Haste and the process of redemption and identity formation

The Parasha in our everyday life - Pesach – Shevi’i Shel Pesach and Parshat Acharei Mot - 5782

Rabbi Eliezer Shenvald - Rosh Yeshivat Hesder 'Meir Harel' Modi'in

In memory of my dear brother, Sgt. Meir Shenvald HY"D who fell on the 9th of Nisan 5755

מַצָּה זוֹ שֶׁאָנוּ אוֹכְלִין עַל שׁוּם מָה

The matzah which we eat, what is the reason for it?

The matzah is the Redemption bread, made in a hurry.

The redemption from Egypt was a hurried redemption.

"וְכָכָה תֹּאכְלוּ אֹתוֹ מָתְנֵיכֶם חֲגֻרִים נַעֲלֵיכֶם בְּרַגְלֵיכֶם וּמַקֶּלְכֶם בְּיֶדְכֶם וַאֲכַלְתֶּם אֹתוֹ בְּחִפָּזוֹן פֶּסַח הוּא לַה'" (שמות יב יא).

“This is how you shall eat it: your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it hurriedly: it is a passover offering to Hashem”. )Shmot 12:11)

The hastiness did not allow the dough to complete the leavening process:

וַיִּשָּׂ֥א הָעָ֛ם אֶת־בְּצֵק֖וֹ טֶ֣רֶם יֶחְמָ֑ץ מִשְׁאֲרֹתָ֛ם צְרֻרֹ֥ת בְּשִׂמְלֹתָ֖ם עַל־שִׁכְמָֽם׃

“So the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneading bowls wrapped in their cloaks upon their shoulders. (Shmot 12:34) And then

וַיֹּאפ֨וּ אֶת־הַבָּצֵ֜ק אֲשֶׁ֨ר הוֹצִ֧יאוּ מִמִּצְרַ֛יִם עֻגֹ֥ת מַצּ֖וֹת כִּ֣י לֹ֣א חָמֵ֑ץ כִּֽי־גֹרְשׁ֣וּ מִמִּצְרַ֗יִם וְלֹ֤א יָֽכְלוּ֙ לְהִתְמַהְמֵ֔הַּ וְגַם־צֵדָ֖ה לֹא־עָשׂ֥וּ לָהֶֽם׃

“And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough that they had taken out of Egypt, for it was not leavened, since they had been driven out of Egypt and could not delay; nor had they prepared any provisions for themselves.” (Ibid 39)

We are therefore commanded to remember for generations:

לֹא תֹאכַל עָלָיו חָמֵץ שִׁבְעַת יָמִים תֹּאכַל עָלָיו מַצּוֹת לֶחֶם עֹנִי כִּי בְחִפָּזוֹן יָצָאתָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם לְמַעַן תִּזְכֹּר אֶת יוֹם צֵאתְךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם כֹּל יְמֵי חַיֶּיךָ"

“You shall not eat anything leavened with it; for seven days thereafter, you shall eat unleavened bread, bread of distress—for you departed from the land of Egypt hurriedly—so that you may remember the day of your departure from the land of Egypt as long as you live”. (Devarim 16:3)

"נוסח ההגדה שנהגו בה ישראל בזמן הגלות כך הוא: מתחיל על כוס שני ואומר: בִּבְּהִילוּ (בחיפזון א.ש.) יצאנו ממצרים" (רמב"ם חו"מ נוסח ההגדה א).

Also: "The text of the Haggadah used by the Jewish people during the exile is as follows: begins with the second cup and says: We left Egypt in a frenzy." (Rambam Mishneh Torah Leavened and Unleavened Bread 9:2).

And here the son asks: It is obvious why there was a need for haste in the redemption of Egypt, so that the Egyptians would not regret their decision, however, for generations? Redemption is an ongoing process, and requires patience, 'little by little'?! It is said of the future redemption:

כִּי לֹא בְחִפָּזוֹן תֵּצֵאוּ וּבִמְנוּסָה לֹא תֵלֵכוּן כִּי הֹלֵךְ לִפְנֵיכֶם ה' וּמְאַסִּפְכֶם אֱלֹקֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל

“For you will not depart in haste, nor will you leave in flight; For Hashem is marching before you, the G-d of Israel is your rear guard.” (Yishayahu 52:12)

And about this the Midrash says:

בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה כְּשֶׁאָכְלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת הַפֶּסַח בְּמִצְרַיִם, אָכְלוּ אוֹתוֹ בְּחִפָּזוֹן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות יב, יא): וְכָכָה תֹּאכְלוּ אֹתוֹ, עַל שֵׁם (דברים טז, ג): כִּי בְחִפָּזוֹן יָצָאתָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם, אֲבָל לֶעָתִיד לָבוֹא (ישעיה נב, יב): כִּי לֹא בְחִפָּזוֹן תֵּצֵאוּ וּבִמְנוּסָה לֹא תֵלֵכוּן

“In this world - when Israel ate the Passover offering in Egypt, they ate it in haste, as it is written: ‘This is how you shall eat it’, ‘for you departed from the land of Egypt hurriedly’. But in the future ‘you will not depart in haste’” (Shmot Rabbah 19:6)

In the redemption of Egypt there were two components: one in terms of סוּר מֵרָע ‘Turn away from evil’ - to go out and detach oneself from the contamination of Egyptian culture, and the other in terms of וַעֲשֵׂה טוֹב 'do good' - to begin the people of Israel’s process of independence and spiritual identity.

The first had to be done at once, in haste, with determination, unequivocally, without hesitation and without procrastination. The second is a long, multi-stage, multi-generational process, step after step, that began with the Exodus from Egypt and continues throughout all generations, until the complete redemption. A process that has stages; ups and downs, which requires a lot of investment, daily, and patience to carry out each stage.

Similarly, the late Rabbi Kook explains the Gemara about the way Rabbi Sheshet's bowing at the Shmone Esrei Amida:

 רַב שֵׁשֶׁת, כִּי כָּרַע — כָּרַע כְּחִיזְרָא. כִּי קָא זָקֵיף — זָקֵיף כְּחִיוְיָא

“(With regard to, the Gemara relates: When Rav Sheshet bowed, he bowed all at once, like a cane, without delay. When he stood upright, he stood upright like a snake, lifting himself slowly, demonstrating that the awe of G-d was upon him)”. (Berachot 12b) "

“There are differences between the way the evil works from the powers of the soul to the way of ascension of sublime virtues ... and so everything that a person does hurriedly to get rid of the bad traits is fine, and in one moment he can ascend, from the evils to the pure and can eliminate all evil, ... just as in gaining the sacred virtues, which have many steps one above the other… Therefore, one should behave in his ascension calmly and gradually. Because with evil, one can fall as the cane, without delay. And to achieve holy virtues, one should lift himself slowly…' (Olat Reiyah Part I)

This principle is reflected in the special status of Seder night, in the mitzvah ְהִגַּדְתָּ לְבִנְךָ ‘And you shall tell your son on that day’, and the transmission of the heritage from generation to generation, from parents to children. This creates the succession and continuity of the generations. The generation does not repeat its predecessors but builds on top of them another floor.

דּ֣וֹר לְ֭דוֹר יְשַׁבַּ֣ח מַעֲשֶׂ֑יךָ וּגְב֖וּרֹתֶ֣יךָ יַגִּֽידוּ׃

“One generation shall laud Your works to another and declare Your mighty acts'. (Psalms 145:4) Each generation, has its special way of examination, of praise" (HaRav Zvi Yehuda Kook זצ'ל).

These two components must be preserved in the formation process of self-identity. This process is constantly challenged by foreign cultures that seek to seep in and make it blurry. To reject them we need a 'hurriedly Matza', actions that are immediate, sharp, and unequivocal. While at the same time, continue gradually in the process of shaping spiritual identity and moving forward on the timeline.

There is a 'trend' that identifies Judaism with the global 'conservatism' against liberal progressiveness. It should be noted that although Judaism does not change, it is not fixed but כמסמרות נטועים, like nails firmly planted. (Just as a plant flourishes and grows, so too words of Torah flourish and grow). (Tosefta Sotah 7:7) It has deep, permanent roots, from which new and fresh fruits grow from generation to generation, with הפשטות המתחדשים בכל יום ‘the plain meaning as it became clearer to him with each passing day" (Rashbam Bereishit 37:2)

The principle of intergenerational leadership, is found in the sin of Nadav and Avihu:

וכבר היו משה ואהרן מהלכין בדרך ונדב ואביהוא מהלכין אחריהן וכל ישראל אחריהן אמר לו נדב לאביהוא אימתי ימותו שני זקנים הללו ואני ואתה ננהיג את הדור אמר להן הקב"ה הנראה מי קובר את מי אמר רב פפא היינו דאמרי אינשי נפישי גמלי סבי דטעיני משכי דהוגני

An Aggadic Midrash on this subject is quoted: “And it had already happened that Moshe and Aaron were walking on their way, and Nadav and Avihu were walking behind them, and the entire Jewish people were walking behind them. Nadav said to Avihu: When will it happen that these two old men will die and you and I will lead the generation, as we are their heirs? The Holy One, Blessed be He, said to them: We shall see who buries whom. Rav Pappa says: This explains the adage that people say: Many are the old camels that are loaded with the skins of young camels.” (Sanhedrin 52a)

The road to lead the generation was prematurely accelerated for them, before Moshe and Aaron’s leadership came to an end the way that was necessary for their contemporaries.

The intergenerational continuity which connects the parents with their children, is the mission of Eliyahu HaNavi, in the evening of the redemption,

הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי שֹׁלֵחַ לָכֶם אֵת אֵלִיָּה הַנָּבִיא לִפְנֵי בּוֹא יוֹם ה' הַגָּדוֹל וְהַנּוֹרָא. וְהֵשִׁיב לֵב אָבוֹת עַל בָּנִים וְלֵב בָּנִים עַל אֲבוֹתָם...

"Lo, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before the coming of the awesome, fearful day of Hashem. He shall reconcile parents with children and children with their parents…” (Malachi 3:23-24)

And this is the source of the tradition of the partnership with Eliyahu the prophet on the Seder night (Rabbi Harlap’s Haggadah 'Mei Merom’).