Justice for All

As we know, Chazal made the Takanos of the Haftorah so that the portion of Navi read each week would in some way reflect the Parshas HaShavuah. In some cases the connection between the Haftorah and the Sedra is not that clear, and closer examination is needed. Even when we can clearly identify the connection between the two, however, we must consider each of the Pessukim included in the Takana, for a deeper meaning may be present.

The Haftorah for Parshas Va’Era is taken from Sefer Yechezkel, and it seems to be immediately clear how these Pessukim are connected to the Parsha. The Navi tells us that Hashem spoke to him in the tenth year after Galus Yehoyachin and gave him clear instructions: “Sim Panecha Al Pharaoh Melech Mitzrayim V’Hinabeh Alav V’Al Mitzrayim Kula”. Pharaoh had goaded the Malchus of Yehuda into ignoring the taxes owed to Bavel, with the promise of military assistance if Nevuchadnetzar attacked, but when that eventuality arrived no help was forthcoming. These events led to the Churban, which Pharaoh and Mitzrayim now had a role in, and Yechezkel was told to inform Pharaoh of the impending punishment for his actions.

The similarities to the Sedra are quite clear. Parshas Va’Era speaks at length about the interactions between Moshe Rabbeinu and Pharoah, a theme which is prevalent in the Haftorah. In addition, the looming punishments described by the Navi resemble the Makos discussed in the Parsha, with the Ye’or featured prominently. Even the goal of these punishments mirrors the goal of the Makos: in both cases Hashem says “V’Yedu Ki Ani Hashem”, promising that the Nissim will bring about Yedias Hashem on the part of Mitzrayim. Clearly these Pessukim are an appropriate Haftorah for Parshas Va’Era.

If the Pessukim regarding Mitzrayim were the only ones included in the Haftorah it would be quite understandable, but they are not. Instead, we begin by Leining the last two Pessukim of the previous Perek, which do not seem connected to the Parsha—at least at the outset.

The two opening Pessukim are a short Nevuah that discusses the time of L’Asid Lavo. The Navi tells us that Hashem promises that there will be a time “B’Kabtzi Es Bais Yisroel Min HaAmim” and we will live “Al Admasam Asher Nasati L’Avdi.” Hashem promises that at that time we will live in Eretz Yisroel “Lavetach”, with security, building houses and planting vineyards on our ancestral land.

There are two questions to be asked with regard to these Pessukim, one general and one more specific.

First, in the broad sense, why are these Pessukim included in this Haftorah? The remainder of the Pessukim speak about Mitzrayim and are therefore clearly connected to the Sedra—why are we told to Lein these Pessukim as well? What is their connection to the rest of the Haftorah?

Second, and more specifically, the final words of this short Nevuah required explanation. After speaking about the houses and vineyards that will be build B’Asid Lavo, the Navi tells us: “V’Yashvu LaVetach B’Asosi Shefatim B’Chol HaShatim Osam Misivivosam”. Klal Yisroel, promises Hashem, will live securely in Eretz Yisroel, when justice is meted out onto the “Shatim” who surround them. Rashi earlier in the Perek defines “Shatim” as “Bozizim”, those who embarrass Bnei Yisroel.

In one sense these words seem logical—once the enemies of Klal Yisroel have been dealt with, we will be able to live peacefully upon our land. Why, then, do these words appear at the end of the Passuk? Would they not be better placed before the promise of “V’Yashvu LaVetach”, so as to say that the Shefatim done to our detractors will enable us to live in peace, and not visa versa?

Perhaps these two questions are in fact complimentary: maybe there is a way to explain the words “B’Asosi Shefatim B’Chol HaShatim Osam” such that the intent of Chazal becomes clear. The truth is that while “Shatim” is the most unfamiliar word in the Passuk, the term “Shefatim” is noteworthy as well. This word is obviously related to “Mishpat” and means that Hashem will exact justice in the manner of “Mishpat” upon our enemies, but the form of the word, “Shefatim” seems to have its own implication. In fact we find this exact word in our Sedra, in something of a similar context.

At the very beginning of the Parsha, Hashem tells Moshe to speak to Bnei Yisroel and inform them of the coming Geulah: “V’Hotzasi Eschem M’Tachas Sivlos Mitzrayim V’Hitzalti Eschem M’Avodasam V’Goalti Eschem B’Zroach Netuya U’Vishfatim Gedolim”. Hashem promises to take Bnei Yisroel out of Mitzrayim with a “Zroah Netuya” as well as “Shfatim Gedolim”. Although it is not clear from this Passuk which part of Yetizas Mitzrayim is defined as “Shfatim”, the word recurs in a way that can perhaps help us with its definition.

In Parshas Bo, when Hashem tells Moshe about Makas Bechoros the Passuk tells us: “V’Hikesi Kol Bechor B’Eretz Mitzrayim…U’Vichol Elohei Mitzrayim E’esa Shefatim”. Similarly, in Parshas Matos, when summarizing Yetzias Mitzrayim, the Passuk says “U’Vieloheihem Asah Hashem Shefatim”. It seems clear that the word “Shefatim” refers to the way in which Hashem dealt with the Elohei Mitzrayim. Perhaps we can define and understand this word based on that notion.

The Gemarah in Meseches Sukkah, based on the words “U’Vichol Elohei Mitzrayim E’esa Shefatim”, tells us : “Ain Lecha Kol Uma V’Uma Shelokeh Sh’ain Eloheha Lokeh Ima”, when a particular nation is stricken, its gods are also affected. This of course fits well with our understanding of the word “Shefatim”, but it is not clear in what sense this occurs.

Rashi, in Parshas Bo, explains the words “U’Vichol Elohei Mitzrayim” as follows: “Shel Etz Nirkeves V’Shel Mateches Nimeses”. This approach supposes that there was a physical destruction of the idols and totems that the Mitzriyim worshipped: those made of wood rotted, and those made of metal melted. Based on this we would understand the Gemarah in Sukka to be taken very literally: when a nation is physically destroyed its gods are as well.

Ramban and Sforno take a different approach, perhaps best summed up in the words of the latter: “Ashpil Sarei Ma’alah HaManhigim Osam Attah”. The Elohei Mitzrayim affected by the Shfatim were not the physical reprsentations of false gods, but the Sarei Malah, the representatives of Mitzrayim in the Olam HaRuchani. In a similar vein, Ramban refers to the Mazalos and Sarei Mazalos—forces which control and influence the fate of every nation. This Pshat in the words “U’Vichol Elohei Mitzrayim” answers some questions—such as why the physical idols would be called out for destruction among all other possessions—and seems to elevate the meaning of the Gemarah in Sukkah. “Ain Lecha Kol Uma V’Uma Shelokeh Sh’ain Eloheha Lokeh Ima”—when a nation is destroyed as Mitzrayim was, the destruction bridges worlds, affecting the physical as well as the spiritual.

Ramban, in discussing this idea, points out that at the time of Yetizas Mitzrayim itself, as described in Parshas Bo, the “Shefatim B’Elohehem” are not mentioned, which would seem to indicate that these perhaps took place at a later time. Why would this be the case? In the Pessukim leading up to the Geulah the Shefatim are always mentioned alongside the other punishments, why in practice did they come after?

R’ Avrohom Azulai, a grandfather of the Chid”a, in his Sefer Ba’alei Bris Avrohom explains that Klal Yisroel was Meshubad to Mitzrayim on two levels: Gashmius and Ruchnias. The physical destruction of Mitzrayim would have been enough to release them from the physical Shibud, but their spiritual connection and confinement would have endured. Therefore, Hashem had to destroy the Sar of Mitzrayim in the Elyonim, so that Bnei Yisroel would be released from their connection on the Ruchnias level as well. It is for this reason, he concludes, that the Passuk says “V’Goalti Eschem B’Zroach Netuya U’Vishfatim Gedolim”, and only afterward “V’Lakachti Li L’Am”. We could not have become the Am Hashem had not the ties that bound us to Mitzrayim in the Olam Haruchani been severed. We now understand why the Shefatim done to the Elohei Mitzrayim are not mentioned in the description of Yetzias Mitzrayim—they happened on a different plain, and at a different time, but they were the final step of the Geulah. It was only once the Saro Shel Mitzrayim had met its destruction that we were able to move towards the ultimate goal of “V’Lakachti Li L’Am”.

With this in mind, let us turn back to the Passuk in our Haftorah.

As we have seen, the words “Shfatim Gedolim”, in the case of Yetzias Mitzrayim, refer to the destruction of the Shibud Ruchani that existed in Mitzrayim. We can apply the same understanding to the word “Shefatim” in our Pessukim as well.

Hashem tells us that, when the Day finally arrives, we will be free to live upon our land “Lavetach” in peace and solitude. This refers to our lack of physical Shibud: we will be freed from our physical galus and allowed to dwell undisturbed in our own land. This reality, however, will not mark the completion of the Geulah, there is one more step.

B’Asosi Shefatim B’Chol HaShatim Osam Misivivosam, when Hashem carries out Shefatim, taking action against the Ruchniasdik representations of our enemies, the ultimate source of our Bizayon, the Geulah will be complete and, as the Nevuah concludes “VeYedu Ki Ani Hashem Elokeihem”. The reaffirmation of our place as the Am HaNivchar, with utmost clarity, on the level of Yediah, will come when we can finally shrug off the yolk of Shibud Malchios in the realms both of Gashmiyos and Ruchnios.

We can now see how these two Pessukim are tied to our Parsha. In this short Nevuah we are assured that the Geulah we await will mirror that of Geulas Mitzrayim. We will no longer be “Avdei Pharaoh” as we are witness to the Shefatim done B’Chol HaShatim, to both our physical and spiritual enemies. When that day comes we will once find ourselves in a situation of “V’Lakachti Li L’Am”, rejoicing as we take our place in the “Al Admasam Asher Nasati L’Avdi”