to the Creator s wishes. Sifsei Chaim 7 points out that this lesson is symbolized by the difference between chometz and matzah. When left on its own, to natural processes, flour and water will leaven and become chometz. Hence, chometz is symbolic of nature, the world left to its natural course with no external intervention. Matzah, however, requires one to interrupt the natural process of leavening. Matzah is not left on its own, but baked with a focus and diligence through the quick and necessary intervention of the baker. It is symbolic of the Divine Hand intervening in our world, sidestepping the natural process, 5 Brachos 12b 6 Shemos 13:16 7 Volume 2, pp.342-3 2 YESHIVA OF GREATER WASHINGTON
in order to produce the desired results. Hashgacha. However, as the Ramban points out, we do not get to see miracles of the magnitude of Yetzias Mitzrayim happening on a regular basis. For this reason, we must persistently remember and discuss Yetzias Mitzrayim. The constant connection to this historic event serves as the basis for our emunah and perception of Hashem in our lives. Stories of ancient miracles do give us an understanding of the Creator and a basis to our beliefs. Even so, we still need a tool to actively perceive Hashem s providence in daily life. We all yearn to see the miracles with our own two eyes! Rabbeinu Yonah 8, commenting on the above gemara about Kiddush Levana, explains the key to perceiving Divine intervention in our daily lives. Even though Hashem is not visible, He is seen through His powerful actions and miracles, as it says You are a hidden G-d, the G-d of Israel and its savior. Meaning, even though You are hidden, You are the G-d of Israel, the savior at all times. Through Your salvation, people see You. You are revealed to them and they acknowledge You. So too here, as You renew the months (cause the new moon to appear) You are revealed to people and it is as if they receive the Shechina. Rabbeinu Yonah teaches us that witnessing the new moon is tantamount to perceiving Hashem through miracles. Unfortunately, he does not elaborate upon this concept. How can we understand his powerful assertion? We tend to think that Hashem is most apparent to the world through miracles. Indeed, when Hashem splits the sea, turns water to blood, or causes food to fall from the sky, we can take our fingers and point to the Creator. However, we must understand that the miracles that we experience in daily life are just as powerful. The fact that the sun rises each morning, bringing its light and warmth to the world is a wondrous event. It would be hard to imagine life without the reliability of gravity to keep us grounded. The wonders of the plant and animal kingdom are innumerable and breathtaking. The complexity and functions of every limb of the human body are astounding. The miracles of nature are just as great as the miracles of the Exodus. However, since they are expected, routine, and constant, we often do not acknowledge the miraculous nature of these wonders 9. 8 In his commentary on Berachos, end of Chapter 4 9 Rav Moshe Wolfson Shlit a relates the following analogy: Picture the Jewish children born in the desert. They grew up eating only mon, with the full understanding that food comes from the sky. Imagine their reaction when they entered Eretz Yisroel and discovered that a seed buried in the dirt can produce food as well. What a miracle! Since we are accustomed to natural events, we fail to see how wondrous they truly are. CELEBRATING 50 YEARS 3
Yet there is one thing in nature that is not perceived as a constant. The moon at times appears as the great luminary of the dark night and at other times is nowhere to be found, leaving us in the darkness. After the darkest night of the month passes, the moon then appears again, refreshed, ready to illuminate our lives again. The moon directs our attention to the fact that all within nature is not constant. Nothing is truly routine, but all is constantly run and rejuvenated by its Creator. Miracles wow us because they are unexpected, fresh, and extraordinary. The moon teaches us that nature should be viewed in the same way. The miracles of nature should dazzle us on a daily basis! The word in Hebrew for month is chodesh. The root of the word chodesh is chodosh, new. This is because a month, based on the appearance of a new moon, is a sign of renewal. The world is not stagnant, left to its own flow, but always subject to a freshness and rejuvenation. The bracha recited for Kiddush Levana points out this idea. It notes that Hashem creates the heavens, its stars and constellations that all follow a specific pattern and never change course. And to the moon He said renew, a crown of splendor for [the Jewish People] who will ultimately renew themselves just like [the moon] 10 Rav Yochanan teaches us that our perception of the moon, as the symbol of the miraculous system of nature, is on par with witnessing Kerias Yam Suf. We see that Hashem is the power behind all that we see in our daily lives. The Ramban 11 famously writes that from the open miracles a person learns to acknowledge the hidden miracles in life: For one has no portion in the Torah of Moshe Rabbeinu until he believes that all of our matters and events are miraculous, and there is nothing about them that is natural or routine Events of the magnitude of Yetzias Mitzraim are few and far between, but the objective of a Jew is to see miracles as a daily event. We fantasize about what it would be like to experience Kerias Yam Suf, but are unmindful of our ability to see an equivalent revelation of Hashem at every turn within our lives. This is one reason why our custom is to recite Az Yashir, the Song of the Sea, on a daily basis- to express that we have reasons every day to recite Shira 12. 10 Our existence as Jews is analogous to the moon. Jewish history wanes and waxes. At times we shine bright, at other times, rachmana litzlan, we are left in the utter darkness. However, the moon shows us that there will always be a renewal. The Rema explains the custom of dancing at Kiddush Levana is to express our anticipation of the coming of Moshiach, the renewal of the dynasty of David Hamelech, and the renewal of the bond between Klal Yisroel and Hashem. (Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim, 426:2) This is the positive message that the moon brings to the Jewish people. 11 In the above cited selection from Parshas Bo 12 Emunas Itecha, Acharon Shel Pesach, P.41 4 YESHIVA OF GREATER WASHINGTON
Now we can explain a very surprising statement which follows the passage of the gemara mentioned above 13. Dvei Rebbi Yishmael taught: If only Israel merited to receive the Divine Presence once a month, this would suffice. Rashi explains this statement as meaning that if we had no mitzvos other than Kiddush Levana, it would have sufficed. Rashi s explanation can be understood based on what we stated above. The main role of a person in this world is to recognize and praise G-d for His constant Hashgacha, miracles, and kindness 14. We have many avenues through which we perform this task. However, the gemara teaches us that we can accomplish this ideal through the perfect monthly performance of Kiddush Levana, and use that as a vehicle to perceive Hashem on a constant, daily basis. Rashi s famous opening comment in the Chumash can also be elucidated through this concept. Rashi says that the Torah could have skipped Sefer Bereishis and started with hachodesh hazeh lachem 15, the mitzvah of Kiddush Hachodesh. Why would Kiddush Hachodesh have been an appropriate introduction for the Torah? Because it trains us to see Hashem through our world and our daily lives. As a foundation of Judaism and an indispensable part of life as a Jew, this mitzvah would have served as the perfect prologue to the Torah. It would proclaim to us to learn to perceive daily miracles. Yetzias Mitzrayim stands as the once-in-history open display of Hashem s ways and might. This brought the Jews and the world to recognize G-d, fear Him, and sing His praises. Our job is to use Yetzias Mitzrayim as a model and springboard, that even when seas are not split and plagues are not occurring, miracles of the same magnitude are still happening. Nature, history, and our personal lives are replete with miracles. We should all merit to acknowledge these miracles and be able to exclaim daily with confidence zeh Keli v anvehu- this is my G-d and I will glorify Him just as the Jews sang at the Yam Suf. 13 Sanhedrin 42a 14 Ramban Shemos 13:16 The intent of all mitzvos is to believe in G-d and acknowledge (nodeh) that He created us. This is the purpose of Creation. G-d has no desire in the lower worlds except for this: that the human being should be aware [of G-d] and show praise and gratitude (yodeh) to G-d that created him 15 Shemos 12:2 CELEBRATING 50 YEARS 5
Pharoah s Thrice Hardened Heart and Triplicate Redemption Rabbi Tani Prero, Yeshiva Gedolah 1999 A. Pharoah Take Your Children or Your Cattle At the beginning of Parshas Bo, Moshe asked Pharoah to let Bnei Yisrael go. Pharoah responded with a question. Who do you want me to release? Who should I allow to leave Egypt? Moshe said binareinu u vizkeineinu nelech, we will go with our old people and young people, with our sons and daughters, with our sheep and our cattle, for it is our holiday for Hashem. Pharoah responded that only the men could leave, but not more than that. Then he ordered Moshe out of the palace. After this exchange, Hashem punished Pharoah with the maka of arbeh, the eighth of the makos, and then the ninth maka, choshech. After the black darkness swathed Mitzrayim for three days, Pharoah said to Moshe, Yes you can take your children, But I will not allow you to take cattle. Moshe asserted, We will take everything we need, all of our livestock. Pharoah said, I will let you take the children, but not the cattle. Pharoah again drove Moshe from the palace. Then after makas bechoros, Pharoah finally relented and sent out the Bnei Yisrael together with their children and their cattle. Pharoah changed his mind several times. What is the meaning in this progression? At first Pharoah allowed men but not children, then children but not cattle, and then in the end freed all adults, children and cattle. B. Why did Hashem take away Pharoah s free will? Hashem told Moshe from the very beginning of his mission, I will harden Pharoah s heart. I will strengthen his heart so he will not give into the plagues. In the development of the parsha, especially in the last five plagues, the Torah says Hashem interfered in Pharoah s decision-making process and strengthened Pharoah s heart. Hashem gave Pharoah the psychological power to resist the pressure of the makos. The commentaries on the Torah address this question. In Torah, the principle of free will is fundamental to the human experience; all adults are free to choose good and evil. Adam and Chava were first given free choice to choose to eat from the tree or to refrain from eating from the tree. We could say the whole Torah is about people choosing between good and evil. Re eh nasati l fanecha hayom es hachayim v es hatov v es hamaves v es hara. I have placed in front of you the choice 6 YESHIVA OF GREATER WASHINGTON
between good and evil, between life and death. (Dvarim 30:15) You should choose life! (ibid 19). It is as if Hashem said, I will not force your choices. I charge you to choose and enable you to choose. The moral choice is left completely to man to decide. Then how and why did Hashem get involved and influence Pharoah s response to this moral dilemma of whether or not to free the Jews? This freedom of choice is Hashem s gift to humanity. How and why did Hashem interfere with Pharoah s decision making? Had Pharoah been left alone he probably would have released the Jews after the fifth or sixth plague. Why did Hashem break the cardinal rule of giving man free choice? Shem Mishmuel offers three answers. The first is from the Rambam in Mishne Torah. In Hilchos Teshuvah, the Rambam writes that the core of repentance is freedom of choice. We have freedom to choose whether or not to sin, whether or not to do the good deed. Even after sinning, we maintain an amazing freedom of choice. We have the choice to repent and to retroactively revoke the bad deed. This is an amazing kindness of God. If we decide never to do the sin again, the sin can be wiped out or even turned into a good deed. This power of choice remains even after the sin. The Rambam asks, how did Pharoah lose the power to repent? Pharoah was condemned to remain evil until Hashem delivered the final punishment to Pharoah and his people. The Rambam explains that there is an exception in very rare cases, for particularly evil people such as Pharoah. When a person reaches such evil levels, then Hashem will take away from that person the power to repent. Hashem will not accept his teshuvah, in fact he won t even allow him to do teshuvah. Hashem will not let him change, and he will remain evil to the very end. Similarly in our times, Hitler died as Hitler, unrepentant. Even at this repugnant level of evil, some people still will not change. The Rambam explains this is a punishment from Hashem, because He is so disgusted by the person that He takes away from him the power of change. The extreme sinner then becomes like an animal who cannot repent its past deeds. These evil people made themselves like animals, and Hashem takes away from them their freedom of choice. This is why Hashem hardened Pharoah s heart. The Ramban offers a second answer to this question. He writes in his commentary on chumash that people sometimes repent for different reasons. In the best case, a person realizes the evil of his deeds. He is ashamed and regretful, and so he asks God to forgive him. This is an appropriate, higher level of repentance. This is cognitive repentance, of the neshama and seichel, in which a person truly understands how evil he has acted and wants that evil expunged from his personal history. Sometimes, though, a person repents in fear of the punishments that will come to him in response to his evil deeds. Pharoah was not repenting because he recognized the evil of his deeds. If you would have asked him was it wrong to enslave an entire nation, was it wrong to throw babies into the river CELEBRATING 50 YEARS 7
he would have said no. Pharoah would have said, We have the right to subjugate them, they are our possessions. Pharoah still believed in the moral worth of his actions. The only reason Pharoah would want to release the Jews after the fifth or sixth maka is because he didn t want to suffer, and he didn t want his people to suffer so much. This kind of teshuvah is not morally motivated- it is just accommodating a superior force. Ramban says Hashem will sometimes interfere with this kind of teshuvah. Sometimes Hashem will place an irrational obstinacy in the person to withstand the punishments that Hashem is sending his way. Pharoah was given a superhuman stubbornness so he could maintain his immoral beliefs. He did, in fact, until the very end. The Ramban explains, therefore, that this is not an exception to the rule of choice. Pharoah chose to keep his evil perspective, even amid the horrible punishments. It is as if Hashem said, I will not let him bend as a stick being broken in two. I will let him keep his immoral choice, because I d like to really punish the Egyptians some more. I want the world to learn more about my justice. I will not let Pharoah give in due to practical considerations. As long as Pharoah is still committed to evil, I won t help him repent his ways. Rambam says God took away his moral choice to choose good. Ramban says the moral choice was always there. If he would have chosen to recognize that his ways were immoral, God would have given him the choice to repent. However, Pharoah only wanted to repent for practical considerations because he was being bullied and battered. Therefore, God bolstered him so he wouldn t feel compelled to give in to outside pressures. A third explanation was given by the father of the Shem Mishmuel, the author of the Avnei Nezer. The human being is a combination of intellect and emotion. Emotions are dynamic and they fluctuate. A person can fluctuate between hatred and love, between goodness and wickedness, between kindness and selfishness. The emotional makeup of human beings is kaleidoscopic. There are different phases and shades. It is continuously changing, it s not monochrome. However, the seichel of a person does not change. An intellectual concept, such as the equation 2 +2 = 4, does not change. Whether or not I like you, though, can change in a moment. This is an emotional concept. Intellectual concepts are immutable and absolute. Emotional positions often dynamically change. Pharoah and his intellect asserted that slavery was an important backbone of the Egyptian economy. The country was built on the work of the slaves. With slave power Egypt was able to build pyramids. They were able to become strongest empire on the planet. If they were to free their slaves, Egypt would collapse. This was an issue of politics, economics and national security. Pharoah said, Egypt cannot bend on this issue of slavery, no matter the disasters that befall us from the plagues of Moshe. The alternative is worse, a total ruining of our empire. It will be fundamental existential threat to 8 YESHIVA OF GREATER WASHINGTON
our way of life. Pharoah said, I will not free slaves, no matter the price. Freeing the slaves would be national suicide. This was an intellectual stance. Intellect is stubborn and unchanging. If intellect believes that something is true, it does not change. Pharoah said the whole logic and concept of our country is built on the back of the slaves. Without slave power there is no Egypt. We are ready to suffer any plagues to keep the slaves. The mind is stronger than outside circumstances. This was the stubbornness of Pharoah, the stubbornness of seichel. C. Three Levels of National Soul We find three different terms in the Torah when referring to Pharoah and Mitzrayim. Sometimes the Torah refers to Pharoah by name, simply as Pharoah. Sometimes the Torah refers to him as melech mitzrayim, the king of Egypt. And sometimes the Torah refers to Mitzrayim as an acting entity. Pharoah refers to the person who sat on the throne. Melech mitzrayim, according to the Zohar, refers to the archangel of Egypt. Every nation has an angel that represents its national energy. The word Mitzrayim refers to the people of Egypt. Every nation, just like every individual, has three levels of existence. These levels are related to the three levels of the soul: nefesh, ruach and neshama. Nefesh refers to the fundamental, physical life force. Ruach refers to the spirit, the emotional life of a person. Neshama refers to seichel, the intellectual life of a person. This multi-level existence is also true about nations. Every nation has an instinctive life force, nefesh. Every nation has ruach, a certain spirit, certain emotional style. Every nation also has neshama beliefs, values and intellectual ideas that drive that nation. Pharoah represents the neshama, the highest level of intellectual life. Melech Mitzrayim, the archangel, represents the ruach, the spirit of Egypt. The people of Egypt are the fundamental life force of the nation, the corresponding to the nefesh. D. Three Main Sins The three main sins of man: idolatry, licentiousness and murder respectively stem from the three levels of human existence. The nefesh, the fundamental biological life-force, is corrupted by the sin of murder. The higher spiritual life force is corrupted by giluy arayos. The sin that corrupts the human intellect is idolatry. Egypt corrupted all three levels. There was much murder in Egyptian society as we know- we were the victims! Egypt also had a corrupt and licentious spirit as the Navi Yechezkel expounds. At the intellectual neshama level, Pharoah refused to acknowledge the existence of God. Instead Pharoah insisted and said I have made myself. CELEBRATING 50 YEARS 9
These three levels of Egyptians- the fundamental life force; the spirit of that civilization; and the intellectual understandings of the civilization were all corrupt. The plagues attacked the country on all three levels basic life force, spiritual, and intellectual values. E. Three Hardened Hearts We find three terms in relations to Pharoah obstinate refusal to release the Jews. 1) Hikshe and kashe, Pharoah s heart was hard. 2) Vayechzek, he strengthened his heart. 3) Kaved lev Pharoah, his heart was heavy. Shem Mishmuel explains that these three terms relates to the different levels of Pharoah s soul. At the level of nefesh, Pharoah should have instinctively responded to the first makos. But kaved lev Pharoah, his instinct was dense and dead, like a finger that has lost too much blood. Even if it hurts the body doesn t respond. This is why Pharoah didn t respond like any normal person would have responded to the pain of the makos. Sometimes people respond to emotional stimuli. Pharoah should have been overwhelmed by fear when he saw the wild animals and locusts and other plagues. Normal people would have been terrified. But he wasn t, because Hashem gave him bravery, hiksha es libo. No matter what was happening around him, Pharoah had courage. Shem Mishmuel calls this courage kshei ruach. Finally, Hashem gave Pharoah strength of heart, meaning Hashem empowered Pharoah s intellect to maintain his stance. Pharoah held with conviction that the slaves must remain in Egypt under all costs. This is chazak lev Pharoah, a strong conviction in his mind. We see that Hashem strengthened Pharoah in all three levels: nefesh, ruach and seichel. F. Pharoah s debate with Moshe During the eighth plague, the sorcerers said don t you know that Mitzrayim is doomed? They appealed to his reason. Even with Pharoah s beliefs about what was necessary for the survival of Egypt, it didn t matter. Egypt was being utterly destroyed. Pharoah s nefesh and ruach had already been defeated by the earlier plagues. Now Pharoah s own intellect was beginning to wonder. Maybe I was wrong? Maybe the country is actually being destroyed? So he called to Moshe and asked, Who will leave? Men and children, Moshe responds. Pharoah accepted that the men could go, but not children. If you are going to celebrate a holiday for your God, what do little children know about God and celebrations. They are wearing diapers, how can they celebrate with God. This is an illogical request, you must be tricking me. I will not accept this illogical request, even though I am 10 YESHIVA OF GREATER WASHINGTON
already willing to release you and relax the slavery demand. Moshe insisted that the people must take out their children with them. Moshe could have brought the adults to Har Sinai to receive the Torah and then return to take the children. Why did Moshe need to take the children out of Egypt? The Jewish people in Egypt were completely enveloped by the society of that country, like a fetus in its mother s stomach. How can we bring Torah to children who are completely absorbed in Egypt? If they would remain inside that country, we would not have been able to reach them. Moshe insisted, we must take them out of this environment so they will have a chance of knowing what Torah is. We can t train them in this country. Pharoah had no grasp of the human soul. We already analyzed Pharoah s failures at the levels of nefesh ruach and seichel. But there are still two more levels, chaya and yechida, translated as life and oneness. These two levels of soul are outside of the body. Most people are aware of their instincts, emotions and their intellect. But there are things beyond instinct, emotion and intellect. With instinct, we act. Emotion makes us feel. We think with intellect. But who is the one who employs these faculties and acts in these ways? This is chaya and yechida. They are us, but they are beyond our awareness. Shem Mishmuel calls this a makif. A makif surrounds us. It is beyond the individual details of who we are as we understand ourselves. There is something beyond that we don t understand. Many people ponder the question who am I? What is the central it that is I? It is difficult to come to the essential I. I am more than my instinct, my emotion and my intellect. It exceeds all three and is deeper than them. This essential I is called the chaya. As much as I search for this part and I know it is there, it still beyond me. Shem Mishmuel sometimes refers to this level as tzelem Elokim. Obviously the image of God cannot be contained completely within the body. My tzelem Elokim is of a much greater magnitude. I know that I am more than my thinking and more than my emotions and more than my instincts. It is deep and broad. Some people have a vague feeling for this chaya. Moshe told Pharoah we must take our children. You don t understand it. This is makif, it spreads beyond logic. You cannot explain the commitment of a parent to the child, even though it has many factors of intellect, instinct and emotion. Especially the commitment of Jewish parents to their children is something hard to explain. Our children are more important in some ways than we ourselves. They are a makif, an enveloping overarching purpose for our lives. This dedication is beyond our understanding, but it is essential to who we are. After the next plague Pharoah says why take the animals? Don t take them! Shem Mishmuel explains CELEBRATING 50 YEARS 11
the second makif is called yechida. Chaya envelopes me and includes my children with me. There is an even greater envelope, the yechida envelope. At this level, everything is inter-related to each other, connected in a mysterious cosmic connection. We are all connected, not just parents and children, but all people, and even animals and objects and the whole world. Moshe proclaimed to Pharoah that freedom is not just for the adult. Freedom must include children, and even animals and things. The freedom from Mitzrayim extends into the possessions and surroundings of the people. Everything has to be free. This is why Moshe insisted we must take our animals out with us. This may also explain why Hashem instructed the Jews to take things from the Egyptians. The Exodus from Egypt brought everything out of Egypt, brought freedom to the entire world. 12 YESHIVA OF GREATER WASHINGTON
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