Scholar in Residence at Chabad – Rabbi Moshe Soloveichik

Rabbi Ben Sugerman and the Siyum

My Torah on the Parsha

Rabbi Zev Wolf Landau – the Sitrikover

This Week

Monday, February 3, 2025

Left at 9:00 AM to drive to Florida.  Made it to the Comfort Suites Inn  at Lookout Mountain at 9:30 PM.  Lookout Mountain is about 650 miles from Chicago, a little less than halfway to Boynton Beach. The total trip is 1,350 miles, so we have another 70 miles.  This is home to us on the road to Florida.

Tuesday February 4, 2025

Did Daf Yomi in my car in the parking lot.  Temperature was in the 50s.  Davened.  Had breakfast, one bowl of Raisin Bran and one bowl of Rice Krispies.  Found out the owner and his wife who are from India and very generous to us own just this one motel, a Comfort Suites Inn.

Got to Boynton Beach at 9:45 PM.

Shabbos February 8, 2025

This Shabbos, Reb Moshe Solovechik was the scholar in residence at Chabad of Boynton Beach.  He was coming to Boynton Beach for the Connections of Palm Beach County dinner after Shabbos.  I arranged for him to be the Scholar in Residence at Chabad.  Rabbi Ciment and him are good friends. I donated money for his honorarium anonymously and gave $1,500.  Reb Moshe  spoke from the pulpit about the sixth Rebbi, the Rashab, and the Lubavitcher Rebbe we all knew.  I stayed until 2:30 PM schmoozing with Reb Moshe, his wife,  and Rabbi Ciment.

Reb Moshe also gave a Shiur on Sunday morning at 9:00 AM about hostages in Halacha.

After Shabbos, Reb Moshe, his wife, his son, Naftoli and I headed to the Connections dinner.  It was at the National Croquet Center of West Palm Beach, https://croquetnational.com/index.html.  I donated $1,000 in  recognition of what Connections does from my granddaughter.  I

Monday – February 10, 2025:

I took my granddaughter to a Siyum on Daf Yomi by Rabbi Ben Sugerman’s Shiur at Traditions in Boca

Raton.  I took my granddaughter Tovah Levy.  They asked me to speak and I obliged the crowd.  I thought I spoke well.  I of course took a picture with my Rebi, Rabbi Sugerman.

My Torah on BeShalach:

Comment #1

I saw a beautiful commentary from the זר זהוב.   The זר זהוב is a Sefer of the history and Torah of Rabbi Zev Wolf Landau who was a student of the Kotzker, known as the Sitrikover.  He was very close to the Kotzker.  He died in 1891 and his son-in-law published the Sefer in 1901.

Verse 14:25

וַיָּ֗סַר אֵ֚ת אֹפַ֣ן מַרְכְּבֹתָ֔יו וַֽיְנַהֲגֵ֖הוּ בִּכְבֵדֻ֑ת וַיֹּ֣אמֶר מִצְרַ֗יִם אָנ֙וּסָה֙ מִפְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל כִּ֣י יְהֹוָ֔ה נִלְחָ֥ם לָהֶ֖ם בְּמִצְרָֽיִם׃ {פ}

The wheels of the chariots were taken off, which caused them to drive with difficulty, and the Egyptians said to one another: “Let us flee from before Israel; for the Eternal is waging their fight against the Egyptians.”

Rashi comments on the words וַֽיְנַהֲגֵ֖הוּ בִּכְבֵדֻ֑ת   as follows:

וינהגהו בכבדת. בְּהַנְהָגָה שֶׁהִיא כְבֵדָה וְקָשָׁה לָהֶם; בַּמִדָּה שֶׁמָּדְדוּ: “וַיַּכְבֵּד” לִבּוֹ הוּא וַעֲבָדָיו (שמות ט’ 34), אַף כָּאן וַיְנַהֲגֵהוּ “בִּכְבֵדֻת”:

וינהגהו בכבדות   And He treated them with a treatment that was hard and harsh to them. In the measure that they (the Egyptians) had meted out to the Israelites was it meted out to them, for (9:34) “He hardened his heart, he and his servants”, and therefore here: “He treated them (the Egyptians) in a hard manner” (cf. Mekhilta).

Rashi says what is the מִדָּה שֶׁמָּדְדוּ: – measure for measure?  Just like Pharaoh and his servants hardened their hearts after the plague of hail also here at the Yam Suf וַיְנַהֲגֵהוּ “בִּכְבֵדֻת

The Mechilta explain the measure for measure using a different verse:

וינהגהו בכבדות. במדה שמדדו בה מדדת להן הם אמרו (ה’ ט’) תכבד העבודה אף אתה באותה מדה מדדת להן וינהגיהו בכבדות:

The Ba’al Haturim brings down the Mechilta and says וינהגהו בכבדות על שאמר תכבד העבודה: 

Why does Rashi bring down a different Pasuk than the Mechilata.  Additionally, what exactly is the measure for measure according to Rashi.  Seemingly just as Pharaoh and servants hardened their hearts therefore Hashem made it hard for them.  This is not a good match and even if the measurement is as the Mecilta says, the Mechilta’s Pasuk is a much better match.  

The זר זהוב asks the the question.  Where did Rashi get his Peshat that is different than the Mechilta.  

The זר זהוב  uses beautiful language.   

ונפלאתי אל המראה עד שמצאתי זוהר בּשלח, רב חייא אמר בּכבדות מהו? . . . בּפרעה כתיב, “ויכבד לב פרעה”

The Sitrikover says that he found a Zohar in the name of Reb Chiya that measure for measure is based on the Pasuk 9:34 that by the plague of hail Pharaoh and his servants hardened their hearts.

The Sitrikover goes on the explain:

וההפרש בניהם, לפי דברי רב יהודה היה מדה במדה, באשר הוא הכביד העבודה הכביד עליו גם כן.  ולפי דברי רב חייא היה המדה כנגד הכבדת הלב.  כי באמת היה נבהל ומשׁתאה מהמופתים ומהמכות, אעפ״כ התחזק בעקשות לב לאמר כל חפצי אעשה ואוכל 

במדה זו מדדו לו, אף כי ראה כי רע ומר וכלתה אליו הרעה ואבריו מתפרקין ונשברים אעפ״כ התאמץ לרדוף, ולנהוג עצמו בכבדות, בּהנהגה שהיא כבדה וקשׁה להם, מדה במדה גדושׁה

Peshet according to the Zohar which is brought down by Rashi is different from the Mechilta.  The measure for measure based on the Zohar is just as Pharaoh hardened his heart and did not let the Jews leave Egypt, Pharaoh hardened his heart at the sea and he chased the Jews in the sea assuring their destruction.  At 2:00 AM, when the angel of God lifted the clouds and Pharaoh was able to see that the sea split and that the Jews were traveling through the sea,  he did not hesitate. He did not stop and look at the phenomena in front of him.  He did not stop, look at the miracle before his eyes, hesitate and hold a war council.  He should have considered that this might be a trap.  He saw a miracle of the splitting of the sea in front of him, and knew that miracles happened for the Jews in Egypt.  He hardened his own heart against himself and his people, made a decision against himself, and assured their destruction. . The Zohar also  seems to also say the Pharaoh realized that he would be destroyed, he still did not hesitate to go to his downfall.   This is the measure for measure.  Pharaoh hardened his heart against the Jews and at the Yam Suf Pharaoh hardened his heart against himself and this led to the destruction of the Egyptian army.  The worst thing in life is when you have all the factors in front of yourself, and you make a terrible decision.  You sabotage yourself.    This is Kotzk.  I hate to admit this but in a large part this was the story of my life.  I feel I have constantly sabotaged myself, made the wrong decisions, and caused me great anguish.

Comment 2:

Verse 14:5

וַיֻּגַּד֙ לְמֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרַ֔יִם כִּ֥י בָרַ֖ח הָעָ֑ם וַ֠יֵּהָפֵ֠ךְ לְבַ֨ב פַּרְעֹ֤ה וַעֲבָדָיו֙ אֶל־הָעָ֔ם וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ מַה־זֹּ֣את עָשִׂ֔ינוּ כִּֽי־שִׁלַּ֥חְנוּ אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מֵעׇבְדֵֽנוּ׃

When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his courtiers had a change of heart about the people and said, “What is this we have done, releasing Israel from our service?”

The entire nation of Egypt along with Pharaoh were upset that they let the Jews leave.

Verse 14:6

וַיֶּאְסֹ֖ר אֶת־רִכְבּ֑וֹ וְאֶת־עַמּ֖וֹ לָקַ֥ח עִמּֽוֹ׃

He harnessed his chariot and took his nation with him;

וַ

The english translations are split explaining אֶת־עַמּ֖וֹ between his  army and between his people.  The plain translation of עַמּ֖וֹ is his people.  It is true that the better word should have been “his army” because all of his people did not go, only his army.   I think that the true interpretation is his people and not his army after all עַמּ֖וֹ means all his people.  The Torah is telling us that his entire nation was united with him.  They were also going to war against the Jews.   He took his entire nation with him.  We can expand this idea that normally when a country goes to war the entire citizenry goes to war.  To go to war with a king, an army must have the support of their citizenry.   To win, not only must the opposing army be defeated, but the will of people must be broken.  This is why in the Civil War, one of the reasons Sherman marched to the sea, destroying everything in his path, was to destroy the will of the South to continue the war.  This is why the US dropped the H bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, not only to show Emperor Hirohito that further war was useless but also to break the spirit of the Japanese people.   

Comment #3

Verse 14:7

וַיִּקַּ֗ח שֵׁשׁ־מֵא֥וֹת רֶ֙כֶב֙ בָּח֔וּר וְכֹ֖ל רֶ֣כֶב מִצְרָ֑יִם וְשָׁלִשִׁ֖ם עַל־כֻּלּֽוֹ׃

He took six hundred chosen chariots, besides other chariots of Egypt, with officers over them all.  

In Verse 14:9 

וַיִּרְדְּפ֨וּ מִצְרַ֜יִם אַחֲרֵיהֶ֗ם וַיַּשִּׂ֤יגוּ אוֹתָם֙ חֹנִ֣ים עַל־הַיָּ֔ם כׇּל־סוּס֙ רֶ֣כֶב פַּרְעֹ֔ה וּפָרָשָׁ֖יו וְחֵיל֑וֹ עַל־פִּי֙ הַֽחִירֹ֔ת לִפְנֵ֖י בַּ֥עַל צְפֹֽן׃

The Egyptians pursued them; and the horses of Pharaoh, and the chariots, and his horsemen, and his infantry, all of them overtook them while they were encamped by the sea, at the side of Pi-Hahiroth, in front of Baal-Zephon.

Question – In verse 14:7 the Chumosh explains that Pharaoh took his entire force of chariots only.  In Verse 14:9 it expanded the troops he took to include his cavalry along with infantry.   What is the explanation for the difference?

The answer is that in Verse 14:7 it says that he took the elite troops, his chariot corp. Led by “experienced and battle tested” field officers and generals.  These officers made his chariot corp lethal.   Pharah meant business and he was out to destroy the slaves.  The Torah is emphasizing that he took his most formidable troops.  At Gettysburg, General Robert E. Lee lost a large number of experienced field officers and generals that he could not replace, and his army could not be as lethal a force  in the future and he would not be able to defeat the Union army.   This is the Kotzker’s vort about the Crimean War when he realized that the Russians would shortly lose the war.  Verse 9 adds that he took his entire army.  

Comment #4

Verse 14:19

וַיִּסַּ֞ע מַלְאַ֣ךְ הָאֱלֹהִ֗ים הַהֹלֵךְ֙ לִפְנֵי֙ מַחֲנֵ֣ה יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַיֵּ֖לֶךְ מֵאַחֲרֵיהֶ֑ם וַיִּסַּ֞ע עַמּ֤וּד הֶֽעָנָן֙ מִפְּנֵיהֶ֔ם וַיַּֽעֲמֹ֖ד מֵאַחֲרֵיהֶֽם׃

The angel of Elohim moved [from its position] when it traveled in front of the camp of Israel, and went behind them. The pillar of cloud moved from in front of them and it stood behind them.

(Onklesys translation)

Question:

It seems like there were two entities; a מַלְאַ֣ךְ הָאֱלֹהִ֗ים and there was also a עַמּ֤וּד הֶֽעָנָן֙ .  I thought that the pillar of cloud and for that matter the pillar of fire was the מַלְאַ֣ךְ הָאֱלֹהִ֗ים.  

The answer is as the Rashbam and Rabbi Charles Kahana explains.  There was an Angel of God and he controlled the pillar of cloud.  At night the Angel of God went behind them taking the pillar of cloud and positioning this pillar behind the Jewish people to darken the Egyptian camp and to absorb the arrows and stones catapulted towards them.   What about the pillar of fire?  Was this controlled by the same angel or by God himself.  I assume that it was another angel of God.

Rabbi Charles Kahana in his Torah Yeshara:

The angel of the Almighty, who went before the camp of Israel, guiding the column of clouds in front of them, changed his course, and now went behind them, and he removed the column of clouds that was in front of them and now stood behind them, in order to separate the camp of Israel from the Egyptians,

(רש”י, רשב”ם.)

Rashbam:

ויסע מלאך האלהים – המוליך את עמוד הענן.

לפני מחנה ישראל וילך – המלאך.

מאחריהם – ומתוך כך.

ויסע העמוד מפניהם ויעמוד מאחריהם – כי המלאך הוליכו להפסיק בין מחנה מצרים ובין מחנה ישראל וישם מאפל ביניהם כדכתיב ביהושע: שלא יוכלו לקרב זה אל זה כל הלילה.

 The angel of God that was guiding the pillar of cloud in front of the marching columns of Israelites, changed positions and moved behind the columns of marching Israelites instead.  The result being to create a barrier between the Israelites and the Egyptians approaching from behind. The angel created a barrier of darkness and as a result, the Egyptians did not draw nearer to the Israelites during the entire night. 

Comment #5

I now want to explain verses 14:21 – 26

וַיֵּ֨ט מֹשֶׁ֣ה אֶת־יָדוֹ֮ עַל־הַיָּם֒ וַיּ֣וֹלֶךְ יְהֹוָ֣ה ׀ אֶת־הַ֠יָּ֠ם בְּר֨וּחַ קָדִ֤ים עַזָּה֙ כׇּל־הַלַּ֔יְלָה וַיָּ֥שֶׂם אֶת־הַיָּ֖ם לֶחָרָבָ֑ה וַיִּבָּקְע֖וּ הַמָּֽיִם׃

Then Moses stretched out his hand toward the sea, and the Eternal turned back the sea by a strong east wind the whole night, and turned the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided.

וַיָּבֹ֧אוּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל בְּת֥וֹךְ הַיָּ֖ם בַּיַּבָּשָׁ֑ה וְהַמַּ֤יִם לָהֶם֙ חוֹמָ֔ה מִֽימִינָ֖ם וּמִשְּׂמֹאלָֽם׃

The Children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground; and the waters were a wall of protection for them at their right hand and at their left.

(א”ע, מלבי”ם.)

וַיִּרְדְּפ֤וּ מִצְרַ֙יִם֙ וַיָּבֹ֣אוּ אַחֲרֵיהֶ֔ם כֹּ֚ל ס֣וּס פַּרְעֹ֔ה רִכְבּ֖וֹ וּפָרָשָׁ֑יו אֶל־תּ֖וֹךְ הַיָּֽם׃

The Egyptians pursued and went after them into the midst of the sea, all of Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots and his horsemen.

וַֽיְהִי֙ בְּאַשְׁמֹ֣רֶת הַבֹּ֔קֶר וַיַּשְׁקֵ֤ף יְהֹוָה֙ אֶל־מַחֲנֵ֣ה מִצְרַ֔יִם בְּעַמּ֥וּד אֵ֖שׁ וְעָנָ֑ן וַיָּ֕הׇם אֵ֖ת מַחֲנֵ֥ה מִצְרָֽיִם׃

In the latter part of the night toward morning, the angel of the Eternal looked down, between the columns of fire and cloud, upon the Egyptian camp, and threw the Egyptian camp into confusion.

(א”ע.)

וַיָּ֗סַר אֵ֚ת אֹפַ֣ן מַרְכְּבֹתָ֔יו וַֽיְנַהֲגֵ֖הוּ בִּכְבֵדֻ֑ת וַיֹּ֣אמֶר מִצְרַ֗יִם אָנ֙וּסָה֙ מִפְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל כִּ֣י יְהֹוָ֔ה נִלְחָ֥ם לָהֶ֖ם בְּמִצְרָֽיִם׃ {פ}

The wheels of the chariots were taken off, which caused them to drive with difficulty, and the Egyptians said to one another: “Let us flee from before Israel; for the Eternal is waging their fight against the Egyptians.”

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהֹוָה֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה נְטֵ֥ה אֶת־יָדְךָ֖ עַל־הַיָּ֑ם וְיָשֻׁ֤בוּ הַמַּ֙יִם֙ עַל־מִצְרַ֔יִם עַל־רִכְבּ֖וֹ וְעַל־פָּרָשָֽׁיו׃

After the Israelites had reached the opposite shore, the Eternal said to Moses: “Stretch out your hand toward the sea, so that the waters which formed a wall may turn upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots and upon their horsemen.”

(רש”י, רשב”ם.)

וַיֵּט֩ מֹשֶׁ֨ה אֶת־יָד֜וֹ עַל־הַיָּ֗ם וַיָּ֨שׇׁב הַיָּ֜ם לִפְנ֥וֹת בֹּ֙קֶר֙ לְאֵ֣יתָנ֔וֹ וּמִצְרַ֖יִם נָסִ֣ים לִקְרָאת֑וֹ וַיְנַעֵ֧ר יְהֹוָ֛ה אֶת־מִצְרַ֖יִם בְּת֥וֹךְ הַיָּֽם׃

Moses stretched forth his hand toward the sea, and towards morning the sea returned to its regular flow, and the Egyptians, instead of fleeing from the sea, fled in their confusion toward it, and the Eternal shook the Egyptians from their chariots into the midst of the sea.

(רש”י, א”ע.)

וַיָּשֻׁ֣בוּ הַמַּ֗יִם וַיְכַסּ֤וּ אֶת־הָרֶ֙כֶב֙ וְאֶת־הַפָּ֣רָשִׁ֔ים לְכֹל֙ חֵ֣יל פַּרְעֹ֔ה הַבָּאִ֥ים אַחֲרֵיהֶ֖ם בַּיָּ֑ם לֹֽא־נִשְׁאַ֥ר בָּהֶ֖ם עַד־אֶחָֽד׃

The waters returned and covered the chariots, and the horsemen which belonged to the army of Pharaoh that went in after them into the sea; not one escaped.

(רמב”ן.)

Analysis of verses 14:21-26:

Rashi previously said that as the sun was setting on the sixth day, Pharaoh reached the Jewish people camping by the sea.  It also says that during the night the two camps were separated.  Verse 21 says that Moshe spread his hand over the sea and all night a strong eastern wind blew. The wind blew the entire night while the sea bed dried and while the Jews entered the sea on dry land.  This is verse 22 and is saying that the Jews entered the sea at the beginning of the night.    Verse 23 says that the Egyptians entered the sea to chase the Jews and Verse 24 goes on to explain when the Egyptians entered the sea.  It was during the last third of the night, from 2:00 AM to 6:00 AM, meaning that at 2:00 AM the pillar of cloud disappeared and the Egyptians saw the Jews in the sea.  They pursued  the Jews into the sea.  The Egyptians did not hesitate thinking maybe this is a trap. They saw the pillar of cloud darkening their camp and at 2:00 AM it disappeared, opening the way for the Egyptians to pursue the Jews into the lion’s den.  As the Egyptian army entered into the Yam Suf,  God then  threw the Egyptian camp into confusion.  The dry land became mud, the horses could not move properly, they were like bucking bulls and jerking their bodies every which way,  and discombobulating the horsemen.   Like bull riding.  The wheels of the chariots burned off.   In the early morning, at 6:00 AM, Moshe stretched out his hand a second time over the sea  and the waters returned to their original way, drowning the entire Egyptian army.