English translation — וארא ג

1.

The fixed

haftorah of a parshah

is "from the subject of the parshah."

And according to the known

that initially the reading of the haftorah was instituted instead of the reading of the parshah

of that Shabbos,

it is understood,

that the haftorah must be "from the subject of the parshah."

One must understand in the haftorah of the present parshah — Va'eira: the haftorah

includes two subjects

(prophecies to Yechezkel)

a)

The prophecy "against Pharaoh king of Egypt ..

and against all Egypt"⁷

— that the

Almighty will make the land of Egypt desolate

(so much so that even after "I will bring back the captivity of Egypt" it will be a "lowly kingdom"⁸),

and through this — "and all the inhabitants of Egypt shall know that I am the Lord"⁹.

b)

The prophecy about Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon¹⁰,

that because he had conquered Tyre, the Almighty would give him "wages for his work"¹¹

— "the land of Egypt and he shall carry off its multitude, etc."¹².

Is not smooth: Granted, the first prophecy is "from the subject of the portion" — in Parshas Va'eira it speaks about the plagues that the Almighty brought upon Egypt,

through which "the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord"¹³

; but the second prophecy¹⁴,

is indeed its content that one will give reward to Nebuchadnezzar for his conquering Tyre¹⁵?

And although his reward was

(as above)

that they gave him the land of Egypt — is

(a)

this is only a detail and a secondary matter

furthermore,

the giving of Egypt into his hand is not "from the subject of the portion",

because in the portion it is not spoken about giving Egypt to others.

(b)

b.

The explanation in this¹⁶

The inner explanation of “the matter of the portion” is not

(only)

that the subject discussed in the haftarah must be similar to the subject discussed in the Torah portion,

but

(mainly)

that the Torah <b>and instruction</b> that one must take out from the haftarah,

must be <b>akin to</b> the Torah <b>and instruction</b> that is brought out in the Torah portion.

And it can be said that every portion in the Torah

(from the word instruction¹⁷)

indeed contains an instruction,

the haftarah — <b>Prophets</b>,

where the matters of the Torah become more detailed and explained¹⁸

— brings out the instruction more revealed and in detail¹⁹.

And this is also the explanation in the matter before us: that which also the second prophecy was established as a part of the haftarah,

is because the <b>lesson</b> from this,

that Nebuchadnezzar received specifically the land of Egypt as a reward for conquering

Tyre,

is

(not a separate lesson in itself,

but)

a detail and consequence of the general lesson of the downfall of Egypt

(which is related at the beginning of the haftarah — akin to the parshah).

3.

Parshas Va'eira comes in continuation to the conclusion of Parshas Shemos,

where it is related²⁰

about the complaint of the Jews to Moshe and Aharon,

that through their being by Pharaoh king of Egypt the difficulty of the servitude became even worse than before

(and Moshe conveyed the complaint to the Almighty).

And to this the Almighty's answer is

(at the beginning of our parshah²¹)

— "And also I have heard the groaning of Bnei Yisrael etc. and I will remember My covenant ..

And I will take out etc. and I will rescue etc. and I will redeem etc. and I will take etc. and I will bring you etc.",

and afterwards the ten plagues began,

as related in the continuation of the parshah.

Is seemingly not understood: how is the claim answered,

that Moses and Aaron brought about a situation of "&lt;b&gt;evil &lt;/b&gt;to this people"&lt;sup&gt;22&lt;/sup&gt;

The "I have heard the groaning of the children of Israel, etc.

(and therefore)

and I will remember My covenant ..

and I will bring out, etc.” could have been earlier,

And on the contrary, it &lt;b&gt;should have &lt;/b&gt;been earlier — &lt;b&gt;immediately &lt;/b&gt;when it was "And God heard*&lt;sup&gt;22&lt;/sup&gt;

their groaning, and God remembered His covenant" — when Moses was still in Midian

And it would not have been at all "Let the service be heavier&lt;sup&gt;23&lt;/sup&gt;

upon them”&lt;sup&gt;24&lt;/sup&gt;.

From this itself it is proven,

that the completeness of "And I remembered etc. And I took out etc." could be fulfilled only after the Bnei Yisrael had gone through the entire <b>difficulty</b> of the servitude,

until in a manner of "the work was heavy".

4.

One of the explanations of this:

The exile of Egypt was the preparation and preface to the giving of the Torah²⁵.

Among the matters that the giving of the Torah revealed is the revelation of <b>mitzvah</b> — from the term connection and union²⁶

— fulfillment of the commandments only for this²⁷

that they are <b>the will of Hashem</b>,

that through following the command of the Most High, the connection and union of the person who performs [them] is created with,

as it were,

the Holy One, blessed be He, who commands the commandments.

And this is not only regarding the commandments in the category of chukim,

which have no reason, and consequently there is no place that in the fulfillment of the commandment his own understanding or emotion, his own self, should interfere,

but also — mishpatim,

which "had they not been written, they would be worthy of being said"²⁸,

one must fulfill

(not because one's own intellect obligates them,

but)

because thus the Most High <b>decreed</b>.

And likewise in the study of Torah: although the content and intellect of the Torah is understood and &lt;b&gt;encompassed &lt;/b&gt;and &lt;b&gt;grasped &lt;/b&gt;in the human intellect²⁹,

this is nevertheless not a matter of human intellect, heaven forbid,

but it is &lt;b&gt;the Torah of God&lt;/b&gt;,

His wisdom, blessed be He, which is above the category of created beings; rather, "it descended and came down"³⁰

below,

until even the intellect of the created being can comprehend it.

the self-nullification to the Giver of the Torah³²,

because specifically through this self-nullification can the created intellect have a true grasp of the Torah

(as it is)

the wisdom of the Holy One, blessed be He³³].

And therefore,

in order that Jews should be ready for the receiving of the Torah,

to be “vessels” also for “taking” Torah and commandments,

they had to first go through the sufferings of exile

(Egypt),

until also the <b>difficulty</b> of the bondage,

which the sufferings effected in Jews the nullification of their existence;

As one sees tangibly,

that when someone has sufferings may G-d forbid he becomes broken in himself,

until he loses his selfhood and existence.

And the self-nullification was the vessel for the giving of the Torah³⁴.

D.

Just as it had to be

(as a preparation for the Giving of the Torah)

the self-nullification among <b>Jews</b>,

so too did this need to be manifested in the <b>world</b> — and this is the matter of the plagues of Egypt*³⁴

and the downfall of Pharaoh

king of Egypt and the ruler of the dome

of the entire world:

The kelipah of Pharaoh is — the strength of selfhood,

as he said

"Who is the Lord that I should listen to His voice",

and as it is further interpreted in the haftarah

— "Pharaoh king of Egypt etc. who said to me, 'My river is mine, and I have made myself.'"

Pharaoh king of Egypt is the opponent to the Giving of the Torah

(which is connected specifically with &lt;b&gt;nullification&lt;/b&gt; of the existence of man,

as above)

; and through that which the exile and servitude of Egypt brought about the matter of nullification among Jews — came,

it brought the downfall and breaking of the strength of the selfhood of the world,

the nullification of the husk of Pharaoh

(and his dominion — ruler in the dome)

and his selfhood through the plagues

(as related at the end of the portion&lt;sup&gt;38&lt;/sup&gt;

that Pharaoh admitted "The Lord is righteous, and I and my people are the wicked").

6.

The matter — that the husk of

(Pharaoh king of)

Egypt is the opponent to the Giving of the Torah — becomes clearer brought out in the haftarah

(and as above,

that the haftarah is more detailed and explains the lesson of the portion)

On the downfall of Egypt, in the haftarah two reasons are explained and in juxtaposition

(and in the continuation)

to each other: first it says³⁹

that the downfall will come "Because they made a staff of reed to the house of Israel" — because "the house of Israel" relied on the promised help of the Egyptians

— and they did not keep the promise; and immediately afterwards⁴⁰

the verse continues "Therefore thus says the Lord, behold I bring upon you a sword, etc.

(and it concludes⁴¹)

Because the Nile said, 'Mine is the Nile, and I made myself'" — that the destruction and downfall of Egypt is because of Pharaoh's saying "Mine is the Nile, and I made myself."

At first glance, these two reasons are two separate matters — and yet the prophet binds them in one juxtaposition and continuation,

as above — is from this understood,

that the two evils of Egypt,

one is a result of the other,

as follows.

7.

It has been spoken several times⁴²

about this,

that also ordinances must be fulfilled because thus the Almighty <b>decreed</b>⁴³

(And alluded to in this,

that the Ten Commandments include also such simple commandments as "You shall not murder" etc. — because also the fulfillment of <b>the </b>simple commandments must be because of that which "I am the Lord your God")

And likewise in our matter

(in the haftarah)

: that which Egypt⁴⁴

became a "staff of reed to the house of Israel" — <b>contrary to </b>their promise — the reason for this is —

When his selfhood⁴⁵,

his saying "The river is mine and I made it."

Also in the haftarah the point is "from the matter of the portion" and it brings out more revealed the "subject of the portion":

Regarding the ten plagues, we find in the Torah two reasons: a)

as above,

to effect the "and Egypt shall know that I am the Lord".

b)

as it is stated in the portion of Lech⁴⁶

— "and also the nation whom they will serve I will judge" — a punishment for "and they will oppress them and afflict them"⁴⁷.

We learn from the haftarah,

that the two reasons are dependent on each other: that which Pharaoh denied the existence of the Almighty

(as he argued "I do not know the Lord"³⁶),

was the cause that led him to enslave and torment the Jews in the worst possible manner,

which has no place even from the perspective of the nature of humanity.

8.

This matter,

that one must fulfill the commandments because they are <b>commands</b> from the Most High,

leads to another conclusion,

that <b>the deed</b> is the main thing⁴⁸

The fulfillment of the commandments

before the Giving of the Torah is a matter of service in the power of <b>the created beings</b>⁴⁹,

and even to their source — the source of the created beings,

Divinity as it is <b>clothed</b> in creation and in the order of the chain of descent,

each world in itself, and consequently also

(the essence)

of spirituality and

(the essence)

of physicality — each one in itself.

Every mitzvah

(which in its essence — is G‑dliness and spirituality)

has in itself a unique content that brings a refinement and elevation in spirituality

(— in the world,

<![CDATA[<b>in the intellect and emotion of man</b>).]]>

And in this consisted the service of the mitzvos

(of the Patriarchs)

(of the Patriarchs)

— in the spirituality of the soul of man,

in the world and until — to be a chariot*⁴⁹

and Atzilus — a world that is entirely spirituality⁵⁰.

(by the Patriarchs)

<![CDATA[<b>the doing of </b>the mitzvos — the doing was secondary and an expression of that spiritual content⁵¹,]]>

therefore then the physical performance of the mitzvos was not so precise in all the particular details as the fulfillment of the mitzvos after the Giving of the Torah⁵²].

But not so after the Giving of the Torah, the fulfillment of the commandments is in the power of &lt;b&gt;the Creator&lt;/b&gt;,

which is above the distinction between spirituality and physicality,

and with this power a Jew can fulfill them in this manner,

because he does them because they are &lt;b&gt;commandments of G‑d&lt;/b&gt;&lt;sup&gt;53&lt;/sup&gt;

; and consequently the main thing is in this

(not so much the intention of the commandments,

which in &lt;b&gt;this &lt;/b&gt;is each one according to his &lt;b&gt;measure&lt;/b&gt;,

but rather)

&lt;b&gt;the actual performance of the commandments&lt;/b&gt;,

which &lt;b&gt;this &lt;/b&gt;creates the togetherness and connection with the Commander of the commandments.

(And furthermore: the will

(essential)

in the commandments is without concealment and garment in "physical things in practical commandments"

(which are not "in the category of garment and vessel at all")

; but not so spiritual things which are in the category of garment "in the aspect of vessel",

in them cannot stand the will

(essential)

above in revelation*&lt;sup&gt;53&lt;/sup&gt;

which is higher than vessels and the limit of created beings&lt;sup&gt;54&lt;/sup&gt;).

9.

Based on this, the connection in the content of the prophecy about Nebuchadnezzar's reward with the first prophecy in the haftarah about the downfall of Egypt will be understood:

In the prophecy,

which speaks about the payment of reward to Nebuchadnezzar for conquering Tyre,

it is seemingly not understood:

In the conquest of Tyre, Nebuchadnezzar was not intent on fulfilling the will of the Most High

but he did this for the sake of <b>himself</b>: he generally wanted to conquer the whole world⁵⁵,

become a ruler over the entire globe; and especially in conquering Tyre,

which is located

(a)

on the seacoast⁵⁶,

and perhaps

(b)

on the road that leads to Egypt or — which was a danger for his going to fight against Egypt⁵⁷

(which he wanted to conquer)

— now why does he deserve reward for this?

So the verse⁵⁸

is precise — “<b>his work </b>which he performed with it”: here the thoughts and intentions are not so relevant,

but “<b>his work</b>” — his actual deed⁵⁹

; and since the will of God was <b>actually </b>carried out through <b>him</b> — even though if he had not done it,

the will of God

(that Tyre should be captured),

(that Tyre should be captured)

would have been carried out anyway through another — he receives reward for this.

Yud.

From this there is also a lesson in the service of G-d:

When a Jew received a favor from another,

he should not make for himself the calculation,

that the other did not intend to do a favor <b>to me</b>,

rather he had in this an <b>own</b> interest; or,

that the other is by nature a benevolent person,

and consequently no thanks is due to him for the favor,

since the other is as if compelled to do this due to his nature.

The haftarah teaches,

that even Nebuchadnezzar,

who <b>certainly</b> meant himself,

the Almighty gave him reward for that which was "his <b>deed</b> which he <b>performed</b> in it"; and all the more so when a Jew does a good deed⁶⁰,

which it is plausible to say that he did it not only in a manner of "his deed" alone,

but

being <b>by nature</b> bestowers of kindness and merciful ones⁶¹

indeed also with the heart.

11.

This also gives a taste and additional intellectual explanation⁶²

on the word of the Baal Shem Tov⁶³

that one must love every Jew,

even the one who is at the ends of the earth and he has never seen him:

Every Jew,

in whatever state he may be,

has done so many good deeds

(as our Sages, of blessed memory, said⁶⁴

"full of mitzvos like a pomegranate").

And since that <b>every </b>good deed

(and even a good thought)

has an effect

On the entire world — in the language of the Rambam⁶⁵

: he tipped himself and the entire whole world to the scale of merit and brought about for him and them salvation and rescue — it turns out,

that <b>every</b> Jew receives "salvation and rescue" from <b>each and every one</b> of Israel.

And even though that one did not thereby think about the benefit that will come out of this for another,

and all the more so another who is located at the ends of the earth whom he has never seen,

Nevertheless,

Since one has <b>actually</b> received from another a favor — it is “<b>his action</b> which he performed with it” — one must be a grateful person,

to the extent of having a feeling of love for every Jew in a manner of “Love your fellow as yourself”⁶⁶.

(From the sicha of Shabbos Parshas Va’eira 5727)