לזכות אבי מורי ואמי מורתי ונעכא גיטל בת ר' חיים צבי וכל הנלווים אליה.
ולרפואת הרב אברהם יוסף בן מנה והרב שי בן לאה בתוך שח"י.
1. Why does the Parsha relating the history of Yetzias Mitzraim start with ארמי אובד אבי - An Aramean [Lavan] destroyed my father [Yaakov]? Why start with Lavan?
2. According to correct grammar it should have said "ארמי מאבד אבי" which is a transitive verb [פועל יוצא that requires a direct object] as opposed to "אובד" which is an intransitive verb, meaning a verb whose context does not entail a direct object.
3. Rashi explains that since Lavan INTENDED to destroy my father the pasuk is written as if he did for as far as the nations of the world are concerned Hashem accounts for them intention as an actual deed. מחשבה רעה מצטרפת למעשה. Why is that principle taught specifically in this context?
4. The Parsha starts with ארמי אובד אבי and then progresses to יציאת מצרים. It was at the time of יציאת מצרים that our speech was liberated. Until that point - our דיבור was in גלות. [Remez: וירד מצרימה - אנוס על פי הדיבור]. When we are liberated from מצרים, we can finally speak freely, which is why there is so much speech at the seder. כל המרבה לספר ביציאת מצרים הרי זה משובח. לחם עוני - לחם שעונים עליו דברים הרבה.
5. In Parshas Vayeitzei it says that Yaakov found the shepherds and asked them where they are from and they responded tersely "מחרן אנחנו". Then he asked if they know Lavan, to which they again responded tersely "ידענו". They he asked "השלום לו" to which they responded "שלום". Then Rochel appears on the scene. Chazal say that the shepherds said "here comes a women 'shmoozer'. If you want to speak - here she comes." This emphasis on speech in this context requires explanation. The shepherds are barely speaking but then a big speaker enters the picture.
6. We have to know a big principle [from the Gra]. The Galus with Lavan was a precursor to Galus Mitzrayim.
7. We have to repeat what the Rosh Yeshiva ztz"l explained about Rochel and her children in contrast to Leah and her children. Leah is the hidden world - "עלמא דאתכסיא". Only in the morning Yaakov realizes that it was Leah all along. She was hidden. Rochel is the revealed world - "עלמא דאתגליא". Both of their children have serious tests. With regard to the test of Yehuda it says in Chazal that an angel put him into that situation and then a Bas Kol emerged and proclaimed that "ממני יצאו דברים כבושים" - From me hidden things came out [Sotah 10b]. Whereas Yosef also had a test and the image of his father appeared to him and told him in essence "Don't think that this is going to remain a secret. You have to pass this test in a revealed way, otherwise your failure will be publicized" [see Sotah 36b]. When it comes to the children of Leah the mehalech is with the Divine Providence of "דברים כבושים" while the mehalech with the children of Rochel is the open and revealed "גלוי להדיא". This is why Amalek falls in the hand of the descendants of Rochel [עי' ב"ב קל"ג ב]. Esav claims that he is a יחסן - of great pedigree, the child of Yitzchak and Rivka, and thus he has hidden spiritual powers. Therefore the counter is a war in the external world of deeds. The children of Rochel. A revealed Kedusha.
8. Lavan had two daughters, one gave birth to children who live according to the hidden Divine thoughts, Leah. And the other who brings it out into the open - Rochel. The open, revealed Avoda of Yaakov is with Rochel. The root of the matter is that Yaakov goes to Galus to Lavan in order to establish Klal Yisrael and to take the "אדם" from there, meaning the power of speech, which is the essence of man. The whole reality of כבוד שמים in this world is [as the Medrash says] when the Jews testify to Hashem's existence. On the pasuk [Yeshayahu 43-12] "ואתם עדי נאום ה' ואני א-ל" Chazal say [Sifree 346] - "אם אתם עדי הרי אני א-ל, ואם אין אתם עדי, כביכול אין אני א-ל" . Hashem's glory in the world depends on Klal Yisrael. In fact the entire world is FILLED with כבוד שמים as it says השמים מספרים כבוד א-ל, but it depends on man's power of speech to reveal this. The highest level of speaking man is the Jew. "אתם קרויים אדם" [Yevamos 61a].
9. The opposition and counter to this revelation is Lavan. He blurs and covers up the power of speech. His trickery was expressed verbally when he changed Yaakov's wages dozens of times " וְהֶחֱלִ֥ף אֶת־מַשְׂכֻּרְתִּ֖י עֲשֶׂ֣רֶת מֹנִ֑ים". He started with "נקבה שכרך" tell me your wages. נקבה is a language of clarity, as the Targum says "פרש אגרך" - State clearly your wage. But later he kept changing from the sum that they had agreed upon. From that situation of dishonesty Yaakov was supposed to take out the reality of the Jewish people - the highest level of אדם המדבר.
10. In the order of the building ot the Shvatim, sometimes the Divine Providence dictates that "ממני יצאו דברים כבושים" - Secret things come out from me. That is the הנהגה נסתרת - Hidden Providence of Hashem that paves the way for Moshiach. Leah and her children [e.g. Yehuda]. However, the power of the children of Rochel is בהדיא ובגלוי - in a revealed way.
11. This all applies to Lavan about whom Hashem considers his evil thoughts to be like action because in his world there are only thoughts. מחשבה רעה מצטרפת למעשה. There is no revelation via speech because his speech is meaningless. ארמי אובד אבי. It says אובד and not מאבד. Not a one time act but an essence. His thought remains eternally present without being actualized. ארמי אובד אבי. His thought was constantly and continuously focused on destroying Yaakov.
12. The reality of the creation of speaking man is the כבוד שמים of the פה סח - speaking mouth, of the first night of Pesach.
[עפ"י תורת מורנו ראש הישיבה שליט"א]
