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treats for

the shabbos table


‫מלכה ז"ל‬ ‫לע"נ ר' מרדכי שלום בן סולטנה‬
Parashas Shemos
‫תשס"ט‬
‫אנגלית‬

‫ּ ָפ ָר ׁ ַשת שמות‬
The wealthy man who raised an orphan his wife treated the child very kindly, as if he was their
in his house own. Not simply did he eat at their table and sleep
“‫ – ואלה שמות בני ישראל‬And these are the names of bnei under their roof. He was made to feel like their son
Yisroel” (Shemos 1:1). In sefer Shemos we read about our in every sense of the word. One day, as the man and
exile in Egypt, the tortuous enslavement there, the his wife were dining alone together, a pauper came to
murderous Egyptians and our hard labor with brick the door asking for tzedaka. The pauper assumed that
and mortar. We read of the miraculous redemption, he would receive no more than a few dollars, but the
how HaShem freed us by means of crushing plagues man of the house expansively reached into his wallet
that He brought upon the Egyptians. Many ask, “Why
was all of this necessary?” Before HaShem took us to
Him as a nation and gave us His Torah, why did He
send us to Egypt to suffer such terrible ordeals for so
many years? What would have been wrong with letting
us stay in Eretz Yisroel? Couldn’t we have grown to be
a nation naturally and in peace? Afterwards, when
HaShem saw that we were ready, couldn’t He have
given us the Torah and Eretz Yisroel as an inheritance
without sending us to be oppressed in Egypt?
The Ben Ish Chai answers with a parable – one that
our generation in particular always needs to keep in
mind.
There once was a very wealthy man who raised an
orphan in his home, from the child’s infancy. He and

and handed his visitor a one hundred dollar bill!


The pauper was so astounded he could hardly
speak. He began to heap elaborate praises and thanks
upon his wealthy benefactor. He blessed him again
and again. As he was shown to the door he continued
to gush forth thanks and praise. Even as he walked
along the street he did not stop saying heartfelt
blessings which could be heard all the way back to
the wealthy couple’s home.
The wealthy man’s wife said to him, “Look at the
great number of blessings that you received for giving
one hundred dollars. Look, though, at the orphan that
we are raising. On him we have invested thousands of to Egypt. Had they been given the Torah and Eretz
dollars but not once has he praised or blessed you.” Yisroel that way, they would have taken it all for
Her husband smiled and answered, “Have patience. granted -- as if it was “coming to them,” naturally. For
Soon you will have your answer.” this reason, HaShem made them go down to Egypt
He called to the orphan and said, “Listen. So where they suffered terrible enslavement for hundreds
long as you were a little boy we took care of you and of years. They realized that based on their own merits
supplied you all of your needs. Now, however, you are they deserved practically nothing, so when HaShem
a grown-up and can manage on your own. It is time redeemed them and showered them with blessing,
for you to leave my home. Go fend for yourself.” they could not stop thanking and praising Him. They
The lad stammered, “Right away? Now?” appreciated that all that they received was given to
The answer came back, “Yes, them out of kindness and mercy, so
immediately!” they were truly grateful.
Faint and grief-stricken, the orphan In this vein our Sages teach (Berachos 5a)
accepted the decree and went out into the that living in Eretz Yisroel is a great
street. He had no money, no food and no privilege, but “one acquires Eretz Yisroel
place to sleep. That night he slept in an only through suffering” – so that one is
alley and woke up in wrinkled clothes for grateful for the privilege.
the first time in his life. Hunger began to gnaw at this Our Sages command us that every day, morning and
stomach. Seeing no choice, he went to the fruit and evening, “Next to tefillah must be the geula.” Just
vegetable market and hired himself out to shoppers before we stand in prayer before HaShem, we must
whose packages were too heavy for them to carry by mention the exodus from Egypt, so that we recall the
themselves. His pay was practically nothing and one lesson of the exodus from Egypt! We must remember
can imagine how sad he was. that whatever we have is a gift from Heaven and does
After three days one of the wealthy man’s servants not come “naturally.” Every blessing that we enjoy is
found the orphan and said to him, “You are wanted only because of HaShem’s mercy and kindness and
at the house.” not because of our merits. We must be careful not to
When the wealthy man saw the lad standing before get so accustomed to blessings that we don’t recognize
him -- his clothes wrinkled and his face so drawn and them for what they are and think that we earned
sad -- he said, “I see that this is very hard for you. You them or that they come “automatically” as a part of
may come back and live here as before.” With that, he life. Hopefully, we will be thankful for the good we
told his servant to set the table for the afternoon meal. have without having to lose it. We will be thankful for
When the orphan sat down for the meal – his first good health without having to suffer illness. We will
in three days – each time he put the spoon into his be thankful for having enough food without having
mouth, he uttered more blessings of thanks to his to suffer hunger.
benefactor. He praised and thanked him with every In the times in which we live, this lesson must be
swallow and bite. During the pause between each fixed in our minds. Demented, oil-wealthy dictators
course, he continued with the praises and thanks. are bent on making atom bombs. Islamic terror strikes
Turning to his wife and smiling so that only she randomly and no one knows where the next attack
could see, the wealthy man whispered to her, “Now will be. So-called “advanced” cultures are showing
you have your answer. A man does not feel grateful for their bankruptcy. The great American economy has
things that he has had always and thinks are coming crumbled and the ripple effects are felt throughout
to him. If all his life, he feels that it is natural that the world. Humanity seems as if on the edge of an
he has these things, he takes them for granted and is abyss and no one has a clue of what tomorrow will
not thankful for them. That pauper who came to our bring. We are like that orphan the moment before
door got more than he ever dreamed of getting, so his he was called back home. We are living in the period
thanks were endless. This orphan, though, grew up just prior to when HaShem will reveal Himself and
in our house and never lacked a thing. He always has say, “All of this was My doing, so that you would
had all of his needs, so he assumed that everything appreciate My kindness in saving you.”
was coming to him. Only when he realized that things So says the verse, “‫הושיענו ה' אלקינו וקבצנו מן הגוים להודות‬
could be otherwise did he feel gratitude.” ‫ – לשם קדשך‬Save us, HaShem our G-d, and gather us
This is how it would have been had our forefathers from amongst the nations, to praise Your Holy Name.”
remained in Eretz Yisroel and had never been sent (M’eyon HaShavu-ah)

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