Thursday, January 10, 2019

Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Bo

The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.

In Shemos 12:22, the Jews are commanded that on the night of Makas Bechoros while they were eating the Karban Pesach, they should not leave their houses.

R' Frand noted that while there are many aspects of the redemption from Egypt which are reenacted in our Seder, we actually the opposite of what took place in our Seder. Whereas Sefardim have customs to carry the matzos on their backs or step over water, these are symbolic of events which took place in Egypt. But why do we open our doors for the Shefoch Chamascha piyut in the Seder?

R' Frand answered by quoting R' Bukspan who tied this into a Zohar and a number of Medrashim about biblical figures. The first Medrash applied to the pasuk dealing with jumping on mountains which the Medrash learns as Hashem saying - I did not redeem the Jews from Egypt because of their own zechus, I took them out because of the zechus of the Avos.

The second Medrash related to the sentence in the Seder which states twice "V'Omar Lach B' Damayich Chayiyi" from which the Medrash learns that because of the zechus of the Avos we were redeemed from Egypt.

The Zohar notes that besides the Jews being redeemed from Egypt based on the merit of others, there were two other instances where someone was saved not on their own zechus. Lot was saved from Sodom based upon the zechus of Avraham and Noach was saved, although he was not deserved either. The Zohar explains that each time someone is saved when they are not deserving to be saved, they should not look at others who are not being saved, as their hatzalah is not because they are any better. The Zohar referred specifically to Lot and his wife being instructed not to look back and Noach's ark not having windows to view the outside world. Neither instance was the person/people being saved because of their own merit.

Similarly, the Jews in Egypt were told - don't look or go outside, because you are not being saved due to your own merit. So why do we open the door at Shefoch Chamascha?

R' Frand answered that at this point in the Seder we are invoking the final Geula which should come speedily in our days. That redemption will iyh come based upon our own zechusim, when we have brought Moshiach. At that point we can look outside.

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