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In Every Generation a Person Should See Himself as if he is … Pharaoh: No, this is not a saying of Chazal (the Sages) although it is perhaps sage advice. A person should long for “when will my actions reach (be similar) to the actions of my forefathers.”[1] Nevertheless, conversely, he should be concerned that perhaps his actions are similar to those of Pharaoh. Of course, not the actual actions of Pharaoh. Certainly, there is no connection or similarity. The pertinency and relevancy is rather to the feelings of regret and remorse at times versus one’s actual change in future performance. The statement, in a time of trouble or anguish, rachmana litzlan (may Hashem save us), “This time I have sinned; Hashem is the Righteous One, and I and my people are the wicked ones”[2] versus “Pharaoh saw that there was relief, and made his heart stubborn. He did not listen …”[3] The saying and feeling during Selichos[4] or a crisis, “You are righteous in regard to everything that befalls us because You have done according to the truth, but we have done wickedly,”[5] versus the feeling of “back to normal” afterwards.[6] See the Ba’al Haturim,[7] “Moshe said to them (Pharaoh and his court), ‘I know that until the plague goes away, you will fear (G-d) but that after you have a respite you will not fear (Him).’”

 

Certainly the comparison has its limits. Pharaoh was a wicked idol worshipper who was not, at the core, interested in Hashem’s Will. We, however, are the children of our forefathers, we intrinsically, at our core, have the “Pintele Yid” in us. “Retzoneinu la’asos retzon Avinu Shebashomayim”[8] (it is our intrinsic will to do the Will of our Father in Heaven). Nevertheless, because of the “leaven in the dough” (one’s self-seeking inclinations) the comparison is apt. Therefore, whoever reads these first three parshiyos (weekly Torah readings) of Shemos (Exodus) and thinks that Pharaoh’s actions pertain just to him or his ilk are making a mistake. Pharaoh is actually symbolic of the strong majority of people.[9]

The danger is that, as Resh Lokish states,[10] “Hashem sends a warning (through troubles or worse G-d forbid) one time, a second time, a third time and if a person doesn’t repent, then Hashem locks the door of teshuvah in order to exact punishment from him.”[11] [12]

That That Righteous One Should Not Say

“Please speak (daber na) in the ears of the nation: Let each man … and woman borrow silver … and gold … (from the Egyptians).”[13] “The word ‘na’ is a request (G-d, as it were, is requesting that this be done) that that righteous one (Avrohom) should not say that the statement, ‘they (the Jewish people) will serve them (the Egyptians) and they (the Egyptians) will oppress them (the Jewish people)’ You (Hashem) fulfilled but the statement ‘and afterwards they shall leave with great wealth’[14] You have not fulfilled.”[15]

How do we understand this “request”? It would seem that in essence Avrohom actually didn’t have a basis for a taineh (claim) except that Hashem promised that that is how it would be. The “claim,” it would seem, was solely based on the promise. If so, what would be Avrohom’s argument – You, Hashem, didn’t keep Your word? Is Avrohom giving mussar (ethical preachment) to Hashem? But “is there then a servant who gives mussar to his Master”?[16]

I’m 98.6% sure that I saw the following Chazal (words of the Sages). However, I’ve looked for it since but have not found it again. The Chazal goes like this: After the victorious battle of Avrohom against the four kings[17], the king of Sedom (whose people and belongings had been captured by the four kings[18]) said to Avrohom (who had captured everything back), “Give me the people, v’es horechush kach loch (and take the possessions for yourself).” Avrohom then took an oath and said, “I will not take from you so much as a thread to shoestring … or anything.”[19] He then gave back everything – both the people and the booty. The aforementioned Chazal states that it was because he did not take any of the possessions of Sedom that Hashem promised him that his children will go out of Egypt with the Egyptian possessions. (“V’acharei chen yaitzu berechush gadol.”) The Egyptian rechush for the Sedom rechush.

“Why was Avrohom punished that his children would be enslaved in Egypt … Rabi Yochanan said, because he distanced people from becoming geirim (converts)[20] as it says, ‘Give me the people and take the possessions.’[21] If Avrohom would have kept the people he could possibly have converted them. Instead he gave everything back – people and possessions.”[22]

We now have two sides of the same coin. The coin was giving everything back. One side was a plus – not taking the Sodomite possessions. For that the reward was getting the Egyptian possessions. The other side of the coin was giving back the people. For that there was the punishment of slavery and affliction. Avrohom now has an argument of essence, not just based on a promise. “I did one action, part of which was negative and part of which was positive. The negative side has been actualized. They were slaves and afflicted. However, the positive side has not yet been actualized.” Therefore, “please speak in the ears of the nation…” “that that righteous one shall not say …”

 

Set His Teeth on Edge

In the Haggadah at the Seder night there seems not to be an answer for the wicked son who asks (states), “What is (the use of) this service to you?” “Since he excludes himself from the community he denies Hashem.[23] You also blunt his teeth (set them on edge) … had he been there he would not have been redeemed.”

“And it will be that when your children say to you, ‘What is this service to you?’ you shall say, ‘It is a Pesach (Passover) feast offering to Hashem, Who passed over the houses … He smote the Egyptians, but He saved our households.’”[24]

Question: This is the question of the wicked son. The Torah gives a long answer to the question. Where does the Baal Haggadah (those who wrote the Haggadah) take it not to answer him or give him an answer that sets his teeth on edge?

The Baal Haggadah uses the singular, “your son” who questions. Picture someone non-religious in Vilna circa the 1700’s in the time of the Vilna Gaon. Everyone is religious. He is not. This is a hard core case. This is the case in the Haggadah. The posuk, however, says “aleichem, beneichem.” Both the parents and children are in the plural – many, perhaps a multitude. The situation is completely different. With a rabim (many) one must discourse. First of all, because a rabim is choshuv (important). Second, even though in the aggregate a rabim is more powerful than a yochid (single person) nevertheless each link of a rabim is weaker. They don’t need to have their positions and ideologies that well defined or thought out. Each one relies on the other(s). In such a situation one can punch holes through many of the links. Few of them can stand on their own.[25] [26]

Actually there is hope for the son of the Haggadah also. The very fact that he will be upset by the answer (set his teeth on edge) means that he is bothered by it. He is not a son who couldn’t care less as to one’s answer. Where one is troubled and upset there is hope.

hghg

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