About this class
Legendary educator Rabbi Dr. Chaim Brovender shares a weekly insight into Sefer Shemot (Exodus) based on the teachings of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov
In his introduction and conclusion to the book of Exodus, the Ramban points out that the book can be characterized as Sefer Ha-Geulah, or the Book of Redemption:
השלים הכתוב ספר בראשית שהוא ספר היצירה בחידוש העולם ויצירת כל נוצר ובמקרי האבות שהם כענין יצירה לזרעם מפני שכל מקריהם ציורי דברים לרמוז ולהודיע כל עתיד לבא להם. ואחרי שהשלים היצירה התחיל ספר אחר בענין המעשה הבא מן הרמזים ההם. ונתייחד ספר ואלה שמות בענין הגלות הראשון הנגזר בפירוש ובגאולה ממנו ולכן חזר והתחיל בשמות יורדי מצרים ומספרם אע"פ שכבר נכתב זה בעבור כי ירידתם שם הוא ראשית הגלות כי מאז הוחל.
‘V’EILEH SHEMOTH’ (AND THESE ARE THE NAMES OF…) In the Book of Genesis, which is the book of Creation, the Torah completed the account of how the world was brought forth from nothingness and how everything was created, as well as an account of all the events which befell the patriarchs, who are a sort of creation to their seed. All the events that happened to them were symbolic occurrences, indicating and foretelling all that was destined to come upon their seed. After having completed the account of creation, the Torah begins another book concerning the subject that had been alluded to in those symbolic events [recorded in the Book of Genesis]. The Book of V’eileh Shemoth was set apart for the story of the first exile, which had been clearly decreed, and the redemption therefrom. This is why He reverted and began [this second book of the Torah] with the names of those persons who went down to Egypt, and mentioned their total number, although this had already been written. It is because their descent thereto constituted the beginning of the exile, which began from that moment on.
והנה נשלם ספר הגאולה אשר ה' אלהי ישראל בא בו.
Thus is completed the Book of Redemption, in which the Eternal, the G-d of Israel, hath entered.
The Ramban explains above that by "redemption," he means that the trip from slavery in Egypt, to Mount Sinai, to Canaan is redemption. More deeply, he means that to be who we are as Jews, our DNA needs to be encrypted with redemption. We are redeemed in good times and bad, and our redemption enables us to face the challenges we face as a people. The Book of Exodus, or the Book of Redemption, is not just about the Israelites of old, but the Jews of today as well.
The redemption did not come easily, however:
(ו) לָכֵ֞ן אֱמֹ֥ר לִבְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֮ אֲנִ֣י יְהֹוָה֒ וְהוֹצֵאתִ֣י אֶתְכֶ֗ם מִתַּ֙חַת֙ סִבְלֹ֣ת מִצְרַ֔יִם וְהִצַּלְתִּ֥י אֶתְכֶ֖ם מֵעֲבֹדָתָ֑ם וְגָאַלְתִּ֤י אֶתְכֶם֙ בִּזְר֣וֹעַ נְטוּיָ֔ה וּבִשְׁפָטִ֖ים גְּדֹלִֽים׃ (ז) וְלָקַחְתִּ֨י אֶתְכֶ֥ם לִי֙ לְעָ֔ם וְהָיִ֥יתִי לָכֶ֖ם לֵֽאלֹהִ֑ים וִֽידַעְתֶּ֗ם כִּ֣י אֲנִ֤י יְהֹוָה֙ אֱלֹ֣הֵיכֶ֔ם הַמּוֹצִ֣יא אֶתְכֶ֔ם מִתַּ֖חַת סִבְל֥וֹת מִצְרָֽיִם׃ (ח) וְהֵבֵאתִ֤י אֶתְכֶם֙ אֶל־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֤ר נָשָׂ֙אתִי֙ אֶת־יָדִ֔י לָתֵ֣ת אֹתָ֔הּ לְאַבְרָהָ֥ם לְיִצְחָ֖ק וּֽלְיַעֲקֹ֑ב וְנָתַתִּ֨י אֹתָ֥הּ לָכֶ֛ם מוֹרָשָׁ֖ה אֲנִ֥י יְהֹוָֽה׃
(6) Say, therefore, to the Israelite people: I am the LORD. I will free you from the labors of the Egyptians and deliver you from their bondage. I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and through extraordinary chastisements. (7) And I will take you to be My people, and I will be your God. And you shall know that I, the LORD, am your God who freed you from the labors of the Egyptians. (8) I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and I will give it to you for a possession, I the LORD.”
God tells Moses - and us, the readers - that the process of redemption will not come easily. There will be pain and bondage that precedes it, but through the series of verbs, "free...deliver...redeem...take...[and] bring," God suggests that the redemption that does eventually materialize will be total.
The verses continue:
(ט) וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר מֹשֶׁ֛ה כֵּ֖ן אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְלֹ֤א שָֽׁמְעוּ֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה מִקֹּ֣צֶר ר֔וּחַ וּמֵעֲבֹדָ֖ה קָשָֽׁה׃ {פ}
(9) But when Moses told this to the Israelites, they would not listen to Moses, their spirits crushed by cruel bondage.
In the above verse, Moses tells the Jewish people that they will gain complete freedom and redemption. However, the Israelites do not listen to him.
A verse written earlier in Exodus is relevant for understanding the Israelite's state of mind and why they did not listen to him:
(כח) וַיַּגֵּ֤ד מֹשֶׁה֙ לְאַֽהֲרֹ֔ן אֵ֛ת כׇּל־דִּבְרֵ֥י יְהֹוָ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר שְׁלָח֑וֹ וְאֵ֥ת כׇּל־הָאֹתֹ֖ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוָּֽהוּ׃ (כט) וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ מֹשֶׁ֖ה וְאַהֲרֹ֑ן וַיַּ֣אַסְפ֔וּ אֶת־כׇּל־זִקְנֵ֖י בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (ל) וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר אַהֲרֹ֔ן אֵ֚ת כׇּל־הַדְּבָרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיַּ֥עַשׂ הָאֹתֹ֖ת לְעֵינֵ֥י הָעָֽם׃ (לא) וַֽיַּאֲמֵ֖ן הָעָ֑ם וַֽיִּשְׁמְע֡וּ כִּֽי־פָקַ֨ד יְהֹוָ֜ה אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל וְכִ֤י רָאָה֙ אֶת־עׇנְיָ֔ם וַֽיִּקְּד֖וּ וַיִּֽשְׁתַּחֲוֽוּ׃
(28) Moses told Aaron about all the things that the LORD had committed to him and all the signs about which He had instructed him. (29) Then Moses and Aaron went and assembled all the elders of the Israelites. (30) Aaron repeated all the words that the LORD had spoken to Moses, and he performed the signs in the sight of the people, (31) and the people were convinced. When they heard that the LORD had taken note of the Israelites and that He had seen their plight, they bowed low in homage.
The nation of Israel believed Moses because they knew he spoke on behalf of God - they had emunah. However, as we saw above, later on, when Moses tells them about the details of their exodus from Egypt in Exodus 6, they do not want to listen to him. Why did they change from people with faith - emunah - in Moses, to a people who did not heed his words?
The Rashbam takes a position on this question adopted by many commentators:
ולא שמעו אל משה - עתה אעפ"י שהאמינו מתחלה, כדכתיב: ויאמן העם. שהיו סבורים לנוח מעבודה קשה והנה עתה הכביד עליהם יותר.
ולא שמעו אל משה, now, although initially, they did believe in Moses and his mission. As we know from Exodus 4,31 ויאמן העם, “the people believed,” this was based on their expecting immediate relief from their servitude. Now they had not only not experienced relief, but a worsening of their condition.
Moses told people that they would be freed, but then things became more difficult for them. When this happened, they were no longer unable to trust Moses. They had been led to believe that the exodus would be soon and without strife, but this change in circumstances led them to have a crisis of faith.
However, the verse itself (Exodus 6:9) offers a specific answer, which in turn poses a challenge. We know the work was difficult - that alone could explain why the Israelites no longer listened to Moses. But the verse notes further that the people were of kotzer ruach. What does this add to our understanding? Some commentators posit that this was a physical malady, like a shortness of breath.
The interpretation of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov suggests otherwise:
(ב) והוא הפטרת שבת חנוכה) א הִנֵּה יָקָר גְּנּוּחֵי וְנֹהַ (שֶׁקּוֹרִין קְרֶעכְץ) מֵאִישׁ יִשְׂרְאֵלִי, כִּי הוּא שְׁלֵמוּת הַחֶסְרוֹנוֹת, כִּי עַל־יְדֵי בְּחִינַת הַנְּשִׁימָה, שֶׁהוּא הָרוּחַ חַיִּים, נִבְרָא הָעוֹלָם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (תהילים ל״ג:ו׳): וּבְרוּחַ פִּיו כָּל צְבָאָם; וְחִדּוּשׁ הָעוֹלָם יִהְיֶה גַּם־כֵּן בִּבְחִינַת הָרוּחַ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (שם קד): תְּשַׁלַּח רוּחֲךָ יִבָּרֵאוּן וּתְחַדֵּשׁ פְּנֵי אֲדָמָה;
(ג) וְהוּא גַּם כֵּן חִיּוּת הָאָדָם, כִּי חִיּוּת הָאָדָם הוּא הַנְּשִׁימָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (בראשית ב׳:ז׳): וַיִּפַּח בְּאַפָּיו נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים; וּכְתִיב (שם ז): כֹּל אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁמַת רוּחַ חַיִּים בְּאַפָּיו; וּכְמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ חֲכָמִים: אִם תֶּחְסַר הַנְּשִׁימָה – תֶּחְסַר הַחַיִּים.
(2) See how precious is the sigh and groan {the krekhtz } of a Jewish person. It provides wholeness [in place] of the lack. For through the breath, which is the ruach-of-life, the world was created. As is written (Psalms 33:6), “… and by the ruach of His mouth, their entire hosts [were created].” The renewal of the world will also come about by means of the ruach, as in (Psalms 104:30), “You will send Your ruach —they will be created; You renew the face of the earth.”
(3) This [ruach] is also the vital force of human life. This is because man’s breath is his life-force. As is written (Genesis 2:7), “He breathed into his nostrils nishmat (the breath of) life,” and (ibid. 7:22), “All in whose nostrils was a nishmat (breath of) ruach-of-life.” Regarding this, wise men said: To the extent breath is lacking, so is life (Maaseh Tuviah, Bayit Chadash 2; cf. Zohar II, 24b).
Rebbe Nachman seeks to understand many aspects of creation - eyesight, hearing, bodily waste, and more. In this passage, Rebbe Nachman wonders why we "krekhtz", or groan or sigh, as much as we do? Given his upbringing in Ukraine, he was able to relate to the experiences of pain, poverty, and mourning. But he was left wondering: why do we react to events in our lives with a krekhtz?
He answers that the krekhtz is an expression of perfection or wholeness (shleimut). Through the breath, one understands that a person is alive - physically and spiritually. The world and life itself was created and is sustained through ruach, similar to the breath (neshima) that creates a krekhtz.
(ד) נִמְצָא, כִּי עִקַּר חִיּוּת כָּל הַדְּבָרִים הוּא בִּבְחִינַת רוּחַ, וּכְשֶׁיֵּשׁ חִסָּרוֹן בְּאֵיזֶה דָּבָר, עִקַּר הַחִסָּרוֹן הוּא בִּבְחִינַת הַחִיּוּת שֶׁל אוֹתוֹ הַדָּבָר, שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת הָרוּחַ־חַיִּים שֶׁל אוֹתוֹ הַדָּבָר, לַאֲשֶׁר הָרוּחַ הוּא הַמְקַיֵּם הַדָּבָר,
(4) We find then that the quintessential life-force of everything is its ruach. Whenever a lack exists, it is essentially in the life-force, which corresponds to the ruach-of-life of that thing. This is because it is the ruach which gives that thing its existence.
Rebbe Nachman concludes that all of life comes from ruach, and when something is missing or someone is doing something improperly, they are missing an aspect of life. It is as if part of their ruach has been taken away.
(ה) וְהָאֲנָחָה הוּא אֲרִיכַת הַנְּשִׁימָה, וְהוּא בִּבְחִינַת אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם, דְּהַיְנוּ מַאֲרִיךְ רוּחֵהּ, וְעַל כֵּן כְּשֶׁמִּתְאַנֵּחַ עַל הַחִסָּרוֹן וּמַאֲרִיךְ רוּחֵהּ, הוּא מַמְשִׁיךְ רוּחַ־הַחַיִּים לְהַחִסָּרוֹן, כִּי עִקַּר הַחִסָּרוֹן הוּא הִסְתַּלְּקוּת הָרוּחַ־חַיִּים כַּנַּ"ל, וְעַל כֵּן עַל־יְדֵי הָאֲנָחָה מַשְׁלִים הַחִסָּרוֹן:
(5) And sighing is the extension of the breath. It corresponds to erekh apayim (patience)—i.e., extended ruach. Therefore, when a person sighs over the lack and extends his ruach, he draws ruach-of-life to that which he is lacking. For the lack is in essence a departure of the ruach-of-life. Therefore, through the sigh, the lack is made whole.
Rebbe Nachman then explains that sighing, or krekhtz'ing, is one long, unnatural breath. This breath does not contain words, but it does express emotion - that of unhappiness or dissatisfaction. The more lack one experiences, the longer their breath will be. Adding this breath is meant to be resuscitating, it is "spiritual CPR," in the words of Rabbi Brovender.
Rebbe Nachman wants to know how one can apply this "CPR" when they fall short of breath, and from where do they get this ruach?
Rebbe Nachman notes elsewhere that when one wants to breathe normally and reach God, as it were, they can cling to their tzadik or righteous teacher; they cannot do it on their own. Together with their rabbi - who is a master of the Torah from which this healing ruach emerges - one can elevate their prayers and mitzvot and have them change the world.
אַךְ מֵהֵיכָן מְקַבְּלִים הָרוּחַ חַיִּים הוּא מֵהַצַּדִּיק הַדּוֹר, כִּי מִמֶּנּוּ תּוֹצָאַת הָרוּחַ חַיִּים לְכָל אֶחָד, כִּי עִקַּר הָרוּחַ חַיִּים הוּא בְּהַתּוֹרָה.
But from where they receive the ruach-of-life is from the leading tzadik of the generation, for from him the ruach-of-life emanates to every individual, for the essence of the ruach-of-life is in the Torah.
In our section, too, Rebbe Nachman brings a prooftext to support his claim:
כָּתוּב (שם א): וְרוּחַ אֱלֹקִים מְרַחֶפֶת עַל פְּנֵי הַמָּיִם – הוּא הַתּוֹרָה, וְהַצַּדִּיקִים דְּבֵקִים בַּתּוֹרָה, וְעַל כֵּן עִקַּר הָרוּחַ־חַיִּים הוּא אֶצְלָם.
2. The question is, from where does one take the ruach-of-life? Know! the essence of the ruach-of-life is received from the tzaddik/ rav of the generation. This is because the essence of the ruach-of-life can be found in the Torah, as in (Genesis 1:2), “And the ruach of God hovers over the waters’ surface”—this is the Torah (Tikkuney Zohar #36). And the tzaddikim are bound to the Torah,which is why the essence of the ruach-of-life is with them.
When the Torah says that "the ruach-of-God hovered over the water," Rebbe Nachman understand that the the ruach is the Torah. It is through those most connected to the Torah, i.e. the righteous ones, that one can more closely reach the ruach.
Rebbe Nachman returns to our expression of kotzer ruach from Exodus 6:9:
ט וְהִנֵּה מְבֹאָר לְמַעְלָה, כִּי הָרוּחַ־חַיִּים הוּא בְּהַתּוֹרָה, בְּחִינַת: וְרוּחַ אֱלֹקִים מְרַחֶפֶת עַל־פְּנֵי הַמָּיִם כַּנַּ"ל. וְעַל כֵּן בְּמִצְרַיִם, שֶׁהָיָה קֹדֶם קַבָּלַת הַתּוֹרָה, וְלֹא הָיָה לָהֶם מֵהֵיכָן לְקַבֵּל הָרוּחַ־חַיִּים, נֶאֱמַר בָּהֶם (שמות ו׳:ט׳): מִקֹּצֶר רוּחַ, כִּי לֹא הָיָה לָהֶם מֵאַיִן לְקַבֵּל הָרוּחַ־חַיִּים, שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם, מַאֲרִיךְ רוּחֵהּ כַּנַּ"ל, וְעַל כֵּן נֶאֱמַר בָּהֶם מִקֹּצֶר רוּחַ, שֶׁהוּא הֶפֶךְ אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם, שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת הָרוּחַ־חַיִּים, שֶׁמַּמְשִׁיכִין עַל־יְדֵי אֲנָחָה לְהַשְׁלִים הַחִסָּרוֹן כַּנַּ"ל, כִּי הָרוּחַ הוּא שְׁלֵמוּת הַחִסָּרוֹן כַּנַּ"ל, בְּחִינַת: וְיִתֶּן לְךָ מִשְׁאֲלֹת לִבֶּךָ.
9. {“I am God your Lord who brought you up out of the land of Egypt; open your mouth wide v’amalayhu (and I will fill it)” (Psalms 81:11) .} It has been explained that the ruach-of-life is in the Torah, corresponding to, “And the ruach of God hovers over the waters’ surface.” Therefore, [when the Jews were] in Egypt, which was before they were given the Torah, they did not have from where to receive the ruach-of-life. Of them the verse states (Exodus 6:9), “[But they did not hearken to Moshe] for their ruach was short.” This was because they did not have from where to draw the ruach-of-life, which is the aspect of erekh apayim (patience), extended ruach. It was therefore said of them that “their ruach was short.” This is the antithesis of patience, which is the ruach-of-life drawn through sighing in order to provide wholeness [in place] of the lack, as above. For ruach is wholeness [in place] of the lack, corresponding to, “He will give you what your heart lacks.”
According to Rebbe Nachman, what gives us ruach chaim - the ability to breathe and the feeling that we are whole - is from the Torah. As he says above, when Genesis says that "the ruach of God hovers over the waters," Rebbe Nachman suggests that that refers to the Torah, the closest part of God that we can encounter and understand.
Similarly, the Jews lacked the Torah in Egypt, which means they did not have access to the ruach; they could not turn to the Torah for strength and mercy.
That's what kotzer ruach means. To gain the ruach, they krekhtz'ed, or they sighed. This unusual breathing exercise was, as it were, a form of prayer. Therefore, it was not simply the avodah kasha - the difficult work - that prevented them from listening to Moses. It was also their kotzer ruach. They could not use the Torah to straighten themselves out because they did not yet have it.
For Rebbe Nachman, we need to think about our own kotzer ruach in our days. Why has redemption not yet arrived? Why has there not been an ingathering of the exiles in the Land of Israel? What is holding us back from healing ourselves? His answer is that, like our ancestors in Egypt, we don't yet see that the cure to the problem is learning Torah and connecting to our sages.