Hashgachah Pratis in the Sefarim Hakedoshim
Excerpts from the popular shiur by Harav Hatzaddik R’ Beirish Shneebalg shlit”a
The Inner and Outer Dimensions of a Mitzvah
Every mitzvah that we do has two parts. One is the practical part, and the other is the thought behind it. The two parts are dependent on each other, and only through both is the mitzvah complete.
Let us take an example from the building of the Mishkan, which we recently learned about in Chumash Shemos. Bnei Yisrael donated their share; they brought silver, gold, and copper as a terumah for the building of the Mishkan. However, the passuk states (Shemos 35:5), “Every generous heart shall bring it,” meaning that before actually bringing the terumah, the people had to focus their hearts on Hashem. The Ohr Hachaim explains there that there are two acts of donating pertaining to the building of the Mishkan. One is the physical act of giving the terumah – the gold, silver, and other materials, and the second act is the person’s devoting himself to serving Hashem.
We are now in the midst of preparations for the Yom Tov of Pesach. We’ve already discussed how Yetzias Mitzrayim is something that happens anew each year. As the Ohr Hachaim Hakadosh wrote on the passuk, “The L-rd Who takes them out of Mitzrayim...” (Bamidbar 23:22) – this does not refer only to the first time He took us out, but rather to each and every year, when He takes us out anew. Hashem continues to strengthen and uplift us, for there is no limit to how much Hashem wants us to be uplifted, until no trace of evil will remain.
The main point of Yetzias Mitzrayim is to leave behind the impurity we are in and to come closer to Hashem. The actions that we do during the days preceding Pesach – cleaning the house, burning the chametz, buying new clothing..., all hint to the internal cleansing and renewal a person needs to undergo.
Thus, aside from the external acts that we do, the main thing is to focus on the internal aspect, to clean and purify the heart. Our nisayon is the murkiness that gives us the feeling that the main thing is the shopping for new clothes for Pesach. But this should not be our main focus. The main focus is the internal hischadshus, to purify ourselves and make ourselves holy in order to leave Mitzrayim behind.
May Hashem help us, and just as in the days when we left Mitzrayim, may He show us wonders. May we
