PESACH FOR ALLL GENERATIONS

         Pesach is in the air as we begin to prepare for this beautiful and family oriented Yom Tov. 

      One of the main themes of the Yom Tov of Pesach is “sharing”.  There are two reasons for this concept of sharing; one reason is that the KorbanPesach is brought only by a Chaburah , group,  and the other reason is that when the Jews came to Mitzrayim, they were only a clan – 

‘Ish Ubeiso B’au’,‘Men with  their household came.’

     However, when the time of the Ge’ulah, Redemption, approached, and Hashem addressed Himself to Moshe, He referred to B’nei Yisrael as an ‘Am’, ‘Nation’.  This term ‘Am’ is from the word ‘Im’,‘With’ - denoting togetherness and solidarity. 

     In Egypt, it was true that B’nei Yisrael, spiritually, were not much greater than their oppressor, but they were charitable people who helped each other and shared with each other.  Their co-existence based upon their solidarity was responsible for their Ge’ulah.  In the sentence of “I have seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt and I have heard their cry because of its taskmasters, for I know its pains”, the Beis HaLeviasked: “Why does the sentence begin speaking of B’nei Yisrael in plural and end in singular?  For, though all 600,000 Jews were oppressed, they felt the pain of one person.”

          Thus, Pesach is a time of Tzedakah and Chesed – a Jew feels a sense of responsibility for his fellow Jew and extends aid to him.  This has always been a beautiful character trait of the Jew.  We have always retained the trait of ‘Ami’; no foe has ever succeeded in splitting ‘Our People.’

          Rabbi Solovietchik z”l related to us; “In the 1940’s, when the Jewish community practically tolerated the murder of 6 million Jews in the holocaust, I thought the Jewish community was falling apart, for it appeared to have lost the trait of ‘Am’.  However, they responded to the creation of Midinat Yisrael without cowardice; the sense of solidarity was still there.  Each member of B’nei Yisrael felt the pain of his friend and shared his Matzav.”

          At this time when Pesach is fast approaching may we learn the lesson of Achdut , which will lead us to the true redemption of the Jewish People.

Shabbat Shalom