Pour It Out

The Haggadah is like an old friend, familiar and comfortable, at the same time we know that layers of meaning are hiding in plain sight. Any time we truly think about its words, we discover new ideas that we had not previously appreciated. This is true not just of the parts that we tend to focus on, but of the entire Haggadah: there is depth and meaning in every line and paragraph.

One part of the Hagadah which is not often discussed comes toward the end of the Seder, when the night is beginning to wind down. After we finish Bentching, and drink the third Kos, we open our doors, and rise as we welcome Eliyahu Hanavi into our homes. Because of the excitement generated by this moment, we may not focus much on the words we say at this point: a short paragraph known by its opening words: “Shfoch Chamashca”. Because we know that each part of the Haggadah is important, however, it may serve us well to examine this section as well.

A simple reading of the words reveals that this passage is quite different from the other parts of the Hagaddah. “Shfoch Chamascha Al HaGoyim”: we ask Hashem to pour his fury on the nations of the world “Asher Lo Yoducha” and on the kingdoms “Asher B’Shimcha Lo Kara’u”. We repeat this request two more times as we say “Shfoch Alehem Zamacha V’Charon Apcha Yasigam” and conclude with the words “Tirdof B’Af V’Sashmidem M’Tacha Shimei Hashem”. We seek not only the punishment for our enemies but competed and total annihilation, as indicated by the word “Sashmidem”.

Most of the Hagadah is spent retelling the story of the Galus and then Yetzias Mitzrayim, enumerating the Nissim that Hashem did for us and extolling His praises. Aside from the Bracha at the end of Maggid—in which we directly ask that Hashem bring the ultimate Geulah—there are no other parts of the Haggada that can be seen as a Teffilah. Even “V’Hi She’Amda”, which is said with much feeling, and whose words serves to bolster us in difficult times, is a decleration, not a request.

This paragraph, Shfoch Chamascha, seems to be different, however: it is clearly a Bakasha related to the destruction of our enemies. Why, then, is it included? Why do we add this short Teffilah regarding the destruction of the “Goyim Asher B’Shimcha Lo Kara’u” into Haggadah which is otherwise narrative? We must also understand why this Tefillah belongs here specifically: why, after Barech and right before we begin Hallel, it the time right to make this request of HKBH?

Before trying to understand the meaning and purpose of this paragraph, however, let us try to answer a more basic question: where does it come from? What is the origin of this Teffilah and its appearance in the Haggadah?

In Hilchos Chometz Umatzah, the Rambam outlines the entire Seder from beginning to end in a series of Halachos that are seen as the basis of our current Haggadah. This paragraph, Shfoch Chamascha is not mentioned at all by the Rambam at any point, but it does seem to have an even earlier source.

Tosfos, in Meseches Brachos, discusses the Bracha that is made when we say “Chatzi Hallel”, as opposed to the complete Hallel. The Hallel we say at the Seder poses it own difficulty because while we say “Hallel Shalem” during the Seder, it is broken into two parts. Tosfos brings an interesting Minhag that addresses this point: some say two Brachos on the Hallel. At the beginning, meaning during Maggid, says Tosfos the Bracha of “Likros Es HaHallel” is made, and later the Bracha of “Ligmor Es HaHallel” would be said. Although we do not follow this Minhag, it is interesting to see how Tosfos refers to the placement of the second Bracha: “Achar HaSeudah Achar Shfoch.”

Clearly Tosfos had the Minhag to say the paragraph of “Sfoch Chamascha” at this point in the Haggdah, which means that it has been a part of the Nusach for a long time. But it is interesting that Tosfos mentions it at all: the words “Achar HaSeudah” would suffice, or Tosfos could have said “Lifnei Lo Lanu”. It almost seems as though the words “Achar Shfoch” tell us that this paragraph is connected to Hallel in some way. How might this be true? In what way is the Tefillah of “Shfoch Chamascha” related to the Hallel that follows it?

In order to answer these questions, and really appreciate the meaning and purpose of this section of the Haggadah, it would be helpful to understand what we are saying.

The words of this paragraph come from Nach: the first three lines are Pessukim in Tehillim and the final one is from Meggilas Eicha. The theme that runs through all three Pessukim is that we ask Hashem to pour his anger upon the Umos HaOlam. The terms used to describe this anger are “Chema” “Za’am” and “Af”. While “Za’am” means wrath, the other terms are descriptive and imply specific types of anger or fury. Why do we employ these particular words in our request? Why do we wish, for Hashem to pour his “Chema” and “Af” in particular upon our enemies, and why at this point in the Seder?

Perhaps the answer lies in the reason we give for our request.

The middle line of the paragraph mentions the reason that the Goyim are deserving of destruction: “Ki Achal Es Yaakov V’Es Navehu Hishamu”. Translated literally, these words mean “for they have devoured Yaakov and destroyed his home”, but we must of course understand what this really means. There is an almost identical Passuk found in Sefer Yeshaya, and there Radak explains that the word “Navehu” refers to the Bais Hamikdash. In the Teffilah of Shfoch Chamascha, then, we are asking Hashem to pour his Chema and Af upon the nations of the world because they have “consumed Yaakov” and destroyed the Mikdash.

The destruction of the Mikdash is certainly a good reason to bring retribution upon our enemies, but one wonders why the Passuk uses the Lashon of Navehu in particular to refer to the Bais Hamikdash here, and not any of the other myriad terms used to describe the Bais Hashem. What is the implication of this term?

The truth is that the Pshat of Radak in Yeshayahu is based on a Mechilta in Parshas Beshalach. The Medrash there brings many Pshatim in the words “Zeh Keli V’Anvehu”, and one of them is: “E’Aseh Lifanav Bias HaMikdash Na’eh”. When Klal Yisroel said the words “Zeh Keli V’Anvehu”, according to this Medrash, they were speaking abou the Mikdash that would be built centuries later. The Medrash bases this Pshat on the fact that “Ain Naveh Ela Mikdash”, as seen in the Passuk in Tehillim which says “Ki Achal Es Yaakov V’Es Navehu Hishamu”.

It seems, then, that the word Naveh, as used to describe or refer to the Bais Hamikdash is tied to the concept of “Zeh Keli V’Anvehu”. When this term is chosen over others, it is in some way related to the feeling that Klal Yisroel expressed during the Shiras HaYam. How can we understand this?

The Sfar Emes, in a few places in his writings on Pesach, explains that the words “Min HaMetzar Karasi Kah” refer to Yetzias Mitzrayim and the words “Anani Bamerchav Kah” to Shiras HaYam. He explains that Bnei Yisroel knew that it was their Ze’aka, their crying out to Hashem, that allowed them to be taken out from Mitzyrayim and they therefore concluded that they could use the same Koach to become elevated closer to Hashem. The Passuk in Tehillim says “Harchev Picha V’Amalehu” teaches us that this is a reality: if we express a desire to be close to Hashem, it is placed within our reach. Shiras HaYam, explains the Sfas Emes, was a vocal yearning for Kirvas Elokim in this very guise.

This purpose and approach can be seen in the words of the Shira itself. If we think about, he notes, the words “Zeh Keli V’Anvehu” are a “Peleh Gadol”: how can a person think that he is some way capable of beautifying or enhancing HKBH in any way? It was only through the intense longing that Klal Yisroel felt, an unsatiable desire to be close to Hashem, that they even dared utter these words. Once they did, however, Hashem indeed made it possible, in the realm of “Harchev Picha V’Amalehu”.

This idea, continues the Sfas Emes, fits well with the Mechilta which learns that “Zeh keli V’Anvehu” means E’Aseh Lifanav Bias HaMikdash Na’eh. The concept of a Bais HaMikdash is beyond the “Musag Haseichel”: how can we be so brash as to think that Hashem would dwell amongst Basar V’Dam? Only because this desire was expressed so fully and completely was the unthinkable made possible, because of the reality contained in the words “Hachev Picha V’Amalehu”.

Based on this idea, we can explain the words of “Shfoch Chamascha”.

We ask Hashem to bring retribution upon our enemies: “Ki Achal Es Yaakov V’Es Navehu Hishamu”. Through the millennia of this long and bitter Galus, the Umos HaOlam have not only destroyed us physically; they have have weakened our abilities in Ruchnias. The Sfas Emes there notes that Koach of Yaakov is in his Peh, “HaKol Kol Yaakov”—it was this Koach that our enemies devoured, rendering us helpless. “V’Es Navehu Hishamu”, they not only destroyed our beloved Mikdash, but they deadened our ability to say “Zeh Keli V’Anvehu”, our ability to yearn and pine for Kirvas Elokim.

During the Seder we live in the realm of “K’Ilu Hu Atzmo Yatah M’Mitzrayim”. We relive the “Min HaMeytzer Karasi Kah”, we speak about the Nissim V’Niflaos of the Geulah, and we reach a point of “Anani BaMerchav Kah”. We are primed and ready to grow closer to the Borei Olam, to rise above our own petty interests and live for his Ratzon. After the Seudah, the Afikomen is eaten in place of the Korban Pesach—this is the apex of the Seder, when we feel Cheirus and realize just what we are capable of.

It is at this exact moment that we rise, and ask Hahsem once and for all to punish those who have affected us, who have caused us to lose our voice, our Kol Yaakov, who have made it impossible for us to dream, to exclaim “Zeh Keli V’Anvehu”, and to really yearn for the Shechina to dwell in our midst.

We ask Hashem to bring upon them “Chema” and “Af” specifically. Why?

As we know, at the time of the Chet HaEgel Moshe Rabbeinu was still on top of Har Sinai, in the Olamos Elyonim. The Medrash Shochar Tov tells us that at that moment, five Malachei Chavala descended upon him: Af, Chema, Ketzef, Shmad and Mashchis. . Moshe used the Zechus Avos to dispatch with three of them, but two remained: “Af” and “Chema”. At that point Moshe turned to Hashem and said: “Les Ana Yachil L’Meykam B’Tarvayhu Kum At B;Chad V’Ana B’Chad.” Moshe knew that he could not battle both Af and Chema, so he asked Hashem to join him in the fight. This, of course, was a successful venture, and the Malachei Chaval were deterred.

We see that the only way to defeat Af and Chema are by turning to Hashem, through the Koach of Peh. The enemies who were “Achal Es Yaakov” are certainly not capable of such action, and the combination of Af and Chema will be most effective against them.

Once we have finished this Teffila, when we can imagine ourselves in a world without the “Goyim Asher Lo Yoducha” and on the “Mamlachos Asher B’Shimcha Lo Kara’u”, we are ready to finish our recition of Hallel. It is in this penultimate step in the seder that we say the words “Min HaMetzar Karasi Kah Anani BaMerchav Kah.” After the whole Seder, after we experience the Shibud and the Geulah, after we vocalize our desire to defeat those that stifle our voices, and quash our dreams of Kirvas Elokim, we can finally say Hallel, and express our true desires. It is now that we can finally open our mouths and sing, hoping for a Kiyum of the words “Harchev Picha V’Amalehu”. Indeed, the paragraph of Shfoch Chamascha is an appropriate introduction to Hallel, as indicated by the Ba’alei Tosfos. It is the realization contained between its lines that allows us to sing the PEssukim of Hallel with true hope and yearning.

As we open the door for Eliyahu Hanavi, and say the words of Shfoch Chamascha, we must keep in mind that the Geulah is in our hands, and our throats: if we ask for it with true sincerity, the reality of Harchev Picha V’Amalehu can be ours.