Teshuvah First: Why Moshe Called the Elders
From the Torah ofRav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitzהרב דוד מתתיהו בן יחיאל יהושע רבינוביץProfile ›
Shemos 12:21
וַיִּקְרָא מֹשֶׁה לְכׇל־זִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם מִשְׁכוּ וּקְחוּ לָכֶם צֹאן לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתֵיכֶם וְשַׁחֲטוּ הַפָּסַח
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.”
1“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.’”1 The commentators, among them the Ramban, the Chizkuni and the Ohr HaChaim, ask why Moshe said this only to the elders of Israel, when all Israel had been given the mitzvos of slaughtering and eating the Korban Pesach, the Pesach offering.2
וַיִּקְרָא מֹשֶׁה לְכָל זִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם מִשְׁכוּ וּקְחוּ לָכֶם צֹאן לְמִשְׁפְּחוֹתֵיכֶם וְשַׁחֲטוּ הַפָּסַח (יב, כא). וְהִקְשׁוּ הַמְּפָרְשִׁים (עיין ברמב״ן ובחזקוני ובאור החיים), לָמָּה דִּיבֵּר מֹשֶׁה בָּזֶה רַק אֶל זִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, הֲרֵי בְּמִצְוֹות שְׁחִיטַת וַאֲכִילַת קָרְבַּן הַפֶּסַח נִצְטַוּוּ כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל.
In shortWhy did Moshe give the command of the Pesach offering to the elders alone, when the mitzvah was for all Israel?
2The Midrash comments: “‘Draw out and take for yourselves’: draw your hands away from idol worship, ‘and take for yourselves sheep.’”3 But why does the Midrash tie drawing their hands away from idolatry to bringing the Korban Pesach, of all things? Idol worship is forbidden even without that mitzvah.
וּבַמִּדְרָשׁ (שמות רבה טז, ב) אִיתָא, ״מִשְׁכוּ וּקְחוּ לָכֶם״ מִשְׁכוּ יְדֵיכֶם מֵעֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים ״וּקְחוּ לָכֶם צֹאן״. וְיֵשׁ לְהָבִין מַדּוּעַ תָּלָה אֶת הַמְשָׁכַת יְדֵיהֶם מֵעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה בְּהַקְרָבַת קָרְבַּן הַפֶּסַח דַּוְוקָא, הֲרֵי גַּם לְלֹא מִצְוַת הַקְרָבַת קָרְבַּן הַפֶּסַח אָסוּר לַעֲבוֹד עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה.
- Shemos Rabbah 16:2. ↩
In shortThe Midrash reads “draw out” as “draw your hands from idolatry”; but why tie giving up idolatry to the Pesach offering?
3Further on, the verse says, “Bnei Yisrael went and did; as Hashem commanded Moshe and Aharon, so they did.”4 Rashi explains: “To tell the praise of Israel, that they did not leave out a single thing of all the commands of Moshe and Aharon.”5 But what is remarkable about their changing nothing in Hashem's command and doing as He had commanded? This was, after all, the first mitzvah they had been given. Of course they would do as Hashem commanded!
עוֹד לְהַלָּן ״וַיֵּלְכוּ וַיַּעֲשׂוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה ה׳ אֶת מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן כֵּן עָשׂוּ״ (יב, כח), וברש״י הַקָּדוֹשׁ, לְהַגִּיד שִׁבְחָן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁלֹּא הִפִּילוּ דָּבָר מִכָּל מִצְוֹות מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן. וְיֵשׁ לְהָבִין מָה הַחִידּוּשׁ בְּכָךְ שֶׁלֹּא שִׁינּוּ מִמִּצְוַת ה׳ וְעָשׂוּ כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה ה׳, הֲלֹא הָיְתָה זוֹ מִצְוָה רִאשׁוֹנָה שֶׁנִּצְטַוּוּ, וּבְוַדַּאי שֶׁיַּעֲשׂוּ כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה ה׳.
In shortRashi praises Israel for leaving out nothing Moshe and Aharon commanded, yet surely they would keep their very first mitzvah as told.
4We may explain this in light of the holy sefer Maor VaShemesh, by R' Kalonymus Kalman Epstein of Krakow. It explains why Moshe Rabbeinu opened Mishneh Torah, the Book of Devarim, with words of rebuke:6 “We have found in holy sefarim, and I also heard from my holy teachers, may their souls rest in Eden, that one of the most basic foundations of avodah, the service of Hashem, is to turn one's thoughts to teshuvah before sitting down to learn Torah or before doing mitzvos. My master and teacher, the great leader of the generation, R' Yaakov Yitzchak, the Chozeh of Lublin, zt"l, said that if a person does not do teshuvah before learning Torah, it is of him that the verse says, ‘But to the wicked God said: What have you to do with recounting My statutes? …’7 That is why Moshe began with words of rebuke, listing here all the places where they had angered the Omnipresent.8 Because he wanted to explain the Torah to them, he hinted at all the sins they had committed up to that day, so that they would turn their thoughts to teshuvah for every one of them before they heard the words of the Torah.” Those are his holy words.
וְאֶפְשָׁר לְפָרֵשׁ בְּהֶקְדֵּם מַה שֶּׁכָּתַב בְּסֵפֶר הַקָּדוֹשׁ מְאוֹר וָשֶׁמֶשׁ (פרשת דברים), בְּבֵיאוּר הַטַּעַם שֶׁפָּתַח מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ בִּתְחִילַּת מִשְׁנֵה תּוֹרָה בְּדִבְרֵי תּוֹכָחוֹת. וְזֶה לְשׁוֹנוֹ, מָצָאנוּ בְּסִפְרֵי קוֹדֶשׁ וְכֵן שָׁמַעְתִּי מֵרַבּוֹתַי הַקְּדוֹשִׁים נ״ע, שֶׁהָעִיקָּר מֵעִיקְּרֵי הָעֲבוֹדָה, הוּא לְהַרְהֵר בִּתְשׁוּבָה קוֹדֶם יְשִׁיבָתוֹ לִלְמוֹד תּוֹרָה אוֹ קוֹדֶם מַעֲשֵׂה הַמִּצְוֹות. ואדמו״ר הָרַב רשכבה״ג מו״ה יַעֲקֹב יִצְחָק מק״ק לובלין זצוק״ל אָמַר, שֶׁאִם הָאָדָם אֵינוֹ עוֹשֶׂה תְּשׁוּבָה קוֹדֶם לִימּוּד הַתּוֹרָה, עָלָיו נֶאֱמַר ״וְלָרָשָׁע אָמַר אֱלֹקִים מַה לְּךָ לְסַפֵּר חוּקָּי״ וְגוֹ׳ (תהלים נ, טז), וְכוּ׳, וּלְכָךְ הִקְדִּים לָהֶם מֹשֶׁה דִּבְרֵי הַתּוֹכָחוֹת וּמָנָה כָּאן אֶת כָּל הַמְּקוֹמוֹת שֶׁהִכְעִיסוּ לִפְנֵי הַמָּקוֹם, לְפִי שֶׁהָיָה רוֹצֶה לְבָאֵר לָהֶם אֶת הַתּוֹרָה, עַל כֵּן רָמַז לָהֶם כְּלָלוּת כָּל הָעֲבֵירוֹת שֶׁעָשׂוּ עַד אוֹתוֹ הַיּוֹם, כְּדֵי שֶׁיְּהַרְהֲרוּ תְּשׁוּבָה עַל כּוּלָּם קוֹדֶם שֶׁיִּשְׁמְעוּ דִּבְרֵי הַתּוֹרָה, עכל״ק.
In shortTeshuvah must come before Torah study and mitzvos, the Maor VaShemesh teaches, which is why Moshe opened Devarim with rebuke.
5In the same way we can explain the Midrash here. It mentions drawing their hands away from idolatry as a preparation for the Korban Pesach because, before they brought the offering, they first had to do teshuvah for having worshipped idols. Only then could they keep the mitzvah of the Korban Pesach completely. This answers our question about the Midrash.
וְעַל פִּי זֶה יֵשׁ לְבָאֵר אַף כָּאן, שֶׁהִזְכִּיר כָּאן מְשִׁיכַת יָדַיִם מֵעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה כַּהֲכָנָה לְקָרְבַּן פֶּסַח, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁקּוֹדֶם הַקְרָבַת קָרְבַּן פֶּסַח צָרִיךְ לְהַקְדִּים לַעֲשׂוֹת תְּשׁוּבָה עַל מַה שֶׁעָבְדוּ עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, וְרַק לְאַחַר מִכֵּן יְכוֹלִים לְקַיֵּים מִצְוַת קָרְבַּן פֶּסַח בִּשְׁלֵימוּת.
In short“Draw your hands away from idolatry” is the teshuvah that had to come first, so that the Pesach offering could be kept completely.
6Bnei Yisrael were sunk deep in the gates of impurity, the forty-nine levels of impurity of Egypt, and stood on a very low level. Moshe Rabbeinu was afraid that in such a state they would not be able to keep the mitzvah in the right and proper way. That way is to do proper teshuvah first: to draw their hands away from everything they had grown used to until then, and to take on a full commitment for the future. That is why he called the elders of Israel, who stood on a lofty level, so that they would influence Bnei Yisrael and bring them fully back to the right path. This answers our question about why Moshe spoke only to the elders.
וְהִנֵּה כֵּיוָן שֶׁהָיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מְשׁוּקָּעִים בְּעוֹמֶק שַׁעֲרֵי הַטּוּמְאָה, וְהָיוּ בְּדַרְגָּה נְמוּכָה עַד מְאֹד, חָשַׁשׁ מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ ע״ה שֶׁבִּהְיוֹתָם שְׁרוּיִים בְּמַצָּב זֶה, לֹא יוּכְלוּ לְקַיֵּים הַמִּצְוָה בָּאוֹפֶן הַנִּרְצֶה וְהָרָאוּי, שֶׁהוּא לַעֲשׂוֹת תְּחִילָּה תְּשׁוּבָה כָּרָאוּי, וְלִמְשׁוֹךְ יְדֵיהֶם מִכָּל מַה שֶּׁהָיוּ מוּרְגָּלִים עַד עַתָּה, וּלְקַבֵּל עַל עַצְמָם קַבָּלָה גְּמוּרָה לֶעָתִיד. וּלְכָךְ קָרָא מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ ע״ה לְזִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁהָיוּ בְּדַרְגָּה עֶלְיוֹנָה, בִּכְדֵי שֶׁהֵמָּה יַשְׁפִּיעוּ עַל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וִישִׁיבוּם לַמּוּטָב בִּשְׁלֵימוּת.
In shortFearing that a people sunk in impurity could not keep the mitzvah properly, Moshe called the elders, who could bring the people fully back.
7But the miracle was so dear to Bnei Yisrael that they came to keep the mitzvah completely on their own, without needing to receive it through the elders. This is what the verse means: “Bnei Yisrael went and did; as Hashem commanded Moshe and Aharon, so they did.” At once, “as Hashem commanded,” they were stirred with a holy fire to do His mitzvah exactly as it was given, and they needed no arousal or influence from the elders. Rashi's words “to tell the praise of Israel, that they did not leave out a single thing of all the commands of Moshe and Aharon” mean the same. The command of Moshe and Aharon by itself was enough for them to do the mitzvah completely, drawing their hands away from idolatry and doing proper teshuvah, and in this way they reached the completeness required of them. This answers our question about Rashi's praise.
אַךְ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, מִגּוֹדֶל חֲבִיבוּת הַנֵּס, הִגִּיעוּ בְּעַצְמָם לִשְׁלֵימוּת הַמִּצְוָה, וְלֹא הָיוּ צְרִיכִים לְקַבֵּל זֹאת עַל יְדֵי הַזְּקֵנִים. וְעַל זֶה אָמַר הַכָּתוּב ״וַיֵּלְכוּ וַיַּעֲשׂוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כַּאֲשֶׁר צִיוָּה ה׳ אֶת מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן כֵּן עָשׂוּ״, הַיְינוּ שֶׁתֵּיכֶף ׳כַּאֲשֶׁר צִיוָּה ה׳׳, מִיָּד נִתְעוֹרְרוּ בְּאֵשׁ קוֹדֶשׁ לַעֲשׂוֹת מִצְוַת ה׳ כְּמַאֲמָרָהּ, וְלֹא הָיוּ צְרִיכִים לְהִתְעוֹרְרוּת וְהַשְׁפָּעָה מִצַּד הַזְּקֵנִים. וְזֶהוּ שֶׁפֵּירֵשׁ רש״י ׳לְהַגִּיד שִׁבְחָן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁלֹּא הִפִּילוּ דָּבָר מִכָּל מִצְוֹות מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן׳, הַיְינוּ שֶׁהָיָה דַּי לָהֶם בְּמִצְוַת מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן לַעֲשׂוֹת הַמִּצְוָה בִּשְׁלֵימוּת, בִּמְשִׁיכַת יָדַיִם מֵעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה וַעֲשִׂיַּית תְּשׁוּבָה כָּרָאוּי, וְעַל יְדֵי זֶה בָּאוּ אֶל הַשְּׁלֵימוּת הַנִּרְצֵית.
In shortSo dear was the miracle that Israel repented fully on its own the moment the command came; that is the praise Rashi finds.
8May Hashem grant that we too be privileged to reach this completeness when we do a mitzvah. Amen, may it be His will.
יִתֵּן ה׳ יִתְבָּרַךְ, שֶׁגַּם אָנוּ נִזְכֶּה לָזֶה בַּעֲשִׂיַּית הַמִּצְוָה, אָמֵן כֵּן יְהִי רָצוֹן.
In shortThe Rebbe prays that we too reach this completeness when we do a mitzvah.
Takeaway
A mitzvah done properly begins with teshuvah: before we learn Torah or do a mitzvah, we should stop to regret what has pulled us away and draw our hands back from it. Our ancestors in Egypt were sunk in impurity, and Moshe feared they would need the elders to lift them, yet their love for the miracle brought them to that teshuvah on their own the moment they heard the command. May we too come to each mitzvah cleansed and whole.
Learn this in the merit of Rav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitz. His yahrzeit and life ›
English translation, notes and summaries © Zechusam.