Klal Yisrael are busily preparing for Pesach – cleaning their homes from chametz, and purchasing Pesach products, including matzos and wine for the seder. Let us analyze, at this time, the practice of biur chametz – the burning or disposal of the chametz. Jewish law mandates that one must rid the home of slightest bit of chametz. In contradistinction to other prohibitions, chametz on Pesach does not become nullified, like other foods that can become batel b’shishim or batel b’mei’ah (i.e. a dish is kosher if the prohibited food is less than one-sixtieth or one-hundredth of the entire dish, because the taste is no longer detectable).
Many scholarly discourses have been written on the topic, and even Jews who are not fully observant, try their utmost to remove the chametz from their premises.
R’ Nissim Yagen asks: Why is so much effort and labor expended on this mitzvah? Why is it mandatory to get rid of every trace of chametz no matter how miniscule?
Our sages tell us that chametz represents the yetzer hara. Compromise is not possible when waging war against the yetzer hara. Even a very small amount of chametz has the capacity to become a full-blown predicament.
We find in Nedarim (32a) that one of the reasons the Jewish people were enslaved in Egypt for 210 years is because Avraham Avinu scrutinized the characteristics of Hashem by asking (Bereishit 15:8), “How do I know that I [i.e., the Jewish people] will inherit it [Eretz Yisrael]?”
The Maharal explains that a fundamental principle is being taught here. Avraham Avinu was on an extremely high spiritual level. As we know, his emunah was exceptional. He fearlessly broke all the idols in his father’s possession; he immediately agreed to sacrifice Yitzchak, and arose early in the morning with alacrity to fulfill the will of Hashem; he waged war fearlessly against the enemy. He never questioned Hashem, yet here he did.
In response, Hashem told Avraham, “You will surely know. Your lack of emunah is infinitesimal, and this is a deficit that only I can discern.” Because this flaw was so imperceptible, it was necessary to immediately correct it so that it was not passed down through the generations, in which case it could evolve into complete heresy. Hashem, therefore, had no choice but to bring the Jewish people down to Mitzrayim, punish the Egyptians with the Ten Plagues, free the Jewish people with great miracles – all to grow their emunah.
This is analogous to a botanist who observes a person buying a sapling apple tree. When he sees the roots of the sapling, he advises the purchaser not to plant it. He explains, “The roots of this sapling have some small black spots. When the roots are not healthy the fruit that this sapling will bear will be as bitter as wormwood.”
Hashem told Avraham Avinu: You are the root of the Jewish nation. If there is a “black spot” – a small lack of emunah – then the fruit that you bear will be bitter, that is to say, there will eventually be no emunah at all among the people. By sending the Jewish people into exile, Hashem demonstrated that He creates and guides all creatures, as we say in the daily Ani Maamin.
Since the reason for the servitude was so that the microscopic lack of emunah should not germinate, so too we are scrupulous with the minutest amount of chametz, no matter how insignificant, in order to ensure the complete eradication of the Evil Inclination.
A story is told of a bandit who taught R’ Moshe Leib an important lesson about how to perceive the yesurim of galus.
R’ Moshe Leib often traveled from city to city to collect money for hachnasas kallah. Once, on such a journey, he was accosted by a band of robbers in the forest between two cities. They threateningly circled him and were ready to kill him, when suddenly the chief of the bandits called out. “Wait a minute. This is the great rabbi of Sassov. I will not allow you to harm him.”
The bandit in command had once been a poor man who went around from door to door to support himself. When he came to the marketplace in the city of Brod, he was told that if he goes to the home of R’ Moshe Leib he will be greeted compassionately. R’ Moshe Leib was known to distribute bread and borscht, along with words of comfort and encouragement, to anyone who knocked on his door.
The robber now recalled the kindness of the Rav and accorded him great honor. When he recounted to R’ Moshe Leib that one of the members of their group had learned Torah in his youth, R’ Moshe Leib asked to speak to him. However, when he asked him a question in Gemara he could not answer, nor could the young man answer R’ Moshe Leib’s question in Chumash. Humiliated, the group decided that this young robber deserved a serious lashing, which they began to administer. Deeply troubled by this turn of events, R’ Moshe Leib began to beg for mercy. Eventually they left the young robber alone, but ordered him to escort R’ Moshe Leib to the next town.
As they walked, R’ Moshe Leib engaged the young man in conversation and was successful in persuading him to leave the band of robbers and return to his roots. He was curious, however, to understand how the young man had withstood the heavy blows of his cohorts. The young man answered, “We thieves are accustomed to this punishment. We often hit each other; we get into fights; and sometimes the police beat us in order to get information. Each time I am struck, though, I think to myself, ‘They will not hit me forever. This must be the last strike of the whip.’”
R’ Moshe Leib would often repeat this to the Yidden who came to tell him of their bitter tzarros. He explained that their measure of yesurim may have already been meted out and the next day very possibly might bring the geulah. This way of thinking fortifies us to withstand the tzarros because we know that the day of our geulah will surely come.
Every year before Pesach, I personally reach out to all of our loyal readers and friends of The Jewish Press to help me help others in the community who are in dire financial straits. There are families, individuals, and children who need our encouragement, our support, and our monetary assistance so that they can rejoice on the yom tov of Pesach along with the rest of Klal Yisrael. Please join in this great mitzvah.
I personally administer and distribute the monies from the special Yom Tov Fund I have established directly into the hands of those who are most in need.
In the zechus of your contribution may you merit blessing and success, good health, nachas, happiness and prosperity. You may also include the names of anyone in particular who is in need of shalom bayis, shidduchim, refuah, parnassah, etc. and I will say special prayers on their behalf. May we be worthy, with all of our tefillos, to celebrate a good, healthy and joyous Pesach, and may we see an immediate end to the current situation that plagues the world as well as an immediate return of all the hostages. Amen.
Please send your contribution to Khal Bnei Yitzchok Yom Tov Fund, c/o Rabbi Dovid Goldwasser, 1336 E. 21 Street, Brooklyn, NY 11210. Donations can also be Zelled to 718-954-4343.
