We continue to share bitachon-related thoughts on the Haggadah of Pesach.
Today we will discuss the unit,
Ma’aseh B’Rebbi Eliezer, Rebbi Yehoshua, V’Rebi Reb Elazar Ben Azariah, Rebbi Akiva and Rebbi Tarfon
These rabbis were all in the town of Bnei B’rak, Rabbi Akiva’s town.
These rabbis were all visiting Rabbi Akiva’s seder, telling the story of the Haggadah, Kol Otoh B’Layla-the entire night, until their students came and told them, Rabbotenu,
H’giah Hazaman shel Keriat Shema shel Shaharit- the time to say Shema in the morning has come.
There are two Keriyat Shemas - morning and night.
What is the difference between the two? Seemingly, we say Hashem Echad/ Hashem is One, in both. Are there actually two different Keriyat Shemas ?
The Gemarah in Masechet Berachot tells us that there is a pasuk in tehilim that says ( perek 92) לְהַגִּ֣יד
בַּבֹּ֣קֶר חַסְֽדֶּ֑ךָ וֶ֝אֱמֽוּנָתְךָ֗ בַּלֵּילֽוֹת
To proclaim Your kindness in the morning, and Your emunah at night.
That means the daytime and night time keriyat Shemas correspond to these two parts of the pasuk.
In the morning, we speak of G-d’s kindness, And at night we talk about Emunah.
Boker- morning, when the lights are on, and the sun is shining, refers to when everything is good, and therefore, we speak of G-d’s kindness. The birds are chirping, the sun is shining, everyone is happy- it’s a time to appreciate G-d’s kindness.
Layla- is darkness. The lights are out and things are unclear. We don’t see God‘s hand, and we don’t understand. Then, we survive with our Emunah.
That is why, in the morning Keriyat Shema, we say Emet V’Yatsiv- G-d is true and standing/solid. That is when things are clear.
On the other hand, at night, we say Emet V’Emunah: True and we have Emunah. This is because even though we don’t see it, we still believe it.
The word L’Haggid is the same word that we use to describe our seder activity called Maggid, and also our Haggadah- we tell over the story.
The Abudarham says that the word Maggid means “to praise,” which he proves from the pesukim in the Torah about Bikkurim, where it says V’Higgadeti Hayom- Targum Yerushalmi explains this as “and I will praise G-d.”
So the essence of Maggid is praising.
This gives us a deeper understanding of this pasuk in tehilim
לְהַגִּ֣יד בַּבֹּ֣קֶר חַסְֽדֶּ֑ךָ וֶ֝אֱמֽוּנָתְךָ֗ בַּלֵּילֽוֹת
We have to praise Hashem in the morning for His kindness, and also at night through our Emunah.
The event of Seder occurs at night, and includes more Mitzvot than any other night. Some say that that is really the question of Ma Nishtana- why is this night different than all other nights, where night normally doesn’t have all of these Mitzvot. Tefilin is by day, Tsisit is by day, Lulav is by day.... why is it that the Mitzvah of the Seder is specifically at night?
It’s because the job of the Seder is to tell about not just the בַּבֹּ֣קֶר חַסְֽדֶּ֑ךָ the kindness of the good times, but also about
וֶ֝אֱמֽוּנָתְךָ֗ בַּלֵּילֽוֹת the emunah of difficult times of the “night.” Even though times are difficult and we don’t understand what’s going on, we say the same Keriyat Shema- Hashem Echad- Hashem is One
There’s only One Hashem- the same Hashem that does things that are perceived as good, does the things that are perceived as bad. It’s Hashem Echad.
That’s what the rabbis explain- if you do the job of telling over the miracles of G-d during the night, that will bring
H’giah Hazaman shel Keriat Shema shel Shaharit- the time that we no longer need Keriyat Shema of Arbit at night. This isn’t referring to the emunah that gives us the ability to survive the darkness, but B’ezrat Hashem, it’s saying that the time of Keriyat Shema of Shaharit has come, the time of the morning Shema, which brings with it a time where everything is clear and understood. Right now, we are in the mode of Emunatcha B’Laylot- the Emunah of the night.
B’ezrat Hashem, by strengthening our Emunah, especially on the Seder night, that will bring us to Z’man Keriyat
Shema of Shaharit which will be LHaggid B’Boker Hasdecha- we will be able to tell over G-d’s kindness when everything is clear,
B’ezrat Hashem.