3/20/98

Parshas Para:

A thought for Parshas Para.

Why do we read Parshas Para before Pesach?
The Yerushalmi says that it is a reminder to Metaher ourselves to be ready for the Korban Pesach, since a Tamei Meis cannot do Korban Pesach.
We who don't have Mei Chatas, why is it important for us?

When Hashem spoke to Moshe Rabeneu at the Sneh, Moshe asked: In what zechus will Bnei Yisrael come out of Mitzrayim? Hashem answered, "Behotziacha Es Ha'am Ta'avdun Es haElokim Al haHar haZe." The Zechus of Torah that Bnei Yisrael will receive at Har Sinai is the justification for Yetzias Mitzrayim.

The Maharal in his Peirush on the Haggada explains the 4 Leshonos of Geula:
Avraham was told by Hashem at Bris Bein haBesarim of 3 stages of Galus:
Ger Yihye Zaracha,
vaAvadum,
veInu Osam.
First, they would be strangers in a foreign land. This is not an unusual situation.
Then they will be enslaved. This is also not out of the ordinary for an alien population to be expected to serve the local people.
But, the third stage of Inui - affliction, and cruel suffering, is out of the realm of normal national experience.
When the Geula came, it came in these three stages.
veHotzeisi eschem miTachas Sivlos Mitrayim - I will take you out of the suffering.
Then veHitzalti Eschem me Avodasam - I'll save you from the labor of slavery.
Then veGa'alti eschem biZeroa Netuya. - I will redeem you by removing you from the exile of Egypt.
But, The Geula did not stop there. If it had, then what would we have gained by returning to our previous state? We could have remained happily in Egypt, and spared ourselves the Tzara of Golus. Therefore, there is a 4th Loshon of Geula:
veLakachti eschem Li leAm - I will take you to be my nation. That happened with Matan torah at har Sinai.
The Maharal says that this is why, although we are permitted to drink additional cups of wine between the first and second; and second and third cups, between the 3rd and 4th there can be no hefsek - Because if we separate our leaving Egypt from Matan Torah, then we destroy the entire process of Geula. The only reason that the Yetzias Mitzrayim happens is to come to Matan Torah.

Now, we know that the story does not have a happy ending because as we got to the pinnacle, we crashed with Maase haEgel and destroyed the Matan Torah that was the natural continuation of Yetzias Mitzrayim.

When we stand at the threshold of a new Yetzias Mitzrayim and are about to start the whole process over again, and relive it as we do every year, beginning with Hachodesh Haze Lachem, we preface this process by reading Para.

Rashi in Parshas Chukas brings the Moshol of the son of the shifcha who messed in the king's palace and the mother must come and clean the mess of her child. So too, the Para comes to clean the mess of the Egel. It seems that the Para Aduma is in some way a tikkun of Cheit haEgel.
How can we start the whole Yetzias Mitzrayim process knowing that the end is disaster? In what zechus can *we* come out of Mitzrayim if there is an Egel at the end?
So HKBH tells us to preface the whole Nissan experience with Parsha Para. Let the mother come and clean up the mess before we start, so that we can Metaken the Cheit haEgel and be Zoche to Yetzias Mitzrayim Bizechus an unmarred Kabbolas haTorah.

Shabbat Shalom
Rav Segal