“We are looking forward to a big hour”; let us not miss the opportunity.
Parashat Hashavua – Parashat Tzav – Shabbat Hagadol – Pesach 5785
Rabbi Eliezer Haim Shenvald
With prayers for the success and protection of IDF soldiers, for the healing of the wounded, and the return of the hostages.
In memory of my dear brother, Staff Sergeant Meir Shenvald, HY’D, on his thirtieth Yartzeit.
The Exodus from Egypt was a formative and meaningful event, both historically and spiritually. It was a momentous occasion for the people of Israel, marking the beginning of a new era in their history – a time of freedom and emergence as a nation on history’s stage.
A survey conducted two years ago found that nearly 90% of the Israeli public, both religious and secular, participate in a Passover Seder. What causes such a large part of the population to feel deeply connected to the Seder night? Is it the festive family gathering, the connection to tradition and strengthening of Jewish identity, or perhaps the unique spiritual uplift of this night—the joy, the intensity, the faith, and the hope for redemption and a better future that fills the hearts of those who participate? (Every generation and era according to its character). Or is it the meaning and content of the Seder night that people feel so connected to? Perhaps the answer lies in some of these reasons, or all of them together.
On the Seder night, we are commanded by the Torah to recount the story of the Exodus from Egypt.
בְּכָל דּוֹר וָדוֹר חַיָּב אָדָם לִרְאוֹת אֶת עַצְמוֹ כְּאִלּוּ הוּא יָצָא מִמִּצְרַיִם
“In each and every generation, a person must view himself as though he personally left Egypt”, seeking the unique significance of the Exodus as a faith-based, historical event for our generation and time.
Since the war began, the Seder night and its participants have been influenced by its events. On the one hand, there is a commitment to the holiday joy, interwoven with concern for the safety of soldiers on the battlefield, for the captives, solidarity with bereaved families, and empathy for the wounded. On the other hand, the night is deeply shaped by the heightened yearning, intensified by the war, for strengthened faith and Jewish identity.
The story of the Exodus told on Seder night is a unique experience, one that combines eating matzah and maror. (As the Paschal sacrifice is no longer observed). It is the story of a nation that seized a historic, critical opportunity, a time-bound moment. A nation that recognized the momentum and rose with courage, agility, and determination to attain its freedom, without hesitation, without missing the opportunity.
As written in the Haggadah:
מַצָּה זוֹ שֶׁאָנוּ אוֹכְלִים, עַל שׁוּם מַה? עַל שׁוּם שֶׁלֹּא הִסְפִּיק בְּצֵקָם שֶׁל אֲבוֹתֵינוּ לְהַחֲמִיץ עַד שֶׁנִּגְלָה עֲלֵיהֶם מֶלֶךְ מַלְכֵי הַמְּלָכִים, הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, וּגְאָלָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיֹּאפוּ אֶת־הַבָּצֵק אֲשֶׁר הוֹצִיאוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם עֻגֹת מַצּוֹת, כִּי לֹא חָמֵץ, כִּי גֹרְשׁוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם וְלֹא יָכְלוּ לְהִתְמַהְמֵהַּ, וְגַם־צֵדָה לֹא־עָשׂוּ לָהֶם.
This matza that we eat: What does it recall? It recalls the dough of our ancestors, which did not have time to rise before the King, King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He, revealed Himself and redeemed them, as it is said:
“They baked the dough that they had brought out of Egypt into unleavened cakes, for it was not leavened since they were driven out from Egypt and could not linger, and even provisions they had not prepared for themselves”.(Shmot 12:39)
The people of Israel, recognizing the momentous opportunity, acted with haste and determination, without delay, and even ventured into the desert without sufficient provisions:
וְגַם צֵדָה לֹא עָשׂוּ לָהֶם – לַדֶּרֶךְ. מַגִּיד שִׁבְחָן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁלֹּא אָמְרוּ: הֵיאַךְ נֵצֵא לַמִּדְבָּר בְּלֹא צֵדָה? אֶלָּא הֶאֱמִינוּ וְהָלְכוּ
“Neither had they made for themselves any provision for the journey. [This is stated] to tell how praiseworthy Israel was: that they did not say, "How can we go out into the wilderness without provisions?" But they had faith and set forth”. (Rashi Ibid)
Along with matzah, we also eat maror (bitter herbs), to remember that the opportunity for redemption emerged from hardship, national challenges, and a deep crisis following the bitter years of slavery:
מָרוֹר זֶה שֶׁאָנוּ אוֹכְלִים, עַל שׁוּם מַה? עַל שׁוּם שֶׁמֵּרְרוּ הַמִּצְרִים אֶת־חַיֵּי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ בְּמִצְרַיִם
“These bitter herbs that we eat, what do they recall? They recall the bitterness that the Egyptians imposed on the lives of our ancestors in Egypt”.
This is the foundation upon which the Haggadah is built in its two layers: national revival and spiritual rebuilding, both arising from the depths of crisis:
וְצָרִיךְ לְהַתְחִיל בִּגְנוּת וּלְסַיֵּם בְּשֶׁבַח
“One must begin the narrative by describing the contrast between our nation's humble roots and conclude with praise”. (Rambam Mishneh Torah- Leavened and Unleavened Bread 7:4)
The turning point occurred in Egypt on Shabbat HaGadol. The people of Israel were required to rise, stand tall, confront their oppressors with determination, and take their gods to slaughter without fear of retaliation:
שבת שלפני הפסח קורין אותו שבת הגדול והטעם לפי שנעשה בו נס גדול
“The Shabbat before Pesach is called "Shabbat HaGadol" (The Great Shabbat). And the reason is because a miracle occurred during the Exodus from Egypt”. (Tur- Orach Chayim 430:1)
ולזה קראו אותו נס גדול שנעשה בגדלות השכל שלא היה להם שום מורא ופחד מן המצריים אף על פי שהיו רוצין לשחוט את אלהיהם:
“The Shabbat preceding the Passover festival is called שבת הגדול, “the great Shabbat,” in commemoration of the great miracle that occurred …, but even more so to demonstrate their faith in G-d that although slaughtering a lamb which was a deity for the Egyptians and therefore a provocation of their “masters,” they were not deterred by the physical danger they were exposing themselves to by doing this”. (Kedushat Levi - Shmot Yitro 23)
In this week’s Torah portion, Parashat Tzav, we also read the portion of the inauguration of the Tabernacle (Miluim), which describes the completion of the Mishkan—a remarkable endeavor in which the people of Israel zealously mobilized with determination to build it. This effort brought about the Divine Presence to dwell among the nation.
According to Rashi, the command to build the Mishkan was given after the crisis of the Golden Calf (Rashi Shmot 33:11), representing the people’s determined response to rectify their sin (Rashi Shmot 38:21), going from the lowest point to the highest.
However, according to the Ramban (Vayikra 8:1), the command was originally given before the sin, as a continuation of the Divine revelation at Mount Sinai (Ramban on Shmot 25:1). Nonetheless, he agrees that the actual command to the people came after the sin, expressing G-d’s forgiveness to the nation. (Ramban on Vayikra Ibid).
On Seder night, we live in the present, recall the past, and learn for the future:
וְהִיא שֶׁעָמְדָה לַאֲבוֹתֵינוּ וְלָנוּ. שֶׁלֹּא אֶחָד בִּלְבַד עָמַד עָלֵינוּ לְכַלּוֹתֵנוּ, אֶלָּא שֶׁבְּכָל דּוֹר וָדוֹר עוֹמְדִים עָלֵינוּ לְכַלוֹתֵנוּ, וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַצִּילֵנוּ מִיָּדָם.
“And this is what has stood by our ancestors and us; for it was not only one man who rose to destroy us: in every single generation people rise to destroy us – But the Holy One, Blessed be He, saves us from their hands”.
In our generation, we are privileged to act together with G-d and rise, armed, against those who seek our destruction.
As we gather for this year’s Seder, with the entire Nation of Israel, we stand at the threshold of a new era in the history of the Jewish people and the State of Israel. Despite the hardships, the disasters we have endured, and the ongoing challenges, we are living in historic moments, full of opportunities for the future that will shape our destiny and our state for many years to come.
We are called upon to mobilize with determination to find ways to unify the nation despite diversity and lack of uniformity. To invest in exploring our identity, both spiritual and cultural. To regulate the constitutional relationship between different branches of government. To strengthen our army, our security, and deterrence status out of strength, and not out of a desire for peace and weakness. To bring back our hostages, to enhance our international position, and to fortify our economic resilience.
אָנוּ צוֹפִים לִקְרַאת שָׁעָה גְּדוֹלָה
“We are looking forward to a big hour” (as sung in the youth movement anthem from the 1920s). Let us not miss the opportunity.
לְשָׁנָה הַבָּאָה בִּירוּשָלַיִם הַבְּנוּיָה
Next year in a rebuilt Jerusalem.