Imagine you have been enslaved for as long as you can remember. Your parents and grandparents were all slaves, working hard, day and night, beaten for no reason, starved and killed. Then finally, from one day to the next, you are miraculously emancipated by open miracles. Hashem swoops down and redeems you from servitude and takes you under His wing. Not only that but he talks to you openly, leaving no doubt as to His identity. He also makes it clear that His desire is for you to serve Him steadfastly. How loyally would you serve him and keep his mitzvos? What would it take for you to change your allegiance to another god, chas v’shalom?
From Servitude to Freedom
Astoundingly, this is what happened to Klal Yisrael. They had been servants to Pharaoh in Mitzrayim for 210 years, as were their parents and grandparents. They had been beaten and demoralized for as long as they could remember. Finally, on one fine day, Moshe Rabbenu, the shaliach of Hashem, came to redeem them. He did not instigate a simple uprising - he brought about astonishing miracles, to demonstrate the Yad Hashem to the nation. He began by transforming the River Nile - the god of Egypt - into blood, to teach them that it was powerless.
This was just the beginning. This blood was soon followed by a plague of frogs, lice, then wild animals which attacked and killed the Mitzrim, but refrained from entering Goshen, clearly demonstrating Hashem’s power as well as His love for Am Yisrael. In total, ten powerful makos were visited upon Mitzrayim, constituting an all-encompassing shiur on emuna, culminating in makas bechoros. These staggering exhibitions of power were not meant for the Mitzrim but for us: “Lema’an tesaper b’azney bincha u’ben bincha, eis asher hissalalti b’Mitzrayim” to teach us emuna and bitachon, a lesson which was to last for many generations.
The Makos and Kri’as Yam Suf
Yet it did not stop there. According to many opinions this continued with 50, or even 250, miraculous makkos at the Yam Suf. Hashem split the sea into twelve lanes through which we could pass, and, just as we left the sea and the Mitzrim entered, the water came crashing down on them, drowning them all. And yet, not all of them suffered to the same degree - it depended on their respective levels of wickedness. At that very time, every body of water in the world - every river, swimming pool, cup of water and plate of soup - split, to demonstrate the Yad Hashem to one and all.
Following this, Klal Yisrael received the bizas ha’yam. Then they experienced many nissim in the midbar, including the mann, be’er shel Miriam and ananei ha’kavod. Then, in parshas Yisro we learn of the countless nissim of Matan Torah.
Matan Torah
Klal Yisrael needed to prepare for Matan Torah - they could not just jump into it. For this historic moment, when they would hear Hashem talk to them directly, they needed to prepare for several days, purifying themselves entirely.
When Matan Torah did arrive, Am Yisrael exclaimed with great enthusiasm “na’aseh v’nishma”, received two crowns from Hashem, and were given the Torah. The world went silent, the lions did not roar, the birds did not chirp - every animal and person went silent for this historic moment, the moment for which the world had been waiting since creation. Hashem declared, “Anochi Hashem Elokecha” and the words were so powerful that the people were blown backwards three mil, and so Moshe had to take over.
Klal Yisrael by this point had received the Torah directly from Hashem. They knew with certainty who the Master is and began keeping His mitzvos.
The Egel?
Yet, incredibly, in this week's parsha, barely a month after all of the above, the people took a calf and declared, “this is your god Israel who took you out of Mitzrayim”. What were they thinking? How could they have so quickly forgotten all that had transpired - all the visual lessons in emuna and all the miracles? Did they really believe that this piece of gold had taken them out of Mitzrayim?
Chazal explain that what caused them to sin - to seek another god - was not a matter of ideology; it was their desire for freedom. They used ideology as an excuse.
Why were they looking for freedom? Surely, after seeing Hashem’s might in its full glory and receiving His wonderful Torah, they should not have desired anything else? Did they not understand that there is nothing as great as this? What compelled them to drop everything and go worship a calf?
The Ultimatum
The gemara in Maseches Shabbos relates that at Matan Torah Hashem raised Har Sinai over the heads of Klal Yisrael like a barrel - “kafa aleyhem har k’gigis”. Then he gave them an ultimatum: “Either you accept the Torah or here will be your burial place". You either accept the Torah or you will die.
In fact, the gemara notes that “moda’ah raba l’Oraysa” - Klal Yisrael had an excuse that they had accepted the Torah under duress. It was only at Purim when they accepted the Torah again, this time out of love, that they no longer had an excuse.
Two Ways of Serving Hashem
R’ Yitzchok Berkowits recently explained that if Torah is accepted only due to force, without desire and connection, it will eventually be resented. Before too long, people will despise it and look for excuses to run away.
Some people observe the mitzvos and keep halacha religiously because it is what Hashem demands. They do not want to encounter the punishments that await those who are not loyal to Torah and mitzvos. Observance like this cannot last.
Other people, by contrast, though they are also aware of the obligation to follow the mitzvos, perform them for a far deeper reason, namely, because they love Hashem and realize that this is the best form of life. It is the greatest privilege and a source of bliss.
The Enjoyment
Hashem decreed a terrible gezeyra against Klal Yisrael, “l’hashmid laharog u’l’abed ess kol ha’yehudim”. The gemara explains that it was due to the fact that the Yidden “nehenu mi’seudas Achashverosh”, they enjoyed the feast of Achashverosh. In other words the harsh gezeyra was not due to their participation but their enjoyment of it. They failed to find enjoyment in Yiddishkeit - they found enjoyment and “life” in the non-Jewish culture instead. Yiddishkeit of that sort had no kiyum - there was no choice but for them to be annihilated.
Following the ness Purim, when they realised how they had erred, they embraced an entirely different Yiddishkeit. Kiymu v’kiblu mei’ahava - they accepted a Torah not simply of force or coercion, but of love, enjoyment and deep connection.
Klal Yisrael is currently experiencing one of the most difficult periods in recent history. There are so many injured, killed, and displaced, as well as so many other tzaros mentioned by the Torah. Klal Yisrael are coming from all sides with chizzukim, from Torah to tefila and chessed and more besides. May these zechusim stand by us and bring yeshuos.
Without Simchah
Let us examine the reason the Torah gives for the terrible klalos of the tochacha. They are not brought upon us for sinning or for failing to observe the mitzvos, but “tachas asher lo ovadeta ess Hashem Elokecha b’simcha u’b’tuv lev” - because we did not serve Hashem out of joy.
This avoda is important at all times but particularly during the current era of ikvesa d’meshicha. We recently discussed the following:
Current Times
Sefarim describe how previous generations in galus fashioned the greater part of their connection to Hashem from yiras Hashem. However, as we approach the geula, this has drastically changed. Chazal relate that one of the signs of Ikvesa d’Meshicha is “yirey chet yimo’asu - those who fear sin will be scorned”. People will disdain yiras shamayim.
The Chozeh of Lublin would quote his friend R’ Zusha of Anipoli (a talmid of the Maggid of Mezeritch) who would explain this in a different way. Yirey chet yimo’asu does not mean that people will despise those who fear sin because of their low spiritual level. It means that serving Hashem out of fear will be looked down upon because people will be craving a deeper relationship with Hashem; one based on love rather than fear.
During this era, as we edge closer to the climax of history, the moment when we will achieve ultimate closeness with Hashem amid binyan Beis Hamikdash, the paradigm of serving Hashem exclusively out of fear and pressure will be scorned. Why? Because we will be craving a deeper relationship, a relationship of ahava, of love, and affection.
The best way to understand this is by examining the closest form of human relationship; that of husband and wife. If the entire reason that a husband invests in his marriage and gives his wife what she needs, is due to fear; if the only reason a wife spends time with her husband is because she is scared of his reaction, what kind of relationship is that? Can we even call that a true relationship?
This, said R’ Zusha, is the special nature of the final days before Mashiach. People will be craving a much deeper relationship, a relationship in which they are not just acting out of fear of the consequences in this world and the next. They will be enthusiastic about forming a deeper and more emotional connection.
Adar
Many wonder why Adar and Purim are times of such great joy. True we experienced many miracles in this month but there were far greater miracles during other parts of the year. Why are we not “marbim b’simcha” at those times?
In light of the above this may be resolved. The simcha of Purim is no ordinary simcha - it is the joy of kiymu v’kiblu mei’ahava. It is the celebration of the higher level of kabalas haTorah - an appreciation of what Torah and what a connection to Hashem are all about.
By developing our special relationship with Hashem during Adar now in ikvesah d’meshicha, may we see an end to all the tzaros and atrocities. And just as following the Purim miracle Klal Yisrael received a new Beis Hamikdash, so may the Bayis haShelishi be granted to us, b’karov.
