The Chassidic masters, call Pesach חג האמונה: ‘the Festival of Emunah’.
The Netivot Shalom calls it: ‘the Rosh Hashanah of Emunah’.
Our Sages, in their holy wisdom - have succeeded in transmitting and strengthening the Emunah in Hashem of our children in each generation - through the Seder of Pesach at the heart of which lies the Haggadah - from the wondrous story of the ten plagues which Hashem inflicted on Pharoah and the Egyptians - culminating in the exodus.from the land of Egypt.
The Zohar Hakadosh adds:’When one relates to his children on seder night the wonders and miracles that Hashem performed for us in yetziat mitzraim, there is a סגולה: a special ‘ability’, to instill in the sons, Emunah in Hashem.’
Yalkut Shimoni ( Ps’ 44 j brings the admonition of Rabbi Elazar: Moshe said to Bnei Israel: ‘You are not being redeemed because of your deeds, but, rather, so that you should relate in the ears of your son..and to give raise to Hashem, telling of His glory and might, amongst the nations.’
The close connection between Pesach and Emunah, can be learned from the first of the Ten Commandments - that of Emunah in Hashem - alluding to the exodus from Egypt: (Yitro 20:2): ’I am Hashem, your G-d, who took you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.’
The opening psukim of our Parasha - as expounded by the Panim Yafot - throws an intriguing new light on the reason that the ten plagues were inflicted on Pharoah and the Egyptians.
We read (10:1-2):’Hashem said to Moshe:’Come to Pharoah, for I have made his heart and the hearts of his servants stubborn למען: so that I can put these signs of Mine in his midst; ולמען: and so that you may relay in the ears of your son and your son’s son שהתעללתי: that I made a mockery of Egypt and My signs that I placed among them - that you may know that I am Hashem.’
Comments the Panim Yafot:’So that you relate in the ears of your son..’: the plain meaning of this, is that the signs were for the relation of the story for generations, as becomes clear from the words = in the Haggadah -‘ בעבור זה: because of this, Hashem did for me’ - that all the miracles and signs, were for the story, as we say - again, in the Haggadah - ‘in every generation, one is obliged to see himself as if he came out of Egypt.’
‘The words: ’So that you relate in the ears of your son and your son’s son’, obligates each one to adjure his son, that he should - in turn - relate the story to his son, as we say - again, in the Haggadah - ‘even were we all wise..we are obligated to relate the story’ : we are commanded to warn our sons, that they, too, must tell their sons - as it says:’ והגדת לבנך לאמר: ‘You shall tell your son, saying..’ - that he - your son - shall tell his son, too.
‘This is what David Hamelech said ( Ps’ 78 ): ...’so that the last generation shall know, sons will be born, and tell their sons’ - that they also tell their sons.
‘Further, the words למען תספר: ‘so that you relate’: that they also tell them, that the miracles and signs that were performed in Egypt, were in the merit of the mitzvot that the generations of Bnei Israel would perform, by relating the story of the exodus from Egypt - which is the meaning of the wordx: the miracles and wonders that Hashem performed ‘in those days’, even though Bnei Israel did not deserve them, but only because of the mitzvah of telling the story that their generations will perform, till the end of time, did our ancestors at that time, as a reward for this mitzvah, merit that miracles be wrought for them.
‘This is alluded to in the words of- in the Haggadah - ‘because of this, Hashem did this for me’: in the merit of the mitzvah of the story that I relate, Hashem wrought for me בעת ההיא: ‘at that time’.
‘This is also the reason, for the wicked not being redeemed, had he been there - as we read in the Haggadah - as he is not willing to tell the story, saying: it concerns you, but not me’.
‘Likewise, we can understand the statement - in the Haggadah - ‘the more one tells the story, the more meritorious is he’, as the story that one tells, praises Hashem , and relates His miracles - since it was for this, that the miracles and wonders were performed - and as one who tells, is the one who caused the matter, there is no greater praise than this.’
Rav Yehoshua of Belz is said to have proffered an ingenious reason, as to the special power of relating the story of the plagues, and the exodus from Egypt, to instill Emunah in the sons who hear it - as the Sages of the Zohar laid down.
Expounds the Rebbe: ’The two sons of Moshe were not in Egypt at the time the plagues were inflicted, nor did they see the events at the splitting of the Sea - they were in Midian, with their grandfather, Yitro.
‘This was by Divine Intention, as Hashem wanted Moshe Rabbeinu to be the first teller to sons, of all the above miraculous events - and had his sons been present and seen them, they would have had no need for them, to hear of them, from their holy father.
‘Thereby, Moshe instilled Emunah in his sons for the generations, and gave the special ‘power’, that the fathers who told the story of the events in each generation, would derive from the first teller- Moshe Rabbeinu.
‘This is why the beginning of our psukim: Hashem said to Moshe.. so that you may relate in the ears of your son..’ that which Hashem inflicted on the Egyptians..’, and concludes: ‘and you will know that I am Hashem’.
‘The beginning is in the singular, as it is a commandment to Moshe personally - whereas the concluding passuk, is in the plural, as it is addressed to his sons - that by his relating to them, he will instill in them - and in sons in all generations - pure Emunah, from the power of Moshe having been the first teller.
‘This necessitated that they not be present, at the time the miraculous vents occurred, so that for thousands of years, the power was given to us - parents - to relate the story of the events, and instill in our sons, the great gift of Emunah in Hashem.’
What is the ‘mockery’ that ‘Hashem made of Egypt’, which we are commanded to relate in the ears of our sons and they, in the ears of their sons, throughout the generations, so that they will know ‘that I am Hashem’?
The Alshich Hakadosh posits that it can be found in the plague of ברד: hail - the seventh of the ten makkot, in two separate matters.
‘First: The hail spared (Va’eira 9:32) ‘the wheat and the spelt, because they open late’, leading Pharoah, as was his foolish want, to renege on his agreement to release Bnei Israel, from his service, thinking that he still had this produce.
‘All this was part of the divine mockery, as had these crops been destroyed, there would not have been crops to be consumed by the next plague: the locusts, who, the Torah records:’ate these surviving remnants’.
‘The second - less obvious - mockery, in the plague of the hail, was the seeming act of mercy, that it ‘only’ struck that which was left in the field, but Pharoah was pre-warned ( 9:19:) :’gather in your livestock and all that you have in the field’ as all ‘not brought into the house, thinking the hail shall fall on them, and they will die.’
‘The Torah states:’He who feared the word of the Lord of Pharoah’s servants, drove his servants and his livestock into the houses’, and was spared’.
‘This, too, was by Divine Providence: had the animals not been spared, how would Pharoah and the Egyptians subsequently - as we read - again renege from freeing Bnei Israel from their servitude, and pursue them, on these same animals, to their decreed doom, in the Sea.’
We say in our morning prayers, that Hashem sways the thoughts of nations - surely exemplified in our matter.
‘Having so gladly sent Bnei Israel out of Egypt, and servitude - as we will bring from Rav Salant - who - if not Hashem - changed the minds of Pharoah, to pursue Bnei Israel?
‘Says the Midrash: They said to themselves: ‘had we only suffered the makkot - is one thing - had we not also sent our slaves, from our service - yet another thing; but to also give them all our valuables, as well - that is three things, and too much to bear’ - and, as the Divine Mocker had planned, they gleefully traveled to their watery grave.
Rav Yosef Salant adduces another instance of the mockery and humiliation inflicted on Pharoah, and this - as it were, worse, as it was self-inflicted, and so felt by Pharoah.
Expounds the Rav:’We read that - after the plague of darkness - Pharoah warns Moshe (10:28):’Go away from me! Beware! You shall no longer see my face, for on the day that you see my face, you shall die.’
‘What humiliation to the mighty Pharoah, then, when after the plague of the first- born, the Midrash relates that he - in person, and not one of his servants - at the ungodly hour of three in the morning, ran from door to door, calling out to Moshe and Aaron, pleading with them, to leave Egypt - adding: and bless me’, for he, too, was a first-born.’
‘Rav Yehuda Amital - the revered founder of Yeshivat Har Ezion - sees the mockery in the once omnipotent Pharoah, being deprived of- by Hashem - of his own free will, being enslaved by Hashem - as it were - to act against the dictates and wishes, of his own free will., as Hashem says to Moshe, at the opening of our Parasha:( 10:1) ‘For I ‘ - Hashem - ‘have made his heart stubborn’.
Concludes the Rav: ‘The objective of the mockery, is so that all generations will know:’That I am Hashem’ - this is the mockery that Hashem made of Pharoah - and tha you are to relate in the ears of your son and your son’s son.’
The master of the nuances of the holy tongue - Haktav veHakabalah - brings a new ‘face’ to our psukim.
He innovates, Rashi translated the word התעללתי , as ‘made mockery of’ - as we find in the dialogue between Bilaam and his she-donkey, when Bilaam rebuked and struck the animal, because התעללת בי:’you have humiliated me’.
The Rav translates the word התעללתי is to be translated - not as Rashi did - as:’made a mockery of’ - but from the linguistic allusion to ‘aliyah’ and to ‘hitalut’ - meaning: to be elevated.
‘What we are ‘to relate in the ears of our sons and our sons’, is that Hashem’s Name was elevated and exalted, by His deeds in Egypt - by being above the actions of all others, even the self-proclaimed omnipotent Pharoah - being the Master and the only One able to change nature.’
Rav Avigdor Nebenzahl concludes our study of our subject, by first noting that the mockery is contrary to what we have learned as to the ways of Hashem, He being careful of the honor of even the wicked - including the Egyptians in our case.
The midrash relates, that the ministering angels wanted to say shira - praise to Hashem - on witnessing the Egyptians, who were pursuing the fleeing Bnei Israel, drowning in the split sea x- being rebuked by Hashem, saying: My creations are perishing, and you want to say ‘shira’?!
‘Why, then, did Hashem make a mockery of Pharoah and the Egyptians, as He himself declares?
‘Answer , again, given by Hashem, at the end of our psukim: ‘So that you will now that I ‘ and no-one else ‘ is Hashem.’
Elucidates the Rav: ’Hashem made a mockery of Pharoah and the Egyptians, to obviate any possibility of a mistaken impression by My sons, that there was here a battle between two forces - the Egyptians on the one hand, AND Hashem, on the other - and that Hashem, being the stronger, was victorious
‘Rather - and this is the purpose of the mockery - that there was no contest between two forces, but only mockery of the Egyptians, by the Cause who is the first. - and the only Cause, of all that occurs in the world - and that it is His way, to punish measure-for- measure, all - like Pharoah and the Egyptians - who transgress against His Will’.
לרפואת נועם עליזה בת זהבה רבקה ונחום אלימלך רפאל בן זהבה רבקה, בתוך שאר חולי עמנו.