Why Did G-d Use a Strong Hand, and an Outstretched Arm to Redeem His Chosen People?
Any one who has ever attended a passover seder would definitely hear the explanation of a strong hand and an outstretched arm as an essential part of the story of G-d’s redemption of His chosen people, the nation of Israel.
Many people might be familiar with various mathematical explanations regarding how many plagues were brought down upon Pharoh and all Egypt. Certainly everyone would agree that there are ten main plagues.
During the last two days I heard some mathematical explanations which use the numeric values of specific Hebrew letters to make some interesting inferences in relation to the specific Parsha (portion of Torah which is read in synagogue) of this week; Vayeira.
A shiur (lecture) on the Parsha that I attended last night pointed out the significance of the number 14. One source for obtaining this number was from a Mishna
Mishnah 1:
On the evening (“Or”) of the fourteenth of Nisan we must search for the chametz by the light of a candle.
MISHNAH PESACHIM, CHAPTER 1
SEARCHING FOR CHAMETZ, (.pdf file online, RabbisFeldman.net)
Rabbi Shmuel Kessin gave a shiur last night January 13, 2010 at an apartment on the upper east side, of Manhattan. Rabbi Shmuel Kessin pointed out that the use of the Hebrew word Or, which means light, or the evening of the 14th day may have some meaning which is only hinted at the Hebrew word. Remez, is the Hebrew word which is used when one is seeking to explain or derive an inner meaning which is only alluded to within a given word, or phrase from the Torah or Mishnah.
Another technique which often helps offers insights into subtle meanings is the use of gematrias. In addition to having a specific sound, the Hebrew letters also have a specific numerical value based in their sequence in the Aleph-Beis. For example the 1st letter of the Hebrew Aleph_Beis is Aleph, which has a numerical value of 1. The tenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet is is Yud, which has a numeric value of 10.
Insight and spiritual inspiration may be gained when learning deep concepts by referencing something as seemingly superficial as the numeric value of a given Hebrew word.
Rabbi Shmuel Kessin had used the nuance of meaning and the numerical value from the Mishnah referenced above to point out that we learn of the birth of Pinchas in the current Torah portion of Vayeira. Pinchas is an important personality in the Torah because he will later zealously take up the defense of Hashem by spearing a prince of the Hebrews who publicly disgraces Hashem, with his illicit actions. In so doing Pinchas had brought an end to a plague that had already claimed the lives of 24,000 Jews.
In his typical yet subtle manner of deriving and subsequently revealing a remez of meaning, Rabbi Shmuel Kessin pointed out that it could be Pinchas, who is the “light” of the 14th. Vaeira, the name of the 14th Parsha of Torah, is from the root for Or which is light, and is translated as the word appear. Therefore in the current Parsha, Vaeira (the 14th Parsha of the Torah) of the week one of the important personalities to appear is Pinchas.
Pinchas was rewarded for acting with a vengeance to defend G-d’s honor. Yet, Chazal teach that Pinchas is the same person as Eliyahu Hanavi
The Torah Spring
Edited by Shlomo Katz, Pinchas Volume XIII, No. 37 19 Tammuz 5759 July 3, 1999
In the shiur someone also explained that in addition to being present at all bris milah, and of course stopping by for a glass of wine on Passover, Eliahu Hanavi-
Eliyahu HaNavi- to appear and announce the arrival of Moshiach Ben Dovid- and the end to this long, bitter, and final exile!
Above clip, courtesy thirtysix.org
As part of my daily weekday routine I attend a semi-formal learning in Chumash (Torah) Chevurah (group of friends) in a local Yeshivah Passaic Torah Institute:
Link To PTI’s Web Page w/online Shirum!
Just today I mentioned to our Chevurah, when we had a free moment, about the shiur I had attended last night where Rabbi Shmuel Kessin mentioned that Vaeira was the 14th Parsha. We had just read the pussek (sentence) in the Torah where the Egyptian necromancers tried to duplicate (or eradicate) the plague of lice, but that they could not do it. The sentence happened to be the 14th sentence, Yud Daled.
One of our very astute member of our chevurah pointed out that the Hebrew word for necromancers, or sorcerers was spelled with the Hebrew letter Yud, while the same Hebrew word: HaHaturim in the next sentence was spelled without a Yud. Meaning that the Hebrew word was some how lacking. Our teacher in the Chevurah had explained that G-d had given 10 portions of black magic to the world, and that the Egyptians had received 9 portions of it. The Hebrew word for these necromancers contains within it a root word which at least sounds like the Hebrew word Tumah, which are things that defile anyone who comes in contact with it.
I pointed out that it was in that next sentence, that the necromancers themselves pointed out that it was the finger of G-d. Of course when you think of a finger, you also think of a hand and then, Yitchak Drai, one of Chavurah who loves gematrias, shared one or two with us:
The gematria of the hebrew word for hand (Yud Daled) is 14. A Hebrew word for friend is spelled Yud Daled, Yud, Daled. The idea being that friends people who walk hand in hand.
I pointed out that today was the 14 the day of January, while Yitzchak pointed out that it was the 28th of Teves. Another interesting thing about the gematria of Yad (Yud-Daled) being 14 is that as Yitzchak Drai pointed out that each of the fingers of our hands has three segments while the thumb only has two. Therefore there are total of 14 segments, when we add up the total number of segments of our fingers, which again corresponds with the gematria of 14.
Getting back to some of the ideas presented at the shiur given on the Upper East Side of Manhattan by Rabbi Shmuel Kessin was that there are seven Hebrew words which make up the very first sentence of the Torah in Genesis. As part of our faith we believe with all our heart that G-d is involved in the day to day activities of daily life. The creation of the World, Universe and everything in it is also believed to be part of the ongoing will of Hashem. If Hashem would withdraw his will for at any moment the World as we know would simply cease to exist. Rabbi Shmuel Kessin pointed out that the earthquake in Haiti, on January 12, 2010 measure a 7.0 on the Richter Scale.
Hait 7.0 Richter Scale earthquake.
Editors Note: This article was originally published on this site on January 14, 2010 with a small typo in the title, after several attempts to repair the permalink and correct the title, eventually the the entire post was pulled off the site and reposted in its original form with the typo fixed in the title. This version represents the final attempt to repost this article on TheWritersCafe.org. Futher complications will require a reposting to an entirely different side.
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