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Lehavas David · Parshas Shemos · Maamar ט

Crying Out for the Honor of Heaven

From the Torah ofRav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitzהרב דוד מתתיהו בן יחיאל יהושע רבינוביץProfile ›
Shemos 2:23
וַיְהִי בַיָּמִים הָרַבִּים הָהֵם וַיָּמׇת מֶלֶךְ מִצְרַיִם וַיֵּאָנְחוּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל מִן־הָעֲבֹדָה וַיִּזְעָקוּ וַתַּעַל שַׁוְעָתָם אֶל־הָאֱלֹהִים מִן־הָעֲבֹדָה
It came to pass in those many days that the king of Egypt died; and Bnei Yisrael sighed from the labor, and they cried out, and their outcry rose up to God from the labor.
1“And Bnei Yisrael sighed from the labor, and they cried out, and their outcry rose up to God from the labor.”1 Why does the verse add “and they cried out,” when it has already said “they sighed”? A little further on the verse says, “God saw Bnei Yisrael, and God knew,” and Rashi explains “God knew”: “He set His heart upon them and did not hide His eyes.”2 We must also understand why Rashi mentions, of all things, Hashem's heart and His eyes.
וַיֵּאָנְחוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מִן הָעֲבוֹדָה וַיִּזְעָקוּ וַתַּעַל שַׁוְעָתָם אֶל הָאֱלֹקִים מִן הָעֲבוֹדָה (ב, כג). לִכְאוֹרָה צָרִיךְ בֵּיאוּר הַלָּשׁוֹן ׳וַיִּזְעָקוּ׳ אַחֲרֵי שֶׁכְּבָר כָּתוּב ׳וַיֵּאָנְחוּ׳. וּלְהַלָּן כְּתִיב ״וַיַּרְא אֱלֹקִים אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיֵּדַע אֱלֹקִים״ (ב, כה). וּפֵירֵשׁ רש״י, נָתַן עֲלֵיהֶם לֵב וְלֹא הֶעֱלִים עֵינָיו. וְצָרִיךְ בֵּיאוּר מַדּוּעַ נִזְכַּר דַּיְיקָא ׳לִבּוֹ וְעֵינָיו׳.
  1. Shemos 2:23. ↩
  2. Shemos 2:25; Rashi there. ↩
In shortWhy does the verse add “cried out” after “sighed,” and why does Rashi explain “God knew” through Hashem's heart and eyes?
2The Midrash relates that when the Holy One, blessed be He, told Moshe, “Take the vengeance of Bnei Yisrael,” Moshe said, “to carry out the vengeance of Hashem.”3 Hashem said to Israel, “It is only your own diku [a claim for justice], for they caused Me to harm them.”4 But Moshe said, “Master of the worlds! If we were uncircumcised, or idol worshippers, or deniers of the mitzvos, they would not hate us. They pursue us only because of the Torah and the mitzvos that You gave us. So the vengeance is Yours: ‘to carry out the vengeance of Hashem against Midian.’” So far the Midrash. In other words, tzaddikim tie everything to the honor of Heaven alone, and not to their own merit.
וְהִנֵּה אִיתָא בַּמִּדְרָשׁ (במדבר רבה כב, ב) בִּזְמַן שהקב״ה אָמַר לְמֹשֶׁה ״נְקוֹם נִקְמַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל״ (במדבר לא, ב), מֹשֶׁה אָמַר ״לָתֵת נִקְמַת ה׳״ (שם ג), אָמַר הקב״ה לָהֶם אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא דִּיקוּ [תְּבִיעַת דִּין] שֶׁלָּכֶם שֶׁגָּרְמוּ לִי לְהַזִּיק אוֹתָן. אָמַר מֹשֶׁה, רִבּוֹן הָעוֹלָמִים, אִם הָיִינוּ עֲרֵלִים אוֹ עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים אוֹ כּוּפְרֵי מִצְוֹת לֹא הָיוּ שׂוֹנְאִין אוֹתָנוּ, וְאֵינָן רוֹדְפִין אַחֲרֵינוּ אֶלָּא בִּשְׁבִיל תּוֹרָה וּמִצְוֹת שֶׁנָּתַתָּ לָנוּ, הִלְכָּךְ הַנְּקָמָה שֶׁלְּךָ ״לָתֵת נִקְמַת ה׳ בְּמִדְיָן״, ע״כ. וְהַיְינוּ כִּי הַצַּדִּיקִים תּוֹלִים רַק בִּכְבוֹד שָׁמַיִם, וְאֵינָם תּוֹלִים בִּזְכוּת עַצְמָם.
  1. Bamidbar Rabbah 22:2; Bamidbar 31:2–3. ↩
  2. Standard editions of the Midrash read “to harm you”: the Midianites had led Israel into sin at Baal Peor, and this brought a plague upon Israel (see Bamidbar 25). ↩
In shortHashem called the war on Midian Israel's vengeance, but Moshe called it Hashem's, for tzaddikim tie everything to Heaven's honor, not their own merit.
3aThe holy sefarim ask why, in fact, Moshe Rabbeinu did not want to say “the vengeance of Bnei Yisrael,” as Hashem had commanded him. Even the nations know that the war against Midian is fought by Hashem, “the Man of war.”5 So why did Moshe need to say “the vengeance of Hashem”? They explain it this way. When Hashem told him, “Take the vengeance of Bnei Yisrael,” the words implied that Israel was granted vengeance in the merit of Moshe, who was a tzaddik and the leader of the generation. Hashem also said “Bnei Yisrael” and not “Bnei Yaakov,” and Yisrael is the loftier of the two names; this shows that Israel stood on a high level at the time. So Moshe was worried about the generations to come. At a time when they would no longer have a tzaddik like Moshe, or when, Heaven forbid, Israel would be on a low level, there would be no ground for Hashem to take vengeance on Israel's enemies.
וְהִקְשׁוּ בַּסְּפָרִים הַקְּדוֹשִׁים, לָמָּה בֶּאֱמֶת לֹא חָפֵץ מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ לוֹמַר ׳נִקְמַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׳ כְּמוֹ שֶׁצִּוָּהוּ ה׳, הֲרֵי אֲפִילּוּ הָאוּמּוֹת יוֹדְעִים שֶׁהַמִּלְחָמָה בְּמִדְיָן הִיא עַל יְדֵי ה׳ אִישׁ מִלְחָמָה, וְלָמָּה הָיָה צָרִיךְ לוֹמַר כֵּן. וּפֵירְשׁוּ דְּכַוָּונַת הָעִנְיָן הוּא, דְּהִנֵּה בַּמֶּה שֶׁאָמַר לוֹ ה׳ ״נְקוֹם נִקְמַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל״, נִשְׁמַע שֶׁבִּזְכוּת מֹשֶׁה שֶׁהוּא הָיָה צַדִּיק וּמַנְהִיג הַדּוֹר זָכוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לִנְקָמָה. וְגַם מַה שֶּׁאָמַר לוֹ ׳בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׳ וְלֹא ׳בְּנֵי יַעֲקֹב׳, הוּא מוֹרֶה שֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל הָיוּ אָז בְּדַרְגָּה גְּדוֹלָה. וְחָשַׁשׁ מֹשֶׁה, שֶׁכֵּיוָן שֶׁכֵּן בַּדּוֹרוֹת הַבָּאִים בְּעֵת שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיֶה לָהֶם צַדִּיק כְּמוֹ מֹשֶׁה, אוֹ ח״ו כְּשֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל יִהְיוּ בְּדַרְגָּה נְמוּכָה, לֹא יִהְיֶה בְּחִינָה שֶׁל נִקְמַת ה׳ בְּאוֹיְבֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל.
  1. Shemos 15:3. ↩
3bThat is why Moshe pleaded before the Holy One, blessed be He: “If, Heaven forbid, Bnei Yisrael are in distress, the Name of Heaven is desecrated among the nations. They say, ‘Look at the people that accepted the Torah, and see how many troubles it suffers!’ So act for the sake of Your great Name, which is called upon us.” That is what Moshe meant by “to carry out the vengeance of Hashem.” He tied the vengeance to Hashem's honor: Hashem should act for the sake of His great Name, so that it would not be desecrated among the nations. In this way the same reason for taking vengeance on the nations would hold in the generations to come as well. With this the sefarim explained the verse “I will exalt You, Hashem, for You have drawn me up and not let my enemies rejoice over me.”6 In other words: You drew me up and rescued us even at a time when we were not worthy of it, so that Israel's enemies would not rejoice over us.
וְעַל זֶה בִּיקֵּשׁ מֹשֶׁה וְאָמַר לִפְנֵי הקב״ה, שֶׁבְּאִם ח״ו בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּצַעַר אֲזַי נִתְחַלֵּל שֵׁם שָׁמַיִם בֵּין הָאוּמּוֹת, וְאוֹמְרִים רָאוּ הָעָם שֶׁקִּיבֵּל הַתּוֹרָה וְסוֹבֵל הַרְבֵּה צָרוֹת, לָכֵן עֲשֵׂה אַתָּה לְמַעַן שִׁמְךָ הַגָּדוֹל שֶׁנִּקְרָא עָלֵינוּ. וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר ״לָתֵת נִקְמַת ה׳״ שֶׁתָּלָה הַנְּקָמָה בִּכְבוֹד ה׳, שֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה לְמַעַן שְׁמוֹ הַגָּדוֹל שֶׁלֹּא יִתְחַלֵּל בָּאוּמּוֹת, וּמִמֵּילָא גַּם בַּדּוֹרוֹת הַבָּאִים יִהְיֶה שַׁיָּיךְ טַעַם זֶה לָתֵת נְקָמוֹת בַּגּוֹיִם. וּפֵירְשׁוּ בָּזֶה הַכָּתוּב ״אֲרוֹמִמְךָ ה׳ כִּי דִלִּיתָנִי וְלֹא שִׂמַּחְתָּ אוֹיְבַי לִי״ (תהילים ל, ב), הַיְינוּ שֶׁמַּה שֶׁדִּלִּיתָנִי וְהִצַּלְתָּנוּ אַף בִּזְמַן שֶׁאֵין אָנוּ רְאוּיִים לָזֶה, הָיָה בִּכְדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יִשְׂמְחוּ אוֹיְבֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל עָלֵינוּ.
  1. Tehillim 30:2. ↩
In shortMoshe tied the vengeance to Hashem's honor, not his merit or Israel's level, so Hashem would save even lowly generations for His Name's sake.
4Along the same lines we may explain our verse. Bnei Yisrael cried out before Hashem, sunk as they were in Egypt in the forty-nine gates of impurity, one short of the very lowest depth: “On our own account we do not deserve to be saved. Even so, act for the sake of Your Name.” This explains the double wording, “they sighed” and then “they cried out.” They sighed over their own suffering, and they cried out over the honor of Heaven. “And their outcry rose up to God” because they were crying out before God for the honor of Hashem.
וּבְדֶרֶךְ זֶה אֶפְשָׁר לְפָרֵשׁ הָאָמוּר כָּאן, דִּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל צָעֲקוּ לְפָנָיו יִתְבָּרֵךְ, שֶׁאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאָנוּ כָּאן בְּמִצְרַיִם שְׁרוּיִים במ״ט שַׁעֲרֵי טוּמְאָה וְאֵין אָנוּ רְאוּיִים לִישׁוּעָה מִצַּד עַצְמֵינוּ, מִכָּל מָקוֹם עֲשֵׂה לְמַעַן שִׁמְךָ. וּבָזֶה מוּבָן כֶּפֶל הַלָּשׁוֹן ׳וַיֵּאָנְחוּ׳ וְשׁוּב ׳וַיִּזְעָקוּ׳, שֶׁ״וַיֵּאָנְחוּ הוּא עַל צָרָתָם, וַיִּזְעָקוּ הוּא עַל כְּבוֹד שָׁמַיִם, וַתַּעַל שַׁוְעָתָם אֶל הָאֱלֹקִים, הַיְינוּ מֵאַחַר שֶׁשִּׁוְּעוּ עַל כְּבוֹד ה׳ לִפְנֵי הָאֱלֹקִים.
In shortSunk in impurity and unworthy, Bnei Yisrael sighed over their pain but cried out for Heaven's honor, and that outcry rose up to God.
5This also explains the second verse we cited. “God saw” refers to the attribute of judgment, which the Name Elokim, God, expresses. “Bnei Yisrael” means those Jews who stood on the level called “Yisrael,” which, as is known, is a lofty one.7 Their greatness lay in this: they pleaded for mercy for the sake of the honor of Heaven. Therefore “God knew”: Hashem redeemed them Himself, and not through a messenger. This is also what Rashi means by “He set His heart upon them and did not hide His eyes”: Hashem Himself set His eyes upon them and redeemed them from Egypt. As we say in the Pesach Haggadah: “‘I am Hashem’: I, and not an angel; I, and not a seraph; I am He, and not the messenger,” but the Holy One, blessed be He, Himself.
וּלְפִי זֶה יִתְבָּאֵר דִּבְרֵי הַפָּסוּק, ׳וַיַּרְא אֱלֹקִים׳ הַיְינוּ מִידַּת הַדִּין, ׳אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׳ אֶת אוֹתָם הַיְּהוּדִים שֶׁהָיוּ בְּמַדְרֵגַת ׳יִשְׂרָאֵל׳ שֶׁהִיא בְּחִינָה גְּדוֹלָה כַּיָּדוּעַ (זוהר ח״ג רי, ב), וּמַעֲלָתָם הָיְתָה מַה שֶׁבִּקְּשׁוּ רַחֲמִים בַּעֲבוּר כְּבוֹד שָׁמַיִם, לָכֵן ׳וַיֵּדַע אֱלֹקִים׳ הקב״ה בְּעַצְמוֹ גְּאָלָם וְלֹא עַל יְדֵי שָׁלִיחַ. וְזֶהוּ גַּם מַה שֶּׁכָּתַב רש״י ׳נָתַן עֲלֵיהֶם לֵב וְלֹא הֶעֱלִים עֵינָיו׳, הַיְינוּ שהשי״ת בְּעַצְמוֹ נָתַן עֵינָיו עֲלֵיהֶם וְגָאַל אוֹתָם מִמִּצְרַיִם, וְכָאָמוּר בַּהַגָּדָה שֶׁל פֶּסַח ׳אֲנִי ה׳ אֲנִי וְלֹא מַלְאָךְ אֲנִי וְלֹא שָׂרָף אֲנִי הוּא וְלֹא הַשָּׁלִיחַ, אֶלָּא הקב״ה בְּעַצְמוֹ׳.
  1. Zohar III 210b. ↩
In shortBecause they pleaded for Heaven's honor, Hashem Himself, with His own heart and eyes, redeemed them, and not through any messenger.
6This is a promise for every exile as well. Whenever Klal Yisrael pleads for the honor of Heaven, Hashem will set His eyes and His heart upon it, to know its suffering in the bitter exile.
וְזֶה הַבְטָחָה גַּם לְכָל הַגָּלוּיוֹת, שֶׁיִּתֵּן ה׳ עֵינָיו וְלִבּוֹ עַל כְּלַל יִשְׂרָאֵל לָדַעַת אֶת צַעֲרָם בַּגָּלוּת הַמַּר, בְּכָל עֵת שֶׁיְּבַקְּשׁוּ עַל כְּבוֹד שָׁמַיִם.
In shortIn every exile, when Israel pleads for the honor of Heaven, Hashem turns His eyes and heart to its suffering.
7In these days especially, we greatly need to pray for the honor of Heaven: to pray more, learn more, and add to our merits. In this merit may Hashem send His Moshiach to redeem us, speedily in our days. Amen.
וּבִפְרָט בְּיָמִים אֵלּוּ צְרִיכִים מְאֹד לְהִתְפַּלֵּל עַל כְּבוֹד שָׁמַיִם, לְהַרְבּוֹת בִּתְפִלָּה וּבְלִימּוּד וּלְהַרְבּוֹת בִּזְכוּיוֹת, וּבִזְכוּת זֶה יִשְׁלַח ה׳ אֶת מְשִׁיחוֹ לְגָאֳלֵנוּ, בִּמְהֵרָה בְּיָמֵינוּ אָמֵן.
In shortMay we add prayer, learning and merits for the honor of Heaven, and in this merit may Hashem send Moshiach to redeem us.
Takeaway

When we cry out to Hashem, it is natural to sigh only over our own pain, but the cry that rises up is the one that pleads for the honor of Heaven. Such a plea does not depend on our being worthy, as Moshe understood, and it brings Hashem Himself, with His eyes and His heart, to our aid. In our own exile, may our prayer, our learning and our merits be for His honor, and in that merit may we see Moshiach.

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