Featuring R' Rothwachs & R' Gibber
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- Rabbi Rothwachs
- Rabbi Gibber
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Dedicated by Rabbi Shimon and Hennie Wolf in memory of Shimon’s father, Rabbi Dr. Ephraim Wolf zt”l – הרב אפרים ראובן בן נחום חיים
BRIEF SUMMARIES & HANDOUTS OF THE RECORDING:
Rabbi Rothwachs:
1) The “Non‑Bitter” Maror and Recognizing Our Real Problems
Source: הררי קדם על פסח, עמ' רכז – וירא ה' את ענינו
Description: Maror commemorates the bitterness of slavery – וימררו את חייהם. Yet the most preferred maror, חזרת (romaine lettuce), is often not bitter.
The Rav (based on the בית הלוי) connects this to the tefillah ראה בענינו. Of course Hakadosh Baruch Hu will see us before bringing us a yeshua. What does it mean to ask Him to see our suffering? Humans often misidentify their real problems. What we think are our biggest struggles may not be our true spiritual challenges. And the whole idea is to realize that sometimes in life, we don't even recognize the things that are really at the source of our biggest tzaros. We are asking Him to help us see what are truly problems and what we just perceive as problems.
Practical Application: Pesach reminds us to reflect on both the blessings and hardships in our lives, recognizing that the struggles we experience, like the slavery before geula in the story of Yetzias Mitzrayim, often have deeper meaning and are not always what they seem.
2)Why the Omer is Named After a Measurement
Sources: ספר באר יוסף
Description: The mitzvah is called ספירת העומר. Why is it named after a measurement (omer)? And why do we start it on 2nd night of Pesach, in middle - why not at beginning on first night?
The Midrash explains that Hashem gave each Jew an עומר לגולגולת of mon daily for forty years (tens of billions of omers of mon over the course of forty years). What does Hashem ask in return? Just one small Omer on behalf of the entire nation. Just a little bit.
The Be'er Yosef points out that perhaps the reason we bring the Korban Omer the second day of Pesach is because we see in Yehoshua that the last day the mon fell was on 7th Adar and lasted until 16th of Nisan. We bring the Omer on the anniversary of the day in which they stopped eating the mon. And so we bring an Omer annually to remember this incredible kindness that Hakadosh Baruch Hu bestowed upon us.
Practical Application: The Omer symbolizes hakaras hatov, recognizing how much Hashem gives us compared to the little He asks in return.
3) Why Shirat HaYam is Written with Gaps
Description:
The unusual structure of Shirat HaYam, areiach al gabi leveina with the empty spaces, has many different explanations: Here are two:
A) It reflects that redemption unfolds gradually and that we never fully understand the divine plan. The gaps symbolize the missing parts of the story and the unfinished nature of redemption.
B) Moshe Rabbeinu’s request “שלח נא ביד תשלח” is understood in the Midrash (as cited in the name of the Rav) as Moshe asking Hashem to send the final redeemer, Eliyahu HaNavi, who will herald the coming of Mashiach. Moshe recognized that Jewish history would include a long and painful galus filled with suffering, and he therefore pleaded with Hashem to bypass the long process and bring the ultimate redemption immediately. Hashem’s response, however, revealed that geulah unfolds “קמעא קמעא,” gradually, through a complex and sometimes disjointed historical process rather than instant transformation. This idea is reflected in the fragmented structure of Shirat HaYam, reminding us that redemption often develops in stages we may not fully understand, while also leaving “space” for each generation to add its own voice of praise, gratitude, and prayer to the unfolding story of redemption.
Practical Application: Pesach teaches us to maintain faith even when redemption seems incomplete.
4) Why Some Salvation Feels Difficult
Description:
Chazal say קשה זיווגו של אדם כקריעת ים סוף, that making shidduchim or providing parnassah is “as difficult as Kriyas Yam Suf.” Rabbi Isaac Rice explains that this does not mean anything is truly difficult for Hashem. Rather, the word “kasha” reflects the idea of “קשה עלי פרידתכם”—the pain of separation. When people face desperate situations and need a yeshuah, they turn to Hashem with deep dependence and heartfelt tefillah, creating a powerful closeness between them and Hashem. When the salvation comes - whether the sea splits, a shidduch is found, or parnassah improves - that intense dependence often fades. In that sense, it is “difficult,” because Hashem treasures the closeness that exists during those moments of reliance on Him. Hashem wants to grant the yeshuah but also wants the relationship to remain strong afterward. The message is that even after the salvation comes, we should strive to maintain the same closeness and reliance on Hashem that we felt during the moment of need.
Practical Application: Even after salvation, we must preserve the connection to Hashem that hardship created.
Rabbi Yaakov Gibber
1) Why We Remember Yetziat Mitzrayim
Sources:
רב משה פיינשטיין – ספר קול רם עניני פסח
Description: Rav Moshe Feinstein notes that although many miracles occurred before yetzias Mitzrayim, Chazal specifically instituted remembering only Yetziat Mitzrayim daily rather than the plagues or other wonders. Why?
He explains that the Exodus itself represents more than physical liberation; it reflects the purpose and destiny of the Jewish people. The Gemara in Zevachim 116a records an opinion that Yisro was moved when he heard about Matan Torah, highlighting that the Exodus was ultimately meant to lead to Torah and a higher spiritual calling. Had the goal simply been freedom from slavery, Bnei Yisrael might have remained comfortably in Egypt. Instead, the Exodus was meant to bring them toward Torah and life in Eretz Yisrael, fulfilling their unique national mission. Therefore, the daily remembrance focuses on the moment that launched that destiny.
Practical Application:
Redemption is not only about being freed from hardship but about moving toward a higher purpose and mission.
2) The Secret of Successful Chinuch
Sources: ר׳ ישראל מאיר דרוק – אש תמיד
Description:
The mitzvah of Sippur Yetziat Mitzrayim centers on transmitting the story to the next generation, as the Torah commands “והגדת לבנך ביום ההוא.” Rabbi Yisrael Meir Druck explains that the key to successful chinuch is reflected in Birkas HaTorah, where we ask both “והערב נא ה' אלוקינו את דברי תורתך” and “ונהיה אנחנו וצאצאינו.” These are not two separate requests; rather, the second flows from the first. When parents themselves experience Torah as sweet, meaningful, and inspiring, their children naturally absorb that love and commitment. Genuine enthusiasm for Torah—seen through example, conversation, and lived passion—becomes the most powerful form of education. If Torah is merely practiced by rote, children will sense that and relate to it the same way.
Practical Application:
The lesson of the Seder is that the most effective way to inspire the next generation is to live Torah with visible joy and authenticity, allowing that passion to naturally shape our children’s connection to it.
3) Why We Mention Lavan
Sources: אלשיך על הגדה של פסח
Description:
The Haggadah mentions Lavan HaArami at the beginning of Maggid, and the Alshich explains that this helps fulfill the principle of “מתחיל בגנות ומסיים בשבח.” Lavan’s deception—switching Leah and Rachel—changed the birth order of Yaakov’s children and ultimately led to jealousy when Yosef later received the preferential treatment of a bechor despite not being the firstborn. This jealousy sparked the conflict among the brothers, leading to Yosef’s sale and eventually to the descent of the Jewish people into Egypt. By recalling Lavan’s actions, the Haggadah shows how the story of Egyptian slavery actually began much earlier. The lesson is that before celebrating redemption, we must understand the moral failures and dishonesty that helped create the situation in the first place.
Practical Application:
The Seder therefore highlights the importance of integrity and moral responsibility, reminding us that small acts of deception can have consequences for generations.
3) Story - Learning Importance of Beis HaMikdash from Gaza Homes
A mother asked her soldier son, who recently returned home from Gaza, what is the first thing he is going to do?
He told her: “hang a picture of the Beit Hamikdash in my living room.” Really no shower, favorite food?
The soldier answered “you don’t understand. In Gaza, there isn’t a home, government office, or school that doesn’t have a picture of the Al Aqsa Mosque.”
To the Muslims, this is a religious war. It has always been a religious war. Back in 1929 the Arab Muslims in Israel massacred Jews also because of “Al-Aqsa” as they are doing so again today.
It is about time that the Jewish people wake up and internalize that this is a religious war. And Jerusalem and our Temple Mount is the core of the conflict.
It’s time we focus on rebuilding the Beit Hamikdash! That is the true victory to this war.
That is why there are so many soldiers wearing these Temple patches on their uniforms in this war. The awakening is happening. B”H!
