Close To Torah

One of the catchiest songs of the seder comes all the way at the end. “Who knows one? I know one! One is Hashem!” We go through the entire list of numbers from 1 thru 13 that cover the core of Jewish values. 1 God, 2 Luchos, 3 Patriarchs, 4 Matriarchs, 5 Books of the Torah, 6 Books of the Mishna, 7 days of the week (Shabbos), 8 days for circumcision, etc. All of the items are highly relevant to our religion, all except for one, 9 months of pregnancy. What is that all about? How is pregnancy something that is exclusive to the Jewish people?

I believe that the answer to this question puts the entire seder into perspective. The stage of pregnancy represents the idea that something is brewing and developing inside. Despite all of the near deadly pain and trials of carrying a child and going through labor, the time of pregnancy is truly that of building life! We as Jews believe that Hashem runs the world and that despite all of the trials and tribulations that He puts us through, it is only for the purpose of perfecting us and giving us the ultimate life. All of the suffering and oppression in Egypt was for the purpose of building us and perfecting us as a nation. It was only because of our purification process in Egypt which brought us intimately close to Hashem that we merited to go out and receive the Torah. We grew in our faithfulness and attachment to Hashem. So too, in life, the birth process teaches us to see the life and beauty in the challenges. “One only acquires Torah if he is ready to kill himself over it (Berachos 63b).” Only toil brings worthwhile results. Indeed, the Torah itself calls the Exodus the birth of our nation, “…to take a nation out from inside (literally: from the stomach of) another nation” (Devarim 4:34).

Another important lesson in pregnancy is the sensitivity that a mother has in caring for her child that is developing. The pathogenic outside environment can cause issues for the fetus. Whatever the mother eats, consumes or inhales can have lifelong effects on the baby. The sensitivity and care needed is immense. And so too when we are at the seder we are reliving in the developmental stage of emuna. We are being reborn and we want to instill in our hearts the proper Torah perspectives on emunah, connection to Hashem, the passion for Yiddishkeit and the love of truth and growth. Thus, we strive to be sensitive to the spiritual power of Pesach.

“Who knows 9? I know 9! 9 are the months in which the baby is born!” A powerful Jewish perspective of life and that of instilling the beauty and power of Pesach deep inside our hearts!

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