בס”ד
By Rabbi Moshe Goodman, Kollel Ohr Shlomo, Hebron
This parsha depicts the process of redemption from the ensnarement of evil perpetrated by the Egyptians. Moshe Rabeinu rose to leadership and was chosen by Hashem to take Israel out of Egypt. We should note that Moshe Rabeinu was from the tribe of Levi, who were known to be separated from the rest of the tribes to concentrate on the service of God. Also Moshe Rabeinu grew up in a state apart from his brethren in bondage, and also later fled from Egypt and was a shepherd in barren land. All these matters show us a type of physical, mental and spiritual isolation from the havoc of the world, which allowed Moshe Rabeinu to attach his devotion to Hashem and ultimately come back to his brethren in bondage and save them. This matter can also teach us how to redeem ourselves from the “havoc of life.” We need to form numbers of barriers of isolation from this havoc, turn to God and receive inspiration from God, and then turn back to this havoc and through the inspiration we received before find ways to redeem ourselves and/or others.
In this painting we seem to see many images that depict the forces of evil. For example, we see a snake, a dog, and figures which seem to resemble enemies of Israel, inside what seems to be a minaret of a mosque. The groupings of these figures in the same structure may symbolize organized evil. At the bottom right it seems we see some depiction of the Statue of Liberty, but what seems to be an ironic/satirical context. Perhaps this statue may suggest that this “liberty” may actually be spiritual bondage, associated with the side of evil, detailed in this painting.
Despite all the evil depicted here it seems that we see three figures that represent the power of good. One is a Hasid, seen at the bottom of the painting, playing an instrument which may hint to praising Hashem, thereby awakening the kindness of Hashem upon us. Another is a person with a shofar, the instrument of repentance, seen at the top of the painting. The third is a Hasid engrossed in Torah study with a candle emerging from his head, seen at the center of the painting. This candle seems to be a direct allusion to the teaching of the Zohar, also discussed at length at the end of the Tania (Sefer Beinonim), in which Torah and mitzvoth are likened to oil/fuel for the “candle of the Holy Presence” to dwell upon a person. According to the Kabbalah these three figures may parallel the three Patriarchs of Hebron. Avraham is the father of kindness (hesed), Yitzhak is the father associated with the ram’s horn/shofar at the Akeida and is also associated with repentance (Bina/gevura), and Yakov is the father of Torah study (tiferet). Hebron’s name, in rearranged order, also resembles the name of Mount Sinai mentioned in this parsha – Mount Horeb. “Horeb” meens a barren/desolate place, which strengthens the idea we mentioned here that Moshe Rabeinu’s leadership stemmed from a place of isolation from the havoc of the world in devotion to Hashem. Hebron too is a place to connect to our Godly roots, enter its “Cave of isolation” – similar to Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai – to thus emerge with a vision of redemption, which comes through the merit of our Patriarchs, as mentioned in this parsha to Moshe Rabeinu.