BY RABBI M.D. WEISS
Pesach is the Yom Tov of Emunah. The time we strengthen our belief that Hashem created and controls everything. As the Sefer HaChinuch (Mitzvah 22) writes: the miracles of Pesach are the proof that Hashem created everything from nothing and it is within His ability to change anything at any time. The Tur (Orach Chaim 417) writes: Every one of the three festivals correspond to one of the Avos. Pesach, the Yom Tov of Emunah, corresponds to Avraham Avinu, the head of the Maminim (believers). Although Emunah is actually a constant round the year Mitzvah. Yet, the night of the Seder is a time when the light of Emunah shines brightest. It is a time like no other when we have the chance to strengthen our Emunah.
As the Ramchal writes in Derech Hashem (4:7): Any Tikun (spiritual perfection) and great spiritual light that shone at a certain given time [in history], when that date reoccurs each year the same light shines upon us again to a certain degree. Thus, the night of the Seder is a time that the light of Emunah shines on us, and we must utilize this. However, there is a deeper effect and essentiality to the Emunah on this night as it can affect our future Geulah (redemption) as well. The Hagadah Maaseh Nissim writes that through the first part of the Hagadah which discusses our past Geulah from Mitzrayim one is aroused and strengthened to the second part of the Hagadah which is Emunah in the future Geulah.
This is essential for our future Geulah, for as we will illustrate, the Emunah in the Geulah is the condition and the key to merit the Geulah. When Hashem commands Moshe to take the Jews out of Mitzrayim, Moshe says to Hashem “[but] they won’t believe me [that You, Hashem, sent me]”. Why did Moshe care whether they would believe him or not?
On the contrary, if they don’t believe him it proves that they have so sunken in the exile and the more so that it is time to redeem them? Also, what was Moshe’s concern, even if now they don’t believe him, however after they would witness all the miracles of the Makkos they would surely believe then? From here we see that in order to merit the Geulah the Jews first had to believe in their imminent Geulah.
Only then would Hashem begin the process of the Geulah. Aside for believing in the Geulah, another important component for meriting Geulah is the yearning for the Geulah. This is actually an obligation. As the Rambam (Melachim 11:1) writes “Anyone who does not believe in him (Moshiach) [coming] or does not await his arrival not only is he a nonbeliever in the prophets, rather he is also a nonbeliever in the Torah and Moshe.”
Rashi (Shemos 10:22) tells us that in Mitzrayim there were wicked Jews who were not interested in leaving and they perished during the plague of darkness. From here we see that in order to merit the Geulah one must desire to be redeemed. On the other hand, the Rosh (in the beginning of Parshas Bo) writes that the wicked Dasan and Aviram merited the Geulah because they had hope for the Geulah. We see that the merit for Geulah is dependent on longing for it. The seforim write that the Geulah from Mitzrayim is the root for all future redemptions.
Therefore, we are to take the lessons of the Geulah from Mitzrayim and apply them to our exile. And just as there the necessary ingredient for Geulah was to yearn for it, the same is the case with our future Geulah. We must train ourselves to actually yearn to be redeemed from this exile. One of the ways to arouse this feeling within us is by speaking about it by mouth (and not merely thoughts). We can accomplish this to a large degree during the Seder. And the more we speak about it the greater the effect. As we say in the Hagadah, “Any who elaborates about Yetzias Mitzrayim is praiseworthy.” Yet there is another essential point to keep in mind.
The future Geulah will be a time of great spiritual growth and elevation. It is difficult to truly yearn for spiritual heights if one is seeped deep in materialism. Hence, to begin the process of yearning for the Geulah one must disconnect from the lifestyle of the exile and the influences of the nations and elevate himself to desire a life of spirituality. With this we will merit Beezras Hashem to see the final redemption speedily in our days. (Based on Eitz HaChaim from HaRav Chaim Mintz Shlit”a)
