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THE WEEKLY SIDRA- BO
Rabbi Moshe Greebel
There are few other reprehensible human character flaws as detestable as unwarranted anger. The Gemarah in P’sachim 66b instructs:
“Raish Lakish said, ‘As to every man who becomes angry, if he is a Chacham (scholar), his wisdom departs from him; if he is a prophet, his prophecy departs from him.’”
As well, on the same page, we see:
“Rabbi Mani Bar Patish said, ‘Whoever becomes angry, even if greatness has been decreed for him by Heaven, is cast down.’”
In N’darim 22a, we read:
“Rabbi Shmuel Bar Nachmani said in the name of Rabbi Yonosan, ‘He who loses his temper is exposed to all the torments of Gehenna…..’”
Turning the page, at the top we read:
“Rabba son of Rav Huna said, ‘He who loses his temper, even the Sh’china (Divine Presence) is unimportant in his eyes…..’”
These of course, are only a few examples of how contemptible unjustified anger was in the eyes of our Rabbanim of blessed memory. Yet, if all unjustified anger is simply an outward manifestation of inner personal flaw, is there such a concept as justified anger, which does not involve any inner personal flaw? From this week’s Sidra, we will see that outrage over Chillul HaShem (desecration of HaShem), G-d forbid, may at times, be justifiable anger.
After Moshe warned the Pharaoh of the imminent tenth and last Makka (plague) of Makkas B’choros (smiting of the first born), Moshe predicted what would occur after the Makka struck:
“And all these your servants shall come down to me, and bow down themselves to me, saying, ‘Get out, and all the people who follow you, and after that I (Moshe) will go out,’ and he went out from Pharaoh in great anger.” (Sh’mos 11:8)
For the very first time in all his meetings with the Pharaoh, Moshe Rabbeinu showed anger. Rashi on this Passuk (verse), informs us that this anger on the part of Moshe, was the result of what the Pharaoh previously said to him:
“And Pharaoh said to him, ‘Get out from me, take heed to yourself, see my face no more; for the day you see my face you shall die!’” (ibid. 10:28)
That is, even though the Pharaoh stated, “For the day you see my face you shall die,” Moshe responded, “And all these your servants shall come down to me, and bow down themselves to me,” which, as we shall soon see, must have included the Pharaoh as well, bowing to Moshe (who would in fact, see the Pharaoh’s face again).
Now, in truth, how is it even imaginable that the most humble man on the face of the earth (Bamidbar 12:3), and the Av LaN’vi’im (father of all prophets) would resort to something as blameworthy as going ‘out from Pharaoh in great anger’?
This resorting to anger on the part of Moshe is even more problematic, in light of Moshe’s response to the Pharaoh’s above statement:
“And Moshe said, ‘You have spoken well, I will see your face again no more!’” (ibid. 10:29)
If Moshe agreed with the Pharaoh’s assessment of not seeing faces anymore, what reason was there for anger on the part of Moshe?
Additionally, at this time, Moshe was prophesying Makkas B’choros to the Pharaoh. And, as we have learned in the above Gemarah P’sachim 66b:
“…..If he is a prophet (who has anger), his prophecy departs from him.”
How then, was it possible for Moshe to prophesy if he had anger?
A last difficulty presents itself to us in the words of the Gemarah Z’vachim 102a, which comment:
“’And he went out from Pharaoh in hot anger,’ and yet, he said nothing to him? Said Raish Lakish, ‘He (Moshe) slapped him (Pharaoh), and went out.’”
While slapping the Pharaoh showed all Egypt that the Pharaoh was considered nothing in the eyes of Moshe, it must be admitted that such behavior from the Av LaN’vi’im is most surprising, if not downright shocking. What is taking place here?
For our answer to these questions, we turn to the text Mai’Ain Bais HaSho’Aiva, by Rav Shimon Schwab of blessed memory (1908- 1993).
The first thing Rav Shimon explained, was that the anger Moshe displayed here, was not the anger of his own personal inner self. Rather, Moshe was outraged that the Pharaoh’s actions thus far, were a Chillul HaShem, a desecration of HaShem, an anger which had nothing to do personally with Moshe.
Now then, continued Rav Shimon, all through the earlier Makkos until the Pharaoh stated, “See my face no more,” Moshe held back any anger, fulfilling what HaShem had commanded of him:
“And HaShem spoke to Moshe and to Aharon, and gave them a charge to the B’nai Yisroel, and to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the B’nai Yisroel out of the land of Egypt.” (Sh’mos 6:13)
What is the charge to the Pharoah? The Midrash Sh’mos Rabbah 7-3, cited by Rashi, learns:
“And all these your servants shall come down to me, and bow down themselves to me….. Note, not Pharaoh, but his servants; though he should have said, ‘You and your King himself (will come and bow down),’ for it does say, ‘And Pharaoh arose at midnight (Sh’mos 12:30).’ But the reason why he (Moshe) did not mention him (Pharaoh) specifically, was in order to pay him respect.”
The charge of HaShem to Moshe, was to treat the Pharaoh with respect, until the Shlichus (mission) of Moshe was just about completed, when he stated, “And all these your servants (not mentioning the Pharaoh personally).”
Nevertheless, concluded Rav Shimon, once Moshe warned the Pharoah of the tenth Makka, Makkas B’choros, the Shlichus of Moshe was technically completed, whereby Moshe could for the very first time, drop the respect for the Egyptian king, and let him have it with ‘both barrels’ for the Chillul HaShem he created.
Rav Shimon even went a step further in this anger of Moshe, by saying that as soon as the Shlichus was completed, HaShem commanded Moshe to show anger to the Pharaoh, as a warning that HaShem would soon show His immense wrath with Makkas B’choros. This can be seen from the following Passuk, which relates to the Makkos in Egypt:
“He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil Malachim (celestial emissaries) among them.” (T’hillim 78:49)
It was precisely at this time then, the Shlichus being competed, that Moshe ‘went out from Pharaoh in great anger,’ a non personal anger that he was commanded by HaShem to display.
There is of course, an important lesson for us here. Since we do not normally plan on standing before wicked kings, as did Moshe, we must be careful at all times, to keep any rage we have penned up within us in check. Even though unnecessary anger has a way of suddenly and without warning flaring up, our defense of such inner turmoil must be constant without rest.
Yes, there are those times when for the sake of natural development, a parent must show some degree of anger to a child, or a Rebbie to a Talmid (student), even though the parent or Rebbie may have to play act their way through it. But, this is not unjustified anger, for which the vigil of our very selves must be relentless. Let us strive for all our words and actions to be for the sake of heaven.
May we soon see the G’ulah Sh’laimah in its complete resplendence- speedily, and in our times. Good Shabbos.
