Achron Shel Pesach

It is clear that the theme of the last days of Pesach is Krias Yam Suf, which occurred on Shvii Shel Pesach itself. For example, the Piyutim and Yotzros added on these days—both of them—discuss this Nes almost exclusively. It is therefore unsurprising that the Leining for Shvii Shel Pesach is the Parsha of Krias Yam Suf and the Shirah of Az Yashir. What better Kriah could there be than the Pessukim that describe the Nes, and our reaction to it?

What is interesting, however, is that the Takanas Chazal of this Leining is not limited to these Pessukim. Following Shiras HaYam itself, the Torah tells us about the Shira of the Nashim, led by Miriam. It would seem that this is an appropriate place to end the Leining for this day, but we continue, adding an additional five Pessukim. These Pessukim describe our time in a place called Marah, in a somewhat cryptic fashion. As these Pessukim do not seem to relate directly to the Yom Tov, we must examine them in order to understand why Chazal included them in the Seder HaYom.

The Torah tells us that Moshe Rabbeinu led Klal Yisroel away from the Yam Suf into Midbar Shur, where they traveled for three days “V’Lo Matzu Mayim”. Then, they arrived in Marah, which got its name from a distinct reality: “V’Lo Yachlu Lishtos Mayim M’Marah Ki Marim Hem”. They could not drink the water in Marah, for it was bitter, Unable to quenched their thirst, Bnei Yisroel turned to Moshe pleading: “Mah Nishteh?”

The next Passuk tells us that Moshe cried out to Hashem, and in response “VaYoruhu Hashem Etz VaYashlech El HaMayim VaYimtiku HaMayim”. Hashem showed Moshe a piece of wood, and he threw that into the water, which then became sweet. The Passuk concludes “Sham Sam Lo Chok Umishpat V’Sham Nisau”. It was there, in Marah, that placed for them “Chok U’Mishpat” and it was there that they were tested.

There are a number of questions that can be asked on this Passuk.

First, what is the Lashon of “VaYoruhu”, which means that Hahsem showed Moshe a piece of wood? Does this mean that it appeared to Moshe in some sort of a vision? Even in the places that Chazal tell us that Moshe was shown certain items—such at the Machatzis HaShekel or Menorah—we learn that from Drashos, the Torah does not say that he was shown. In this case we are told “VaYoruhu”—why?

Also, the Torah doesn’t tell us what kind of wood, or what its source was. One may assume that this refers to the Matteh which Moshe used to perform many Osos and Nissim, but in other places, such as in Riffidim when Moshe was to strike the rock, he is explicitly told to use the Matteh. Here the Torah doesn’t specify that it was the Mateh that cured the waters of Marah, or any other Etz for that matter. What, then, was the nature of this Etz?

There is also a more general question that can be asked on the entire episode: why was any of this necessary? Why did Hashem bring Klal Yisroel to Marah, where the water was bitter, just to have Moshe sweeten the water using the Etz? Also, why was this needed at this exact point, right after Krias Yam Suf? What role did Marah play in our development as a nation?

Interestingly, the Meforshim are largely silent when in comes to the first half of this Passuk, with only a few offering Pirush. Ibn Ezra notes that we do not know what kind of Etz was used, “Rak Davar Peleh Haya”, it was a wonderous item. There is also an approach to explaining the Etz, and how it worked, which appears in both Chizkuni and Bechor Shor. These Meforshim agree with Ibn Ezra that a Nes was performed, and add: “K’Minhag HaOlam SheMatilin Davar Matok Lisoch Davar Mar”. The Nes, they explain, was done in a way that conforms to the usual Derech HaTeva in which the addition of a sweet item can neutralize bitterness.

The end of the Passuk, “Sham Sam Lo Chok Umishpat V’Sham Nisau”, is not easy to understand literally, but its explanation Al Derech HaDrush is well-known. Rashi tells us that it was in Marah that we were first given some Mitzvos: Shabbos, Parah Aduma and Dinim. Though the Gemarah in Sanhedrin notes a slightly different set of Mitzvos, it is clear that the words “Chok U’Mishpat” refer to Mitzvos that were given to Klal Yisroel at that time. Though we can now understand the meaning of these words, we must also understand them in context: why did we first learn about Mitzvos in Marah, when the water was sweetened by the Etz shown to Moshe? How are the first and second halves of the Passuk related to one another?

The truth is that many of the questions about the beginning of the Passuk can be explained based on a series of Medrashim found in the Tanchuma on these words.

The Medrash brings a Machlokes as to what type of Etz was used to be Mamtik the waters of Marah—it may have been an Arava, a branch of an Ivy tree, an olive branch, a cedar tree or a pomegranate root—and concludes: “Mikol Makom Mar Haya”, in any case it was a bitter species. The Medrash continues, pointing out that though one would assume that something sweet would have been used, that would be the way of a Basar V’Dam, “Aval HKBH B’Mar Marpeh Es HaMar”, Hashem uses a bitter item to sweeten another bitter item. In this way, it is a Nes B’Soch Nes: not only is the previously bitter item rendered sweet, but it is done in a way that itself runs contrary to the Darchei HaTeva.

The Medrash uses this concept to explain the word “VaYoruhu” as well: “Horahu B’Darchav”. Hashem used this opportunity to show Moshe His ways: “B’Mah SheAni Makeh Bo Ani Marpeh”, the Refuah comes through the Maka itself—a Davar Mar sweetens another more than a Davar Masuk could.

We now understand the word “VaYoruhu” as well as the identity and purpose of the Etz, but our overarching question remains: why now? In fact, this question would appear to have been enhanced: why was it necessary to bring Bnei Yisroel to Marah now in order to teach them this lesson? Why did we need to learn about the Darchei Hashem, that “B’Mar Marpeh Es HaMar”, specifically at this juncture?

Perhaps we can answer this question based on a concept explained by R’ Moshe Shapiro as recorded in the Sefer Shuvi V’Nechzeh.

The Medrash in Shemos Rabba tells us: “Lama KAru Osam Ivirrim Al Shem SheKaru Es HaYam”. We, Klal Yisroel, are reffered to as “Ivriim” because we crossed the Yam Suf and emerged on the other side.

R’ Moshe asks a question: why did we receive a special name based our survival of Krias Yam Suf more so than any other Nes that occurred to us? Bnei Yisroel was not subject to any of the Makkos brough in Mitzrayim, yet we do not find ourselves being called by a name that refers to any of those Nissim—why was Krias Yam Suf different?

The answer can perhaps be found by looking closely at the Shiras HaYam. The final Passuk of the Shira seems to be more factual than poetic: “Ki Bah Sus Paroah B’Richbo U’Biporashav VaYashav Aleihem Es Mei HaYam U’Bnei Yisrroel Halchu Bayabasha B’Soch HaYam”. These words record that when Pharoah entered the Yam with his legions the waters fell upon them, while Bnei Yisroel walked on dry land. Why are they part of the Shira itself?

Based on the Meforshei HaPshat on these words, R’ Moshe explains that when the Yam fell upon the Mitzriyim, Bnei Yisroel was still walking through the Yam Suf on dry land—our survival of the Yam Suf was thus not only a Nes, but a Nes B’Soch Nes. If the Yam had split so that we could traverse it on dry land, and only afterward fell upon Pharoah and his people, that would have been a Nes itself, but we experienced a Nes B’Soch Nes: the Yabasha existed whilst the Yam was raging.

R’ Moshe explains that this is why we received a special name related to our survival at the Yam: it is a testament to the way we exist in this world. Klal Yisroel is so far removed from the Olam HaTeva that we survive with Nisim, in the guise of Nes B’Soch Nes.

We see then that a central message of Krias Yam Suf was that the existance of Klal Yisroel is based on Nes B’Soch Nes. Perhaps this message continued in Marah as well.

It would be easy for one to assume that when faced with a challenge or impediment at vast and as vexing as the Yam Suf, we must rely on the creation of a Nes B’Soch Nes, one that will ensure out national survival. When we arrived at Marah, however, we were shown that this is not the case.

In Marah something that may be taken for granted—potable water—was not available. We turned to Moshe and he, turn, to Hahsem. At that point he was taught the Darchei Hashem: “B’Mah SheAni Makeh Bo Ani Marpeh”. The Maka and the Refuah are in affect one, always in the Derech of Nes B’Soch Nes. Our existance is so far from that of the Olam HaTeva that something as simple as drinking water is only made available through the Nes B’Soch Nes.

At Marah we learned what it means to be the Am HaNivchar, to live on a plain far removed from the world around us, and it was there that we had our first taste of the Mitzvos. Once we understood the reality of Nes B’Soch Nes, of our distance from Teva, we could begin to understand not only Mishpat, but Chok as well—the entirety of Torah. In fact, the Gemarah in Sanhedrin tells us that the Sheva Mitzvos B’Nei Noach, which we were responsible prior to that point, were taught anew in Marah. Perhaps this is also because the new awareness of our place in the world, and the spheres in which we travel, caused these Mitzvos to take on a different level as well. No more were we keeping these Halachos as Bnei Noach, we would now accept them as Bnei Yisroel, those who live in a world of Nes B’Soch Nes. The final Passuk of the Kriah seems like a coda to all of Yetzias Mitzrayim. Hashem tells Bnei Yisroel: “Im Shamoa Tishma L’Kol Hahsem ELokecha…Kol Hamachala Asher Samti B’Mitzrayim Lo Asim Alecha”. If we listen to the word of Hashem, and follow the ways of the Torah, we will be protected from the Makkos that plagued Mitzrayim, “Ki Ani Hashem Rofecha”. We may have assumed that this Passuk would be better placed closer to Yetzias Mitzrayim itself—closer to the “Machala Asher Samti B’Mitzrayim”. We now understand its appearance here, however. After Krias Yam Suf and Marah we fully understood our reliance on Nes B’Soch Nes in every aspect of our lives and could start our path toward the dictates of this Passuk: “HaYashar B’Enav Ta’aseh V’Hazanta L’Mitvosav V’Shamarta Kol Chukosav”. It was at this point that we could fully appreciate the promise of “Ki Ani Hashem Rofecha”, knowing that even that which looks like a Maka may in fact be the Refuah, because we live in a world of Nes B’Soch Nes, in an existance of B’Mah SheAni Makeh Bo Ani Marpeh.

On these final days of Zman Cheriuseinu, when the words “VaYar Yisroel Es HaYad HaGedolah…VaYaminu B’Hashem” ring so clear, we can take the time to appreciate that we are Ivriim, that we survived the Yam through a Nes B’Soch Nes and remain ensconced in this existence ever since. When we look at the world and see a Davar Mar, we must remember that Hashem uses the Davar Mar to sweeten our lives, bringing the Refuah through the Maka itself.