The Narrow Escape By Eli Hochberg (‘27)

5784/2024

During Pesach, we famously have a Mitzvah to eat Matzah for seven days. The reasoning for this is that Bnei Yisrael ate Matzah on their way out of Egypt, as they didn’t have time to let their dough fully rise into bread. Why were Bnei Yisrael in such a rush to leave Mitzrayim?

One answer, given by the Maharal of Prague, and later expanded on by HaRav Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook, is that only natural events are bound by time. Miracles occur much quicker and are outside of time. Therefore, Yetziat Mitzrayim happened quickly, and Bnei Yisrael needed to hurry to make their Matzah.

Another answer is famously given in the Zohar. It states that Bnei Yisrael had reached the forty-ninth level of the fifty levels of impurity. The Ari says that if Bnei Yisrael were in Mitzrayim any longer, they would have reached the fiftieth level of impurity, and Hashem would have been unable to redeem us. Perhaps, if Bnei Yisrael waited for the dough to rise, they would have reached an unredeemable level! Hashem made us hurry to ensure that we could be redeemed. We should all go into Pesach embracing the message that for the future Geulah to come, we must hurry to do Teshuvah and that Hashem works in supernatural ways.

The Fig’s Duality By Shamai Bernstein (‘25)