The subject of the Haftarah for the first day of Pesach
is the first Pesach kept by the nation of Israel in the land of Israel.
Mirroring, the parting of the Red Sea during the exodus from Egypt, a path of
dry land opens up for the nation of Israel to enter the land of Israel. Once
all the people have crossed the Jordan River Hashem commands that all of the
men undergo circumcision. Shortly after the circumcision heals the day of
Pesach arrives and the people observe the holiday. On the morrow of Pesach
Israel eats produce from the land of Canaan and the manna ceases. The narrative
continues that when Yehoshua was outside Jericho he encounters an angel with
his sword drawn. When asked if he is friend or foe the angel tells Yehoshua
that this place is sacred.
The various topics are interrelated and have relevance to
Pesach. All of the Jewish holidays have a fundamental message and the message
of Passover is freedom. The idea is that one nation should not dominate another
nation.
During the forty year sojourn decreed because of the sin
of the spies, the children of Israel did not practice circumcision. This was
because their journey could resume at any time and one is not to circumcise his
son if a trip is anticipated within the next few days. After all are
circumcised Hashem tells Joshua that He has removed from them the “taunt of
Egypt” חרפת מצרים (Yehoshua 5:9). The
commentaries discuss this phrase with some saying that not being circumcised is
a taunt in and of itself and that Israel was no better than Egypt in that both
nations were uncircumcised. Others bring pharaoh’s taunt of Israel during the
plagues that they should take a look because evil is before them (see Exodus
10:10), the mock was that if they left Egypt they would die in the desert. At
this point Israel has clearly reached its destination making this taunt a
hollow one.
Before one is permitted to observe Passover, he and his
household must be circumcised. Circumcision is also a metaphor for being
refined and sensitive. Uncircumcised means that a person is ordinarily thick and
coarse, however at times will be excessively delicate. The Talmud reckons it as
one of the names of the evil inclination. Physical circumcision provides
benefits; however, it takes subtlety and maturity to appreciate them. Having
the proper characteristics is a precursor to freedom. One who is not circumcised is reckoned as a
savage and not fit for freedom; consequently he should not celebrate a festival
of freedom.
The Ralbag sees circumcision as a preface to inheriting
the Holy Land and points out what was said to Avraham avinu in parshas “Lech L’cha”
(see Genesis 17:8). In it Hashem exhorts Avraham to walk in G-d’s ways with
integrity, promises him that the land of Canaan will be a permanent possession
to his descendants, and that his wife Sarah will bear him a son, Yitzchak, in
one year’s time. The Ralbag comments that circumcision makes it possible for
Israel to fulfill the ways of the Torah.
Because a nation that does not have its own land or is in
exile is not truly free, Pesach is associated with the land of Israel. Self-sufficiency
in food strengthens independence. Therefore eating of the grains of the land,
which will become bread, is a demonstration of freedom.
The manna ceases once the people of Israel start to eat
the produce of the Holy Land. It is necessary to work in order to produce
agricultural products. No effort was needed to produce the manna. Therefore it
can be reckoned as mother’s milk fed to a nation in its infancy. Being weaned
from the mun is a sign of the nation coming of age. In the wilderness the
children of Israel were isolated an insular, now in the land of Israel they
must deal with the real world.
After the Passover holiday the nation is poised for its
first conquest. Yehoshua encounters an angel with its sword drawn. When he
asks, “Friend or foe”, then angel replies that this is sacred land. The Ralbag
explains that the military accoutrements and the question reflected the issues
of the day on the mind of Yehoshua. The reply was a reminder of the importance
of the faith. This counterbalances the idea of being concerned with worldly
affairs. The reminder is that even when engrossed with things like sustenance
and war it is important to remember national mission of religion. It is easy to
err and think that it is appropriate to be wild and unprincipled in these
pursuits. The truth is the contrary, values rooted in truth provide the path to
success in these endeavors, and through the proper application of the lessons
of Heaven these mundane activities become imbued with sanctity.
Pesach is called a testimony and the people who keep it
are called witnesses. Being an advocate of freedom is often not an easy task.
It can require single minded application of a person’s efforts through the
prism of their convictions in the form of war. Our cousins the children of
Ishmael have a word for it, “jihad”. A holy warrior is a “Mujahidin”. This is
also the message of the angel drawing a sword outside of Yericho. The advancement
of freedom will be a long hard struggle that will in the end be realized with
the perfection of man.
לע"נ, האמה ,מלכה בת חיים ז"ל
נלב"ע ט"ז ניסן תשנ"ח
Acknowledgements to websites:
תורת אמת, וויקיטקסט, http://dictionary.reference.com/,
http://hebrewbooks.org/,
וגם בדואר אלקטרוני
ניתן באתר http://dyschreiber.blogspot.co.il
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