The Four Parshiyos/ ארבע פרשיות: The Road to Victory 5770
(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
Loading ...The Talmud Yerushalmi (Megillah 25b) makes a cryptic statement: “The reading of Parshas Parah (3rd of the 4 Parshiyos) and HaChodesh (last of the 4) must be done two consecutive weeks in a row. The sign to hint to this is that it compares to the law that one is not allowed to interrupt (by drinking other wine) between the third and fourth cup at the Pesach Seder”.
What does this mean and how are the two related?! Rabbi Mordechai Miller zt”l weaves a beautiful answer which puts all of the Four Parshiyos in their proper perspective.
The Maharal explains the advent of the four expressions found which connote the Jew’s redemption from Egypt (והוצאתי והיצלתי וגואלתי ולקחתי). Hashem stated that He will save the Jews from three oppression which He had told Avraham that they would be inflicted with. I will save you from being a) sojourners, b) slaves and those c) tortured. These are the first three expressions of redemption. To what does the last expression of salvation refer? The answer is that immediately after the Jews are freed from their shackles, “I will take you to be My Nation!”. The freedom from the oppression automatically leads to the relationship which they will have with Hashem. After they are freed, they are fully connected to Hashem.
In the shackles of evil, there are three primary forces of distraction from reality. Avos (4:21) states, “Jealousy, lust and honor take one out of this world”.
The Four Parshiyos are a preparation towards Pesach and represent a spiritual redemption from the bonds of Evil.
1- Shekalim is a forgiveness for the sin of Mechiras Yosef, the sale of Yosef where the brothers displayed their jealousy. According to the Midrash the brothers each received the equivalent of a half Shekel for the sale.
2- Zachor is about the vicious attack from Amalek. They are a nation that epitomizes sin, lust and perversion as Rashi points out (‘אשר קרך’, לשון קרי).
3- Parah is the purification process from Tumas Mais, contact with a dead body. This represents the battle against honor. Firstly, on a practical level, death is the ultimate humbling devise. Second, historically, Adam brought death upon the world by eating from the Etz HaDaas in order to achieve more honor, in an attempt to be like God. Thus, Parah hints to the purification of man’s ego.
4- HaChodesh is the statement of Klal Yisrael’s connection to Hashem.
After one achieves purity from the three distracting forces of jealousy, lust and honor, he is now ready to embrace Hashem without restraint!
The connection between the Four Parshiyos and Four Cups now emerges. The Four Cups of the Seder represent the freedom from the three subjugators, and the fourth cup must then come next without interruption, as it hints to the ultimate connection to Hashem. So too, in the realm of spiritual freedom, the first three Parshiyos represent freedom from earthly pulls and the fourth must come uninterrupted, as it connotes the full connection to Hashem that results from man’s efforts to cleanse himself.
May we merit to gain much insight and inspiration from this growth process.
Categories: The Four Parshiyos Arbah PArshiyos, Four Parshiyos, Purity
