Daily Bitachon: Special Pesach Edition
Welcome to Daily Bitachon. Today, I'd like to share a
beautiful insight connected to Emunah and Bitachon from the
Haggadah Beit HaBechirah, written by Rabbi Abraham Hamway of Aleppo
(1839–1888), a sage also renowned for his works on the Machzorim.
The Connection: Brit Bein HaBetarim and Every Generation
Rabbi Hamway addresses a fundamental question: Why do we
bridge the promise God gave to Avraham at the Brit Bein HaBetarim—that
his children would be in a foreign land for 400 years—with the declaration of Ve-hi
She-amda, which praises God for protecting us from those who try to destroy
us in every generation? What does the 400-year decree have to do with our
ongoing survival?
Furthermore, when God first appears to Moshe Rabbeinu at the
Burning Bush, He uses the phrase Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh ("I will
be what I will be"). The Sages explain this to mean: "I will be with
them in this exile, and I will be with them in future exiles." When Moshe
asks why future exiles must be mentioned now, God tells him to simply say,
"I will be with them." But the question remains: Why mention
future exiles at all?
The Early Departure
The answer to both questions lies in the fact that we left
Egypt "early." We were there for 210 years, though the
original decree was for 400. As the Haggadah says, "God calculated the
end"—He accelerated the timeline because we had reached the 49th Level
of Tumah (impurity). Had we stayed a moment longer, we might have been lost
forever.
Rabbi Hamway (preceding the Beit HaLevi on this point)
explains that because we didn't complete the full 400 years in Egypt, we are
essentially living through the "remnants" of that original exile. We
finished most of the "dosage," but a portion remains, which we
continue to experience throughout history.
However, there is a silver lining: The protection promised
in the 400-year decree remains active as long as the exile continues. The
"bitter capsule" of exile comes with the "sweet coating" of
Divine protection. This is why God mentioned future exiles to Moshe; He was
signaling that His presence and promise would persist until the full
"dosage" of the original decree was complete.
Pesach, Matzah, and Maror: A New Perspective
This also sheds light on a famous question regarding the
order of the Seder. Why do we say Pesach, Matzah, and Maror? Logically,
the bitterness (Maror) came first, so it should be mentioned first.
While some say we can only truly appreciate the bitterness
once we are free, Rabbi Hamway offers a different approach. He asks: Why,
immediately after explaining the Maror, does the Haggadah say that every person
must feel as though they personally left Egypt?
The Insight: Even though we "got out" of Egypt, every
individual still carries their own personal "dosage" of Maror.
Because we left Egypt early, the process of refinement wasn't finished.
We need Maror because it humbles us. Challenges and
difficulties in life break our ego and make us receptive to God. Every year on
Seder night, we "repeat" the redemption. We are redeemed from our
current challenges—perhaps not by their physical removal, but through the Emunah
and Bitachon we gain, which allows us to properly digest and tolerate them.
Summary of the Symbols
This perspective brings a deep harmony to the three main
symbols of the night:
- Pesach: Symbolizes God "jumping
over" and initiating the redemption.
- Matzah: Symbolizes the
"rush"—the fact that we had to leave early before we were ready.
- Maror: Symbolizes the remaining
challenges we still face today because of that early departure.
When you face challenges in life and wonder why they are
happening, remember: these are the leftovers of the original Galut Mitzrayim.
And just as God was there then, His promise from the Brit Bein HaBetarim
ensures He is with you now. We are all in our own "Mitzrayim" in some
way, and every year, we have the opportunity to get out again.
