Parshas Bo HaGaon HaRav Yerucham Olshin Shlita

As restated by Rabbi Yair Hoffman

L’zecher Nishmas R’ Tzvi Dovid ben R’ Moshe

Introduction to the Korban Pesach

 In instructing Klal Yisroel to set aside a sheep to be brought as a korban Pesach, Hashem says, “V’haya lachem l’mishmeres.” In explaining these words, Rashi says, “Zehu lashon bikur.” The word, “mishmeres,” is an expression of inspection, requiring the korban to be inspected for four days before its shechita.

In explaining why this specific korban Pesach needed to be set aside four days in advance, as opposed to all subsequent ones, Rashi quotes Rabbi Masya ben Charash who cites the posuk in Yechezkel 16: “Va’e’evor alayich va’er’ech v’hinei isech es dodim – And I passed by you and saw you, and behold your time was the time of ahava.”

 With those words, says Rabbi Masya ben Charash, Hashem was telling Klal Yisroel that the time of the fulfillment of the shevua that He made to Avrohom that He would redeem his children had arrived. But they had no mitzvos to do with which to be zoche to that geulah. So, he gave them two mitzvos: the dam Pesach and the dam milah. As the posuk there in Yechezkel says, “Va’e’evor alayich va’er’ech misboseses b’damayich” – with two types of blood – the blood of the korban Pesach and the blood of the bris milah that they performed on that night.

Understanding the Choice of Mitzvos

While we now know that Hashem gave Klal Yisroel these two mitzvos in order that they could be zoche to the geulah, why these two mitzvos in particular? Why was it the korban Pesach and milah that they needed at this moment in order to be zoche to the geulah?

The Ramban’s Explanation

The answer to this lies in an incredible Ramban in Parshas Va’eschanan. When discussing why Hashem chose Klal Yisroel over all of the other nations, the posuk says, “Lo meruvchem chashak Hashem bachem vayivchar bachem ki atem hame’at mikol ha’amim ki me’ahavas Hashem eschem…” – Not because you are numerous than any nation did Hashem desire you and choose you, for you are the least numerous of all people. Rather, because Hashem loves you etc. Hashem did not choose Klal Yisroel because of their numbers, for they are the smallest of all nations. Rather, He chose them because of His ahava for them. However, asks the Ramban, how is that a reason for Hashem’s choosing of Klal Yisroel as His nation? While we now know that Hashem chose us because He loves us, why, however, does He love us?

The Foundation of Hashem’s Love

In addressing this question, the Ramban teaches us an incredible concept. The reason why Hashem loves us, says the Ramban – the reason why we are His ohavim – is because we are prepared to be moser nefesh for Him. As the Gemara says in Beitzah 25: “O Yehudi o tzaluv.” A Yid is always prepared to give his life for Hashem. And it is that mesiras nefesh that causes Hashem to have a tremendous ahava for us, which is, in turn, why He chose us over all other nations.

Similarly, in the Aseres Hadibros Hashem says, “L’ohavai ul’shomrei mitzvosai.” And there, too, the Ramban explains that “l’ohavai” refers to Klal Yisroel because they are the nation that is moser nefesh for Hashem. Klal Yisroel’s mesiras nefesh for Hashem is what infuses Hashem with a special ahava for them.

The Time of Ahava

As Rabbi Masya ben Charash quoted from the posuk in Yechezkel, it was at this moment that Hashem said, “V’hinei isech es dodim” – And behold your time is a time of dodim. The time of ahava has arrived. Hashem refers to the time of the long awaited geulah from Mitzrayim as an “es dodim” – a time of hiskashrus and ahava between He and us. It was the moment of ahava during which Hashem was going to choose us as His nation. However, in order for that to happen, we needed to prove one last time that we were His ohavim – that we were His loved ones. And doing so, as the Ramban says, requires mesiras nefesh. It is only because of our willingness to be moser nefesh that Hashem loves us. And it is only because of His ahava for us that He chose us as a nation.

Understanding the Two Mitzvos

With this we can well understand why it was specifically these two mitzvos of korban Pesach and bris milah that Hashem gave Klal Yisroel at this moment. The Gemara tells us in Gittin 57 that when Dovid HaMelech says in Tehillim, “Ki alecha horagnu kol hayom” – For it is for Your sake that we are killed all the time – he is referring to bris milah. He is referring to the mesiras nefesh of taking an eight-day-old child and performing a delicate procedure on him. All for the sake of Hashem. The mitzvah of bris milah, Dovid HaMelech is telling us, is the mitzvah that most represents a Yid’s mesiras nefesh for Hashem.

And the same can be said about the korban Pesach that was brought in Mitzrayim. As we know, the Mitzriyim worshiped the sheep. And here was Hashem commanding us to take that sheep, tie it to our bedposts, slaughter it, and smear its blood on the doorpost. Doing so was literally putting our lives in danger. Yet, if that was what Hashem commanded then that was what a Yid was prepared to do.

The Connection to Miracles

 From this Malbim we have learned an incredible lesson. Hashem’s hanhaga nissis – the miracles that He brings to this world – are a result of a Yid’s avodah. If we follow our teva – if we are drawn after the chomer – the material world – then Hashem orchestrates our lives with teva as well. If, however, we are mekadesh ourselves – if we rule over our teva – if we negate our nature – if we lift ourselves above the chomeriyus of the world, and instead live lives of ruchnius and inyanim nafshiyim, then Hashem will orchestrate our lives in a manner of l’malah min hateva as well. He will perform nissim for us. The nissim to which we are zoche are a demonstration of Chazal’s rule of, “b’midah she’adam moded bah moddin lo.”

The Nature of Early Generations

In truth, this idea is alluded to by the Gemara in Berachos 20. It is there that the Gemara asks, “Mai sh’na rishonim d’israchish l’hu nisa u’mai sh’na anan d’lo misrachish lan nisa?” Why, asks the Gemara, were earlier generations zoche to so many open miracles and we are not? To which the Gemara answers, “Kamai havu ka masri nafshayhu akidushas Hashem, anan lo masrinan nafshin akidushas Hashem.” The earlier generations were moser nefesh for kiddush shem shomayim, while we are not.

What, one may wonder, does the mesiras nefesh of the earlier generations have to do with the nissim to which they were zoche?

However, we now understand that there is no greater desire that one has than life itself. The teva of a person is a strong desire to live. Therefore, by demonstrating such a strong willingness to negate their teva and willingly give their lives for Hashem, those earlier generations were able to trigger nissim – supernatural events – in their lives. By negating their teva for the sake of Hashem they were able to “cause” Hashem to negate teva as well – to bring nissim into their lives.

The Connection to Yetzias Mitzrayim

With this we can well understand why it was these two particular mitzvos of mesiras nefesh that Klal Yisroel needed at this time. As we know, geulas Mitzrayim was an incredible act of l’malah min hateva. Until that time, no single eved was able to escape Mitzrayim, and here there were millions of Yidden walking out in broad daylight. However, triggering that incredible nes – that event that was so l’malah min hateva – required Klal Yisroel to do mitzvos that were l’malah min hateva. And it was for that reason that Hashem chose these two specific mitzvos.

The Ultimate Demonstration of Mesiras Nefesh

By performing the mitzvah of milah – of “alecha horagnu kol hayom” – the Yidden demonstrated their willingness to put themselves in danger for the sake of Hashem. And by taking those sheep that the Mitzriyim worshiped, slaughtering them, and smearing their blood on the doorposts, the Yidden demonstrated their willingness to negate their strongest desire – their desire to live – for the sake of Hashem. And when Hashem saw these two acts of mesiras nefesh – of l’malah min hateva – he said, “im mekadshim atem atzmeichem ma’aleh ani aleichem k’ilu kidashtem osi.” By performing mitzvos that so negated your teva you have caused me to act with you in ways that are so l’malah min hateva. You have triggered the ultimate nes of yetzias Mitzrayim.