The Seder of Rebbi Akiva in Bnei Brak - The Chida's Revelation Why the Tanaiim All Went There

And now finally, I want to share with you an approach to the Haggadah, an astounding approach based on the Chida. The Chida, anybody know how many perushim on the Haggadah the Chida wrote? 13. Very good. Six perushim. He wrote six perushim on the Haggadah. He wrote Simchat Haregel. He wrote Zeroa Yamin. He wrote Gulat Olam. He wrote Safa Achat. He wrote Peh Achat. He wrote Batei Hanefesh. In his commentary Safa Achat, the Chida says something astounding. The Chida wants to know there were five great rabbis. Rabbi Eliezer, by the way, anybody know who's the first Tanna mentioned in the Haggadah? Maaseh b'Rabbi Eliezer. Rabbi Eliezer is the first Tanna mentioned in in the Haggadah. Who's the first Tanna mentioned in Shas? Who's the first Tanna mentioned in Shas? What did you learn? Brachot, who's the first Tanna mentioned in Shas? Maaseh Karnei Shav Arvis Mishashe Yamim Niknasim Atzei Vsamim Mishashe Yamim Divrei Rabbi Eliezer. Why is Rabbi Eliezer the first Tanna mentioned in Shas? Cuz Rabbi Eliezer said, "May Olam Lo Kodmani Adam L'veit Hamedrash." Nobody ever came before Rabbi Eliezer to shul. So as a to honor Rabbi Eliezer that he was always the first one to come to shul, he's the first Tanna mentioned in Shas. Likewise, we honor him, he's the first Tanna mentioned in the Haggadah shel Pesach. And they're gathering. Where are they gathering? Rabbi Eliezer Rabbi Yehoshua, Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya, Rabbi Akiva, Rabbi Tarfon. Hayu Mesubin B' Bnei Brak. B' No. B' Eilat. B' Tiveria. No, B' Bnei Brak. Who cares where they were? Why do we need to know where they were? What is the Haggadah? We know that every word of the Haggadah is purposeful. By the way, do you know how many words are in the Haggadah? 1,820 words in the Haggadah. K'minyan Shem Havaya BaTorah. Yeah. 1,820 words in the Haggadah k'minyan the name of Hashem in the Torah. So why do I need to write the words B'Bnei Brak? And let's say they were in Petach Tikva. Let's say they were in Tel Stone. Let's say they were in in Kiryat Shmona. Who cares where they were? So the Chida says something very mysterious. He says when people ask them, "Where are you going? Where are you going?" They said, "We're going to Bnei Brak. The air is good. It's a pleasant place. It's a nice place." But these Chachamim when they came together, they were discussing Razei Elyon V'Tikunim Gedolim. They had very deep Kabbalistic intentions in meeting in Bnei Brak. The only thing is the Chida doesn't really reveal to us what those mystical rectifications they had in mind were. What were they doing there? So we need to come to a very important understanding. The main body of the Haggadah expounds on a few pesukim in Parshat Ki Tavo. Arami Oved Avi Vayered Mitzrayima Vayagur Sham B'Metei Maat Vayehi Sham L'Goy Gadol Atzum Varav Vayereu Otanu. Four pesukim in Ki Tavo. Does this make sense to you? Did you ever think about this? We have five parshios in Sefer Shemot that talk about the Exodus. And the author of the Haggadah, who we're going to get to in a moment, the author of the Haggadah decides, "Hmm, what's What are the best pesukim to expound upon the Haggadah? Not Parshat Shemot, which is over 100 pesukim. Not Va'eira. Not Bo. Not Beshalach. Four random pesukim in Devarim. And that makes up the main body of the Haggadah. What in the world is the Baal Haggadah doing? Why don't we read the pesukim of the story as it happened? Why? Do you understand what it's talking about in Parshat Ki Tavo? Parshat Ki Tavo is talking about a guy who brings pomegranates to the Temple. And he makes a little speech, "By the way, I'm so happy to be here. And I'm and I'm honored to bring my first fruits to the Kohen. And uh my forefathers, they went down to Egypt. It was rough over there. And I'm really glad God took took us out." He randomly Hakadosh Baruch Hu mentioned Yetziat Mitzrayim. Oh, yeah, that's what we need to talk about the little seder. That's that's strange. Why do we pick pick those pesukim? It's a very important question. I want to tell you a great revelation of Rabbi Chaim Palagi. Rabbi Chaim Palagi writes in his Haggadah, he reveals who the author of the Haggadah is. Who's the author of the Haggadah? Rabbi Akiva. There are many different opinions. Rabbi Chaim Palagi says it's Rabbi Akiva. Now I would say now this explains a little bit why they decided to go and spend the seder at Rabbi Akiva's home. If there's anyone in history who knows a thing or two about Yetziat Mitzrayim and the Haggadah, it's probably the author. So the most historic seder that ever took place, we understand it took place in the home of Rabbi Akiva. By the way, I'll tell you something. Does anybody One of the biggest questions on the Haggadah is these rabbis are saying I'm an I'm a very honest guy, okay? I don't I don't want to make myself sound like that. You're you're you you're very holy. But for me personally, there's a mitzvah of Oneg Yom Tov, Simchat Yom Tov. For me, Oneg Yom Tov is sleep. Sleep. I like to you know, I need sleep. Right now I could use some, you know? I don't understand people. They spend they have these uh couples over on a Shabbat afternoon, Yom Tov afternoon. And the meal goes until 7:00 p.m. It's not Tisha B'Av. You don't have to torture yourself. Why why there's no mitzvah to torture yourself on Yom Tov? The mitzvah is to enjoy the Yom Tov. So finish the meal 2:00, 3:00. You could rest a little bit. You could learn a little bit. I don't There's no mitzvah of Inui Nefesh on on Yom Tov. That's just my personal opinion, you know? Also at night, what would you call somebody who he stayed up the whole night? What were you doing? Saying Tehillim. You're allowed to do that on Yom Tov? Let me ask you. You're allowed to stay up the whole night on Yom Tov? No, you're not allowed to. Asur. Abarbanel asks, "What in the world were these Tannaim doing staying up the whole night on Yom Tov talking about Yetziat Mitzrayim? They're torturing themselves." How do you feel? I at 1:30 a.m. I'm I'm my mind doesn't work anymore. You you're you're still running on all cylinders at 1:30 a.m.? I'm not. It's it's hard to stay up so late. Asks Abarbanel, "What in the world are these rabbis doing staying up the whole night?" Now I'm going to ask you a better question. The Shaalos U'Tshuvos Mishkenos Yaakov asks, "Until when is the mitzvah of Sipur Yetziat Mitzrayim?" It's machlokes. Because it depends until when is the mitzvah of matzah. Until when is the mitzvah of matzah? It's machlokes. It depends on Korban Pesach. Until when is the mitzvah of Korban Pesach? Rabbi Eliezer ben Azarya says until chatzos. Rabbi Akiva says the whole night. So Rabbi Akiva, I understand what he was doing speaking about Yetziat Mitzrayim the whole night cuz he holds Korban Pesach is the whole night and the mitzvah of Sipur is the whole night. Rabbi Eliezer ben Azarya held the mitzvah is over at chatzos. Imagine a guy came into Shaarei Emunah on Lag B'Omer. He's shaking a lulav and esrog. So what are you doing, pal? I'm doing a mitzvah. It's a mitzvah to take a lulav and esrog. No, there's no mitzvah to take a lulav and esrog on Lag B'Omer. A mitzvah is not the act of shaking it. You have to do it at the right time. So what is Rabbi Eliezer ben Azarya doing speaking about Yetziat Mitzrayim the whole night? The mitzvah was over at 12:00. He should have gone to sleep. That would have been a bigger mitzvah. Or he could learn. He could learn Torah. Why is he telling stories? The mitzvah to tell stories is only till chatzos. So he said, "Well, the Steipler says Rabbi Akiva's the rabbi, so you always defer to the rabbi. Rabbi Akiva held the mitzvah was the whole night." Fine. So why would Rabbi Eliezer ben Azarya go to a rabbi that he doesn't agree with? What Rabbi Eliezer ben Azarya knew Rabbi Akiva was going to stay up the whole night, so he should have found a different rabbi to visit. The answer is there's no bigger expert in the world on Yetziat Mitzrayim than Rabbi Akiva. Why? He wrote the Haggadah. Now the question is why did he write the Haggadah? Here's another revelation of Rabbi Chaim Palagi nobody knows. Rabbi Chaim Palagi says he counted up the chapters of the Haggadah, the piskaos of the Haggadah, and he discovered there are 50 chapters of the Haggadah. K'neged the 50 times in the Chumash it says Yetziat Mitzrayim. Why does it say 50 times in the Chumash Yetziat Mitzrayim? Cuz God took us out with the Shaar Nun of Kedusha. Why did he take us out with the Shaar Nun? Cuz we fell to the 49th level of tumah. So we needed the Shaar Nun to yank us out. Now, the Gemara says in Rosh Hashanah, there are 50 levels of Kedusha. They're all given to Moshe except for one. Shenemar, "V'Ata Hichsarta Oti Me'Elokim." There's only one man in history who had all 50 levels of Kedusha. Kol Yakara Ata Enav. He saw a kol. He saw everything. Kol Yakara Ata Enav. Zeh Rabbi Akiva. Rabbi Akiva had the Shaar Nun. Moshe didn't have the Sha'ar HaNun. Therefore, the Chida says, when Hashem tells Moshe, "Go take the Jews out of Egypt." Moshe says, "What? Shlach na?" Be at tishlach, send someone else. Says the Chida, who is the someone else? Send Rebbe Akiva. Moshe says, "I'm handicapped anyway. I can't I I can't get beyond 49 of Kedusha. I won't be able to do the job. Get Rebbe Akiva to take them out of Egypt. Rebbe Akiva has the Sha'ar HaNun." Akiva has the Sha'ar HaNun. He's the world's leading expert of Yetziat Mitzrayim. Guess what book he wrote? He wrote the Haggadah. Guess how many chapters he wrote? He wrote 50 chapters. I discovered the 50th chapter is Baruch Ata Hashem Asher Ge'alanu. The bracha of Ge'ulah is the 50th chapter cuz that's the one that yanked us out. Now, ready for this? Do you ever hear the sefer Pele Yoetz? He also wrote a Haggadah. In the Haggadah of the Pele Yoetz, he says they were mesaprin b'Yitziat Mitzrayim. What does the word mesaprin mean? Literally, mesaprin, what? Counting. Counting, exactly. Counting. The Vilna Gaon asks, it doesn't say Yitziat Mitzrayim 50 times. You know how many times it says it? 90 times. So, the Ramak explains, Ramashka explains, we don't count everyone. We only count the ones that are mentioned as a praise for Hakadosh Baruch Hu. So, you have to know how to count it. So, they were mesaprin the number of times that it says Yitziat Mitzrayim. Not they were talking about Yitziat Mitzrayim. Mesaper nun. Mesaper nun. It doesn't say mesaper, mesaprin, mesaper nun. They were counting the 50 times. So, Hagaon Rebbe Pinchas Friedman, I just spoke to him this afternoon. He wrote a Haggadah, Shvilei Pinchas. He brings from Rabbi Moshe Wolfson, the 50th time Yitziat Mitzrayim is mentioned in the Chumash, Vayotzieinu Hashem Mitzrayim in Parshat Ki Tavo, those four psukim that the whole Haggadah is based on. The 50th time Yitziat Mitzrayim is mentioned in the Chumash, it are the four psukim that make up the main body of the Haggadah shel Pesach. The reason why the Haggadah darshans these psukim, this is the 50th time Yitziat Mitzrayim is mentioned in the Chumash. He explains, by the way, if you look at the psukim, it starts Ve'anisa Ve'amarta lifnei Hashem Elokecha, but we leave out those words and we start counting from Arami oved avi. Why do we start in the middle of the pasuk Arami oved avi? Count from Arami oved avi until the end of these psukim. You know how many words there are? 50 words. So, we take out those first words of the pasuk because we specifically want to bring in the 50th mention of Yitziat Mitzrayim in the context of 50 words, and there 50 chapters in the Haggadah, and it was written by Rebbe Akiva, the only one who knew the Sha'ar HaNun. So, this a little glimpse. By the way, Megaleh Amukot says, if you take the first word of sefer Vayikra, Vayikar, aleph. What's that aleph called? Aleph ze'ira, small aleph. Gematria of aleph ze'ira is Rebbe Akiva. And what are the other words? Vayikar. He knew all the glory. Kol yakar ata eilav. Vayikar hu aleph ze'ira, Rebbe Akiva. It's a preparation for Pesach. Rebbe Akiva, Moshe Rabbenu wanted Rebbe Akiva to take us out of Egypt. Moshe said he could do a much better job. He has the Sha'ar HaNun. Rebbe Akiva wrote the Haggadah. According to Rebbe Chaim Palagi, 50 chapters. The main body of the Haggadah expounds the 50th mention of Yitziat Mitzrayim. And maybe then this is what the Chida means, that they went to the city of Benei Berak to discuss celestial secrets and mystical aspects of the Seder cuz Rebbe Akiva was able to teach and give over some form of the Sha'ar HaNun to his talmidim. By the way, and who was Rabbenu Akiva talmidim? Who was the student of Rebbe Akiva? Of course, who? The Rashbi. The Rashbi. And what did the Rashbi say? Rabbotenu, higia zman Kriat Shema shel Shacharit. You ready for this? How many letters in the first pasuk of Shema? 25. How many letters in Baruch Shem Kevod Malchuto Le'olam Va'ed? 24. 49. Who got the 50th? Yatz'a Yatz'a nishmato b' echad. Echad. Rebbe Akiva, the secret Rebbe Akiva was he knew the echad to be mashlim the 50th level of Kedusha. Therefore, Masechet Berachot begins, Me'eimatai Korin et Shema, ba'arev. What does the Bavli say? Ba'aravin. What's that nun doing there? Since when is it a nun? The secret of Kriat Shema is if you have 25 of the first pasuk, 24 of the second pasuk, you're able with the kavana of mesirat nefesh is the Sha'ar HaNun. And therefore, when is man Kriat Shema? It goes by mishasha kohenim nichnasin la'azarah bitrumasan. Trumah? Two out of 100, one out of 50. It's the missing 50th ingredient of the Kriat Shema. So, Rebbe Nachmani was mesayem Masechet Berachot. And when you make a siyum, you have to hook it back into the beginning. So, the beginning is the Sha'ar HaNun is the kavana of Rebbe Akiva. What does it mean Rebbe Akiva had the Sha'ar HaNun and not Moshe Rabbenu? The Sha'ar HaNun is the missing ingredient of Kriat Shema. 25 letters of the first pasuk, 24 letters of the second pasuk, but it's the kavana of mesirat nefesh that Moshe Rabbenu Moshe Rabbenu didn't have that opportunity of kavana mesirat nefesh that Rebbe Akiva had. That's how he zocheh to yatz'a nishmato b'echad. Okay, we should be zocheh that by reading the Haggadah, we should merit the final blessing of the Haggadah, Leshana Haba'ah BiYerushalayim. Thank you very much.