Bostoner Torah Insights: Bostoner ‘Chassidus’ in English and Hebrew: Parshas Beshalach – 10 Shevat 5785
Bostoner Torah Insights - Yerushalayim
Bostoner Torah Insights
Bostoner ‘Chassidus’ in English
Parshas Beshalach – 10 Shevat 5785
Bostoner Rebbe shlit”a – Yerushalayim
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The Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh on the opening Pasuk of the Parsha ויהי בשלח פרעה את העם “It happened when Paro sent out the people…” (Shemos 13:17) comments that the word ויהי ‘It happened’ is generally associated with tragedy, however here it should be a language of joy that Klal Yisoel are leaving Mitzrayim. Additionally, if it is really Hashem who is taking us out of Mitzrayim, why is the act of sending us out of Mitzrayim being attributed to Paro
He explains that Hashem would not have taken us out of Mitzrayim without ‘the permission’ of Paro. It is true that Hashem overwhelmed Paro with the plagues until Paro wanted to send us out, but this also led to Paro having regret for letting them go and chasing Bnei Yisroel after he had sent them out. It was this ‘chasing after’ Bnei Yisroel which cause both anxiety and suffering for Bnei Yisroel as well as tragedy to Paro and his nation. This is the reason why the section starts with the word ויהי ‘It happened’.
The question is asked why Paro was punished if Hashem hardened Paro’s heart and seemingly took away his Bechira Chofshis, his free choice. Perhaps Paro was punished because even though he was forced to free Bnei Yisroel and recognized that Hashem is in charge of the world, it pained him emotionally that he had to accept this reality. This is similar to one who is robbed at gunpoint. The person may be relieved that his life was spared, but he is still distressed at having to lose his money and possessions.
This pain that Paro felt was the reason he was punished. Pain in this world diminishes punishment in the World to Come, לא עלינו. In this world, even a complete Tzaddik will feel pain, which is called יסורין של אהבה ‘afflictions of love’ (see Brachos 5a-5b). We pray to Hashem that we should not suffer any pain לא הן ולא שכרן ‘not them and not their reward’ (Brachos 5b), but if we do, we should realize that the pain may have a positive purpose.
This is apparent from the language of the Selichos we say during the Aseres Yemai Teshuva, the Ten Days of Repentance. Even though we acknowledge our sins and the need to do Teshuva, we ask that our repentance should be accepted שלא על ידי יסורים וחלאים רעים ‘not by means of suffering and painful illnesses’. The lesson of ויהי בשלח פרעה is to recognize the joy of living and being able to perform whatever we can in Torah and Mitzvos
Another theme in this week’s Parsha is the Mann that fell from Heaven. Every individual collected an Omer of Mann, which is one-tenth of an Eipha. Rashi explains that an Eipha is 3 Say’ah, and each Say’ah is 6 Kabim, and each Kav is 4 Lugin, and each Lug is equal to the size of six eggs. Thus, one Eipha is the equivalent of 432 eggs, and an Omer would then be one-tenth of that or the volume of 43.2 eggs, which is the volume of dough that requires us to separate Challah.
This volume of 43.2 eggs, an Omer, was also the size of a Korban Mincha that was brought on the Mizbayach. It would seem that the Mitzvah of Menachos only went into effect once Bnei Yisroel would enter Eretz Yisroel in order to emphasize the importance of The Land of Israel.
This week, we will also commemorate Tu B’Shvat, which also reminds us of the special significance of Eretz Yisroel. In the Gemara (Kesuvos 112b) it states, “Rav Chiya Bar Ashi said in the name of Rav: In the future all of the non-fruit bearing trees in Eretz Yisroel will bear fruit”. The Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh in his commentary to the Creation in Beraishis suggests that since there was never a command for any tree ‘not to bear fruit’ and the variety of non-fruit trees clearly outnumber the species of fruit bearing trees, it must be that these non-fruit trees only came about because of the sin of Adam HaRishon. As a result of this sin, the ground was cursed and no longer had the power to provide these trees with the nourishment to bear fruit.
We celebrate Tu B’Shvat, the Rosh Hashana for trees, but it is not our custom to celebrate the Rosh Hashana for animals which occurs on the first of Elul (Rosh Hashana 1:1). Perhaps the reason is based on Rambam Hilchos Yesodei HaTorah’s concept of the four universal elements: Water, Fire, Earth and Wind. Water is celebrated on Succos via the Nisuch HaMayim. Fire is celebrated on Lag B’Omer. Wind is mentioned in the Shemona Esrei with either Morid HaTal in the summer or Morid HaGashem in the winter. The Earth is celebrated on Tu B’Shvat.
Just as we celebrate the fruit of Eretz Yisroel on Tu B’Shvat even though we do not yet see fruit on the trees in the middle of the winter, we have faith that Hashem will soon provide the fruit in the coming year, and fruit to all the trees in the times of Moshiach.
May it be His will that we should all merit ‘good fruit’ this year and merit the coming of the Biyas Go’el, speedily in our days, when “all of the trees of the forest will rejoice” (Tehillim 96:12).
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