B’Chor, Pesach, Tefillin - Bound Together With Sanctity - Parshas Bo 5769
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Loading ...This parshah captures the remaining three makos that are to be afflicted upon the people of Egypt. Having already dispensed the nine makos the still stubborn Pharoh is given warning of the final makah that will be administered. The Torah then says that yet again Pharoh refuses to free the people of Yisroel. The next parshah written in the Torah is the famous “החדש הזה לכם”, or “this month will be for them”. As is known by many Chazal tell us that really the Torah could have began from this very pasuk. This pasuk is the true beginning of the people of Yisroel and their relationship to HaKadosh Boruch Hu. It is interesting to note that this parshah is found right in the middle of the final makah, before the actual makah is carried out. The mitzvah of Kiddish HaChodesh is the beginning of this binding relationship between Yisroel and Hashem. The outline of the mitzvah of the Korban Pesach is found directly following the mitzvah of Kiddish HaChodesh, it is unquestionably connected. Following the detail of the Korbon Pesach and some obligations to be carried out on Pesach as well, comes the final makah, makas b’choros. Up until the seventh aliyah the Torah discusses the beginning of the long awaited Yitzias Mitzrayim. Except for the point of difficulty that I already mentioned regarding the seemingly awkward break between the warning of the makah and its carrying out I understand the flow of the parshiyos. Comes the seventh aliyah and I am lost.
The seventh aliyah begins with the mitzvah of Kedushas B’chor. We then find the Torah going back to further discuss the mitzvos of Pesach, with the addition of the mitzvah of Sipur Yitzias Mitzrayim. Following that the Torah discusses the mitzvah of Tefillin then reverts to discussing the mitzvah of Kedushas B’chor. Then the Torah goes back to discussing Sipur Yitzias Mitzrayim and finally ending with Tefillin. This back and forth is of course precise and the best way to bring out the points mentioned. We must remember that if the Torah wanted to write these pasukim in a straight flowing fashion it could have. The reason that these different ideas are placed next to each other must of course be to teach something about each one of them. B’ezras Hashem we will look into these pasukim and try to clarify some of the mysteries that lye below them.
As for the first question we asked in regards to the seeming interruption between the warning of the makah achronah and its execution. The Torah discusses the mitzvah of Kiddish HaChodesh which leads into the laws of Pesach. There is a direct connection between the concept of B’chor and Kiddish HaChodesh. The B’chor is the first of the children that are born. The B’chor is of course the argument found between Yaakov and Esav. It is also found between the shvutim, as Yosef is regarded as b’chor. The b’chor is the legacy of the family, he is destined with continuing the name of the family. Through the act of murdering the b’chor the legacy of the family is also destroyed. The first fruit is always the most dear. That is possibly why Hashem opened the rechem of Leah in order that she be deemed the bearer of the b’chor. The idea of Kiddish HaChodesh is that it is also the first of the year and the first of the months. The difference is that we determine the chodesh. The chodesh is the bechinah of Olam L’matah, b’chor is the bechinah of Olam Ha’elyon. We declare the kedushah of the chodesh and infuse it with kedushah. The b’chor is born kadosh and we simply declare its nature of kedushah. I have not yet discussed the parallel between makas b’choros and the mitzvah of Kedushas B’chor, that is in the second answer. The point I want to bring out here is that the makah of b’chor is complete nullification of all that you have been given.
Says the pasuk, “ויהי כי הקשה פרעה לשלחנו ויהרג ה’ כל בכור בארץ מצרים מבכר אדם ועד בכור בהמה על כן אני זבח לה’ כל פטר רחם הזכרים וכל בכור בני אפדה”(Shemos 13, 15-16). What is the reason that we keep the Kedushas B’chor, because Hashem killed all of the b’chorim in the land of Egypt. It seems to be the fact that the b’chorei mitzrayim were all killed that we have such an obligation. Perhaps the emphasis of the pasuk is the other way around, it is because Hashem killed the b’chorim therefore we have b’chor. At first I wanted to say that the emphasis was on the fact that Hashem hardened the heart of Pharoh. Why would that make a difference? I would suggest that it was due to our needs that the b’chorim had to be killed as they provided the necessary lessons of Imunah that we needed. It is a nice thought but it is difficult to say that would be the sole reason for the mizvah of b’chor. All the faculties of the world are here for us to worship Hashem properly, it is a zchus to have such a purpose, not the opposite. I would like to suggest another understanding of the pasuk. This will explain the connection between Tefillin and b’chor.
The nature of Tefillin is that they are a sign of rememberance. The ose that they contain binds us both through our minds ands our hands. An attribute of the tefillin is that they are to be placed in between the eyes. Our eyes are the tool that enables us to direct ourselves. Every single magnificent detail of the body is for a purpose both practicaly and in their representation as well. Practically speaking, if you try to walk in a straight line and turn your head you will find yourself drifting off the path. The nature of man is that he walks in the direction that he faces. The place in between our eyes is what we define as the central path. The path in which we aspire to go is the one that we face. When we put the tefillin in between our eyes we are placing the will of Hashem ahead of us guiding our path. This is also the nature of the tefillin shel yad, as it binds our actions to be under the guidance of Torah. We see that the tefillin are there to impose a control on our physical and metaphysical life. We also find that they are supposed to provide a reminder to the miracles of yitzias mitzrayim and all of its wonder. The way the tefillin acheive this in addition to being our central focus point of life they also provide us with a constant connection to kedushah. As the pasuk says that the tefillin will be למען תהיה תורת ה’ בפיך, that means that the tefillin will provide you with Torah constantly. Most specifically it will be in your mouth. I asked my Rebbi, Rav Nochum Lansky Shlit”a if that meant that through the ose of the tefillin will be zoceh to constantly having Torah in our mouths? Meaning to say that through the reminder of the tefillin we will become involved in the study of Torah. Rebbi responded that it is more than that - tefillin provide Torah in your mouth! That means that tefillin which is an ose is the words of Torah in your mouth, meaning it brings the ose of the shel rosh and transforms it to the level of speech which is found in Torah. It is interesting to note that the language ose is found by the shel yad and zikarone is found by the shel rosh, where the ose that is added on the outside of the tefillin is found on the shel rosh not the shel yad. This idea of tefillin bringing the connection of the tefillin to a level of speech is very much connected to the chag of Pesach and of course to b’chor.
It is well known that the Arizal says that the word Pesach can also be broken up as the words Peh Sach (פה סח). This idea is found throughout the chag of Pesach, the idea of speech. This concept is also found by the seder with the mitzvos of sippur and hagadah. As I already explained this is found in the tefillin as well. Lastly, this is found in regards to b’chor. The b’chor is born kudosh but there is an obligation to either redeem it or bring it to the mizbeach (Depending on which type of b’chor.) It is clear to me that by b’chor adam is redeemed by five slayim, which is connected to the Five Books of the Torah. The redemption of the b’chor adam is in order that he may be able to do mundane actions, otherwise he would be kudosh. The b’chor behaymah is born kudosh but you still must declare its kedushah prior to it being brought to the mitzbeach, that is the idea of speech found by b’chor. The idea of the five slayim by the b’chor adom is the idea of tefillin being a constant connection. We take the kedushah which could have been given to work only for kedushah in exchange for the attempt to bring ourselves to kedushah. The idea of Kiddish HaChodesh was explained to be the power of the Olam L’Mata which is the strength of Oral Torah. This is why the b’chor adom is redeemed with five slayim because he is being brought into a world where we decide upon the kedushah. The outcome of our actions is revealed in the kedushah that we reveal to ourselves and the world.
There is much more of this topic to discuss but it really past the scope of this parshah. I want to conclude by saying over what I heard from my Rebbi that the gematria of אדם בהמה is the same as זמן. That is the idea that tikkun of behaymuh is through time, meaning that through time we may be able to fix the nature of Man and rid him of his animal-like natures. That is through the toil of Torah and a strong observance of Mitzvos. Through placing the tefillin in between your eyes, where you can direct your life. With the learning of Torah every moment you have as that is your life. Through the realization that the whole yitzias mitzrayim was in order for us to keep the Torah today. The idea of time is to change. That means the Torah is only acquired through change. Change of yourself and of your actions. Through the binding of your actions to the yolk of the Torah. We will all be merited to bring in Mashiach tomorrow. The chance is before us, we need to grab it and change from chol to kedushah!
