Pesach 5776

Rava said: One [is additionally] to say 'and we [too] were taken from that place [Mitzrayim], not only our ancestors were redeemed but we too were redeemed'.

In every generation we must see (lirot) ourselves as though we have personally gone out of Egypt, as it is said: “And you shall tell your son in that day, saying: ‘It is because of what Adonai did for me when I came forth out of Egypt.’”

It is a mitzvah to tell the story of the exodus from Egypt on the first night of Pesach as it is written," you shall tell your child"...

All of Israel are responsible for one another.

(12) Once, Rabban Gamliel and the elders were reclining in the house of Boethus ben Zonin in Lod, and they were occupied in studying the laws of Pesach all that night, until the cock crowed. They lifted the table, gathered, and went to the house of study.

(14) ...There are four sons: a wise son, a wicked son, a simple son, and one who does not know how to ask. What does the wise son say? "What are the testimonies and the statutes and the judgments that the L-rd our G-d commanded us?" — you, likewise, "open" to him in the halachoth of Pesach — "ein maftirin achar hapesach afikoman." What does the wicked son say? (Exodus 12:26) "What is this (Pesach) service to you?" "to you" and not to him. Because he disassociated himself from the congregation and denied the foundation (of the faith), you, likewise, blunt his teeth and tell him (Ibid. 13;8) "Because of this (the mitzvoth) the L-rd wrought for me when I went out of Egypt." For me and not for you. Had you been there, you would not have been redeemed....

(20) When thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying: ‘What mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and the ordinances, which the LORD our God hath commanded you? (21) then thou shalt say unto thy son: ‘We were Pharaoh’s bondmen in Egypt; and the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand.

1. Not to derive benefit from any utensils which serve idolatry--that we should not attach anything idolatrous with our money or in our possession to benefit from it. On this it was said "Do not bring an abomination into your house." (Dt 7:26)

6. Included in this commandment is that a person should not connect to the money that God has graced him rightfully, money that was stolen from another, or extorted or interest, or anything unseemly, all of which are included in "implements of idolatry." Because a person's inclination is evil, desires him and brings him into his house. The evil inclination is called idolatry, as they said (Bava Batra 10a): it was said of it "lest there be a worthless thing in your heart" (Dt 15:9) and it was written about idolatry "Worthless men went from your midst and ..."(Dt 13:15) Of any money like this which we have mentioned, and of any implements of idolatry, it is written "You shall be banned like it." That is to say, anything attached to it is banned, because the blessing of God is not found there, and it is destroyed and perishes. This is what the rabbis said, that "a coin of interest destroys an entire treasury of money," (Bava Metzia 71a) This comes and destroys that

(1) Degradation and Exaltation: Once our ancestors were idolaters: (Page 75b – 76b) There is a well-known controversy in the Talmud between Rav and Samuel concerning the nature of the redemption. The Mishnah says that we should begin with ‘degradation’ and end with ‘exaltation’ in telling the story of the Exodus. Rav says that this means we should begin by speaking about how our ancestors worshipped idols while Samuel claims that we should begin by speaking about the enslavement of the Israelites in Egypt. Rabbi Jehiel Danziger explains that even though we may begin with our own degradation, we will be transformed and conclude with praise and exaltation through the story and our actions. This is not just our ancestor’s degradation that we are speaking about but our own as well. What is ‘our degradation’? According to Rav, we are speaking about all forms of idolatry that we are guilty of today . According to Samuel, the purpose of the exile in Egypt was to lift up the holy sparks from the time of Adam. He was guilty of breaking the covenant. We are now in Exile for the same reason. Through our telling of the story we will be able to attain complete repentance on this night.

(1) CHAPTER VII: CONCERNING THE DIVISIONS OF ZEAL --... The concern... is that a man not permit a mitzvah to grow stale, that when the time for its performance arrives, or when it happens to present itself to him, or when the thought of performing it enters his mind, he make haste to take hold of the mitzvah and perform it, and not allow much time to elapse in the interim, there being no greater danger; for each new minute can bring with it some new hindrance to a good deed. Our Sages of blessed memory awakened us to this truth through reference to the coronation of Solomon (Bereshith Rabbah 76:2), in relation to which David told Benaiah (I Kings 1:33,36), "...and take him down to Gichon," and Benaiah answered, "Amen, may God say so ." "R. Pinchas asked in the name of R. Chanan of Sepphoris, 'Was it not said (I Chronicles 22:9), "A son will be born to you and he will be a man of tranquility" ? The answer is: Many adverse occurrences can take place from here to Gichon.' " We were therefore warned by our Sages of blessed memory (Mechilta Shemoth 12:17), " 'Watch over the matzoth' - if a mitzvah presents itself to you, do not permit it to go stale;" and (Nazir 23b), "A man should always advance himself towards a mitzvah, for because the elder daughter preceded the younger she was worthy of putting forward four generations of royalty in Israel;" and (Pesachim 4a), "The zealous advance themselves towards mitzvoth;" and (Berachoth 66), "A man should always run to perform a mitzvah,even on the Sabbath."