Bo /בא
Bo /בא
The possuk
concerning Tefilin
states “in order
that the Torah of
HaShem should be on
your lips”. The
Chofetz Chaim points
out that although
the Gemora describes
the one who does not
put on Tefilin as a
person lacking basic
beliefs, and not
really one who
subscribes to Jewish
philosophy, still
the Tefilin
themselves are only
a preparation for
the main theme of
the life of a Jew –
the Torah. He
describes Torah as
the lifeline of the
Jew, and without it
the Jew cannot
exist. We have seen
that the demise of
religious Judaism as
the ultimate
disappearance of
many families from
the Jewish scene is
directly related to
the study of and
adherence to the
Torah.
“You should watch
the matzos”. Rashi
quotes two
interpretations. One
is to guard the
matzo from becoming
chometz. The second
is to guard all
mitzvos from
becoming stale, that
is to say, perform
the mitzva
immediately. The
“Shaloh” explains
that it is not two “droshos”.
The matzo represents
the yetzer hatov and
the chometz, the
yetzer harah. The
difference in the
spelling of the two
words is the letter
“heh” which has an
opening (as Chazal
say, for the Baal
Tshuva to re-enter)
and it becomes
closed up in the
“ches” of chometz.
The Torah is not
just warning us of
the singular
mitzvah, but a
lesson in mitzvos in
general. Listen to
the yetzer tov,
don’t look for the
easier way out.
The importance of
Bris Milah is
emphasized by the
fact that the
precious mitzvah of
Korbon Pesach cannot
be performed by one
who is
uncircumcised. Also
the mitzvah given to
the Jews to merit
the Geula was milah.
And the first
mitzvah of Yehoshua
was milah. What is
the significance of
Milah? The Shulchan
Aruch directs us to
set a place for
Eliyahu Hanavi. The
source is a Pirke
D’R’ Eliezer which
recounts the fact
that upon the split
of the Kingdoms of
Israel, the Malchei
Yisroel forbid milah.
Eliyahu championed
the cause by
declaring a drought.
When Jezebel wanted
to kill him, he
fled. HaShem said to
him “this is the
second time you have
displayed
zealousness on my
behalf. I promise
you that at every
bris the Jews make,
you will be
present.” So we see
that milah itself is
measure for measure
an act of
zealousness and
“msiras nefesh”, the
act of shedding ones
“blood” for the sake
of adhering to His
ways. This, then, is
how we initiate the
child into his role
as an observant Jew.
Take the blood and
place it on the two
מזוזת. The word is
spelled without the
second ו'. However,
concerning the מצוה
of mezuza it is
spelled with a ו'.
R’Chaim שליט'ה
explains this with
Rashi in כי תשא
Rashi says a word
without the ו' means
both items are
equal. Therefore -
here the מצוה was
equal on both
doorposts and is
written מזוזת.
However, the mitzva
of מזוזה is only on
the right post so it
is written complete
with a ו'.
כי כל אוכל חמץ
ונברתה הנפש ההיא
מישראל
The very strict laws
surrounding chometz
are a result of two
factors: 1) a person
is not separated
from chometz all
year round 2) the
punishment of eating
chometz is כרת. This
then is the
explanation of the
possuk. Remove the
chometz from your
domain because - 1.
כל אוכל חמץ 2. ונברת
הנפש. “מעינה של תורה”
You will tell your
children and your
children’s children
the greatness of
HaShem in Egypt and
you will know I am
HaShem. The possuk
tells us that if one
tells and retells
the story of the
Exodus with all its
details, the person
who tells will
benefit and his own
faith and belief
will improve. “מעינה
של תורה”
So you shall eat the
Pesach offering,
with your shoes on
and ready to go. The
מהרי'ל דיסקין points
out that the smiting
of the firstborn was
carried out by
HaShem himself as we
say לא ע"י שליח.
Also we say in the
הגדה that there was
a revelation of
HaShem גלוי שכינה.
The gemora and
medrash point out
that wherever there
is גלוי שכינה it is
forbidden to wear
shoes. Nevertheless,
in order to display
their full faith in
the imminent
redemption, HaShem
commanded them to
wear their shoes.
Paroh asked Moshe,
“who are the ones
that will go with
you”? Moshe
answered, “the old
and the young will
go to serve G-d”.
Paroh refused - why?
The world’s concept
of a servant to G-d
is an older, mature
adult. Moshe
introduced to him
the Jewish approach
which enlists even
the children in the
performance of a
mitzvah. How fitting
then, that the
resulting mitzvah of
yitzias mitzraim,
which is the eating
of the Pesach
offering is
incumbent on all
members of the
household both yound
and old as Rashi
comments later, “all
who are capable of
eating are
eligible”.
Previous Parshos
Tazria
Metzora
Achrei Mos
Kedoshim
Emor
Behar
Bechukosai
Bamidbar
Shavuos
Naso
Behalosicha
Shilach
Korach
Chukas-Balak
Pinchos
Matos-Masei
Devorim
Voeschonon Ekev
Reah
Shoftim
Ki Seitzei
Ki Savo
Nitzovim
- Vayelech Rosh
HaShana Haazinu-Yom
Kippur Sukkos V'zos
HaBrocha
Breishis
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