עֲשָׂרָה נִסִּים נַעֲשׂוּ לַאֲבוֹתֵינוּ בְמִצְרַיִם וַעֲשָׂרָה
עַל הַיָּם. עֲשָׂרָה נִסְיוֹנוֹת נִסּוּ אֲבוֹתֵינוּ אֶת הַמָּקוֹם בָּרוּךְ הוּא
בַמִּדְבָּר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר יד כב), וַיְנַסּוּ אֹתִי זֶה עֶשֶׂר פְּעָמִים וְלֹא
שָׁמְעוּ בְּקוֹלִי: (אבות ה ד).
Ten miracles were performed for our forefathers in
Egypt, and another ten at the sea. With ten tests our forefathers tested G‑d in the desert, as is stated,
"They tested Me these ten times, and did not hearken to My voice”, (Numbers
14:22), Ethics of our Fathers 5:4.
The Mishna opens
that HaKadosh Baruch Hu performed ten miracles for the nation of Israel in
Egypt. This refers to the ten plagues with which G-d struck Egypt in
anticipation of the exodus by Israel. They were miracles on behalf of Israel
because the Egyptians were harshly persecuting them, and in doing so was an act
of vengeance for their pain and humiliation.
The Mishna
continues with mentioning the miracles G-d did for Israel at the time of the
crossing of the Red Sea. These were mainly acts of kindness to Israel. They are
enumerated by Rabbi Ovadia of Bartenura as follows: 1) the water split, 2) the
sea turned into a type of tent which Israel went into, 3) the sea floor became
dry without rubble and mud, 4) the seafloor became muddy and rocky when the Egyptians
went on it chasing after Israel, 5) the seafloor did not congeal into a single
surface rather it became an ordered brickwork, 6) the congealed water became as
hard as rock, 7) the sea split into twelve paths, one for each tribe, 8) the
congealed water was like sapphire, onyx, and glass so the tribes could see each
other, 9) fresh drinking water would flow to them, 10) the fresh water that was
not drunk would congealed and turn into a pile.
The Mishna then
talks about the ten trials the people of Israel gave to Hashem. They were the
times Israel was shrill, disobedient, and lacked faith. They are as follows: 1)
screaming at the Red Sea, are there no graves in Egypt that you should
take us away to die in the wilderness, 2) griping about the bitter water at
Marah, 3) griping about the lack of water in the desert at Rephidim, 4)
gathering the manna in violation of Shabbos, 5) disobeying the command not to
store the manna, 6) complaining about the manna by saying they had loads of
good free food in Egypt, 7) joining in the carping about not having meat, 8)
the golden calf, 9) murmuring against Hashem, 10) the spies.
After the sin of the spies the holy One blessed be He,
states the essence specifically that all of people have seen his miracles which
attribute to His greatness, power, benevolence, and love of Israel. Never the
less the people still do not listen to him. In line with this the Tosfos Yom
Tov comments concerning the sin of the golden calf that it was a case of
unjustified doubts and having little faith. Therefore they lacked the
confidence to stay the course.
The name of G-d, “Elohim” (אלקים),
is a term meaning power. It is similar to other names of G-d which have a
similar meaning. A person has free will and this includes choosing his source
of power. Many will choose to be self-reliant and say things like the power of
my hands did all these wonderful things. Other things people rely on are money
and guns. A religious person’s source of power is their adherence to things
like religious values, texts, and perception of the will of G-d.
The test of a source of power is how well one who relies
on it fares in this world. It would seem that a personal sense of happiness is
the guide. Money is nice, but a person can buy all sorts of things and still be
miserable. A gun will not defend against disease. A person can be humbled by
their own lack of abilities. When relying on other people one must evaluate are
they powerful enough and will they remain loyal.
The desert generation had seen the power and benevolence
of HaKadosh Baruch Hu. Therefore they should have believed that obeying His
commandments would bring them happiness and allow them to prevail over their
adversaries. There would be tests but in the end they would teach and
strengthen.
Today we do not have open miracles and prophets but we do
have religious texts, rabbis, and the ability to think things over. If the
standards, ideas, and practices make intellectual sense a person should be
inclined to go in that direction, especially if they yield good results. The
allure of things like money, vanity, and lust will still remain a test. Even so
one should have the confidence to stay the course, if all things are
considered, Hashem has rained down from heaven so many huge blessings that it
seems like they have no end.
לע"נ
הדוד לייב הערש בן אהרן ז"ל נלב"ע יז תמוז תשמ"ב
העלון ניתן לקבל בדואר אלקטרוני וגם באתר
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