Hayom Yom 19 Nissan - Mystical meaning of the Four Questions

The daily Hayom Yom with Rabbi Yosef Katzman

Shabbos Chol HaMoed Pesach, Day 4 of the Omer

גַּם בְּשִׂמְחָה וּבְצָהֳלָה

[Whenever Shabbos coincides with Yom-Tov or (as in the present case) with one of the days of Chol HaMoed,] the wording [in the last stanza of the Lechah Dodi hymn in Friday evening’s Kabbalas Shabbos service] is gam besimchah u’vetzahalah (“both with rejoicing and gladness”).

שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם. אֵשֶׁת חַיִל. מִזְמוֹר לְדָוִד. דָּא הִיא סְעוּדָתָא, וְיִתֶּן לְךָ — אוֹמְרִים בְּלַחַשׁ

[In the above-described situation,] the passages beginning Shalom aleichem, Eishes chayil, Mizmor leDavid and Da hi seudasa [that are recited on Friday evening], and the passages beginning VeYiten Lecha [that are recited after Havdalah], should be said in a whisper.

פַעַם פֵּרֵשׁ אַאַמוּ"ר

My revered father, the Rebbe [Rashab], once gave the following [mystical] interpretation [of the Four Questions]:

מַה נִּשְׁתַּנָּה הַלַּיְלָה — גָּלוּת שֶׁנִּמְשַׁל לְלַיְלָה — הַזֶּה — הָאַחֲרוֹן

Why is this night, this final exile (for exile is symbolized by night), different

מִכָּל הַלֵּילוֹת — גָּלֻיּוֹת שֶׁקָּדְמוּהוּ

from all the other nights, from all the exiles that preceded it?

שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אֵין אָנוּ מַטְבִּילִין — לְשׁוֹן מֵרוּק נִקָּיוֹן וְטַהֲרָה — אֲפִילוּ פַּעַם אֶחָת

On all [other] nights we do not dip (the verb מטבילין also means [immersion and thus implies] scouring, cleansing, and purification) even once.

לֹא נִגְמַר הַמֵּרוּק בָּהֶם, כִּי הֲרֵי הָיָה אַחֲרֵיהֶם עוֹד גָּלוּת

The process of cleansing was not completed in the previous exiles, as is evident from the fact that each was followed by yet another exile.

הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה שְׁתֵּי פְעָמִים — מֵרוּק גּוּף וְגִלּוּי הַנֶּפֶשׁ

On this night we dip twice, [once to] scour the body and [once to] reveal the soul.

שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָנוּ אוֹכְלִים חָמֵץ אוֹ מַצָּה

On all [other] nights, we eat chametz or matzah.

הַיְנוּ כִּי גַם אַחַר הַגָּלוּת, הָעֲבוֹדָה הִיא מִצַּד נֶפֶשׁ הָאֱלֹקִית, מַצָּה בִּטּוּל

Following all the other exiles, our Divine service involves both the G‑dly soul, symbolized by matzah, which represents bittul (self-nullification),

וּמִצַּד נֶפֶשׁ הַבַּהֲמִית, חָמֵץ יֵשׁוּת

and the animal soul, symbolized by chametz, which represents yeshus (egoism).

הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה — אַחַר גָּלוּת הָאַחֲרוֹן — כּוּלּוֹ מַצָּה — שֶׁיּוּעֲבַר רוּחַ הַטּוּמְאָה

On this night, after this final exile, [we eat] only matzah, for the spirit of impurity will be removed from the world.

שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָנוּ אוֹכְלִין שְׁאָר יְרָקוֹת

On all [other] nights, we eat other vegetables.

כָּל הַמְקַנֵּא פָּנָיו מוֹרִיקוֹת

[This recalls the popular saying that] “when a person becomes envious, his face turns green.”

וּבְכָל הַגָּלֻיּוֹת הַרְבֵּה בְּחִינוֹת בְּקִנְאָה: קִנְאַת סוֹפְרִים וְהַדּוֹמֶה

During all the exiles there were many kinds of envy, [including negative ones, such as envying another’s wealth, and also positive kinds of envy,] such as “the envy of scholars, [which increases wisdom].”

הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה — אַחַר גָּלוּת הָאַחֲרוֹן — כּוּלּוֹ מָרוֹר — קִנְאָה הַיּוֹתֵר גְּדוֹלָה

On this night, after this exile, [we eat] only maror: envy will be [only positive and of] the most intense [kind].

עַל דֶּרֶךְ מַאֲמַר רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה כָּל צַדִּיק נִכְוֶה מֵחוּפָּתוֹ שֶׁל חֲבֵרוֹ

As the Sages said, “[In the World to Come,] every tzaddik will be singed by the [fiery] canopy of his colleague.”

שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָנוּ אוֹכְלִין בֵּין יוֹשְׁבִין בֵּין מְסוּבִּין

On all [other] nights, we eat either sitting or reclining.

כָּל הַגִּלּוּיִם שֶׁעַל יְדֵי הַגָּלֻיּוֹת — אוֹכְלִין — בְּחִינַת הַתַּעֲנוּג

[In the case of] all the revelations elicited by [the Divine service of Jews throughout] the exiles, “we eat” [i.e., we experience] the pleasure [that G‑d derives from this service].

וְיֵשׁ הִתְפַּשְּׁטוּת הַתַּעֲנוּג וְתַעֲנוּג הָעַצְמִי

Now, there is a [mere] emanation of this pleasure, and there is the pleasure itself.

וְיֵשׁ מִי שֶׁמַּגִּיעַ בַּעֲבוֹדָתוֹ לְהִתְפַּשְּׁטוּת הַתַּעֲנוּג וְיֵשׁ לַתַּעֲנוּג הָעַצְמִי

Some people, through their Divine service, reach a point [of spiritual growth] at which they apprehend [merely] an emanation of G‑d’s pleasure; others reach a point at which they can apprehend the very essence of His pleasure. [Sitting connotes a limited level of relaxed pleasure; reclining connotes the ultimate level of pleasurable tranquility.

הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה — אַחַר גָּלוּת הָאַחֲרוֹן — כּוּלָּנוּ מְסוּבִּין

Hence:] On this night, after this exile, we are all reclining:

שֶׁכָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל יַגִּיעוּ לִבְחִינַת תַּעֲנוּג הָעַצְמִי

every Jew will reach the level at which they will apprehend the ultimate level of [G‑d’s] delight.

Text and Translation courtesy of Sichos in English

For questions and follow-up: [e-mail]