Last Day of Pesach

In this mornings drasha I quoted the Talmud Tractate Chullin 7a. This Gemara tells the famous story of Rabbi Pinchus ben Yair. I focused on the first part of the story. Rabbi P.b.Y was on his way to redeem a captive when he was blocked by the Ginai river. He demanded that the river split for him. The river said "you may fulfill Hashems will, I certainly will fulfill Hashems will" Meaning, man may or may not be sucessful in his efforts to do the will of G-d. The natural world always fulfills G-ds' will. R' PbY would have none of that, he responded "if you don't split I will decree that no water ever pass through you again" The river split. R' PbY said "and split for my fellow traveler who is going to grind flour for Pesach" the river split. R' PbY said "and split for the Arab merchant that is traveling with us so that people don't say we don't care about our fellow travelers" the river split for him also.

The three points I derived from this passage were

1.The natural world exists only to serve the righteous. If the river isn't going to split when R' PbY needs it too there is no reason for its continued existence. This is a central theme of the holiday of Pesach with its ten plagues and famous splitting of the Red Sea. The miraculous events were in essence not unusual. They Sea was created to split. Only when the children of Israel came did it have the opportunity to actualize itself.


2. Although this is true vis a vis the very righteous the sea also split for the Jew who was on his way to make shmurah matzah which is watched from the time the flour is ground. Why off all mitzvos did this happen to be the mitzva the fellow traveller was going to preform. I offered that tzaddikim live with the understanding of the true reality of nature all year long. Those who observe Pesach rise to that level through their observance of the holiday especially the man in the story who was traveling to make shmurah matzah. He like many of us began his Pesach preparation weeks in advance. He understood the importance of the most central of all holidays and the essential lessons it teaches us ubout man, Hashem and nature. Thats why he was preparing in advance. Thats why the river split for him.

3. The third was a simple Arab merchant who happened to be traveling with the other two. R' PbY would not think of leaving him behind. This speaks to me of the role of the Jew in elevating the world around him through his service of Hashem. When the Jew properly serves Hashem, nature falls in line to serve the Jew. All of mankind benefits. This also indicated the ultimate method of managing our enviornment. We dedicate ourselves to Hahsem and he dedicates the would to our service. Then the climate will be as we need it. The resources will be available to us as we need them and the entire world will live in a healthy and productive fashion.