BS"D

Rabbi's message for Pesach 5766 (April 2006)

We are coming to the end of the Pesach Holiday.  One would assume that we continue with the same message that we had at the beginning.  G-d showed the fullness of his hand.  Through the wonders and signs that he used, the Pharoh and the Egyptians had to let us go.  He freed our people from oppression and suffering, and the attempted holocaust, both spiritual and physical that was directed at us.  He led us to the receiving of the Torah on Mount Sinai.  He led us then to the Holy Land, where we would build the Temple for Him to dwell in.  This is more than enough reason for us to celebrate the full eight days.

The Shulchan Aruch tell us that we do not say the complete Hallel service during Passover except for the first two days.  The Mishnah Berura explains that the 7th day of the Exodus was the day we crossed the Reed Sea.  This was followed by the drowning of the Egyptian troops in that same Sea.  G-d says that "My creatures are drowning and you want to say praises of joy?" Therefore, we do not say full Hallel on the 7th day.  And because we do not want to make it seem that the 7th day is less holy than the intermediate days, we do not say full Hallel during Chol Hamoed either.

All of this comes after spending so much time on the nights of Seder going into fine detail of how evil the Egyptians and the Pharoh were to us!!  Why shouldn't we rejoice at their full destruction? We know the answer.  That, with the exception of Amalek, it is the evil we want destroyed, and not the evil doers.

The end of Passover comes to make us try to balance the natural reaction that we would have to the beginning of the Holiday.

May we all be merited to partake of the Passover sacrifice in the Temple in Jerusalem next year, with the coming of Moshiach, Amain Kain Yehi Ratzon!!!

Rabbi Joseph D. Krupnik