Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Vaeira 5770

שבת טעם החיים וארא תש"ע
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Vaeira 5770

Ten plagues and Ten Utterances

Introduction
ולא ישמע אליכם פרעה ונתתי את ידי במצרים והוצאתי את צבאותי את עמי בני ישראל מארץ מצרים בשפטים גדולים, Pharaoh will not heed you, and I shall put My hand upon Egypt; and I shall take out My legions – My people the Children of Israel – from the land of Egypt, with great judgments. (Shemos 7:4)
Ten Makkos, Makkos Ten, the Mitzriim were punished, again and again! We are all familiar with this children’s song depicting the ten plagues that HaShem used to punish the Egyptians. Yet, have we taken the time to contemplate the number ten? Why did the Egyptians need to be afflicted with ten plagues? Would it have not been sufficient to be stricken by one big plague that would have brought Pharaoh and the Egyptians to their knees?
The world was created with Ten Utterances
We find a similar question with regard to the creation of the world. The Mishnah in Avos (5:1) raises the question in the following manner. The world was created with ten utterances. Would it have not been sufficient to create the world with one utterance? Rather, this teaches us that HaShem created the world with ten utterances to punish the wicked that destroy the world that was created with ten utterances and to reward the righteous who sustain the world that was created with ten utterances. This teaching, however, appears to be extremely puzzling. What is the difference whether the world was created with one utterance or ten utterances?
The essential function of this world is speech
Let us understand what it means to create with an utterance. While it is beyond human comprehension to fathom the idea that HaShem speaks, we can at least relate to it in the context of human beings. It is said (Bereishis 2:7) vayitzer HaShem Elokim es haadam afar min haadamah vayipach biapav neshama chaim vayehi haadama linefesh chaya, and HaShem G-d formed the man of dust from the ground, and He blew into his nostrils the soul of life; and man became a living being. The Targum renders the words linefesh chaya, a living being, to mean liruach memalela, a talking spirit. Thus, HaShem designed man that his essential function should be to speak. Similarly, so to speak, HaShem brought the world into existence through speech. Thus, it would appear that the essential function of the world is through speech. How can we understand the idea that the essential function of the world is through speech?
Speech is to reveal that which is concealed
The Sfas Emes writes in many instances that the word dibbur is derived from the word dabar, which means a leader. More specifically, the idea of dibbur, speech, is a hanhagah, the way something is conducted. The Sfas Emes writes that it is clear to him that the wicked that destroys the world that was created with ten utterances refers to Pharaoh, and the righteous who earn a good reward for sustaining the world that was created with ten utterances refers to the Torah, which is good for the Jewish People. It is noteworthy that the word that the Mishnah uses for punishment is lihiparah, and when the letters are rearranged, it spells the word liPharaoh. It is even more noteworthy that the word para and Pharaoh mean to reveal. Thus, the Mishnah is teaching us that the essential function in this world is to reveal. What is it that we need to reveal?
Pesach is to reveal the power of speech
In a simple sense, we need to reveal HaShem’s Presence in the world, as this is the ultimate purpose of creation. On a deeper level, however, the revelation that was manifest in Egypt was a revelation of the power of speech. Pesach is the festival that we celebrate upon HaShem redeeming us from the Egyptian slavery. The Arizal writes that the word pesach is an acrostic for the words peh sach, the mouth speaks. The Zohar states that in Egypt, the dibbur, the power of speech, was in exile. Thus, upon redemption, the power of speech was revealed. The significance of this idea is that while initially the Jewish People were idolatrous and undeserving of redemption, they were able to effect a transformation where the righteous sustain the world that was created with ten utterances.
Pharaoh resisted revelation whereas the Jewish People allowed HaShem’s glory to be revealed in the world
We can now understand the idea that the Egyptians were afflicted with ten plagues. The Egyptians essentially destroyed the world that was created with ten utterances, as they refused to allow HaShem’s glory to be revealed (hence the name Pharaoh, which in this context means to disallow revelation, based on the idea that a word can mean one concept and its opposite definition). The Jewish People, however, went through the crucible of slavery and ultimately allowed for HaShem’s glory to be revealed in the world. Thus, the Jewish People were responsible for sustaining the world that HaShem created with ten utterances.
The Shabbos connection
Throughout the week we exist in a form of exile, where HaShem’s glory is concealed and the power of speech is obscured. With the onset of Shabbos, however, we recite the words hisoreri hisoreri ki va oreich kumi ori uri uri shir dabeiri kevod HaShem alayich niglah, Wake up! Wake up! For your light has come, rise up and shine; Awaken, awaken, utter a song, The glory of HaShem is revealed on you. Thus, on Shabbos we allow the glory of HaShem to be revealed, and this manifests itself through our uttering praises and thanks to HaShem, our Father, our King. HaShem should allow us to merit witnessing His revelation when He sends us His anointed one, Moshiach ben Dovid Tzidkeinu, speedily, in our days.
Shabbos Stories
Taste requires thought
Rabbi Yissachar Frand writes: Rav Simon Schwab (1908-1995) related how he once spent Shabbos Parashas Beshalach in the home of the Chafetz Chaim (1838-1933). They were discussing the Manna. The Medrash relates that the Manna would taste like whatever a person would desire. If you thought fried chicken, it would taste like fried chicken; if you thought macaroni, it would taste like macaroni, etc. So they asked the Chafetz Chaim - what if someone ate the Manna without thinking about anything - then what would it taste like? The Chafetz Chaim responded, if you did not think - then it had no taste! [oib mer tracht nisht; es haat ken taam nisht.]
Listen to your messages
Rabbi Frand writes further:
A woman recently wrote a nice letter to me in response to my book ("Listen to Your Messages"; Mesorah 1999):
"This year, the week after Sukkos, I was in Newark airport to see our son and his family off to Eretz Yisrael where they live. We have a daughter that was in need of a shidduch. Standing ahead of our son, waiting for security clearance stood a young man with his father. A few people had proposed this young man as a possible match for our daughter. Somehow, however, it was always felt that it was not a good match and promptly disregarded. For some reason the security setup at the El Al counter in Newark Airport that day was different than I had ever seen it there, either before or after. I was standing in position to observe this young man and since security was exceptionally slow, I observed him for quite some time. I began to think of your book and its title and maybe this was a message to listen to. The rest is history. We called one of the shadchanim who gave us the details. Everything sounded wonderful. It did not take long for the shidduch to take off, for the couple to get engaged, and for the wedding to take place." (www.Torah.org)
Lost in Torah
There was a closed-door meeting between the Gedolei Yisroel, headed by the gadol hador, Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzensky zt”l. Shock and confusion permeated in the room when all of a sudden the door burst open. A young man marched right up to Rav Chaim Ozer, grabbed on to his clothing - holding on as if for his dear life. He exchanged a few shouts with Rav Chaim Ozer. The rabbonim present got up to stop this apparently brazen young man shouting at Rav Chaim Ozer, but he motioned to them to leave him alone. When this young man was satisfied with Rav Chaim Ozer’s answer, he marched right out as if nothing out of the ordinary took place.
When Rav Chaim Ozer saw the hurt and shock written all over the rabbonim’s faces, he explained that this young man is such a pure soul immersed in Torah to such an extent that it’s his blood life and oxygen and he has absolutely no idea what’s going on around him. When he comes across a difficulty and can’t understand what the Gemara is saying, he chokes up as if trying to catch his breath. Hence, this young man doesn’t have the slightest idea that there is a meeting taking place now in this room. Nor does he know for that matter that there’s a whole room filled with the most distinguished rabbonim in session. “When I finally answered his question to his satisfaction,” said Rav Chaim Ozer, "it was as if he caught his breath and he was able to function again.”
When the Stoliner Rebbe, who was present at the meeting, heard that, he told Rav Chaim Ozer, “A talmid chacham who has such a burning desire for the devar HaShem, I want him as Rosh Yeshiva of my yeshiva.” Thus, the first official position of the gadol who was later to become the gadol hador, Rav Elazar Menachem Shach zt”l, was as rosh yeshiva of Karlin Stolin.
(Thank you to Rav Mordechai S. Bald, rov of Livov-Lemberg, Ukraine who submitted this story) (www.Revach.net www.Matzav.com Newscenter)
Dubna Maggid: A House On The River
In a small town, there lived an informer. He would receive money from the local ruler to report to him daily about all the things the locals were hiding from him. This man was hated among the community but the rewards he reaped made it worth his while. The local townspeople did everything in their power to isolate the pariah and make life as difficult as possible for him.
One day he had enough and he told the local ruler that he would leave town for a neighboring town where the people don't know him and he could live in peace. The ruler was very sad to lose his valuable asset yet thanked him for his years of loyal service. He even wrote a letter to the ruler of the neighboring town singing his praises and advising him to take full advantage of his wonderful service.
At the same time the townspeople were thrilled to finally rid themselves of this cancer in their midst and they too sent letters to their friends and family in the new town warning them about this evil and greedy informer.

When he arrived in the new town in the dead of winter with snow piled up all over the streets, he wanted to buy a house, but as soon as he knocked on a door the door was slammed in his face. With no choice he went to local ruler who gave him a warm welcome. When he told him his plight the local ruler told him that he cannot force anyone to sell him a home but any land he could find would be his to keep.
After searching all over town, he came up with nothing. However just as he was about to give up, on the edge of town he saw a large beautiful property which he claimed as his own. He called in the finest builders and contractors to build him a beautiful mansion.
He stood there each day supervising the work and watching his mansion quickly rising from the ground. Strangely, whenever one of the town’s people passed the site they would smile at him. He couldn't understand why since they all hated him. Whenever he asked them they wouldn't answer and just kept on smiling.
Finally the mansion was complete and it was magnificent. Now the people will stop laughing he thought. However they didn't and when the next person walked by he grabbed in and took him into his house threatening not to let him go until he told him what the big joke was. Without any choice the man told him, "You built your house on the frozen lake. In a few weeks when in get warmer, the ice will crack and your beautiful home will fall to the bottom of the river."
This is a Mashal from the Dubna Maggid. The moral of the story is that you can build magnificent structures with your Torah and Mitzvos. But if you build it on frozen ice it won't last very long. The ice will thaw and down will go all your efforts and all your work. You must build only on the solid ground of Emuna, Middos, and LiShem Shamayim. If you build it on ego, reward, and honor don't expect it to withstand the heat. (www.Revach.net )
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Vaeira 5770
I will be giving a class in Navi on Shabbos afternoon at Bais Haknesses HaGra 14561 Lincoln in Oak Park, half an hour before Mincha.
Have a wonderful and delightful Shabbos.
Prepared by Rabbi Binyomin Adler.
For sponsorships please call
248-506-0363.
To subscribe weekly by email
Please send email to ShabbosTaamHachaim@gmail.com
View Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim
and other Divrei Torah on www.doreishtov.blogspot.com