Rabbi Frand on Parshas Bo
These divrei Torah were adapted from the hashkafa portion of Rabbi Yissocher
Frand's Commuter Chavrusah Tapes on the weekly portion: Tape # 402, Doing
Work on Rosh Chodesh. Good Shabbos!
"Tomorrow" Is The Difference Between the Rasha and the Other Sons
This week's reading contains the essence of the story of the Exodus. The
parsha contains the words of three of the "Four Sons" mentioned by the
author of the Hagaddah. The Shemen HaTov notes that we find something very
interesting if we look at the three sons who ask questions (the fourth son
is the "One who does not ask"): the Torah introduces the questions of both
the Wise son (Chochom) and the Simple son (Tam) with the words "And it will
be when your son will ask you tomorrow..." However, the Torah does not use
the word "tomorrow" when introducing the Wicked son (Rasha).
The Shemen HaTov explains that the Wise son and the Simple son have
questions about the story of the Exodus. They have questions of faith,
perhaps. But the questions are asked "tomorrow". They may have inquiries to
make on the day after the bringing of the Pesach. But on the fourteenth of
Nissan and the night of the fifteenth of Nissan they do what they need to
do. Only after they have done what they are supposed to do, do they raise
their questions about what they've done.
The Wicked son, on the other hand, is different. If he does not understand,
he is not willing to do. That is what makes him into a wicked son. The basis
of being a Jew is Na'aseh V'Nishma. Once we understand the overall
picture, we realize that we must perform. First we do and then we seek
understanding.
The Kotzker Rebbe points out that the definitive statement "Ein K'Elokeinu"
(There is no one other than our G-d) precedes all the questions of "Mi
K'Elokeinu" (Who is like our G-d?); "Mi K'Adoneinu" (Who is like our
Master?); "Mi K'Moshienu (Who is like our Redeemer?). Only after we have
firmly established the basic principle that there is no one like our G-d,
can we start raising questions. The questions are deferred until tomorrow.
Rav Chaim Soloveitchik once had a disciple who left the Yeshiva and
abandoned the Torah way of life. Unfortunately, this was not all than
uncommon in the days of the Volozhin Yeshiva. It was a very turbulent time.
Judaism was under assault. There were some very precocious minds in
Volozhin. Not everyone withstood the temptations of the Haskalah, of
Socialism, of Communism, and the other "isms" that were prevalent in that
era.
Many years later, Rav Chaim happened to be in another city and this wayward
student came to see him. He said to his old Rebbi, "I have so many questions
about Judaism, so many questions of faith. Will you sit down and talk to me
about them?"
Rav Chaim responded, "I'll be glad to sit down and talk to you about your
questions. I'll talk to you the whole night. But just tell me one thing:
When did you get these questions -- before you became a Sabbath desecrator
or after you became a Sabbath desecrator?" The student answered, "These
questions arose after I became a Sabbath desecrator." Rav Chaim then said,
"If that is the case, you have 'Terutzim' [excuses], rather than 'kashes'
[questions]. You have already made the break with the G-d of Israel, now you
are trying to rationalize your actions. I will answer questions. I will not
answer excuses. You can answer 'kashes'; you cannot answer 'Terutzim.'"
Questions are fine -- as long as they come "tomorrow". As long as the
commitment and bedrock faith is there, there can be an abundance of
questions that may be asked. However, when questions are a pre-condition to
action, then we are dealing with the Son who is the Rasha.
The Redemption Can Come Any Time
The pasuk in Shir HaShirim says, "Behold the sound of my Beloved is coming"
[2:8]. The Medrash there cites the following narration: Moshe came to the
Jewish people and told them that the current month would be the first of
months for them, for this was the month in which they were about to be
redeemed. They asked, "How will we be redeemed -- we have no good deeds to
our credit?" Moshe responded, "Since He wants to redeem you, He will not
look at your evil deeds."
This Medrash is revealing an amazing insight: When G-d wants to bring about
our redemption, he will not stop to worry about our evil actions. There is a
pre-ordained time, when G-d has made up his mind that redemption will
arrive, regardless of anything. We can not ask "How can it be that
redemption did not arrive in the generation of the Rambam or the Vilna Gaon
or the Chofetz Chaim and yet it might come in our generation?" This Medrash
is saying that when G-d's pre-ordained time for redemption arrives,
redemption will come.
Rav Pam quotes from Melachim II, Chapter 14: Yeravam ben Yoash was a wicked
King. The prophet testifies that Yeravam did not deviate from the sins of
(his namesake) Yeravam ben Nevat, who caused Israel to sin. He promoted
idolatry, he sinned, and he caused the nation to sin. And yet, the Navi says
that he extended the borders of Israel from Levo Chamas until Yam Ha'Aravah.
This wicked King was successful in extending the boundaries of the Land of
Israel far beyond those enjoyed by his predecessors. The pasukim there
explain how it was that he was able to accomplish this despite his
wickedness: "For HaShem had seen that Israel's suffering was very severe,
with none surviving and none remaining, and there was no helper for Israel."
Things were so dark and so bad that HaShem saw the redemption had to come.
Through whose hands did it come? It came through the hands of Yeravam ben
Yoash.
Rav Pam said that this chapter must be a tremendous source of inspiration
and solace for us. We look around and see the status of the Jewish people --
intermarriage rates, anti-Semitism, and a host of other problems. There is
none surviving and none remaining! We ask the question that the Jewish
people asked thousands of years ago: How can we be redeemed? We have no good
deeds to our credit! What is going to be with us?
As the Medrash points out, since G-d wants our redemption, he will not look
closely at our deeds. When the Master of the World wants our deliverance to
come, he will bring it about, not because of who we are, but despite who we
are. We can never say that the situation is spiritually hopeless and
therefore we are doomed. It is no worse than it was in the days of Yeravam.
When G-d sees that the situation is hopeless, He knows that He must bring
the redemption -- may it come speedily in our days.
This write-up was adapted from the hashkafa portion of Rabbi Yissocher
Frand's Commuter Chavrusah Torah Tape series on the weekly Torah portion.
The complete list of halachic topics covered in this series for Parshas
Bo are provided below:
Also Available: Mesorah / Artscroll has published a collection
of Rabbi Frand's essays. The book is entitled:
