Parshas Bo 5782

  Parshas Bo 5782

Spark Finding

[Editor’s note: As a memory of my beloved brother Shaya, I would like to continue sending out his pearls of wisdom that he has shared with all of you in the past. For some of you this may ring a bell and for others it may appear to be totally new. May the learning of Shaya’s Divrei Torah inspire us to change our ways and thereby give an Aliya to the neshama of our dear beloved Shaya whom we miss so much. A special thank you to Aaron Friedman for always looking over the divrei torah.]

Parshas Bo begins with Hashem telling Moshe to ‘Come to Pharaoh…..’ Why does the passuk say 'COME to Pharaoh? Shouldn’t it say 'GO to Pharaoh?'

The Yaaros Dvash quotes the Arizal, who explains that one objective of exile is to gather the 'netzotzos shel kedusha' [sparks of holiness] that were scattered throughout the world after the sin of the Forbidden fruit in Gan Eden. Once all of the sparks from a specific area are gathered, Hashem sends us to the next place to gather all of the sparks in that area.

Using the above explanation, we can have a better understanding of the Pasuk 'vayinatzlu es mitzrayim’ [They emptied out Egypt]. The simple explanation is that it is referring to the gold and silver that Bnei Yisrael took from the Egyptians, but based on the Arizal, the Yaaros Dvash offers a deeper explanation. It is referring to all of the holy sparks in Egypt that Klal Yisroel gathered and they were therefore redeemed to travel to their next place! This also explains why it is forbidden to go back to Egypt, as all the sparks of holiness in Egypt are gone, hence, all that is left there is impurity! 

Using this Yaaros Devash, we can now explain our Pasuk. Moshe had the mission to extricate the holiness from Pharaoh, who was the epitome of impurity in Mitzrayim. Hence, Hashem said ‘COME to Pharaoh, My presence is here in the palace and I want you to come extricate that holiness from Pharaoh!’ 

This explains why afterwards, Moshe agreed with Pharaoh that he would no longer see Pharaoh’s face. Once Moshe had succeeded in extricating the kedusha, he was no longer allowed to look at Pharaoh’s face, as now Pharaoh was completely and totally wicked, and it is forbidden to look at the face of a wicked person!

Let us all try to work on sanctifying everything we do here in America, which Rav Chaim Volozhiner, the great student of the Vilna Gaon, said is the last country of exile. Hence, each of us will do our share in gathering all the sparks and then hopefully, we will soon merit the Final Redemption.

{Editor's note: Along the same line of thought, Chazal bring down that Hashem will sometimes arrange for a person to miss a plane, or the plane will have to land an emergency landing, and that person will have to daven in the place he is "stranded in." H/she will think to themselves "why did Hashem have to put me in such a situation that I am missing davening with a minyan etc?" In truth, Hashem put this person here so that he will take whatever sparks of holiness over there and bring them back to Hashem. Next time that we have an unforssen circumstance and we get a flat tire and have to daven mincha in a rest stop or on the side of the road, let us remember that Hashem is running the world, and there is a purpose as to why one may need to daven a specific prayer in that specific place.}
   

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