The Torah verses convey profound messages that we can insightfully extract for our daily lives. Rabbi Shay Tahan, the Rosh Kollel of Shaarei Ezra in Brooklyn, NY, graciously opens the gates to understand them.
The story of Pesach teaches us how Hashem conducts miracles to save our nation from oppressors. This is relevant today as we are experiencing many fronts against the Jewish people in Israel and around the entire world.
When we read in the Torah the story of how we came out of Egypt, we might ask why Hashem needed to send the ten plagues if He would eventually drown all of them in the Red Sea after they chased after Bnei Israel when they left Egypt. If He wanted to kill them, He should have done so while they were in Egypt.
The Vilna Gaon gives insight into why Hashem operated the way He did and explains that Hashem always does things this way. He says that Hashem always elevates Am Israel before He defeats their enemies.
The pasuk in Mishlei(יא, י) : בטוב צדיקים תעלוץ קריה ובאבוד רשעים רינה
The Vilna Gaon explains:
“כי כאשר הקב"ה מציל את עמו ישראל מצריהם העומדים עליהם מתחילה גואל אותם ומטיב להם, ואחר כך נוקם את נקמתם מהצרים כמו במצרים שמתחילה גאל אותם ואחר כך אבדם בים סוף. וכן בהמן, תחילה היטיב למרדכי ואחר כך הפיל את המן ותלו אותו בכדי שיהא הוא בעצמו רואה גדולת ישראל ושה' הוא אלוקים בכל האדץ. וכאשר הוא מיטיב לצדיקים, אז כל העיר שמחה אבל עדין אינם מרננים ומשבחים להקב"ה, אך אחר כך, כאשר נוקם מהעומדים עליהם אז הם מרננים ומשבחים להקב"ה וזהו "בטוב צדיקים תעלוץ קריה" כמו שנאמר "והעיר שושן צהלה ושמחה" ואחר כך כאשר נקם הקב"ה מאויביהם אז היתה "רינה" כמו בים סוף ובפורים”
"When Hashem saves His people Israel from their oppressors who stand against them, He first redeems them and does good to them. Afterwards, He avenges their vengeance against the enemies, as in Egypt, where He first redeemed them and then destroyed the Egyptians in the Sea of Reeds. Similarly, with Haman, He first did elevated Mordechai, and then He brought down Haman and hanged him, so that he himself would see the greatness of Israel and recognize that the Hashem is God throughout the earth.
And when He does good to the righteous, then the whole city rejoices but they still do not yet sing praises to Him. However, afterwards, when He takes vengeance on those who stand against them, then they sing praises. This is 'When the righteous rejoice, there is great exultation; but when the wicked rise, men hide themselves.' as it is said, 'And the city of Shushan rejoiced and was glad,' and afterwards, when He took vengeance on their enemies, then there was 'rejoicing' as in the Sea of Reeds and on Purim."
Now we can understand why Hashem didn't kill the Egyptians before saving the Jews, as Hashem's order is to first elevate the Jewish nation and only then punish and destroy our enemies.
This important pattern should guide us today as our nation is fighting a war and BH defeating our vicious enemy. Keeping in mind that Chazal have told us that our redemption will occur in the month of Nissan, as it is the month when Hashem saved us from Egypt. Just as the order was to first send plagues and then redeem the nation, so too in our times. Finally, the enemy will be vanquished, completing the victory that expresses Kiddush Hashem.
This article was written in cooperation with Shuva Israel