Holy Mockery

A Message from the Kalever Rebbe Parshas Bo 5786 We need to use Mockery against todays Idols The sixth Chabad Rebbe, Rabbi Joseph Isaac Schneersohn, escorted by the New York Police Department, upon his arrival in the United States, 1929. "In order that you tell into the ears of your son and your son's son how I made a mockery of the Egyptians..." (Shemos 10:2) Standing Unbowed Before False Power R' Yosef Yitzchak of Lubavitch, was imprisoned in Russia, for spreading Torah and Yiddishkeit in defiance of Communist law. When he was imprisoned, he resolved with unwavering clarity, that since his arrest was solely for Torah, and since his captors drew their strength from impurity whose power is nothing but illusion, he would not submit to them in any way. He was not intimidated by guards or interrogators. When they ordered him to remove his tallis katan, he refused. Throughout his imprisonment, he would not allow himself to be subjugated by them or their demands. Even when officials came to inform him of his miraculous release, despite prison protocol requiring a prisoner to stand, he refused to rise, for standing would imply acceptance of their authority. Astonishingly, they yielded to him completely. Mordechai's Refusal to Bow This same principle is found by Mordechai, who would not move when the wicked Haman passed before him, as the Megillah states (Esther 5:9), "He did not rise and did not tremble." Mordechai refused to give even the appearance of submission or recognition of the power of evil. Instead, he gathered the Jewish children to pray to Hashem, teaching that everything depends solely on Him. Through emunah and tefilah, he nullified the forces of impurity—and thus we merited the miracle of Purim. Victory Through Looking Heavenward So too in the war against Amalek, Chazal teaches that Bnei Yisroel prevailed in that war, when Moshe Rabbeinu raised his hands, causing the people to look toward Heaven and strengthening them in emunah. Their victory was not rooted in physical might, but in emunah. Why the Galus of Egypt Was Necessary This was the very purpose that the Jewish people were required to descend into the galus of Egypt. The Egyptians were heretics, as Pharaoh declared (Shemos 5:2), "I do not know Hashem." Precisely there, amidst denial, heresy and impurity, the Jewish people needed to strengthen their faith in order to nullify the forces of defilement entrenched in that land. Hashem sent Moshe Rabbeinu to Pharaoh to speak words of emunah. Therefore, Hashem commanded the mitzvah of the Korban Pesach. The Jewish people were instructed to take a lamb—the Egyptian idol—bind it to their bed posts for four days, slaughter it, place its blood upon their doorposts, and eat it before leaving Egypt. By doing so, they openly disgraced the Egyptian deity. Logically, the Egyptians should have erupted in violent retaliation, as has tragically occurred many times throughout history when Jews were accused of belittling false beliefs. Yet Hashem stripped the Egyptians of all power. They were unable to act against the Jews, and all saw the utter nothingness of Egypt's idol. Through this, the power of impurity was broken. A Lesson for Today This teaches us a vital lesson that must be applied to the time in which we are living. Today's culture is ruled by heresy and hostility toward the concept of emunah. There are spiritual forces actively seeking to uproot belief. Our task is therefore to strengthen emunah precisely within these places of denial, and to belittle the false gods of our era. Through this demanding avodah, we shatter the power of the kelipos and draw the complete redemption closer. The Holy Use of Mockery For this purpose, it is fitting to denounce sin in every possible way—even by using ridicule to expose and debase sinful behavior. This is included in mockery of idolatry, which is permitted, as taught in the Gemara (Megillah 25a). Indeed, this is why the power of mockery was created: so that through exposing the disgrace of sin, people may be brought to repentance and teshuvah. The Chazon Ish and the Power of Sacred Wit R' Shalom Shvadron related that early in his career people criticized him for delivering moral rebuke in a way that evoked laughter. Unsure whether they were right, he traveled to consult the Chazon Ish. The Chazon Ish asked him to demonstrate his method. For about twenty minutes, R' Shvadron illustrated how he used mockery to expose false values in his sermons. When he finished, the Chazon Ish said, "It is good that you speak this way. This is how one must speak. Had there been more like you during the era of the Enlightenment, they would have succeeded in stopping it." Chutzpah for Kedushah Especially nowadays, when mockery is often wielded against those who fear Heaven, we must fight back by turning this weapon around and using it to reveal the emptiness and foolishness of a life devoted to vanity. The Chiddushei HaRim, explained the teaching (Soteh 49b) that in the generation just prior to the arrival of Moshiach, chutzpah and brazenness will increase both negatively and positively. Just as it becomes easier to fall into destructive audacity, so too it becomes easier to access holy boldness—azus d'kedushah—to serve Hashem with strength and courage. For Hashem never brings a test without also granting the power to withstand it. Passing the Message to Every Generation This is the meaning of what Hashem said at the time of Yetzias Mitzrayim, "So that you shall tell your son and your grandson how I mocked Egypt." This message must be transmitted in every generation. We must teach our children that the humiliation of idolatry nullifies its power, and that by exposing the failure and emptiness of false gods and sinful paths in every era, we weaken impurity and hasten the final redemption. Kaalov Headquarters - 188 Hewes St, Brooklyn, NY, 11211 unsubscribe