Talk on Parashas Bo: Makkas Choshech and Other Issues

A talk to the students of Shalhevet High School for Girls in Vancouver, BC. A talk touching on similar points to the last Holocaust Q&A shiur, as well as other basic nekudos in Yahadus.

Synopsis of the talk, written by the Menaheles, Mrs. Meira Federgrun:

Sarah Elias Guest Lecturer Series

In memory of Sarah bat Mazal Tov

Each week at Shalhevet, we are privileged to hear divrei Torah from a Rabbi or Rebbetzin in our community, a visiting guest speaker, or an out-of-town speaker. The inspirational words they share with us will be written in this column to enhance your Shabbos. This week we were privileged to learn with Rabbi Bechhofer, Rabbi and teacher in Monsey.

Chazal teach us "Chamushim alu Bnei Yisrael miMitzrayim." This phrase can be understood in a variety of ways: 1/5 of the Jews left Egypt, 1/50, 1/500, and different commentaries explain it differently. Either way, Chazal are saying that a significant amount of Jews died during makkas choshech because they were not worthy of being redeemed.

Perhaps another way to understand this medrash would be as follows: because the Jews were so mired in tumah, only 1/5 of them was worthy of redemption.  We learn in Kabbalah that the Jewish soul is comprised of five parts. Perhaps they sank so low that 4/5 of their souls were not worthy of redemption; only the last 1/5 was worthy: the yechida klalis - which represents the unity between Klal Yisrael and Hashem and the unity we have with each other.

R' Bunim of Peshischa asks: how can we anticipate Mashiach coming in our generation? The generations before us were so great, yet they didn't merit to greet Mashiach. How are we better? He answers that even though those generations were greater, our nekuda penimis is greater. That means that the trials we face today are greater than those faced by previous generations. And they would not be able to withstand our challenges.

R' Zevin explains that Klal Yisrael throughout history is like a body: the first generations were the dor deah - they represent the head, the intellect. The last generations before Mashiach are called ikvesa d'meshicha - the heel. The heel may not be smart or sensitive, but it is well-protected. It's true we're a more coarse, unrefined dor, but we are better safeguarded from the challenges of today. That's our ma'alah.

In makkas choshech, the Torah tells us, "Ulechol Bnei Yisrael hayah ohr b'mmoshvosam." The Jews saw there was light in their communities. That was then and also applies today: wherever we are settled, there is light: the inner light we each have. Our job is to take that light and spread it - be an ohr lagoyim, as it says in Yeshayahu. We must take the tremendous ohr that we have and use it to spread the light of Torah to those around us.