HAFTR HafTorah Pesach/Yemei Hatekuma 5782/2022

HAFTRHAFTORAH ‫לעשות‬, ‫ללמד‬, ‫ללמוד‬

HAFTR

PESACH & YEMEI HATEKUMA EDITION APRIL • ‫תשפ״ב‬ ‫ניסן‬ MARCH 20202022 • PURIM EDITION

HIGH SCHOOL

THE SPLITTING OF RIVER AND SEA

By Sara Hersh, HAFTR 2024

The Haftorah we read on the first day of Pesach discusses when the Jewish people enter Israel. It begins by discussing that the nation was on the east side of the Jordan River. Yehoshua, the leader of Bnei Yisrael, informed the Kohanim that they should lead the nation while holding the Aron Kodesh. The Jordan River stopped flowing and the Jews were able to cross through. This is the second time an event like this occurred (the first time being the splitting of Yam Suf). Is there any significance why two similar miracles occurred in the span of forty years?

Editors Hannah Goldenberg Devorah Gottesman Corey Listman Ethan Rabinowitz Junior Editors Nathan Deutsch Elisabeth Gurtman Eliana Pearl Sydney Schneider Haylee Soshtain Contributors Annaruth Boxer Sara Hersch Andrew Katz Noah Nierenberg Abigail Wiener Faculty Advisors Mrs. Alexa Gelnick Rabbi Ira Wallach Artwork Devorah Gottesman

Please feel free to contact us at haftorah@haftr.org

On Pesach, we discuss the splitting of the sea. It is a major part of our Jewish history. The Yam Suf was divided in order for the Jews to escape without being harmed by the Egyptians. That leads to another question: Why did the sea need to be split? It was possible for Hashem to take the Jews and rescue them in a different way. According to Rabbi Menachem Feldman, the sea had to have been split. The frightened nation had just fled from their oppressors. The reasonable doubt they must have felt gave Hashem a reason to show he was their one true God. Rabbi Feldman states, “As the sea split, all of the concealment of the world was torn open, exposing the truth of the oneness of Hashem. As the sea split, each and every individual experienced a Divine revelation.” Now, having this more personal and intimate relationship with Hashem, it allowed them to travel on with hope and trust.

A similar idea can be found in halting the flow of the Jordan River. While the new generation of Jews may not have been given that same “truth” that their ancestors were handed, they experienced a miracle right before them. These “new” Jews were wandering a desert for forty years. They too must have felt defeated and anxious to reach Israel. The story of the splitting of the Yam Suf was spoken of so fondly and now, they too received a similar miracle from God! This must have made them feel of great importance. Now, gaining the proper trust in Hashem, they were ready to enter Israel with complete confidence.

These two miracles have given the Jewish people tremendous strength. On Pesach, not only do we recognize the people who wanted to harm the Jews; we recognize the miracles that were given in order to keep our religion alive and filled with courage. These two events occurred so that the Jews could reach the land that was promised to them with confidence. That is why we read a Haftorah on the first day of Pesach that mentions this great miracle which will remind us of both the Yam Suf and the great lengths that God can go to help His people.

Pesach

By The Numbers

By Nathan Deutsch, HAFTR 2023

Number of Mitzvot Regarding Pesach: There are seventeen mitzvot regarding Pesach and Pesach Sheni (eight affirmative, nine negative)

AROUND SCHOOL

1. To celebrate the festivals [Passover, Shavu'ot and Sukkot] (Ex. 23:14) (affirmative) 2. To remove chametz on the Eve of Passover (Ex. 12:15) (affirmative) 3. To rest on the first day of Passover (Ex. 12:16; Lev. 23:7) (affirmative) 4. Not to do work on the first day of Passover (Ex. 12:16; Lev. 23:6-7) (negative) 5. To rest on the seventh day of Passover (Ex. 12:16; Lev. 23:8) (affirmative) 6. Not to do work on the seventh day of Passover (Ex. 12:16; Lev. 23:8) (negative) 7. To eat matzah on the first night of Passover (Ex. 12:18) (affirmative) 8. That no chametz be in the Israelites’ possession during Passover (Ex. 12:19) (negative) 9. Not to eat any food containing chametz on Passover (Ex. 12:20) (negative) 10. Not to eat chametz on Passover (Ex. 13:3) (negative) 11. That chametz shall not be seen in an Israelite's home during Passover (Ex. 13:7) 12. To discuss the departure from Egypt on the first night of Passover (Ex. 13:8) (affirmative) 13. Not to eat chametz after mid-day on the fourteenth of Nissan (Deut. 16:3) (negative) 14. To observe the second Passover (Num. 9:11) (affirmative) 15. To eat the flesh of the Paschal lamb on it, with unleavened bread and bitter herbs (Num. 9:11) (affirmative) 16. Not to leave any flesh of the Paschal lamb brought on the second Passover until the morning (Num. 9:12) (negative) 17. Not to break a bone of the Paschal lamb brought on the second Passover (Num. 9:12) (negative) Numbers Associated with Pesach: 18: The maximum number of minutes to prepare dough for matzah. More than this is considered chametz (leavened bread).

17: The Gematriah, Hebrew numeric value, of the word ‫הדגה‬/Haggadah.

16: The number of times that we spill wine out of our cups at the Seder.

15: The fifteen stages of the Seder: 1) kadesh, 2) u’rchatz, 3) karpas, 4) yachatz, 5) maggid, 6) rachtza, 7) motzi, 8) matzah, 9) maror, 10) korech, 11) shulchan orech, 12) tzafun, 13) barech, 14) hallel, 15) nirtzah.

14: The number of times we say Dayeinu in the Dayeinu song, acknowledging that each of Hashem’s kindnesses would have been “enough” ‫ די‬for us.

13: The number of stanzas in the famous song "Who Knows One?" (Echad Mi Yodeya).

12: At 12 o’clock midnight on the 15th of Nissan, Hashem passed over the Jews’ homes and struck the firstborn of the Egyptians.

11: The number of stars in Yosef’s dream, corresponding to the 11 tribes who bowed down to Yosef as they came down to Egypt.

10: The number of the Makot.

9: The hour that the Korban Pesach sacrifice was slaughtered, after the daily Tamid offering, from the ninth hour of the afternoon until sunset on the 14th of Nissan.

8: The number of perakim in Megilat Shir HaShirim, which is read during Passover.

7: The number of warning days that preceded each of the ten Makot.

6: The number mitzvahs: telling the Seder story, matzah, maror, hallel, four cups, and leaning.

5: The number of Rabbis the Haggadah speaks of that stayed up all night on Pesach telling the exodus story: R’ Eliezer, R’ Yehoshua, R’ Elazar B. Azaria, R’ Akiva, and R’ Tarfon.

4: “The languages of redemption” listed in Exodus 6:6-7, depicting the four stages of our redemption in Egypt: removing ‫ הוצאתי‬, saving ‫ הצלתי‬, redeeming ‫ גאלתי‬, and taking ‫לקחתי‬.

3: The number of matzahs at the Seder table.

2: Number of dippings: karpas in salt water and maror in charoset.

1: Is Hashem ½: The splitting of the Matzah by Yachatz 0: The amount of Chametz that should be in one’s presence

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HAFTR HAFTORAH • PESACH & YEMEI HATEKUMA EDITION

THOUGHT PROVOKING

QUESTIONS (ON MAGGID) Ethan Rabinowitz, HAFTR 2022 1. Why in Mah Nishtanah is there no mention of the four cups of wine?

2. What is the exact meaning of the word Pesach?

3. Why is there no bracha recited when Hallel is said at the seder?

4. What did R’ Elazar mean when he said, “I am like a 70-year-old man”?

5. Why does the Haggadah offer the wicked son a response different from the one that the Torah presents?

6. In what ways did the Jews stand out in Egypt?

7. Why did Hashem choose the particular Ten Plagues that he chose to inflict on the Egyptians?

8. How could the Jews survive forty years in the desert without having their needs supplied?

9. How could the Jews’ needs have been met if not through the Maan?

Yom Hazikaron and Yom Ha’Atzmaut: Two Ways to Fulfill the Mitzvah of “Kiddush Hashem” Noah Nierenberg, Class of 2019 As a soldier in the ‫צה’’ל‬, the Israeli National Defense Forces, I had the zechut to stand in an Israeli military cemetery as families visited their fallen loved ones on Yom Hazikaron. I said Tehillim with a man in his forties who had never known his father, a soldier in the tank units, because his father had given his life, ‫( על קידוש השם‬for the Sanctification of G-d’s name). His father was called in for reserve military duty during the First Lebanon War just some time after his son was born. To understand the meaning of Yom Hazikaron, we need to understand the purpose of our brothers’ sacrifice and what it means to give one’s life for the Sanctification of G-d’s name.

Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook referred to the Jewish people’s return to their homeland of Eretz Yisrael as the “Atchalta D’Geulah” - the “beginning of the Redemption” (a phrase rooted in Gemara Megilah daf 17).

Rav Kook’s claim of the “beginning of the Geulah” has since blossomed into a time period of widespread Torah learning through Torah centers in Eretz Yisrael, the establishment of a Jewish ruling government and Jewish army in Eretz Yisrael (both of which are firsts since the time of the Second Beis Hamikdash, i.e., the Chanukah story), and the ingathering of Jewish Exiles from all corners and continents of the world. Over the course of this miraculous time period, unfortunately, we have lost brothers and sisters along the way.

Yom Hazikaron is a day commemorating the over 20,000 soldiers and victims of hostile acts who have given their lives, by way of Kiddush Hashem, for the sake of the Nation of Israel’s building of their homeland. Yom Hazikaron, the fourth of Iyar, was established a day before Israeli Independence Day – Yom Ha’Atzmaut – which is the 5th of Iyar. To understand the sacrifice these people have made, we need to understand the essence of their sacrifice as defined “by way of Kiddush Hashem.” What exactly does that mean? Also, why are Yom Hazikaron and

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Yom Ha’Atzmaut put one next to the other? The Sefer HaChinuch (a description of all mitzvot in the Torah, authored in 1400s Spain) describes the mitzvah of “Kiddush Hashem” (sanctifying G-d’s name) as the commandment to give up our lives for the observance of a mitzvah. But he also quotes the Sifrei (a Tannaic Midrashic text from the 2nd Beis Hamikdash Period) “… For this reason I have taken you out of Egypt to sanctify my name in public.”

There is an inherent contradiction in the words of the Sefer HaChinuch: on one hand, the Mitzvah of sanctifying G-d’s name is to give up our lives for observance of a mitzvah, on the other hand, the sanctification of G-d’s name is the entire reason we were taken out of Egypt… certainly G-d’s reasoning for taking us out of Egypt is not so that we should die, rather that we should live! As the Torah says (Vayikra 18:5) “and you should live by them (the mitzvot)” and not die by them! (Gemara Sanhedrin daf 74).

The apparent contradiction is not actually a contradiction, rather it expresses two ways to observe the Mitzvah of Kiddush Hashem. One way: giving up one’s life (“Mesirat Nefesh”) for the observance of G-d’s commandments. Another way: living a life of such dedication to G-d’s mitzvot, that one would be willing to sacrifice his life for the observance of G-d’s commandments. Thus, there is an opportunity to give up one’s life to fulfill the mitzvah of Kiddush Hashem and there is an opportunity to live to fulfill the mitzvah of Kiddush Hashem.

These two opportunities to fulfill the mitzvah of Sanctifying G-d’s Name can be expressed by a man saying Tehillim next to the grave of his father who dedicated his life for the service of Am Yisrael, Eretz Yisrael, and the fulfillment of G-d’s commandments alongside someone who is actively dedicating his life to the service of Am Yisrael, Eretz Yisrael, and the fulfillment of G-d’s mitzvot: Yom Hazikaron and Yom Ha’Atzmaut.

HAFTR HAFTORAH • PESACH & YEMEI HATEKUMA EDITION

A Democratic Monarchy By Rabbi Ira Wallach, Limudei Kodesh Coordinator Class of 1999 In the Megilat HaAtzmaut, Israeli declaration of independence, it states: “The Land of Israel was the birthplace of the Jewish people. Here their spiritual, religious and political identity was shaped.…..Accordingly we, members of the People's Council, representatives of the Jewish Community of Eretz-Israel and of the Zionist Movement, are here assembled....by virtue of our natural and historic right….. hereby declare the establishment of a Jewish state in Eretz-Israel, to be known as the State of Israel...”

The State of Israel was founded as a Jewish state representing the will of the Jewish people living in Eretz Yisrael. The declaration alludes to our era as a Jewish Malchut in the times of Neviim and its actualization today.

The establishment of a Jewish state was and is extraordinarily moving and emotional for us as a people. After our near annihilation in the Holocaust we have finally returned to our homeland, governed by our own people, after almost two thousand years.

In light of this emotional and monumental event, I want to address two central questions. The first question is: Does the creation of Medinat Yisrael strictly have national safety, nostalgic and sentimental significance, or does it have halachik significance despite the absence of our Beit HaMikdash, Sanhedrin and Melech? The second question is: the Israeli government is not a religious government and is made up of many non-religious members that often promote laws and ideas that are against our Torah and its values. Does this reality take away from the notion of Medinat Yisrael being a Jewish government?

The Torah in Parshat Shoftim says"….‫”ואמרת אשימה עלי מלך‬ ‫הגוים אשר סביבתי‬-‫“ " ככל‬That you (Bnei Yisrael) will say I will appoint a king like all other nations that surround me” (‫יד‬:‫) דברים יז‬. Following the pasuk the Torah then says, "ָ….‫"שום תשים עליך מלך אשר יבחר ה אלקיך בו מקרב אחיך‬ “You shall appoint a king over you that Hashem shall choose from amongst your brothers.” It is strange the way in which the Torah describes this national mitzvah of appointing a king. Ordinarily the Torah would mention the commandment as is, appoint a king. This initial narrative that “you will say…” is peculiar. The Netziv, Rav Naphtoli Tzvi Yehuda Berlin, explains that the mitzvah to appoint a king is not an absolute mitzvah; it is a ‫מצות רשות‬. The Netziv elaborates and says that there are different groups of people and different times; and not every society can or should be governed in the same way.

There are some societies where the government must be run by a ruler directly appointed by the people. There are some governments that without a monarch are like “a ship without a captain.” The Netziv mentions a historical point to bolster his position, that the notion of appointing a king is a ‫רשות‬. If there was an active obligation to appoint a king, how could Bnei Yisrael go 300 years, from the time the Mishkan was in ‫שילה‬, until the appointment of Shaul, without having anointed a king? Rather, the appointment of a ruler requires the desire of the people; so as long as they are not ready for a king, there is no obligation to appoint one.

Rav Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook in his sefer Mishpat HaKohen (144:15) takes the idea of the Netziv and goes a step further. The Netziv says that in the absence of a king, all of the power and influence of the king reverts back to the people. The implication of Rav Kook is that our government is an extension of the idea of ‫מלך‬. Therefore, the ‫ ממשלה‬is an expression of the ’‫רצון ה‬.

Rav Schachter echoes the idea of Rav Kook in his sefer ‫( בעקבי הצאן‬pg. 212). He points out that the Rambam does not mention a mitzvah of settling the land of Israel. He explains that the reason there is no explicit mitzvah for settling Eretz Yisrael is because it is included within the mitzvah of appointing a king.

Rav Schachter says further that the mitzvah of appointing a king includes creating a Jewish government!

Rav Schachter’s commentary can also help us to understand the question regarding the founders and present members of the Israeli government that are not necessarily dedicated to Torah and mitzvot. Rav Schachter explains that we find in Sefer Melochim that there were numerous Melochim from Malchut Yehudah and Malchut Yisrael that were ‫עובדי עבודה זרה‬ and yet we still refer those kingdoms as Malchut Yisrael and Malchut Yehudah. The Gemara on 43b in Masechet Sanhedrin says that ‫ישראל אף על פי שחטא ישראל הוא‬- that Bnei Yisrael who sin are still Bnei Yisrael.

We truly live in extraordinary times. Our great grandparents could never have imagined that not only would we be able to return to our homeland but that we would thrive and that our country would be a light and inspiration for all other nations.

We should continue to see our government, our land and our people flourish, and the process of Geula that began over 70 years ago should come to fruition with the ‫ביאת המשיח‬.

A Reflection on the Shoah Our ancestors, the ones who endured the unimaginable, the ones who survived one of history’s greatest genocides, are the strongest people we've come to know. They not only fought to ensure that Judaism will never be destroyed, but they made it possible for the existence of so many generations to follow.

Their stories are horrifying; the things they witnessed, the pain they suffered from, the torment they encountered, are all examples of the monstrous acts that were carried out by the Nazis. These acts were outrageous, they were immoral, and yet, from them came extraordinary people.

Even after enduring inhumane torture, these survivors built amazing success stories, ones that will be carried on through their descendants.

We must recognize the power of determination, along with that of hope, both of which pertain to each and every Holocaust survivor. They never stopped fighting, they never gave up, and they were impelled to see the end of the war 4

By Abigail Wiener, HAFTR 2022

for those who no longer could.

The existence of the Jewish people, of us, remains in today’s world because of our unity; we come together following periods of hardship, resulting in our prosperity and growth.

After the Holocaust, the Jewish nation united, but that togetherness continues to decline as the horrific events fall further into history. We must join together to make sure the next generations learn about the atrocities their people experienced under Nazi rule, along with survivors’ abilities to withstand them.

As a community, we come together to remember both the trying times of the Holocaust and what emerged from them.

We will forever remember these incredible survivors. They fought for us to exist, for the Jewish people to remain a part of society. The generations that follow must learn about these survivors, as they will forever impact this world and all of the people living in it. We must never forget the events of the Holocaust, along with the remarkable people who survived it.

HAFTR HAFTORAH • PESACH & YEMEI HATEKUMA EDITION

Chag Sameach!

Rabbinic Responsa Mechanchim in Israel Edition We are celebrating the Chag of Pesach. The four cups of wine at the seder are one of the hallmarks of Pesach. The Yerushalmy says that the basis for this mitzvah is found in the four languages of redemption of ‫ולקחתי‬, ‫וגאלתי‬, ‫והצלתי‬, ‫ והוצאתי‬in Parshat Vaera.

The Malbim explains that the first three terms highlight our freedom from the servitude of Mitzrayim and the fourth term refers to our receiving of the Torah. There is a fifth language in this Parsha, ‫והבאתי אתכם הארץ‬.

The Malbim explains that this refers to Hashem bringing us to our land, Eretz Yisrael.

These languages point out the three pillars that define us as a people: Yetziat Mitzrayim, Torah and our land Eretz Yisrael. With this in mind for this section of Rabbinic Responsa it is most appropriate that we, proudly, asked our question to our alumni who are Mechanchim in ‫ארצינו הקדושה‬.

Obviously as a Mechanech/Mechanechet there are numerous reasons why you would choose to make Aliyah.

Can you please share with us a unique and unexpected benefit that you experienced by making this major and most beautiful life decision?

And/Or Is there any meaningful moment, lesson,or experience that you are reminded of from your time in HAFTR that stands out to you in your life and role today?

Throughout HAFTR High School I was involved with the drama department, having leading roles in all of the productions. As I was about to graduate and go on to a year in Eretz Yisrael, the Principal, Rabbi Bajnon shlit"a, told me, "Duvidel, you are about to set out on your greatest role yet, your role as a Ben Torah.” Indeed, as a Ben Torah there are so many different roles one must play. While trying to do ratzon Hashem, God's will, properly, one must keep in mind so many different things.

There are times for being strong, and times for being gentle, there are times to be more of an extrovert, and times that one must focus on being more of an introvert.

Thank you, Rabbi Bajnon, for this message; it resonated with me back then and still today.

Rabbi Dovid Brafman, Menahel, Talmud Torah Toras Aharon HAFTR High School Class of 1996 There are many benefits to living in Israel. Besides the spiritual benefits of walking to the kotel, and the overall emphasis on spiritual development, I would say the inherent happiness that we have without the many distractions and material expectations that exist in America is the best unexpected advantage to living in Israel.

I recommend you all join us to live in the holy land!

Binyomin Staiman, Senior RA”M, Yeshivat Torat Shraga HAFTR High School Class of 1996

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HAFTR HAFTORAH • PESACH & YEMEI HATEKUMA EDITION

RABBINIC Responsa CONT'D In reading the question you posed, asking me to identify some benefits of making aliyah, I am reminded of the following story. In the words of Rabbi Michael Broyde (also originally from the Five Towns): It was the mid-1980’s at Yeshiva University and Rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein ‫ זצ”ל‬was speaking at a Friday morning Q&A and a student asked him why he moved to Israel. This was clearly not the first time he had been asked this question and he launched into a concise and erudite discussion of the mitzvah to live in Israel, outlining – I still remember – the four major views as he saw them and ending with the words “clearly a mitzvah.” The questioner immediately stood up and said “mitzvah shvitzva: who cares! Tell me what you like about living in Israel, so that you would live there even if it was no mitzvah at all.” Rabbi Lichtenstein was quite surprised by the question. He stopped in his tracks and said “Good question: I need to think” and he sat down and thought. It was very silent in the room: you could see his brow furrow and the heat emanating. After more than 5 minutes of deadly silence, Rabbi Lichtenstein spoke.

He said this (give or take): “I deeply enjoy the nobility of poverty found in the culture of Israel. People are ‘great people’ and ideas are ‘valuable ideas’ in Israel...”

In answering your question from a personal perspective, I will piggy-back on Rav Lichtenstein's answer.

One of the greatest advantages that I have discovered is a certain simplicity in our way of life.

My children grow up in a culture where people are happy with less.

This is a priceless and unexpected benefit of living in Israel.

Mrs. Leah Hershman, Teacher, Michlalah Yerushalayim HAFTR High School Class of 1995

Lag BaOmer and Ahavat Yisroel By Devorah Gottesman, Class of 2022

The celebration of Lag BaOmer commemorates the day that the students of Rabbi Akiva stopped dying. While the Gemara does not mention the holiday explicitly, the Gemara explains that Rabbi Akiva’s students stopped dying between Pesach and Shavuot. However, why does this signify a celebration? Rabbi Akiva lost thousands of his students, so despite the plague stopping, should we be in a state of celebration?

The counting of the Omer is the bridge between Pesach and Shavuot, Yetziat Mitzrayim and Matan Torah.

Rabbi Jay Kelman explains that when the Jewish nation was preparing to receive the Torah, the pasuk describes Bnei Yisroel with the singular word “Vayichan.” Despite the fact that this large number of people consisted of thousands of individuals, the Torah chose to use the singular description. Rashi famously elaborates on this pasuk, writing that the Jewish people were like one person with one heart. When the Jewish people are united, that is when Hashem chooses us as His nation.

Sefirat Haomer is the time when we prepare ourselves for our annual Matan Torah, so to speak. We can only

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communally accept the Torah as a united nation. It is so fitting that during this time of community, we look towards Rabbi Akiva and his teachings on Lag BaOmer.

Rabbi Akiva was known for his teaching of “love your neighbor as yourself.” Many argue that this is the most important teaching in Judaism. Rabbi Akiva set this example of brotherhood and unity through his students.

It was stated in Yevamot that Rabbi Akiva had 12,000 pairs of students who died out of lack of respect. Why not simply state that he had 24,000 students? Wasn’t that much easier? We learn from this the importance of community and relationships, and that isolation is antithetical to proper Torah living.

So, during these seven weeks between Pesach and Shavuot, it is upon us to spread Ahava between our neighbors, and to live a life of “love your neighbor as you love yourself.” During this time, we should put effort into spreading Ahavat Chinam among friends, family, and even those we might not get along with. We celebrate the potential to bring people together with our new sense of freedom from Pesach in preparation for Shavuot, our yearly acceptance of the Torah and the message of “VeAhavta LaReiecha Kamocha.”

HAFTR HAFTORAH • PESACH & YEMEI HATEKUMA EDITION

By Devorah Gottesman, HAFTR 2022

A Night of Thanks By Andrew Katz, Class of 2023

According to the Haggadah, all Jews are required to recall the miracle of Hashem as it states in Maggid, “‫”מצוה עלינו לספר ביציאת מצרים‬. “There is a commandment upon us to tell the story of the Exodus from Mitzrayim.”

However, the word “‫ “עלינו‬seems superfluous. Why does the Haggadah need to state that the commandment is “upon us”--isn’t this obvious from the fact that this is a mitzvah?

The answer is linked to a law regarding Chazaras Hashatz, the chazan’s repetition of Shemoneh Esrei. After the Tzibur has said their silent Shemoneh Esrei, the chazan repeats Shemoneh Esrei out loud, and the Tzibur answers “Amen” to each Bracha. This was implemented by the Rabanan, so people who were not able to recite the full Shemoneh Esrei themselves would have an opportunity to fulfill their chiyuv of tefila by answering amen. This is found from a law in the Gemara (Mesechet Sukka, daf :‫ )לח‬that if one listens carefully it is as if he has responded himself. This makes it possible for everyone to fulfill the mitzvah of tefillah.

However, there is one part that the chazan does not recite out loud. This is the section where we give appreciation to Hashem for everything, in the bracha of Modim.

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We thank Him that we are alive, and for all the miraculous wonders that the Hashem creates, as well as all of His favors and compassion. During Modim in the chazan’s repetition, each person personally recites a passage called Modim Derabanan. Each person bows and recites Modim Derabanan as the chazan recites the main bracha. The reason each individual must recite Modim to themselves is because gratitude cannot be expressed through a Shaliach, a messenger. If we owe thanks to someone, it is not enough to send someone to send the message instead of ourselves.

Gratitude is exclusive to YOU. On Pesach, our mitzvah is to be ‫ מודה‬to Hashem, to give Him gratitude for redeeming us from Mitzrayim. The night of Pesach is when we relive, reenact, recall, and recount what He did for us in Mitzrayim. This idea that only we can give proper thanks is why the Haggadah says “‫“מצוה עלינו‬. Only We can say thank You to Hashem for what he has done for us. This is why we are told specifically that the Mitzvah is upon us. We can view the Seder as a night of gratitude, thanking Hashem for what He does for us. If we bear this idea in mind, we can properly consider Yetziat Mitzrayim and have a truly meaningful Seder filled with gratitude and personalized discussions.

HAFTR HAFTORAH • PESACH & YEMEI HATEKUMA EDITION

HAFTR HIGH SCHOOL PESACH EDITION 2022

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