Chassidus for Pesach

Human Action and Divine Grace: “So too (V’af), you shall teach him the laws of Passover:” (Page 70b – 71b) A teaching of the Ba’al Shem Tov: This statement begins with the word V’af, “So too.” What does this expression add to our understanding of the wise person? This has to do with the concept of the Chacham, the wise person. Chacham comes from koah mah, “What strength is there?” What makes this person a Chacham is his ability to recognize that all his strength comes from God, and that by himself he has no resources. The wise child begins by asking about the testimonies, statutes and judgment which all come from God. He emphasizes that these laws are from God and not from human beings. He says that God gave us these laws in order to perform acts of kindness and goodness on our behalf. We respond to him by saying “So too, what I am about to say to you is also part of what God has commanded us to do: “Don’t eat anything after the Afikoman.” We learn from this that without God we could not prepare all the details for Passover. We understand after eating the final bit of matzah that we do not need anything else but that which God has given us. This is in contrast to the wicked one who believes that all his strengths are his own creation. He removes his “self” from the rest of the people of Israel; that is, because he removes the divine part of his “self” he is guilty of denying the basic principle of Judaism. We chastise him by saying you are not worthy of redemption because you think that you are somehow deserving of this gift from God. One who is arrogant enough to presume that he is righteous enough to be redeemed deserves to be denied this gift. It is only because of God’s graciousness that we are redeemed – not because we have earned it! Similarly, Rabbi Michel of Zlotchev would expound on Leviticus, 1:6 “He shall flay the burnt offering (olah) and cut it into pieces.” One who lifts himself up by thinking that he has attained such heights through his own efforts should cut his actions into small details – then he will know better. When we look carefully at the mitzvot in all their details he will recognize that he has really not accomplished anything. There are so many nuances in the performance of the commandments we can never fulfill them completely. We see this in the case of counting the Omer. On the second night of Passover we are filled with the excitement of performing this mitzvah; but each day is a combination of the various divine attributes so that it is hard to main this ardor and enthusiasm. This is what the Chacham means when he asks what the testimonies, statutes and judgments are. He is asking about all the nuances of the commandments because he realizes how hard it is to fulfill the mitzvot. We respond by telling him about all the other laws of Passover – we are rewarded for our efforts even if we fail to know all the subtle nuances of all the laws. It is through the power of matzah, the food of healing, that we are able to repair the evil in our lives and bring holiness into our being. Some Final Notes on the Wicked Child (Page 72a – 73a): The child mentioned here is not completely wicked; rather he is so mired down by impurity that he has given up hope of ever escaping from it and repenting. Therefore we answer him by encouraging him and saying: “Look what God did for me even though I was in Egypt and mired down by the forty nine-levels of impurity. The problem is not that he is wicked but that he has given up hope of remaining part of the Jewish people; this is the cardinal principal of Judaism that he has denied. Every Jew must believe that “God did this for me!”Anyone who denies the covenant is called wicked and anyone who guards the covenant is called righteous. When one repents from having denied the covenant is transformed into a righteous person. The wicked child has been told by others that the reason that they have not repented is that they are afraid that they could not remain repentant. If they knew that they could repent and immediately die they would do so (so as not to sin again). Their failing (in their rationalization) is that they do not realize that when one repents he becomes a completely new person and no longer has the desires that he had before. The real answer to the wicked child can be found later in the Haggadah in the passage about when we must tell the story of the Exodus: “When matzah and maror are before us.” In other words, don’t worry about the past or the future in repentance; worry only about the present moment that is before you, and then you will be able to go forth from darkness to light.

CORRESPONDING TO FOUR CHILDREN, ETC. This seems to correspond to the four expressions of redemption, for the redemption was from all four of the exiles [Egypt, Babylonia, Greece, and Rome]. And these questions apply to every Jew. [Hacham] With regard to intellectual analysis, since through this means, the evil inclination doubts the hukkim. And to this, the answer must be prepared in the person's mind -- that carrying out the will of God, may He be blessed, brings greater pleasure (ta'am) and joy than understanding the rationale (ta'am) of the mitzva. And this is [the meaning of] "There is no after-party following the Pesah" (Ein maftirin ahar haPesah afikoman) -- that the pleasure (ta'am) from the mitzva of matza, even though it has no taste (ta'am), is sweeter to him than dainties (mat'amim). [Rasha] The Rasha actually casts off the yoke: "Why the service (avodah)?" And his saying "to you" (lachem) means "how can [mere] flesh and blood be of service to God, may He be blessed?" And in this way, he doubts the supernal caring [hashgaha], as is said in the literature. And the answer, "For the sake of this" (ba'avur zeh), means that [precisely] by virtue of his being flesh and blood and not having the ideal (kara'ui) intellect, our service is important before Him, may He be blessed, more than [that of] the supernal angels. [Tam] The question of the Tam through his simplicity, when the Holy One, blessed be He, provides some enlightenment through His grace, the person is susceptible to becoming conceited, in saying "What's this," and he must recognize that this is only through supernal grace, and this is [the meaning of] "With a mighty hand, etc." -- in the absence of any merit of the person. [She'eino yodea lish'ol] And the one who does not know how to ask is in the bitterest exile, for he has no idea at all how to open his mind. And regarding this, it says "you open it for him" (At p'tah lo). And for this we give praise, for the redemption from Egypt was in all four types of "exile," collectively and individually, for these aspects are found in each individual Jew. And they are called "banim" (sons, children) because in fact the "binyan" (structure) is completed through these inquiries into the human mind when he merits to enter the true path and to leave the vanities of this world and their matters.