do not need any more maror. We have had enough!”
Shemonah Esrei in the Middle of the Hagadah:
Sefer Admorei Belz (Chelek 3, page 206) relates that the minhag in Belz was that after the Rebbe concluded his Seder, he would go out to the streets to hear how the local Yidden were conducting their Seders.
One year, Rav Shalom of Belz zy”a and his gabbai, R’ Elimelech, heard a man make the bracha of “Ga’al Yisroel”, and continuing with the tefillah of Shemonah Esrei. The gabbai laughed but the Rebbe said, “This man accomplished a lot with this tefillah. He has no children but he will now have a baby!”
More Emunah Than Proof:
Sefer Siach Zekeinim (Chelek 2, page 186) relates that one Pesach, when Rav Yissochor Dov of Belz zy”a reached “Shfoch Chomascha” he sent one of the children to open the door for Eliyahu Hanavi. When the child returned, the Rebbe asked, “Did you see Eliyahu?” The child answered, “No.” The Rebbe’s grandson, Rav Yochanon Twersky zt”l then asked, “Is it really true that one can see Eliyahu Hanavi?” The Rebbe answered, “Yes. He can be seen. But someone who believes without seeing is a lot loftier than one you sees.”
He quoted the pasuk (Shemos 14:31) that says: “And Yisroel saw...and they believed”, and said that even though they saw the miracles with their eyes, and they did not need to have emunah, they still had blind emunah in Hashem.
This idea also explains the pasuk (Bereishis 15:6) that says about Avrohom Avinu: “And he believed in Hashem and it was considered for him as an act of tzedakah.” This can be understood to mean that Hashem lifted Avrohom up to the Heavens, and he saw everything, but he still had simple emunah in Hashem, and this was considered an act of righteousness.
Opening the Door:
Rav Volf of Strikov zy”a asked why we open the door for Eliyahu Hanavi by Shfoch Chomascha, at the end of the Seder. Why don’t we open it and invite him in at the beginning, when we invite everyone else in and say “anyone who is hungry, come and eat”?
He answers that this is meant as an important lesson in ruchnius. On the night of the Seder, the doors of Shomayim are open to all Jews, and everyone can acquire great spiritual things. When we say that anyone who is hungry can come in, we aren’t really inviting guests. What we really mean is that anyone who desires to become sanctified can get what he wants. However, one must open the door on his own to let the great spiritual influences in, as a sign that he is willing to do his part.
A similar idea is said in the name of the Saraf of Kotzk zy”a to explain the Gemara (Brachos 28A) that says that Rabban Gamliel placed a guard at the door of the bais medrash to keep out anyone “whose inside is not the same as his outside”. We may ask how the guard knew what was inside a person. How could he know a person’s inner thoughts? The answer is that the guard didn’t let anyone in at all. Those who gained entry were those who climbed in through the windows, which was a clear sign that they had a true inner desire to study Torah.
The Kedusha Comes All at Once, and One Must be Prepared For It:
A person must prepare himself to be worthy of receiving the sanctity of the day. One must realize that the kedusha comes suddenly, all at once, as the Avodas Yisroel (Inyanei Pesach) writes to explain how Pesach is greater than all other yomtovim. He says that on all other holidays, the kedusha does not all arrive all at one time. Rather, it comes little by little as one davens Maariv, Shacharis and Minchah. On Pesach, however, it all comes at once. Therefore, one must prepare in advance. He compares this to a burning hot sun that appears in the sky. It has the ability to light up a house, but one still has to open the shades on his own to benefit from the light.
Going Up All At Once:
Sefer Negid U’Mitzvah (page 140) writes similarly that on other yomtovim, the light starts small and gradually gets bigger, as opposed to Pesach when all of the light comes in at once. The verse says (Devarim 16:3) that the nation left Egypt in a hurry. In one moment, they jumped into the kedusha. This is the way it is every year on Pesach.
Explaining With a Moshol:
The Siduro Shel Shabbos (Chelek 2, Hadrush Harishon) explains this with a moshol of a king who knows that someone has a serious complaint against his son that he wants to bring before him. The king knows that he must listen to every complaint, even if it is against his own, beloved child, but he also doesn’t want to be placed into a situation where he may have to punish him.
The wise king comes up with a plan. He told his guards that when the complainant arrived, they should start singing and dancing with him. They should make him so happy that he would forget his complaint and leave.
The nismhol is that when Hashem wanted to take our ancestors out of Egypt, He knew that there would be a complaint that the nation was unworthy. These complaints actually were made at the Yam Suf, but by that time the nation possessed the merit of believing and trusting in Hashem and following Him into the wasteland, and that merit was able to silence the complaint. At this time, however, they were still on a lowly level and possessed no merits.
So what did Hashem do? He suddenly shone a great light of holiness onto the world and the Upper Worlds that caused the complainants to close their mouths and leave.
This explains the use of the term “chozek yad” (strong hand) that is used to describe how Hashem took us out of Mitzrayim. In a display of strength, Hashem sent a tremendous amount of light to the world in order to silence the complaints. We repeat these words numerous times as we praise Hashem during the Seder, in order to express our gratitude for saving Klal Yisroel in such a mighty and supernatural way.
The Light of Yetzias Mitzrayim:
The reason we merit this great light each year on Pesach is because the light that was present at the time of the exodus from Egypt returns each year. At the time of yetzias Mitzrayim, Klal Yisroel suddenly jumped from the 49th level of impurity to the 50th level of kedusha. This power returns every year. Sefer Heichal Bracha (Parshas Reeh) writes that when the Jewish people left Egypt, they reached the 50th level of holiness, but they could not remain on this level for the long-term. During the days of Sefirah, they fell from this level; however, every individual Jew can reach it again each year on Pesach.
From Lowliness to Great Heights:
In this vein, the Hagadah states: “The rasha, what does he does he say? ‘What is this service to you?’ ‘To you’ and not to him. Since he removed himself from the public, he denies the main thing. You too, blunt his teeth and tell him: Because of this Hashem did it for me when I went out of Egypt. ‘For me’ and not for you. If you had been here, you would not have been redeemed.
The Yismach Yisroel says that this is not speaking about an actual rasha. Rather, it is referring to one who has done some sins and has despaired of ever doing teshuva because he thinks that he was sunk too far to ever get out of the mud. He is called a “kofer b’ikur” because he removes himself from the public by thinking that he can never do teshuva and rejoin them. We are told to blunt his teeth and say that Hashem “took me” out of Egypt. In Egypt, the nation had also sunk to a low level of impurity, but Hashem still redeemed them. So too, he can redeem this person and he is obligated to believe that.
On this night, the power to lift a person up from his lowliness returns, and even one who is stuck on a very low level, can be brought back up if he just believes in Hashem and trusts Him to help him.
The Light One Can Obtain on Pesach:
The Kaf Hachaim writes (Hilchos Pesach 474:152) that all of the Divine lights that are revealed on the night when the Jews left Egypt are revealed again each year on Pesach. This is why everyone feels enlightened and joyous on Pesach, more than on all other days.
Sefer Zera Kodesh writes that the lofty levels of understanding that one can reach on the first night of Pesach go above and beyond even the levels of understanding Klal Yisroel attained at the Yam Suf.
The Rasha Becomes a Tzadik:
One year, the Yismach Yisroel of Alexander zy”a came home on the night of the Seder and told those in the house, “Anyone who does not believe that even the biggest rasha can change on this night and become a complete tzadik is the rasha the Hagadah is talking about!”
On another year, when the Yismach Yisroel began his Seder he loudly declared, “’Kadeish’. Make yourself holy. Don’t miss this opportunity to rise to lofty levels on this night. ‘Urchatz.’ Wash away your aveiros and get away from your lowliness. ‘Karpas.’ Look at the karpas. (He used potatoes for karpas.) It is a vegetable like all others, but it has one benefit. It’s leaves grow above ground, while the vegetable itself is hidden below the ground. All year long, no one pays much attention to it, but on the Seder night, it gets an honored place on the table. We can learn a lesson from it. Even if you are sunk under your aveiros all year, on this night you can uplift yourself to reach an honorable place.
Hashem Draws Every Jew Close:
My grandfather, Rav Tzvi Hirsch of Kretchnif zy”a (Hagadah Shel Pesach Chaim V’Emunah) explained the words “kol ditzrich yeisi v’yiftach” (let all who are in need come and open up) by saying that Hashem is called “kol” because is all-powerful and almighty. Thus, we say that anyone who “needs kol”, meaning anyone who understands that he needs to get close to Hashem, may come and “open up” to Him and serve Him on this night, and when one does this, He certainly will draw him close.
A Tefillah to be Brought Close:
He continues by explaining the words of the Hagadah: “In the beginning, our fathers were idol worshippers but now the Omnipresent has drawn us close to serve Him.” He says that this means that even those who are very far from properly serving Hashem, and even those who have fallen to the low level of serving idols, can “now”, on the night of Pesach, draw close to serve Hashem. He says that these words are a prayer to merit being close to Hashem.
Hashem Reveals His Love:
Furthermore, on this night, Klal Yisroel receives an extra dose of love from Hashem. The Tiferes Shlomo writes that on this night, Hashem “hugs”, so to speak, every Jew. The pasuk states (Shemos 11:5): “At midnight, I will go out in the midst of Egypt.” On all nights at midnight, Hashem enters Gan Eden to connect to the tzadikim (2 Zohar 36:20), but on this night, instead of going to Gan Eden, he comes to our houses as we conduct the Seder.
The verse states (Shemos 14:30): “And Hashem saved on that night.” The Kedushas Levi writes that there are days when Hashem provides goodness for Klal Yisroel and shows His love, and the day when this is felt the most is “that night” of Pesach.
Intuiting Holiness Even While Still Impure:
Every individual can feel the holiness of this night. The Kosover Rebbe zy”a (Sefer Toras Chaim) explains the first two simanim of the Seder – Kadesh, Urchatz – by saying that on all other nights, one must first wash away his impurity before attempting to attain kedusha. On Pesach, however, we commemorate how Hashem lifted the nation up from the 49th level of impurity and brought them to a high level of sanctity. So too, every year on Pesach, one must have emunah that even if he did not prepare himself fully by removing all traces of sin, he can become holy.
Ahavah Mekalkeles es Hashura:
The Sefas Emes writes that the reason one can reach great spiritual heights on Purim even if he has not fully removed his impurities is because Pesach represents “ahavah”. On Pesach, Hashem’s love for Klal Yisroel increases and “ahavah distorts the line”. Therefore, Hashem increases our level of kedusha, even if we do not deserve it.
This is hinted to in the pasuk (Bamidbor 9:11): “On matzohs and maror, we eat it.” This can be understood to mean that even if a person is “like maror”, meaning that he still contains bitter elements of the yeitzer hara, he still can obtain the benefits of the Korban Pesach.
Kedusha Like the Kohen Gadol:
The holiness we can reach on Pesach is similar to the kedusha of the Kohen Gadol when he enters the Kodesh Kodashim. The Maharal zt”l writes that the reason we wear a kittel at the Seder is to show that on this night, every Jew can reach the level of the Kohen Gadol and every house is like the Kodesh Kodashim.
Connecting to Hashem:
This holiness connects a person to Hashem. Rav Mordechai Chaim of Slonim zy”a relates that Rav Levi Yitzchok of Berditchov zy”a once became very emotional on the Seder night and screamed, “Ribono Shel Olam! Either you come into me or I will come in You.” In his tremendous passion, he began to bang on the table, knocking over all of the plates and food.
Telling the Story of Mitzrayim Removes Bad Thoughts:
The Chozeh of Lublin zy”a said that the mitzvah of relating the story of the exodus from Egypt has the power to remove all bad thoughts from a person’s head and transform them into pure and holy thoughts. He explains that when the Jews were in Egypt, they had thoughts of idol worship. (Chazal say in Shemos Rabbah 15:2 and 21:7 that some people actually served idols.) Hashem lifted them up from the 49th level of impurity and brought them up to an extreme level of holiness, thus removing those thoughts from their minds. When one relates this story to his children, he brings back this influence and allows their thoughts to become purified as well.
This explains the words of the Hagadah: “Anyone who speaks a lot about the exodus from Egypt is praiseworthy.” This can be understood to be referring to a person’s neshama. Since he speaks a lot about yetzias Mitzrayim, he purifies his soul and cleanses his thoughts.
Annulling Bad Thoughts Through Emunah:
The Rimanover Rebbe zy”a writes that that Pesach is the time of ultimate redemption, and contains so much holiness that one can reach a level of fully understanding Hashem’s essence. On this day, one can come to comprehend how Hashem’s greatness fills the entire world, which will cause a person to be ashamed of having improper thoughts, as he knows that Hashem is aware of everything he thinks.
There was a moment during the night of the exodus when the Jewish people reached a level of perfect emunah, and this influence remains for all generations. Even today, if a person is careful not to allow his thoughts to stray during the Seder night and he concentrates on the holiness and sanctity of the night, when that moment comes he can attain the same level of perfect emunah. Only our improper thoughts prevent us from feeling this.
Preparing for Ruach Hakodesh:
On the night of the Seder, one can even rise to the level of ruach hakodesh. In fact, the Satmar Rov zy”a would say almost every year in the name of Rav Yehoshua of Kroli zy”a that one who doesn’t have ruach hakodesh on the Seder night is not even a real person. During the month of Nissan, when the needs of the community or of individuals would interfere with his avodah, he would say that a person must put forth much preparations for the Seder because one must reach a level of ruach hakodesh on that night.
Telling the Story of Yetzias Mitzrayim Brings Back the Miracles:
The Chozeh of Lublin zy”a would say that by relating the story of yetzias Mitzrayim, one can effect miracles and wonders. The Sefarim Hakedoshim say that speaking about miracles from past generations arouses their influence and causes miracles to happen today, and this applies most of all to the miracles of Pesach.
The Magid of Zlotchov zy”a said that saying the words of the Torah about yetzias Mitzrayim brings back the power of those miracles, as everything lies within the words of the Torah.
Bringing Close the Geulah:
Chazal say (Rosh Hashanah 11A) that we were redeemed in Nissan and we will once again be redeemed in Nissan. Therefore, the night of the Seder is an auspicious time to evoke the geulah.
There is a famous story involving the three great lights of chasidus: the Chozeh of Lublin zy”a, the Yid Hakadosh of Peshischa zy”a, and Rav Yitzchok Isaac of Kaliv zy”a. One year, they decided that on the night of the Seder, each of them would do all they could to bring the geulah. However, when the first night of Pesach arrived, the Chozeh said with his ruach hakodesh, “In Peshischa, Rebitzen Shaindel got angry. In Kaliv, the Seder in being conducted in Hungarian. I cannot do it alone.”
It was later discovered that Rebitzen Shaindel, the wife of the Yid Hakadosh, had gotten into an argument with her mother-in-law, the Yid Hakadosh’s mother, about which one of them would sit at the head of the table.
In Kaliv, the daughter of Rav Tzvi Hirsh of Ziditchoiv zy”a was a daughter-in-law of Rav Yitzchok Isaac. Her husband wanted to be by his father for the Seder, but she wanted to be by her father. Her father told her to listen to her husband, so they went to Kaliv.
She noticed that the time for the Seder arrived but her father-in-law was taking a long time to start. He didn’t commence until a wagon pulled up. On the wagon were three landowners and four princesses. The Rebbe spoke with them for a short time in Hungarian and only started the Seder after they left.
After yomtov, she returned to her father’s house. She intended to complain about having to spend Pesach in Kaliv but as soon as she approached him, he said, “You merited seeing the three Avos and four Imahos, who came to your father-in-law to explain why the golus was not over yet so that he doesn’t do anything extreme to hasten the redemption!”
The Chozeh saw all of this with his ruach hakodesh and realized that he was left alone in his mission, and he could not do it alone.
Geulah in the Merit of Emunah in the Power of Torah:
The verse states (Shemos 12:42): “It is a protected night to Hashem to take them out of the land of Egypt. This night is protected to Hashem for all of the children of Yisroel for their generations.”
Rav Moshe of Kosov zy”a (Sefer Leket Ani) writes that this pasuk contains a hint that every Jew can personally go out of slavery and into freedom, both in ruchnius and in gashmius. It says that this night is protected “for all generations”, meaning that we too can experience miracles just like the Jews of that time.
Protection for the Entire Year:
Sefer Tiferes Shlomo explains that this night has the power to provide protection for every night of the year. The word “shimurim” (literally “protections”) is written in the plural to indicate that it refers to every night of the year.
The Sefas Emes (Pesach 5652) writes that the protection of the night of Pesach remains throughout the year and lasts until today. He adds that the reason we put aside a piece of the Afikoman is to symbolize that a piece of that protection is set aside to last eternally.
Protecting One’s Mouth for the Entire Year:
The pasuk states (Shemos 13:9): “So that the Torah of Hashem should be in your mouth.” The Izhbitzer Rebbe zy”a (Mei Hashiloach, Parshas Bo) explains that on the first night of Pesach, Hashem commands us to purify our mouths through eating matzohs and drinking the four cups of wine. By doing so, our mouths become sanctified for the entire year and we are granted protection from inadvertently placing anything forbidden into them. We also recite the story of yetzias Mitzrayim, which sanctifies our mouths as far as the words we speak. Once we say over the story of the exodus, our mouths become protected from forbidden speech. Accordingly, the pasuk is saying that the Torah of Hashem will be in our mouths and those words will make our mouths holy and protected from sin.
The Me’or Vashemesh writes that this is why this holiday is known as “Pesach”, which can be read as “peh sach”, the mouth speaks, as we use our mouths on this day to make our words holy and to protect ourselves from anything forbidden going in or out of our mouths.
He continues by saying that eating matzoh is a remedy that protects every Jew all year round from eating anything that is “chometz for the soul.” The holiness of the matzoh protects us from imbibing anything that could damage the neshama.
In this vein, the She’eris Menachem of Vishiva zy”a explained the simanim of the Seder as follows: “Kadesh Urchatz” – if you want to make yourself holy and wash away your sins. “Karpas” – the letters of this word are an acronym for “klal rishon peh sasum”, the first rule is to close your mouth. However: “Yachatz Magid” – when there is something that you must say, you should cut it in half. If you do this: “Motzi Matzoh” – you will extricate (motzi) yourself from division (matzoh) and strife, which is very harmful because every fight leads to: “Maror Korech” – bitterness to become bound around you.
If one fulfills all of this, he will merit: “Shulchan Aruch” – a “set table”, i.e., abundant livelihood and: “Tzafun” – “gold from the north”, i.e., parnassah. Ultimately, one will have: “Borech, Hallel, Nirtzah” – the peace of mind to bless, praise and sing to Hashem.
An Aliyah for the Entire Year:
The pasuk states (Shemos 12:12): “And I passed through the land of Egypt on that night.” The Tiferes Shlomo says that we “passed through” in the sense that we went unnoticed. This indicates that Hashem ignores our faults on this night and looks solely at our good aspects. This night is called “Pesach”, which means to skip over, because Hashem skips over our iniquities on this night and only sees our goodness. In this way, we are able to receive an aliyah on Pesach that lasts all year.
Pesach’s Imprint for the Entire Year:
We recite in the Hagadah: “It is a mitzvah upon us to relate the story of the exodus from Egypt.” Rav Yechiel of Alexander zy”a explains that the main purpose of this mitzvah is for it to leave a long-lasting imprint upon the one who performs it. Thus, the mitzvah is “upon us”, as it is meant to improve us and bring us to a higher level. It’s imprint is meant to be upon us all year.
