Podcasts about yetziat mitzrayim

Living Emunah 2951 The Place Meant for You The Gemara tells us that when it came time to choose the seventy elders who would assist Moshe Rabbeinu, six men were selected from each shevet, making a total of seventy-two candidates. A lottery was then held to determine which seventy would be chosen. Seventy slips of paper had the word "Zaken" written on them, while two slips were left blank. Whoever drew a blank slip would not be selected. The Gemara says that Moshe told the two men who drew the blank slips, "HaMakom lo chafetz becha." This is usually translated to mean, "Hashem did not want you." That is difficult to understand. It was painful enough that these two individuals were publicly excluded while everyone else was chosen. Why would they also need to hear that Hashem did not want them? Furthermore, according to some opinions, those two men were Eldad and Medad. Yet immediately afterward, the Torah tells us that they received prophecy. If Hashem did not want them, how could they have merited prophecy? Rabbi Menashe Reizman brings from the Sifrei Kabbalah that the word Makom is one of Hashem's holy Names. It has the same numerical value as the Name of Hashem represented by Yud-Keh-Vav-Keh when each letter is multiplied by itself. This teaches that in every makom—in every place in the world—the Shechinah is present with all of Hashem's mercy. Every person has a unique place from which he is meant to serve Hashem and connect to Him. Hashem already determined where a person would be born, into which family he would be born, how he would look, how intelligent he would be, how strong he would be, and every other detail of his life. Everything was arranged specifically for him to fulfill his mission. Moshe was not telling these men that Hashem did not want them. Hashem wants every one of His children. Rather, he was telling them, "This makom is not where you are meant to be. This is not the place through which you will achieve your greatness and connect to Hashem." When a person desperately wants something and does not receive it, it can be very painful. When the rejection is public, it can even be humiliating. Yet a person can become extraordinarily great when he accepts with love that Hashem's plan for him is different. The sefer Meshivat Nefesh, written by Rabbi Yochanan Luria, the uncle of the Maharshal, explains that when Eldad and Medad realized they had not been chosen, they accepted it with love. Hashem was so pleased with their reaction that He immediately granted them prophecy—prophecy that surpassed that of the other seventy elders. The Midrash tells us that Eldad and Medad received more than the seventy elders in five different ways. When a person rises above disappointment and trusts that Hashem is doing what is best for him and for his purpose in this world, despite how difficult that may be, he elevates himself to remarkable heights. Hashem was similarly proud of the Jewish people when they followed Him into the desert after Yetziat Mitzrayim, not knowing how they would survive. The pasuk says: זָ כַרְתִּי לָךְ חֶסֶד נְעוּרַיִךְ אַהֲבַת כְּלוּלֹתָיִךְ לֶכְתֵּךְ אַחֲרַי בַּמִּדְבָּר בְּאֶרֶץ לֹא זְרוּעָה "I remember for you the kindness of your youth, the love of your bridal days, when you followed Me into the wilderness, into a land that was not sown. ." The Ramban explains that this praise was not limited to the moment they entered the desert. It referred to the entire forty years that they followed the Cloud of Glory wherever Hashem directed them. Sometimes they remained in places they did not want to be for extended periods of time, yet they accepted it. At other times they were settled comfortably in places they liked, only to have the cloud suddenly rise and signal that it was time to move. Once again, they followed with trust. That unwavering acceptance is what made Hashem so proud of them. The same opportunity exists for every one of us. Sometimes Hashem places us in situations that are embarrassing. Sometimes they are painful. Sometimes they seem unfair. But the harder it is to accept, the more precious that acceptance becomes. Eldad and Medad could have become depressed. They could have felt humiliated. No one would have blamed them. But they were not interested in mediocrity. They wanted greatness. By accepting Hashem's decision with happiness, they achieved it. A prophet can only receive prophecy when he is in a state of joy. The very fact that Eldad and Medad received prophecy demonstrated that they remained happy despite their rejection. Every person has a different place that Hashem wants him to be in. That place is not an accident. It is the exact place from which he can best fulfill his mission and connect to Hashem. When we learn to be happy with the places Hashem chooses for us, we too can rise to the greatest heights.

We are living through a time when the Yad Hashem is being revealed in a very obvious way. Thousands of missiles have been fired toward Eretz Yisrael. Missiles designed to destroy, to devastate, and רחמנא ליצלן cause unimaginable loss of life. And yet, the numbers tell a story that defies all logic. We are witnessing open miracles. Missiles landing in areas that should have been crowded, and somehow they were left completely empty. Buildings taking direct hits with people inside who walk away unscathed. Sirens going off seconds before impact, giving people just enough time to reach safety. A rabbi from Bnei Brak told me that on Pesach, he felt like he was experiencing miracles similar to those of Yetziat Mitzrayim. He felt the ground shaking all around his neighborhood from explosions, and not one of them caused even a single injury. Part of a cluster bomb landed directly on top of a yeshiva, but it never exploded. A man from Bnei Brak said that on one Shabbat, he was sitting in his home, peacefully immersed in the study of Torah. His son's family was staying with them, and the atmosphere was perfectly suited for a calm, beautiful Shabbat afternoon. But at 4:30, suddenly, he was startled by a tremendous explosion. He immediately realized it was not just a distant interception, but rather a direct impact somewhere very close. He opened the door to his room, and to his horror, black smoke immediately rushed in, accompanied by the smell of fire. He was stunned. The missile had hit his home. He managed to reach the hallway near the living room, and there he saw his son, completely white from head to toe, covered in thick dust. Around them was devastation. In a matter of seconds, the entire house had become a pile of ruins. A fear of Hashem overtook them, and in the midst of it, he stood alive next to his son, who was also alive—and then his grandson joined them as well. They looked around and saw that what was once a home had turned into nothing, and they were unable to comprehend the open miracle of how, in the midst of destruction, their lives were spared. They felt the hashgachah peratit crying out from every shard of glass, every piece of concrete, and every fragment of metal. The missile had landed in the very room where his son and grandson had been learning. He discovered afterward that his other children were alive on the balcony. His son-in-law lived in the apartment above, and all ten windows in both of their living rooms had shattered completely, flying apart with tremendous force. The concrete ceiling had broken apart, and huge, terrifying, heavy chunks of concrete hung in the air, supported only by iron rods that managed to hold them. They felt the words of a pasuk in Tehillim: יִפֹּל מִצִּדֶּךָ אֶלֶף וּרְבָבָה מִימִינֶךָ אֵלֶיךָ לֹא יִגָּשׁ -"A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right, but it will not come near you" Everyone survived—including a one-and-a-half-year-old baby who had been sleeping, his daughter-in-law and her newborn, as well as her son and two daughters who were staying with them. Not only did they survive, not even one drop of blood was drawn from them. There were also twenty people caught in the stairwell trying to get to a safe room, and none of them were harmed. It was so clear that Hashem was protecting them. The hashgachah that Hashem has upon His children is truly amazing. A rabbi from Eretz Yisrael told me that this past year there was an avrech who learns full-time in a kollel standing at the checkout line in a grocery store, and the cashier told him he owed 1,500 shekels. The man on line behind him said he wanted to pay it. The avrech thanked him and said he was okay paying himself. The man insisted, and then explained that he works with the Iron Dome. Other countries have asked Israel to help them set up the same system in their countries, and he is very involved in this. However, those countries—such as Azerbaijan—have only about a 50 percent success rate, while in Israel it is over 90 percent. It is the exact same system. There is no rational explanation. He said, "It must be in the zechut of people like you, who are protecting us with your Torah learning. That is why I want to pay your bill." The Yad Hashem is so clear and so obvious. Let us appreciate how much He is always protecting us.

A clear analysis of the Haggadah's teaching on “Ve'higadeta L'vincha,” exploring whether the mitzvah begins on Rosh Chodesh, Erev Pesach, or Seder night. Based on the Rebbe's insight, the class clarifies the role of “Ba'avur Zeh” and “Bayom Hahu.” https://www.torahrecordings.com/classes/by_month/008_nisan/hagadah/013

As we begin telling the story of Yetziat Mitzrayim at the seder , we say: מתחילה עובדי עבודה זרה היו אבותינו, ועתה קרבנו המקום לעבודתו – "Originally, our forefathers were idol-worshippers, but now, the Almighty has drawn us close to His service." In this passage, we reflect upon our nation's humble beginnings, the fact that we descend from people who worshipped idols, and we express our deep gratitude that we now have the great privilege of serving the one, true G-d. However, one of the commentators offered a deeper insight into this passage in the Haggadah . The Haggadah is teaching us that if a person lives his life in a manner of מתחילה , always looking back, then this is a form of עבודה זרה , of foreign worship. So many people fail to grow religiously because they are beset by guilt and shame over things that happened in the past. They can't get over the feeling that their mistakes five, ten, twenty or even thirty years ago define them forever. They can't let go of their regret and embarrassment. Conversely, there are people who feel so proud over great things they did long ago, so they fall into complacency. They decide that their work is done, that they are now exempt, that they no longer need to put in effort, to work hard, to achieve, or to grow in Torah, because they accomplished so much many years ago. These two attitudes are a form of עבודה זרה . This mindset, defining ourselves based on the past, is very foreign to Torah. The Torah teaches us that וע כשיו – an attitude of "now," focusing on the present, and the opportunities that are given to us right now, קרבנו המקום לעבודתו – is what brings us close to Hashem. The way we draw close to Hashem is by staying focused on the present, on the potential we have to achieve right now. We should never feel stuck in the past. What happened ten years ago, or even yesterday, does not mean that I cannot be great today, or that I don't have to be great today. This is one of the reasons why we make a point of recalling our less-than-impressive origins at the seder – to impress upon us this mindset of ועכשיו , that what matters most is not what we did in the past, but how we are choosing to live in the present. Just as Hashem brought our ancestors out of slavery to Pharaoh so they could be His servants, He is likewise prepared to take us out of our "slavery," whatever we feel is holding us back, and help us serve Him better. We aren't stuck and we aren't trapped. We just have to make the decision to be a "today" person, to focus our attention on who we can be today, irrespective of the past.

Daily Bitachon: Pesach and the Revelation of "Banim" Welcome to Daily Bitachon. We continue with our thoughts on Pesach. We mentioned yesterday that the fundamental takeaways of the Seder night are Emunah (belief), Hakarat Hatov (gratitude), and ultimately Avdut —realizing "I am a servant of Hashem." If I have gratitude, I feel the need to reciprocate and rely on Him. The Great Takeaway: "Beni Bechori Yisrael" There is another vital point brought out by Rabbi Avigdor Miller (quoted by Rabbi Yosi Sa'ida in the name of Mr. Sam Gindi). He suggests that a central takeaway of the Seder is Beni Bechori Yisrael : The Jewish people are the children of God. Now, I was initially bothered when I heard that because it feels like a chiddush (a novelty). It isn't explicitly written in the Torah as one of the primary "goals" of Yetziat Mitzrayim . However, as a takeaway for our lives, where do we see this? I thought of two points: 1. The Witness of the Sea First, we say in our nightly prayers ( Ga'al Yisrael ) that when Hashem crossed the sea for the Jewish people: הַמַּעֲבִיר בָּנָיו בֵּין גִּזְרֵי יַם סוּף "He took His children through the splittings of the Red Sea." And then: רָאוּ בָנִים אֶת גְּבוּרָתוֹ "The children saw His strength." There is something about Kriat Yam Suf (the splitting of the sea)—which is the finale of the Exodus—that reveals us as Hashem's children. In the Emunah Kol Zot prayer, we say there is nothing like God, and then: Ve'anachnu Yisrael amo ("And we, Israel, are His nation"). I once heard from Rav Moshe Shapiro that Emunah is not just believing God is King of the world, but believing we are His nation. We must believe in that identity. 2. The Father vs. The Messenger Another way God is revealed as a Father is pointed out by Rav Shmuel Birnbaum in his Haggadah. He discusses the phrase Ani velo shaliach ("I and not a messenger"). He explains that when a father truly loves his child, he doesn't want to care for them through an intermediary. It's not just about the child "being taken care of"—the father wants to be the one doing the caring. Think of a mother who waited ten years for a child; she isn't interested in a wet nurse or a nanny. She wants to care for that child herself because of her motherly love. So, too, God Himself wanted to take us out because we are His children. The Father Who Carries Us We see this again in Devarim (1:31): וּבַמִּדְבָּר אֲשֶׁר רָאִיתָ אֲשֶׁר נְשָׂאֲךָ ה' אֱלֹקֶיךָ כַּאֲשֶׁר יִשָּׂא אִישׁ אֶת בְּנוֹ "And in the wilderness... where you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a man carries his son." Rashi gives the famous mashal (parable) of a father carrying his child on his shoulders to protect him from attackers. The pasuk continues there by saying, "And in this matter, you do not believe"—meaning, you don't truly believe that we are Hashem's beloved children. The Kedushat Levi says almost the exact same thing: at Yetziat Mitzrayim , it was revealed we are His children because a father goes personally into the redemption. The Night of Blessings It is interesting to note that the night of Pesach is the same night Yitzchak Avinu gave the brachot (blessings) to Yaakov. This is the ultimate Birkat Habanim (Blessing of the Children). It is brought down that the most apropos time of the year to bless your children is the night of Pesach. In those blessings, Yitzchak uses the word beni ("my son") eight times. The Or Gedalyahu explains that just as David Hamelech used the word beni eight times to try and pull his son Avshalom out of the seven levels of Gehinnom, Yitzchak Avinu (thinking he was talking to Esav) wanted to lift his children up from the lowest levels. Why? Because a child is always a child. This is the message of the Arba Banim (Four Sons). Even the Rasha (the wicked son) is at the table. Regardless of what we do, we remain Banim la-Makom (Children of the Omnipresent). From Children to Brothers If we are children, that status comes with a requirement of brotherhood. The Pele Yoetz quotes the pasuk in Malachi (2:10): הֲלוֹא אָב אֶחָד לְכֻלָּנוּ... מַדּוּעַ נִבְגַּד אִישׁ בְּאָחִיו ? "Have we not all one Father? ... Why then do we deal treacherously every man against his brother?" The Tanya (Chapter 32) says that because our souls are connected to one Father, we are Achim Mamash —literal brothers. Only our bodies are separate. The Maharal tells us the Jewish people are like one big body, and God is the soul of all of them. This was the first step of Moshe Rabbeinu's journey. Vayar besivlotam —he saw their sufferings. He saw them as brothers in need. He carried the trait of brotherhood passed down from Shimon and Levi ( Achim heim ). Viewing everyone as a brother is the true key to redemption. As the Maggid of Dubno and Hafetz Haim both famously : When two brothers love each other, the Father is happy and provides for the home. When they fight, the Father hides His face. If we want our Father in Heaven to treat us like His children, we must treat each other like brothers. A Final Appeal And again, our final push: Baruch Hashem, there were people who responded yesterday to my heartfelt plea on behalf of Lev Chana Lev Zechariah , collecting for clothing cards for families in our community. How to give: Zelle: RabbiSutton@gmail.com Pledge: Email me at RabbiSutton@gmail.com Link: Click the link attached to this chat or email : https://www.rayze.it/levchanazm/ Please give generously. Thank you very much, and Tizku L'mitzvot. Thank you, and may we all merit to see the brotherhood in one another.

Passover - The Second Cup: for the Wicked SonThe story of Yetziat Mitzrayim is specifically told around the second cup, to teach us that the true mission is not to give up on any Jew.

The Rebbe explains, based on the Zohar, that the Exodus from Egypt was far more than a fulfillment of a promise. It was a complete spiritual redemption from all levels of impurity, elevating the Jewish people toward Torah and holiness. https://www.torahrecordings.com/classes/by_month/008_nisan/hagadah/007

Welcome to Daily Bitachon: Erev Shabbat HaGadol Welcome to our Erev Shabbat series. Today is EREV Shabbat HaGadol , and we will explore its connection to Bitachon (trust in God) based on a beautiful insight from the Meshech Chochma (Devarim 10:20). The Universal vs. The Unique Shabbat The Meshech Chochma notes that, theoretically, Shabbat should apply to all of humanity. Since God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh, every nation should seemingly have a connection to that rest. Yet, only the Jewish people received the commandment of Shabbat. Why? Because keeping Shabbat requires a specific level of Bitachon —a reliance on God that is unique to the Jewish people. To truly rest, you must know with certainty that your parnassah (livelihood) is set by God. The Meshech Chochma points out that in Jeremiah (17:7), right after the prophet discusses Bitachon — "Blessed is the man who trusts in Hashem" —he immediately speaks about Shabbat. A person who trusts in Hashem welcomes Shabbat because they view weekday labor as a "tax" or a necessity to cover miracles (as discussed in Chovot HaLevavot ). The servant of Hashem is happy to stop working because they believe they will lose nothing by taking the day off. The Power of Yetziat Mitzrayim This level of trust was forged during Yetziat Mitzrayim (the Exodus). We witnessed Hashgacha Pratit (Divine Providence) firsthand—such as when a glass of water remained water for a Jew but turned to blood for an Egyptian. This direct experience gave us the power to keep Shabbat. The Midrash Rabbah on the verse "The blessing of Hashem brings wealth" explains that this refers specifically to Shabbat. Other nations aren't commanded to keep Shabbat because, without the historical experience of the Exodus and the resulting Bitachon , it would be an impossible burden. God does not give a mitzvah that a person is incapable of fulfilling. The Desert and the Manna This explains why Shabbat was given to us at Marah , even before the revelation at Sinai. When we followed God into a desolate wilderness without asking, "How will we survive?", we demonstrated the "kindness of our youth" ( Chesed Ne'urayich ). By following Him into the desert, we proved we were ready for Shabbat. This is why Shabbat and the Manna were introduced together. The Manna was the ultimate exercise in Bitachon : "My cupboard is empty today, but I know there will be enough tomorrow." Only those with that level of trust ( Ba'alei Bitachon ) can truly keep Shabbat. The Connection to Shabbat HaGadol On the 10th of Nissan in Egypt—which fell on a Shabbat—the Jewish people faced a tremendous test of faith. They were commanded to take a sheep (an Egyptian deity) and tie it to their bedposts. When asked by their neighbors what they were doing, they boldly proclaimed their intent to slaughter it and that the Egyptian firstborns would soon die. It took immense Emunah (faith) to make such a proclamation openly. This act of reliance is the core of Shabbat HaGadol. We celebrate it as "The Great Shabbat" (rather than just the 10th of Nissan) because it marks the moment we showed we were ready to keep Shabbat by displaying our absolute Bitachon . Cleaving to Hashem The Meshech Chochma writes this immediately following his essay on the mitzvah of "U'vo Tidbak" (To Him you shall cleave). He explains that "cleaving" to God is the mitzvah of Bitachon . When you rely on Hashem, He is always on your mind, and you are constantly connected to Him. He poignantly notes that in his own generation, spiritual levels dropped because people worried too much about the future and how to support their families, leading them to turn away from Torah study. He attributed the challenges of European Jewry to a lack of Bitachon . This Shabbat is a wonderful opportunity to strengthen our own Bitachon. Just as our ancestors did on that first Shabbat HaGadol in Egypt, let us reaffirm our reliance on Hashem, knowing that He provides for all our needs. Have a wonderful day and a Shabbat HaGadol Shalom!

The Rebbe distinguishes between the daily remembrance of Yetziat Mitzrayim and the mitzvah of Sippur on Pesach. The Seder requires verbal, detailed storytelling, response, and continuous engagement throughout the night. https://www.torahrecordings.com/shulchan_menachem/orach_chayim/238

Should it matter whether Yetziat Mitzrayim — the exodus of Israelites from Egypt, the defining story of the Passover seder that Jews around the world have retold for centuries — actually happened in the way the Torah describes?Twenty-five years ago, Rabbi David Wolpe posed this very question to his congregants — and it caused quite a stir. Now, a quarter century later, he sat down with Rabbi Dr. Joshua Berman of Bar Ilan University, one of today's leading biblical scholars, to talk about the deeper truths behind the Exodus. Together, they probe the historicity of the biblical account, the enduring meaning of the story, and the timeless legacy of a narrative that is, ultimately, the closest approximation to a Jewish language of Aspiration.In that spirit, we hope this wide-ranging SAPIR Conversation enriches your Pesach Seder. From the SAPIR family to yours, wishing you and your loved ones a Happy Passover and Chag Sameach!Read the latest issue of SAPIR on ASPIRATION: sapirjournal.orgRead Dara Horn's essay, "How To Teach the Jewish Story": How to Teach the Jewish Story – SAPIR JournalMusic from #Uppbeat: ⁠https://uppbeat.io/t/theo-gerard/monsieur-groove

B"H Passover is here, and open miracles are returning. We are used to thinking that the miracles of Egypt were once in history. But Chazal teach that as we move closer to Geulah, the miracles come back. Not hidden. Open. Look at what is happening. Protection that doesn't make sense. Precision that shouldn't be possible. Outcomes that go beyond what we would expect. This is not just history repeating. This is something being revealed again in our time. Yetziat Mitzrayim is not just something we remember. It is something we are starting to experience. You still see pain. You still see loss. We daven for healing, for comfort, for the end of all suffering. But at the same time, you have to open your eyes and notice what is unfolding. Open miracles are returning. #Pesach #Passover #Geulah #Israel #Miracles To watch Torah Thoughts in video format, click HERE Subscribe to the Torah Thoughts BLOG for exclusive written content! Please like, share and subscribe wherever you find this!

Yetziat Mitzrayim: The Catalyst for Shabbat Welcome to our daily Bitachon series, and specifically to our special Friday edition dedicated to the essence of Shabbat. As we have often noted, Shabbat is deeply intertwined with both Ma'aseh Bereishit (the Creation) and Yetziat Mitzrayim (the Exodus). In a profound sense, the Exodus actually "created" Shabbat as we know it today. Originally, Shabbat served primarily as a connection to the act of Creation; through our redemption from Egypt, God transformed Shabbat into a sign ( Ot ) of our unique relationship with Him. The Three Signs of the Exodus The Exodus did not only establish Shabbat; it created other essential Otot (signs) as well: Tefillin: Two of the four passages contained within our Tefillin explicitly discuss the Exodus. Brit Milah: The Midrash teaches that while in Egypt, many were hesitant to perform circumcision as it marked them as distinct from the gentiles. however, when the time came to leave, they were commanded to eat the Korban Pesach (Paschal Lamb), of which the Torah states: "No uncircumcised man may eat of it." Thus, the Brit Milah became a prerequisite for and a part of the Exodus story. Shabbat: The day that testifies both to God's mastery over nature and His intervention in human history. The "Upside-Down" Theory of History In Parshat Bo, God tells Moses the reason for the plagues and the miracles: "Lema'an shiti ototai eleh bekirbo" —"So that I may place these signs of Mine in his midst." While the simple meaning refers to the plagues as signs of God's power, the Ma'or Vashemesh offers a fascinating deeper reading. He suggests that the goal of the Exodus was specifically to "implant" these Otot (Shabbat, Tefillin, and Brit Milah) within the Jewish people. This leads to what we might call the "upside-down theory" of Jewish history: We usually assume that because we left Egypt, we have a Shabbat to remember it. The Ma'or Vashemesh argues the opposite: Because God wanted us to have the holiness of Shabbat, He orchestrated the Exodus. The memorials are not an afterthought to history; history was created to facilitate the memorials. The classic proof is found in the Haggadah: "Ba'avur zeh" —"Because of this." We say God took us out of Egypt "because of this " (pointing to the Matzah and Maror). Logic would suggest we eat Matzah because He took us out, but the Torah suggests He took us out so that we would have the opportunity to perform the Mitzvah of Matzah. The Priority of the Mitzvah Rabbi Yerucham Levovitz famously applied this concept to the Fifth Commandment. We don't respect our parents simply because they happen to be the ones who brought us into the world. Rather, God created the biological reality of parenthood so that we would have the opportunity to fulfill the Mitzvah of "Honor your father and your mother." The Mitzvah exists in the spiritual realm first; the physical world is then constructed to allow that Mitzvah to manifest. The Exodus was the catalyst to create the Shabbat of Kiddush and Hallel . When the Torah says, "Lema'an tesaper be'oznei vincha" ("So that you may tell it in the ears of your children"), it is referring to the Friday night Kiddush . The entire purpose of the Egyptian exile and redemption was so that a Jewish father could sit with his children on Friday night and testify that God is the Master of the world. The Cause of All Causes The term "Hit'alalti" (usually translated as "I have mocked" or "wrought") used in reference to Egypt shares a root with Eilat Kol Ha'eilot —the Cause of all Causes. As Rabbeinu Bachya explains, this shows that God is the remote cause behind every event. Shabbat is the weekly reminder of this truth. God directed the course of history—slavery, plagues, and redemption—specifically so we would have this special Shabbat. As we approach Pesach, let us appreciate that every Shabbat we keep is a fulfillment of the very purpose for which we were liberated.

The Gemara says, " בניסן נגאלו ובניסן עתידין להיגאל ." In Nisan we were redeemed from Mitzrayim, and in Nisan we will be redeemed again. Just as the אורות הגאולה shone at the time of Yetziat Mitzrayim, so too every year those same lights return, making the month of Nisan an especially auspicious time for geulah. Chazal also teach us that the geulah will come בזכות האמונה . It is through our emunah that we will ultimately merit redemption. We are living in historic times. So much is happening in the world, and especially in Eretz Yisrael. We hope and pray that this will be the month of the final geulah. Now is the time to strengthen ourselves in emunah — emunah that the geulah will come, and emunah that Hashem is controlling everything and doing everything for our good. People who invest time learning emunah and listening to emunah classes become transformed by it. They gain the ability to rise above their circumstances, and their words and attitudes bring tremendous kavod to Hashem. A woman recently described the many hardships she had endured over the past seven years. Naturally, one would expect such a person to break down in tears. Yet instead, she spoke about how much she loves Hashem and how she understands that all of her struggles are shaping her into the person Hashem wants her to be. Her words were incredibly precious. Such strength can only come from deeply internalized emunah. A man shared that last year he flew across the country for crucial business meetings at a time when it seemed his entire livelihood was on the verge of collapse. When he arrived, he was so overwhelmed with anxiety that he could not think clearly. Someone advised him to listen to emunah classes. He locked himself in his room for twenty-four hours, listening continuously. He barely ate or slept, stopping only to pray. By the end of that time, he said he felt emunah flowing through his veins. Strengthened and calm, he entered his meetings with complete trust in Hashem — and he witnessed open miracles. What began as a frightening trip turned into the most successful business experience of his career. A woman told me that a few years ago, her daughter had begun drifting away from her connection to Hashem. Then, on Rosh Chodesh Nisan, while riding an electric scooter to work, she was struck by a car. She was thrown off and lost consciousness. Hatzalah rushed her to the hospital, where doctors discovered five hematomas in her brain. One doctor told the mother that there was a strong chance her daughter would not survive. The mother responded with unwavering confidence: "I know she will live." She explained that she had previously received berachot from Gedolim assuring her that she would yet see nachat from this daughter. "I haven't seen that nachat yet," she said, "so I know she will live." Her Emunat Chachamim was steadfast. That very evening, the girl regained full consciousness. The attending specialist said that in such cases, most patients do not survive, and those who do usually suffer permanent damage. For her to be completely fine was nothing short of an open miracle. The experience awakened something deep within the girl. She chose to spend a year in Eretz Yisrael, where she reconnected and began to grow rapidly. Today, she brings her mother immense nachat — just as the Gedolim had promised. This is the power of emunah. It gives strength, clarity, and brings tremendous kavod to Hashem. Let us take advantage of these powerful days of Nisan and strengthen ourselves in emunah. And with Hashem's help, may we merit to see the complete and final geulah במהרה בימינו אמן .

B"H Rosh Hashana is right now. Not the one in Tishrei, the one in Nissan. According to the Torah, Nissan is the first of the months. Tishrei is about refining yourself. Your character, your relationships, teshuva. But Nissan is about something deeper. Identity. Who are you? You are Am Yisrael. Part of a people with a mission, a Torah, a connection to Eretz Yisrael, and a story that began with Yetziat Mitzrayim. And only when you know who you are can you truly work on who you want to become. Find yourself first, and then you have a self to refine. Chodesh Tov. #Nissan #Judaism #Pesach #AmYisraelChai #RoshChodesh To watch Torah Thoughts in video format, click HERE Subscribe to the Torah Thoughts BLOG for exclusive written content! Please like, share and subscribe wherever you find this!

Join ⁠Rabbanit Dr. Tamara Spitz⁠ and explore ‘A Different Night' by Noam Zion, a Haggadah that transforms the Seder from a scripted ritual into a dynamic, question driven conversation. Together, we'll look at how it empowers participants of all ages to think, challenge, and engage deeply with the story of Yetziat Mitzrayim. We'll reflect on how to create a Seder that is not only informative, but genuinely transformative..For the full 2026 pre-Pesach program please ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠CLICK HERE

Like Maharal's forensic examination of the words of Chazal across Tanach, his profound ideas that he derives from the words of the Great Sages likewise shows through in the story of Yetziat Mitzrayim as he explains the surprising meaning of לַחְמָא עַנְיָא: why there are four children – not more or less; and why there are 15 stages in דַּיֵּנוּ.For the full 2026 pre-Pesach program please ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠CLICK HERE

B"H We need Pesach more than ever right now. Our sages teach that we begin learning the laws of Pesach thirty days before the holiday. That means right after Purim we already start preparing. On the surface it's practical. There is a lot to learn and a lot to do. But there is something deeper here. Right now we are all following the news constantly. Our hearts are in Eretz Yisrael. We are praying for peace, trying to stay informed, trying to support in whatever way we can. It can feel overwhelming. Pesach invites us to step into something timeless. The story of Yetziat Mitzrayim is the eternal story of our people. A story that reminds us that Hashem is present in history. That redemption is possible. That we are never alone in the story we are living. When we immerse ourselves in that story it becomes oxygen for the soul. It gives us perspective, strength, and hope. Start learning about Pesach. Learn the halachot. Learn the story again. Let it remind you that the same Hashem who took us out of Egypt is still with us now. #Pesach #Passover #Israel #AmYisraelChai #Judaism To watch Torah Thoughts in video format, click HERE Subscribe to the Torah Thoughts BLOG for exclusive written content! Please like, share and subscribe wherever you find this!

Shabbat Creation and Yesiat Misrayim Welcome to the Daily Bitachon . Today on our Erev Shabbat series we speak of Shabbat . I saw a beautiful thought, real hashgacha pratit as it directly connects Sha'ar Bechina and Shabbat . The Sefer Neos Deshe written by the same author as the Avnei Nezer , a famous work. He asks the following question: Why is it that in Parshat Yitro and Ki Tissa , the reason for Shabbat given is to remember creation, and when it comes to Va'etchanan , the second Dibrot , it talks about zecher l'Yitziat Mitzrayim ? And he explains that there are two ways to recognize God. One of them is through creation, and the other one is through the miracles of Yitziat Mitzrayim . Now, which is the way to go? And he says they're both true. Looking into creation is a great way to recognize God, and he says that's what the Chovot HaLevavot bases himself on in Sha'ar HaBechina . But he says not everyone can do that and use that as a cause to recognize God. And therefore, we needed Yitziat Mitzrayim with all the wonders and all the plagues we saw with our own eyes in order that God's power and control should be seen openly to everybody. Further he says, the souls of yesteryear were very great souls, and they could see God just through creation, just through seeing the daily wonders. But the souls of later are not as powerful, their eyes are a little bit weaker, and if they don't see open miracles, they're not going to see it. But he says once a person has seen the miracles of Yitziat Mitzrayim and his vision starts getting clear, now he could see God in creation as well. And that's the additional work that we do now after we have Yitziat Mitzrayim . Explains the Gemara that says that in the future we will no longer talk about Yitziat Mitzrayim because the whole purpose of Yitziat Mitzrayim was only when we were weak and we needed to have those open miracles to see God. Once Mashiach comes and our vision will be clear, we'll go back to the pre-sin stage and be able to recognize God in creation. Now, hold on. If that's the case that we needed Yitziat Mitzrayim , then why is it the first set of commandments talk about Ma'aseh Bereishit and the second set of commandments go back to Yitziat Mitzrayim again? And he explains that after we got out of Egypt, we became purified and we were ready to see God through creation alone. But when we sinned the sin of the Eigel HaZahav , we dropped. And then we have to keep on reminding ourselves of Yitziat Mitzrayim first and then we can see God through creation. And he says therefore in Yitro and in Ki Tissa , which both were mentioned before the sin of the Eigel HaZahav , we talk about Ma'aseh Bereishit . We could see God through creation alone. After the sin of the Eigel HaZahav , we need to always start again with Yitziat Mitzrayim . We see God through Yitziat Mitzrayim . Everything's zecher l'Yitziat Mitzrayim . Pesach , which is coming soon, we work on Yitziat Mitzrayim . And therefore we can't do anything, even our Shabbat , without first going through Yitziat Mitzrayim because we need to have that clear understanding that we got from the open miracles to remove that layer from our eyes and now we're able to see things clearly and now once we see things clearly due to the message of Mitzrayim , we can once again start looking into creation and seeing God there. So it turns out that every single day of the year we talk about zecher l'Yitziat Mitzrayim in our Kriat Shema . We need that, and once we have that, then we can start going on to our Ma'aseh Bereishit which is our Sha'ar HaBechina . So all of our Sha'ar HaBechina work is important work. That's how Avraham Avinu got there. But in our times, we can't start with that. And that's probably why answers our question on the world, why don't we see the world spending their time on Sha'ar HaBechina ? And the answer is it's not so simple. Sha'ar HaBechina isn't so simple, but again it's important, that's the whole Chovot HaLevavot depends on that. That's the building. the building block of a person's personal search, but again it starts with the clear and open miracles of Yetziat Mitzrayim . That's a beautiful thought on Shabbat . Again, that's what we're talking about, that Shabbat has to be both Zecher L'ma'aseh Bereshit and once we get that message, we can go on to

Shabbat: Zecher l'Yetziat Mitzrayim Welcome to our daily Bitachon. Today, Friday, we have our special Shabbat Dvar Torah. It is interesting to note that in this week's Parashah, Parashat Yitro, we find the Aseret HaDibrot where one of the Ten Commandments is זכור את יום השבת לקדשו —"Remember the Sabbath day to sanctify it." We also know that in Parashat Vaetchanan, we read the second version of the Dibrot , which says שמור את יום השבת —"Keep the Sabbath day." The main difference between the two—besides Zachor and Shamor —is that the first Dibrot tell us to remember Shabbat vis-à-vis Maaseh Bereishit (the Creation). God is the One Who created the world; therefore, we work for six days and rest on the seventh to remember that He, too, created the world in six days and rested on the seventh. The second Dibrot , however, speak about remembering Yetziat Mitzrayim (the Exodus). Now, it is quite obvious what Maaseh Bereishit has to do with Shabbat—it's the six-and-one pattern. But what exactly about Shabbat causes us to remember the Exodus? This is a simple but vital question, because every Friday night in Kiddush we mention both: Zecher le'Maaseh Bereishit and Zecher l'Yetziat Mitzrayim . The Power of Association Remembering something means that a specific trigger sparks a memory—an association of sorts. For example, if I say the word "orange," what do you think of? Some might say the color, some the fruit, and some might think of Florida. That is an association. If I say the word "mask," what does that mean to you? It could mean Corona; it could mean Purim. The word triggers a specific memory. In that sense, a mask could be Zecher l'Corona or Zecher l'Purim . So, when I hear the word "Shabbat," why do I think of Yetziat Mitzrayim ? It is an important question because the Torah places it right in the Ten Commandments and we repeat it in our Kiddush. Two Reasons for the Connection We will offer two reasons, though I am sure there are many more: Ownership of Time: The simplest reason, cited by most Rishonim , is that a servant does not own his own time. A slave cannot simply decide to take a rest; they are subjected to backbreaking work. If you are in a slave labor camp, you don't just take a nap in the middle of the day. If you can take a nap, it's an indication that you are in charge of your own time—you are the boss, not the slave. Therefore, when we rest on Shabbat—when you take your Shabbat afternoon nap—think to yourself: "I have the right to take a nap. I own my time." That only happened because Hashem took us out of Mitzrayim. The Scrolls of Faith: Many of us know that even before the Exodus, Shabbat existed for the Jews in Egypt. When Moshe was a newly appointed prince, he asked his stepfather, Pharaoh, to give the workers a day off, arguing they would work better with rest. The day he chose was Shabbat. On those days, Moshe distributed scrolls which the people would read to strengthen their Emunah . When we take that day off today, it reminds us of the Shabbat we had in Mitzrayim, and how we used that time to strengthen our Emunah and Bitachon . Rabbi Yaakov Kamenetsky notes that if you read Mizmor Shir L'Yom HaShabbat (Tehillim 92), it doesn't actually talk about Shabbat. So why is it the "Song for the Sabbath Day"? He explains that starting from Tefillah L'Moshe (Tehillim 90), there are eleven chapters written by Moshe Rabbeinu. These were the very scrolls he gave out to the slaves in Egypt to give them chizuk . Mizmor Shir L'Yom HaShabbat contains the concept of Tzaddik Katamar Yifrach —that the righteous will blossom while the wicked are cut down—and concludes Tzuri Velo Avlatah Bo , that God is our Rock and there is no iniquity in Him. That was the chizuk they practiced in Mitzrayim on Shabbat. Deepening the Experience So, we have two ways Shabbat triggers the memory of the Exodus: Remembering that we are free people who own our time. Remembering the spiritual preparation we did while still in slavery. I also saw a beautiful thought from the Alter of Kelm regarding how we can maintain excitement for Shabbat week after week. He says you have to delve deeper. You have to really think into these topics—think into Maaseh Bereishit and Yetziat Mitzrayim . The more you delve into them, the more you will appreciate and gain from the day. Shabbat Shalom.

Two of the fundamental tenets of Judaism are known by the terms emunah (faith, or belief) and bitahon (trust). Much has been written about the precise meanings of these two words, and the difference between them. For our purposes, it suffices to say that the story we read in the Torah over the last two weeks – the story of the ten plagues and Yetziat Mitzrayim – establishes the tenet of emunah , and the story told in this week's parashah – the splitting of the sea – establishes the tenet of bitahon . The miraculous plagues in Egypt showed Hashem's exclusive and unlimited control over the universe. It demonstrated that He governs the world without any constraints, without any other force being able to stop Him, and that He is constantly involved. This is emunah – the core belief in Hashem as the Creator who exerts unlimited control over the earth. At the sea, Beneh Yisrael were taught about bitahon – living with the trust that Hashem can solve problems that appear to have no solution. Emunah is the theoretical belief in Hashem's power, and bitahon is the practical application of that belief, remaining calm and composed during difficult situations, trusting that Hashem is handling it for us. Let us take a closer look at what happened at the shores of the Yam Suf to learn what living with bitahon means. When Beneh Yisrael saw the Egyptians chasing after them, and they realized that they were trapped against the sea, ויצעקו בני ישראל אל ה' – they cried out to Hashem (14:10). Rashi comments that this was the proper response, that Benei Yisrael were following the example of the avot (patriarchs), who likewise cried to Hashem during times of crisis. But then Moshe Rabbenu turned to them and said, ה' ילחם לכם ואתם תחרישון – that they should remain silent while Hashem handles this for them (14:14). After that, Hashem told Moshe to tell the people ויסעו – to move forward into the sea (14:15). This is the prescription for us during times of hardship. First, ויצעקו – we should cry out. It is ok to feel upset, to feel anxious, to feel frustrated, to feel pained. We are supposed to feel these emotions, and not to try to suppress them. And it's ok to cry – certainly to Hashem, but also to those whom we feel comfortable sharing our feelings with, or with a therapist if need be. At a certain point, however, תחרישון – we have to stop crying out, recognizing that ה' ילחם לכם – Hashem is handling this crisis for us, that we are in His hands. We need to stay calm and place our trust in Hashem. And then, most importantly, ויסעו – we need to move forward. No matter what we're dealing with, we can't just give up, wallowing in our bitterness and resentment. We need to go forward and do the best we can under the circumstances Hashem put us in. Three days after Beneh Yisrael crossed the sea, they arrived in a place where they found a water source, but they could not drink the water כי מרים הם – "because they were bitter," and so they called the place מרה – "bitter" (15:23). The Rebbe of Kotzk suggested a fascinating reading of this pasuk . He explained that it wasn't the waters that were bitter, but rather the people. When people are "bitter," when they are angry and resentful, they can never quench their thirst, they can never find satisfaction, because everything they "taste" is bitter. We are all going to experience things that make us upset and get us down. But bitterness never helped anyone. The only way we help ourselves when things happen is ויסעו – by moving forward with the faith that Hashem is handling the problem. We have to move on, doing the best we can, and trust that Hashem will do the rest.

Two of the fundamental tenets of Judaism are known by the terms emunah (faith, or belief) and bitahon (trust). Much has been written about the precise meanings of these two words, and the difference between them. For our purposes, it suffices to say that the story we read in the Torah over the last two weeks – the story of the ten plagues and Yetziat Mitzrayim – establishes the tenet of emunah , and the story told in this week's parashah – the splitting of the sea – establishes the tenet of bitahon . The miraculous plagues in Egypt showed Hashem's exclusive and unlimited control over the universe. It demonstrated that He governs the world without any constraints, without any other force being able to stop Him, and that He is constantly involved. This is emunah – the core belief in Hashem as the Creator who exerts unlimited control over the earth. At the sea, Beneh Yisrael were taught about bitahon – living with the trust that Hashem can solve problems that appear to have no solution. Emunah is the theoretical belief in Hashem's power, and bitahon is the practical application of that belief, remaining calm and composed during difficult situations, trusting that Hashem is handling it for us. Let us take a closer look at what happened at the shores of the Yam Suf to learn what living with bitahon means. When Beneh Yisrael saw the Egyptians chasing after them, and they realized that they were trapped against the sea, ויצעקו בני ישראל אל ה' – they cried out to Hashem (14:10). Rashi comments that this was the proper response, that Benei Yisrael were following the example of the avot (patriarchs), who likewise cried to Hashem during times of crisis. But then Moshe Rabbenu turned to them and said, ה' ילחם לכם ואתם תחרישון – that they should remain silent while Hashem handles this for them (14:14). After that, Hashem told Moshe to tell the people ויסעו – to move forward into the sea (14:15). This is the prescription for us during times of hardship. First, ויצעקו – we should cry out. It is ok to feel upset, to feel anxious, to feel frustrated, to feel pained. We are supposed to feel these emotions, and not to try to suppress them. And it's ok to cry – certainly to Hashem, but also to those whom we feel comfortable sharing our feelings with, or with a therapist if need be. At a certain point, however, תחרישון – we have to stop crying out, recognizing that ה' ילחם לכם – Hashem is handling this crisis for us, that we are in His hands. We need to stay calm and place our trust in Hashem. And then, most importantly, ויסעו – we need to move forward. No matter what we're dealing with, we can't just give up, wallowing in our bitterness and resentment. We need to go forward and do the best we can under the circumstances Hashem put us in. Three days after Beneh Yisrael crossed the sea, they arrived in a place where they found a water source, but they could not drink the water כי מרים הם – "because they were bitter," and so they called the place מרה – "bitter" (15:23). The Rebbe of Kotzk suggested a fascinating reading of this pasuk . He explained that it wasn't the waters that were bitter, but rather the people. When people are "bitter," when they are angry and resentful, they can never quench their thirst, they can never find satisfaction, because everything they "taste" is bitter. We are all going to experience things that make us upset and get us down. But bitterness never helped anyone. The only way we help ourselves when things happen is ויסעו – by moving forward with the faith that Hashem is handling the problem. We have to move on, doing the best we can, and trust that Hashem will do the rest.

Hashem wants us to learn about Him from the way He revealed Himself at Yetziat Mitzrayim. The pesukim tell us again and again how we are meant to see that Hashem is the only One who controls everything that happens in this world. There are people who believe that everything that happens to them is from Hashem, yet when they go through prolonged difficulties, they have complaints, feeling that they are being dealt with unfairly. To know that Hashem controls everything is not enough. We also need to know how loving and merciful He is. When Moshe Rabbeinu asked Hashem, "Why are You dealing so harshly with the Jewish people?" Hashem answered him that He is Hashem. The Targum Yonatan explains that Hashem told him, "I am the Hashem who appeared to you at the burning bush." How do we understand this response? How does this explain why He was dealing with the Jewish people so harshly? The Maharal writes that there are different levels of love between people. When it comes to true friends, each one will participate in the happy occasions of the other. But the greatest expression of love is when one friend is in pain because the other one is hurting. It is much easier to celebrate with a friend than to feel hurt when he is hurt. When a person is in pain because his friend is in pain, that shows that his life is not a life without his friend. He cannot enjoy his own life knowing that his friend is in trouble. When Hashem appeared to Moshe at the burning bush, one of the reasons He came to him in a thorn bush was to show Moshe that He was in pain because of the pain that the Jewish people were experiencing. The Midrash says, look at how much Hashem loves us. He calls us His daughter and His sister and His mother. The Maharal says, if it didn't say it, we wouldn't be allowed to say it ourselves. But everyone knows that a child cannot exist without first having a mother. Although Hashem does not need anyone or anything, He calls us His mother to tell us that because of His great love for us, He makes Himself feel as if He needs us to exist. This love is shown most clearly by Hashem feeling the pain of every single Jew when he is in pain. So when Moshe Rabbeinu asked Hashem, "Why are You treating the Jewish people so harshly in Mitzrayim?" Hashem replied to him by reminding him immediately about the vision he had at the burning bush. If a doctor were operating on a patient and causing the patient pain, a relative of that patient might question the doctor and ask why he was operating in such a painful way when perhaps there was a less painful method. But if the doctor were operating on his own child, no one would ask any questions, because they would know that he is doing the surgery in the best possible way. Hashem was telling Moshe that the question of "Why am I hurting My nation?" is invalid, because I am their loving Father. I am treating them in the best possible way for them. When they are hurting, I am hurting. We must understand how much Hashem loves us. The Midrash asks, why did Hashem appear to Moshe in a thorn bush? One of the answers it gives is because a thorn bush is the lowest of all trees in terms of humility. There is no apparent purpose to it. It does not seem to provide any benefit. So too, that is how the Jewish nation looked in Mitzrayim, like people with nothing going for them. They had fallen almost to the forty-ninth level of tumah. They were idol worshippers. They had no zechuyot to be redeemed. Yet Hashem came and showed Moshe that if He could rest His presence in a thorn bush, He could redeem a nation that looked like a thorn bush. Because Hashem's love for us does not depend on our deeds. He loves us more than a parent could ever love a child. Even though Hashem gave us the mitzvah of Milah and Pesach before we left Mitzrayim, that was after He had already performed nine makkot and had everything set for the geulah. He did not first require us to have zechuyot to be saved. He saved us because He loves us. The Shem mishmuel said on the words "raoh raeety" that Hashem told Moshe, even though I see them after Matan Torah worshipping the Eigel, I am still going to redeem them. Hashem's love for us is unfathomable. If a person asks, "Why is Hashem doing bad to me?" it just means that he has not yet comprehended the love that Hashem has for him. Hashem feels his pain more than he does. He is only doing the best possible thing for him. If we could feel even a small part of the true love that Hashem has for us, we would be able to live more happily no matter what we are going through.

In this week's parashah, Bo, we learn about the final three makkot. Chazal tell us that a large number of Jews passed away during the makkah of Choshech. Rav Shlomo Kluger writes that the people who died in Choshech were those who did not have enough emunah to follow Hashem into the desert. They wanted the others to first go and conquer the land, and only then would they be willing to follow later. The Rav adds that all of those neshamot were destined to come back into the world in the final generation before Mashiach, and their job would be to overcome very difficult tests in the area of emunah. If they succeed, they will make their tikkun and live on for all eternity. One of the most difficult parts of emunah is when a person is harmed by another individual. The natural reaction is to think that the other person used his free will to do wrong and that it was not from Hashem, chas v'shalom. The Sefer HaChinuch, in the mitzvah of lo tikom v'lo titor, as well as other sources, teach us that even though the person who caused the harm did use his free will and is fully accountable for his actions, it was only able to happen because it was the will of Hashem for the person to be affected that way. Nothing can ever happen to a person through a baal bechirah unless Hashem wants it to happen to him first, and always for his best. The Yitev Lev writes that one of the lessons we learn from Yetziat Mitzrayim is that when a person causes harm to another, the one who received the harm must take to heart that it was Hashem who was giving life to the one who harmed him, and that person was only His messenger. The Maggid of Mezritch writes that when a person is causing harm to another and the one who is being harmed fully believes that it is only coming from Hashem and that it is for his absolute best, that belief nullifies all the judgments against him. The Passu says כִּי הִנֵּה אֹיְבֶיךָ ה', כִּי הִנֵּה אֹיְבֶיךָ יֹאבֵדוּ. The Yitev Lev explains that when a person knows that his enemies are being sent by Hashem כִּי הִנֵּה אֹיְבֶיךָ-- ה, then הִנֵּה אֹיְבֶיךָ יֹאבֵדוּ, those enemies will stop bothering him. All of the stress and heartache caused by other people is simply Hashem giving a person what he needs in order to fulfill his mission in this world. When a person fully believes that it is really Hashem and not the one who appears to be doing it, that itself can accomplish the tikkun that he needs. It is extremely hard to take the person out of the picture and honestly feel that he is not responsible for the harm. When Yosef HaTzaddik revealed himself to his brothers, he said to them, "I am Yosef, your brother, whom you sold to Egypt." The Or HaChaim HaKadosh explains that Yosef was telling them that even while they were selling him, he still felt close to them like a brother. How could Yosef possibly have felt that way? Because when Shimon and Levi were lowering him into the pit with snakes and scorpions, all he saw was Hashem in control. As he later said, "It was not you who sent me here, but only Hashem." With the proper outlook, we too can live our lives with this emunah, seeing only Hashem in everything that happens. Rabbi Menashe Reizman said to imagine how the newspaper articles would read if the Chafetz Chaim were writing them. Of course, HaKadosh Baruch Hu would be in every headline. It would say: Hashem made it that this person was attacked. Hashem made it that this person was arrested. Hashem made it that this person won the lottery. We hope that we are living in the generation of Mashiach, and if our tikkun is to pass the test of emunah, we must take this message to heart and understand that people cannot harm us or give us anything. Everything happens only by the word of Hashem, and it is always for our best. Shabbat Shalom.

We read in Parashat Bo of how Hashem told Moshe and Aharon the detailed laws of the korban pesach (Pesach sacrifice) which they were to teach Beneh Yisrael in preparation for Yetziat Mitzrayim . The people were to prepare a sheep for the sacrifice already several days before, and then sacrifice it on the 14th of Nissan, the afternoon before Hashem brought the plague of the firstborn which led to the people's departure from Egypt. The Torah concludes this section by saying: וילכו ויעשו בני ישראל כאשר ציווה ה' את משה ואהרון כן עשו – " Beneh Yisrael went ahead and did as G-d commanded Moshe and Aharon; so they did" (12:28). Rashi points out that the last two words of this pasuk – כן עשו ("so they did") – seem unnecessary. After telling us that the people did as they instructed, why did the Torah then repeat, "so they did"? Rashi writes that this refers to Moshe and Aharon. They, too, fulfilled Hashem's commands and prepared the sheep for the korban pesach . We must wonder, does this really answer the question? Would any of us have thought that Moshe and Aharon, who received these instructions from Hashem and conveyed them to the people, would not have obeyed them? Did this need to be said? The Brisker Rav explained that often, people who are involved in things excuse themselves from other things. When a person runs an organization or project, he thinks that this is enough to discharge his duties, and he does not have to do the "little things" that everyone else has to do. People involved in fundraising for a yeshiva, for example, might feel exempt from learning Torah, since they are doing very important work helping other people learn Torah. People who donate money to a synagogue, or who volunteer on one of the shul's committees, might feel that they don't have to actually show up to the tefillot on a regular basis, since they are making sure that other people can come to pray. This is why the Torah needed to emphasize כן עשו – that Moshe and Aharon prepared their own sheep for the korban pesach . They didn't exempt themselves, figuring that since they were responsible for getting the people to perform the mitzvah they did not need to perform it themselves. They understood that just like everyone else needed to prepare a sacrifice, so did they. Many adults find it difficult to feel inspired, to feel religiously motivated. When they were young, especially if they learned in yeshiva or seminary, it was relatively easy to get fired up, to be excited about Torah and to want to connect to Hashem. But when people get older and have families that they need to take care of and support, this becomes much more difficult. But we can't make excuses. We need to do the best we can at all stages of life. Even when we're doing very important things, such as raising a family and getting involved in all kinds of programs and projects, we can't forget about our own religious growth. Even when we're busy with other people, we have to be busy also with ourselves. Moshe and Aharon weren't too important to prepare their own korban pesach . None of us are too important to worry about our own mitzvah obligations and our relationship with Hashem.

We read in Parashat Bo of how Hashem told Moshe and Aharon the detailed laws of the korban pesach (Pesach sacrifice) which they were to teach Beneh Yisrael in preparation for Yetziat Mitzrayim . The people were to prepare a sheep for the sacrifice already several days before, and then sacrifice it on the 14th of Nissan, the afternoon before Hashem brought the plague of the firstborn which led to the people's departure from Egypt. The Torah concludes this section by saying: וילכו ויעשו בני ישראל כאשר ציווה ה' את משה ואהרון כן עשו – " Beneh Yisrael went ahead and did as G-d commanded Moshe and Aharon; so they did" (12:28). Rashi points out that the last two words of this pasuk – כן עשו ("so they did") – seem unnecessary. After telling us that the people did as they instructed, why did the Torah then repeat, "so they did"? Rashi writes that this refers to Moshe and Aharon. They, too, fulfilled Hashem's commands and prepared the sheep for the korban pesach . We must wonder, does this really answer the question? Would any of us have thought that Moshe and Aharon, who received these instructions from Hashem and conveyed them to the people, would not have obeyed them? Did this need to be said? The Brisker Rav explained that often, people who are involved in things excuse themselves from other things. When a person runs an organization or project, he thinks that this is enough to discharge his duties, and he does not have to do the "little things" that everyone else has to do. People involved in fundraising for a yeshiva, for example, might feel exempt from learning Torah, since they are doing very important work helping other people learn Torah. People who donate money to a synagogue, or who volunteer on one of the shul's committees, might feel that they don't have to actually show up to the tefillot on a regular basis, since they are making sure that other people can come to pray. This is why the Torah needed to emphasize כן עשו – that Moshe and Aharon prepared their own sheep for the korban pesach . They didn't exempt themselves, figuring that since they were responsible for getting the people to perform the mitzvah they did not need to perform it themselves. They understood that just like everyone else needed to prepare a sacrifice, so did they. Many adults find it difficult to feel inspired, to feel religiously motivated. When they were young, especially if they learned in yeshiva or seminary, it was relatively easy to get fired up, to be excited about Torah and to want to connect to Hashem. But when people get older and have families that they need to take care of and support, this becomes much more difficult. But we can't make excuses. We need to do the best we can at all stages of life. Even when we're doing very important things, such as raising a family and getting involved in all kinds of programs and projects, we can't forget about our own religious growth. Even when we're busy with other people, we have to be busy also with ourselves. Moshe and Aharon weren't too important to prepare their own korban pesach . None of us are too important to worry about our own mitzvah obligations and our relationship with Hashem.

As we know, the miracles that Hashem performed at Yetziat Mitzrayim were not only to take revenge on the Egyptians. They were also to teach us lessons that we would need for all generations. Rabbi Menashe Reizman quoted Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel, who explained one of those lessons. The Egyptians believed in numerous gods, and every one of them was connected to their source of parnassah. They worshipped the sheep that gave them parnassah. They worshipped the Nile River that gave them parnassah. They worshipped Pharaoh, who they believed gave them parnassah. And Hashem made a mockery of all those gods, including the Baal Tzafon. Baal Tzafon was the place where Yosef hid all of the treasures that he accumulated during the years of famine. As long as Baal Tzafon stood, the Egyptians felt secure. It was their insurance policy. Even if the Nile failed, even if their livestock died, even if everything else collapsed, they still had mountains of gold hidden away there. Pharaoh emptied that treasure house and gave everything to the Egyptians in order to convince them to chase the Jews into the Yam Suf. That is what caused them to ultimately drown there, and that is how all of that wealth was transferred to Am Yisrael. Hashem was showing us that all of the things the Egyptians believed in were nothing. It was only Him who controlled everything. Sometimes a person becomes so wrapped up in his parnassah that he begins to trust in it. And if there is an issue with the product, or the customer, or the boss, he begins to tremble in fear that his parnassah is in jeopardy. Believing in the cause of parnassah is very similar to believing in the Egyptian deities. The Gemara says that whoever is somech geulah l'tefillah, no harm will befall him that day. Rabbeinu Yonah explains that if a person truly absorbs the message of the geulah from Mitzrayim, he will nullify all other imagined sources of help and rely fully on HaKadosh Baruch Hu. Only then can he truly pray. So long as a person believes that his refuah is in the hands of the doctor, and his future is in the hands of a diagnosis, how can he truly mean the words כי אל רופא רחמן ונאמן אתה that he says in tefilah? The more emotional involvement a person has in his hishtadlut, the weaker his emunah becomes. When it comes to parnassah, when a person truly believes that only Hashem is giving it to him, that only Hashem is marrying off his children, and that only Hashem is giving each person the house he needs to live in, then his kavanah in prayer becomes deep and real. First a person must nullify all other sources of support in the berachah of Ga'al Yisrael, and only then can he begin the Amidah properly. The Arugat HaBosem explains that the main essence of every berachah in the amidah is in its conclusion: כי אל גואל חזק אתה כי אל טוב וסלח אתה כי אל טוב ומטיב אתה Even though we must make hishtadlut, the Chazon Ish warns that we must not have emotional attachment to it. We must not lose our composure when hearing bad news about the industry we work in. Rather, we should remain calm, with the serenity of one who trusts that the same Hashem who helped him yesterday in one way can help him today in another way. The Gemara says that someone whose mind is preoccupied with worry in the performance of a mitzvah can be exempt from Keriat Shema. Then the Gemara asks: what about someone whose mind is preoccupied with worry because his merchandise sank at sea? Should he also be exempt? The Gemara answers no. He must remove the worry from his heart, because Hashem can provide his livelihood from somewhere else instantly. In fact, sometimes it is precisely through the sinking of the ship that his livelihood will come. Like the story of Rav Huna, who had four hundred barrels of wine turn sour into vinegar. One opinion in the Gemara says that afterward the emperor's daughter became ill and needed vinegar for healing. Suddenly vinegar was in great demand, and Rav Huna sold all of his vinegar at a great profit. He did not need wine in order to succeed. Hashem gave him even greater blessing through vinegar. Part of the purpose of Yetziat Mitzrayim is to bring us to one clear conclusion: כי אין כמוני בכל הארץ-there is no one like Hashem. Everything we could ever want or need comes only from Him. And the more deeply we believe that, the greater our tefillot and our avodat Hashem will become.

Three times every weekday, we recite in the Amidah prayer the berachah of ראה נא בענינו . We begin by asking Hashem to "see our torment," and to "wage our battles" ( וריבה ריבנו ). We then conclude, מהר לגאלנו גאולה שלמה – to quickly bring us our final redemption. At first glance, it seems that this berachah is a prayer for our final redemption. This is also the implication of the Gemara (Megilah 17b), which explains that this is the seventh berachah of the Amidah prayer because the redemption will arrive with the onset of the seventh millennium after creation. Interestingly, however, Rashi understood this berachah differently. Commenting to this Gemara, Rashi writes that this berachah is actually a prayer to Hashem to "redeem" us from our day-to-day problems, from the hardships and challenges that we face in our lives. Rashi proves this approach by noting that there are other blessings in the Amidah in which we pray for the final redemption, and so this berachah cannot be a prayer for the final redemption. The question becomes how to reconcile Rashi's comments with the simple reading of the Gemara, which indicates that this berachah prays for the final redemption. And, the text of this berachah states explicitly מהר לגאלנו גאולה שלמה – praying for the ultimate redemption, and not just for the resolution of our day-to-day problems. To answer this question, let's go back to a well-known piece of trivia about New York City. The island of Manhattan, as we were all taught, was purchased from the Indians in 1626 for $24. Today, Manhattan is worth countless trillions of dollars. How did that happen? How did this land go in 400 years from being worth $24 to being worth many trillions? The answer is, very simply, one brick at a time. One piece of pavement at a time. One sidewalk at a time. One window at a time. One subway car at a time. Every small act of construction contributed to the city's growth. Day by day, hour by hour, one little bit of effort after another – this is how a $24 piece of land becomes worth trillions upon trillions of dollars. The same is true of redemption. We pray and yearn for the final redemption, but each small "redemption" that we experience brings us closer to that day. There is no contradiction at all between the Gemara's indication that ראה נא בענינו speaks of our final redemption, and Rashi's understanding that it refers to the solving of our everyday problems. These are one and the same. Redemption happens on a small scale every single day, with every problem we solve, every obstacle we overcome, every bit of success we achieve. Eventually, all these will combine to form the ultimate redemption for which we pray and yearn. Which brings us to our parashah , which tells about the unfolding of Yetziat Mitzrayim , the Exodus from Egypt. The Zohar teaches that the redemption from Egypt was not a one-time event. It was the beginning of a process of redemption – a process that is still continuing, even today. The process will be completed only at the time of our final redemption. We might say that Yetziat Mitzrayim was the $24 purchase, and ever since then, we've been building, one "brick" at a time, working towards our final redemption, when the world will reach its state of perfection. This is a very empowering message. It reminds us that every small accomplishment is significant, and contributes toward the world's ultimate redemption. We can either sit around and complain about all the problems in the world, or we can go ahead and make things better. And the way we make things better is by doing good things – one act at a time. Every tefillah . Every mitzvah . Every kind word. Every compliment and word of encouragement. Every favor we do for someone. Everything we do for one of our children or grandchildren. Everyone we positively influence is some way. A guy who laid a few bricks for a building in Manhattan 200 years ago might not have realized he was doing something significant – but he was part of the process of transforming a $24 piece of land into a multi-trillion-dollar piece of land. This is how we need to look at our mitzvot . Every small act is vitally important and extremely valuable. Let's stay focused and stay determined to use our time and our capabilities to build our redemption – one good deed at a time.

Three times every weekday, we recite in the Amidah prayer the berachah of ראה נא בענינו . We begin by asking Hashem to "see our torment," and to "wage our battles" ( וריבה ריבנו ). We then conclude, מהר לגאלנו גאולה שלמה – to quickly bring us our final redemption. At first glance, it seems that this berachah is a prayer for our final redemption. This is also the implication of the Gemara (Megilah 17b), which explains that this is the seventh berachah of the Amidah prayer because the redemption will arrive with the onset of the seventh millennium after creation. Interestingly, however, Rashi understood this berachah differently. Commenting to this Gemara, Rashi writes that this berachah is actually a prayer to Hashem to "redeem" us from our day-to-day problems, from the hardships and challenges that we face in our lives. Rashi proves this approach by noting that there are other blessings in the Amidah in which we pray for the final redemption, and so this berachah cannot be a prayer for the final redemption. The question becomes how to reconcile Rashi's comments with the simple reading of the Gemara, which indicates that this berachah prays for the final redemption. And, the text of this berachah states explicitly מהר לגאלנו גאולה שלמה – praying for the ultimate redemption, and not just for the resolution of our day-to-day problems. To answer this question, let's go back to a well-known piece of trivia about New York City. The island of Manhattan, as we were all taught, was purchased from the Indians in 1626 for $24. Today, Manhattan is worth countless trillions of dollars. How did that happen? How did this land go in 400 years from being worth $24 to being worth many trillions? The answer is, very simply, one brick at a time. One piece of pavement at a time. One sidewalk at a time. One window at a time. One subway car at a time. Every small act of construction contributed to the city's growth. Day by day, hour by hour, one little bit of effort after another – this is how a $24 piece of land becomes worth trillions upon trillions of dollars. The same is true of redemption. We pray and yearn for the final redemption, but each small "redemption" that we experience brings us closer to that day. There is no contradiction at all between the Gemara's indication that ראה נא בענינו speaks of our final redemption, and Rashi's understanding that it refers to the solving of our everyday problems. These are one and the same. Redemption happens on a small scale every single day, with every problem we solve, every obstacle we overcome, every bit of success we achieve. Eventually, all these will combine to form the ultimate redemption for which we pray and yearn. Which brings us to our parashah , which tells about the unfolding of Yetziat Mitzrayim , the Exodus from Egypt. The Zohar teaches that the redemption from Egypt was not a one-time event. It was the beginning of a process of redemption – a process that is still continuing, even today. The process will be completed only at the time of our final redemption. We might say that Yetziat Mitzrayim was the $24 purchase, and ever since then, we've been building, one "brick" at a time, working towards our final redemption, when the world will reach its state of perfection. This is a very empowering message. It reminds us that every small accomplishment is significant, and contributes toward the world's ultimate redemption. We can either sit around and complain about all the problems in the world, or we can go ahead and make things better. And the way we make things better is by doing good things – one act at a time. Every tefillah . Every mitzvah . Every kind word. Every compliment and word of encouragement. Every favor we do for someone. Everything we do for one of our children or grandchildren. Everyone we positively influence is some way. A guy who laid a few bricks for a building in Manhattan 200 years ago might not have realized he was doing something significant – but he was part of the process of transforming a $24 piece of land into a multi-trillion-dollar piece of land. This is how we need to look at our mitzvot . Every small act is vitally important and extremely valuable. Let's stay focused and stay determined to use our time and our capabilities to build our redemption – one good deed at a time.

In our new series, we will examine the laws of Tefillah.  May our learning be a merit for our brave soldiers in the IDF, full healing for our brothers and sisters in Israel, and for proper Jewish burial for those bodies still being held captive. In our next lesson we  discuss the meaning of remembering Yetziat Mitzrayim every single day. Our learning is dedicated L'Iluy Nishmat Captain Daniel Perez HY"D who was killed in battle on October 7th, 2023.

For a 10% discount on Rabbi David Ashear's new book LIVING EMUNAH VOL 8 click the link below https://www.artscroll.com/Books/9781422644645.html The pasuk says at the beginning of this week's parasha that Balak saw all that Yisrael did to the Emorim and he became afraid. Rav Moshe Sternbuch asked, why did Balak become afraid specifically from the Jew beating the Emorim ? They had done much greater things before this which should have caused Balak to become afraid of them, like obliterating the Mitzrim or Kriyat Yam Suf . The Rabbi quoted from the Kli Yakar who answered, what Yirsrael did to the Emorim is referring to a different episode, namely when Yaakov Avinu, whose name is also Yisrael, defeated the Emorim with his tefilot back in parashat Vayechi , before Yetziat Mitzrayim . Balak said to himself, if the Jews can take down an entire nation using their prayers, how are we going to stand up to them? This is why he hired Bilaam, who also had powers with his mouth. Later on in the parasha , when Bilaam blessed the Jewish People, he was in awe of how they wake up every morning like lions to grab mitzvot , putting on tallit and tefillin and reciting keriyat shema . These are our greatest treasures. The more we use the power of our mouths for good, the more blessing will come down from Hashem. Rabbi Elimelech Biderman related a story that a rabbi from New York told him. The rabbi said this past year around Hanukah time, he read an amazing story about an older boy who was having a lot of difficulty finding his zivug. Baruch Hashem, this year, that boy got engaged on Thursday night, the 11 th of Kislev. At his engagement, his younger ten year old brother showed him a piece of paper which had written on it, Today the 21 st of Cheshvan, year 5781, Saturday night, I, so and so, accept upon myself to say kriyat shema looking inside the siddur and having kavana in each word in the merit that my brother gets engaged by the 11 th of Kislev . And that's exactly what happened. He said shema every night the way he's supposed to and his brother got engaged on the 11 th of Kislev. The rabbi in New York got so excited after reading this story, he related it to his own family at the Shabbat table that week. He also had an older son not married and he also has a ten year old son. When his ten year old heard that story, he accepted upon himself on Rosh Chodesh Shevat the same kabbala . He wrote on a piece of paper, For 30 days, I will say kriyat shema al hamita from a siddur the right way in the zechut that my brother gets engaged. On the 30 th night, that young boy fell asleep without saying shema . The next morning, when he realized what happened, he started to cry. He told his father that he took on this kabbala and did it for 29 days in a row but then missed it last night. His father told him not to worry, it didn't hurt his kabbala . He said, "You accepted 30 days and you did 29 of them." The father then told his son to do the last day that night and it will still count. Amazingly, the very next day, on the 2 nd of Adar, 31 days from the time this boy made his kabbala , which was also the day he finished his 30 days, his brother got engaged. We have tremendous powers with our mouths. We can say kind words to others, we can read Tehillim , we can learn Torah, we can pray to Hashem. These are our strengths. This is what Balak feared, and this is what Bilaam knew was our secret. Let us utilize these precious gifts that Hashem gave us and do them all the right way.

There are times when a person sets out to do something and, all of a sudden, he hits a roadblock. He tries everything he can to go around it, but to no avail. The roadblock may come in the form of a person denying him or a circumstance denying him. And he is left helplessly to try to figure out what to do next. In those frustrating circumstances, a person could easily lose his cool, but then he will have failed his test. He must internalize, it is not the person or the circumstance that is stopping him, it is only Hashem. If he could react in those situations with emunah, it will elevate him so much and hopefully, one day, Hashem will reveal to him the goodness in why He had to stop him. Shmuel Herman found himself walking around, his chest tight with anxiety churning inside of him. He couldn't focus on his learning or anything else for that matter. He was being pressured in all directions because he was turning 30 and still not married. He was learning in Israel and dreading going back home to London for Pesach to face more relatives who were going to pressure him. Then came an attractive offer for him to travel to Washington to help Jews make a Seder for Pesach . The kiruv organization that invited him would provide everything, including his plane ticket, three meals a day and accommodations and even a little compensation. He happily accepted the offer and put in a great deal of effort in preparing. During the 12 hour flight, he reviewed all the classes he prepared on the Haggadah and the story of Yetziat Mitzrayim . He also prepared some talks on the topic of emunah. Finally, he landed in New York, anticipating catching his connecting flight to Washington. When it was finally his turn at the border control, the airport official looked at his passport and ordered him to go to a small side office. A stern security officer was behind a desk there and he began interrogating. The questions continued on and on and while Shmuel kept glancing at the clock, hoping to make his connecting flight, the security officer kept interrogating. When Shmuel mentioned he had a flight to catch, the security officer became angry saying, "I'm not interested in your connecting flight. Right now you are being interrogated and as far as I'm concerned, you can turn around and go back to Israel." Then Shmuel yelled out, "I didn't do anything! Why is this happening?" And the officer got even angrier. There was nothing Shmuel could do, he was stuck there and was going to miss the flight and potentially his seminar as well. When they finally let him go, he went to an airport desk asking if there was a flight he could get on to Washington. Everything was booked for the next two days, which meant he would not be able to get to his destination. Another Jew was standing there and overheard Shmuel saying he didn't know what he was going to do for Pesach . After speaking to him for a few minutes, the man invited Shmuel to come have the Seder at his house. With no choice, Shmuel accepted. He was a big hit there, as he was well prepared for the Seder and he gave that family a memorable experience. The man of the house, Mr. Braun, suggested his niece, who was 29, as a shidduch . And PS, not too long after that, Shmuel got engaged to her. When Shmuel was in that security office being interrogated, he couldn't imagine anything good from him missing the flight and inspiring Jews on Pesach . But in hindsight, he realized, everyone was just a puppet in Hashem's master plan to bring him his long awaited shidduch.

We have an easy opportunity to fulfill ten mitzvot, every single day, called the עשר זכרונות – the Ten Remembrances. They are printed in the siddur and are usually recited after Shacharit. We can actually fulfill these mitzvot multiple times a day. The Pele Yoetz writes in Erech Dibur that each one of these remembrances is a heading with many subcategories. For example, one of them is to remember Yetziat Mitzrayim-the exodus from Egypt. That could also be fulfilled be remembering other kindnesses and wonders that Hashem has done for us, whether to the Jewish People at large or even to the individual. The idea of the mitzvah is to instill in us the knowledge of Hashem's capabilities and His constant hashgacha over everything that goes on in the world at large, as well as in our own personal lives. It is also to awaken our love for Hashem by appreciating His involvement in our lives. This means, each time a person says over a hashgachat peratit story about how he saw Hashem involved in his life and that he appreciated it, he will also be fulfilling a branch of זכר ליציאת מצרים and will get credited for a mitzvah. It does not have to be an earth shattering story, whenever we notice the Yad Hashem and appreciate it, that's enough. A man told me that he and his friend drove for a half an hour to pick up a refrigerator that someone was graciously giving away. As they were bringing it to the car, they noticed a brand new refrigerator next to the garage. The woman of the house said she's hoping her husband will be able to get it into the house that night when he came home from work. The two young men said they'll be happy to do it right then and there. It was very big and very heavy. It took them a long time to finally get it to the front door, and then they saw it was too large to fit through it. They tried hard to get it in, with no success. They were sweating and huffing and puffing at this point, but they were not going to give up. And then, a Home Depot truck pulled up right in front of the house, a man came out of the door saying he left some of his tools there that morning when he dropped off the new refrigerator. He tried to come back earlier but he misplaced the address and he finally got it now. He came back eight hours later, at 5:30, the exact time that the young man and his friend were trying to get the refrigerator in. They asked him, "Could you please help us get this through the front door?" The Home Depot worker said sure, and he was able to get it in with them. The young man was so excited. He told me, "Look at what Hashem did to help us. He made this man forget his tools in the morning, and then brought him back at the exact moment we needed him." It's not a major story, but the young man felt Hashem's hashgacha in his life. He felt Hashem's kindness and spoke about it in appreciation and that fulfilled a mitzvah. A woman emailed me that her teenage daughter wanted a keyboard, but she didn't have the financial means to purchase one for her. She told her daughter, "I wish I could get it for you, I just can't now. Pray to Hashem, He could always find a way to get one to you." Her daughter thought that it was something too trivial to ask Hashem for, but her mother assured her, Hashem always loves to hear her prayers. She listened to her mother and prayed for a keyboard. That same afternoon, as the mother was about to light the Shabbat candles, their lamp broke. She asked her daughter, "Please bring the pieces to the garbage before I light." When her daughter came back, she had in her hand a beautiful keyboard. "Where did you get that from?" her mother asked. "A neighbor didn't want their keyboard anymore and they were throwing it out." There, she got exactly what she wanted. They were so excited, they felt the Yad Hashem and appreciated it so much. It's not a major story, but it's a story where they felt Hashem; and by telling over that story, they got a mitzvah for it. We could fulfill this mitzvah all of the time, whenever we feel the Yad Hashem and we appreciate it with words, and by sharing it with others we can inspire them as well.

The pasuk in this week's parsha states: " ויקרא אל משה וידבר ה' אליו מאהל מועד לאמר " - Hashem called to Moshe, and then Moshe entered to speak with Him. At the end of Parashat Pekudei, it says that Moshe was unable to enter the Ohel Mo'ed because the cloud of Hashem had descended upon it. However, in Parashat Mishpatim, it states that Moshe entered the cloud of Hashem at Har Sinai, which seems to indicate that he was able to enter. The Ohr HaChaim explains that in that instance, it first says " ויקרא אל משה " , meaning Hashem called Moshe in first. A person cannot simply enter a place where the Shechina resides. However, if Hashem calls the person in, then it becomes possible. That is why Parashat Vayikra begins with Hashem calling Moshe to enter the Ohel Mo'ed. What did Moshe do to merit this calling? The Shevet Mussar explains that Moshe did not contribute any donations toward the Mishkan, even though he was in charge of its construction. Specifically because he did not contribute, Moshe was chosen for this role—so that no one could ever claim personal credit for building Hashem's house. The Midrash states that the phrase " כאשר צוה ה' את משה " appears 18 times regarding the Mishkan. It gives a parable of a king who commanded his servant to build him a palace. On each part that the servant built, he wrote the name of the king—on the walls, on the pillars, on every detail of the palace. When the king entered and saw his name everywhere, he said: "My servant has honored me so much, and yet I am inside while he remains outside." Immediately, the king called his servant to enter the palace. Similarly, when Hashem instructed Moshe to construct the Mishkan, Moshe "wrote" on everything " כאשר צוה ה' את משה " . Hashem saw that Moshe had given Him all the honor, while he himself remained outside. In response, Hashem called Moshe inside. The phrase " כאשר צוה ה' את משה " reflects Moshe's complete self-nullification. He did not take any credit for his role; rather, he attributed everything to Hashem. Even though Moshe did not physically build the Mishkan, he stood by the workers, reminding them that their strength and talent came from Hashem. He even reminded Betzalel, despite his wisdom, not to lose focus and to recognize that all his abilities were granted by Hashem. The one who did not physically labor was the one invited in—because he gave Hashem the most honor. Humility, in which a person attributes everything to Hashem, brings Hashem honor. In turn, Hashem honors that person. The letter Aleph in Vayikra is small. The Gemara explains that in Moshe's humility, he wanted it to appear as Vayikar (without the Aleph ), implying that Hashem " ויקר -happened" to appear to him, rather than explicitly calling him. He wrote the Aleph small so it would not seem as though he was exceptionally deserving. In the end, Hashem used the extra ink from the small Aleph to make Moshe's face shine. Moshe's name is absent from the Haggadah because Yetziat Mitzrayim was meant to teach for all generations that Hashem alone controls the world. One of the reasons Moshe was chosen as the leader was because he was willing to remove himself from the story and give all credit to Hashem. His humility allowed him to gain immeasurably. Each day, we have the opportunity to serve Hashem in this way. The more we attribute everything we have and do to HaKadosh Baruch Hu , the more He rests His presence upon us. If we internalize that all success comes solely from Him, we truly honor Hashem—and in that merit, may He call us closer to Him. We all desire closeness with Hashem. The path to achieving it is through humility—by recognizing that everything we have and everything we accomplish is entirely from Him. Shabbat Shalom.

Pesach | Introduction to Midrash Arami Oved Avi, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom Why was Devarim 26:5-8 selected to be the base text for the retelling of the Exodus at the Seder?  As the Mishna (Pesachim 10:4) codifies, the core text to be used in telling the story of Yetziat Mitzrayim is Devarim 26:5-8 - "Arami Oved Avi" which, in 4 short verses, retells the story of the exile, servitude, pleas for deliverance and miraculous Exodus. We examine the earliest sources of the Midrash and demonstrate how our traditional Haggada-text of this Midrash is a combination of several Midrashic strains - all brought together in a powerful and evocative style to help all participants to (potentially) reexperience Yetziat Mitzrayim, as it occurs בכל דור ודור - in every generation. Source sheet >>

On the night before Yetziat Mitzrayim , when Hashem struck the Egyptian firstborns, the Jewish people were commanded to remain inside their homes until morning. Rashi explains that Chazal teach in Masechet Bava Kama : " - מאחר שניתנה רשות למשחית לחבל אינו מבחין בין צדיק לרשע - Once the destroying angel is given permission to destroy, he no longer distinguishes between a tzaddik and a rasha ." Since the angel had permission that night, the Jewish people were instructed to stay indoors and out of harm's way. At first glance, this seems troubling. Does it mean that even a tzaddik can be harmed, despite his righteousness? How do we reconcile this with Avraham Avinu's plea when he heard that Hashem planned to destroy Sedom ? He said, "Far be it from You to kill the righteous along with the wicked!"—suggesting that Hashem would never allow a tzaddik to suffer unjustly. The Emek Beracha writes further that a tzaddik even has the power to repel the destroying angel, as we see with Aharon Hakohen and Pinchas , who halted plagues through their actions. In the beginning of Parashat Vaera, the pasuk says, וידבר אלוקים אל משה ויאמר אליו אני ה '. Hashem used His name of judgment and mercy in the very same pasuk. The Ohr Hachayim there explains, Hashem was telling Moshe, While I was dealing with the Egyptians with harsh judgement, simultaneously I was granting mercy to the Jews, even though they were mixed in with each other. Even though the destroying angel was given permission to destroy, Hashem still had mercy on the Jews. The Rambam teaches that as long as a tzaddik maintains a deep connection to Hashem in his thoughts, he remains untouchable. The Gemara in Masechet Shabbat states, "There is no death without sin and no affliction without transgression." There is never a moment that everything is not being completely controlled by Hashem. A destroying angel is just another one of Hashem's millions of agents carrying out His will. The Alsheich strengthens this point based on the pasuk that states Hashem stands amidst the judges when they are judging a court case. A judge must be fully aware of Hashem's presence so that He does not sway the judgment by even one iota. The Gemara says a judge should feel like the gates of Gehinom are open beneath him and as if there is a sharp sword stretched out against him if he purposely judges a case wrongfully. Look how much Hashem cares about the right judgment being done. He doesn't want someone who doesn't owe money to pay. He doesn't want someone who doesn't deserve a penalty to receive it, whether it's lashes or worse. Then how could it possibly be that He would allow a Tzaddik to suffer or a destroying angel not to be מבחין בין צדיק לרשע if he doesn't deserve it? The Alsheich explains, when Chazal said the angel doesn't distinguish, refers to when Hashem sends the angel of death to take the lives of people who are committing the worst of averot. That becomes a time of Din. At that time the angel is given permission to see everyone's sins illuminated on their foreheads. If a tzaddik has a sin that is fitting to be punished in a similar manner, then the tzaddik will be taken as well. Normally, Hashem, in His infinite mercy, gives people years to make teshuva. Someone could even be given decades before he is punished for a sin in the hope that he will repent and not need to be punished. However, if there is a time of divine decree, then the sins of the tzaddik will be brought to light. However, if the tzaddik does not deserve to be punished, the destroying angel will have no power over him. And if he is a tzaddik gamur , he will even repel the angel. The bottom line is we are always under the hashgacha of Hashem. No person or angel ever has any power of its own. Therefore, we can be calm knowing that we are always only in the hands of Hashem.

The Rebbe explains that the mitzvah of Sukkah requires daas—internalizing Hashem's protection during Yetziat Mitzrayim. He cites the Frierdiker Rebbe, who describes Yetziat Mitzrayim as breaking limitations and Kriyat Yam Suf as overcoming obstacles with mesirus nefesh. The sukkah strengthens spiritual growth, with Sukkot and the Chassidic Ushpizin providing lasting strength. https://www.torahrecordings.com/rebbe/004_igros_kodesh/tishrei/780

In this week's parasha , Va'era , we read about the makot that Hashem sent upon the Egyptians. These upcoming parshiyot describing Yetziat Mitzrayim form the foundation of our emunah in Hashem. It is here that Hashem demonstrated to the world that He is actively involved in every aspect of life. On Pesach, we drink four cups of wine corresponding to the four leshonot of geulah mentioned in the parasha- והוצאתי, והצלתי, וגאלתי, ולקחתי . There is, however, one more lashon , והבאתי , which refers to Hashem bringing the Jewish people into Eretz Yisrael. The Seforno asks why this lashon was not fulfilled with the generation that left Mitzrayim. He explains, based on what is written later in Parashat Ki Tisa , that this generation did not fully believe that Hashem could conquer the mighty kings inhabiting the land. While they witnessed Hashem defeat Pharaoh, they doubted His ability to defeat the 31 kings in Canaan. The pasuk says, " ויאמן העם " —the people believed Hashem could take them out of Mitzrayim, and because of this belief, they merited to see the exodus. But since they lacked belief in והבאתי , they did not experience its fulfillment. It was the next generation, which fully believed, that merited entering the Promised Land. When we believe in Hashem's limitless abilities, it creates a zechut that brings us divine assistance and enables us to witness Hashem's salvations. The Sefer Sas B'Imratecha shares a story of a taxi driver in Israel who had recently begun drawing closer to Torah and mitzvot . He attended classes regularly and was diligently practicing what he learned. One day, he drove a passenger from the center of the city all the way to Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital at the edge of the city. Not wanting to return with an empty cab, he waited outside the hospital, hoping to find another fare. Ten minutes passed, then 20, then 30—no one approached his cab. People were leaving the hospital either by bus or private car. After 45 minutes, another taxi pulled up, dropped off a passenger, and parked nearby. A few minutes later, someone exited the hospital, walked directly to the other taxi, got in, and left. This driver was frustrated. He had waited 45 minutes with no customers, while the other driver, who had just arrived, immediately got a fare. Where was the fairness? Then he remembered a lesson from one of his classes: All of a person's income comes solely from Hashem. Whatever is meant for a person will reach them, one way or another. With this thought, he calmed down and let go of his frustration. Moments later, a man who appeared to be a high-ranking official approached his cab and asked in English if he could take him to the north of Israel. The driver agreed. The man asked for the fare, and the driver replied, "A thousand." The man got into the taxi, and when they arrived at their destination, he handed the driver ten folded bills. As the driver counted the money, he realized they were hundred-dollar bills. He had meant to charge 1,000 shekels, but the passenger had paid him 1,000 dollars instead. Feeling it was wrong to keep the money, the driver looked for the man to return the overpayment. However, the man was nowhere in sight. The driver then thanked Hashem for this unexpected gift. Just moments after reaffirming his belief in Hashem's hashgacha over his parnasa , he had earned the largest fare he had ever received from a single ride. When we fully believe in Hashem, it creates a zechut that brings about salvation. Shabbat Shalom.

The Education of Pharoah, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom As we begin our reading of Sefer Shemot, the grand story of Yetziat Mitzrayim unfolds before our eyes. We are all aware of the "Ten Plagues" with which Hashem punished the Egyptians - but why was there a need for plagues at all? If the goal was to redeem His "firstborn son" to be free to worship Him - there are many ways that God could have rescued them without afflicting their oppressors. We examine the sequence and presentation of the "plagues" and note a curious pattern which helps us to decipher a broader educational goal with which God addressed Pharaoh and his people. Source sheet >>

Rav Shlomo Kluger pointed out something amazing which took place during Yetziat Mitzrayim . When Moshe Rabbeinu came to warn Phar aoh about Makat Arbeh , Pharaoh was willing to let the adult Jews go. He only refused to let their children go. After Makat Choshech , Phar aoh called to Moshe and said he would let the adults and children go. He only refused to let them take their animals with them. Which means that the entire Makat Bechorot , the final makah , was only necessary for the animals of the Jewish people to be able to leave. Regarding Makat Bechorot , it says that Hashem Himself came down into Mitzrayim . אני ולא מלאך. אני ולא שליח... . And He was the One who hardened Pharaoh's heart to refuse to let the animals go in the first place. Why would Hashem go to all these lengths, to first hold Pharaoh back from letting the animals go, and then personally coming to rescue them with Makat Bechorot ? The Rabbi answered, Hashem knew in the future, when the time would come for Mashiach to arrive, the Yetzer Hara was going to try and convince that generation that they are unworthy of Mashiach , so that they don't hope for him to come. The Yetzer Hara would say to them, “Your generation is not nearly as great as the previous generations, and all the more so not as great as the generation that left Mitzrayim . Maybe they were worthy of Hashem's miracles, but you definitely are not.” To fight this Yetzer Hara , Hashem prepared the greatest yeshua . He made all the miracles of Makat Bechorot , just to redeem the animals, so that the final generation can say, if Hashem was willing to go into the tuma of Mitzrayim just for the animals, and do all those wonders and miracles, how much more so will He be willing to do them for us. Furthermore, the final generation may not be as great as the previous generations, but the deeds they do, and efforts they make amidst the tests and impurities of the world that surrounds them, makes their efforts so much more valuable and beloved to Hashem. One deed done with self-sacrifice, during such a difficult time to accomplish it, is inestimable. At times, Hashem shows us how much He appreciates those efforts. I read a story that was told by a mashgiach , who was once called to verify a certain kashrut issue regarding wine that was produced in Russia. He flew there with his assistant, and during that winter month that they were called, it was nearly 30 degrees below zero. They rented a fairly new car, and had to drive seven hours to reach their destination. After traveling for about two hours, the engine suddenly stopped running. They figured out that the intense cold outside froze the gas. They decided to dress warmly and find help by foot. They found a convenience store and asked the old lady behind the counter for help. She told them she would get them a car, and within ten minutes a big truck came along, and the driver appeared to be a gentile. His eyes were red from drinking vodka. There was only room for one passenger, and so the mashgiach went. He was afraid to listen to anything this driver would want to listen to, and so he put on his own Hebrew music. Amazingly, the driver heard the words and said he recognized the language. The mashgiach was flabbergasted. He asked the driver how he knew the language. The driver replied that his elderly mother spoke to him in Hebrew. The mashgiach asked if he could meet her, and being that she was in the neighborhood, the driver took him there. The woman told the mashgiach she was a Holocaust survivor and managed to escape with her son, who was then a baby. Her husband and daughter did not survive. The mashgiach asked her why she never remarried. The old woman said, “Because there are no Jews here and I would only marry a Jew.” The mashgiach was amazed at her raising her child alone in a foreign country, coping by herself for decades. The mashgiach then connected her son with a rabbi from a neighboring community, who eventually brought him close to Torah and mitzvot. By the time his mother passed away, her son was fully religious. He gave her a Jewish burial and, at the funeral, stood by her grave with a minyan and said, יתגדל ויתקדש שמיה רבה Look what Hashem did for this woman who sacrificed so much to avoid marrying a non-Jew. He brought a mashgiach from across the world and stopped his car in the neighborhood that she lived in so that he would get her son to be religious and raise her neshama in Gan Eden . Every deed we do is precious and Hashem will most definitely perform great miracles for the final generation that will even outshine the ones He did in Mitzrayim. And b'ezrat Hashem, we hope that day will come very soon.

Rabbi Menashe Reisman asked, "How could it be that the Jewish people sang the אז ישיר after Kiryat Yam Suf with so much joy, being that the Chazal told us that 80% of the Jews died out during מכת חושך ?" That means so many of their relatives and loved ones had just passed away. There were so many orphans and widows, and so many of them lost children when the Mitzriyim threw their babies in the Nile. Yet, we say every day that they sang בשמחה רבה with great jubilation! How do we understand such a thing? It was the first Shabbat after the Belzer rebbe was freed from the nightmares of the Holocaust. He was in Haifa, and he said, "How could we possibly sing and praise HaShem when our families and friends have all perished?" When Miriam brought out the instruments for the ladies to sing with, they could have easily said to Miriam, "Now is not the time to sing. We lost so many of our family members." Yet, they too, sang with great jubilation. How is that possible? The Rabbi brought from the Shem MiShmuel as well as others who expounded upon a fundamental taught by the Zohar Hakadosh that the ים (sea)is a mashal for something being hidden. The world as we know it, with so many things that we don't understand, is also called the ים . When HaShem split the sea, it was not just a physical sea that He split. He also split open the covering of the world, which prevents us from fully understanding His ways. Every single person who passed through the Yam Suf was able to see with such clarity, the secrets of the world. When it says the maidservants saw more than the prophets of the later generations, it doesn't mean the maidservants were on a higher level than them. It means they were able to see things in a light that even the greatest Nevi'im were not זוכה to see. They did not only understand the present, they were able to see the past and the future as well. They understood at that moment why they had to be in Mitzrayim for so many years. They understood how every brick was coming to make a tikkun for דור הפלגה that sinned with bricks. They understood why the babies had to be thrown in the Ye'or as a tikkun for what took place during the generation of the mabul( השׁחית כּל בּשׂר את דרכּו ). And when they looked into the future, they were able to understand the tikkun that the people who died in Makkat Choshech needed to make. The Maharshak said, at the end of days, all those people who died in Choshech are going to come back and live again, and we believe we are living in the final generation. They saw their loved ones sitting at a seder table telling over the story of Yetziat Mitzrayim. They saw them celebrating and greeting the mashiach, and they had no questions. They were able to sing with the greatest joy because they had so much clarity. The Ramban explains that shirah applies to past, present, and future. The midrash says, from the day the world was created, nobody ever sang shirah to Hashem until the Jewish people at Yam Suf. Although many people thanked and praised Hashem throughout the generations, no one was able to sing shirah because they did not have the full understanding of everything that was taking place in their lives. When Hashem reveals himself in the future, we are going to sing the greatest shirah of all because then the entire plan of the world will be understood, even the persecutions of the Jews throughout the generations, including the Holocaust, and Lo aleinu, the massacre that we have witnessed. We anticipate that glorious day when we will all sing the greatest shirah and we hope it will come bekarov .

The Mishnah Berura writes at the end of siman 218 in Ohr HaChaim , in the name of the Acharonim , that if a person had some type of miracle performed for him, he should set aside money according to his means and give it to Torah scholars and say, “May it be the will of Hashem that this takes the place of the Korban Toda that I owe.” It is also proper for the person to do something on behalf of the community and every year, on the anniversary of the miracle, he should privately thank Hashem and then, with joy, relate the miracle to others. The Mishnah Berura writes elsewhere that if he makes a seudah to celebrate the miracle and say words of thanks and praise to Hashem, it's considered a seudat mitzvah . None of this is obligatory. It's a suggestion of how Hashem would want a person to express his gratitude to Him. Tonight at the Seder, Hashem told us exactly what He wants us to do to give Him hakarat hatov for the wonders and miracles that He performed for us in taking us out of Mitzrayim . He wants us to spend this night telling over everything that He did then. He wants us to feel so much gratitude that the praises are freely flowing from our mouths. The Zohar HaKadosh writes about this night, that if a person is truly happy to say over the Sipur Yetziat Mitzrayim , he will be invited to rejoice with the Shechina HaKedosha in Olam HaBa . Someone who is happy doing this mitzvah is considered a person who is happy with Hashem and merits that Hashem personally comes to help him. Hashem takes so much delight in hearing us relate this story. So many mitzvot that we have are all just a zecher l'Yetziyat Mitzrayim . Tonight we have the mitzvah of actually being מספר יציאת מצרים . Hashem gets so excited, kavayachol. It says that He gathers all of the angels together and He tells them, go listen to the words that His children are saying about Him. The Zohar mentions the word joy over and over in just a few lines. All of the segulot come to a person if he does this mitzvah with joy. We should feel as if there are angels surrounding our tables who were sent to listen to every word we say. They were sent by Hashem who is taking so much delight in everything we say. When the angels hear about our praises, they go back up to Hashem and thank and praise Him for the miracles He did for us. And this gives Hashem, kavayachol , so much strength. The Pirkeh d'Rebbi Eliezer writes that the night of the Seder was sanctified by Hashem during the six days of Creation. It was on this night that Yitzhak Avinu called to Esav to give him the berachot . He said, “My son, on this night the entire Jewish world will say Hallel. The storehouses of blessing are open. Prepare for me the food that I like so that I can bless you on this holy night.” Then Rivka called to Yaakov and she said to him, “Tonight the storehouses of blessing are open. The angels in heaven are singing to Hashem on this night. Hashem is going to redeem His children in the future from slavery. Go prepare tasty foods for your father so that he could bless you.” The night of the Seder is compared to Yom Kippur. There is so much joy in Heaven, especially when we say the story of Yetziat Mitzrayim with joy. It's a night of miracles. The Mishnah says, after we pour the second cup of wine, “ כאן הבן שואל ” - here is where the child is supposed to ask. The Bet Aharon said, besides for the simple meaning here of a child asking his father the Ma Nishtanah , it is also hinting to us, the children of Hashem, that we have an opportune time to ask from our Father as well. Let us utilize it to ask our Father on this night to redeem us and bring an end to this long galut . May we be zocheh to fulfill all of the mitzvot of the night the way Hashem wants us to and bring so much joy to the heavens and arouse our Father to bring the Geulah Shelema . Amen. Chag kasher v'sameach .

Rabbi Dunner discusses the importance of deeply engaging with the Exodus story during the Seder, offering participants two methods to enhance their personal connection with Yetziat Mitzrayim. The shiur focuses on the second suggested model: applying the lessons of the Exodus story to present challenges. This transforms the Seder into a personal and communal journey of meaningful liberation.

On the night of the Seder we are commanded to relate the story of Yetziat Mitzrayim and thereby imbue into our families the emunah that Hashem runs the world. The Haggadah tells us we have to relate the story even if everyone at the table are חכמים . Which means, even if everyone has a wellspring of emunah that they have already learned from their parents and rabbis, they still need to hear the story. And even if everyone at the Seder are נבונים , which means they are able to see Hashem just by analyzing the world and creation and how everything works. And some texts say אפילו כולנו זקנים , even if everyone at the Seder is an elderly person who has lived a full life and has seen with his own eyes countless episodes that clearly show that Hashem is running the world. As I'm writing this lesson, a man just came over to me and said, his relative was told by a doctor that he is about to lose his eyesight in one eye, lo alenu . The man was broken and asked if there was perhaps someone who could give him chizuk . His relative made him an appointment with a big rabbi who's a dayan and a posek who he felt would give him the proper chizuk . At the meeting, the rabbi revealed to this man something he never told anyone in his community about, that he himself has only one eye that works. He proceeded to tell him how much he's able to accomplish with one eye and how everything about his life is completely normal. The man got so much chizuk from that meeting. The relative told me he had no idea that this rabbi only had one eye. What were the odds that the one person he sent his relative to for chizuk would have the same issue as him? Only Hashem can orchestrate such a meeting. The Haggadah continues and says, אפילו כולנו יודעים את התורה . Even if everyone at the Seder knows Hashem through delving into His Torah. The greatest proof of Hashem's existence is the wisdom inside of the book that He gave us. Even if someone has emunah in Hashem from all of these different sources, he still has a mitzvah on the night of the Seder to relate the story of Yetziat Mitzrayim . Once a year, we are commanded with a מצוות עשה מן התורה to gain emunah in Hashem specifically through relating the story of Yetziat Mitzrayim . That is the mitzvah of the night. A person may know with such a clarity אין עוד מלבדו - there's nothing in this world with any power besides Hashem. Yet on this night, he must strengthen his emunah by speaking about the wonders and miracles that Hashem performed in taking us out of Mitzrayim . And the better a person does this mitzvah, the more praiseworthy he becomes. The story he tells this year about Yetziat Mitzrayim will not be the same as last year. The Chatam Sofer writes, when a person yearns to do a mitzvah properly, he merits a special heavenly assistance in doing it. The greatest rabbis who ever lived, who seemingly knew the entire Torah backwards and forwards, came up with the new chiddushim every year in their sipur Yetziat Mitzrayim . The Torah is endless. The Chafetz Chaim said that after thousands of years of the greatest Torah scholars learning day and night, we haven't even scratched the surface of the Torah yet. It was known that every year the Chatam Sofer would have an entirely new approach of analyzing Yetziat Mitzrayim . Obviously, this requires preparation. To do this mitzvah properly, a person has to open books and listen to classes and be ready to teach his family about Hashem taking us out of Mitzrayim . All we have to do is make the effort and then Hashem will take over. The Panim Yafot in Parashat Bo writes, there's a great light that Hashem reveals on this night and each person, according to his level of preparation and purity, will receive benefit from this light. It's the same light that Hashem revealed on the night of Yetziat Mitzrayim, that is infinite, that can connect a person to Hashem in the deepest way. On this night, there may be a large variety of people at a person's Seder or there may be a large age gap between people anywhere from 20 to 30 to 40 years. The pasuk tells us to tell the story באזני בנך ובן בנך - in our children and grandchildren's ears. The Kol Yehudah writes, it doesn't say ears twice, to teach us that with the help of Hashem that He gives that night, we will be able to give the exact same message to everyone at the table and they'll all be able to gain in their own way from it. There's a special segula on the night of the Seder to give emunah to anyone who participates and may Hashem give us the siyata d'Shamayah to do it the best way possible.

With the resha'im in Iran, firing over 300 missiles capable of causing complete annihilation, we are reminded of the words in the Haggadah, בכל דור ודור עומדים עלינו לכלותינו - in every generation they rise up against us to destroy us. And how fortunate we are to see the conclusion of that statement with our own eyes. והקב"ה מצילנו מידם - and Hashem saves us from their hands. Sometimes Hashem saves us with open miracles like in Yetziat Mitzrayim. And sometimes He saves us from behind the scenes like in the story of Purim. Giving us the capabilities to create machinery that can shoot down ballistic missiles and cruise missiles and giving us additional countries using their capabilities, is Hashem saving us from behind the scenes. But it's not really so hidden. To have that kind of threat with zero damage is HaKadosh Baruch Hu shooting down every missile out of His eternal love for us. In the Haggadah of Rabbi Eliezer Ashkenazi, he points out the fact that the Haggadah emphasizes Hashem saving us from our enemies, rather than Hashem wiping out our enemies. The reason, he says, is because if Hashem would just wipe out our enemies, we wouldn't necessarily see His love for us, because perhaps our enemies deserve destruction. But when Hashem comes just to protect us, that shows His complete love. It's only for us. Like when He told Avraham Avinu, אנכי מגן לך - I am your protector. And this is only what we see openly. We have no idea how much Hashem is protecting us from the billions of enemies that we have who are constantly plotting to harm us. We say לעושה נפלאות גדולות לבדו כי לעולם חסדו . We thank Hashem for the great wonders that He does for us that only He knows about. When Yitro came to visit us after Yetziat Mitzrayim , he told us more of the danger that we were in than we even knew, because he was in the government in Mitzrayim . If we would know about the miracles that Hashem is constantly doing for us, we wouldn't stop thanking Him. Regarding the Asher Yatzar , Rabbi Menashe Reizman pointed out, it says גלוי וידוע לפני כסא כבודיך - only Hashem knows how many miracles He's performing with our bodies constantly. If our bodies would be transparent and we would see the open nisim that are happening every second, we would be so appreciative. It says, הללו את ה' כל גוים - the nations of the world are going to give Hashem the greatest praises of all because only they know how much Hashem protects us. Only they see how many times their plots get foiled back in their faces. After Hashem showed us His love by protecting us, we hope now that He will avenge our enemies and bring the Geula . In the Haggadah we say, Dayenu , which many Mefarshim explain means, if Hashem would have just done one of the chasadim that He did for us during Yetziat Mitzrayim , it would have been enough of a reason to thank Him. How much more so that He did chesed after chesed after chesed . We say there, אילו הוציאנו ממצרים ולא עשה בהם שפטים - even if Hashem would have just taken us out of Mitzrayim without inflicting punishments upon the Egyptians, it would have been more than enough to thank Him. Hashem could have made Pharaoh not be able to sleep one night like Achashverosh and asked for His book of Chronicles to be read. And it would have said that Yosef HaTzaddik saved his country and he never paid him back. And then, with that, he could have released the Jewish people. But instead, Hashem allowed us to see revenge against the people that tortured us. And that was an additional level of love that Hashem did not have to do. We need to appreciate so much that we have Hashem on our side. And now, more than ever, we need to storm the Shamayim with our tefilot and good deeds to merit the Geula Shelema b'karov . Amen.

Pesach | Dayyenu?! by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom Would it really have been enough? One of the most popular hymns included in all Haggadot is the two-part paean "Dayyenu", which is a relative latecomer to the evening - it first appears in R. Saa'diah's Machzor as a song that some sing at the end of the evening. Its popularity, in a sense, clouds the myriad difficulties that these lines raise: Why does this praise extend far beyond the spatial and temporal bounds of "Yetziat Mitzrayim" to include the building of the Mikdash? Why are the unusual terms "Ma'alot" and "Makom" used here? Why is the list of kindnesses for which we thank Hashem repeated here? Why does the author seemingly double-up on certain events, as if to deliberately extend the list? And, the bottom line question is: "Dayyenu"? Would it really have been enough for us had Hashem stopped before any of these stages? Enough intro - to the shiur... Source sheet >>

One of the lessons that we are supposed to take away from Purim is that there are no coincidences in life. Mordechai did not just happen to overhear Bigtan and Teresh plotting to kill the king. Achashverosh did not just happen to have trouble sleeping hours before Haman was going to come to his house and tell him to hang Mordechai. Achashverosh did not just happen to ask for his Book of Chronicles to be read, and it did not just happen to come to the page about where Mordechai saved his life. Every moment of life is drenched with hashgachat Hashem. Our job is to see through what appears to be natural events and attribute them to Hashem. When the Jews left Mitzrayim , all the nations were trembling in fear from them. Amalek, however, went and attacked. The pasuk says "אשר קרך בדרך" – they happened upon you on the road. The Mefarshim tell us Amalek did not want to believe that it was Hashem who took them out of Mitzrayim. They did not want the world to fear the Jews. They attributed Yetziat Mitzrayim to natural occurrences, to happenstance, and they acted upon their belief and attacked the Jewish People. The Torah tells us, our battle with Amalek is מדור דור –in every generation. We will only be able to overcome Amalek physically after we overcome them spiritually. We must strengthen our emunah in Hashem's involvement in the world and in our individual lives. This is the time of year when there is extra Siyata d'Shamaya in the air for us to strengthen ourselves with. A woman emailed a story which happened to her mother, who we'll call Mrs. Greenstein, a few years ago. Mrs. Greenstein is a nurse who works in a hospital in Israel. One day on her way out of the hospital, she received a phone call from a young woman. This young woman had a severely handicapped baby. The baby was a few months old and taking care of him was very complex. The young mother needed to go back to work and was looking for a babysitter who would be able to care for her baby throughout the daytime hours. Mrs. Greenstein explained to the woman all the medical details of what this would entail. When she hung up the phone, her first thoughts were, how would she ever find someone qualified enough to take care of that baby? Only someone with experience and extensive knowledge of how to care for such a child would be suited for that job. Someone like that is most probably hired already in a different job. Mrs. Greenstein then looked at the time and realized she had just missed the bus that she usually takes home. She got on the next bus, hoping to find a quiet place in the back to rest after a long day. She was about to fall asleep when a lady that she knew sat down right next to her. Mrs. Greenstein knew this lady worked in a home for handicapped children. They hadn't seen each other for a while so they spoke for a bit, catching up on each other's lives. The lady mentioned that she recently stopped working and was looking for a new job. Mrs. Greenstein immediately connected her to that young mother and, a few days later, this woman started her new job babysitting for that handicapped infant. Amalek would say this was nothing but a few coincidental events. But we say, look at this amazing hashgacha ! That babysitter was probably the only qualified person in their city capable of doing that job. Hashem arranged for that young mother to think of calling Mrs. Greenstein at that time. Then He put Mrs. Greenstein on the second bus instead of the first. Then He put the babysitter in the seat right next to her to connect her to that new job. These stories are happening countless times a day. It is up to us to recognize Hashem's involvement in each one of them and attribute all of life's happenings to Him.