Splitting the Sea

With Shevii shel Pesach around the corner, which marks the splitting of the Yam Suf, here is an astonishing observation.

The term "keria," splitting, which is how the miracle is known, i.e. kerias Yam Suf, קריעת ים סוף, does not appear in Tanach. It is a much later word used by the Sages almost exclusively scores of times and is quoted by Rashi.

What is used in Tanach to refer to the splitting of the sea is the root בקע as the verse that describes the event says, ""נטה את ידך על הים ובקעהו" stretch out your hand and split it," and גזר as in "לגוזר ים סוף לגזרים."

When googling this, you can find articles that explain why this is so.

Some Answers 4

Answer 10:

No answer to that – but something I sense when cleaning: A Yid has to live in 2 different worlds: among the non-Jews but apart; hishtadlus in earthly matters but knowing Hashem controls everything; sadness at our pain and suffering but joy in life, serving Hashem – and, of course, chometz and non-chometz!

Answer 11:

freeing ourselves from internal and external limitations that keep us from serving Hashem in the most complete way.

Answer 12: 

From Rabbi Miller: Because as we said before, the purpose of the whole story of Mitzraim was to create seichel in us; deiah, emunah, understanding.

Answer 13:

I would say that our job is to internalize the message that Hashem loves us with a tremendous love and expressed his love in an unprecedented manner (breaking nature in numerous ways and selecting us from all the other nations despite our not being worthy at that moment etc...)

As a result of that love we should have an unending hakoras hatov to Hashem and should praise him and please him by reciprocating his love to him through fulfilling his will with passion and devotion.

In this sense Nishmas is the high point of the Haggada (I heard this from Rav Brevda zatzal).

Some Answers 3

Answer 7:

I think the main message is about breaking though our self-perceived limitation in our avodas Hash-m, as well as leveling out our ga'ava (ego, arrogance) -- both of which create a barrier between one another. Then we can achieve the achdus (unity) originally established at Matan Torah.

Answer 8:

I think the main message would be that Hashem is always there and when He promises something he fulfills His promise.  Hashem promised Avraham that his children will be strangers in a strange land, but they will be freed and will leave with great wealth.  Well, that is exactly what happened.  So a lesson we can take is that if Hashem says He will do something, it will come.  For example, the Mashiach will come even though it feels like it won't as it is taking so long.  

Also throughout the Hagaddah, there are things that remind us of what our role in life is.  For example we say that there will always be nations who will rise up against us.

Answer 9: 

'vehigadeta lebincha bayom hahu leimor ba'avur zeh asah Hashem li b'tzeyti mimitzrayim'  (and relate to your child on that day, saying, because of this, Hashem did this for me when I left Egypt) - the centrality of mesorah, imparting our traditions to the next generation.

Some Answers 2

Answer 4:

Remembrance of who we are as a people and a nation.

Our essential connection to Hashem.. who rules the world

And... it takes work to leave one's personal Mitzrayim 

Answer 5:

I think the main message or event of Pesach is that we prepare very carefully and attentively to perform a very special mitzvah. 

On Pesach, we eat a mitzvah - matzoh. 

By eating it and digesting it, it enters into and becomes part of our entire system. 

We do this mitzvah for a long time and in many forms, as the bread of faith. 

The mitzvah cannot be undone or taken off. It is the closest possible connection with Hashem.

Answer 6:

Freedom from slavery

Faith in G-d

Gratitude to G-d

Some Answers

(see previous post)

Answer 1:

cheirus

as we say in the Pesach davening - zman cheiruseinu

Answer 2: 

Let My people go so they will serve Me.

I think that line, from the Torah, includes the ideas of 1) we are Hashem's chosen people, 2) that He is involved in the details of our lives, 3) that our purpose in life is to serve Hashem - all three vital messages encapsulated in those words.

Answer 3:

If you don't let G-d's people go you get in mucho trouble!

Main Message of Pesach

I've been asking people, what do you think the main message of Pesach is?

I've gotten 10 answers so far and although there is a little overlap, what I love about this is the variety of answers, all valid.

So you can think about it, and post an answer if you like, and eventually I will post the answers that I got.

The Fish Story that Sparked a Tikkun

14 years ago, people were buzzing about the talking fish in New Square. Some believed the story, others scoffed. It became the source for many a joke.  You can read about it here

I had no reason not to believe it and I looked askance at those who automatically dismissed the story.

Last year, before Pesach, Family First magazine had a remarkable story. In it, a woman shopping in a very busy hardware store before Pesach saw a woman who looked out of place in New Square, who looked like she needed help.  She offered her assistance and the woman said she was making her first Pesach and was not sure what to get and what to do.

The woman, who looked like she was in her early 30's explained that she drove all the way from West Haven, Connecticut to New Square because of the fish story.  Her family was traditional - they went to synagogue for Yom Kippur, and each year there was a big family seder. But then it petered out and her father died, and she did not attend a seder since she was 17.

She said her father loved to fish in a brook near her home.  When she heard the story about the fish that said "tikkun," she felt her father was talking to her through the fish, telling her to correct what she had abandoned, to make a Pesach seder again. And she thought "there was no better place to start than here (New Square), the place that was witness to the fish with a message."

The New Square lady helped the woman choose what to buy for Pesach and a few days later she went to West Haven to help her kasher her kitchen and get it ready for Pesach.

Timely Vort

This vort catches my fancy. I do not guarantee that the people cited as saying them are the correct sources. I would love if someone could verify it for me.

A thought from the Chozeh of Lublin:

The parshiyos of Bo, Beshalach, Yisro, Mishpatim, Terumah, Tetzave and Ki Sisa, all contain within them different Yomim Tovim. If you make the effort, you can experience the aura and inspiration of that particular yom tov during these coming weeks.

Parsha Bo has the story of the Exodus from Egypt which corresponds to Pesach. 

Parshas Beshalach has the Splitting of the Sea which happened on Shvii shel Pesach (the 7th of Pesach).

Parshas Yisro, has the Ten Commandments, corresponding to Shavuos.

Parshas Mishpatim, which has numerous laws, dinim, corresponds to the Yom HaDin and Yimei HaDin, Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur   

Parshas Terumah has instructions for the building of the Mishkan and with it came the cloud that hovered above it, which corresponds to Succos.

Parshas Tetzave has the lighting of the menorah which corresponds to Chanukah. 

Parshas Ki Sisa which has the mitzva of giving the machatzis ha'shekel corresponds to the month of Adar when the half shekels began to be collected.

Another version or point to the vort, cited in the name of the Spinka Rebbe, is that the weeks of these parshiyos with yetzias Mitzrayim, kerias Yam Suf, and Mattan Torah, are more spiritually potent than the actual yomim tovim of Pesach, Shevii shel Pesach, and Shavuos! 

This is because the parshiyos contain the the koach (power, spiritual strength) of Torah while the yomim tovim are the koach of zeman (the time of year that they fall).

Post-Pesach Gratitude

A continuation of this :

I am grateful that this Pesach turned out so enjoyable with nary a glitch.

I am grateful that we had mostly good weather with some beautiful days, some nice days, pleasant temperatures, minimal rain.

I am grateful the gym was open on Chol Ha'Moed and that I went.

 

I am grateful that the Yom Tov was relaxing, not pressured.

 

I am grateful that my neighbor does an end-of-Pesach ne'ilas ha'chag - seudas Moshiach for a beautiful end to Yom Tov.

 

I am grateful that we are almost finished putting the house back together again after dismantling our Pesach set-up.

 

Experiencing the Seder

 

Rabbi Doniel Katz:

 

"Pesach is a 'get out of jail free' card, a jail break for your soul.  Every challenge that you have can be turned around in a few moments at the Pesach seder and this is the purpose of the Pesach seder.  It is not about going through the details.

 

"I remember Pesach seders in which all that was discussed was - is the matza enough, how big is the kos, I didn't lean - do I need to lean again ...  Our actions must be done according to Halacha because then we know we are maximizing the spiritual potency.  Halacha allows us to capture the 'lights' coming down from the spiritual world and create vessels with our thoughts, speech, and actions.  The gift of the Pesach seder is we move through a halachic process and this is in order to set up a spiritual opportunity and vessel.  The goal is to set things up so we know what we're doing, but we can't get into the spiritual small-mindedness of am I getting it right, did I eat enough matza at the right time.  Once we know we've gotten it halachically right, we need to open our minds and hearts to the experience.

 

"I Hate, with a capital H, giving over explanations of the Pesach seder at the Pesach seder, because you're not supposed to be there explaining things, what is this about, what is that about, you're not supposed to be reading the Haggada for the first time ('I can't wait to turn to the next page to see what happens' ...) You are supposed to know it all already, and now (at the seder) you are taking it from Head to Heart.  The Pesach seder is about Experiencing it ("chayav adam lir'os es atzmo ...").

 

"You have those individuals who are just trying to get through it.  Then there are those who are trying to get the maximum spiritual experience out of it and get OCD about it and many people get depressed at the Pesach seder because their expectations are so high and are not being met.  Sometimes, the more you hear about the spiritual potential, the more disappointed you get.  You may be enslaved to what you think the Pesach seder is supposed to be.  The best way to catch the energy of joy and freedom is to embrace the moment, not need it to be anything." 

Pesach: I am Grateful for ...

The following is based on an article by SC Radcliffe with some of her ideas and some of mine as applied to Pesach.  Feel free to adjust the list to reflect your circumstances and add yours in the Comments.

 I am grateful for the opportunity to do mitzvos.

I am grateful for having people to make Pesach for.

I am grateful for the numerous shiurim about Pesach available online.

I am grateful for all the reading material about Pesach.

I am grateful that I have a home that I need to make ready for Pesach.

I am grateful for cleaning help.

I am grateful for the help I get shopping, setting up before Pesach, and dismantling after Pesach.

I am grateful that we've done this before and have our routine in setting up for Pesach so we are not first figuring it out.

I am grateful we are healthy enough to make our own Pesach.

I am grateful to be Jewish and to have this Yom Tov.

I am grateful to be alive, safe, and free to make Pesach.

I am grateful about how it fell out, i.e. the days of the week.

I am grateful that we have guests.

I am grateful that I have siblings and that we siblings live near one another and get to see one another over Pesach.

Attitude Toward Chol Ha'Moed

Rabbi Bergstein (a Bobover Chassid who  lectures for Aish HaTorah, Discovery, Gateway and other organizations) points out:

If the Chol Ha'Moed trip is more exciting than the Pesach seder or sitting in the succa, it's a problem!

Speaking of chol ha'mo'ed and trips, many people are unaware that chol ha'moed must be treated as the holy time it is.  Yes, we can use the phone, our computers, and cars, but bigdei Yom Tov are a must.  If you can't wear bigdei Yom Tov while playing paintball, then ... paintball is not a chol ha'moed activity.  If you can't wear bigdei Yom Tov while riding the roller coaster or boating or skating, then those aren't chol ha'moed activities.

Auspicious Times for Tefilla

There are various times during the Seder that are auspicious for tefilla:

1) Right before the Ma Nishtana, it says in the Haggada, "v'kan ha'ben sho'el" - and here, the child asks.  Or read it, "At this moment, the child - you, asks - requests.

2) After reciting how terrible it was in servitude to the Egyptians, the Haggada says, "Va'nitz'ak el Hashem ..." - and we cried out to Hashem. 

3) "Shefoch chamascha el ha'goyim ... " - Pour Your wrath on the nations ...
The Chida says that when we open the door it's an auspicious moment which reenacts the scene of Yaakov receiving the blessings from Yitzchok.  It's a time when we can receive blessings too.

4) The Chasam Sofer says, "Each person will see, after reciting the Haggada, how his speech will become clear, and he can request in his prayers whatever he desires.

What Message Do You Want to Convey?

I came across this question: What message should our children or guests or ourselves leave the seder with?

That's a good one to ponder before Pesach.  The one that stands out for me is Hashem's involvement in the world, Hashem caring about what people do as we see with the deeds of both the Egyptians and the Jewish people.

Avi Shulman asked this question to R' Noach Orlowek and R' Avraham Fishman and both said the same thing: We should want our children to leave the seder feeling proud, joyous and privileged to be members of Klal Yisrael.

Mr. Shulman goes on to say that this should be the objective of every teacher and parent all year round, but it is highlighted Pesach night when there is the mitzvah of "v'higadita l'bincha."

The Format of the Haggada

How many frum people understand the format of Maggid in the Haggada, that it's an analysis of four pesukim? (Oh! That's why those words are in bold or in a different color!)

For those who know that, how many know what parsha it's from or that it was said by people who brought bikurim?

I suspect very few.

Maybe I'm wrong but I think even frum people think Maggid is a long essay about our history and life in Egypt.

Hi, I’m Pharaoh and I’m an Addict

I sent this Pesach link by Tzvi Freeman to several people and got some very positive feedback, so I'll share it with you too:

here

Pesach Pizza

I wrote about the feelings people have, for and against, items that we eat year round that are made kosher l'Pesach: here some time ago.  I've been thinking about the aura we create when we have things that are special for a particular Yom Tov or Shabbos like toys that are only used on Shabbos so children have something to look forward to on Shabbos on their level.

 

What if we had the opportunity to buy year round dishes and Pesach dishes that are identical.  Would we want that or would we want the Pesach dishes to look different? Many of our Pesach memories have to do with the special plates and glasses we used.  But, as far as I know, there is no inyan or minhag to buy a different pattern on silverware or dishes just for the sake of having something that looks different than year round! Yet, it does impart an excitement when you use completely different items on Pesach just like certain foods are associated with Chanuka and make that Yom Tov special. 

So maybe we are still kids at heart, who need these external differences to help get us in the holiday spirit and maybe it is this point that bothers though who speak vehemently against Pesach "pizza" even though their great-grandmothers made kosher l'Pesach versions of chometz foods.  Maybe previous generations, the ones who kashered their year round glasses because they couldn't afford another set for Pesach, didn't need external ways to get into the Yom Tov spirit because they were more spiritually in tune with what was going on. 

Everything happens by divine providence and is good. Today's young people are often the product of mixed marriages.  They didn't have the Zaidy of the famous Moshe Yess song.  They don't have nostalgic memories of Pesach at Grandma's.  If they find out about the laws of Pesach at all, it's new to them.  Perhaps the reason kosher l'Pesach cereal, ketchup, soy sauce, frozen dinners etc. are available today is because this helps today's generation have a kosher Pesach. 

When is Kosher not Kosher?

 

Kosher Cruises, Kosher l'Pesach "Cereal", Kosher videos, Kosher concerts, Kosher food at baseball stadiums, Kosher Cheeseburgers (with tofu of course), Bacos (kosher bacon flavored chips), Kosher Eiruv in our town etc.

Some people decry every new Kosher thing, feeling that it drags us down spiritually, despite the kosher label. They maintain that by having a "kosher version" of just about everything, we are ba'grubbed (spiritually coarsened) and don't learn to say no to anything because we don't have to.

Others say, the Gemara says that for every non-kosher thing Hashem created, He created something similar which is permissible. Also, that everything was created to be used in the service of G-d.

So when is "kosher" good and when is it bad? Does it depend on circumstances - like whether or not it's used l'sheim shomayim (for the sake of Heaven)?

The issue here is, things that are not against halacha but might not have the proper Jewish spirit, or might eventually break down one's sensitivity towards Jewish matters.  When we are very different from the non-Jews in what we eat and do, it keeps us at a distance from them.

An example: I read an impassioned article by someone who was very upset by the kosher l'Pesach "cereal" now available. Do we need it? Why do we need it? Can children not make it through the week without imitation cereal? Whatever happened to the special sights and sounds of Pesach, the special foods, the aura of Pesach with its unusual menu?

Now someone can respond by saying: Is it perfectly kosher for Pesach? So stop with the nostalgia spiel and memories of when the only available products were matza and wine! Pesach is Pesach, and we don't need to ignore the perfectly acceptable kosher products available in the dozens! [note: I'm not getting into whether it is preferable not to buy any storebought products on Pesach].  For that matter, one can say - our great-grandmothers worked hard to make kosher l'Pesach lokshon, kneidlach and cakes and how is that different than cereal?

The same argument can be made for absolutely 100% kosher l'Pesach hotels ...

Someone gave this as the answer as to why tznius is more of a problem issue for people than other things. They said that in most other areas of life there are acceptable, kosher substitutes, but when it comes to tznius and related matters, there's no substitute. You've just got to say "no." And because we're so accustomed to having whatever we want, saying no doesn't come easy. And that an important component of chinuch is training our children to say no, so that when confronted with situations in which there is no kosher alternative, saying no won't be foreign to them.