On Tuesday night, January 28, a crowd gathered at Yiboneh Shul in Emek Refaim to hear an incredible parshah shiur given by Rabbi Yitzchak Breitowitz, Rav of Kehillas Ohr Somayach and Senior Lecturer at Yeshivas Ohr Somayach.
Rabbi Breitowitz shared our collective feelings of happiness that the hostages were released; he hopes and prays for all of them to be released and he worries about the terrorists who were released. He shared that we recite in Sh’ma that with Hashem’s help and protection no one can hurt us. This week’s parshah, Bo, recounts the Exodus from Egypt. We are obligated to remember that Hashem took us out of Egypt and to verbalize it twice every day. It’s stated in the third paragraph of Sh’ma. “I am the L-rd your G-d who took you out of Egypt to be for you a G-d. A person should have in mind to fulfill a mitzvah d’Oraisa when saying this.
He added that in the Haggadah we learn that a person is obligated to see himself as if he was personally taken out of Egypt. Rav Chaim Soloveitchik taught that this obligation is annual, while remembering that Hashem took us out of Egypt – in the historical sense – is a daily obligation. Rabbi Breitowitz then posed the following question: How can I say that I was personally taken out of Egypt?
The Baal HaTanya taught that the word Mitzrayim has a double meaning. It means Egypt, but it also means meitzar (constricted). David HaMelech writes in T’hilim: From the straits (Min HaMeitzar) I cry out to you and G-d should answer me with expansiveness. One of the miracles of the Beis HaMikdash was that although it was very crowded, there was enough room for everyone to bow down. Mitzrayim refers to all the limitations that hold me back in my life. The Baal HaTanya teaches that when Hashem took the Jews out of Egypt, He put a spiritual power into the world that everyone can latch onto and become liberated.
There are two narratives in the Haggadah. The first is the common denominator historical one, recalling how Hashem took us out of Egypt and the implications of this.
The second narrative is private, and is one you may share or just keep in your heart. You need to try to understand your inner “mitzrayims” – the things that prevent you from moving forward. When we read these parshiyos at this time of year, the light of Pesach is shining through. This means that the things we can accomplish during Pesach we can accomplish during this time of year.
Next, Rabbi Breitowitz spoke about the very important paragraph in the Haggadah that says that Rabbi Gamliel used to say that anyone who hasn’t explained Pesach, matzah, and maror has not fulfilled his obligation of telling the story of the Exodus.
Next. he spoke about the reason that we eat matzah on Pesach. The reason the Torah gives is that the Jews didn’t have time for the dough to rise as they were rushed out of Egypt. Why did we have to leave that second? We were on the 49th level of tum’ah, and if we had stayed another minute, we would have been on the 50th level, so we had to leave right away. Rabbi Breitowitz explained that this highlights Hashem’s mercy, that He wouldn’t let us disappear physically or spiritually. This is chizuk for us, that no matter how bad we get, Hashem will be there to make sure that we survive. He’s not going to let am Yisrael disappear. We can never be destroyed.
He then shared important lessons that we glean from matzah, maror, and the Korban Pesach, and why he taught them in this order. How does one change and become liberated from his own inner demons or struggles? Maror symbolizes the bitterness of slavery. It’s an allusion to the first step of gaining freedom from our inner spiritual slavery. That first step is recognizing and being honest that you have an inner Mitzrayim and you are a slave to your inner struggle. He shared examples, like resentment, anger, or jealousy. You can’t gain freedom from this slavery until you recognize your spiritual slavery. “A slave can’t gain freedom until he recognizes that he is a slave.”
He shared an anecdote that illustrates human nature. We don’t like to admit that we are stuck or wrong. He shared a personal story that happened to him. He was driving on a highway towards his teaching job at the University of Maryland, and he passed landmarks like the Jefferson Memorial. He had never passed these before on the way to work. He couldn’t admit he had taken the wrong highway, so he told himself he must have not noticed the landmarks before. Eventually, he had to turn around and find the right exit. The Kotzker Rebbe taught that distancing yourself from falsehood means first and foremost that you shouldn’t lie to yourself. Be honest and acknowledge your constrictions. Recognize your personal slavery.
Next, he shared that matzah symbolizes both freedom and slavery. It was food given to slaves, and at the same time it was the bread we ate when we were redeemed from Egypt. The Maharal taught that matzah represents decisive action, while chametz represents inertia. Water mixed with flour left alone passively for 18 minutes will become chametz, while matzah requires positive action. It has to be baked within 18 minutes so that it doesn’t become chametz. So, as important as it is to be aware of our flaws and inner slavery, we need concrete action to be freed from them. This is an important klal in avodas Hashem. We all have moments of inspiration in life when we feel very close to Hashem. However, if a person doesn’t take any action to concretize the inspiration, then the inspiration fades away. Pirkei Avos teaches us that performing a mitzvah leads us to do another mitzvah. This is because we gain spiritual strength from the first mitzvah to be able to perform more mitzvos.
He then taught that the korban Pesach is a lamb, and it can be as young as 30 days old. So, theoretically, one individual could consume the whole lamb. However, the halachah is that we have to bring the korban Pesach with other people. We must attach ourselves to a group. The lesson is that when we go on a journey to leave our own “Mitzrayim,” we need to find a community who will share the journey with us. Community can include a spouse, a shul, yeshivah, etc. We need to be surrounded by others who share our values. We need common commitment to the transcendent values of the Torah. The Rambam teaches three important reasons why Pirkei Avos says to acquire a friend. Firstly, there is a utilitarian reason. If you help your friend, then when you are in need, he will help you. Secondly, there is the human condition of feeling lonely. We are all social beings. Friendship is an antidote to loneliness. Lastly, good friends challenge us to be the best we can be. “The greatest gift you can have is friendship.”
Rabbi Breitowitz concluded that the order he shared teaches the order needed to become liberated from spiritual slavery. First, the maror symbolizes recognizing our constriction or spiritual slavery; then the matzah symbolizes the need for concrete action. Then, eating the Koreich (matzah and maror sandwich), which symbolizes the Korban Pesach, is a way of taking the problem and the solution and dealing with it together.
Rabbi Breitowitz teaches this amazing parshah shiur every Tuesday night in Yerushalayim, and it can also be viewed on www.TorahAnytime.com.
By Susie Garber
