בס”ד
By Rabbi Moshe Goodman, Kollel Ohr Shlomo, Hebron
This painting depicts the four terms of redemption mentioned in this parsha, which also correspond to the four cups of wine we drink on Seder Night. At the center of the painting we see a pyramid with Pharaoh along with an idol of a ram, known to be worshiped by the Egyptians, along with other Egyptian figures/motifs. Next to the Pyramid we clearly see the Egyptians drowning in the Red Sea.
We also see a brick wall with bloody figures inside it. This seems to depict our Sages’ teaching that Jewish children were killed and buried in the bricks that Jews were forced to make and build together. They also teach that this matter was also a trigger towards Hashem’s compassion upon Israel to save them in the Exodus. In fact, this bloody red seems to be a theme in this painting, for we see the bloody Nile with a crocodile at the bottom of the painting [apparently depicting Pharaoh, who is compared to a crocodile in Scripture, and the plague of blood], and we also see the red cups of wine. The Arizal makes a connection between the blood spilled by the Egyptians and the blood of life associated with the process of birth and redemption of Israel. He explains that there was a spiritual ” blood of life” that was meant for the prosperity of Israel, but when Israel were in Exile in Egypt, this “blood” was taken by the Egyptians instead of reaching Israel, and this is what resulted in the spilling of the blood of Israel. When Israel were redeemed this “blood of life” returned to be internalized by Israel. Similarly, we may say that the red goblets of wine represent this redemption, and therefore they so much resemble the red “blood of life.” Speaking of blood, we also see the three matters “blood, fire, and pillars of smoke,” mentioned in the Pesach Hagadah as being part of this redemption.
We also see the three holy siblings here, Moshe, holding a matza, Aharon wearing the priestly breastplate, and Miriam. It could be that specifically Moshe is holding the matza, since Moshe’s name means to draw out, and matza can also mean to draw out blood [“mitzui hadam”], and Moshe was ultimately the one that was sent to “draw” the “blood of life,” i.e the souls, of Israel out of the seizure of the Egyptians.
We see seven lights ascending adjacent to seven Hasidim riding eagles. The eagles are a clear allusion to the verse “and I took you upon the wings of eagles and brought you to Me [Hashem, through redemption from Egypt].” The parallelism of these two matters through the number seven and their juxtaposition in the painting seems to suggest the double redemption that occurred in the Exodus, both the redemption of the soul hinted to by the seven lights for “the light of Hashem is the soul of man,” and also the more “physical” redemption hinted to by bodily figures riding eagles. This “riding” seems to be paralleled to the riding of Mashiach on a white donkey at the top of the painting. By such, the first redemption from Egypt is tied to the final redemption of Mashiach. Not only this, but also Hebron is tied with the future redemption according to the Tikunei Zohar (tikun 13 “nigun”), and Hebron as well is tied to the number seven and the Exodus, as hinted by the verse “and Hebron was built seven years before Zoan Egypt,” where Zoan can mean “moving of” (see Isaiah 33, 20).