Parshat Vaera 5777
Rabbi Jablinowitz
We read in the beginning of this week's parsha a distinction between Hashem's relationship with Moshe Rabbeinu and His relationship with the Avos. The pasuk tells us that Hashem appeared to the Avos with the name "'Keil Shakai" while the name of Havayah, "U'Shmi Hashem", He only revealed to Moshe Rabbeinu. What is the difference between these two names of Gd and why was one expressive of His relationship with the Avos while the other was reserved exclusively for Moshe Rabbeinu?
The Sfas Emes teaches that the name of "Keil Shakai" represents the notion of the presence of Gd and His Torah in a finite world with physical borders and rules of nature. This is indicated by the Gemara in Chagigah 12A which teaches that at creation the heavens were expanding until Hakadosh Baruch Hu said "dai", enough. Our world has the infinite within the finite. The name "Havayah", on the other hand, represents the Divine presence and the Torah not limited by the physical boundaries of our world. This is experienced by us in this world when there are miracles and a change in the laws of nature. This is referred to in the Sefarim as Penimuyus HaTorah, the essence of the Torah not limited by the limitations of our world.
Hashem who gave us the Torah through Moshe Rabbeinu appeared to Moshe with the "Sheim Havayah". Moshe had the full experience of the essence of Torah, the Penimuyus HaTorah. The Avos, however, related to Hashem through His presence in this world. If Moshe represents Torah then the Avos represent Tefillah, finding Gd in this world and calling out to Him. As the Gemara in Berachos 26B teaches, Tefillah Avos Tiknum, prayer was established by our forefathers.
We mentioned last week the well known Zohar that in Mitzrayim Dibbur was in galus. The Sfas Emes makes a distinction between Dibbur and Kol. Dibbur, to speak clearly, represents the notion of getting people to act. The root daled, beit reish, in Aramaic means to lead. Dibbur is getting people to act according to the ways of the Torah. In this regard, Dibbur was in galus. As the pasuk says (Chapter 6, Pasuk 9), V'Lo Shamu el Moshe M'Kotzer Ruach, they were not able to listen to Moshe because of a shortness of spirit. They couldn't be led by Moshe, by the Torah.
Kol, the ability to call out in prayer, was not affected by the galus of Mitzrayim. This is a power, which we inherited from our forefather Yaakov Avinu as the pasuk says (Bereishis, Chapter 27, Pasuk 22) Hakol Kol Yaakov. And we find that prayer was a factor throughout the period of the Eser Makos, the ten plagues. After the plagues we see that Moshe called out and prayed for them to be stopped, Vayetar Moshe, Vayitzak, etc.
There is a well known statement of the Chidushei HaRim that the Eser Makos transformed the Eser Ma'amaros to the Aseres HaDibros. The world was created with the Eser Ma'amaros, ten statements which were soft and subtle, since the word Amar indicates a subtle form of speech. For example (Bereishis, Chapter 27, Pasuk 41), Vayomer Eisav B'Libo, Eisav said to himself. Hence, the presence of Gd in the world after creation was subtle and not so evident. This changed with the miracles of the Eser Makos which led to the Geulah and the Aseres HaDibros where Gd revealed Himself to Bnei Yisrael. Dibbur is a harsh and strong manner of speech (Bereishis, Chapter 42, Pasuk 30), Diber Ish Adonai Ha'Aretz Itanu Kashos. The brothers of Yosef tell Yaakov that the man in charge spoke harshly to them. Now with the redemption, the Dibbur was no longer in galus and Hashem's control over the world was evident to all.
The Chidushei HaRim also teaches that the ten plagues also caused the development of the ten terms of prayer. The pasuk says in Tehillim (Chapter 118, Pasuk 5), Min Hameitzar Karasi Kah, when we find ourselves in dire straits we call out to Hashem. And it was within the dire straits of Mitzrayim that Bnei Yisrael learned to daven. They couldn't listen to the speech of Moshe, but they were able to call out, as the pasuk says (Chapter 6, Pasuk 4), V'Gam Ani Shamati es Na'akas Bnei Yisrael, I heard the crying out of Bnei Yisrael. Bnei Yisrael maintained the ability to pray and developed their ability further through the experience of the slavery in Egypt.
This experience also informs our daily practice of prayer. When we daven Shacharis every morning, we daven Shemoneh Esrei after the bracha of redemption Ga'al Yisrael. There is a mitzvah of Semichas Geulah L'Tefillah; we recall our redemption from slavery before we open our mouths in prayer.
Prayer is when we turn to Hashem for our needs in this world for we recognize Gd as the master over the world. This is what we learned from the Avos who saw the infinite within the finite as expressed through the name Keil Shakai. And the ten forms of prayer resulted from the experience of the slavery in Mitzrayim. Moshe, who was the messenger of Hashem in giving us and teaching us the Torah, related to Hashem as the Sheim Havayah; being above this world and bringing change in the world through the Eser Hamakos which ultimately allowed for the Aseres HaDibros.
Good Shabbos
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