My Firstborn: Doing Good Beyond the Command
From the Torah ofRav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitzהרב דוד מתתיהו בן יחיאל יהושע רבינוביץProfile ›
Shemos 4:22-23
וְאָמַרְתָּ אֶל־פַּרְעֹה כֹּה אָמַר יְהֹוָה בְּנִי בְכֹרִי יִשְׂרָאֵל וָאֹמַר אֵלֶיךָ שַׁלַּח אֶת־בְּנִי וְיַעַבְדֵנִי וַתְּמָאֵן לְשַׁלְּחוֹ הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי הֹרֵג אֶת־בִּנְךָ בְּכֹרֶךָ
You shall say to Pharaoh, “So says Hashem: Yisrael is My son, My firstborn. I said to you, ‘Send out My son, so that he may serve Me,’ but you refused to send him out; behold, I will kill your son, your firstborn.”
Rashi: “My son, My firstborn” is an expression of greatness, as in “I, too, will make him a firstborn” (Tehillim 89:28).
1“You shall say to Pharaoh, ‘So says Hashem: Yisrael is My son, My firstborn. I said to you, “Send out My son, so that he may serve Me,” but you refused to send him out; behold, I will kill your son, your firstborn.’”1 Rashi explains: “‘My son, My firstborn’ is an expression of greatness, as in ‘I, too, will make him a firstborn.’”2 Notice the wording. If the point is greatness, why does the verse not say “My great son,” or use some other expression of importance? Why “firstborn” in particular? We must also look closely at the words “Behold, I will kill your son, your firstborn.” Why does Hashem mention here only the plague of the firstborn, and none of the other plagues?
וְאָמַרְתָּ אֶל פַּרְעֹה כֹּה אָמַר ה׳ בְּנִי בְכוֹרִי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וָאוֹמַר אֵלֶיךָ שַׁלַּח אֶת בְּנִי וְיַעַבְדֵנִי וַתְּמָאֵן לְשַׁלְּחוֹ, הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי הוֹרֵג אֶת בִּנְךָ בְּכוֹרֶךָ (ד, כג). וברש״י, בְּנִי בְכוֹרִי לְשׁוֹן גְּדוּלָּה, כְּמוֹ ״אַף אָנִי בְּכוֹר אֶתְּנֵהוּ״. וְיֵשׁ לְדַיֵּיק, דִּלְפִי זֶה לָמָּה לֹא נֶאֱמַר ׳בְּנִי הַגָּדוֹל׳ אוֹ שְׁאָר לְשׁוֹנוֹת שֶׁל חֲשִׁיבוּת, וּמַדּוּעַ נִזְכַּר לְשׁוֹן בְּכוֹר דַּוְוקָא. עוֹד יֵשׁ לְדַקְדֵּק בְּמַה שֶׁאָמַר ׳הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי הוֹרֵג אֶת בִּנְךָ בְּכוֹרֶךָ׳, מַדּוּעַ הִזְכִּיר כָּאן רַק אֶת מַכַּת בְּכוֹרוֹת דַּוְוקָא, וְלֹא אֶת שְׁאָר הַמַּכּוֹת.
- Shemos 4:22–23 (the sefer has 4:23). ↩
- Rashi on Shemos 4:22. The verse he cites, Tehillim 89:28, is said of Dovid: “I, too, will make him a firstborn, supreme over the kings of the earth.” ↩
In shortWhy does Hashem call Israel “firstborn” rather than another word of greatness, and why warn Pharaoh only of the plague of the firstborn?
2We may explain it this way. We find that the firstborn takes a double portion of the inheritance.3 But why should he receive more than his brothers? Perhaps the reason is this. The eldest brother usually carries more of the burden of the household, and more of the honoring of father and mother, than the others do; the needs and the load of the household rest mostly on him. Even though the Torah did not command him any more than his brothers in the mitzvah of honoring father and mother and the like, he does more than they do, of his own free will. And since the Holy One, blessed be He, does not withhold the reward of any creature,4 the Torah granted him a double portion of the estate. Along the same lines we find that the eldest brother is the first to perform yibum or chalitzah.5 We can learn from this that whoever is greater, in years or in stature, does more good for others.
וְאֶפְשָׁר לְבָאֵר, דְּהִנֵּה מָצִינוּ שֶׁהַבְּכוֹר נוֹטֵל פִּי שְׁנַיִים בִּירוּשָּׁה (דברים, כא, יז), וְצָרִיךְ בֵּיאוּר מַדּוּעַ נוֹטֵל יוֹתֵר מִשְּׁאָר הָאַחִים. וְאֶפְשָׁר לוֹמַר הַטַּעַם בָּזֶה, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהַדֶּרֶךְ הוּא שֶׁגְּדוֹל הָאַחִים נוֹשֵׂא בְּעוֹל הַבַּיִת וּבְכִיבּוּד הָאָב וְהָאֵם יוֹתֵר מִשְּׁאָר הָאַחִים, וְצָרְכֵי וּמַשָּׂא הַבַּיִת מוּטָּלִים יוֹתֵר עָלָיו, וְאַף שֶׁהַתּוֹרָה לֹא צִוְּתָה עָלָיו יוֹתֵר מִכָּל אֶחָיו בְּמִצְוַת כִּיבּוּד אָב וָאֵם וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה, מִכָּל מָקוֹם הוּא מֵעַצְמוֹ עוֹשֶׂה מֵרְצוֹנוֹ יוֹתֵר מֵאֶחָיו. וּלְפִי שהקב״ה אֵינוֹ מְקַפֵּחַ שְׂכַר כָּל בְּרִיָּה (בבא קמא לח, ב), לָכֵן זִיכְּתָה לוֹ הַתּוֹרָה פִּי שְׁנַיִם בַּנְּכָסִים. וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ זֶה מָצִינוּ גַּם, שֶׁגְּדוֹל הָאַחִין הוּא מְיַיבֵּם וְחוֹלֵץ תְּחִילָּה (יבמות לט, א). וְיֵשׁ לִלְמוֹד מִזֶּה, שֶׁמִּי שֶׁיּוֹתֵר גָּדוֹל בְּשָׁנִים אוֹ בְּמַעֲלָה, הוּא יוֹתֵר מֵיטִיב עִם זוּלָתוֹ.
- Devarim 21:17. ↩
- Bava Kamma 38b. ↩
- Yevamos 39a. When a man dies childless, his brother marries the widow (yibum) or releases her through the ceremony of chalitzah. ↩
In shortThe firstborn earns a double portion by carrying more than the Torah requires; whoever is greater in years or stature does more good for others.
3aBut this is true only of Israel. Among the nations of the world it is not so. When they gain some greatness or advantage over others, they do not use it to do good and to help others. On the contrary, they use it constantly to oppress others and harm them. This is the very opposite of Bnei Yisrael, the “firstborn,” who do good even where they were not commanded to. The same thing happens when Israel is in exile among the nations and Hashem gives the nations the upper hand over it. At such a time the nations go further and afflict Israel more than they were commanded to.
אַךְ זֶהוּ רַק בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, אוּלָם לְעוּמַּת זֹאת בְּאוּמוֹת הָעוֹלָם אֵינוֹ כָּךְ, דִּכְשֶׁהֵם מְקַבְּלִים אֵיזֶה גְּדוּלָּה וּמַעֲלָה יוֹתֵר מִזּוּלָתָן, הֵם אֵינָם פּוֹעֲלִים בָּזֶה לְהֵיטִיב וּלְהוֹעִיל לְזוּלָתָן, אֶלָּא אַדְּרַבָּה מִשְׁתַּמְּשִׁים בָּזֶה כְּדֵי לְהָצֵר וּלְהָרַע לַאֲחֵרִים תָּדִיר, וְזֹאת לְהֵיפֶךְ מִבְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הַבְּכוֹרִים שֶׁעוֹשִׂים טוֹב גַּם מַה שֶׁלֹּא נִצְטַוּוּ עַל כָּךְ. וּכְמוֹ כֵּן כַּיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה הוּא גַּם כְּשֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל בַּגָּלוּת בֵּין הַגּוֹיִים, וְנוֹתֵן השי״ת מַעֲלָה לָאוּמּוֹת עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֲזַי בָּעֵת הַהִיא מוֹסִיפִים לַעֲנוֹת אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל יוֹתֵר מִמַּה שֶׁנִּצְטַוּוּ עָלָיו.
3bThe Ra'avad, in his glosses on the Rambam, says the same in resolving the Rambam's question: why were the Egyptians punished for enslaving Bnei Yisrael? Had not Hashem decreed it, telling Avraham, “They will enslave them and afflict them …”?6 The Ra'avad wrote: “The Creator said ‘they will afflict them,’ but they enslaved them with crushing labor, killed some of them and drowned some of them. As it says, ‘I was angry only a little, and they helped to make it worse.’ Therefore they became liable.” So far his words.7 We see, then, that with the nations of the world, “every inclination of the thoughts of their heart is only evil all the day”:8 all their thoughts are only of how to do evil to Bnei Yisrael.
וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתַב הראב״ד (פ״ז מהלכות תשובה ה״ה) בְּיִשּׁוּב קוּשְׁיַת הרמב״ם לָמָּה נֶעֶנְשׁוּ מִצְרַיִם עַל שֶׁנִּשְׁתַּעְבְּדוּ בִּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, הֲלֹא כֵן גָּזַר ה׳ יִתְבָּרֵךְ שֶׁאָמַר (בראשית טו, יג) ״וַעֲבָדוּם וְעִנּוּ אוֹתָם״ וְגוֹ׳. וְכָתַב הראב״ד: כִּי הַבּוֹרֵא אָמַר וְעִנּוּ אוֹתָם, וְהֵם עָבְדוּ בָּהֶם בְּפָרֶךְ וְהֵמִיתוּ מֵהֶם וְטִבְּעוּ מֵהֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״אֲנִי קָצַפְתִּי מְּעָט וְהֵם עָזְרוּ לְרָעָה״, לְפִיכָךְ נִתְחַיְּיבוּ, עכ״ל. הֲרֵי שֶׁאוּמוֹת הָעוֹלָם כָּל יֵצֶר מַחְשְׁבוֹת לִבָּם רַק רַע כָּל הַיּוֹם (בראשית ו, ה), שֶׁכָּל הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה שֶׁלָּהֶם הוּא רַק לַעֲשׂוֹת רַע לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל.
- Bereishis 15:13. ↩
- Rambam, Hilchos Teshuvah 6:5, and the Ra'avad there (the sefer has 7:5). The Ra'avad cites Zechariah 1:15. ↩
- Bereishis 6:5. ↩
In shortThe nations use every advantage to harm, and in exile they afflict Israel beyond the decree, as the Ra'avad explains Egypt's punishment.
4So when Moshe Rabbeinu went to Pharaoh for the first time, he told him in the name of Hashem: “See the difference between My people and your people.” Hashem calls Bnei Yisrael “My son, My firstborn,” to hint that their thoughts are always set on doing good to one another, just as a firstborn's way is to do good to his parents and his family. The Egyptians are the very opposite, for “their way is folly for them”:9 they enslave Bnei Yisrael and harm them with every kind of affliction. Therefore, measure for measure, the Holy One, blessed be He, said He would kill every firstborn of Egypt.
וְלָכֵן כַּאֲשֶׁר הָלַךְ מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ ע״ה בַּפַּעַם הָרִאשׁוֹנָה אֶל פַּרְעֹה, אָמַר לְפַרְעֹה בְּשֵׁם ה׳ יִתְבָּרֵךְ, רְאֵה הַהֶבְדֵּל בֵּין עַמִּי לְעַמְּךָ, שֶׁבְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל נִקְרָאִים בְּפִי ה׳ יִתְבָּרֵךְ ׳בְּנִי בְכוֹרִי׳, לְרַמֵּז שֶׁתָּמִיד כָּל מַחְשַׁבְתָּם לְהֵיטִיב עִם חֲבֵרוֹ כְּשֵׁם שֶׁדֶּרֶךְ הַבְּכוֹר לְהֵיטִיב עִם הוֹרָיו וּמִשְׁפַּחְתּוֹ, וּלְעוּמַּת זֶה מִצְרַיִם לְהֵיפֶךְ מִכָּךְ דַּרְכָּם כֵּסֶל לָמוֹ, אֶלָּא מְשַׁעְבְּדִים אוֹתָם וּמְרִיעִים לָהֶם בְּכָל מִינֵי עִינּוּי, וְלָכֵן מִדָּה כְּנֶגֶד מִדָּה אָמַר הקב״ה לַהֲרוֹג כָּל בְּכוֹר מִצְרַיִם.
- Tehillim 49:14. ↩
In shortIsrael, “My firstborn,” lives to do good, while Egypt lived to afflict, so measure for measure Hashem struck Egypt's firstborn.
5a[The explanation of all this is that the firstborn does even what he was not commanded to do because his inner self is good.10 So this power is found only in Bnei Yisrael, whose inner self is good. All the evil in Israel is only on the outside; it is a kelipah, a husk covering the inner good. The Rambam explains the same in his comment on the teaching “We compel him until he says, ‘I am willing.’”11 At first glance, what use is it for him to say “I am willing”? He is not saying it of his own will, only so that the beis din will stop beating him! The Rambam explained that the inner self of a Jew is good and wants to keep the Torah and the mitzvos. His essence, his inner self, does not need to be compelled at all. Only his outer kelipah is compelled, and through this the inner good is revealed. So when he says “I am willing,” the inner, good part of him truly is willing.]
*[וְהַבֵּיאוּר בָּזֶה, דְּהִנֵּה מַה שֶׁהַבְּכוֹר עוֹשֶׂה גַּם מַה שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְצֻוֶּה וְעוֹשֶׂה, הוּא לְפִי שֶׁהַפְּנִימִיּוּת שֶׁלּוֹ הוּא טוֹב, וּמִמֵּילָא כֹּחַ זֶה הוּא רַק בִּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁהַפְּנִימִיּוּת שֶׁלָּהֶם הוּא טוֹב, וְכָל הָרַע בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל הוּא רַק בְּחִיצוֹנִיּוּת, שֶׁהָרַע הוּא בְּחִינַת קְלִיפָּה מֵעַל הַטּוֹב הַפְּנִימִי. וּכְפִי שֶׁכָּתַב הרמב״ם (הלכות גירושין פ״ב ה״כ) אַהָא דְּתַנְיָא (קדושין נ, א) כּוֹפִין אוֹתוֹ עַד שֶׁיֹּאמַר רוֹצֶה אֲנִי, דְּלִכְאוֹרָה מָה הַתּוֹעֶלֶת בְּאוֹמְרוֹ רוֹצֶה אֲנִי הֲלֹא אֵינוֹ אוֹמֵר זֹאת מֵרְצוֹנוֹ אֶלָּא בִּכְדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יַלְקוּ אוֹתוֹ. וּבֵיאֵר, דִּפְנִימִיּוּת אִישׁ הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִי הוּא טוֹב וְרוֹצֶה לְקַיֵּים תּוֹרָה וּמִצְוֹת, וְאֶת עַצְמוּתוֹ שֶׁהִיא הַבְּחִינָה הַפְּנִימִית שֶׁלּוֹ אֵין צָרִיךְ לָכוֹף כְּלָל, רַק מָה שֶׁכּוֹפִין הוּא אֶת הַקְּלִיפָּה הַחִיצוֹנִית שֶׁלּוֹ, וְעַל יְדֵי כֵּן מִתְגַּלֶּה הַטּוֹב הַפְּנִימִי, נִמְצָא שֶׁכְּשֶׁאוֹמֵר רוֹצֶה אֲנִי, אֲזַי הַחֵלֶק הַפְּנִימִי הַחֵלֶק הַטּוֹב שֶׁבּוֹ רוֹצֶה בֶּאֱמֶת.
5b[That is why the verse says, “Yisrael is My son, My firstborn”: the Jewish people are like a firstborn. The good portion is within them, and so they do even what they were not commanded to do. Not so the Egyptians, who, outwardly and inwardly alike, are nothing but evil.]
וְעַל כֵּן אָמַר הַכָּתוּב ׳בְּנִי בְכוֹרִי יִשְׂרָאֵל׳, רָצָה לוֹמַר שֶׁעַם יִשְׂרָאֵל הוּא בִּבְחִינַת בְּכוֹר, שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ חֵלֶק הַטּוֹב וְעַל כֵּן אֵינָם מְצֻוִּוים וְעוֹשִׂים, לֹא כֵן הַמִּצְרִים שֶׁבֵּין בְּחִיצוֹנִיּוּת וּבֵין בִּפְנִימִיּוּת הַכֹּל הֵם רַק בִּבְחִינַת הָרַע.
In shortA Jew's evil is only a husk over inner good, as the Rambam shows from a compelled “I am willing”; Egypt is wholly evil.
6[It follows from our words that every Jew has a good portion within him. The Baal Shem Tov shows this in his teaching on the Mishnah “Every single day a heavenly voice goes forth from Mount Chorev and declares, ‘Woe to the creatures for the insult to the Torah.’”12 He asked: if no one hears the heavenly voice, why does it go forth? He explained that every day, thoughts of teshuvah and a desire to do good are awakened in every Jew, and this power comes from the heavenly voice that goes forth from Mount Chorev. But we must guard this awakening and carry it with us always, even into the dark times when we feel no inspiration, and stay strong through them. In this way we will be privileged to see the coming of the righteous Redeemer.]
הַיּוֹצֵא מִדְּבָרֵינוּ, שֶׁכָּל יְהוּדִי יֵשׁ בּוֹ חֵלֶק הַטּוֹב, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר הַבַּעַל שֵׁם טוֹב עַל הַמִּשְׁנָה בְּאָבוֹת (ו, ב) בְּכָל יוֹם בַּת קוֹל יוֹצֵאת מֵהַר חוֹרֵב וְאוֹמֶרֶת אוֹי לָהֶם לַבְּרִיּוֹת מֵעֶלְבּוֹנָהּ שֶׁל תּוֹרָה, וְהִקְשָׁה דְּאִם אֵין שׁוֹמְעִים אֶת הַבַּת קוֹל לָמָּה הִיא יוֹצֵאת. וּבֵיאֵר, דִּלְכָל יְהוּדִי מִתְעוֹרֵר בְּכָל יוֹם הִרְהוּרֵי תְּשׁוּבָה וְרָצוֹן לַעֲשִׂיַּית טוֹב, וְכֹחַ זֶה בָּא מֵהַבַּת קוֹל שֶׁיּוֹצֵאת מֵהַר חוֹרֵב. אַךְ שֶׁאָנוּ צְרִיכִים לִשְׁמוֹר אֶת הַהִתְעוֹרְרוּת הַזּוֹ וּלְהַמְשִׁיכָהּ תָּמִיד אַף לִזְמַנִּים הַחֲשׁוּכִים שֶׁאֵינָם בְּהִתְעוֹרְרוּת וּלְהִתְחַזֵּק בָּהֶם, וְעַל יְדֵי זֶה נִזְכֶּה לְבִיאַת גּוֹאֵל צֶדֶק].
- Avos 6:2. Mount Chorev is Mount Sinai. ↩
In shortEvery day the heavenly voice stirs each Jew's inner good; guarding that awakening even through dark times will bring the Redeemer.
7May Hashem grant that we always be privileged to walk with good thoughts and to do good deeds for others. “The Holy One, blessed be He, joins a good thought to the deed,”13 and in this way may we bring near the time of the redemption. Amen, may it be His will.
יִתֵּן ה׳ יִתְבָּרֵךְ, שֶׁנִּזְכֶּה תָּמִיד לְהַלֵּךְ בְּמַחֲשָׁבוֹת טוֹבוֹת, לַעֲשׂוֹת דְּבָרִים וּפְעוּלּוֹת טוֹבִים לְמַעַן אֲחֵרִים, וּמַחְשָׁבָה טוֹבָה מְצָרְפָהּ הקב״ה לְמַעֲשֶׂה (קידושין מ, א), וּנְקָרֵב בָּזֶה קֵץ הַגְּאוּלָּה, אָמֵן כֵּן יְהִי רָצוֹן.
- Kiddushin 40a. That is, Hashem counts a good thought as though it had been carried out as a deed. ↩
In shortMay we always think and do good for others, for Hashem joins a good thought to the deed, and so bring the redemption near.
Takeaway
Being Hashem's “firstborn” is a way of living: like the eldest son who carries more than he is required to, a Jew does good even beyond what he was commanded. This comes from the good at every Jew's core; whatever evil we see in ourselves is only an outer husk. Each day Hashem stirs that inner good with a fresh desire for teshuvah, and our task is to guard that awakening and carry it into the dark hours when we feel nothing.
Learn this in the merit of Rav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitz. His yahrzeit and life ›
English translation, notes and summaries © Zechusam.