Rabbi Benjamin YudinBitter, Not Bad

Parshat Shmot not only introduces us to the Egyptian galut but provides important insight into future galuyot and the redemption therefrom. When the Torah informs us, "vehasne einenu ukal," it means that not only were Benei Yisrael not consumed by Mitzrayim, but that similarly future foes will not be successful in the eradication of the Jewish nation.

I believe that the fact that Moshe is raised by Bat Paroh in Paroh's very home, under his nose, shows not only incredible hashgacha but a kind of Divine irony. From the "bad" "good" emerges. This is what we recite at the Pesach Seder: "Hakadosh Baruch Hu matzileinu miyadam" - that Hashem saves us "from the hands", literally from within their hands.

Historically, this happened when Hitler, yimach shemo, evicted Jewish scientists from Germany, including Albert Einstein. They were literally in his hands, willing to work for Germany.

In 1998, in Kiev, I personally experienced a group of college age students who explained how they came to yahadut. They related that upon completion of High School, with honors, they were denied admission to university because they were Jewish. This incident caused them to investigate what it meant to be a Jew. The very government that sought to strip them of their religion, caused them to turn to their religion due to discrimination.

What is true in the overall course of history also applies to the individual. For individuals experiencing hashgacha, setbacks or sickness, G-d forbid, it is often difficult to envision that the experience is all part of a Divine plan from which good will come. The Chafetz Chaim zt"l says that the response at such a time is, "meg zagin az iz bitter," one is permitted to say, "it is bitter." However, "min tor nit zagin az iz shlect," one is not permitted to say, "it is bad.".

Moshe, at the end of the parshah does say, "it is bad." In the penultimate pasuk he says, "umeaz bati el paroh ledaber bishmecha heira laam hazeh," -"From the time that I have come to Pharoh to speak in your name is has become bad for this nation." The medrash on the Shira teaches that Moshe had a change of heart and realized that he was wrong. He therefore began the Shira with the word "az"- as if to say, "I originally sinned with the word 'az' now I say shira with the word 'az'. The Beis HaLevi understands this to mean that Moshe is singing shira not only for the salvation and redemption, but even for the servitude itself. Commensurate with the suffering is the ultimate sanctification of Hashem's name.

Interestingly, Chazal tell us that the formal back-breaking servitude began with the birth of Miriam. (Note that her name stems from the root "bitter".) The Maharal Diskin says that Yaakov recited Shema when he was reunited with Yosef as he realized "Hashem echad" the bitter and the sweet. the absence of Yosef and the reunification with him all stemmed from the same Hashem. May we be so privileged to learn this lesson.