A Redemption of Body and Soul
From the Torah ofRav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitzהרב דוד מתתיהו בן יחיאל יהושע רבינוביץProfile ›
Shemos 6:5-7
וְגַם אֲנִי שָׁמַעְתִּי אֶת־נַאֲקַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר מִצְרַיִם מַעֲבִדִים אֹתָם וָאֶזְכֹּר אֶת־בְּרִיתִי לָכֵן אֱמֹר לִבְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲנִי יְהֹוָה וְהוֹצֵאתִי אֶתְכֶם מִתַּחַת סִבְלֹת מִצְרַיִם וְהִצַּלְתִּי אֶתְכֶם מֵעֲבֹדָתָם וְגָאַלְתִּי אֶתְכֶם בִּזְרוֹעַ נְטוּיָה וּבִשְׁפָטִים גְּדֹלִים וְלָקַחְתִּי אֶתְכֶם לִי לְעָם וְהָיִיתִי לָכֶם לֵאלֹהִים וִידַעְתֶּם כִּי אֲנִי יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם הַמּוֹצִיא אֶתְכֶם מִתַּחַת סִבְלוֹת מִצְרָיִם
And I too have heard the groaning of Bnei Yisrael, whom Egypt is enslaving, and I have remembered My covenant. Therefore, say to Bnei Yisrael: I am Hashem. I will take you out from under the burdens of Egypt, I will rescue you from their labor, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. I will take you to Me as a people, and I will be your God, and you will know that I am Hashem your God, Who takes you out from under the burdens of Egypt.
1“And I too have heard the groaning of Bnei Yisrael, whom Egypt is enslaving … I will take you out from under the burdens of Egypt, and I will rescue you from their labor … I will take you to Me as a people, and I will be your God.”1 Notice how long these verses are. Why was it not enough to say it all briefly, in a single statement: “I will rescue you from the house of bondage, to be a people to Me”?
וְגַם אֲנִי שָׁמַעְתִּי אֶת נַאֲקַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר מִצְרַיִם מַעֲבִידִים אֹתָם וְגוֹ׳, וְהוֹצֵאתִי אֶתְכֶם מִתַּחַת סִבְלוֹת מִצְרַיִם וְהִצַּלְתִּי אֶתְכֶם מֵעֲבוֹדָתָם וְגוֹ׳, וְלָקַחְתִּי אֶתְכֶם לִי לְעָם וְהָיִיתִי לָכֶם לֵאלֹקִים (ו, ה-ז). צָרִיךְ לְדַקְדֵּק אֲרִיכוּת לָשׁוֹן הַכָּתוּב בָּזֶה, לָמָּה לֹא הָיָה דַּי לִכְלוֹל הַכֹּל בִּקְצָרָה בְּמַאֲמַר ״וְהִצַּלְתִּי אֶתְכֶם מִבֵּית עֲבָדִים לִהְיוֹת לִי לְעָם״.
- Shemos 6:5–7. ↩
In shortWhy do the verses spell out the redemption step by step, at such length, instead of in one brief statement?
2There is a second question. Further on, before the plague of wild beasts, Hashem sends word to Pharaoh: “I will put a redemption between My people and your people; tomorrow this sign will be.”2 The word for “redemption” here is pedus. The Baal HaTurim cites the Masorah, the ancient record of where each word appears in Scripture, which lists it three times: here; in “He sent redemption to His people”; and in “and with Him is abundant redemption.”3 What connects these three verses?
עוֹד לְהַלָּן כְּתִיב ״וְשַׂמְתִּי פְדוּת בֵּין עַמִּי וּבֵין עַמֶּךָ לְמָחָר יִהְיֶה הָאוֹת הַזֶּה״ (ח, יט). וּבְבַעַל הַטּוּרִים הֵבִיא ג׳ בַּמָּסוֹרָה, הָכָא, וְאִידָךְ ״פְּדוּת שָׁלַח לְעַמּוֹ״ (תהלים קיא, ט), וְאִידָךְ ״וְהַרְבֵּה עִמּוֹ פְדוּת״ (תהלים קל, ז), וְצָרִיךְ בֵּיאוּר הַשַּׁיָּיכוּת בֵּין שְׁלוֹשֶׁת מִקְרָאוֹת אֵלּוּ.
In shortA second question: what links the three verses in which the word pedus, “redemption,” appears?
3Let us begin with the words of my holy father and teacher, zt"l, on this verse, “I will put a redemption between My people and your people; tomorrow this sign will be.” He built on a saying of Chazal: because Bnei Yisrael did not change their names, their language or their dress while they were in Egypt, they were found worthy of redemption.4 The holy sefarim Kav HaYashar and Imrei Pinchas teach that the future redemption, too, will come in the same merit: because Israel keeps apart from the customs of the nations and does not take on their dress and their ways.5 That is the meaning of the verse. “I will put a redemption”: I will redeem My people. I will do so in the merit of “between My people and your people,” because the people of Israel are set apart from Egypt. “Tomorrow,” likewise, refers to the time to come, for there is a “tomorrow” that comes only after a long time, along the lines of what the Arizal writes in Likkutei Torah, cited by the Shelah.6 “This sign will be” then as well: at that time, too, Israel will be redeemed in this merit. Those are his holy words.
וְנַקְדִּים דִּבְרֵי קוֹדֶשׁ מכ״ק אאמו״ר זצללה״ה עַל הַכָּתוּב ״וְשַׂמְתִּי פְדוּת בֵּין עַמִּי וּבֵין עַמֶּךָ לְמָחָר יִהְיֶה הָאוֹת הַזֶּה״, עַל פִּי מַאֲמַר חז״ל (פסיקתא זוטרתא שמות ו, ו) שֶׁבִּזְכוּת שֶׁלֹּא שִׁינּוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל שְׁמָם לְשׁוֹנָם וּלְבוּשָׁם בִּהְיוֹתָם בְּמִצְרַיִם זָכוּ לִגְאוּלָּה. וְאִיתָא בַּסְּפָרִים הַקְּדוֹשִׁים (קב הישר פרק פב, אמרי פנחס פרשת בא) כִּי כְּמוֹ כֵן גַּם הַגְּאוּלָּה הָעֲתִידָה תִּהְיֶה בִּזְכוּת מַה שֶׁיִּבָּדְלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִּנְהֲגֵי הַגּוֹיִים וְלֹא יֵלְכוּ בְּמַלְבּוּשֵׁיהֶם וּבְמִנְהֲגֵיהֶם. וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב ׳וְשַׂמְתִּי פְדוּת׳ הַיְינוּ שֶׁאֶגְאַל אֶת עַמִּי, בִּזְכוּת ׳בֵּין עַמִּי וּבֵין עַמֶּךָ׳ מַה שֶׁעַם יִשְׂרָאֵל מוּבְדָּל מִמִּצְרַיִם, וּכְמוֹ כֵּן גַּם ׳לְמָחָר׳ דְּהַיְינוּ לֶעָתִיד לָבֹא דְּיֵשׁ מָחָר לְאַחַר זְמַן (על דרך שכתב בלקוטי תורה לאריז״ל פרשת כי תשא, והובא בשל״ה מסכת תענית פרק תורה אור), ׳יִהְיֶה הָאוֹת הַזֶּה׳ שֶׁגַּם אָז יִגָּאֲלוּ בִּזְכוּת זֹאת, עכד״ק.
- Pesikta Zutrasa, Shemos 6:6. ↩
- Kav HaYashar, ch. 82; Imrei Pinchas, Bo. ↩
- Likkutei Torah, Ki Sisa; Shelah, Maseches Taanis, Perek Torah Ohr. ↩
In shortIsrael left Egypt because it stayed apart, the Rebbe's father taught, and the far-off “tomorrow” of the final redemption will come in the same merit.
4aTo explain all this, we may begin with the words of the Midrash: “‘I have surely remembered you and what is being done to you in Egypt.’ For they had a tradition from Yaakov …: any redeemer who comes and says to my children, ‘I have surely remembered you,’ is a true redeemer.”7
וּלְבָאֵר כָּל זֶה יֵשׁ לוֹמַר, בְּהֶקְדֵּם דִּבְרֵי הַמִּדְרָשׁ (שמות רבה ג, טז), ״פָּקוֹד פָּקַדְתִּי אֶתְכֶם וְאֶת הֶעָשׂוּי לָכֶם בְּמִצְרָיִם״, שֶׁכָּךְ הָיְתָה מָסוֹרֶת בְּיָדָם מִיַּעֲקֹב וְכוּ׳, כָּל גּוֹאֵל שֶׁיִּהְיֶה, וְיֹאמַר לִבְנֵי ׳פָּקוֹד פָּקַדְתִּי אֶתְכֶם׳, הוּא גּוֹאֵל שֶׁל אֱמֶת.
- Shemos Rabbah 3:16 (in standard editions 5:13; see also 3:8); the verse is Shemos 3:16. ↩
4bThe Gaon R' Meir Shapiro of Lublin is quoted as teaching that there are two kinds of exile: an exile of the body and an exile of the soul. For Israel, even the body's redemption is bound up with the soul's redemption from exile, and depends on it. That is what Chazal mean. In the Hebrew, pakod pakadti, the verb for remembering is doubled, and a redeemer who speaks of a doubled redemption, of body and of soul, is the true redeemer. If he does not, then he is, Heaven forbid, a false messiah. For with Israel in particular, the soul's redemption and the body's redemption are bound together. Here Israel is unlike the nations: even when the nations win their freedom from their oppressors in war, all they gain is a redemption of the body. Some of our fellow Jews, as we know, are mistaken. They say it is enough for us to leave the exile and the body's subjugation to foreign rule, and for the House of Israel to be, Heaven forbid, “like all the nations.”8 But that is not so. The righteous redeemer is the one who comes and speaks of a doubled redemption, both physical and spiritual.
וְאִיתָא מֵהַגָּאוֹן רַבִּי מֵאִיר שַׁפִּירָא מלובלין, כִּי בַּגָּלוּת יֵשׁ שְׁנֵי מִינֵי גָּלוּת, גָּלוּת הַגּוּף וְגָלוּת הַנֶּפֶשׁ, וְאֵצֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אַף גְּאוּלַּת הַגּוּף קְשׁוּרָה וּתְלוּיָה בִּגְאוּלַּת הַנְּשָׁמָה מֵהַגָּלוּת. וְזֶהוּ הַכַּוָּונָה בְּדִבְרֵי חז״ל, גּוֹאֵל שֶׁאוֹמֵר גְּאוּלָּה בְּכִפְלַיִם, הַיְינוּ גְּאוּלַּת הַגּוּף וְהַנְּשָׁמָה, הֲרֵי זֶה גּוֹאֵל הָאֲמִיתִּי, וּבְאִם לֹא אֲזַי ח״ו הוּא מְשִׁיחַ שֶׁקֶר, כֵּיוָן דְּאֵצֶל יִשְׂרָאֵל גְּאוּלַּת הַנְּשָׁמָה וּגְאוּלַּת הַגּוּף קְשׁוּרִים יַחַד דַּיְיקָא, לֹא כְּמוֹ הַגּוֹיִים שֶׁגַּם בְּעֵת שֶׁהֵם יוֹצְאִים לְחֵירוּת מִמְּשַׁעְבְּדֵיהֶם בְּעֵת מִלְחָמָה אֵין לָהֶם רַק גְּאוּלַּת הַגּוּף לְבַד, וְכַיָּדוּעַ שֶׁיֶּשְׁנָם מֵאַחֵינוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הַטּוֹעִים וְאוֹמְרִים שֶׁדַּי לָנוּ לָצֵאת מִגָּלוּת וְשִׁיעְבּוּד הַגּוּף בְּשִׁיעְבּוּד הַמַּלְכוּת, וְלִהְיוֹת ח״ו כְּכָל הַגּוֹיִים בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְאֵין זֶה כָּךְ, אֶלָּא הַגּוֹאֵל צֶדֶק הוּא זֶה שֶׁבָּא וְאוֹמֵר גְּאוּלָּה בְּכִפְלַיִם בֵּין בַּגַּשְׁמִיּוּת וּבֵין בְּרוּחָנִיּוּת.
- See Yechezkel 25:8. ↩
In shortThe doubled pakod pakadti marks the true redeemer, for Israel's redemption must free body and soul, not merely make it “like all the nations.”
5This explains why the holy verses we quoted are so long, and answers our first question. “I will take you out from under the burdens of Egypt, and I will rescue you from their labor” speaks of the body's redemption from its bondage to hard labor. Then comes “I will take you to Me as a people, and I will be your God.” This corresponds to the soul's redemption from its bondage to the sitra achra, the forces of impurity, in Egypt. That redemption would raise them until they reached a lofty level when they stood at Mount Sinai, as the verse says, “This day you have become a people.”9 For the main purpose of the Exodus was to receive the Torah.
וּלְפִי זֶה יְבוֹאֲרוּ מִקְרָאֵי קוֹדֶשׁ הָאֲמוּרִים, ״וְהוֹצֵאתִי אֶתְכֶם מִתַּחַת סִבְלוֹת מִצְרַיִם וְהִצַּלְתִּי אֶתְכֶם מֵעֲבוֹדָתָם״, זֶה קָאֵי עַל הַגְּאוּלָּה מִשִּׁיעְבּוּד הַגּוּף בַּעֲבוֹדָה קָשָׁה, וְאַחַר כָּךְ נֶאֱמַר ״וְלָקַחְתִּי אֶתְכֶם לִי לְעָם וְהָיִיתִי לָכֶם לֵאלֹקִים״ כְּנֶגֶד גְּאוּלַּת הַנֶּפֶשׁ מִשִּׁיעְבּוּד כּוֹחוֹת הַסִּטְרָא אַחֲרָא שֶׁבְּמִצְרַיִם, עַד שֶׁיָּבוֹאוּ לְמַעְלָה רָמָה בְּמַעֲמַד הַר סִינַי, כְּמַאֲמַר הַכָּתוּב (דברים כז, ט) ״הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה נִהְיֵיתָ לְעָם״, שֶׁעִיקַּר מַטְּרַת יְצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם הָיְתָה עַל מְנָת לְקַבֵּל הַתּוֹרָה.
- Devarim 27:9. ↩
In shortThe verses are long because they describe two redemptions: the body's release from hard labor and the soul's release from impurity, leading to Sinai.
6This brings us to the Masorah that the Baal HaTurim cited. “I will put a redemption between My people and your people” hints that there must be a visible difference between Israel and the Egyptians. Israel must not mix with them, and must hold fast to Hashem's Torah, as we saw in my holy father's teaching. In the same way, “He sent redemption to His people” means that one could see in them that they were His people, and that redemption was of the body together with the soul. So too, in the time to come, Hashem will fulfill “and with Him is abundant redemption”: the redemption will be “abundant.” In other words, the true and complete redemption will redeem not the body alone but the soul as well, and by this we will know that this is the true redeemer.
וּבָזֶה נָבוֹא לְבֵיאוּר הַמָּסוֹרָה שֶׁהֵבִיא בַּעַל הַטּוּרִים, ״וְשַׂמְתִּי פְדוּת בֵּין עַמִּי וּבֵין עַמֶּךָ״ רוֹמֵז שֶׁיְּהֵא נִיכָּר חִילּוּק בֵּין בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְמִצְרַיִם וְלֹא יִהְיוּ מְעוֹרָבִין בָּהֶם וְיַחֲזִיקוּ בְּתוֹרַת ה׳, כַּמּוּבָא לְעֵיל מאאמו״ר זצללה״ה, וְכֵן ״פְּדוּת שָׁלַח לְעַמּוֹ״ הַיְינוּ שֶׁנִּיכָּר הָיָה בָּהֶם שֶׁהֵם עַמּוֹ, וְהָיְתָה זוֹ גְּאוּלַּת הַגּוּף יַחַד עִם גְּאוּלַּת הַנֶּפֶשׁ וְהַנְּשָׁמָה, וּכְמוֹ כֵּן לֶעָתִיד לָבֹא יְקַיֵּים ״וְהַרְבֵּה עִמּוֹ פְדוּת״, שֶׁתְּהֵא הַפְּדוּת בִּבְחִינַת ׳הַרְבֵּה׳, הַיְינוּ שֶׁהַגְּאוּלָּה הָאֲמִיתִּית וְהַשְּׁלֵימָה לֹא תִּהְיֶה פְּדוּת לַגּוּף בִּלְבַד, אֶלָּא אַף גַּם לַנֶּפֶשׁ, וּבָזֶה נֵדַע שֶׁזֶּהוּ הַגּוֹאֵל הָאֲמִיתִּי.
In shortRead together, the pedus verses teach that Israel is redeemed for staying distinct, and that redemption, then and in the future, frees body and soul.
7[10This lets us resolve a difficulty raised by the commentators, among them the Tzror HaMor and the Ohr HaChaim. In Parshas Shemos the Torah has already told us that Bnei Yisrael cried out over the hard labor.11 Why, then, does the verse here say again that Bnei Yisrael groaned because “Egypt is enslaving them”? We also need to explain the word ma'avidim, “enslaving,” a form that means “making them serve.” Why does the verse not simply say “they worked them” or “they work them”? The answer is that this was the heart of Bnei Yisrael's cry: Egypt was “making them serve,” moving them out of spiritual service and into physical servitude.]
*[וּלְפִי זֶה יֵשׁ לְתָרֵץ הַקּוּשְׁיָא שֶׁהִרְגִּישׁוּ בָּהּ הַמְּפָרְשִׁים (צרור המור, אור החיים), אַחַר שֶׁכְּבָר נֶאֱמַר בְּפָרָשַׁת שְׁמוֹת שֶׁצַּעֲקַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הָיְתָה מִן הָעֲבוֹדָה הַקָּשָׁה, אִם כֵּן לָמָּה שָׁנָה שׁוּב הַפָּסוּק שֶׁנַּאֲקַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הָיְתָה עֲבוּר ׳אֲשֶׁר מִצְרַיִם מַעֲבִידִים אוֹתָם׳. עוֹד צָרִיךְ בֵּיאוּר הַלָּשׁוֹן ׳מַעֲבִידִים׳ וְלֹא נֶאֱמַר ׳עָבְדוּ בָּהֶם׳ אוֹ ׳עוֹבְדִים אוֹתָם׳. אֶלָּא שֶׁעִיקַּר צַעֲקַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הָיְתָה עַל זֹאת אֲשֶׁר מִצְרַיִם מַעֲבִידִים אוֹתָם, הַיְינוּ שֶׁהֵם מוֹצִיאִים אוֹתָם מִשִּׁעְבּוּד רוּחָנִי לְשִׁעְבּוּד גַּשְׁמִי.
- The sefer's note: An addition from what he said on another occasion, copied from students' writings. ↩
- Shemos 2:23. ↩
In shortIn an addition, the Rebbe explains ma'avidim: Bnei Yisrael groaned at being forced out of spiritual service into physical servitude.
8[With what we have said, we can also explain a Midrash on Moshe's plea “Please send by the hand of whom You will send.”12 Moshe said: “When You wished to rescue Lot, the son of Avraham's brother, You sent angels to rescue him. Yet Avraham's own children, six hundred thousand of them, You are sending me to rescue? Send the angels You usually send!” Moshe Rabbeinu's question seems a good one, so what is the answer to it? We may say that when Lot was rescued, the main aim was to save his body, and for that it is enough to send angels. The redemption from Egypt, though, was also a spiritual rescue, and for that angels cannot be sent. Angels can only carry out the task the Holy One, blessed be He, gave them; they cannot raise up the souls of Israel and bring them back in teshuvah. So when Israel had to be rescued for all generations with an inner, spiritual rescue, a man had to be appointed who stood above the people and yet was bound up with them. Only such a man could rescue the people of Israel from the exile.]
וּלְפִי הָאָמוּר יֵשׁ לְבָאֵר מַה דְּאִיתָא בַּמִּדְרָשׁ (שמות רבה ג, טז), עַל הַכָּתוּב (ד, יג) ״שְׁלַח נָא בְּיַד תִּשְׁלָח״, כְּשֶׁבִּקַּשְׁתָּ לְהַצִּיל אֶת לוֹט בֶּן אֲחִי אַבְרָהָם, בְּיַד הַמַּלְאָכִים שָׁלַחְתָּ לְהַצִּילוֹ, בָּנָיו שֶׁל אַבְרָהָם שֶׁהֵם שִׁשִּׁים רִבּוֹא בְּיָדִי אַתָּה מְשַׁלֵּחַ לְהַצִּילָם, שְׁלַח בְּיַד הַמַּלְאָכִים שֶׁאַתָּה רָגִיל לְשַׁלֵּחַ. וְלִכְאוֹרָה יָפֶה שָׁאַל מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ, וּמָה הַתְּשׁוּבָה עַל דְּבָרָיו. אַךְ יֵשׁ לוֹמַר דְּאֵצֶל הַצָּלַת לוֹט הָיָה עִיקַּר הַמְּכֻוָּון הַצָּלַת הַגּוּף, וּבָזֶה דַּי לִשְׁלוֹחַ מַלְאָכִים לְהַצִּיל, מַה שֶׁאֵין כֵּן לִגְאוּלַּת מִצְרַיִם שֶׁהָיְתָה גַּם הַצָּלָה רוּחָנִית, אִי אֶפְשָׁר לִשְׁלוֹחַ מַלְאָכִים, שֶׁכֵּן הֵם יְכוֹלִים רַק לַעֲשׂוֹת אֶת הַתַּפְקִיד שֶׁמִּינָּה אוֹתָם הקב״ה לַעֲשׂוֹתָם, אַךְ לֹא לְרוֹמֵם אֶת נִשְׁמַת יִשְׂרָאֵל וּלְהַחֲזִירָם בִּתְשׁוּבָה, וְעַל כֵּן בְּעֵת שֶׁהָיָה צָרִיךְ לְהַצִּיל אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל לְדוֹרוֹת בְּהַצָּלָה רוּחָנִיּוֹת פְּנִימִית, הָיָה צָרִיךְ לְמַנּוֹת אִישׁ מוּרָם מֵעַם, שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ גַּם שַׁיָּיכוּת עִמָּהֶם, וְרַק הוּא הָיָה יָכוֹל לְהַצִּיל אֶת עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵהַגָּלוּת.
- Shemos Rabbah 3:16; Shemos 4:13. ↩
In shortAngels could save Lot's body, but Israel's redemption was also of the soul, needing a man above the people yet bound to them.
9[This also lets us explain what the passage goes on to say: “I will bring you to the land concerning which I raised My hand … and I will give it to you as a heritage; I am Hashem.”13 The Baal HaTurim writes, citing the Masorah, that the word for “heritage,” morashah, appears once more, in the verse “The Torah that Moshe commanded us is a heritage of the congregation of Yaakov.”14 He explains that they inherited the Land in the merit of the Torah, as the verse says, “He gave them the lands of nations … so that they might keep His statutes and guard His teachings.”15 So far his words. In other words, the main purpose of the redemption is to bring Israel to keep the Torah, and only for this was it a redemption to spiritual freedom. This is the central point in the life of the people of Israel, and not, Heaven forbid, gaining a physical piece of land of our own like all the nations.]
וְעַל פִּי זֶה יֵשׁ לְבָאֵר גַּם מַה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בְּהֶמְשֵׁךְ הָעִנְיָן (ו, ח) ״וְהֵבֵאתִי אֶתְכֶם אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר נָשָׂאתִי אֶת יָדִי, וְגוֹ׳, וְנָתַתִּי אוֹתָהּ לָכֶם מוֹרָשָׁה אֲנִי ה׳״, וְכָתַב בְּבַעַל הַטּוּרִים בְּשֵׁם הַמְּסוּרָה, דְּמָצִינוּ עוֹד הַלָּשׁוֹן ׳מוֹרָשָׁה׳ בְּמַאֲמַר הַכָּתוּב ״תּוֹרָה צִיוָּה לָנוּ מֹשֶׁה מוֹרָשָׁה קְהִלַּת יַעֲקֹב״ (דברים לג, ד). וּבֵיאֵר, שֶׁבִּזְכוּת הַתּוֹרָה יָרְשׁוּ הָאָרֶץ, כְּדִכְתִיב (תהלים קה, מד, מה) ״וַיִּתֵּן לָהֶם אַרְצוֹת גּוֹיִם וְגוֹ׳ בַּעֲבוּר יִשְׁמְרוּ חֻקָּיו וְתוֹרוֹתָיו יִנְצוֹרוּ״, ע״כ. וְהַיְינוּ כִּי עִיקַּר תַּכְלִית כַּוָּונַת הַגְּאוּלָּה הִיא לָבוֹא לִידֵי שְׁמִירַת הַתּוֹרָה, וְרַק עֲבוּר זֶה הָיְתָה הַגְּאוּלָּה לְחֵירוּת רוּחָנִית, וְזֶהוּ נְקוּדַּת הַמֶּרְכָּז בְּחַיֵּי עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְלֹא לִזְכּוֹת לְחֶבֶל אֶרֶץ גַּשְׁמִית מִשֶּׁלָּנוּ כְּכָל הַגּוֹיִים ח״ו].
In shortThe Land is a morashah, a heritage, like the Torah: it was given so that Israel keep the Torah, not to be like the nations.
10May Hashem grant that our fellow Jews come to recognize that only the doubled redemption of pakod pakadti, “I have surely remembered you,” is true redemption. It is not, Heaven forbid, what some mistakenly think, that the House of Israel should be like all the nations; we can see with our own eyes that this is not true redemption. We must pray hard that Hashem graciously grant understanding to the people of Israel, so that they may all recognize “the yoke of Your kingship.” Amen, may it be His will.
יִתֵּן ה׳, שֶׁאַחֵינוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל יַגִּיעוּ לִידֵי הַכָּרָה שֶׁאַךְ וְרַק בְּחִינַת ׳פָּקֹד פָּקַדְתִּי׳ זֶה גְּאוּלָּה אֲמִיתִּית, וְלֹא ח״ו כְּמוֹ שֶׁיֵּשׁ טוֹעִים שֶׁכְּכָל הַגּוֹיִים בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְאָנוּ רוֹאִים בְּחוּשׁ שֶׁזּוֹ אֵינֶנָּה גְּאוּלָּה אֲמִיתִּית, וּצְרִיכִים אָנוּ מְאֹד לְהִתְפַּלֵּל שֶׁיְּחוֹנֵן דַּעַת לְעַם יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁיַּכִּירוּ כּוּלָּם עוֹל מַלְכוּתֶךָ, אָמֵן כֵּן יְהִי רָצוֹן.
In shortThe Rebbe prays that all Israel recognize that only a redemption of body and soul is true, and recognize the yoke of Hashem's kingship.
Takeaway
Our redemption is meant to free both body and soul, and a freedom that leaves the soul enslaved is not the true redemption. In Egypt, Bnei Yisrael's deepest cry was over being pulled out of Hashem's service, and they were redeemed because they stayed apart from the Egyptians and held fast to the Torah. May we long for a redemption that brings us to keep the Torah, and come to recognize the yoke of Hashem's kingship.
Learn this in the merit of Rav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitz. His yahrzeit and life ›
English translation, notes and summaries © Zechusam.