During the exodus from Egypt while the Jewish people were in the desert camping by the sea, they suddenly looked up to see Pharaoh & the Egyptian army closing in on them. They cried out to Hashem so Moshe answered them, “don't be afraid you will see the salvation of Hashem , ה' ילחם לכם ואתם תחרשון ,Hashem shall make war for you, and you shall remain silent.
The Avnei Nezer brings our attention to the difference between the salvation at the sea & the salvation we had while leaving Egypt. When we left Egypt we needed to sacrifice the Korban Pesach & put the blood on the doorpost to merit the exodus but now no merit was needed; all they needed to do was wait quietly for Hashem's salvation.
Their self sacrifice of going into the sea was greater than any deeds.
Why is that? How does the self sacrifice show more that doing Mitzvos to merit Hashem's redemption?
When the Jews were enslaved in Egypt & cried out to Hashem to save them, the posuk tells us וירא אלקים את בני ישראל וידע אלקים , Hashem saw the Jews & Hashem knew. The Medrash explains that Hashem knew that they would say זה קלי ואנוהו , this is my God & I will beautify Him.
How is this saying of זה קלי ואנוהו a reason that Hashem would redeem them?
Explains הגר"ח פלאג'י זצ"ל Chazal tell us that a person has to mimic the ways of Hashem. Just as He's compassionate, we have to be compassionate etc. Similarly, the gemara explains the posuk of ונתן לך רחמים ורחמך , He will give you mercy & be merciful to you; whoever is merciful to others, Hashem will be merciful to them. According to this it makes sense that Hashem redeemed us because we said זה קלי ואנוהו , meaning that we would look to emulate Him by being merciful to others. Therefore He had to have mercy on us, too, & took us out of Egypt, for whoever has mercy on others Hashem will have mercy on them.
There's a story told about a man from Brooklyn who had to take care of business in Albany. When he got there late at night, there were no vacant hotels so he went to a gas station to find out where he could stay. He was told that there was an old age home nearby; perhaps, he could stay there.
When he got there, he was told that the only bed available was of a man who had just passed away. He could stay the night but would have to be out first thing in the morning. Gratefully he accepted. In the morning as he was leaving, he asked who the person was in whose bed he had slept & was told David Schwartz. He was shocked that a Jewish man was all alone in a Gentile home. He asked what they were going to do with him & was told that he was going to be buried in the home’s graveyard. Horrified that a Jewish man wasn't going to get a Jewish burial, he asked if he could take responsibility for the body. After much persuasion, they finally agreed as long as someone from the home accompanied him until the man was buried.
The man came home, asked in shul where he could bury this person & was told that there was a chevra in Washington Heights that had ten graves for a מת מצוה. The Chevra approved the burial & took possession of the body. While doing the purification of the body, the head of the chevra thought that the face looked familiar. Suddenly, he remembered and almost passed out. He told this story: about twenty years ago, a homeless man came into the shul & moved in. He ate there, slept there and learned there. One day he asked me what happens if a homeless man dies? Who takes care of him? I answered him that we take up a collection & hopefully we can cover the costs. He turned to me & said, “I want to pay for ten spots for homeless people” whereupon he opened up his wallet & paid for the ten מת מצוה spots ... This man here is that same man.
Whoever has mercy on others Hashem will have mercy on them.
Maybe this is why, by the sea, we didn't have to do anything. Just standing there heading into the water, silently waiting for Hashem to save us showed our utter devotion to Hashem who in turn showed His utter devotion to us, his children & said just stay silent & I will make war for you.
This teaches us the way Hashem runs the world מידה כנגד מידה if are devoted to Him, He will be devoted to us; if we help others, He will ensure that we are helped. It’s all up to us!
The Avnei Nezer brings our attention to the difference between the salvation at the sea & the salvation we had while leaving Egypt. When we left Egypt we needed to sacrifice the Korban Pesach & put the blood on the doorpost to merit the exodus but now no merit was needed; all they needed to do was wait quietly for Hashem's salvation.
Their self sacrifice of going into the sea was greater than any deeds.
Why is that? How does the self sacrifice show more that doing Mitzvos to merit Hashem's redemption?
When the Jews were enslaved in Egypt & cried out to Hashem to save them, the posuk tells us וירא אלקים את בני ישראל וידע אלקים , Hashem saw the Jews & Hashem knew. The Medrash explains that Hashem knew that they would say זה קלי ואנוהו , this is my God & I will beautify Him.
How is this saying of זה קלי ואנוהו a reason that Hashem would redeem them?
Explains הגר"ח פלאג'י זצ"ל Chazal tell us that a person has to mimic the ways of Hashem. Just as He's compassionate, we have to be compassionate etc. Similarly, the gemara explains the posuk of ונתן לך רחמים ורחמך , He will give you mercy & be merciful to you; whoever is merciful to others, Hashem will be merciful to them. According to this it makes sense that Hashem redeemed us because we said זה קלי ואנוהו , meaning that we would look to emulate Him by being merciful to others. Therefore He had to have mercy on us, too, & took us out of Egypt, for whoever has mercy on others Hashem will have mercy on them.
There's a story told about a man from Brooklyn who had to take care of business in Albany. When he got there late at night, there were no vacant hotels so he went to a gas station to find out where he could stay. He was told that there was an old age home nearby; perhaps, he could stay there.
When he got there, he was told that the only bed available was of a man who had just passed away. He could stay the night but would have to be out first thing in the morning. Gratefully he accepted. In the morning as he was leaving, he asked who the person was in whose bed he had slept & was told David Schwartz. He was shocked that a Jewish man was all alone in a Gentile home. He asked what they were going to do with him & was told that he was going to be buried in the home’s graveyard. Horrified that a Jewish man wasn't going to get a Jewish burial, he asked if he could take responsibility for the body. After much persuasion, they finally agreed as long as someone from the home accompanied him until the man was buried.
The man came home, asked in shul where he could bury this person & was told that there was a chevra in Washington Heights that had ten graves for a מת מצוה. The Chevra approved the burial & took possession of the body. While doing the purification of the body, the head of the chevra thought that the face looked familiar. Suddenly, he remembered and almost passed out. He told this story: about twenty years ago, a homeless man came into the shul & moved in. He ate there, slept there and learned there. One day he asked me what happens if a homeless man dies? Who takes care of him? I answered him that we take up a collection & hopefully we can cover the costs. He turned to me & said, “I want to pay for ten spots for homeless people” whereupon he opened up his wallet & paid for the ten מת מצוה spots ... This man here is that same man.
Whoever has mercy on others Hashem will have mercy on them.
Maybe this is why, by the sea, we didn't have to do anything. Just standing there heading into the water, silently waiting for Hashem to save us showed our utter devotion to Hashem who in turn showed His utter devotion to us, his children & said just stay silent & I will make war for you.
This teaches us the way Hashem runs the world מידה כנגד מידה if are devoted to Him, He will be devoted to us; if we help others, He will ensure that we are helped. It’s all up to us!
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