*Parshas Vaeira 5786 "And Egypt shall know that I am Hashem" - The purpose of the plagues in Egypt

00:00 This was in the year 5693. At that time, the Frierdiker Rebbe was not in good health. Everything he had been through—all the hardships he had endured in Russia, the imprisonment, the severe beatings he had suffered, and everything else—had taken a toll on his body, may Hashem protect us. At that time, the Frierdiker Rebbe was very ill, and there were miracles involved. As the Rebbe related several times, the doctors said that, according to the natural order, the last eighteen years of the Frierdiker Rebbe’s life in this world—from 5692–5693 until 5710—were entirely beyond nature. His holy body was in such a state that the doctors could not explain, according to nature, how it bore all the suffering of those years. But at the time, a letter was not known about; it came to light only after Gimmel Tammuz, meaning only in recent years. It was a letter the Rebbe wrote at that time to his father-in-law, the Frierdiker Rebbe. It is a letter rich in content. One can only imagine the awe, respect, and self-effacement the Rebbe had toward his father-in-law, the Frierdiker Rebbe, as everyone knows. And we see this in—

01:39 the Rebbe’s sichos, whenever he speaks. Yet in this letter we see the Rebbe writing to the Frierdiker Rebbe and explaining that a change is needed in the approach of Chabad Chassidus. He says he had always heard from chassidim that Chabad chassidim do not attach importance to miracles. They do not attach importance to the whole matter of performing miracles, to the Rebbe performing miracles; that is not what Chabad Chassidus is about. So much so that, as chassidim used to say, the view among Chabad chassidim was that miracles are for the descendants of Cham. The whole matter of performing miracles is for the descendants of Cham, for Egypt. In Egypt, they need such miracles. Jews do not need miracles. For them, that is not the point: they believe in Hashem and do not need miracles. In other words, chassidim said that Chabad Chassidus teaches us that serving Hashem must be with understanding, with intellect—“And you shall know that I am Hashem,” as it says in our parsha—with understanding and faith, but not through miracles. The miracles were meant for Pharaoh, who had to be brought to an awareness of G-dliness. And the Baal Shem Tov explains that all ten plagues—Detzach, Adash, Be’achav, the three groups of plagues: the first three, the next three, and the last four—were meant to bring Pharaoh to recognize that Hashem is present in the world, and—

03:08 that He directs the world through individual Divine providence, and that He can change nature. These were three things Pharaoh did not believe in, and through all these miracles, Pharaoh came to understand that Hashem is present in the world. But that was for Pharaoh, for Cham, for Egypt. Jews, by contrast, do not need any of that. Consequently, chassidim tended to dismiss stories about tzaddikim and miracles, and instead studied G-dliness, Chassidus, and these subjects. The Rebbe wrote to his father-in-law, the Frierdiker Rebbe, that the chassidim of earlier generations were indeed great chassidim, people who served Hashem, Jews immersed in Chassidus. Through their understanding of Chassidus, they rose toward Hashem and served Him with love and awe of Hashem. But look at what is happening now, in recent times: today’s world moves quickly, and people are terribly preoccupied with the struggle to earn a living, with all their worries and burdens, and with the decrees of that time. It is very difficult for a Jew to study and serve Hashem if his entire connection to G-dliness must come only through understanding Chassidus. And we see plainly that when someone actually sees a miracle, hears about a miracle, or is told a story about something a tzaddik experienced or accomplished—that was the case with the Alter Rebbe, and so it says in Tanya, in chapter 5 of Shaar—

04:27 Hayichud Vehaemunah. What does this mean? As it says, “Initially, it arose in His thought to create the world with the attribute of judgment. He saw that the world could not endure, so He joined the attribute of mercy to it.” The Alter Rebbe explains: the attribute of judgment is nature, the world as it comes from the name Elokim, whose numerical value equals that of “nature.” And “He joined the attribute of mercy to it,” the Alter Rebbe explains, means the revelation of G-dliness through tzaddikim. What are the miracles in the Torah? What about the tzaddikim and the miracles they perform? This is the way the name Havayah is revealed in the world. Today, one miracle and then another are what lift a person up, draw him out of his material concerns, out of his materiality, and connect him to G-dliness. Through that, one can have an effect. The Rebbe was, in effect, explaining the matter to the Frierdiker Rebbe and suggesting that perhaps a change was needed in this regard. The Frierdiker Rebbe replied with a long letter. The letter was published in the journal Hatamim. I think it was also published in Igros Kodesh. It is a rich and fascinating letter in which the Frierdiker Rebbe explains the Chabad approach, the Alter Rebbe’s entire attitude, and Chabad’s place in relation to the broader subject. It is a rich and fascinating letter, and the essence of it is what the Rebbe related once, years later. There was indeed a sicha in which the Rebbe spoke about this letter.

05:53 The Rebbe did not yet say that he was the one who had written the letter. The Rebbe only related that someone had sent the letter and raised the issue of miracles in Lubavitch—miracles in Chassidus, in Chabad Chassidus. The Rebbe explained then that the request had an effect. But his father-in-law explained in his reply why Chabad places the emphasis on knowing G-dliness, on studying Chassidus, and on the inner dimension; what the Alter Rebbe accomplished through his approach to Chassidus—Chochmah, Binah, Daas, and so on; and how the Alter Rebbe related to the teachings of the Maggid of Mezritch and the Baal Shem Tov. Yet in that same letter, the Frierdiker Rebbe explains at length that when there was a need—when it was necessary to make someone a chossid, to bring a Jew to recognize Hashem, and the way to do so was specifically through miracles—there were miracles even with the Alter Rebbe. Even with the Alter Rebbe. And the Rebbe said in that sicha that when it was needed, he saw it plainly—those were the Rebbe’s words—with the Frierdiker Rebbe: after he wrote that letter and raised the matter, an actual change took place. He saw, with his father-in-law, the Frierdiker Rebbe, as the Rebbe put it, from then on, for a long time...

07:15 From then on, there were open miracles, matters reminiscent of the Baal Shem Tov, and conduct beyond the natural order. And chassidim said—or perhaps the Rebbe himself said; I do not remember exactly now—that this too was connected with the letter, with the Rebbe himself. In other words, the Frierdiker Rebbe also faced [unclear] of real danger. Nevertheless, beyond the natural order, he got through and overcame everything he went through at that time. This too was connected with that letter, with that exchange of letters. But the point is that in Chassidus there must also be things beyond the natural order, matters of miracles, and he saw this plainly. And how can there be miracles? We see this afterward with our Rebbe as well. What followed was that, in our time, we saw plainly, from the moment the Rebbe assumed the leadership—and even before Yud Shvat, as is well known—a great many miracles. The expression is “as is well known”: there were miracles of this kind. There were many miracles, conduct beyond the natural order. Even though, as is well known, these were not what Chabad Chassidus was about. Nevertheless, when a need for these things arose. We come to our generation, which also needs such things to draw a Jew out, and needs miracles so that he will develop an appreciation for studying Chassidus and for a connection with Hashem, and so on.

08:40 There were miracles entirely beyond the natural order. In the weekly parsha we find both elements. That is, there must be signs and miracles; when miracles are needed, there are miracles. And there is also the inner dimension: knowing G-dliness, without having to rely only on miracles. In the weekly parsha, when Hashem speaks to Moshe Rabbeinu and tells him what to say to the Jewish people, we find both expressions. Once it says, “And Egypt shall know that I am Hashem”—that the Egyptians would know there is G-dliness in the world. The second time it says, “And you shall know that I am Hashem”—that the Jewish people would know there is G-dliness in the world. Chassidus explains—and the Rebbe explains this in a maamar of the one whose yahrzeit is in the month of Teves, [unclear]—that there is a great difference between “And Egypt shall know that I am Hashem” and “And you shall know that I am Hashem.” They mean completely different things. When speaking about the Jewish people, “And you shall know” means this: as the Rebbe explains, the Jewish people in Egypt were in a state of spiritual smallness. In those days, when Moshe Rabbeinu came to the Jewish people and told them, “I have indeed remembered you,” and that they must leave exile, the Jewish people had faith. And the Jewish people believed. Faith, as Chassidus explains, is a state of smallness. That is, faith is a point, a small point, a state of smallness. They believe, but there is no breadth to it, no

10:13 Wealth, no knowledge, no understanding. A person’s faculties and his soul can be very far removed from his faith. As explained, he can be a believer, yet his faith has no connection to his actions. As the Gemara says, “A thief, at the mouth of the tunnel, calls upon the Merciful One”—he believes in Hakadosh Boruch Hu, and he is a thief. [unclear] That is the nature of faith on its own. Moshe Rabbeinu sensed this among the Jewish people. And that is the difference between Parshas Shemos and Parshas Vaeira. In Parshas Shemos, the Jewish people stood as believers, but they lacked understanding and knowledge. Moshe Rabbeinu came and said: Now there will be “And you shall know that I am Havayah.” Not faith alone, but knowledge as well. Knowledge, comprehension, and an intellectual understanding of the greatness of Havayah would be added. This is one of the main things the Rebbe accomplished through Chabad Chassidus—Chochmah, Binah, Daas: a broad understanding and comprehension of the greatness of Havayah. Through this, a person gives himself over entirely to Hakadosh Boruch Hu, with his inner faculties, his intellect and his emotions, as explained at length. That is “and you shall know” with regard to the Jewish people. But when it comes to Egypt, the Rebbe interprets “and they shall know” differently. “They shall know” is an expression of breaking. He cites a verse from the Book of Judges: “And he made the men of Sukkos know through them”—meaning that he broke them. The commentators say that “made them know” here, too, is an expression of breaking. And that

11:42 is what he means by “and Egypt shall know”: the kelipah of Egypt was broken through the signs and wonders, the plagues that Hakadosh Boruch Hu brought upon the Egyptians. These were signs and wonders in which they openly saw the hand of Hakadosh Boruch Hu. That is how the kelipah of Egypt was broken. The kelipah of Egypt was a kelipah of nature. Its attitude was: “Who is Havayah, that I should heed His voice?” As Pharaoh cried out: I have no connection to the name Havayah, which is beyond the natural order; I have no connection to G-dliness within the world. Egypt was, so to speak, under the rule of nature. Everything there ran according to the natural order. As is well known, it did not even rain in Egypt. [unclear] the Nile. The Nile was [unclear], as the Torah relates. And Pharaoh made this whole matter [unclear], out of what the Nile provided them. This was the opposite of G-dliness. That is Pharaoh—Pharaoh cries out, “Who is Havayah?” What does this have to do with G-dliness? [unclear] Through the wonders, “and Egypt shall know,” the kelipah was broken, and the truth of Havayah was revealed in Egypt itself. But when it comes to Jews, this happens through Moshe Rabbeinu. Moshe Rabbeinu [unclear] within them. Through Torah, through understanding and study, [unclear] the natural order, they explain it. They give [unclear].

13:15 When Moshe Rabbeinu comes to Pharaoh, even before the ten plagues, the parsha tells this whole story. Moshe Rabbeinu comes to Pharaoh, and Hakadosh Boruch Hu says that when he comes to Pharaoh, he should take the staff, and it will turn into a serpent. Pharaoh summoned all the magicians, all the wise men of Egypt. They take Aaron’s staff, and the staff turns into a serpent. The magicians take their staffs, and they too turn into serpents. And what happens in the story? Aaron’s staff turns into a serpent, then becomes a staff again and swallows the other staffs. That shows Pharaoh the wonder. But what is this all about? What was its significance? The Torah does not tell such stories of wonders for no reason. What was the whole purpose of Moshe Rabbeinu going through this entire sequence? He takes a stick, the stick turns into a serpent, the serpent becomes a stick again, and it swallows the other sticks. Was it simply to show that wonders can be performed? Hakadosh Boruch Hu does whatever He wants. Why play games with them? But there is apparently a great secret here, and the Rebbe explains it in a very appealing way. It explains the whole matter and also helps us understand the entire purpose of the exile in Egypt, the redemption from Egypt, the redemption of the Jewish people, and what “and Egypt shall know that I am Havayah” means. The Alter Rebbe explains: The purpose of the exile in Egypt is well known. The writings of the Arizal state that the exile in Egypt was, so to speak, for the sake of refining the sparks of holiness that fell into the kelipah as a result of the breaking of the vessels. As is known, there are 288

15:03 sparks, sparks of holiness that fell and are found in every physical thing in the world. Within every physical thing in the world, within its kelipah and sitra achra, there is a fruit; there is a spark. The G-dly spark sustains and gives life to the body, to the object, to everything. Beneath the kelipah and the sitra achra there is G-dly vitality; otherwise, the thing could not exist. Because of the descent, the breaking of the vessels, and the concealments, that spark is completely hidden within things, within the entire state of exile. These are the kelipos of Pharaoh and Egypt and all the things that conceal G-dliness. The purpose of being in Egypt specifically was to refine the sparks. It is explained that the “eirev rav”—“rav” has the numerical value of 202—refers to the 202 sparks that the Jews brought out. Afterward, 86 sparks remained, corresponding to the numerical value of the name Elokim. This is the entire work of refining the sparks until the coming of Moshiach Tzidkeinu. So that is the whole idea. It is also alluded to in the teaching of our Sages on “They emptied Egypt”: “They made it like the depths of the sea without fish and like a granary without grain.” What does that mean? By refining the sparks, “they emptied Egypt”—they drained it, as the Targum says; they left it empty. “They emptied it”—they caused Egypt to remain empty, without a single spark of holiness. They brought out all the sparks of holiness, both those on the level of fish and those on the level of grain, the concealed world and the revealed world. Chassidus explains at length the actual things they accomplished in Egypt, all the work they did during the exile, specifically by being in Egypt. That is why Egypt’s end arrived. Once

16:44 the work of refining Egypt’s sparks was complete, the kelipah of Egypt came to an end, because it was revealed that there is a G-d of the world here. Nothing remained for the kelipah to hold on to; nothing was left. Everything had been elevated to holiness. This helps us understand the whole story that took place here. When Moshe Rabbeinu first comes to Pharaoh, before any of the plagues, he explains to him the ultimate purpose of all these plagues, and the ultimate purpose of the exile in Egypt and the redemption from Egypt. He says that the entire world is contained in the staff. What does “staff,” mateh, mean? The Alter Rebbe explains that mateh is related to the word for “inclining.” A staff represents an extension, a drawing down from above to below. What is drawn down is G-dliness and G-dly vitality; that is the inclination, the drawing down of G-dliness. It descends through the entire order of spiritual worlds and all its levels until it reaches down here, and from it all created beings receive their vitality. That is the staff that gives life to all created beings; everything receives its vitality from this G-dly staff. It is the drawing down of G-dliness and the sparks of holiness, which extends into every detail of the world and gives everything life. And the staff turns into a serpent. A serpent represents kelipah. “Pharaoh, the great serpent,” it says in the haftorah. He says that the staff turned into a serpent: through the breaking of the vessels and all these developments, that staff

18:07 became a serpent. But what is the truth of its existence? The staff was there all along. The staff itself remained; everything is G-dliness, except that down here it became a serpent. When Moshe Rabbeinu comes to Pharaoh and shows him that the serpent becomes a staff again, and that the staff swallows all the other staffs, he takes all the other kelipos, the things that are Egypt and the serpents, and brings them all into Aaron’s staff. And Aaron’s staff once again becomes a staff of holiness. He says: This is the whole point. The work of Jews is to turn the serpent back into a staff, to break it through everything they do. And now, through the plagues, there was a breaking. “And they shall know”—what does “and Egypt shall know” mean here? “They shall know” is an expression of breaking: breaking the kelipah of Egypt until the world recognizes that “I am Havayah in the midst of the land,” that the entire world is one with Havayah and there is nothing besides Hakadosh Boruch Hu. Then Jews can experience the true meaning of “and you shall know that I am Havayah”—the revelation of the name Havayah, which is beyond the order of spiritual worlds, revealed through Pharaoh, through the staff and Pharaoh, and through all these things. That is the story in its plain sense, and, as is understood, it is the work of every Jew. When a Jew enters [unclear], when nature is broken and the world is broken, the truth that “Havayah is forever” can be revealed here,

19:24 Here, one recognizes that there is a G-d of the world. But after that must come true knowledge of Havayah: studying Chassidus, studying the inner dimension of Torah, learning about the oneness of Havayah, and contemplating and internalizing what it means, so that faith in Hakadosh Boruch Hu reaches the level of understanding. Not just understanding the G-dliness invested in nature, the Divine light that fills all worlds, but understanding the name Havayah, which transcends nature. “And you shall know that I am Havayah”—that is true recognition, culminating in what will be revealed when Moshiach comes, when “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of Havayah as the waters cover the sea.” From “And you shall know that I am Havayah,” which began with Moshe Rabbeinu, we will reach the true knowledge that will come with Moshiach—the fullest possible knowledge of G-dliness. And then the serpent [unclear] will be transformed; the primordial serpent, the great serpent, will become something holy. Yes, the numerical value of “serpent” is the same as that of “Moshiach,” as written in the sefarim. That is how the inner nature of the entire world will be revealed, when darkness is transformed into light and the world is illuminated: “I will remove the spirit of impurity from the earth.” And then, of course, “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of Havayah as the waters cover the sea.”