At the beginning of this week's parsha, Hashem tells Moshe the storyline which is about to unfold, and which eventually leads to Yitzias Mitzraim, the Exodus. Hashem says, "I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and I will make my miracles and wonders many in the land of Egypt" (Shemot 7:3). This pasuk seems to imply, that even though at some point Pharaoh would be willing to free the Jewish people, Hashem would still harden his heart. Many commentators ask, that this seems to go against the fundamental idea in Jewish thought that everyone has free will. How could God have forced Pharaoh into rejecting the Jews request to go free?
The Ramban, on this verse (pasuk), quotes a fascinating Midrash (Medrash Rabbah, Shemot, 13:3). In it, Rabbi Shimon Ben Lakish says that Hashem warns the wicked many times, but at a certain point he closes the door of repentance to them. So too here, Hashem gave Pharaoh the first five plagues as opportunities to do teshuva. However, when Pharaoh failed to repent, Hashem hardened his heart, closing the door on Pharoah's teshuva. Perhaps this Midrash is picking up on the fact that during the first five plagues the Torah says Pharaoh hardened his own heart, and only starting from sixth plague onward does the Torah say that Hashem hardened Pharaoh's heart[1].
Rabbi Eliyahu Dessler, in Mictav Me'Eliyahu (2:236), explains that this is not a unique punishment reserved for those who commit grave sins. Rather, it is something that Hashem built into the nature of the world. When one sins, he blunts his spiritual sensitivity; his mind and soul begin to wander instead of remaining focused on Hashem and His Mitzvot. Over time as sin becomes more and more natural one is eventually blinded to any spirituality in the world. As a result, it becomes impossible to do teshuva. This, Rav Dessler explains, is the meaning behind the mishna in Pirkei Avot (4:2) which teaches us that "the reward for a sin, is a sin". The mishna is telling us, that when one sins, the result is a loss of spiritual sensitivity which will lead to another sin.
The first section of the same mishna in Pirkei Avot says that "the reward for a mitzva is a mitzva". Perhaps based on Rav Dessler's insight we can also explain this part of the mishna, that when one does mitzvot, he builds and sharpens his spiritual senses, unlocking a world of spiritual opportunities. May Hashem inspire us to always stay focused on Him and His mitzvot, and through these mitzvot may we grow into spiritual giants.
[1] See Rashi (Shemot 7:3) who notes this as well. The Rambam in Hilchot Teshuva has a similar explanation. He says that it is possible to sin so badly, as Pharaoh did, that Hashem will prevent the sinner from repenting.
We all know there are 4 cups at the seder and we all know the famed Talmud Yerushalmi in Pesachim (68b) that derives the 4 cups from the four words of redemption, leshonot shel geula: V'hotzeiti, V'hitzalti, V'ga'alti, V'lakachti ( I will take you out, save you, redeem you, take you) and we know that there's a fifth cup too, derived from the word V'heiveiti, bring you. These words come from the verses, pesukim, where God promises Moshe that He will in fact follow through on the promises He originally made to the forefathers and now elaborates upon with Moshe. The verse (Exodus 6:6-8) states:
Therefore say unto the children of Israel: I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm, and with great judgments; and I will take you to Me for a people, and I will be to you a God; and you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning which I lifted up My hand to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for a heritage: I am the LORD.'
The four terms describing the process and grandeur of the coming redemption, along with the fifth term describing the eventual completion in reaching Israel, are found in these pesukim. As such, it makes perfect sense that the words we pull out from this paragraph to associate with the 4 cups, arba kosot, are the terms bolded above: V'Hotzeiti, V'hitzalti, V'ga'alti, V'lakachti and V'heiveiti; they are the promises that God made and the words we use to celebrate the fulfillment of these promises at our seder.
It is odd, though, that we leave one word out -- in these three verses there are in fact six terms in the future singular tense. The sixth word, underlined above, is V'hayiti lachem l'Eilokim. So why do we highlight four terms, even adding a fifth (V'heiveiti ) later on, but leave out the sixth term, V'hayiti, also a promise that God makes to Moshe?
Before we look at how commentators address this issue, we need to understand the framework within which their explanations develop. The Netziv expands the question: if God is the God of the whole world, what is the significance of the limitation, "to you", lachem, in the phrase V'hayiti lachem l'Eilokim (I will be your God) ?
Furthermore, many commentators categorize the four terms as actual descriptions of different historical aspects of the geula process, rather than poetic language used to describe the basic, singular notion of geula. Consequently, several commentators seek to elucidate the historical parallel to V'hayiti lachem l'Eilokim.
In addition to this notion of each term having a historical connection, each aspect of the process of geula has a duality to it, a cause-and-effect put into play by Hashem's actions and the consequences these actions have on Bnei Yisrael. God brings us out and we are brought out; God redeems us and we are redeemed. What is the kiyum, the consequence, of V'hayiti lachem l'Eilokim? What is the role of Bnei Yisrael in this promise?
With regards to the use of the word lachem in the promises, the Netziv explains that V'hayiti lachem l'Eilokim means that God will show us He is our God by treating us to Divine Providence, hashgacha pratit, so the pasuk states that it will be clear "to you" - to Bnei Yisrael, to us - that God is uniquely involved in our lives as our God. The Toldos Yitzchak, in his introduction to Bamidbar, explains that the phrase V'hayiti lachem l'Eilokim means that we will be unique among the nations in the eyes of God; this explanation, like the Netziv's, takes into account the intense level of involvement God will have in the lives of His people.
Yet the explanations of both the Netziv and the Toldos Yitzchak do not address the concept of there being a historical aspect of the geula associated with each of the different terms, leshonot. For this we turn to the Da'at Mikra, who explains that V'hayiti lachem l'Eilokim means that God will dwell amongst us in the tabernacle and He will be our address for prayers.
This answers both of the first two questions: the word lachem is relevant because it means we alone have the right to make God the target of our requests and the historical stage associated with the term is revealed to be the time period following Matan Torah -- the building of the mishkan. The Kli Yakar, on a similar note, beautifully explains that the "lachem" aspect of the phrases V'lakachti etchem li l'am and V'hayiti lachem l'Eilokim means that God will "take" us in matrimony (at Sinai). He adds that V'hayiti lachem l'Eilokim is thus a historical reference to theintimacy God and Jewish people experienced in the barren desert as a result of that union. Even with the explanation the Da'at Mikra offers for V'hayiti lachem l'Eilokim -- the notion of a relationship with God bolstered by tefillah, prayer, and the building of the mishkan - we have yet to resolve the final question we raised earlier. What is the role that Bnei Yisrael plays, the people of Israel, in the fulfillment of this promise of V'hayiti lachem l'Eilokim?
Rabbeinu Bachaya addresses the question of Bnei Yisrael's role, explaining that V'hayiti lachem l'Eilokim in fact is a promise that we, Bnei Yisrael, will accept Him as our God, rather than merely a promise that He will be our God . This perspective incorporates the two major elements addressed by other commentators -- the national uniqueness and the historical significance - but also includes the role that Bnei Yisrael plays in the fulfillment of the promise.
Yet the words of the pasuk are V'hayiti lachem l'Eilokim; if God wanted to indicate Bnei Yisrael taking an active part in accepting Him as God, the pasuk could have been formulated to say just that. Rather, the pasuk seems to be emphasizing God taking the active role of declaring Himself as Elokim.
The Da'at Mikra writes that V'hayiti lachem l'Eilokim references God's presence and availability to Bnei Yisrael. By making Himself our God, a commitment the phrase V'hayiti lachem l'Eilokim indicates, God makes Himself relatable and actually creates the opportunity for Bnei Yisrael to become active participants in the process.
Ultimately, just like the other four phrases showcase the fact that Bnei Yisrael have a hand in the fulfillment of the promise, V'hayiti lachem l'Eilokim also involves Bnei Yisrael. In order for God to fulfill the notion of V'hayiti lachem l'Eilokim, Bnei Yisrael must commit to creating a space for God to live among them and to communicating with Him via prayer. By building a mishkan and davening to Hashem, Bnei Yisrael plays an active part in creating this relationship that God promises; we make Him into our God by recognizing His presence and control in the world.
Rabbeinu Bachaya's understanding of the phrase V'hayiti lachem l'Eilokim-that this actually refers to Bnei Yisrael accepting God rather than God asserting His role as our God - also works with the notion that V'hayiti lachem l'Eilokim indicates a level of commitment both from God to man and man to God. There was never a point in time where God wasn't available to us, where he didn't play His role, but in order to fulfill the promise of V'hayiti lachem l'Eilokim, it was necessary for Bnei Yisrael to become fully aware and cognizant of God and His authority. In that moment we will accept God and not until then can we say that He is our God. In fact, the very next words after this moment occurs are When Bnei Yisraek accepts God and fulfills this promise, the pasuk concludes, "Vidatem, ki ani Hashem Elokeichem Hamotzi Etchem." The pasuk specifically emphasizes "And you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out;" not "the Lord, God," but 'the Lord, your God," and we are obligated, by the fact that He is our God, to develop and sustain a unique relationship with Him.
There is one question that has not yet been addressed. Certainly, we now understand the ideas behind the phrase V'hayiti lachem l'Eilokim; why, though, does this phrase not merit to be included in the seder as one of the leshonot shel geula? Why is there no cup to represent the lofty notions of how we relate to God? Perhaps the answer lies in the fact that the four cups each commemorate a historical event, while the historical aspect of V'hayiti lachem l'Eilokim is less an event than an awakening.
The Pesach story describes how God took us by the hand and made us His people, but does not dwell on our recognition of Him and commitment to His authority. The seder is a night uniquely dedicated to commemorating the event of yetziat mitzrayim, the Exodus, itself, to expounding upon the history and making a story come alive. There is no particular place for V'hayiti lachem l'Eilokim, for a sixth cup, in the seder lineup, because our commitment to God and recognition of our unique relationship cannot be confined to one night (or two!) but instead pervades our entire religious experience year round. The sixth cup is now.