Just Do It!

There’s nothing quite like Pesach. All of us have our own memories of past sedorim, of family reunions, joyous song, cases of wine, and mountains of matzah. Many of us have memories of unique family minhagim (traditions) associated with the holiday, stemming from our many diverse backgrounds. However, by the very first Pesach seder in Egypt, there was something very interesting done that was not a custom, but rather a mitzvah for all the participants. In the Torah, when Hashem tells Moshe to tell the Jewish People to eat the Pesach sacrifice, He commands that they eat the sacrifice with their shoes on their feet, their belts tied, and their staffs in their hands- all ready for a journey. This mitzvah becomes even more difficult to understand in light of the fact that the Torah says that the Jews didn’t leave Egypt until the following morning. If so, why was it so critical for them to get their traveling clothes on- where were they going?

Perhaps we could offer an explanation based on the words of the Ohr Hachaim (Rav Chaim ben Atar zt”l). In a later part of the Exodus, the Torah describes the plight of the Jewish People as they found themselves caught between the very first rock and a hard place: the vengeful Egyptian army on one side and the watery depths of the Yam Suf on the other. Seeing no way out, Moshe raises his voice, and begins to beseech Hashem to save His children. Suddenly Hashem responds, “What are you crying out to Me for? Speak to the Children of Israel and have them go.” The questions on this response of Hashem simply scream out to be asked. First of all, don’t we all know that prayer is always the answer when we find ourselves in trouble? If so, why did Hashem rebuff the prayers of Moshe? Furthermore, where were they to go- if Hashem meant to say that they should cross the sea after He split the waters, He should have first said to split the sea and then for the Jews to go, instead of telling them to go, and only after telling Moshe to split the sea?

The Ohr Hachaim explains that the Jewish People were in a very difficult situation. At that point in their national history, the Jews were almost indistinguishable from their Egyptian masters to the extent that the Heavenly Angels asked Hashem why He would save these (the Jews) and drown those (the Egyptians); after all, both were idol-worshippers? What Hashem was telling Moshe, was that in their current state, the Jews did not have the merit to be saved, and, amazingly, even prayer could not save them. What then was there to do? Desperate times call for desperate measures. Hashem told Moshe to have the Jews walk into the sea, before He would split it. By showing in action their unwavering Emunah (faith) in Hashem by walking straight into the raging sea, without any knowledge of how or even if they would be saved, knowing only that “Hashem told me to,” the Jews would create the very means of their salvation, by generating the necessary merit to split the sea.

In light of the words of the Ohr Hachaim, perhaps we could explain the phenomenon by the first Pesach seder as well. As we said, the Jewish People did not have much merit themselves. In order to even leave Egypt in the first place, the Jews had to generate more merit. Getting themselves ready to leave Egypt in the middle of the night, after hundred of years of bondage, with Pharaoh still steadfastly refusing to send them, created merits for their freedom. It was their firm belief in Hashem that allowed the Exodus from Egypt to occur.

Our Sages teach us that just like in the month of Nissan we were redeemed, so to will the ultimate Redemption come in Nissan as well. We pray three times every day for Hashem to take us home to Eretz Yisrael, and to rebuild the Beis Hamikdash (the Holy Temple). At the end of the Yom Kippur prayers, and soon, at the End of the Pesach seder, we cry out “Next year in Jerusalem!” True, we must pray to our Father in Heaven to take us out of this long and bitter exile, but that’s not enough. We have to learn from the Exodus that even when our prayers may not suffice, our Emunah, our faith, when proven in action, can turn the tide. We must take our Emunah and translate it from our hearts and minds into concrete actions. If we believe that Hashem sends us our livelihood, then we have to give tzedaka (charity) with an open hand. If we believe that the Torah is Hashem’s greatest gift to us, we have to set aside time to study it, to go to classes about it, and to help teach it others. The heart is where our Emunah must emanate from, but it must be expressed in deed as well. May our Emunah lead us to the coming of Mashiach, and the Exodus from our Exile, Amen.

 By Rabbi Zamir Cohen