Divrei Hitoreruit - Pesach 2024

Table of Contents

RABBI SHIMON ABRAMCZIK, PAGE 1 תוננובתה

RABBI ZACK STEINER, PAGE 5

םירצמ תאיצי רופיס – A Personal Story

MRS. SIMONE GREENBERG, PAGE 11 The Message of Pesach

RAV YITZCHAK ETSHALOM, PAGE 13 Four Cups, Four Experiences

RABBI ARYEH KAPLAN, PAGE 16 Symbolism for Karpas

RABBI JOSH MASLOW, PAGE 18 Ha Lachma Anya

RABBI NISSAN AHOOBIM, PAGE 20

Why is This Night Different From All Other Nights?

MRS. CHANIE KLUGER, PAGE 22 The Time for Shema Has Come

RABBI ARI BENSOUSSAN, PAGE 24 I am Like I am Seventy Years Old

RABBI JOSEPH SCHREIBER, PAGE 27 Are You Asking Me or Are You Telling Me?

RABBI MICHAEL ABRAHAM, PAGE 30 How Then Shall Pharaoh Listen to Me?

RABBI DROR BAALHANESS, PAGE 33 Eight to Five or Five to Eight?

RABBI NACHUM SAUER, PAGE 36 Miriam’s Drum at Krias Yam Suf

ROCHEL GANS, PAGE 38 Open the Door!

Dear YULA Family,

At the heart of our Yeshiva are exceptional Rebbeim and Mechanchot who are each driven to inspire our students to achieve greatness and become outstanding B’nai and B’not Torah and leaders in the 21st century. Being part of a Yeshiva community that makes no excuses and goes lifnim mishurat hadin to ensure we maximize learning has been emotionally uplifting and inspiring.

The Gemorah in Pesachim 109a teaches the importance of asking and prompting children to ask questions at the Seder. It gives an example from Rabbi Akiva who would give the children parched grain and walnuts on Erev Pesach precisely so they should not fall asleep and be able to ask questions. It continues by mentioning the tradition of Rabbi Eliezer who would snatch the matzot on the night of Pesach so the children should not fall asleep. The famous 11th century commentator, Rabbi Shmuel Ben Meir, (Rashbam,) explains that food induces drowsiness, so Rabbi Eliezer snatched the matzah to prevent the children from getting tired. This gave them the energy to ask questions throughout the Seder. The Rambam codifies this concept into Halacha in the 7th chapter of Hilchot Pesach U’Matzoh by saying that a parent must mix things up a bit in order to prompt questions by the children so they can say “What is the difference between this night and every other night - Mah Nishtanah Halaylah HaZeh MiKol Haleilot ”

Similarly, asking questions is an important part of one’s ability to grow in one’s spiritual growth. At YULA, we promote the back and forth of questions and answers in our daily shiurim and classes! At YULA, no question is a bad one, rather it is viewed as an opportunity to inspire our students to continue on their journey of becoming outstanding B’nai and B’not Torah.

I am excited to share with you the Pesach Edition of Divrei Hitorirut – Words of Inspiration. This publication asks many questions and showcases the reasons that makes YULA an inspiring and spiritually uplifting environment.

Wishing the entire YULA family and community a safe and Chag Kasher V’sameach!

Rabbi Arye Sufrin, Head of School

תוננובתה

Looking through the תוישרפ of our slavery in םירצמ to our redemption, there is a theme that comes up from the beginning of our redemption until the end. This theme is obviously an important and integral part of our nation, being part of לארשי ינב.

We see it first when we were introduced to HaShem calling out to Moshe for the first time. In תומש תשרפ the Torah tells us that Moshe is shepherding his father-in-law’s sheep and he sees a burning bush which is not being consumed. When passing this amazing phenomena, Moshe stops to turn and see what is happening. At this point the קוספ says:

“The Lord saw that he had turned to see, and God called to him from within the thorn bush, and He said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am!”

Looking at the simple meaning of the passuk, we are told clearly why HaShem choose to call out to Moshe: because HaShem “saw that Moshe had תוֹאּר ל רָס, turned to see”. Now, what is so special that Moshe “turned to see”? The Sforno (1470-1549, Italy) answers by explaining exactly what “תוֹאּר ל רָס” means. He says that it means that Moshe was turning “ רָבָדָּבַּ ןֵ נובַּּתהּל” = Moshe contemplated what was going on. Moshe understood that if there was something unnatural happening, it must be there to teach him something. When HaShem saw that Moshe had this הדימ, attribute, of contemplation, that’s when HaShem knew that Moshe would be the one to take out His people. To have the attribute of תוננובתה is part and parcel of being part of the Jewish people; to contemplate and understand that everything happens for a reason and from HaShem.

This theme continues as we look at the next אראו תשרפ ,השרפ. After HaShem tells Moshe to go ask Paroh to let he Jews out of םירצמ, Moshe offers the following logical response in his hesitation to ask:

if the Jews themselves didn’t have full faith to listen to Moshe, surely Paroh wouldn’t listen either. The להי רוא, Rav Yehuda Leib Chasman (1869-1935) asks on Moshe’s logic that the Torah specifically tells us why the Jews didn’t listen to Paroh. It was because:

הָשֶׁ ק הָדּבֲעֲֵמוּ ַחַוּר רֶ צּקִֹּמ השֶׁמ לֶא וּעּמָשֶׁ אּלּו

“but they did not hearken to Moses because of [their] shortness of breath and because of [their] hard labor” The Jews didn’t listen due to the fact that they had “ַחַוּר רֶ צּקֹּ ”, “shortness of breath” and “הָדּבֲעֲֵמ הָשֶׁ ק”, “because of their hard labor”. These two reasons only applied to the Jewish people who were slaves with back breaking labor, but Paroh, king of םירצמ, did not have these two deficits. If so, what was Moshe’s logic in Paroh not listening to him? To answer, we have to turn back to the Sforno to truly understand what “ַחַוּר רֶ צּקֹּ ” is. He explains: “ ןֵ נובַּּתהּל בֵ ל וּנּת נ אל”, the Jews were working so hard that we couldn’t tap in to our innate attribute of תוננובתה, contemplation. Now we can understand Moshe’s logic: if we, the Jewish people, who are the people of תוננובתה but couldn’t tap into that attribute, surely Paroh, who constantly showed that he lacked this attribute, would not listen.

Continuing to the next אב תשרפ ,השרפ we see how important it is to have this positive attribute of תוננובתה. When Moshe is commanding us to leave םירצמ, we are told to leave “ןוֹזפִָּחַבַּ”, “in haste”. The Medrash famously teaches us that we needed to leave in haste as we were entering the 49th level of האמוט, spiritual impurity. The issue with that is that when one reaches such a low level, it becomes a point of no return. The question is that if we just witnessed the different supernatural maakot that Hashem performed specifically on our tormentors, the םירצמ, and we were spared, how could it be that not only were we not improving, but to the contrary, falling deeper in spiritual impurity? The answer goes back to the theme that we have been seeing throughout the episode of us being in םירצמ: it was due to the lack of תוננובתה, we just couldn’t see the hand of Hashem in the picture.

When we go to the next השרפ, the parsha in which we are finally

Aryeh Hofer ‘26

redeemed from םירצמ, we see this theme come up again. When we leave ףוס םי תאירק, the splitting of the sea, the Torah tells us a detail which at face value does not necessarily seem important.

םָיֹּה תַפּשְׂ לַ עֲ תֵמ םִ ירּצמ תֶא לֵארּשְִׂ י אּרַיֹּ ו

“and Israel saw the Egyptians dying on the seashore” Why is that detail of us seeing the Egyptians dead, important? Rashi explains: ןילוע םה ךכ הז דצמ םילוע ונאש םשכ לארשי ורמאי אלש ידכ ,ותפש לע םיה ןטלפ ונירחַא ופדריו ונממ קוחַר רחַא דצמ = “For the sea spewed them out on its shore, so that the Israelites would not say, “Just as we are coming up on this side [of the sea], so are they coming up on another side, far from us, and they will pursue us.” Again, even after seeing so many miracles at ףוס םי תאירק, we were still worried about the םירצמ coming after us, because we still lacked תוננובתה due to our slave mentality. So, what finally broke that? Only when we saw our Mitzri masters dead in front of us. Once that happened, the next passuk says:

“and they believed in the Lord and in Moses, His servant.” Once we were able to escape our slave mentality, we were able to reconnect to that important attribute of תוננובתה and only then could we have full faith in Hashem and Moshe.

As we enter Pesach this year, may we all merit to tap into this middah of תוננובתה and through that reach the level of full הנומא in HaShem, which will ultimately bring us to our final redemption.

RABBI SHIMON ABRAMCZIK

Rabbi Shimon Abramczik has been a Rebbe at YULA since 2007 and is currently the Dean of Students. He is also the Israel Guidance Counselor, the Rebbe for the Friedman Masmidim Program and teaches Halacha at the Girls Division.

The central הוצמ of Seder night is indisputably the הוצמ of תאיצי רופיס םירצמ. However, this הוצמ seems to be all too akin to another הוצמ, one which we do every day, several times a day—םירצמ תאיצי תריכז. The question begs itself – what are the differentiating factors between רופיס and םירצמ תאיצי תריכז? Through understanding the profound difference between the two, we can come to a deeper appreciation of the הוצמ of םירצמ תאיצי רופיס.

Rav Chaim Brisker[1] himself asks this question and explains that these two תווצמ are indeed entirely different from one another. He illustrates this point particularly through the opinion of the Rambam[2] who seems to delineate three differentiating elements between םירצמ תאיצי רופיס and םירצמ תאיצי תריכז:

1. The commandment to remember םירצמ תאיצי every day is accomplished through a few short םיקוספ at the end of עמש תאירק. No conversation or give-and-take is necessary. A quick mention and the הוצמ has been fulfilled. Not so the הוצמ of םירצמ תאיצי רופיס, which necessitates a conversation, even if someone is alone at their Seder.

[3]

2. The only thing one is commanded to mention daily is the fact that we left Egypt. Nothing more, nothing less. But on Seder night, we must start from the very beginning – חַבשב םייסמו תונגב ליחַתמ, to begin with the depressing and end with the salvation.

3. On a daily basis, no explanation is needed as to why we’re engaging in the הוצמ of remembering םירצמ תאיצי – we just do it. However, on Seder night we must explain the reason behind our actions, as the [4]הנשמ elaborates: המ םוש לע חַספ, for what purpose do we bring the Pesach offering. המ םוש לע הצמ, for what purpose do we eat the matza, etc.

It would seem, that these differences don’t just reflect a technical, Halachic contrast between the הוצמ of םירצמ תאיצי רופיס and that of םירצמ תאיצי תריכז. Rather, these םיניד reflect a fundamental distinction

between these two תווצמ. Indeed, the names of the individual תווצמ begs the question – what is the inherent difference between “רופיס” and “הריכז?”

And while Rav Chaim gave us the practical differences between the תווצמ, perhaps there is a deeper meaning behind the הוצמ of תאיצי רופיס םירצמ which delineates its fundamental nature, in contradistinction to םירצמ תאיצי תריכז.

The transmitting of ideas through speech can happen in two different ways. A person can relay an idea, but not give it over to anybody. Their idea is indeed in the presence of an attentive audience, but the speech flows forth into the ether, placed there for those who are interested to grasp it and digest it. In this type of speech, there is no connection between the speaker and the listener. The speaker has placed his concept into the public domain such that the listener can attain it without ever interacting personally with the speaker.

There is, however, another type of speech. A person can reach within themselves, uncover a concept, thought, feeling, or whatever it may be, and give it to a specific listener. In this way, the speech is highly personal. The concept given over is a בלה ןמ אצויה רבד, something which is extracted from the heart. And not only does it come from deep within the speaker, but it is the intent of the speaker to convey this idea to the listener, such that the listener should be able to bring that idea into his heart – בלה לא סנכנ. Now the speech has created an ineffable bond between the speaker and listener. Not only has information been relayed, but a relationship has been built, such that one has “spoken to” and the other has “received from.” He

Indeed, this is the whole purpose of speech. The Kuzari[5] writes “עמושה שפנב רבדמה שפנב שיש

,ןושלה

יכ”, the faculty of speech is to transmit the idea from the soul of the speaker into the soul of the hearer. Speech is not meant to merely be a means for disseminating information or enlightening others. Speech is a connective process, one in which the speaker and listener are

Michael Brodsky ‘26

engaged in a relationship which reaches beyond the words emitted.

The idea, the message is a tool to link the speaker and the listener, so that they have formed a relationship through the speech, not just gained information.

Herein lies the difference between “רמאיו” and “הרימא [6]”.רבדיו is an act of speech which happens passively. Letters form into words, words into sentences. Those sentences end up in the dead space between speaker and listener, ownerless for the listener to grab. In stark contrast, רוביד is meaningfully mined from the soul of the speaker, and intentionally directed at a particular receiver. It is thoughtfully developed, and mindfully given over, for a selected listener to hear. It is only through a moment of םינפב םינפ, face to face interaction, that רוביד can come to fruition. When there is רוביד, there is deep connection. Souls unite, worlds cleave one to the other, to form an existential bond.

Perhaps this explanation can also explain the difference between הריכז and רופיס. According to the grammarians,[7] ריכזהל, to recall, is a passive term. It connotes bringing something which has previously been created to the fore. The concept has been and will always be—הריכז reawakens it back to relevancy. The act of recollection is therefore not a creative one. It does not necessitate a connection with oneself, nor with the other to conceive it. With a superficial mention, one has achieved הריכז.

This is not so for [8].רופיס The word רופיס comes from the word [9],ריפס a clear, priceless gem. According to this, רופיס connotes a radiant, priceless type of speech, one which comes from within the depths of a person’s heart and is obviously directed towards a particular recipient.

The relationship between speaker ad listener is inherent in רופיס –without the soul of the speaker or the soul of the listener, there is no רופיס. Only when two individuals who are lucidly present and aware of themselves and the other, connect through speech, is the reality called “רופיס” created.

Now we can appreciate the depth behind Rav Chaim’s distinction, and the three practical ramifications which result from it.

1. While a superficial הריכז suffices to reinforce one’s faith in God and the Exodus daily, once a year we’re called to dig deep. To find within ourselves how םירצמ תאיצי, and the הנומא which ebbs from it, impact one’s own life, and those around him. For this, the conversation of רופיס is crucial. םירצמ תאיצי רופיס demands that one reach into the annals of his soul to uncover the story of םירצמ תאיצי in his microcosm, and relay that through speech—even if he sits as his Seder alone. For even if he himself plays the role as the “other”, the act of רופיס is albeit meaningful, as he has tapped into his true self.

2. Seeing that the daily הוצמ is only הריכז, a short highlight of the moment of םירצמ תאיצי is enough. The בויחַ is only to recall the actual Exodus, and to affirm God’s Omnipotence. רופיס, on the other hand, is meant to put a person in the moment of םירצמ תאיצי. For this, one must appreciate the whole picture of his redemption; to fully grasp the pain of his unique, personal תולג, and from there to express either gratitude or the yearning for salvation.

3. הריכז doesn’t necessitate an explanation of the purpose for which we engage in it. The point is just to do it. רופיס, however, dictates that we must find the reasons for our תולג and the methods with which to bring forth our הלואג. To uncover the misconceptions and skewed perceptions which create our reality of תולג, hidden deep within our psyche. Only from there can a person achieve an actualized הלואג. Now the nature of םירצמ תאיצי רופיס becomes more apparent. הריכז is fleeting, superficial and impersonal. It’s crucial every other day of the year, but insufficient on Seder night. The obligation of Seder night, as elucidated by the Rambam,[10] is אוה ולאכ ומצע תא תוארהל םדא בייחַ םירצמ דובעשמ התע אצי ומצעב, [that] a person must present himself as if he, himself, has now left the slavery of Egypt. To put oneself into the moment of הלואג, redemption, they must plumb the depths of their own conscious and subconscious. To reveal that which is inside their heart of hearts. This is a much deeper process than הריכז – it is רופיס, taking from one’s soul and conveying that to the family and friends

around him.

As such, it is insufficient to merely read the passages of the הדגה. One must live the passages of the הדגה. On every page, at every paragraph, one must ask himself – how does this part of the story reflect itself in my own life? What is the nature of my personal תולג? In what ways can I be grateful to ה”בקה for my personal redemptions? For what must I beseech Hashem to have a glimpse into my own םירצמ תאיצי? The הדגה—and the הוצמ of םירצמ תאיצי רופיס therein—is the framework within which we find not only our communal story of הלואג, but all our individual paths to a fuller, deeper relationship with ה”בקה, ourselves, our families, and לארשי םע as a whole.

RABBI ZACK STEINER

Zack Steiner is a member of the Jack and Gitta Nagel YU Community Kollel and teaches in the Boys Division. He is originally from Monsey, New York and after learning in Yeshivat Shaalvim for two years, Zack attended Yeshiva University and learned in Rav Rosensweig’s shiur. He graduated with a degree in Psychology and hopes to have a career in chinuch. Zack is married to Atara, who works as the Assistant Director of Community Outreach for ORA.

1. א ,זטק םיחַספ ,ס”שה לע חַ”רגה ישודיחַ

2. ז קרפ הצמו ץמחַ תוכלה

3. םש םיחַספ ’יע

4. ב דומע םש םיחַספ

5. בע תוא ,ב קלחַ

6. טי ,י ארקיו .ב ,ו תומש הירא רוג ’יע

7. רכז‘ ךרע ,םישרשה רפס ק”דר ’יע‘

8. םדיקפת ריהזיו רבדי – רפסי” – זל ,חַל בויא י”שר ’יע”

9. זט ,ט תומש הלבקהו בתכה

10. ו ’לה הצמו ץמחַ תוכלה ז קרפ

The Message of Pesach

Each chag brings the potential for spiritual growth. This year, more than ever, we need Pesach.

One of the pillars of our faith, which we affirm daily, is “I am Hashem, who took you out of Egypt.” Why does Hashem introduce Himself in this way? Why not say, “I am Hashem, who created the world, who created you, who gave us the Torah”?

One explanation that resonated with me is that the purpose of creation is for Hashem to have a relationship with us, the Jews, and

Isaac Amouyal ‘25

for us to revel in His glory. To have a relationship with anyone, you must show that you care, that you are there for them on their most challenging days. When Hashem took us out of Egypt, we were at our lowest point. Yet, Hashem was with us. He wants to remind us every day that He can lift us from the most painful situations with open miracles.

We can fall into hopelessness, seeing the amount of pain and losses we’ve experienced since October 7th. Then came Purim, to remind us of another time when we were almost wiped out, but with unity and prayers to Hashem, we were saved.

This message of Pesach is more relevant than ever. On Pesach, I believe our avodah is for us to strengthen our emunah and bring it into our daily lives. Every time we check the news and hear about another soldier dying, and the hostages not yet freed, as Chovot Halevovot tells us, only Hashem knows the big picture and that everything is for our best.

Yet, we are a nation of believers, Maaminim Bnei Maaminim, a nation where women pushed themselves and optimistically encouraged their husbands to continue building. To keep trusting and hoping. To be like Nachshon and step into the Yam Suf, with faith that Hashem will save us.

The Pesach message is powerful, perfect for our times, and exactly what we need to hear. Thank you, Hashem, for Pesach.

MRS. SIMONE GREENBERG

Mrs. Simone Greenberg began teaching art and Machshava at YULA this year but has been a master mechanechet for years. Mrs. Greenberg wants her students to be in awe of the stunning world Hashem has created and see themselves as incredible creators.

Four Cups, Four Experiences

The four cups of wine that we raise and drink at the Seder are among the more well-known practices of the evening. The first Mishnah in the final chapter of Pesahim mandates that the communal charity fund is obligated to ensure that the poorest person should be given no less than four cups of wine for the evening. What is behind this rabbinic enactment? Why wine? And why four cups?

The Jerusalem Talmud (Pesahim 10:1) poses this question and provides four answers (how poetic), each attributed to a different sage or, in the last case, the collegium. The first answer, by far the most popular among both classic Mefarshim as well as in the folk consciousness, is that the four cups correspond to the four words that God instructed Moses to promise the people: . ..יתלאגו...יתלצהו...יתאצוהו יתחַקלו... (I will take you out…I will save you…I will redeem you…I will take you unto Me.) (Exodus 6:6-7). The second explanation is that the cups correspond to the four times that the phrase הערפ סוכ (Pharaoh’s goblet) appears in the interaction between the chief steward and Joseph while they were in prison (Gen. 40).

The third, without referencing any verses, associates the four cups with the “four evil empires.” The “four empires” is a Midrashic trope built on a vision at the end of the book of Daniel (ch. 11), identifying four oppressive kingdoms to whom the Jewish people have been subjugated. The final opinion is that these cups represent the four cups of bitter punishment that God will, at the end of history, force the nations that oppressed His people to drink – and, corresponding to those, four cups of consolation which he will present to us.

What are we to make of these suggestions? Don’t the rabbis know why the practice was instituted? Shouldn’t there be just one explanation?

To answer this question, we need to explore the difference between a “reason” and an “explanation.” Any rabbinic enactment is generated for one reason – yet, once that enactment is in place, especially in the context of the Seder, the ultimate teaching experience, we provide multiple explanations to add meaning and texture to the practice and

to use that practice to teach further. The many explanations for the karpas, for breaking the Matza and hiding it, for leaning – all speak to this phenomenon. Each of these practices is grounded in an original reason. In some cases, we no longer know that reason, and healthy, spirited debate is generated to try to identify it. Yet, explanations abound and there is no reason to think that the sages proposing their various explanations are in disagreement. Rather, each is providing an additional perspective, which helps us deepen and broaden what we experience while engaging in that custom.

Why are there four cups? The reason seems straightforward: There are four different stages in the Seder, each of which requires a Shirah – song of praise to God. As the Talmud (BT Arakhin 10a) teaches, shirah must be said over wine. Therefore, each of these stages –Kiddush, Haggadah (specifically the blessing of redemption which is at the end of Maggid), Birkat haMazon and Hallel requires a cup as each is experienced as a shirah on this magical evening.

But what are we to make of the four explanations?

I’d like to propose that each one is suggesting a unique perspective on the experience of the Seder.

The first opinion (the four phrases of redemption) is most straightforward – the evening is about celebrating the Exodus from Egypt, the fulfillment of those four promises.

The second opinion deepens our thinking about the event we are reliving. It is not enough to celebrate the redemption; we must also cogitate about the reason we ended up in Egypt in the first place. To that, we turn to the story of Joseph, a young man sold by his own brothers. We are often the authors of our own oppression - and the Joseph story ought to be a cautionary tale.

The third opinion takes note of the fact that the Seder is not just about one historic event but about an eternal cycle. As we sing in v’hi she’amdah – “not only one tried to destroy us, but in every generation they try to destroy us and the Holy One, Who is blessed, saves us from their hands.” At the Seder, we are celebrating all of Jewish

history, all of the salvations and redemptions in our long journey.

The fourth opinion speaks to another matrix of the evening. Many of the practices at the Seder revolve around the currently dormant Korban Pesach. Despite our still being in exile, we act as if we have been fully redeemed, we are in Yerushalayim, the Beit Hamikdash is standing and we are eating from the Korban Pesach with our Matza and Maror. Hence, the four cups may also represent the four eschatological cups of punishment – and of consolation – which symbolize the successful end of history.

As go the explanations, so go the various ways in which we can make our Seder experience more profound.

RAV YITZCHAK ETSHALOM

Rav Yitzchak Etshalom has been teaching at YULA for nearly 3 decades; for the past 10 years, he has taught the “Tanakh Masters” program, an honors course available to students in all grades. His newest book: “Amos: The Genius of Prophetic Rhetoric” will be published by Koren this spring.

Symbolism for Karpas

We are introduced to the third step of the Seder, Karpas, in the Mishnah in Pesachim: (114a) “ עֲיגִּ

ה

פּל” meaning, “The attendants brought vegetables to the Seder leader before the meal. If there were no other vegetables on the table, he dips the ḥazeret into water or vinegar.” The Gemara elaborates, explaining the purpose of the Mitzva, הּי ֵבַּ יֵ וּהיֶ

יִ

תוֹקוֹניִתּל אָריֵכִּיֶה, that it should be a conspicuous distinction for the children.

Remarkably, the Gemara seems to omit some critical Karpas details. How much Karpas should one eat? Which vegetables should be used? Is there any symbolic significance to Karpas? Most notable, perhaps, is the fact that the Gemara does not even utilize the familiar term Karpas!

These omissions have left room for multiple, fascinating possibilities to fill in the details. Regarding how much Karpas needs to be consumed, the Rambam writes in Laws of Chametz and Matzah (8:2) that one must eat a K’zayit, an olive’s bulk, while the Shulchan Aruch paskens (OC 473:6) that we must specifically eat less than a K’zayit.

There are also varying approaches in regard to which vegetable to use. The Jerusalem Talmud (Shevi’s 9:1) states that karpas is ‘Petroselinum’, Latin for parsley. Based on this, Haye Adam and Rabbi Akiva Eiger suggest using parsley as Karpas. There is also the opinion of Harav Levi Yitzhak of Berditchev who used boiled potatoes. The Aruch Hashulachan (OC 473:10) mentions that some families use potatoes, while others use onion, radishes, or any other food for which the bracha is Ha’adama. Rav Ovadia Yosef writes that the optimal choice is to use celery.

Even though the Talmudic text does not offer a deeper meaning to karpas, there is an incredible tradition of symbolism for why we eat Karpas and why it is referred to as Karpas. The Maharil Explains the word karpas ( ספרכ), when reversed, can be read as’ ס ךרפ’. The letter samach has the numerical value of 60, and perach means “hard labor,”

so the word karpas alludes to the sixty myriads of Jews (600,000) who were enslaved with hard labor.

Rabbi Rosner offers another approach based on Rashi’s interpretation of Yosef’s coat saying םיספ is a term for raiment of fine wool (Shabbat 10b). The term is similarly used in Megillat Esther with ( 1:6) ספרכ referring to “fine linen and blue.” The implication is that it was the dipping of Yosef’s coat that started the downward spiral to Egyptian slavery. According to this option, the Seder begins by dipping the Karpas before recounting the story of slavery. This is to remind us that hatred between brothers can be the evil root that leads to ongoing struggles, and it must be rectified at once.

Indeed, the vagueness surrounding the Karpas ritual in the Gemara birthed a plethora of inspiring interpretations and a colorful variety of customs in Jewish tradition. Each family is entrusted with instilling Judaism’s messages and traditions to the next generation in a way that resonates with the unique dynamics and personalities present at their own Seder table.

RABBI ARYEH KAPLAN

Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan is the Executive Director of the OU’s Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus, overseeing the professionals at Santa Monica College, California State University, Northridge, Pierce College, and Valley College. He is a member of the OU-JLIC Senior Management Team and part of the Executive Leadership Cohort. Rabbi Kaplan teaches Talmud at the Girls Division and he is a very proud YULA parent of both divisions.

Ha Lachma Anya

We begin the Pesach Seder each year with with “Ha Lachma Anya,” a declaration inviting anyone in need to join our Seder. However, if we pause to contemplate what we are saying, it is, in fact quite odd.

Firstly, why do we only find such a declaration being made on Pesach? Why do we not invite the poor and needy to join us during other Yomim Tovim?

Secondly, the placement of this declaration seems to be out of order. We recite Ha Lachma Anya after commencing the Seder and having already recited Kiddush. If we truly wanted to invite the poor and make them feel at home, wouldn’t it make more sense to invite them before we closed our front door and began the Seder? Why only invite them once we have sat down and made Kiddush?

Rav Yakov M’Lisa (author of the Nesivos HaMishpat) in his Haggadah, Maaseh Nissim, answers these questions by way of two introductory remarks:

1) If one is incarcerated and subsequently freed, he rejoices on the day of his freedom each year to commemorate it. However, if a person were to be incarcerated a second time he would no longer rejoice on the day of his original freedom, as he is currently enslaved.

2) When celebrating a happy occasion, the greater the Simcha, the more people one is going to invite.

With these introductory axioms in mind, he explains that Ha Lachma Anya is not about inviting people to our home; rather it is an answer to the question of how we can rejoice and commemorate the time we left Mitzrayim if we are currently in Galus and “enslaved” once again.

This is the meaning of “Ha Lachma Anya.” We are showing that we are eating the exact same bread which Bnei Yisrael ate in Mitzrayim, as we too are in exile. However, the Haggadah is teaching us that our situation is different. The very fact that we were redeemed from Mitzrayim is a guarantee that there will be a redemption in the future. We can therefore rejoice and commemorate our original redemption,

even though we are currently in Galus. Even though, we proclaim, “Ha Lachma Anya,” “this is the bread of affliction” which we ate in Mitzrayim, our Simcha is so great that “Kol Dichfin Yesei V’yechol,”

anyone who wants can come and eat. We demonstrate that although “Hashta Hacha” (right now we are here in Galus), our Simcha is so great that we are willing to invite everyone to come join, as “L’Shana Haba B’ara D’Yisrael,” we know with certainty that we will ultimately be redeemed and return to Eretz Yisrael.

We can now understand why the passage of Ha Lachma Anya is not placed at the beginning of the Seder, as we are not actually inviting anyone to join us. We make this declaration prior to beginning Maggid for ourselves, not for others. We explain why it is that we can rejoice over our freedom despite our current state of enslavement. We remind ourselves that it is the Geula from Mitzrayim which is indicative of the ultimate Geula.

This Emunah engenders within us a tremendous sense of Simcha, which is demonstrated with an invitation to all to come rejoice with us as “L’Shana Haba B’ara D’Yisrael!”

RABBI JOSH MASLOW

Rabbi Josh Maslow is a 10th grade Rebbe and Guidance Counselor at the Boys Division. Rabbi Maslow also teaches Judaic Studies at the Girls Division and serves as the Programming Director of the LINK Kollel.

Why is This Night Different From All Other Nights?

Each year at the Pesach seder when we get to Mah Nishtanah we give our attention to the children as they sing the song that we have heard countless times.

We have heard it so many times that we have stopped to reflect on what we’re saying. ‘Mah nishtanah halailah hazeh – Why is this night different from all other nights?’

We know the answer to the question – we dip twice, recline, eat Matzah and maror – but what is so important about the question?

As Jews we are used to doing everything differently! We shake four species of plant life while sleeping in booths, fast on several days of the year, blow ram’s horns on our new year’s and wrap ourselves in leather straps and boxes. What isn’t different about our lives? And yet, when do all those other things, we never stop to ask: Mah Nishtanah?

So why on Pesach do we stop the Seder just to ask about what we are doing?

As we know, the main theme of Pesach is freedom. The Matzah represents freedom, as do the four cups, the reclining as well as the Haggadah. Even the parts of the seder that mention our slavery, is to contrast our subsequent freedom.

And yet, despite our freedom, the night is filled with rules, obligations, and shiurim of revi’it and kzeitim. Is there any other holiday that has so many details as to how much to eat, when, how fast and even in what position? Is there any one step of the seder that is not replete with details? To the point where if I forget to recline, I must drink again? That I can’t dip my celery into salt water without running into a safek of whether I have to make an after-bracha (and hence why we only eat less than a k’zayit)?

The question of Mah Nishtanah begs to be understood. And so, Rabbi

Shimon Schwab rephrases the question and says what we are really asking is: If this holiday is about freedom, then why do I HAVE to recline? Why do I NEED to eat maror whether I like it or not? Why MUST I drink four cups and why do I HAVE to eat Matzah while reclining? If we really are free, then let me decide for myself what to do and how to do it! As Frank Sinatra famously sang: “I did it my way!” And so, Rabbi Schwab explains, Mah Nishtanah is really addressing a deeper question: what is freedom?

We did not leave Egypt simply to “be free,” or to do it “my way.” The goal was to be free from slavery in order to pursue a higher objective and calling. It was to be the chosen nation, the Am Segulah. The goal of life is connection to the Almighty and living with purpose. Which is why Pesach begins the counting to the culmination of leaving Egypt, which is to receive the Torah.

This Pesach as we sit around the seder and attempt to maneuver halachic details while still maintaining a calm and elevating environment, may we merit to remember that it’s not the lack of rules that gives rise to greatness; it’s the appreciation of how vital they are. Anyone who achieved greatness, from being an athlete to a musician to a Torah Scholar, can attest that it was attention to detail that made them great.

The gift of Pesach is not freedom from obligations; it is the freedom to connect to the Infinite source of life, love, and Oneness. The details of the Mitzvot and Halachot are the way to get there.

Chag Kasher Sameach.

RABBI NISSAN AHOOBIM

Rabbi Nissan Ahoobim is a 9th grade Rebbe at YULA High School Boys Division where he oversees 9th Grade Student Activities, Clubs and Chessed Organizations. He also teaches Halacha to the sophomore girls.

The Time for Shema Has

In the paragraph of רֶ זעֲיִ לא יִבַּרבַּ הֶשְׂ ֲעֲַמ a scene is depicted - five prominent Talmidei Chochomim sit and recount the story of Bnei Yisroell leaving Mitzrayim. The five scholars become so engrossed in the mitzvah of םירצמ תאיצי רופיס, that they lose track of time. A student barges in and says “the time for עַמּשֶׁ תַאיִרּק of Shacharit has come.” Apparently, it was time to end the seder.

At surface level, perhaps this is a simple portrait of what Leil HaSeder should look like - complete involvement in the story of our freedom. Or, maybe there is a greater message here, beyond the passionate retelling of our historic moment.

Pesach night is about Emunah. It is about transmitting our faith to the next generation. We delve into our history to retell how Hashem stood by us, carrying us from generation to generation, always there by our side. We recount the trials and tribulations of our people, but more importantly the divine triumphs and ascent of our ancestors. We remind ourselves of the splitting of the sea when we saw Hashem with such clarity and insight, exclaiming “(ב:וט תומש( והונאו ילק הז - This is my G-d and I will praise Him”. We attempt to reenact and establish this peak of faith, this climax of belief and understanding.

At the same time, we ask questions, we share the pain of the Jewish people. We uncover the dark times we have shared and cry over the brokenness our nation has experienced. In these moments, we cannot understand Hashem, we cannot make sense of His actions. We look at each other and relive pogroms, genocides, book burnings, gas chambers and massacres. And we wonder when we will finally be free of all this pain.

The seder oscillates - pain and hope, dark and light.

It is in these moments that we knock on a proverbial door and remind

each other - “ it is time to say עַמּשֶׁ,” just as the talmidim of those five Rabbanim in Bnei Brak did. It is when we tap into that Emunah, of so many seder nights, of so many miracles, of so many moments of closeness and clarity, and we say, “Hashem is one” - whether I understand His actions or not, I recognize that Hashem is the One in charge and He is completely compassionate and merciful. I cannot understand Him, but I know He has complete control. I can dive into the seder night and try to understand Hashem, but I recognize that in the end, we can only believe.

MRS. CHANIE KLUGER

Mrs. Chanie Kluger is a junior Mechanechet and teaches Chumash and Navi at the Girls Division. We are so lucky to have her inspiring our students. Rabbi Willy Kluger and Mrs. Kluger joined the YULA family in the summer of 2022 when he joined the YU Kollel.

I am Like I am Seventy Years Old

The Haggadah is full of incredible perspectives and insights into ourselves as Jews throughout history.

Those parts of the Haggadah rightfully get the royal treatment of discussion and introspection to enlighten our minds and grant a semblance of deep appreciation for who we are as a people.

However there are a few parts that get less attention. The parts we call at my seder “every person read for himself quick” parts. The idea I would like share is for one of those paragraphs.

The famous story of Reb Elazar Ben Azarya.

The Gemara in Berachot teaches us, after Rabban Gamliel was voted out as the leader of the Learning Acadamy, they voted in young Reb Elazar Ben Azarya to be the Rosh Hayeshiva at the ripe young age of eighteen years old. Reb Elazar recounts how he was הנש םיעבש ןבכ , like

seventy years old , why like seventy years old? The famous answer given by our Rabbi’s is in order that he be respected and given an heir of importance, Reb Elazar miraculously had his beard turn white over night to give him the appearance of a much older and more respectable sage. We say this to our kids at the seder, we learn his derasaha of Yetziat Metzrayim and we move on. But not this year!

Listen to this amazing insight! It is brought in the name of the Arizal that Reb Elazar Ben Azaria was in fact the gilgul of Shmuel Hanavi. In fact it is well known how Shmuel Hanavi lived until fifty two years old and that together with the eighteen years of Reb Elazar equals seventy. Let us unravel this. The Sefer Meorei Ohr explains, it is well known that Shmuel Hanavi was meant to live seventy years, and for the reason of Shaul Hamelech’s kingdom being cut short and David Hamelech’s kingdom being started Shmuel’s life was cut by eighteen years and he died at fifty two.

When his Neshama was reincarnated as a Gilgul in Reb Elazar and he reached eighteen years , Shmuel’s soul reached the fulfillment of his

years!

This is the secret of the verbiage used. Reb Elazar said ‘I am LIKE I am seventy years old’ , because in his eighteenth year his soul was seventy, so he was LIKE he was seventy!

Rav Alagozi adds to this incredible explanation of the Arizal and teaches concerning the hairs of his beard turning white, because the Gemara in Taanis 5b teaches that since Shmuel died young the look of being older וילע הצפק over came him and Shmuel’s beard turned white as well!. Going deeper, Reb Elazar says he הנש םיעבש ןבכ ,the letters of like ןב (numerical value 52) is saying I am like the 52 years with my 18 makes הנש םיעבש! Finally the word הנש stands for איבנה לאומש תמשנ!

This year when we read this part of the Haggadah I hope we all have a deeper appreciation for this story!

RABBI ARI BENSOUSSAN

Rabbi Ari Bensoussan is a Talmud of Mir Jerusalem and Lakewood BMG and is a Musmach of The Jerusalem Rabbinate and Rav Yitzchock Berkowitz shlita. A few years ago, Rabbi Bensoussan moved with his wife and 5 children to L.A. to head a new branch of Chazak International, and to become a Rebbe in the Boys Division at that time. Rabbi Bensoussan’s Shiurim can be found on Torahanytime.com

Aiden Nelson ‘24

Are You Asking Me or Are You Telling Me?

Growing up, my mother a”h many times would say “are you asking me or telling me?” I think it is important to try and understand the profundity of this statement. One could make the argument that the most essential element in education is the ability and the permission to ask questions. One could posit that most of the Haggadah and certainly the mitzvah of sippur yeziat mitzrayim, telling over the story of the Exodus, is based upon questions and answers. Don’t we all eagerly await with bated breath for the moment when the youngest member of the household begins “Mah Nishtanah?” We welcome questions, we encourage asking but we must never forget that if and when one is truly seeking knowledge and understanding, it must always be done in the form of a question, not a statement – “are you asking me or are you telling me?”

There is probably no more obvious example of this concept of “are you asking me or are you telling me?” than when we read on the Seder night about the Four Sons. The language used by the Torah when describing three of the sons (we will not consider the “one who doesn’t even know how to ask” since he does not question at all) is very specific and very significant. The Torah states regarding the Wicked Son: “And it shall be when your children say to you, “what is this service to you?” Regarding the Simple Son the Torah states: “And it shall be when your son will ask you tomorrow, saying, “what is this?...” Regarding the Wise Son the Torah states: “if your child asks you tomorrow, saying, “what are the testimonies, decrees and ordinances that Hashem our G-d, commanded you?” If we analyze these three verses we see at least three glaring differences in the language used for the Wicked Son vis-à-vis the language used for the Simple Son and Wise Son. Firstly, by the Wicked Son it says, “When your children say to you” and by the Simple Son and Wise son it says, “When your son will ask you” and “If your child asks”. Secondly, the word “saying”/ ״רומאל״ is included by the Simple Son and Wise Son. Thirdly, “tomorrow”/ ״רחַמ״ is added to the Simple Son and Wise Son.

The first difference mentioned, that of saying versus asking, is the fundamental difference between the Wicked Son and the other two

Benjamin Mahgerefteh ‘25

Sons. As my mother a”h would have responded to the Wicked Son, “are you asking me or telling me?” for unlike the other two Sons, he is saying, not asking at all! Reb Chaim Soloveitchik zt”l had a student who unfortunately went off the derech. A number of years later, the student met up with his former Rebbe and said that he had a number of questions that needed answering. Before answering any of those questions, Reb Chaim posed one question of his own to the student. “Did you have these questions before or after you went off the derech?” The student responded that these questions arose only after he went off of the derech. Reb Chaim then told him that he would not and could not answer any of the questions. He explained that in reality the student was not asking questions but was rather providing “answers” and “rationalizations” - and one cannot answer an answer! Regarding the second difference, The Meshech Chochmah explains that the word “saying”/ ״רומאל״ that is included by the Simple Son and Wise Son, connotes that the speaker is requesting and seeking an answer – not merely asking but desiring of an answer as well! Concerning the third difference, The Shemen Tov points out that the inclusion of “tomorrow”/ רחַמ״ by the Simple Son and Wise

Son teaches that one does not ask while the situation or event is unfolding.

Instead one waits until the next day, until tomorrow, to reflect on and to probe what transpired. Our Torah is built upon the notion of “Na’aseh V’nishmah”, “we will (first) do, then we will learn”. The Kotzker Rebbe zt”l used to say that only after we have firmly established “Ein ke’lokeinu”, “there is none like our G-d”, can we then ask Mi ke’lokeinu”, “who is like our G-d?”!

There is no doubt that in these turbulent times we all have many questions and we have the right to ask. What we must be aware of and sensitive to is that we must be asking, not saying, we must desire an answer and we must do so tomorrow not today. With this in mind we hope and pray that all of our questions will be answered with the coming of Moshiach, speedily in our days!

RABBI JOSEPH SCHREIBER

Rabbi Joseph Schreiber has been involved in Jewish education for nearly 50 years, He is the Principal of YULA High School Boys Division and 9th Grade Rebbe in the Baum Family AGT. He also teaches Nach at YULA High School Girls Division.

How Then Shall Pharaoh Listen to Me?

In the beginning of Parashat Vaera ב׳י קוספ ׳ו קרפ Moshe says to Hashem the following: יִ֖נאו הּ֔עּר פ יִ נֵעֲמּשֶׁי ךְיֵאּו יַ֔לא וּ֣עּמָשֶׁ־אּֽל

And Moshe spoke to Hashem, saying, “The Israelites would not listen to me; how then should Pharaoh listen to me, me—who gets tonguetied?”

י׳שר quotes the שרדמ who says the following on the Pasuk above:

ב״צ הבר תישארב הָרוֹתּבַּשֶׁ

HOW THEN SHALL PHARAOH LISTEN TO ME? — This is one of the ten

רמוחַו לק inferences from minor to major found in the Torah.

One example of a רמוחַו לק is the following:

The Torah tells us that Yom Tov is just like Shabbat, except that food preparation is permitted Yom Tov. In other words, the laws of Shabbat are known to be more stringent than those of Yom Tov. If something is known to be permitted on Shabbat, רמוחַו לק, it must be permitted on Yom Tov. Conversely, if something is known to be prohibited on Yom Tov, it must be prohibited on Shabbat.

Moshe is telling Hashem that if לארשי ינב are not going to listen to him when he tells them they are going out of םירצמ, then רמוחַו לק that הערפ will not listen to him. And how can he then tell הערפ to send ינב לארשי out of םירצמ

Rav רוגמ רתלא ביל הירא הדוהי also known as the תמא תפש is asking in his רפס on the Torah the following question:

The reason לארשי ינב did not listen to Moshe was because their spirits were crushed by cruel, back-breaking work as it says in ׳ט קוספ

הערפ did not go through any hard work, his spirit was not broken, and

he did not have a reason not to listen to Moshe

If one cannot pick up 200 pounds, then, for sure, he can not pick up 300 pounds. This is a רמוחַו לק If one is strangled when trying to pick up 200 pounds and fails, it does not mean he will not be able to pick up 300 pounds if not strangled. How do we use this as a לארשי ינב רמוחַו לק? were strangled and choking from hard back-breaking work when Moshe told them Hashem would be taking them out of םירצמ, and that is why they did not believe him. On the other hand, הערפ was not in the same state as לארשי ינב and therefore had no reason not to listen to Hashem.

The תמא תפש answers beautifully and explains this רמוחַו לק.

When one wants to convince someone else of something, it is impossible to do so if he does not believe it himself. One cannot convince someone else to believe in an idea if he lacks confidence and does not believe it himself. Moshe is telling Hashem that הערפ will not listen to him, and will not send לארשי ינב out of םירצמ to לארשי ץרא because לארשי ינב themselves do not believe they will ever go out of םירצמ, and that is the רמוחַו לק in the Pasuk. If לארשי ינב do not

Aaron Kashanian ‘26

believe they will ever be freed from םירצמ דובעש then רמוחַו לק Pharoah will not be convinced לארשי ינב should ever leave םירצמ.

In more recent events and especially after the October 7th atrocities we have all witnessed, many nations doubt our right and obligation to defend ourselves and our ownership over our home, the land of Israel.

This has happened many times in the history of us as Jews. If we will not doubt our ownership over the land of Israel that Hashem gave us then nobody else will either. May we all see the הרהמב המלש הלואג ןמא ונימיב

RABBI MICHAEL ABRAHAM

Rabbi Michael Abraham is a 10th grade Rebbe and Director of 10th Grade Student Activities at the Boys Division. Additionally, Rabbi Abraham serves as the Associate Rabbi and Kehilat Mogen David.

Eight to Five or Five to Eight? םֽהל

“Since they were chased out of Egypt and they were unable to delay, and also they did not make provisions for themselves.” (12:39 תומש)

When the B’nei Yisrael left םירצמ they barely had enough provisions to survive a short time and certainly not enough to sustain approximately 3,000,000 people for 40 years. Hashem had planned before the Exodus to provide a daily ration of heavenly food called ןמ for every single person. The miraculous distribution system was designed by our Father in Heaven to teach that Hashem provides for those who have faith in Him. Rabbi Samson Refael Hirsch said that He limited the ration to just enough for one day and delivered a fresh portion daily to show that He is the provider for all time. He sent a double portion on Friday to teach that Shabbat observance will never be an impediment to one’s livelihood.

A peasant, who lived all of his life in the country, made his first trip to the city. He was totally unfamiliar with city life. His eyes and mind had trouble absorbing all the beautiful sights and he could hardly keep up with the fast paced life, to which city dwellers were accustomed. The big super stores and busy offices were things he had never seen before and he tried his best to understand all that he saw.

Standing at the window of the post office, he saw a man walk in and pay the clerk a few dollars and walk off with a large box. As the man left, the peasant asked about the contents of the large parcel. “This box has valuable equipment in it,” advised the gentleman, “it is worth thousands of dollars.” Back at the window the man observed another postal customer pay a small sum as the clerk passed him a bundle across the counter. Again he asked and again he was told that the package contained merchandise worth many times the amount that the peasant saw paid to the clerk. He immediately entered and emptied his pockets on the counter and told the clerk, “I am here to pick up my gift worth thousands of dollars. Here is my payment.” The clerk laughed and said, “You are under the wrong impression.

The money that I receive has nothing to do with the contents of the packages and it is certainly not payment for the contents. These packages were already paid for and they belong to the people who pick them up here. All the money that they pay to me is only for the freight charges.”

The lesson is that Hashem has set the amount that a person will earn in a year in the ten days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. However, when Adam sinned Hashem declared, “םחַל לכא֣ת ךי֙פא ת֤עזב By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread.” [3:19 תישארב], i.e. a person will work and struggle to earn his sustenance. What one must understand is that the effort expended, produces nothing — it is only

the freight one must pay before one can pick up his or her package from the post office.

The contents of the package are already his or hers from the beginning of the year. תלהק says “רש֔ע

And also not for the wise bread; and not for the intelligent wealth.”[9:11 תלהק] Intelligence and expertise do not have the power to produce income nor can they make one wealthy. Hashem determines and He provides.

When the children of Israel went out to collect the manna some gathered a little and others worked harder and carried home more. When the manna was weighed, however, each person found only one רמע of manna for each member of the family. The extra work produced no more than what Hashem had determined each person would receive. The heavenly food could not be stored overnight lest it spoil. Hashem wanted to teach us that He provides for every one, our efforts produce no more than what He decides one should have and His provisions are supplied newly every day. It is a lesson one must keep in mind when dealing with financial pressures, which deter one from strict Torah observance, and from giving oneself the time needed to develop oneself and to train one’s children in the ways of our Torah.

RABBI DROR BAALHANESS

Rabbi Baalhaness is an 11th grade Rebbe and the 11th Grade Director of Student Activities at the Boys Division. Rabbi Baalhaness also teaches at Harkham Hillel Hebrew Academy and is a Maggid Shiur for the Daf Yomi at KBT.

Miriam’s Drum at Krias Yam Suf

On the seventh day of Pesach when HaShem performed the miracle of Krias Yam Suf, the men sang רישי זא. Right after the men sang Shirah at Yam Suf, the Torah describes how Miriam led the women in Shirah הָּ֑ד יּבַּ ףּ֖תּ ה־תֶא ןּ֛ר ה

- and Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aharon took the drum in her hand and led the women in singing Shirah. The Divrel Yirmiyahu (Rav Chaim Yirmiyahu Flenzberg) asks a number of questions on this passuk. Firstly why did the Torah tell us that she took a drum. Why is that significant? Secondly, Why did the Torah say “ףותה” the drum, rather than say a drum. It seems that it was a specific drum. Thirdly, why did the Torah describe Miriam here as a Neviah and the sister of Aharon? We already know this.

The Divrei Yirmiyahu gives a beautiful answer. Eighty years previously, Miriam had prophesied that her parents Amram and Yocheved would give birth to the person who would redeem Klal Yisroel from the slavery of Mitzrayim. This, of course, would be Moshe. Miriam convinced Amram and Yocheved, who had separated because of the decree of throwing the babies into the river, that they should now get back together. They accepted her advice and Amram remarried Yocheved. The Gemmorah in Sotah describes that they had a Kiddushin and a Chupah, and Aharon and Miriam sang and danced before them at the Chupah, and the

Malachim sang החַמש םינבה םא Says the Divrei Yirmiyahu that the drum that Miriam used at Yam Suf was the same drum that she had used when singing at the second Chupah of. her parents 80 years earlier.

That’s why the Torah says, the drum, because it was the same drum from 80 years earlier that Miriam had kept the whole time and took with her when she left Mitzrayim. That’s also why the Torah describes Miriam here as the Neviah and the sister of Aharon, because this is a remez to the drum that she used when she prophesied about the birth of Moshe, when she was only a sister of Aharon since Moshe had not yet been born. All this demonstrates the tremendous Emunah

and Bitachon that Miriam had throughout the years of bitter slavery. She knew there would be a Yeshuah and a Geulah and there would come a time that the Jews would sing Shirah to HaShem for the redemption. So she saved “that drum” for 80 years so she could use it once again to sing Shirah at the time of the actual Geulah that she had predicted. This was the gadlus of Miriam and the righteous women who had such Emunah and Bitachon in the midst of the greatest Tzaros. It is no wonder that Chazal say that Bnei Yisroel were redeemed from Mitzrayim in the Zechus of the Nashim Tzidkaniyos who always maintained the faith that there would be a redemption. Yehi Ratzon that we should have such emunah and be zocheh to the Geulah Shleimah ונימיב הרהמב.

RABBI NACHUM SAUER

Rabbi Nachum Sauer has been a Rebbe in YULA High School Boys Division since 1979. He is currently the 12th grade Baum Family Advanced Gemara Track Rebbe. He also serves as a Dayan on the Beis Din of the Rabbinical Council of California.

Open the Door!

The lyrical poetry of םירישה ריש, which we read on חַספ דעומה לוחַ תבש, tells of the love between a young shepherd and his beloved. The love story of the דוד and the היער is not uniformly rosy or simplistic; it is fraught with tension and periods of separation. At a key moment in ‘ה קרפ, the דוד presents himself at the היער’s door. “קפוד ידוד לוק!” Though the דוד knocks insistently and cajoles her to let him in, the היער drags her feet, fails to answer his call, and lets the moment slip away. By the time she shakes herself out of her lethargy and opens the door for him, the דוד has vanished into the night. As Rav Soloveitchik writes in Kol Dodi Dofek, it is the היער’s “paradoxical and tragic hesitation” that hinders her union with her beloved.

Jewish tradition has long understood the love relationship in ריש םירישה as an allegory for the relationship between the Jewish people and God. As such, the “tragic hesitation” of the היער represents the missed opportunities in Jewish history. How might the Jewish story have played out had we rejected the report of the spies and entered the land of Israel immediately after the exodus? Or if we had heeded the words of the prophets to repent and prevent the ןברוחַ? Or if we had returned en masse from the Babylonian exile when granted Persian permission to do so? In Kol Dodi Dofek, Rav Soloveitchik argues that the miracle of the modern State of Israel constitutes a series of “knocks” from God, inviting us to embrace our ancestral land and unite with Him, that demand a national response from us today. Will we hesitate and squander that opportunity, asks the Rav?1

Other commentators understand םירישה ריש as an allegory for the individual’s relationship with God. In this reading, םירישה ריש teaches that inertia is the enemy of personal religious development. R. Tzadok HaKohen of Lublin gleans this truth from the story of the exodus, when לארשי ינב ate הצמ hurriedly—״ןוזפחַב״— as they prepared to leave Egypt. Similar alacrity is key when it comes to growth in ‘ה תדובע. It is difficult to break free of our personal bondage—our excuses, doubts, and comforts—that prevent us from rising to greater spiritual heights. R. Tzadok encourages us to seize the moment that inspiration strikes and make a change ״ןוזפחַב,״ right away, lest our

motivation falter. 2

ל״זחַ teach a similar message regarding the verse (”תוֹצּמַַּה תֶא ם ֶתּּר מּשֶׁוּ זי:בי תומש(”, “you shall guard the תוצמ.” By reading not “תוֹצּמַַּה” but rather “תוֹוּצִמַּ ה”, we learn that just as one may not delay and let הצמ leaven into ץמחַ, so too one must not delay the performance of a הוצמ. Rather, דָיֹּמ הָּתוֹא הֵשְׂ ֲעֲ ,ךְָדי לַ עֲ הָ וּצמ תאָבַּ םִא! If the opportunity to perform a הוצמ presents itself, take advantage immediately. 3

This חַספ, let us rush to answer the call of “קפוד ידוד לוק” both personally and nationally, opening the door to the ultimate הלואג.

ROCHEL GANS

Mrs. Rochel Gans teaches Jewish History, Machsshava, and Tanach at the Girls Division. Mrs. Gans has also launched the Torah Bowl team at YULA and we are excited about the promise of this initiative. Rabbi Menachem and Mrs. Gans moved out to LA to Join the YU Kollel and we are thrilled to have her learn with our YULA students.

1. Kol Dodi Dofek, R. Joseph B. Soloveitchik, KTAV Publishing House, 2006.

2. א:א קידצה תקדצ

3 זי:בי תומש לע אתליכמ

Candle Lighting for Yom Tov

TIMES LISTED ARE FOR LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

1st Seder Night

Monday, April 22 ............. Candle Lighting 7:12pm

2nd Seder Night

Tuesday, April 23 ............. Candle Lighting after 8:16pm

Shabbos Chol Hamoed

Friday, April 26 ................. Candle Lighting 7:15pm

Saturday, April 27 ............ Havdalah 8:19pm

Shvi’i Shel Pesach

Sunday, April 28 ............... Candle Lighting 7:16pm

Last Night

Monday, April 29 ............. Candle Lighting after 8:21pm

Tuesday, April 30 ............. Havdalah 8:21pm

Cover Art: Binyamin Malk ‘26

The artwork in this edition was provided by Ms. Utrata’s Fine Art classes.