‫בס”ד‬

A Collection of Inspiring Insights

Besamei HaTorah ‫פסח תשנ"א‬

The medrash tells us that when Pharaoh decreed that the Jewish babies were to be cast into the Nile, the
mothers hid the little infant boys in cellars where the Egyptians could not find them. Attempting to flush out the
infants, the Egyptians brought their own babies into the Jewish homes and made them cry, prompting the hidden
Jewish babies to cry as well. The Egyptians then took away the Jewish infants, drowning them in the Nile River. Rav
Levi said that 600,000 children were thus cast into the river, for it says, “Moshe said: ‘Six hundred thousand is the
number of whose midst I am’” (Bamidbar 11:21), and for each of the 600,000 people, one child was thrown into the
river. Rav Shimshon of Ostropoli, zt”l, writes an amazing statement: These children did not die! In fact, each of the
600, 000 infants lived on for another eighty years! Instead of drowning in the Nile River, they flourished miraculously
in it, like fish. Later, when the Yam Suf parted and the Jews crossed through it, those children who had moved with
the currents out to sea came out of the water, alive. They recognized their parents and were reunited with them.

It is our firm belief that in the very near future, when Moshiach comes, the same thing will happen, and all
those who have died will return, as the Navi says: “And He will turn back the hearts of fathers with their children, and
the hearts of children with their fathers.” (Malachi 3:24) (Torah Tavlin Haggadah)

Pesach Thoughts
Ideas and Reflections By: Rabbi Aron Moshe Jacobsohn

We close the Seder with the song of Chad Gadya, one kid goat. This seems to be an odd discussion to have
as we walk away from such a special event. There is a beautiful explanation of the theme in this song which will
shed light on its importance. Let us focus on a conversation between Avram and Nimrod quoted in the Medrash
(Bereishis Rabbah 38:13). Avram, a young man at the time— who only believed in Hashem, is brought before
Nimrod to bow to Nimrod’s god— fire. Avram said: “If we bow to fire, shall we bow to water which extinguishes
fire?” Nimrod replied: “Bow to water also.” Avram persisted: “The clouds carry water! Shall we bow to them as
well?” Nimrod again answered: “Bow to the clouds as well!” Avram continued: “The wind blows the clouds!”
Nimrod responded: “Then bow to the wind!” Avram: “What about man, man can contain wind within him?” Nimrod
then became flustered and returned to his original plan of serving fire. He challenged Avram’s belief in Hashem by
throwing him in the fire— Nimrod’s god, and left it up to Avram’s God to save him. As we know, Hashem saved
Avram. Similarly, we can understand the Chad Gadya. A man buys a goat and the Egyptians claim: “But, that is our
god.” The rhetoric goes as follows: cats eat goats, and dogs bite cats, sticks are stronger that dogs, fire destroys
sticks, water extinguishes fire, cows drink water, a Shochet slaughters cows, and he can be executed by the Angel of
Death. But above all there is Hashem, who is all-capable and can destroy the Angel of Death. Hashem, who loves us
as His children, is the only One. After discussing so much of our salvation at the Seder, we end our discussions with
a quick synopsis of a lesson we have gained, that Hashem, our God is the One and Only.
 ‫בס"ד‬
The Siddur Speaks Haggadah Treasures
A Closer Look at Davening An Inside Look
On the seventh day after leaving Mitzrayim, the Jews crossed (‫ועשה מלאך המות ושחט לשוחט דשחט לתורא )חד גדיא‬
the Yam Suf. Therefore, on the seventh day of Pesach we read 'And the Angel of Death came and killed the shochet who slaughtered
Shiras HaYam, The Song of the Sea from the Torah. The pasuk the ox' (Chad Gadya)
says (Shemos 14:30): ‫ וירא‬,‫'ויושע ה' ביום ההוא את ישראל מיד מצרים‬
'‫' ישראל את מצרים מת על שפת הים‬On that day, Hashem saved Yisrael There is a story told about the Ba'al HaNesivos, Rav Yaakov from
from the hand of Mitzrayim, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead Lissa, zt"l, who once entered an inn on a cold and blustery winter day,
on the seashore'. The Rambam rules (Hilchos Avadim 2), that if a and was unrecognized by anyone as the great Torah giant that he was.
slave runs away within the six years that he is obligated to work, While he was there, the town shochet entered to shecht the villagers'
he is still obligated to repay his servitude for the amount of time chickens, but he said that he couldn’t start because he had to warm up
that he owes. However, if the master dies, the slave may go free first from being so cold, and he asked for a bit of some strong wine to
without having to repay any time. The Chanukas HaTorah drink to help him get warm. The innkeeper brought him a bottle of
explains that the Jews were decreed to be slaves to Pharaoh when wine and set it before the shochet, who started drinking cup after cup,
Hashem spoke with Avraham Avinu at the Bris Bein HaBesarim, until he had drank four cups of the strong wine. When he was done, he
The Treaty Between the Parts. This decree was to last for four had warmed up and asked for the townsfolk to bring their chickens to
hundred years. When the Jews left Egypt, however, it was only him for shechitah. At this point, the Ba'al HaNesivos approached the
after two hundred and ten years— a hundred and ninety years shochet and said to him: "I must thank you, because through you, I
early, and they were afraid that they would be obligated to go have found an answer to a question that has bothered me for quite a
return to Mitzrayim as slaves, just like any slave that runs away. while. We sing in Chad Gadya: 'And the Angel of Death came and
After they came through the sea and they saw the Egyptians dead killed the shochet who slaughtered the ox'— but in reality, it is a
on the shore, they realized that their former masters were not wonder! Why was there a decree to kill the shochet that slaughtered
alive and they were able to enjoy a full freedom, as the Rambam the ox? It is a mitzvah to perform a shechitah, and there is even a
had taught! This is the meaning of the verse: 'On that day, brachah said over it! If so, why is he punished over this? However,
Hashem saved Yisrael from the hand of Mitzrayim', since the now I understand that the Malach Ha'maves acted justly in killing the
salvation did not fully occur the day they actually left Mitzrayim, shochet, because I realized that we sing Chad Gadya after we have
as they merely had the status of a slave who ran away and had to drunk four cups of wine, and it is taught in Shulchan Aruch (Yoreh
return to pay back the time remaining for their slavery. The Deiah 1:8) that it is forbidden to shecht after drinking so much!"
complete salvation occurred on that day when they 'saw the (Birchas Chaim, chelek II )
Egyptians dead on the seashore', when they obtained full
freedom with the death of their masters. Pearls of Wisdom …A Word for the Ages
The night of Pesach is a Leil Shimurim, a night of protection. On
L’Maaseh… it, we were redeemed, and in the future we will again be
A Tale to Remember redeemed on that night. (Mechilta 2:12)

In the Haggadah, one of the four sons is the She'eino yodei'a lish'ol, the child who does not know how
to ask, and we are instructed to help him along— at p'sach lo, and in this way to nurture and develop him to
ask questions and help him learn. The Chasam Sofer had a student that fit this description of 'one who does not
know how to ask', and the great rebbe was always patient in explaining things to him. Once, the student asked
a question in the middle of shiur, and it gave the impression to those in attendance that the student did not have
much intelligence. The boy was embarrassed and felt bad that he had asked his question. The Chasam Sofer
invested extra time into this talmid, and called him into his office to learn with him. He had the student repeat
back everything he had taught him, and then the Chasam Sofer brought up the question that the boy became
embarrassed over. By laying a solid foundation of the knowledge, and a little embellishment, the Chasam
Sofer turned the boys question into a brilliant insight! He asked the student to bring up this question in shiur
again, but to introduce it this time with all that he had taught him. At the next shiur, the talmid started to ask
his question again by building his case, just as the Chasam Sofer directed, and ended with his question, but this
time it was considered to be a true insight and left the room speechless. The Chasam Sofer exclaimed: "So this
was what you meant when you asked it last time!" The boy felt like a million dollars and gained the respect of
his friends because of how the Chasam Sofer responded. "Now let us see," continued the Chasam Sofer, "how
to answer this question," and he continued to deliver an astounding shiur to explain it.

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