Parshat Vaera 5783
Rabbi Jablinowitz
We read in this week’s parsha that when Hashem tells Moshe Rabbeinu to speak to Pharaoh, he complains to Hashem that it would be futile to speak to Pharaoh. He says, if Bnei Yisrael didn’t listen to me, how will Pharaoh listen, and the pasuk concludes (Chapter 6, Pasuk 12), ואני ערל שפתים. As Rashi explains, אטום שפתים; my lips are covered and closed up, hence I am unbale to speak.
The Zohar Hakadosh asks, how could this be? When Moshe complained in last week’s parsha that he doesn’t speak well, (Chapter 4, Pasuk 10), לא איש דברים אנכי וכו' כי כבד פה וכבד לשון אנכי, Hashem told Moshe not to worry. He responds to Moshe in the next pasuk, מי שם פה לאדם; Who gives man the ability to speak? הלא אנכי ד'! I will be with you and help you. If so, how could it be that after Moshe accepts the mission with Hashem’s guarantees, he finds that he indeed is unable to speak properly!
The Zohar Hakadosh answers that the reason Moshe was unable to speak was not because of a speech impediment. Rather, when Bnei Yisrael were in Mitzrayim, דבור was in galus. The ability to connect the inner voice, what the Zohar calls קול, with articulated speech, דבור, was absent. There was a block between the two, and this is what Moshe meant when he said ואני ערל שפתים. Only when Bnei Yisrael left the galus of Mitzrayim would the galus of speech end as well.
The Sfas Emes explains that there are two בריתות, two covenants, that Bnei Yisrael have with Hashem, Bris Milah and Bris Torah. And they are expressed in two places in the body where there is an opening and access to great potential and holiness. And in both places, there is an ערלה on the outside blocking access and when they are removed, the holiness of the Jew is revealed. And as Chazal teach in Berachos 17B, לא כל הרוצה ליטול את השם יטול; not anyone who wants to lay claim to Gdliness is able to. In order to be part of the Bris, one needs to work at it and achieve it. Bris Milah requires an act of selflessness and devotion, and adhering to it requires work at maintaining holiness. In the Bris of Torah as well, one must refine himself and his speech in order to reveal and express the holiness of Torah.
What is true on a personal level, was also true for Bnei Yisrael on a national level. The enslavement in Mitzrayim was to purify themselves and make them worthy of receiving the Torah. As taught in last week’s parsha, the goal of leaving Egypt was to receive the Torah on Har Sinai, as the pasuk says (Chapter 3, Pasuk 12), בהוציאך את העם ממצרים, תעבדון את האלוקים על ההר הזה. The work in Mitzrayim was to refine Bnei Yisrael and allow them to be worthy of removing the ערלה on their mouths and receiving the Torah.
This is true for us today on a daily basis. We constantly need to remind ourselves of Yetzias Mitzrayim to maintain access to the holiness of our tongues. Therefore, we mention Yetzias Mitzrayim twice a day in Keriyas Shema. And when we daven Shacharis in the morning, we first mention the Geulah and daven Shemoneh Esrei right after; סמיכות גאולה לתפילה. Only after we mention the redemption from Egypt do we say, ד' שפתי תפתח. Now you can remove the ערלה from my mouth and allow me to speak to You directly. Allow me to access my קול תפלה with my speech, my דבור.
Rashi quotes the Medrash Rabbah (Bereishis Rabbah 92,7) which teaches that when Moshe saidואיך ישמעני פרעה, he was saying a קל וחומר. If Bnei Yisrael didn’t listen, how will Pharaoh? The Sfas Emes has a unique understanding of this קל וחומר. He learns that Moshe was beseeching Gd to start teaching Bnei Yisrael some Torah already, even before they were purified and deserved it. The situation now is that my speech is blocked. Give us some Torah! And even though they don’t deserve it yet, apply the principle of לעולם יעסוק אדם בתורה ומצוות אע"פ שלא לשמה, שמתוך לא לשמה בא לשמה. If some of the holiness of the Torah is given to them, this will enable a freeing up of speech and allow us to communicate. And though they don’t deserve it now, the exposure to Torah will speed up the purification process and enable Bnei Yisrael to leave Mitzrayim and accept the Bris of Torah sooner at Har Sinai.
Good Shabbos
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