Judaism: The Shmuz for Pesach Part I

Hashem is the benefactor.
Published: Sunday, March 24, 2013 11:45 PM

"And Pharaoh sent for Moshe and Aharon and said to them, ‘I have sinned this time. HASHEM is righteous, and I and my people are wicked.” — Shemos 9:27


After months and months of rebellion, Pharaoh finally admitted that he was wrong. The Daas Zakainim explains that the plague of hail moved Pharaoh more than any other. And it was because of one factor: Moshe had warned him that the hail would kill anything living. Again and again, Moshe cautioned Pharaoh to take his livestock and his slaves inside. Because Pharaoh was repeatedly warned to save the living creatures, he was moved and recognized his error.


This Daas Zakainim is difficult to understand. Why would this detail cause Pharaoh to admit that HASHEM was right? He witnessed the greatest revelation of HASHEM’s mastery of nature—and it didn’t move him. He watched as Mitzrayim, the superpower of its time, was brought to its knees. That didn’t move him. Why should this single factor have such an effect?

This question is best answered with a moshol.

The Nature of the Human



Let Us Make Man

This is illustrative of the basic components of the human. When Hashem created man, He joined together two diverse elements to form his soul. These are his spiritual soul, what we call his nishamah, and his animal soul, which is comprised of all of the drives and inclinations needed to keep him alive. The conscious “I” that thinks and feels is made up of both parts.



We humans are this contradictory combination. Within me is an animal soul made up of pure desires and appetites, and within me is a holy nishamah that only wishes to do that which is right and proper. The animal soul only knows its needs and exists to fulfill them. The nishamah is magnanimous and only wishes to give. These two total opposites are forged together to create the whole we know as the human.

Touching the Soul

This seems to be the answer to the Daas Zakainim. Pharaoh was a human being, and as all humans, he had a sublime side to him. He may have spent years ignoring and pushing it down, but it remained within him. What he experienced during the plague of hail was pure chessed. His enemy was concerned for his good. There was nothing that HASHEM had to gain by protecting the cattle and the slaves of the Egyptians. The only motivation was generosity, goodness, and a pure concern for others. Seeing this warmed even the callous heart of Pharaoh. He recognized this wasn’t driven by lowly motives. He understood that he was dealing with something outside of the realm of normal human interests. He saw HASHEM.

Being like HASHEM


The selfish person is focused on his needs and his wants. The generous person is concerned about the welfare of others—even at the cost of his own needs. We would assume that the selfish person would happy. After all, he is singly focused on what’s good for him. But the generous person has the good of others on his mind—surely he can’t be as happy. He has to worry about the good of others.




This why kindliness is so basic to being a Torah observant Jew. If it could be, HASHEM is all-giving, kindness, and mercy. Many mitzvahs train us in these traits because this is the greatest elevation of the human—to be as much like HASHEM as humanly possible. While it takes focus and attention to bring out the higher part of our personality, it is ingrained in our soul and so it comes naturally to us.