Columbia Students Once Rallied Against Nazis — Now They Cheer for Them
5 min read
One of the unusual aspects of Passover is that there are a number of mitzvot that must be performed in the night, something we do not see in relation to the other Torah ordained festivals. For example, one must eat matzah on the first night of Passover and there is the obligation to relate the events of the Exodus on Seder night. In the time of the Temple, the Korban Pesach (Pascal Lamb) also had to be eaten at night. In addition, on a Rabbinic level, the obligations of marror (bitter herbs), and the four cups of wine, must be fulfilled in the night. Hallel is also said on the night of Passover, which is even more surprising given that the Mishna teaches that one may not recite Hallel in the night.1
All this begs the question of why there is such emphasis on performing mitzvot on the first night of Passover.
Fascinatingly, the Vilna Gaon is recorded as saying that this is actually the basis of the famous question of Mah nishtana halayla hazeh (why is this night different from all other nights). He explains that the Haggadah is asking why we do so many unique things on this night. He also notes an incongruity in the phrase of mah nishtana – the Hebrew word for night, ‘layla’, is a feminine word, and therefore should be paired with the feminine descriptive hazot (this), yet in this case, it is paired with the masculine form of ‘hazeh’.
The Vilna Gaon explains that the day is normally described in a masculine form, whereas the night is described as feminine. One reason for this is that men are obligated in time-bound mitzvot which are generally only performed in the day, whereas women are not obligated in such mitzvot. Accordingly, the Haggadah is asking why the night, which is normally associated with femininity, is on this occasion described in the masculine, like the day.
The answer to all these questions is found in the Zohar2 which teaches that God lit up the night of the Exodus as if it were the middle of the day. This is expressed in the piyyut (poem), ‘Vayhei bechatsot halayla’ that we recite in Nirtzah where we state: “Brighten like the light of the day the darkness of the night. It came it pass at midnight. Rabbi Daniel Glatstein3 writes that this is based on the verse in Psalms, “Even darkness obscures not from You, and night shines like the day; darkness and light are the same”.4 Rav Glatstein explains: “King David is telling us that God, at a certain point in time, illuminated the nighttime as if it were the middle of the day. The writer of the poem is teaching that the night that appeared as if it were the middle of the day was the night on which we left Egypt. During the night of leaving Egypt, the nighttime sky was illuminated as if it were midday – “velayla kayom yair – the night was illuminated like the day.” The Chida adds that this verse uses the masculine ‘yair’ as opposed to the feminine ‘tair’ because this night of Passover which would normally have the feminine quality of night was lit up as if it were day.”
With this approach, we can understand why we perform so many mitzvot on the night of Passover, something which we normally do in the day. It is because the first night of Passover was transformed into a day in a real sense. This also explains why it is permitted to say Hallel on the night of Passover even though it is forbidden to say Hallel on other nights – this night in fact became a day.
The significance of this unheralded miracle is illuminated by the Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh.5 He writes that this was not just one of the many miracles that were performed for the Jewish people as we left Egypt. Rather, this miracle was such an integral part of the Exodus that it requires special mention. Its unique status is conveyed by the Torah’s instruction, “Vehigadata lebincha bayom hahu” – you will tell this to your son on this day. This means that we are instructed to specifically relate to our children that the Exodus took place on a night that was transformed to day.
The question remains as to why is the fact that the night turned to day of such central importance. One possible approach is that the night is symbolic of exile and the uncertainty that goes with it, where God’s presence is hidden. That is why our celebrations of events that took place in the exile is tempered. For example, one reason why we do not say Hallel on Purim is that the exile had not ended. In contrast, daytime represents redemption and the clarity that goes with it, where we can clearly see Divine Providence. The night of the Exodus was the time that we merited a lasting redemption. This was not a one-off redemption, rather it continues every year when we literally relive it. Moreover, the seeds of the final redemption sprout from the redemption from Egypt, which is why we stress in the Haggadah our hope for the final redemption. Accordingly, it is essential that the night of the Exodus would be transformed into a day to symbolize that this redemption was the beginning of the ultimate redemption when exile is permanently ended.
May we merit to see the final redemption speedily in our days.
