Continuing on this sacred journey, we will proceed to explain in greater depth the reason that Bnei Yisrael did not sink to the Sha’ar HaNun of tumah in Mitzrayim. To do so, we will combine the illuminating insight of the Chozeh of Lublin with the illuminating words of the great Rabbi Yechezkel Landau, the author of the Responsa Noda B’Yehudah, in Drushei HaTzlach (38, 6). He addresses what the Tur writes in O.C. 430. The Tur attributes the appellation “Shabbas HaGadol” to the great miracle that occurred on the Shabbas preceding the exodus from Egypt—“yetzias Mitzrayim.” The exodus took place on a Thursday. On the preceding Shabbas, the tenth of Nissan, every Jew was commanded to take a lamb for his family as a Pesach offering and tie it to the foot of his bed. When the curious Egyptians would ask about this strange ritual, the Bnei Yisrael would respond that they planned to sacrifice these animals to their G-d. The Egyptians, who worshipped the lamb, were powerless to react and were forced to watch in silence.
Now, we are familiar with an oddity the commentaries discuss at length. All of the festivals and holidays mentioned in the Torah, and also Chanukah and Purim, are celebrated on the dates that their respective miracles actually occurred; they are not celebrated on the day of the week that the miracles occurred. Yet, this is not the case with Shabbas HaGadol. The miraculous taking of the Korban Pesach occurred on the tenth of Nissan, which does not necessarily fall on Shabbas. So, why do we always celebrate this miracle on the Shabbas prior to Pesach rather than on the tenth of Nissan? The Tzlach answers that the miracle of the taking of the lamb for the Korban Pesach is specifically related to Shabbas kodesh. Here is a translated summary of his sacred words:
During the galus in Mitzrayim, they did not even have inclinations to perform teshuvah, because their lives in galus were so immersed in the tumah of Mitzrayim. Hence, they required divine assistance, beyond the realm of nature, to arouse them to perform teshuvah. And he admonished them (ibid. 12, 21): “Withdraw and take”—instructing them to withdraw their hands from the tumah of Mitzrayim. That is when the redemption of their beings began. And since their beings were immersed in the depths of the abyss of Mitzrayim, they did not possess the power to detach themselves (from the tumah) except on Shabbas kodesh. For then, the “neshamah yeteirah” that comes only on Shabbas shone for them, whereas it goes back up (to heaven) throughout all the weekdays. Hence, the “neshamah yeteirah” was not sullied with the tumah of Mitzrayim.
In truth, the Tzlach does not actually explain for us why the “neshamah yeteirah” is not sullied by the tumah of Mitzrayim. After all, during the galus in Mitzrayim, Yisrael sank to the forty-ninth level of tumah. They did not depart physically from the servitude to Pharaoh or spiritually from the forty-ninth level of tumah until HKB”H extricated them with signs and wondrous feats. That being the case, how was the “neshamah yeteirah” not damaged when it descended to Mitzrayim on every Shabbas?
A Fascinating Combination of the Chiddushim of the Rabbi of Lublin and the Tzlach
By combining the insight of the Rabbi of Lublin, zy”a, with the insight of the Tzlach, we can explain the matter very nicely. Let us introduce a Midrash (S.R. 1, 28) related to the passuk (ibid. 2, 11): "ויגדל משה ויצא אל אחיו וירא בסבלותם"—it happened in those days that Moshe grew up and went out to his brethren and saw their burdens. According to the Midrash, he saw that they did not have any respite; so, he appealed to Pharaoh on their behalf. He argued that without a day of rest once a week, the slaves would surely die. Pharaoh conceded and told Moshe to give them a day of rest. Moshe established Shabbas as their day of rest.
This also explains very nicely the teaching in the Midrash (ibid. 5, 18) that they were in the possession of scrolls. They would read from them and delight in them on every Shabbas; for they raised their spirits and gave them hope that HKB”H was going to redeem them. Furthermore, we find the following elucidation in the Midrash Shochar Tov related to the passuk (Tehillim 119, 92): "לולי תורתך שעשועי אז אבדתי בעניי - ספרים היו להם והיו משתעשעים בהם משבת לשבת, לכך נאמר לולי תורתך שעשועי וגו'". The passuk says: “Had not Your Torah been my preoccupation, then I would have perished due to my affliction”—they had sefarim, and they would delight (amuse and entertain themselves) in them on every Shabbas. Therefore, it says: “Had not Your Torah been my preoccupation, etc.” Thus, since Yisrael rested on Shabbas and did not work as slaves, they were removed from the tumah of Mitzrayim and were able to fortify and uplift themselves with words of Torah.
According to this scenario, the “neshamah yeteirah” would not have been affected by the harmful tumah of Mitzrayim and was able to retain its full glory, purity, and splendor. With this understanding, the wonderful chiddush of the Tzlach makes perfect sense. HKB”H instructed Yisrael to take the lamb for the Korban Pesach on the tenth of Nissan, because it was Shabbas. This provided them with the assistance of the “neshamah yeteirah,” which gave them the strength to withdraw from the “avodah-zarah” of the lamb and sacrifice it as a Korban Pesach to Hashem. Thus, the insights of the Rabbi of Lublin and the Tzlach go hand in hand magnificently.
This also beautifully explains a teaching in the Midrash (ibid.) related to the passuk: “Let the work weigh heavier on the men . . . and let them not engage in words of falsity.” This teaches us that they were in possession of scrolls that they would delight in from Shabbas to Shabbas, to say that HKB”H would redeem them. They were able to learn from them, since they rested on Shabbas. Therefore, Pharaoh said to them (the taskmasters), “Let the work weigh heavier on the men and let them engage in it; and let them not engage . . .”—i.e., let them no longer delight (in the false words of their Torah), and let them no longer rest on the day of Shabbas.
From this, it is evident that even Pharaoh, the head of the klipah of Mitzrayim ultimately realized that the reason Yisrael had not sunk to the Sha’ar HaNun of their tumah was because they did not work on Shabbas. This was why their “neshamah yeteirah” was unsullied by the tumah of Mitzrayim. Therefore, he decreed that they resume working on Shabbas. He was never able to implement this decree, because HKB”H subjected him and his people to the ten plagues. For this reason, Yisrael did not sink to the Sha’ar HaNun of tumah and were able to leave Mitzrayim.
Let us combine the two reasons we have mentioned for why the intense labor in Mitzrayim did not cause Yisrael to sink to the Sha’ar HaNun of tumah. Because of the “neshamah yeteirah” that visited them on Shabbas, when they were allowed to rest, they were able to cry out to Hashem even during the week when they were subjected to intense, backbreaking labor. So, on account of both Shabbas-observance and the outcry to Hashem, they did not sink to the Sha’ar HaNun of tumah.
