Pesach

Hallel relates that when the Jews were running from Pharaoh & they came to the sea, הים ראה וינס "the sea saw and ran". The Midrash says, what did the sea see that it ran & split? It saw ארונו של יוסף going into the sea. Hashem said, let the sea flee before the one who fled, as it says ויעזב בגדו בידה וינס he left his garment in her hand & fled. This seems to imply that the great miracle of קריעת ים סוף occurred because of this great act of Yosef's; that he didn't grab his cloak back but just ran out. However, what is so great about this act when compared to the real sacrifice he made by not succumbing to Potifar's wife's seduction? Answers רבי יהודה ליב חסמן based on the רמב"ן who says the reason Yosef left his garment in her hand was out of respect for his master's wife. He didn't want to forcibly take back his cloak even though he knew that, with it, she could frame him. This was an incredible demonstration of הכרת הטוב to her for taking him into her home. At the splitting of the sea , it is for this great הכרת הטוב that the finalizing of the geulah materializes. This is what the מהר"ל says is the essence of the Haggada. It's expressing our הכרת הטוב to Hashem for redeeming us. Based on this, that the essence of pesach is הכרת הטוב, wouldn't we be more appreciative if it was easier to prepare? Wouldn't our הכרת הטוב be more complete if we didn't have to work so hard & spend so much to celebrate pesach? The mishna says רבי חנניא בן עקשיא אומר רצה הקב"ה לזכות את ישראל לפיכך הרבה להם תורה ומצוות , Hashem wanted to do good for the Jewish people so he increased the Torah & Mitzvos. All the commentators ask, if one wants to do good for someone, does he increase liabilities? Does he give him so many obligations? ר' יוסף משאש זצ"ל מתלמסאן presents us with a parable to explain this seeming conundrum. There was once a wealthy merchant who, in his travels, passed by a destitute town. Wanting to do something to help, he went to the first person he came across & gave him a gold coin. He said I need a place to sleep & eat & I am willing to pay five gold coins for each item of the meal to anyone who will host me. Door to door he went to try to find a host to no avail , for to think that someone would even pay one gold coin for the entire meal was outrageous, let alone five per course! Finally at the outskirts of town he found one poor man who thought, "what do I have to lose? I'm sure he'll pay something", so he agreed to take in the stranger. The wealthy man came in while the host was resting. Then the poor man went out, bought fruits & vegetables, and everything else he needed to prepare a nice meal for his guest. In the morning he prepared a lavish meal. When it was time for the rich man to leave, he asked his host to prepare a list of what he had served so that he could be paid for each item. The host gave him a list that read: fruits, vegetables , fish , chicken, etc. When the rich man read the list, he said, "no, that's not how I want the list; enumerate each item. Instead of vegetables, write: carrots, peas, tomatoes etc. Do that for each item & include any pots, pans or utensils you used. For each little part I will pay five gold coins." From that one meal the host turned fabulously wealthy. So too with 'ה. He gives us all these obligations in order for us to earn merits in the world to come where He can shower us with unimaginable rewards. This concept, says the אוצרות התורה is what we need to be cognizant of when we prepare for Pesach. Every little thing we do will be accounted for, and the reward will be immeasurable. If we realize this, then we will understand how much הכרת הטוב we should have for performing all the work coming into pesach. All that work is what's going to get us the ultimate reward!