[Par-reg] For Parshat Bo - shiur #1 Two reasons for matza
Menachem Leibtag
tsc at bezeqint.net
Thu Jan 22 00:56:37 EST 2015
In memory of Albert W. and Evelyn G. Bloom,
who creatively fulfilled the mitzva of
"והגדת לבנך" .
Shanen Bloom Werber, Dov Bloom,
Elana Bloom, Michael Bloom
*********************************************
****************
THE TANACH STUDY CENTER
[http://www.tanach.org]
In Memory of Rabbi Abraham Leibtag
Shiurim in Chumash & Navi by Menachem
Leibtag
*********************************************
****************
PARSHAT BO
TWO REASONS FOR MATZA - OR ONE?
Ask anyone - why do we eat Matza on
Pesach? Invariably
you will hear one of the two following
answers:
*· To remind us of the 'poor man's bread'
that we ate when
we were slaves in Egypt ['lechem
oni'];
[As we say in the Haggada - "ha
lachma anya..."]
* Because we left Egypt in haste and our
dough didn't have
time to rise ['chipazon'].
[As we say in the Haggada - "Matza -
al shum ma?
al shum she-lo hispik betzeikam
le-hachmitz..."]
So, which reason is correct?
In the following shiur, we uncover the
biblical roots of
these two reasons in Parshat Bo - in an
attempt to better
understand and appreciate why we eat matza on
Pesach.
INTRODUCTION
In Parshat Bo, we find two Biblical
commands that relate
to eating matza:
In relation to korban Pesach, we are
instructed to eat matza
& maror together with the meat of this
offering. [See Shmot
12:8.]
In relation to "chag hamatzot", we are
instructed to eat
matza (and not eat chametz) for seven days.
[See Shmot 12:15-
20 and 13:3-8.]
In Part One of our shiur, we study these
two sources to
show how (and why) each of these two mitzvot
stems from a
totally different reason.
In Part Two, we study the intricate
manner of the Torah's
presentation of these two mitzvot - and
together with some
historical considerations, we will explore an
underlying theme
that may tie these two separate reasons
together.
PART ONE -
REMEMBERING SLAVERY or REMEMBERING FREEDOM
In the middle of Parshat Bo (right
before the story of
the Tenth Plague), God instructs Moshe
concerning several
mitzvot that Bnei Yisrael must keep - more
specifically, the
laws of the korban Pesach (see 12:3-14) and a
commandment to
eat matza for seven days (see 12:15-20).
[This section (12:1-20) is better know as
"Parshat ha-
Chodesh", as it is read on the shabbos
prior to Rosh Chodesh
Nisan.]
As both of these mitzvot relate in some
manner to eating
matza, we begin our shiur by reviewing their
definitions in
regard to how they are to be kept in future
generations:
* The KORBAN PESACH - An Offering of
Thanksgiving
Definition:
Each year we are commanded to offer a
special korban on
the afternoon of the 14th of Nisan, and eat
the korban on that
evening, together with matza & maror; while
thanking God for
our deliverance from 'makkat bechorot'.
(See 12:24-27, based on
12:8-14)
Reason:
Because God 'passed over' the houses of
Bnei Yisrael on that
evening when He smote the Egyptians (see
12:26-27). As we
eat the korban, we are supposed to explain
this reason to
our children.
* CHAG HA-MATZOT- A Holiday to commemorate
the Exodus
Definition:
To eat matza (& NOT to eat chametz, own
it, or even see
it) for seven days, from the 15th to
the 21st of Nisan.
(See Shmot 13:3-8, based on 12:15-20.)
Reason:
To remember the events (and their
miraculous nature) by
which God took Am Yisrael out of Egypt.
(See Shmot 12:17
and 13:8.)
Even though these holidays 'overlap' on
the night of the
fifteenth of Nisan and both holidays include
eating matza;
each holiday serves a different purpose. By
offering the
korban Pesach we thank God for saving us from
the Tenth
Plague. In contrast, on Chag Ha-matzot we
remember leaving
Egypt into the desert, and hence our freedom
from slavery.
[Note that each holiday has ample reason
to stand alone.]
MATZA - A PRIMARY or SECONDARY MITZVA
With this background, let's examine the
purpose for
eating matza in each mitzvah. Clearly, on
"chag ha-matzot"
[the name for the holiday when we eat matza
for seven days] -
eating matza for seven days is presented as
the primary
mitzvah:
"Seven days you shall eat MATZA, even on
the first day you
shall rid yourselves from any unleaven in
your houses..."
(Shmot 12:15, see also 13:2-8).
As we shall soon explain, by eating
matza (and not eating
'chametz') during those seven days, we remind
ourselves of how
God helped us when we left Egypt.
In contrast, eating matza with the
korban Pesach is
presented in a secondary manner, while the
primary mitzvah is
to eat the meat of the korban:
"And you shall eat the meat on this night,
roasted on fire
with MATZOT, together with bitter herbs..."
(Shmot 12:8).
[Review from 12:3-13, noting how most of
these psukim
deal with how the korban is to be eaten,
while matza is
presented in a very secondary manner.]
Unfortunately, the Torah is not very
specific in regard
to WHY the Korban Pesach should be eaten with
matza. It simply
states in 12:8 to eat the meat roasted,
together with matza &
maror, without explaining why.
On the other hand, in regard to eating
matza for the
seven days of chag ha-matzot, the Torah is
much more explicit:
"And you shall keep the (laws regarding)
MATZOT, for on this
very day I have taken your hosts out of the
land of
Egypt..." (see Shmot 12:17, see also
13:3!).
This pasuk suggests that eating matza
for seven days will
cause us to remember that God took us out of
Egypt. But why
should eating matza cause us to remember
those events?
To understand why, we must return to the
story of the
Exodus in Chumash, and follow the narrative
very carefully to
show why 'eating matza' would remind Bnei
Yisrael of the
Exodus.
THE COMMON 'EXPERIENCE'
Contrary to the popular understanding,
Bnei Yisrael had
plenty of time to prepare for the Exodus.
After all, already
two weeks before the Tenth Plague, Bnei
Yisrael had already
received early warning (see Shmot 12:1-13).
Furthermore,
Moshe had already advised them to be ready to
'borrow' from
their Egyptian neighbors the necessary gold &
silver and
clothing for their journey (see 11:1-3!).
However, even
though they had plenty of time to prepare,
they were also in
no special hurry to leave on the evening of
the 15th of Nisan.
In fact, Bnei Yisrael were under a specific
directive to
remain in their homes that entire evening:
"And Moshe told the leaders of Israel:
Everyone should take
a lamb... and none of you shall leave the
entrance of your
houses UNTIL THE MORNING" (see Shmot
12:21-22).
Hence, Bnei Yisrael most likely assumed
that they would not
be leaving Egypt until sometime the next
morning. Considering
that they were planning to embark on a long
journey into the
desert (see 11:1-3, read carefully), the
people most probably
prepared large amounts of dough on the
previous day, with the
intention of baking it early on the morning
of the 15th of
Nisan (before their departure). [The fresher
the bread, the
better!]
However, due to the sudden nature of the
events that
transpired that evening, these original plans
changed. Recall
how the Egyptians (after realizing the
calamity of the Tenth
Plague), rushed the Hebrews out of their
homes. Pharaoh
demanded that Moshe lead his nation out to
worship their God
(see 12:29-32), in hope that the sooner they
would worship
their God, the sooner the Plague would stop,
see 12:33 /and
5:3!). The Egyptians were so eager for them
to leave that
they willingly lent their belongings.
It was because of this 'rush' that Bnei
Yisrael didn't have
time to bake their 'fresh bread' as planned.
Instead, they
quickly packed their bags and took their
dough ('and ran'):
"[So] Bnei Yisrael carried their DOUGH
before it had time to
rise ['terem yechmatz'], as they wrapped
with their garments
and carried it over their shoulders.
[See Shmot 12:34.]
Two psukim later, the Torah tells
exactly what Bnei
Yisrael did with this dough. After setting
up camp in Succot,
on their way towards the desert (see
12:37-38), we are told:
"And Bnei Yisrael baked their DOUGH that
they took out of
Egypt as MATZOT, for it had not risen ['ki
lo CHAMETZ'], for
they were EXPELLED from Egypt, and they
could not wait [in
the their home to bake the dough properly],
nor had they
prepared any other provisions [and hence
the only bread they
had to eat was from this dough]" (see
12:39).
[This seems to be the simplest
translation of this pasuk
(see JPS). Note, however, that Ramban
explains this pasuk
in a different manner. The reason for
this is discussed
in the further iyun section.]
In this manner, everyone who left Egypt
shared a common
experience. As they set up camp on their way
to the desert
(the first time as a free nation) everyone
shared the common
predicament of: no bread; 'lots of dough';
and only makeshift
methods for baking it. Therefore everyone
improvised by
baking their dough as thin matzot on
makeshift 'hot-plates'.
This background explains the first
instruction that Moshe
Rabeinu commanded Bnei Yisrael on that
momentous day:
"And Moshe said to the people: REMEMBER
THIS DAY that you
have LEFT EGYPT from slavery, for God has
taken you out with
an outstretched hand - you shall not eat
CHAMETZ. You are
leaving in the month of the spring
[therefore] when you come
in the Promised Land... on this month EAT
MATZA FOR SEVEN
DAYS... you shall not see or own CHAMETZ in
all your
borders. And you shall tell you children
on that day, it
was for the sake of this [MATZA] that God
took us out of
Egypt..." (see Shmot 13:3-8, read
carefully!).
In other words, the next year, by eating
matza (and not
owning any chametz) this generation would
remember this
special experience together with the
miraculous events of the
Exodus. To preserve this tradition (and its
message), the
Torah commands all future generations as well
to eat matza for
seven days, while telling over these events
to their children
(see again Shmot 13:8).
In a shorter form, this is more or less
the reason that
we cite in the Haggada when we explain why we
eat matza:
"MATZA... AL SHUM MA? This matza that we
eat, for what
reason (do we eat it)? - For the dough of
our forefathers
did not have time to become leaven when God
the King of all
kings revealed Himself and redeemed us, as
it is stated
(followed by the quote of Shmot 12:39)."
This certainly provides us with a
logical reason for the
commandment to eat matza for the seven days
of "chag ha-
matzot", but it certainly doesn't explain why
Bnei Yisrael
were first commanded to eat matza with the
Korban Pesach
BEFORE they left Egypt (see again 12:1-8).
It simply wouldn't
make sense for God to command Bnei Yisrael to
eat matza in
Egypt with the korban - to remember how they
left Egypt!
Therefore, there must be an independent
reason for eating
matza with the korban Pesach, unrelated to
the events that
transpired when Bnei Yisrael left Egypt
To find that reason, we must return to
Parshat ha'Chodesh,
and consider the thematic connection between
the mitzva to eat
matza and all of the other mitzvot that
accompany the Korban
Pesach.
PESACH MITZRAYIM - A FAMILY AFFAIR
Certainly, the primary purpose of
offering the Korban
Pesach in Egypt was to sprinkle its blood on
the doorposts to
save Bnei Yisrael from the Tenth Plague (see
12:12-13).
However, this commandment also included
several other special
laws that focus primarily on how this
offering was to be eaten
by its owners.
This in itself is noteworthy, for one
would expect that a
korban (an offering) set aside for God would
be forbidden for
human consumption, as is the case in an OLAH
offering.] Yet,
in regard to the Korban Pesach, eating this
korban seems to be
no less important than the sprinkling of its
blood (see 12:3-
11). Let's take a closer look at these
special laws.
First of all, note how it was necessary to
carefully plan
this 'dinner' in advance:
"Speak unto all the congregation of Israel
-On the tenth day
of this month everyone must take a lamb,
according to their
fathers' houses, a lamb for a household;
and if the
household be too little for a lamb, then
shall he and his
neighbor next to him shall take one
according to the number
of the souls; according to every man's
eating you shall
count them for the lamb... (see Shmot
12:3-4)
Clearly, this was supposed to be a 'family
meal' (see 12:3),
and planned well in advance. Now, let's
consider the cuisine.
" And they shall eat its meat on that
night:
* roasted over the fire
* with MATZA
* with MAROR (bitter herbs)
* Do not eat it raw (uncooked)
* [nor can you eat it] cooked in
water
* eat it only roasted,
its head, legs, and entrails,
(together)
* No 'leftovers', anything left over
must be burnt.
And this is how you should it eat it:
* your loins girded
* your shoes on your feet
* your staff in your hand
* and you shall eat it in haste
[CHIPAZON]
it is a PESACH [offering] for God."
(Shmot 12:7-11)
As you review these psukim, note once again
how eating matza
is only one of many other instructions that
go along with how
this korban is to be eaten. Let's begin our
discussion with
some of the 'other' laws; afterward we'll
return to the matza.
NO LEFTOVERS
The law that no meat can be left over
relates once again
to the special atmosphere of this evening.
When someone knows
that any leftovers 'go to the garbage', it is
more likely that
he will eat to his heart's content and enjoy
the meal (ask any
"Yeshiva bachur"). If it was permitted to
save the meat, then
people would refrain from eating to their
heart's content,
preferring to save some of the meat for
another meal (ask any
poor man).
Coming to the meal fully dressed, and
eating with
eagerness and readiness, certainly would make
this evening
more memorable. [Remember as well that in
ancient time a
staff ("makelchem be-yedchem") is not
necessarily a walking
stick for the aged, but rather a sign of
importance.]
It also goes without saying that lamb is
most tasty when
barbecued, as opposed to being boiled in
water (ask anybody).
With this background, let's consider the
wider picture:
A family meal - planned well in
advance,
by invitation only,
fresh lamb - well done, roasted on an
open spit
(roasting is much most tasty than
cooking)
with fresh pita ('eish tanur' style),
i.e. matza
with a spicy salad (bitter herbs), i.e.
maror
no leftovers allowed
everyone coming well dressed (best
attire)
eating it with readiness, zest,
excitement ('chipazon')
Any of us who have attended a formal
dinner should not be
surprised by these laws, for this seems to be
their primary
intention - to create a full fledged 'shabbos
table'
atmosphere.
Consider the circumstances. A nation of
slaves, now
about to become free, and ready to embark on
a momentous
journey to Har Sinai and then to the Promised
Land.
Certainly, we want this to be an 'evening to
remember', and
hence 'only the fanciest restaurant' will do!
[Recall as well that it would not be
often that slaves
could afford to eat 'fleishigs' for
dinner.]
Our main point is that the PRIMARY
reason for all of
these special laws was to assure that every
family would
participate in a formal meal, in order to
make this a
memorable evening. Therefore, only the best
meat, cooked in
the best manner, with bread and salad; with
the eager
participants in their best attire.
With this in mind, let's return to consider
the reason for
eating matza at this meal.
Considering our discussion thus far, it
would have made more
sense to enjoy the korban with a fresh
'chametz' bun, rather
than simple 'matza'!
To appreciate why, let's return to our
analogy of 'going
out to eat' to celebrate an important
occasion. Now the
question becomes: What restaurant would be
most appropriate?
Will it be Chinese? Italian? French?
In the case of korban Pesach, the best
way to describe
the menu would be - 'anti-Egyptian'!
Let's explain.
Not only does God want Bnei Yisrael to
enjoy a family
meal on this important evening, He also wants
this meal to
carry a theme. The menu should not only be
'formal', but it
should also carry a 'spiritual message'.
[For those Americans
on the list, just ask your neighbors why
turkey is
traditionally served for Thanksgiving
dinner.]
Let's consider the menu.
LAMB FOR DINNER
As we explained, eating meat is in
itself special. But
why specifically lamb? Let's explain why
eating lamb would be
considered 'anti-Egyptian
Recall when Yaakov and his sons first
went down to Egypt,
Yosef was embarrassed by their profession,
that they were
shepherds, for anyone who raised sheep was a
'to'eva' [an
'abomination'] to Egyptians. (See Breishit
43:32.)
Furthermore, when the Plagues began,
Pharaoh first agreed
that Bnei Yisrael could offer their korbanot
in Egypt, but not
in the desert. To this offer Moshe replied,
should Am Yisrael
offer 'to'evat Mitzrayim' [an abomination to
the Egyptians] in
Egypt, would they not be stoned? (See Shmot
8:22.)
From that interchange, it becomes quite
clear that
offering a 'lamb' would be antithetical to
Egyptian culture.
Rashi's commentary on this pasuk seems to
imply that a 'lamb'
was considered a type of a god to the
Egyptians, and hence
offering a 'lamb' in Egypt would be a
desecration in their
eyes. [Sort of like burning someone's
national flag. See
Ramban 12:3!]
[Note Ibn Ezra (on Shmot 8:22) quotes a
Kaarite who
explained that a 'lamb' was the symbol of
the god who
controls their land. He himself argues
that it was not just
a lamb, but any type of animal, for he
claims that the
Egyptians were vegetarians.]
[One could also suggest an 'astrological'
explanation
that relates to the fact that the Nile
(Egypt's source of
water) reaches its highest level in the
spring during the
zodiac of 'taleh' [a lamb, see Nile
mosaic in Tzipori!]
See also a similar explanation in Sefer
Ha-toda'a by
Eliyahu Ki-tov, re: Nisan (page 14).]
Therefore, burning a lamb, complete with
its head, and
legs and entrails, etc. on an open spit (see
Shmot 12:9), and
then eating it, would serve as a sign to Bnei
Yisrael that
they are now free from Egyptian culture, and
its gods.
MATZA & MAROR
As we explained, the primary reason for
eating matza
would be no different than having rolls at a
cook-out. But
eating specifically matza could be considered
once again
symbolic. The simplest reason would be
simply to remind Bnei
Yisrael that on this evening God is taking
them out of
slavery. As 'matza' is the typical bread of
a poor-man, or a
slave, it would be most fitting to eat the
meat together with
this style of bread.
[This would reflect our statement of "ha
lachma anya"
that we say at the beginning of the
Haggada.]
This doesn't mean that a poor-man's
bread tastes bad. It
is merely a simple style of bread that can
actually taste
good!
However, one could also suggest that
'chametz' itself may
have been a symbol of Egyptian culture. It
is well-known
among historians that the art of making
leaven was first
developed in Egypt, and it was the Egyptians
who perfected the
process of 'bread-making'.
[See 'On Food and Cooking -'The Science and
Lore of the
Kitchen' - by Harold McGee / Page 275 -
based on
archeological evidence, raised bread began
in Egypt around
4000 BCE. On page 280 - then beer froth
was eventually used
as first yeast. And page 615 -
bread-making became refined
with invention of ovens around 3000 BCE in
Egypt.]
Similarly, eating bitter herbs with the
korban certainly
makes the meat 'tastier' - but why
specifically bitter herbs
rather than sweet ones? Like matza, one
could suggest that
the reason would be to remind us on this
evening of the
bitterness of the slavery that we are now
leaving. In fact,
this is exactly what we explain in the
Haggada in the section
"MAROR - AL SHUM MA".
[One could also explain that the reason for
eating the
korban 'well dressed' and in hurriedness
(even though Bnei
Yisrael would not be leaving until the next
morning) was to
emphasize the need be 'ready & eager' for
their redemption.]
In this manner, all of the mitzvot
relating to Pesach
Mitzrayim can relate to both the need to make
this a memorable
evening, with a formal family dinner etc.;
but at the same
time, every action also carried a symbolic
function as well.
This evening was to leave a lasting
impression on its
participants, in order that they would pass
on this memory to
their children and grandchildren. It had to
be special!
In summary, we have shown how there may
be two totally
independent reasons for eating matza on the
night of the
fifteenth of Nisan:
· One matza - 'lechem oni', poor man's
bread - is to be
eaten with the korban Pesach, in order
to make this korban
tasty, but at the same time to remind us
to thank God for
being saved from Makkat Bechorot &
slavery.
· The second matza - "bread that was made
in haste",
'chipazon' - is an integral part of the
mitzva of chag ha-
matzot (eating matza for seven days) which we
eat in order
that we remember the events of how God took
us out of Egypt.
In Part Two we will search for a deeper
connection
between these two reasons for eating matza.
==========
PART II / FROM PESACH MITZRAIM TO PESACH
DOROT
INTRODUCTION
In Part One, we offered two reasons for
eating matza with
the Korban Pesach: Either to remind us of
the hardships of
slavery (similar to the reason for why we eat
'maror'); or to
remind us of the need to reject Egyptian
culture as a pre-
requisite for redemption (similar to the
reason for why we
sacrifice a lamb).
If the following shiur, we will pursue
this second line
of reasoning, and apply its logic to help
explain some of the
peculiar laws of "chag ha'matzot" [i.e. the
commandment to eat
matza (and not eat chametz) for seven days].
Let's begin with the very pasuk in
Chumash that appears
to explain the reason for "chag ha'matzot":
"And Moshe said to the people: REMEMBER
THIS DAY that you
have left Egypt...- you shall not eat
CHAMETZ....
[therefore] when you come in the Promised
Land... EAT MATZA
FOR SEVEN DAYS... you shall not see or own
CHAMETZ in all
your borders... " (see Shmot 13:2-8).
This commandment implies that by eating
matza (and not
eating chametz) for seven days, we will
remember the events of
the Exodus. In Part One of our shiur, we
explained how (and
why) eating matza would remind us of that
experience.
However, based on that explanation, it
would have made more
sense for Moshe to say: "Remember this day...
by eating
matza". Instead, he commands them to
remember this day by not
eating chametz!
Furthermore, from the laws that follow,
it seems like the
Torah puts a greater emphasis on the
prohibition of "chametz",
more so than it does on the obligation to eat
"matza". If we
assume, as most people do, that the Torah
forbids eating
'chametz' as a means to ensure the we eat
'matza' instead, it
certainly wouldn't make sense for the
prohibition against
'chametz' to be more important than the
commandment to eat
matza!
It also seems rather strange that the Torah
would forbid not
only eating chametz, but also owning or
seeing it - if the
only purpose of these prohibitions was to
ensure that we eat
matza.
Finally, there doesn't appear to be any
obvious reason for
the need to observe this holiday for seven
days.
[Recall that all these laws were originally
given way before
the story of the splitting of the Red Sea
took place.]
Therefore, it would be difficult to
conclude that all of
these strict prohibitions against 'chametz'
stem merely from
the need to provide an incentive to eat matza
- which are
eating solely to remember an 'incidental'
event that took
place when Bnei Yisrael were 'rushed out' of
Egypt.
Instead, we will suggest that 'chametz'
should be un
understood as a symbol of Egyptian culture.
If so, then many
of these severe prohibitions begin to make a
lot more sense.
To explain how, we must return to Sefer
Yechezkel chapter 20;
and our discussion in last week's shiur on
Parshat Va'era.
BACK TO YECHEZKEL
Let's quote once again from Yechezkel's
rebuke of the elders
of Yehuda, as he reminds them of the behavior
of their
forefathers - PRIOR to Yetziat Mitzraim:
"On the day that I chose Israel... that
same day I swore to
take them out of Egypt into a land flowing
with milk and
honey... And I said to them [at that time]:
Each man must
RID himself of his detestable ways, and not
DEFILE ('tum'a')
himself with the fetishes of Egypt - [for]
ANI HASHEM
ELOKEICHEM . But, they REBELLED against Me,
and they did not
OBEY me, no one rid himself from his
detestable ways...and I
resolved to pour out My fury upon them..."
(Yechezkel 20:5-
8).
In other words, God had called upon Bnei
Yisrael to rid
themselves of their 'avoda zara', i.e. their
Egyptian culture,
BEFORE the redemption process began.
Unfortunately, Bnei Yisrael did not
'listen', and hence
deserved to be destroyed! Nevertheless, God
saved Bnei
Yisrael, Yechezkel explains, for the sake of
His Name: "va-
a'as lema'an shmi, levilti hachel le-einei
ha-goyim" (see
20:9).
This background helped us understand the
need for "korban
Pesach" in Egypt. This offering gave Bnei
Yisrael one last
chance to show their loyalty to God prior to
'makkat
bechorot'.
[The word 'pesach' - the name of this
korban, reflects this
purpose, as God must 'PASS OVER' the houses
of Bnei Yisrael
(who otherwise deserve to be punished (see
12:27).]
To show their rejection of Egyptian
culture, Bnei Yisrael
were instructed to offer a lamb and eat it
with matza (instead
of chametz), due their symbolic nature.
[For a similar explanation that shows the
connection between
chametz and Avoda Zara, see Rav Kasher in
Torah Sheleima vol
#19, miluim #20.]
This can explain why 'chametz' becomes
such a central
theme when these events are commemorated in
future
generations. For example, not only must the
korban Pesach of
future generations must be eaten with matza,
but one is also
prohibited from owning 'chametz' before he
can offer that
korban:
"Lo tishchat al CHAMETZ dam zivchi" - "You
shall not offer
the Korban Pesach with chametz still in
your possession"
(see Shmot 23:18 and its context from
23:13-20).
If indeed chametz is symbolic of Egyptian
culture, then it
makes sense that one can not offer this
korban, without first
showing his rejection of that culture. When
we offer the
korban Pesach, we must remember not only WHAT
HAPPENED, but
also WHY God saved us, i.e. for what purpose!
To help concretize these sentiments of
teshuva, a symbol
is required. Hence, the korban Pesach - the
'korban Hashem'
(see Bamidbar 9:7 and context) - is not just
an expression of
thanksgiving but also a DECLARATION of
loyalty; - a
willingness to obey; - a readiness to fulfill
our Divine
destiny.
Furthermore, in Parshat Re'eh, when
Moshe Rabeinu
explains the laws of the Pesach to the
generation that is
about to enter the Land, he reminds them:
"Keep the month of the spring, and offer a
korban Pesach...
You shall not eat any CHAMETZ with it,
instead for the seven
days [afterward] you shall eat MATZA -
'lechem oni', because
you left Egypt in a hurried manner - IN
ORDER that you
remember the day that you left Egypt for
every day of your
life" (see Devarim 16:1-3).
This source also suggests that the matza
that we eat for
seven days relates directly to the korban
Pesach, and hence it
makes sense that they would share a common
reason.
BACK TO PARSHAT HA'CHODESH
This interpretation can also help us
understand why God's
original commandment to Moshe to tell Bnei
Yisrael about "chag
ha-matzot" (in 12:15-20) was recorded
'pre-maturely' (i.e.
before they ever left Egypt) - immediately
after the laws of
korban Pesach (see 12:11-15).
After instructing the nation to offer
korban Pesach in every
future generation (see 12:14), the Torah
records the laws
prohibiting 'chametz' for the next seven
days. Even though
eating matza for those seven days reminds us
of how we left
Egypt, the prohibition of 'chametz' reminds
us of how must
reject 'avoda zara' in order to be deserving
of future
redemption. This can also explain yet
another difficult pasuk
in Parshat ha'Chodesh:
"Seven days you should eat matza, but EVEN
ON THE FIRST DAY
you must REMOVE ALL CHAMETZ from your
houses, for whoever
eats chametz on these SEVEN days, that
person shall be cut
off from the nation of Israel" (see Shmot
12:15).
Chazal understand that 'yom ha-rishon'
refers to the 14th of
Nisan (not the 15th), i.e. at the time when
the Korban Pesach
is offered. This makes sense, for one must
rid himself from
the symbol of Egyptian culture before
offering the korban
Pesach. [Note as well Shmot 23:18 - "lo
tishchat al chametz
dam zivchi"!]
The reason for Chag Ha-Matzot now
becomes clear. Our
declaration of thanksgiving when offering the
korban Pesach is
meaningless if not accompanied with the
proper spiritual
preparation. Just as Bnei Yisrael were
commanded to rid
themselves of their 'avoda zara' in
anticipation of their
redemption, future generations must do
exactly the same when
they commemorate those events. By getting
rid of our chametz
in preparation for Korban Pesach, we remind
ourselves of the
need to first cleanse ourselves from any
corrupt culture that
we may have adopted.
From this perspective, the matza that we
eat for seven
days, and the matza that is eaten with the
korban Pesach both
serve as powerful reminders that Bnei Yisrael
must become
active and faithful partners in any
redemption process.
shabbat shalom,
menachem
FOR FURTHER IYUN
=================f
ELIYAHU AT THE SEDER
Based on the above shiur, we can explain
why we invite
Eliyahu ha-navi to the seder (after we finish
our last
'kezayit' of matza) to remind us of the need
to perform
teshuva in preparation for future redemption
(see Mal'achi
3:23-24). It also explains why we read these
psukim (that
form the final message of the Neviim in
Tanach) for the
Haftara of Shabbat Ha-gadol, in preparation
for Pesach.
BE-ETZEM HA-YOM HA-ZEH
An important phrase that the Torah uses
in its
presentation of the laws of chag ha-matzot
provides further
support for this approach. Recall the
original pasuk in which
the Torah provides the reason for chag
ha-matzot:
"And you shall keep [the laws] of the
matzot, for ON THIS
VERY DAY [BE-ETZEM HA-YOM HA-ZEH] God has
taken your hosts
out of the land of Egypt..." (see Shmot
12:17).
It is not often that the Torah employs
this phrase "be-
etzem ha-yom ha-zeh", and when it does, it
always marks a very
important event.
In relation to Yetziat Mitzrayim we find
this very same
phrase mentioned two more times at the
conclusion of chapter
12, as the Torah recaps the events of Yetziat
Mitzraim - in
the context of God's fulfillment of His
promise to Avraham
Avinu at Brit bein Ha-btarim:
"And the time of Bnei Yisrael's stay in
Egypt was 400 years
and 30 years, and it came to pass after 430
years - ON THIS
VERY DAY [be-etzem ha-yom ha-zeh] all of
God's hosts were
taken out of Egypt..." (see 12:40-41, see
also 12:51!)
It is not by chance that we find
specifically this phrase
"be-etzem ha-yom ha-zeh" in relation to God's
fulfillment of
brit bein ha-btarim. In Sefer Breishit, we
find this same
phrase in two instances, and each relating to
the fulfillment
of a 'brit' between God and man. The first
instance was God's
'brit' with Noach:
"And I shall keep My covenant with you, and
you will enter
the ark, you and your sons and wife..."
(see Breishit 6:18).
Then, when Noach actually enters the
ark, the Torah uses
this phrase when informing us how God kept
His covenant:
"Be-etzem ha-yom ha-zeh - on that very day,
Noach and his
sons and wife... entered the ark..." (see
7:13).
Similarly, when God enters into a
covenant with Avraham
Avinu concerning his future, better known as
BRIT MILA; God
promises:
"And I shall keep My covenant between Me
and you and your
offspring an everlasting COVENANT to be
Your God... this is
[the sign] of My covenant that you shall
keep, circumcise
every male child..." (see Breishit 17:7-10
and its context).
Then, when Avraham performs this mitzva,
the Torah once
again uses this phrase when informing us how
Avraham kept His
part of the covenant:
"be-etzem ha-yom ha-zeh - on this very day
- Avraham was
circumcised and his son Yishmael..." (see
17:26, & 17:23).
Considering that these are the only
times that we find
this phrase in Sefer Breishit, and both
relate to the
fulfillment of a major covenant between God
and man; when we
find that the Torah uses this phrase in Sefer
Shmot, we should
expect that it too relates to the fulfillment
of a covenant.
Clearly, this phrase in both Shmot 12:17 and
12:41 must relate
to God's fulfillment of Brit bein ha-btarim.
Hence, one can
suggest that its use in 12:17 in relation to
the mitzva to eat
matza for seven days relates to Bnei
Yisrael's need remain
faithful to its side of the covenant with
God. Based on the
psukim quoted above from Yechezkel, the
thematic connection is
rather obvious. If Am Yisrael is truly
thankful for their
redemption from slavery, they must show their
dedication by
totally removing themselves from the 'avoda
zara' of Egypt.
Note as well that the phrase of be-etzem
ha-yom ha-zeh also
appears in Sefer Vayikra, once in relation to
Shavuot (see
23:21) and twice in relation to Yom Kippur
(see 23:28-30).
[Note that it does not appear in relation to
any of the other
holidays in Emor!]
On could suggest that here again this
relates to
'britot'; Shavuot relating to 'brit sinai' -
the first luchot,
and Yom Kippur relating to 'brit sinai' - the
second luchot.
See TSC shiur on Parshat Ki Tisa on the 13
midot of rachamim.
One last mention of this phrase is found
at the end of
Parshat Ha'azinu in relation to 'brit Arvot
Moav'.
Finally, we find this phrase in Yehoshua
5:11, mentioned
as Bnei Yisrael performed both BRIT MILA &
KORBAN PESACH when
they crossed the Jordan River and began
conquest of Eretz
Canaan! Again the fulfillment of yet another
stage of both
brit mila and brit bein ha-btarim.
RAMBAN's APPROACH
See Ramban on Shmot 12:39, how he explains
that Bnei
Yisrael's original intention was to bake
matza, the rushing
only caused them to bake the dough matza on
the road instead
of in their homes in Egypt. Even though this
does not appear
to be the simple pshat of the pasuk, it stems
from the
Ramban's approach of yesh mukdam u-me'uchar,
and hence God's
commandment to Moshe in 12:15-20 was indeed
given before Bnei
Yisrael left Egypt, and hence applied to the
first generation
as they left Egypt as well!
BA'ZMAN HA'ZEH
It should be noted that since we don't
offer a Korban Pesach
now of days, we obviously cannot fulfill the
mitzva of eating
matza with it. Therefore, the matza that we
make the 'bracha'
of 'achilat matza' on at the Seder night is
for the second
reason, based on the pasuk "ba-erev tochlu
matzot" (see Shmot
12:17-18, and its context). On the other
hand, to remember
this matza, we eat an extra piece of matza
together with maror
- "zecher le-mikdash ke-Hillel" - to remember
how this mitzva
was fulfilled during the time when the Temple
stood.
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