In the Haggada we relate Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryah’s teaching: "Behold, I am like a seventy-year-old man, yet I could not convince others to recite the Exodus from Egypt at night, until Ben Zoma derived it."
Like most of the excerpts that make up our Haggada, this one has its source in the teachings of the sages of the Mishna. It appears in Tractate Berakhot (Mishna 1:5):
One must mention the Exodus from Egypt at night. Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryah said: "Behold, I am like a seventy-year-old man, yet I was never privileged to prevail and prove that there is a biblical obligation to have the Exodus from Egypt recited at night, until Ben Zoma interpreted it homiletically." For Ben Zoma taught, "It says (Deut. 16:3), 'In order that you may remember the day when you left Egypt for all the days of your life.'" "Now, 'days of your life' means the days; 'All the days of your life' includes also the nights." But the Sages say: "Days of your life" means the present world; "All the days of your life" includes also the era of the Messiah.
This Mishna is not discussing the recitation of the Haggada on Seder night. It is dealing with the question whether the third paragraph of the Shema prayer should be included at night. That is the paragraph teaches the commandment to wear tzitzit, and – as is clear from that text – the commandment to wear tzitzit is dependent on seeing the tzitzit: “…look at it and recall all the commandments of the LORD and observe them…” (Numbers 15:39). In the darkness of night, tzitzit cannot be seen, so there is no obligation to wear them, suggesting that there is no need to recite that paragraph at night. From the Mishna in Berakhot it appears that Ben Zoma’s homily, which is based on verses in the book of Deuteronomy discussing Passover,[1] totally changed our understanding of the structure of the Shema as it is recited at night.
When the disagreement between Ben Zoma and the Sages appears in the Tosefta, we find additional dialogue. The Sages offer the homiletical teaching that the word “all” does not come to obligate mentioning the Exodus at night, rather it obligates its recitation in the era of the Messiah. Ben Zoma responds that there is no logical reason to think we will be obligated to continue discussing the Exodus from Egypt in Messianic times, since the ultimate redemption will dwarf that of the previous exodus story. The Sages, however, insist that the Exodus from Egypt will remain a significant – albeit secondary – item in the annals of Jewish history, serving an essential role in the historical path towards the ultimate redemption:
They said to him: This does not mean that in the future the Exodus from Egypt will be uprooted from its place, rather redemption from the subjugations of the kingdoms will be primary and the Exodus from Egypt will be secondary (Tosefta, Berakhot 1:10).
To support their position, the Sages point to a parallel situation regarding an individual redemption. The patriarch Jacob becomes Israel, but his original name is not erased entirely. It is interesting to note that the verse brought by the Sages to prove their point appears to undermine their argument, saying “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob” (Genesis 35:10). Perhaps they understand that he will no longer be called by that name, nevertheless the name remains in use in other contexts.
As the teaching appears in the Tosefta, Ben Zoma is called upon to prove that the reading of the Sages is illogical. We find no discussion, however, of Ben Zoma’s position. Were it not for the fact that Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryah celebrates his teaching (“I was never privileged!”), we might have missed how radical a teaching it was. With Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryah’s perspective in mind, let us reexamine the homiletical interpretation offered by Ben Zoma.
Ben Zoma reads the third paragraph of the Shema from it end, emphasizing the reason for the commandment of tzitzit, which is “I am the LORD your God Who delivered you from the Land of Egypt.” He believes that this is the crucial element of the commandment, even more than the physical act of wearing tzitzit. While the Sages believed that one needs to see the tzitzit in order to remember the Exodus, Ben Zoma believes that we can make use of other senses – speech, thought and imagination – to inspire and create memory. Ben Zoma moves us from the physical realm to virtual reality, from daytime to nighttime, to the foundation of the day, to its very beginning.
The Jerusalem Talmud, which indicates that even generations later Ben Zoma’s teaching was not fully accepted as law (TJ Berakhot 1:5. See also Mishnah Berakhot 2:2) gives us a sense of the power of this new idea and the change in perception that it required.
Hassidic thinkers made extensive use of revolutionary concepts in the realm of Jewish law – as, in our case, a ruling about the recitation of the Shema – to develop new approaches regarding abstract ideas. As such, Ben Zoma’s homiletic teaching served as a fertile source for a number of general principles.
The possibility of making use of one’s imagination in order to understand the Exodus even during time of gloom and darkness, served as formula for grappling with questions of faith, especially in times of national exile or personal distress.
The Ba’al Shem Tov described the novelty of Ben Zoma’s teaching as follows: "Until Ben Zoma interpreted. For that interpretation breaks apart the kellipot (the "husks" or "shells" imprisoning the sparks of divine light)." His view is that Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryah emphasizes that it was an interpretation, for interpretive powers have the ability to overcome the simple, logical meaning of the verse. Rather than proving one concept from another, the interpretation broadens the limiting framework of the words themselves. Only by looking at the text from a new perspective can the homiletical interpretation be created, just as we often deal with challenging situations by noting their humorous side or by use of cynicism (Ba’al Shem Tov, Parashat Noah). The Ba’al Shem Tov comments that the Exodus from Egypt itself was an expression of the nukva (the feminine side of the divine), so God was perceived by the people by means of feelings and intuition. Only at the time of the ultimate redemption will God reveal Himself on the level of “But your eyes will behold your Teacher” (Isaiah 30:20). We can derive that God can be perceived by other means – like cognizance and internal focus – and not only by sight from the Exodus itself (Ba’al Shem Tov, Parashat Shemot).
In Ohr Ha-Me’ir, the commentary of the Hassidic Master, Ze’ev Wolf of Zhitomir (a student of the Maggid of Mezhirech), we find that the teachings of Ben Zoma and the Sages mean to instruct us to avoid making divisions within our lives regarding these matters. Just as we do not distinguish between day and night, we make no distinction between the ultimate redemption and the current one.
This is to teach and make us understand that it is all one idea without division; this is what a person is obligated to do “all the days of his life” in this world. The Sages say that “the days of your life” refer to this world, while “all the days of your life” refers to the era of the Messiah. The intelligent reader understands that the Sages come to interpret Ben Zoma’s teaching, for they are all in agreement. All the days in this world a man is obligated to study, to teach and to clarify how the two redemptions are one, and how the Exodus from Egypt leads to the ultimate redemption. That is what the Sages mean when they say "All the days of your life" includes also the era of the Messiah. For one who separates between the two will not merit to see the ultimate redemption in the days of the Messiah (Heaven forfend).
Indeed, it appears that the homiletical interpretations offered by Ben Zoma and the Sages weave together a narrative, teaching us how to grapple with our challenges, and how we, as a nation, can deal with situations of adversity.
Even so, there does seem to be a basic difference between the two positions.
The Sages suggest that a person can wait for the ultimate redemption, recognizing that he is now in an early stage of a long and complicated process, and accepting that things will become clear with time. Ben Zoma offers an alternative approach. Rather than waiting for the ongoing process to unfold, he suggests an inward focus on the very root of the matter. Every day is based on the night that precedes it – not only chronologically, but also because it is the opportunity for souls to return to their source and to gain strength from a return to their roots. It is here, in the deep, dark, hidden essence that certainty can be found. After a person succeeds in shedding the “husks” – the kelippot – that he has collected over the years, he will have the ability to return to his core essence and to identify his next move and the next husk with which he will clothe himself. When one succeeds in focusing on the depths of his awareness, he can clearly identify the correct direction for the future. He will be able to succeed in understanding the previous decisions that he had made in life and learn from them. Based on this knowledge and certainty, he develops the ability to cope, and can look forward to the light on the horizon. The process of focusing inwards instead of looking outwards and forwards requires the power of interpretation and imagination. On this night, which is neither day nor night, each of us is invited to draw from his personal sources of salvation, and to recognize daylight in the midst of the dark of night.
Looking forward to the soon-to-come day that is neither day nor night – Blessings for a happy and kosher Pesach!
[1] Observe the month of Abib and offer a Passover sacrifice to the LORD your God, for it was in the month of Abib, at night, that the LORD your God freed you from Egypt. You shall slaughter the Passover sacrifice for the LORD your God, from the flock and the herd, in the place where the LORD will choose to establish His name. You shall not eat anything leavened with it; for seven days thereafter you shall eat unleavened bread, bread of distress—for you departed from the land of Egypt hurriedly—so that you may remember the day of your departure from the land of Egypt all the days of your life.