The holiday of Pesach commemorates the Exodus from Egypt. But Pesach is not just a celebration of physical freedom from the slavery of Egypt. Pesach is also a celebration of attitude. It commemorates the exodus from the mindset of Pharoh. It is a step in understanding of what it means to be a Jew.
The philosophy of Pharoh could be stated in one simple phrase, "Might makes right". Since he was in power he felt he could do as he wished. This included enslaving people, torturing them, and bathing in the blood of their children.
The philosophy of the Jew is quite different. The more powerful a person is, the more responsibility is placed upon him to care for the needs of others.
One of the greatest heroes of the Jewish people is King David. Besides his greatness as a king and as a leader, King David was also a scholar of note. Often litigation cases that could not be solved by the regular court system were presented before him for a ruling.
One of the attributes of King David was that although he always ruled according to what the law required, he nevertheless tried to "make it right." If the case was between a poor person and a rich person, King David would rule according to the law. But if the poor person was the loser, then King David would help him out afterwards from his own money.
One wonders, what kind of cases came in front of the King that could not be handled by the regular court system. Undoubtedly many of the cases were of great emotion and drama. Perhaps the animal of a poor person did significant damage to a wealthy man's property, and the wealthy person wanted to be paid in full, in accordance with the law. Or perhaps in a business dealing, a poor person, in his desperation, felt deserving of money that he really wasn't entitled to. These cases surely made their way through the regular court system. But apparently the rulings against the poor person seemed unfair, and were not satisfying. The pressure that was upon the poor person caused the case to be presented before King David for a final ruling. The King would rule according to the law. But because he had the wherewithal, King David would then help the poor person out, in order to make things right.
An example of this attitude of responsibility occurred closer to home not long ago. A brilliant young man was employed as a manager in an investment firm when, without warning, he had a stroke and could no longer perform his job with the skill that he had before. The boss approached the family and assured them that the job would remain his and the salary would be maintained. When people asked why he did it, he replied simply, "That is what G-d expected of me."
Every single person is in a position of power in some area of life. For some it is a position of authority or financial leverage, for others it is the ability to nurture or intimidate through the words that we say. Being mighty, in Jewish terms, means to help those in need. Might gives you the ability to look at a troubling situation and to take the initiative to make it right.
The holiday of Pesach is not just about physical exodus from the Egypt. It is the realization that our mission as Jews is dramatically different than the attitude of "Might" that we experienced in the Egyptian exile. In Judaism, power comes with a responsibility to do good. Indeed, "Might makes right," but in a very different way.
With best wishes for a wonderful Shabbos,
Rabbi Mordechai Rhine
Torah Links of Cherry Hill
www.teach613.org
www.onlinelinks.org
The Parsha of Metzorah can be found in the ArtScroll Stone Chumash on page 620.
Candle lighting in Cherry Hill is 7:17pm.
Rabbi Frand is Live on Thursday nights at Young Israel. Maariv precedes the shiur at 9:00pm.
Special for Pesach:
The Pesach Class 2008 is now available as a free audio download. Visit www.teach613.org for more information.
Also posted are a number of articles to help you prepare for Pesach.
Topics include: Pesach Shopping, Preparing the House for Pesach, Koshering the Kitchen, and an audio file entitled "Chometz and the Shabbos Meals".
Please go to www.teach613.org and click the sidebar "Pesach" or "Torah Audio Recordings".
Also posted on the web site is the authorization form to sell your chometz, with a step by step explanation.
I will be available in Young Israel for the sale of chometz on April 13 from 8-9:00pm, on April 14 from 8-9:00pm, on April 15 from 9:15-9:45pm, or by appointment. Please feel free to contact me at 856-667-4095 or 908-770-9072.
Rabbi Mordechai Rhine is the Co-Director of Torah Links of Cherry Hill, and the Rabbi of Young Israel of Cherry Hill. His book, “The Magic of Shabbos,” (The Judaica Press, 1998) is available at Judaica stores worldwide. Additional articles by this author are available at his web site www.teach613.org.
To see more articles from this author go to www.teach613.org