Hashem created a “world of chesed” (Tehillim 89:3). In His 13 Middos of Rachamim, we find that many of His 13 Attributes of Mercy are related to chesed. His kindness is infinite but it was not enough to save Menashe. The angels closed the windows to Heaven so that Menashe should not receive His kindness and said that since he had not done teshuva with a full heart, he was undeserving of having his prayers heard.
However, Hashem “dug a tunnel under His throne of glory” and personally came to help Menashe. Although, the angels could block his prayers from reaching Heaven, they could not stop Hashem from going on His own to accept the tefillos and to personally grant him His kindness.
So too, the Jews in Mitzrayim possessed no merits. They were unworthy of being saved, and the angels claimed that since they worshipped idols, just like the Egyptians, they should not be allowed to connect with His trait of chesed. Therefore, Hashem went on His own and saved them because that was His will.
Rav Pinkus concludes: And why, in fact, did they merit being saved? Through the power of their emunah! All that is incumbent upon Klal Yisroel is to do one thing – to believe in Hashem. This is seen from the pasuk (Shemos 4:31) that says that since they believed in Hashem, He redeemed them.
וְהָיָה הַדָּם לָכֶם לְאֹת עַל הַבָּתִּ ים (יב, יג)
And the blood will be for you as a sign on your houses. (12:13)
Silence Before Each Word:
The Bas Ayin says that this pasuk teaches us how careful one must be with every word that comes out of his mouth. He says that before one says a word, he must stop and think if it is something he is permitted to say. One must first be silent for a second or two, and contemplate if he should or shouldn’t say what he wants to say. For this reason, before we begin davening we say: “Ado- sefasai tiftach” – Hashem ... open my mouth. One must first silently accept Hashem’s rulership and realize that there are some things we should say and some things we shouldn’t say – and only then may we open our mouths.
The word “hadam’, which literally means “the blood”, can also mean to be silent (dom). Thus, the pasuk can be understood as saying that silence should be used as a sign to determine if one should use his “batim” (which can mean “words”), and if those words will be constructive or destructive.
Fulfilling the Mitzvos According to Moshe Rabenu:
Sefer Agra D’Kallah explains the seemingly unnecessary words “so they did” by saying that if someone finds it hard to fulfill mitzvos with the proper kavanos, he can think that he is attaching himself to the kavanah of a certain tzadik. When one does this, he is considered to have had the same kavanah as the tzadik.
At this time, Klal Yisroel was still unable to have proper kavanah, so they did the mitzvah according to the thoughts of how Hashem commanded it to Moshe and Aharon. This is the meaning of the words that “so they did” as Hashem commanded Moshe and Aharon.
וְכָל פֶּטֶר חֲמֹר תִּ פְדֶּה בְשֶׂה וְאִ ם לֹא תִ פְדֶּה וַעֲרַ פְתּוֹ וגו' (יג, יג)
And every firstborn donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, and if you do not redeem it, you shall decapitate it... (13:13)
Advice for Overcoming Physical Desires:
Rav Noach of Kobrin zy”a (quoted in Sefer Maamarim Tehorim) understands this pasuk as hinting to a way to overcome physical desires. He says that the word “peter” can mean “to seduce”, and the word “chamor” can mean physical desires (chumrios). Thus, the pasuk can be understood to be speaking about the section of physical desires.
It then says that the way to overcome them is to “redeem oneself with a sheep.” He understands this to mean to attach oneself to a tzadik or an upright Jew, who is called a “sheep”. The pasuk then says that if one does not redeem himself in this way, he should “decapitate” the yeitzer hara, meaning that he should chop it away without making any calculations or considerations.
He says, “You should only say one thing: ‘It is asur! I don’t want it!’”
Hashem is the Most Correct:
The same sefer also quotes Rav Noach of Kobrin zy”a as saying: “There are people who tell me that we are in control and we decree that the chasidim should have only a limited amount of gashmius. Some say that it is my will that my chasidim should not have much. Hashem is my witness that if it were in my power, I would cut off all my limbs if that would provide an abundance of gashmius for Yidden. But what can I do? Hashem is older than us all and He is the most correct in what He does.”
