Creation Version 2

The Exodus from Egypt is one of the central themes of Judaism – we say zeicher leyetzias Mitzrayim on Shabbos and Yom Tov, we say it twice a day in the last paragraph of the Shema and it is embedded in the teffilin.

Let’s look at what makes the leaving of Egypt so fundamental to Torah.

The Mishnah in Pirkei Avos (5:8) states that 10 things were created at the twilight of Shabbos. For example the mouth of the earth that swallowed Korach and the mouth of the donkey that spoke to Bilam.

Why Bein Hashmashos (twilight) and why did they need a special creation?

Why a time that is neither one or the other – suspended? Why were these not created with everything else in the 6 days? Because they are outside the laws of nature.

In the Six Days of Creation, Hashem created all worldly creations and programmed in the laws of nature and (what we will call) meta-nature.

Natural – laws of nature as we experience them, eg. gravity

Meta-natural – laws affecting the universe above the powers of nature. For example the powers of maleachim (angels) and mazalos (stars, and constellations) etc which also work according to laws Hashem set in place

Example

Natural – plant a grass seed and under the right conditions a grass will grow

Meta-natural – as the Medrash says, no blade of grass grows without a maleach standing over it and saying grow

Although there were miracles they were with the intermediary of meta-nature, maleachim or kochavim. So Avraham and Sarah having a child was communicated through the maleach and the same with Sarah being saved from Paro.

Until Yetzias Mitzraim which was Hashem Himself as we say in the Haggada.

The things in the Mishna were on the boundaries of nature, they are an extension of nature, ie a donkey had a mouth, this was an exceptional donkey mouth that could speak. Hashem gave them a special creation at a time that is undefined, to include (these undefined phenomena) within the laws of nature .

This was because they were to teach lessons – the donkey was to teach Bilam that he could not curse a nation that through meta-nature was blessed from the times of Avrohom. The mouth of the earth was to teach Korach that just as he couldn’t change the laws of nature, he couldn’t change the laws of meta-nature that Aharon was the Kohein.

At Yetzius Mitzrayim, we became the catalyst of direct super-natural intervention in the universe and this is a basic tenet of Judaism.

At Yetzias Mitzrayim Hashem, as it were, installed a new operating system which now had a third level of control, Supernatural (direct intervention from Hashem,) for the Yidden, which meant that when we follow the will of Hashem we experience success beyond nature and beyond meta-nature and chos veshalom the opposite if we don’t.

Hashem created the world in 6 days, part of this included the enforcement of the laws of nature – miracles could happen but only as extensions of nature eg. Daniel in Lion’s den, all animals fitting in the Ark etc. 

Until Yetzias Mitzraim - the Macos  were against the laws of nature  All types of wild animals coming together with one goal to obliterate the Egyptians and not harm each other;  the hail consisted of hailstones with fire inside; the last makah only killed Egyptian first born.

Why did these not require a special creation at twilight – because Hashem the Programmer as it were, went into the operating system and changed it for the Jewish People. There was now a whole different version of the operating system.

This is the ultimate example of the intervention of Hashem in the lives of the Jewish People and is, in many ways the foundation of our faith in Hashem as not just Creator, but Driver.

Related Articles – Supernatural Selection

So, the world has 2 balance sheets, the spiritual balance sheet and reflecting that, the physical balance sheet. Whilst korbanos were the ultimate tool for balancing the spiritual balance sheet, we still have very powerful tools at our disposal. Tefillah is called paros sefaseinu – the cows of our lips. In other words, we can earn our spiritual balance through the power we invest in our davening. Torah, mitzvos and acts of kindness achieve the same.

The destruction of the Beis Hamikdash is not a loss but a confiscation – the ideal is to do Tisha B’Av so well, that we restore the level to bring back the Beis Mamikdash.

Related essays: Three Weeks – Designed Emotions