A thought on Parshas Shmos
"...va'yimararu es chai'yaihem..."
"...and they embittered their life..." (1:14)
The Torah recounts the ways in which the Egyptians enslaved and oppressed our people. All of us who read the Pesach Haggada each year know of the horrors which the Jewish nation has faced, and continues to face in every generation. It is our history and such is meant to be our destiny until the much-awaited Times to Come.
The Torah, in our verse above, might have said, "va'yimararu osam" - the Egyptians embittered them. What is added by the word "chai'yaihem" - embittered their life?
The Recanati reminds us. We are not alone in this world. Whatever happens, whatever happens to us, and whatever happens because of us, is not in isolation. It is happening because of our relationship with HaShem.
World events, cosmic events, personal or interpersonal or societal events, are all occurring within a Divinely based context. When the Jewish nation suffers and is afflicted, this is a blow to us but it is also an event which impacts the higher sense of what we know as the Sacred. Of course HaShem is not injured, or wounded or impacted in any of the corporeal ways in which we experience pain and distress. Yet, there is an assertion which runs throughout our masora through the teachings of our prophets that HaShem "knows" of our suffering. Last week I noted the concept Imo anochi b'tzara - which is Dovid HaMelech's expression of this (Tehillim 91:15.) This week, the Recanati cites another verse (Yeshaya 63:9) "b'kol tzarasam lo tzar" - in all of their suffering He suffers. This verse concept also emphasizes that aspect of the relationship between the Jews and HaShem.
This is the meaning of our verse's wording. It is true that we were embittered in Egypt. The reference to embittering "their life" is an allusion to HaShem, for He is the source of life, and the tragic state of His people also embittered that Divine source of life. By oppressing the Jewish people, there was a diminution of that mortal sense of the Sacred. That put awareness of His majesty in shadow, which is bitter indeed. We were made bitter, and that is what made our Life Source bitter. The Egyptians embittered our Life.
You may have noted that I wrote earlier that HaShem is so intricately associated with our nation that, whatever happens to us, whatever happens because of us, is happening within our relationship with the Divine. Let's look at that latter notion. Whatever happens because of us impacts that sense of the Sacred. When Jews offend, deceive, abuse, cheat or distort justice, we bring a bad name upon ourselves. That is, tragically, not where it ends, however. When we stain the image of the Jewish people, rather than point the accusing finger and cry out that the world is against us, we must take the Recanati's perspective. We need to look beyond all that and see the concurrent higher reality. We have tarnished r'l Kavod Shomayim. That is what Chillul HaShem is. We have stained the Life.
All of our trouble becomes His "trouble." Like rebellious children, we leave the pieces for Him to pick up. Isn't it time that we gave our Father some nachas?Next time there is a naughty wreck, remember the Recanati.
Good Shabbos. D Fox
"...and they embittered their life..." (1:14)
The Torah recounts the ways in which the Egyptians enslaved and oppressed our people. All of us who read the Pesach Haggada each year know of the horrors which the Jewish nation has faced, and continues to face in every generation. It is our history and such is meant to be our destiny until the much-awaited Times to Come.
The Torah, in our verse above, might have said, "va'yimararu osam" - the Egyptians embittered them. What is added by the word "chai'yaihem" - embittered their life?
The Recanati reminds us. We are not alone in this world. Whatever happens, whatever happens to us, and whatever happens because of us, is not in isolation. It is happening because of our relationship with HaShem.
World events, cosmic events, personal or interpersonal or societal events, are all occurring within a Divinely based context. When the Jewish nation suffers and is afflicted, this is a blow to us but it is also an event which impacts the higher sense of what we know as the Sacred. Of course HaShem is not injured, or wounded or impacted in any of the corporeal ways in which we experience pain and distress. Yet, there is an assertion which runs throughout our masora through the teachings of our prophets that HaShem "knows" of our suffering. Last week I noted the concept Imo anochi b'tzara - which is Dovid HaMelech's expression of this (Tehillim 91:15.) This week, the Recanati cites another verse (Yeshaya 63:9) "b'kol tzarasam lo tzar" - in all of their suffering He suffers. This verse concept also emphasizes that aspect of the relationship between the Jews and HaShem.
This is the meaning of our verse's wording. It is true that we were embittered in Egypt. The reference to embittering "their life" is an allusion to HaShem, for He is the source of life, and the tragic state of His people also embittered that Divine source of life. By oppressing the Jewish people, there was a diminution of that mortal sense of the Sacred. That put awareness of His majesty in shadow, which is bitter indeed. We were made bitter, and that is what made our Life Source bitter. The Egyptians embittered our Life.
You may have noted that I wrote earlier that HaShem is so intricately associated with our nation that, whatever happens to us, whatever happens because of us, is happening within our relationship with the Divine. Let's look at that latter notion. Whatever happens because of us impacts that sense of the Sacred. When Jews offend, deceive, abuse, cheat or distort justice, we bring a bad name upon ourselves. That is, tragically, not where it ends, however. When we stain the image of the Jewish people, rather than point the accusing finger and cry out that the world is against us, we must take the Recanati's perspective. We need to look beyond all that and see the concurrent higher reality. We have tarnished r'l Kavod Shomayim. That is what Chillul HaShem is. We have stained the Life.
All of our trouble becomes His "trouble." Like rebellious children, we leave the pieces for Him to pick up. Isn't it time that we gave our Father some nachas?Next time there is a naughty wreck, remember the Recanati.
Good Shabbos. D Fox
posted by Rabbi Dr. Fox at 9:04 PM
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