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Lehavas David · Parshas Bo · Maamar ב

Each Man by His Elders: Sharing the Tzaddik's Kavanos

From the Torah ofRav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitzהרב דוד מתתיהו בן יחיאל יהושע רבינוביץProfile ›
Shemos 12:3
דַּבְּרוּ אֶל־כׇּל־עֲדַת יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר בֶּעָשֹׂר לַחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה וְיִקְחוּ לָהֶם אִישׁ שֶׂה לְבֵית־אָבֹת שֶׂה לַבָּיִת
Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: On the tenth of this month they shall take for themselves, each man, a lamb for a father's house, a lamb for a household.
1“Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying … they shall take for themselves, each man, a lamb for a father's house, a lamb for a household.”1 Notice the wording. The verse has already said, “Speak to all the congregation of Israel.” Why, then, does it go on to say “each man” (ish)?
דַּבְּרוּ אֶל כָּל עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמוֹר וְגוֹ׳ וְיִקְחוּ לָהֶם אִישׁ שֶׂה לְבֵית אָבוֹת שֶׂה לַבָּיִת (יב, ג). יֵשׁ לְדַיֵּיק, אַחַר שֶׁכְּבָר נֶאֱמַר ׳דַּבְּרוּ אֶל כָּל עֲדַת יִשְׂרָאֵל׳, מַדּוּעַ נִכְתַּב שׁוּב ׳אִישׁ׳.
  1. Shemos 12:3. ↩
In shortWhy does the Pesach command add “each man” after already addressing “all the congregation of Israel”?
2Further on, the Torah says: “Moshe called to all the elders of Israel and said to them, ‘Draw out and take for yourselves sheep for your families, and slaughter the Pesach offering.’”2 The commentators, among them the Ramban, the Chizkuni and the Ohr HaChaim, ask: the Holy One, blessed be He, told Moshe, “Speak to all the congregation of Israel,” so why did Moshe call only the elders of Israel?3
וּלְהַלָּן כְּתִיב ״וַיִּקְרָא מֹשֶׁה לְכָל זִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם מִשְׁכוּ וּקְחוּ לָכֶם צֹאן לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתֵיכֶם וְשַׁחֲטוּ הַפָּסַח״ (שם כא). וְהִקְשׁוּ הַמְּפָרְשִׁים (עיין ברמב״ן בחזקוני ובאור החיים), הֲרֵי הקב״ה אָמַר לְמֹשֶׁה ׳דַּבְּרוּ אֶל כָּל עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׳, וְאִם כֵּן לָמָּה קָרָא מֹשֶׁה לְזִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּלְבַד.
  1. Shemos 12:21. ↩
  2. See Ramban, Chizkuni and Ohr HaChaim there. ↩
In shortTold to speak to the whole congregation, why did Moshe give the command of the Pesach offering only to the elders?
3The same passage says: “Bnei Yisrael went and did; as Hashem commanded Moshe and Aharon, so they did.”4 Rashi explains: “This tells the praise of Israel, that they did not leave out a single thing of all the commands of Moshe and Aharon. And what is ‘so they did’? Moshe and Aharon, too, did so.”5 The holy sefarim, the Maor VaShemesh and the Sifsei Tzaddik, ask what is new in Bnei Yisrael doing as Moshe commanded.6 This was the first mitzvah they were given, so why would they change anything from what they were told? They also ask: what is new in Moshe and Aharon themselves doing so? Are they not part of Bnei Yisrael too?
עוֹד שָׁם ״וַיֵּלְכוּ וַיַּעֲשׂוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה ה׳ אֶת מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן כֵּן עָשׂוּ״ (שם כח), וּפֵירֵשׁ רש״י, לְהַגִּיד שִׁבְחָן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁלֹּא הִפִּילוּ דָּבָר מִכָּל מִצְוֹות מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן, וּמַהוּ ׳כֵּן עָשׂוּ׳ אַף מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן כֵּן עָשׂוּ. וְהִקְשׁוּ בַּסְּפָרִים הַקְּדוֹשִׁים (מאור ושמש, שפתי צדיק, ועיין עוד במזרחי), מָה הַחִידּוּשׁ שֶׁבְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל עָשׂוּ כְּמִצְוַת מֹשֶׁה, הֲרֵי זוֹ הָיְתָה מִצְוָה רִאשׁוֹנָה שֶׁנִּצְטַוּוּ, אִם כֵּן לָמָּה שֶׁיְּשַׁנּוּ מִמַּה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר לָהֶם. עוֹד הִקְשׁוּ, מָה הַחִידּוּשׁ בְּכָךְ שֶׁאַף מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן עַצְמָם כֵּן עָשׂוּ, הֲרֵי הֵמָּה גַּם בִּכְלַל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל.
  1. Shemos 12:28. ↩
  2. Rashi there. ↩
  3. See also the Mizrachi, R' Eliyahu Mizrachi's supercommentary on Rashi. ↩
In shortRashi praises Israel for leaving out nothing of Moshe and Aharon's commands, and Moshe and Aharon for doing likewise; but what is new in either?
4We may explain all this on the basis of the Tiferes Shlomo of R' Shlomo HaKohen of Radomsk [cited below]: Moshe Rabbeinu passed on to Israel the kavanos, the inner intentions, of the mitzvos. The Korban Pesach, the Pesach offering, can be brought with two kinds of intention. The first is the simple intention to fulfill the obligation of the mitzvah. Chazal speak of it: “A parable of two people who roasted their Pesach offerings. One ate it for the sake of the mitzvah, and the other ate it merely to gorge himself. Of the one who ate it for the sake of the mitzvah it says, ‘and the righteous walk in them.’”7 This first intention takes in all the details and fine points of the mitzvah. The second kind consists of the kavanos of the mystical teachings, an understanding of the mitzvah's inner meaning, and to reach it a person must stand on a high spiritual level.
וְאֶפְשָׁר לוֹמַר עַל פִּי מַה דְּאִיתָא בְּתִפְאֶרֶת שְׁלֹמֹה [הוּבָא לְהַלָּן], דְּמֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ מָסַר לְיִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת כַּוָּונַת הַמִּצְוֹת. וְהִנֵּה בְּקָרְבַּן פֶּסַח יֶשְׁנָם שְׁנֵי כַּוָּונוֹת, הָאֶחָד הַכַּוָּונָה הַפְּשׁוּטָה לָצֵאת יְדֵי חוֹבַת הַמִּצְוָה, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ חז״ל (נזיר כג, א) מָשָׁל לִשְׁנֵי בְּנֵי אָדָם שֶׁצָּלוּ אֶת פִּסְחֵיהֶן, אֶחָד אֲכָלוֹ לְשׁוּם מִצְוָה וְאֶחָד אֲכָלוֹ לְשׁוּם אֲכִילָה גַּסָּה, זֶה שֶׁאֲכָלוֹ לְשׁוּם מִצְוָה ״וְצַדִּיקִים יֵלְכוּ בָם״, וּבִכְלַל זֶה הֵם כָּל פְּרָטֵי וְדִקְדּוּקֵי הַמִּצְוָה. וְהַשֵּׁנִי הֵם הַכַּוָּונוֹת עַל פִּי הַסּוֹד וַהֲבָנַת פְּנִימִיּוּת הַמִּצְוָה, וּלְהַשִּׂיג זֶה צְרִיכִים לִהְיוֹת בַּעֲלֵי מַדְרֵיגָה.
  1. Nazir 23a; Hoshea 14:10. The Gemara goes on: of the one who ate it to gorge himself, the rest of the verse says, “and transgressors stumble in them.” ↩
In shortThe Pesach offering has two levels of intention: simple fulfillment in all its details, and inner kavanos, reached only from a high level.
5This is the meaning of “they shall take for themselves, each man (ish), a lamb for a father's house …” The word ish, “man,” means a man of stature, as in “Fortunate is the man who did not walk in the counsel of the wicked …”8 These are the people who do the mitzvah of the Korban Pesach with the inner kavanos and the mystical secrets. They are called ish because they have subdued their animal soul and its cravings. This answers our first question. But this level is hard to reach, and only the elders of the generation, the tzaddikim, can reach it. So Moshe Rabbeinu called the elders of Israel, so that they would have the kavanos on behalf of all Klal Yisrael as well. This answers our second question. And that is why the verse mentions the doing twice. First it says, “Bnei Yisrael went and did as Hashem commanded”: this refers to the rest of the people, who kept the mitzvah in its simple sense. Then it says again, “as Hashem commanded Moshe and Aharon, so they did”: this refers to the elders of Israel and to Moshe and Aharon, who kept the mitzvah in a lofty and exalted way.
וְזֶה הַפֵּירוּשׁ ׳וְיִקְחוּ לָהֶם אִישׁ שֶׂה לְבֵית אָבוֹת׳ וְגוֹ׳, ׳אִישׁ׳ מוֹרֶה עַל אִישׁ הַמַּעֲלָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (תהלים א, א) ״אַשְׁרֵי הָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר לֹא הָלַךְ בַּעֲצַת רְשָׁעִים״ וְגוֹ׳, וְהֵם אוֹתָם הָעוֹשִׂים אֶת מִצְוַת קָרְבַּן פֶּסַח עִם הַכַּוָּונוֹת הַפְּנִימִיּוֹת וְהַסּוֹדוֹת, וְהֵם נִקְרָאִים בִּבְחִינַת ׳אִישׁ׳ לְפִי שֶׁהִכְנִיעוּ אֶת הַנֶּפֶשׁ הַבְּהֵמִית הַמִּתְאַוָּה שֶׁלָּהֶם. אַךְ הוֹאִיל וְזוֹ הִיא מַדְרֵיגָה שֶׁקָּשֶׁה לְהַשִּׂיגָהּ, וְרַק עַל יְדֵי הַזְּקֵנִים שֶׁל הַדּוֹר שֶׁהֵם הַצַּדִּיקִים אֶפְשָׁר לְהַשִּׂיגָהּ, לָכֵן קָרָא מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ ע״ה לְזִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, בִּכְדֵי שֶׁהֵם יְכַוְּונוּ גַּם בְּעַד כְּלַל יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְלָכֵן נִזְכְּרָה הָעֲשִׂיָּיה שְׁנֵי פְּעָמִים, שֶׁתְּחִילָּה נֶאֱמַר ׳וַיֵּלְכוּ וַיַּעֲשׂוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כַּאֲשֶׁר צִיוָּה ה׳׳, וְזֶה קָאֵי עַל מַעֲשֵׂה הַמִּצְוָה שֶׁל שְׁאָר כָּל הָעָם, שֶׁקִּיְּימוּ אֶת הַמִּצְוָה כִּפְשׁוּטָהּ. וְשׁוּב נֶאֱמַר ׳כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה ה׳ אֶת מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן כֵּן עָשׂוּ׳ כְּנֶגֶד זִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וּמֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן, אֲשֶׁר קִיְּימוּ אֶת הַמִּצְוָוה בְּאוֹפֶן עֶלְיוֹן רָם וְנִישָּׂא.
  1. Tehillim 1:1. ↩
In short“Each man” means the tzaddikim with the inner kavanos; Moshe called the elders to have them for all, and “they did” twice covers both levels.
6aThe holy sefer Tiferes Shlomo writes along these lines in explaining the prayer “Moshe rejoiced in the gift of his portion,” from the Shabbos morning Amidah.9 It builds on the well-known idea that a tzaddik keeps the mitzvos very differently from other people. The tzaddik keeps the mitzvos with all their kavanos, while the rest of Israel cannot keep a mitzvah with all its kavanos. But the tzaddik, in his goodness, does his mitzvos and his service of Hashem in the name of all Israel, and so he shares the merit and the greatness of his mitzvos with all Klal Yisrael.
וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ זֶה כָּתַב בְּסֵפֶר הַקָּדוֹשׁ תִּפְאֶרֶת שְׁלֹמֹה (כאן ד״ה וילכו), בְּבֵיאוּר הַתְּפִילָּה ״יִשְׂמַח מֹשֶׁה בְּמַתְּנַת חֶלְקוֹ״, עַל פִּי הַיָּדוּעַ כִּי יֵשׁ חִילּוּק רַב בֵּין קִיּוּם הַמִּצְוֹות אֵצֶל הַצַּדִּיק לְעוּמַּת קִיּוּם הַמִּצְוָוה שֶׁל שְׁאָר בְּנֵי אָדָם, כִּי הַצַּדִּיק מְקַיֵּים הַמִּצְוֹות בְּכָל הַכַּוָּונוֹת, מַה שֶׁאֵין כֵּן יֶתֶר יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁאֵין בְּכוֹחָם לְקַיֵּים הַמִּצְוָה עִם כָּל כַּוָּונוֹת הַמִּצְוָה, אֶלָּא שֶׁהַצַּדִּיק בְּטוּבוֹ עוֹשֶׂה מִצְוֹותָיו וַעֲבוֹדָתוֹ בְּשֵׁם כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל, וּבְכָךְ מְזַכֶּה זְכוּת וּמַעֲלַת מַעֲשֵׂה מִצְוֹותָיו לְכָל כְּלַל יִשְׂרָאֵל.
  1. Tiferes Shlomo, Bo, s.v. Vayelchu. ↩
6bThis is “Moshe rejoiced in the gift of his portion.” Moshe handed his own portion in Torah and mitzvos over to Klal Yisrael as a gift, as he said, “See, I have taught you statutes and laws, as Hashem commanded me.”10 In other words, all the kavanos that Hashem had given him, Moshe handed over to Klal Yisrael. The same is meant here with the Korban Pesach. Moshe surely had special kavanos in keeping the mitzvah, but he handed them over to Klal Yisrael. That is why the verse had to tell the praise of Israel, that they did not leave out a single thing of all the commands of Moshe and Aharon: they too were privileged to keep the mitzvah in such an exalted way. This answers the first question on Rashi.
וְזֶהוּ ׳יִשְׂמַח מֹשֶׁה בְּמַתְּנַת חֶלְקוֹ׳, דְּחֶלְקוֹ שֶׁל מֹשֶׁה בַּתּוֹרָה וּבְמִצְוֹות מָסַר לִכְלַל יִשְׂרָאֵל, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (דברים ד, ה) ״רְאֵה לִמַּדְתִּי אֶתְכֶם חוּקִּים וּמִשְׁפָּטִים כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוַּונִי ה׳״, הַיְינוּ דְּכָל אוֹתָם כַּוָּונוֹת שֶׁנָּתַן לִי ה׳, מְסַרְתִּים לִכְלַל יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְזֶה הַכַּוָּונָה כָּאן גַּם לְעִנְיַן קָרְבַּן פֶּסַח, כִּי בְּוַדַּאי הָיוּ לְמֹשֶׁה כַּוָּונוֹת מְיוּחָדוֹת בְּקִיּוּם הַמִּצְוָה, אַךְ הוּא מָסַר אוֹתָם לִכְלַל יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְעַל כֵּן הוּצְרַךְ הַכָּתוּב לְהַגִּיד שִׁבְחָן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁלֹּא הִפִּילוּ דָּבָר מִכָּל מִצְוֹות מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן, וְזָכוּ אַף הֵמָּה לְקַיֵּים הַמִּצְוָה בְּאוֹפֶן נַעֲלֶה שֶׁכָּזֶה.
  1. Devarim 4:5. ↩
In shortMoshe gave his kavanos to all Israel as a gift, so Rashi praises Israel for keeping the Pesach offering in that same exalted way.
7May Hashem grant that we be privileged to cleave to the tzaddikim of the generation, and to receive from their abundance, in spiritual and in material things. Amen, may it be His will.
יִתֵּן ה׳ יִתְבָּרַךְ שֶׁנִּזְכֶּה לְהִדָּבֵק בְּצַדִּיקֵי הַדּוֹר, וְלִזְכּוֹת לִהְיוֹת מוּשְׁפָּע מֵהַשֶּׁפַע שֶׁלָּהֶם בְּרוּחָנִיּוּת וּבְגַשְׁמִיּוּת, אָמֵן כֵּן יְהִי רָצוֹן.
In shortMay we cleave to the tzaddikim of our generation and receive from their abundance, spiritual and material.
Takeaway

Not every Jew can bring the deepest inner intentions to each mitzvah, and so Moshe called the elders, the tzaddikim, to have those kavanos on behalf of everyone. Moshe gave his own kavanos to the whole people as a gift, and because they faithfully left out nothing of his commands, they too kept the mitzvah on that exalted level. So we pray to cleave to the tzaddikim of our generation and to receive from their abundance, in spiritual and in material things.

Learn this in the merit of Rav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitz. His yahrzeit and life ›

All of Lehavas David

English translation, notes and summaries © Zechusam.