Baruch HaMakom – It is here that we refer to Hashem by His attribute of omnipresence. Before we allow ourselves to become absorbed in the mitzvah of Sipur Yetzias Mitzrayim, we must first understand with absolute clarity that Hashem is present in each and every facet of our lives, even when He isn’t explicitly felt or seen.
This Shabbos coincides with Rosh Chodesh, and we will recite Hallel to praise and thank Hashem – for the past, present and the future – for redeeming us and sustaining us with His abundant kindness. Kapital 118, for example, speaks prophetically of the Redemption, and describes the praise and thanks that will be sung then by the ingathered exiles. It describes our trust in Hashem, and our firm belief in His salvation regardless of the situation.
We find ourselves within the stage of “Someich Geulah l’Geulah.” We have gone from the Yom Tov of Purim – the Yom Tov of giving freely to one another, exchanging gifts and distributing funds to the poor and to “kol haposhet yad nosnim lo.” Now, as we are about to announce the arrival of Chodesh Nissan – the month of Pesach, the month of “kol dichfin yeitzei v’yeichal, kol ditzrich yeitzei v’yifsach” – by doing so we are in fact proclaiming our readiness for the Geulah Shelaimah.
Throughout the centuries, we have long endured the persecution of our enemies, none more so than at the hands of Amalek – the remembrance of whom Hashem commands us to obliterate in this week’s parsha. To this day, its evil influence continues to plague our people, threatening to quash our sense of Torah values, our moral code of ethics and our performance of mitzvos. Even now, the wicked remnants of Amalek incessantly seek to extinguish our pure and holy flame.
The shminis that is to be played l’asid lavo will come into existence when we once again achieve the great level of achdus that we are truly capable of; a level that we so excellently exhibited when we initially accepted the Torah. When that day comes, the 8th note will be heard; The perfect unity of music, symbolized by the perfect unity of mankind.
Tu B’Shvat is the ideal time to ask Hashem to afford us the ability, mental capacity, and clarity of understanding to reach new heights in our Torah study and to be able to develop and elucidate original Torah thoughts and ideas. For us, the 15th of Shvat is the day on which we can aspire to reach new heights in learning Torah, achieve new levels in understanding the wisdom of Hashem, and embark on a new year of learning. We ask Hashem to provide us the necessary resources to produce beautiful new peiros of our own.
Like the message of the menorah: the Creator of the world has the power to burn vinegar like oil, the ability to turn difficulty into growth, evil into good and darkness into light.
In the purest expression of faith and devotion, Dovid HaMelech provides us with our primary purpose in this world – to be able to proclaim with pride that we are servants of the One above. May we not only be zoche to earn the title of Eved Hashem, but may He answer all of our tefillos simply because of our deep desire to become one.
No matter how loudly the external winds may howl, no matter how vulnerable and insecure our physical fortresses may be, on Sukkos we are given the ability to recognize that Hashem has always been there and will continue to always be there, watching over us and providing us with His loving shelter.
In shul, as we reach the pinnacle of the Yom Kippur avodah, there is a palpable feeling of elation in the air when we read this special piyut. Using magnificent expression and splendid portrayal of imagery, this esoteric sonnet portrays the Kohen Gadol’s safe emergence and successful departure from the Holy of Holies on this wondrous day.