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Harav Hagaon Moshe Ahron Friedman Shlita

Of Four and Five

Parashas Va’eira

Harav Hagaon Moshe Aharon Friedman Shlita

In this parashah, Hakadosh Baruch Hu utters the four leshonos of geulah:

וְהוֹצֵאתִי אֶתְכֶם מִתַּחַת סִבְלֹת מִצְרַיִם וְהִצַּלְתִּי אֶתְכֶם מֵעֲבֹדָתָם וְגָאַלְתִּי אֶתְכֶם בִּזְרוֹעַ נְטוּיָה וּבִשְׁפָטִים גְּדֹלִים וְלָקַחְתִּי אֶתְכֶם לִי לְעָם.

We know, from the Yerushalmi in Pesachim and many other sources, that the four cups of wine, which Chazal instituted that we must drink at the Seder, correspond to these four leshonos of geulah. Now, of course, each of these cups of wine represents its own mitzvah, as the Gemara teaches that the first cup is that of Kiddush, the second accompanies the Haggadah, the third is that of Bircas Hamazon, and the fourth goes along with Hallel.

Although the sequence of the four leshonos of geulah would seem to follow the order of the passuk, the Rashbam (Pesachim 99) places וְגָאַלְתִּי second, וְלָקַחְתִּי third, and וְהִצַּלְתִּי fourth. Some say that the girsa should be changed, but elsewhere, in Bava Basra, the Rashbam lists these leshonos of geulah in that very order — except that he writes וְהֵבֵאתִי as the fourth, instead of וְהִצַּלְתִּי. We usually consider וְהֵבֵאתִי the fifth lashon, as we’ll discuss, but perhaps this should be the correct girsa in Pesachim as well: first וְהוֹצֵאתִי, then וְגָאַלְתִּי, then וְלָקַחְתִּי, and finally וְהֵבֵאתִי.

One Word, Two Leshonos?

The Vilna Gaon gives a startlingly different sequence: He says that the four leshonos of geulah are וְהוֹצֵאתִי, וְהִצַּלְתִּי, וְגָאַלְתִּי, and … וְגָאַלְתִּי. How can this be? The passuk says וְגָאַלְתִּי only once!

What the Gaon means is that the passuk says וְגָאַלְתִּי אֶתְכֶם בִּזְרוֹעַ נְטוּיָה and then וּבִשְׁפָטִים גְּדֹלִים, meaning that the second וְגָאַלְתִּי is appended to וּבִשְׁפָטִים גְּדֹלִים. He says that although the standard sequence is recorded so many times in Rashi, the Rashbam, the Yerushalmi, the Midrash, and many other places, this is a printing error; it should have said וְגָאַלְתִּי וכו’, and the וכו’ represents the second וְגָאַלְתִּי, that of וּבִשְׁפָטִים גְּדֹלִים וְגָאַלְתִּי אֶתְכֶם. Those, he says, are the four leshonos of geulah; וְלָקַחְתִּי אֶתְכֶם לִי לְעָם is not one of the leshonos of geulah, but a reference to Mattan Torah. This explains why the halachah is that between the third and four cups there should be no interruption.

It’s hard to find a dissenting view or proof against the Gaon, who says that all the places where וְלָקַחְתִּי is listed are mistaken. But we found a source that does present evidence to the contrary: the Baal Haturim, who writes:

והוצאתי. והצלתי. וגאלתי. ולקחתי. בגימטריא זה עני בישראל לא יפחתו לו מארבע כוסות של יין.

Returning to the four cups of wine, why did Chazal institute that the four leshonos of geulah be commemorated specifically with wine? Couldn’t this have been accomplished, say, with four matzos? Actually, the truth is that there are four matzos, because according to the minhag of the Rema, we take three matzos but break the middle one in half, after which there are four. But why not four nuts? Or four oranges?

It’s because wine is synonymous with simchas Yom Tov, and on Pesach we fulfill this obligation with the four cups. Also, the simchah caused by wine increases exponentially as you drink; if you would consume four of something else, it might not have that effect. And we want the four leshonos of geulah to also grow exponentially.

In addition, wine represents Hakadosh Baruch Hu’s love towards us: נַזְכִּירָה דֹדֶיךָ מִיַּיִן (Shir HaShirim 1:4).

Another unique feature of wine is highlighted by the Meshech Chochmah in the context of וְהִיא שֶׁעָמְדָה. Simply understood, this passage is saying that Hashem’s promise — mentioned in ברוך שומר הבטחתו לישראל — is what allowed Klal Yisrael to endure; the letters וְהִיא also represent the six sidrei Mishnah, the five Chumashim, the Aseres Hadibros, and the One Hashem — אנכי. But וְהִיא שֶׁעָמְדָה can also be referring to the cup of wine we are holding in our hand, indicating that our scrupulousness not to mingle with the non-Jews or drink their wine, in keeping with the gezeirah of Chazal, is what allowed us to survive.

The Fifth Lashon

As we mentioned, there is really a fifth lashon of geulah: וְהֵבֵאתִי. According to the Rashbam, that might be one of the four leshonos, but others say that וְהֵבֵאתִי corresponds to kos shel Eliyahu.

The Ohr Hachaim notes that Hashem promised, וְהֵבֵאתִי אֶתְכֶם אֶל הָאָרֶץ, but it would seem that this promise was not fulfilled, because the generation of the Midbar died out before reaching Eretz Yisrael! How could that be? He answers that between וְלָקַחְתִּי and וְהֵבֵאתִי the phrase וִידַעְתֶּם כִּי אֲנִי ה’ אֱלֹקֵיכֶם appears, as a condition for the promise of וְהֵבֵאתִי. The first four leshonos are unconditional, but the fifth is conditional, and when Klal Yisrael sinned, they were missing this condition, so the promise was no longer guaranteed.

Others say that וְהֵבֵאתִי was fulfilled, according to the teaching of Targum Yonasan and others that וָאֶשָּׂא אֶתְכֶם עַל כַּנְפֵי נְשָׁרִים means that on the night of Pesach, Klal Yisrael were brought to Eretz Yisrael, where they offered the Korban Pesach.

Now, the Chasam Sofer writes that although Chazal instituted four cups of wine, there are really six leshonos of geulah: the first four, plus וְהֵבֵאתִי, and וְנָתַתִּי אֹתָהּ לָכֶם מוֹרָשָׁה אֲנִי ה’. The gematria of kos is 86, and 86 times 6 equals 516. This, he says, is alluded in the passuk in Mizmor Shir Leyom HaShabbos, וַתַּבֵּט עֵינִי בְּשׁוּרָי בַּקָּמִים עָלַי מְרֵעִים. The word שׁוּרָי has the gematria of 516, which is one more than va’eschanan, which equals 515. Moshe Rabbeinu didn’t go into Eretz Yisrael, but this is one step further.

Furthermore, the first letters of the words יתגדל ויתקדש שמיה רבא can be rearranged to spell שׁוּרָי, expressing the wish that we should be zocheh, b’ezras Hashem, to all six leshonos of geulah.

Still, the primary concept of the leshonos of geulah relates to the four. These four leshonos also correspond to the four decrees that Pharaoh enacted: (1) וַיְמָרְרוּ אֶת חַיֵּיהֶם, (2) אִם בֵּן הוּא וַהֲמִתֶּן אֹתוֹ, (3)כָּל הַבֵּן הַיִּלּוֹד הַיְאֹרָה תַּשְׁלִיכֻהוּ , and (4) תֶּבֶן אֵין נִתָּן לַעֲבָדֶיךָ. The Midrash also notes that they correspond to the four exiles: Bavel, Madai, Yavan, and Edom.

The truth is that there’s a fifth galus: Galus Yishmael, and וְהֵבֵאתִי corresponds to that. The gematria of וְהֵבֵאתִי is 424, equal to that of משיח בן דוד. We’re awaiting the fulfillment of the promise of וְהֵבֵאתִי, which will bring us to the next level of the geulah.

The sefarim also teach that the four leshonos correspond to the four Imahos. The Maharal explains that the cup of Kiddush corresponds to Sarah, who converted people and sanctified them; the cup of the berachah of geulah corresponds to Rivka, because אֲרַמִּי אֹבֵד אָבִי; the cup of Bircas Hamazon corresponds to Rachel, whose son Yosef nourished us in Mitzrayim; and the cup of Hallel corresponds to Leah, who said הַפַּעַם אוֹדֶה אֶת ה’.

The Arizal notes that the four kosos also correspond to the four sons: the cup of Kiddush corresponds to the chacham — חכם זו סדר קדשים; the cup of the berachah of geulah corresponds to the rasha — מִתְּחִלָּה עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה; the cup of Bircas Hamazon corresponds to the tam — לא לחכמים לחם; and the cup of Hallel corresponds to the she’eino yodeia lishol —שְׁפֹךְ חֲמָתְךָ אֶל הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר לֹא יְדָעוּךָ.

But then there’s also a fifth son — the son that doesn’t even come to the Seder. I heard someone say once that that son is represented by the fifth kos, the kos of Eliyahu, about whom it is said, וְהֵשִׁיב לֵב אָבוֹת עַל בָּנִים וְלֵב בָּנִים עַל אֲבוֹתָם. We should be zocheh to that speedily, along with the וְהֵבֵאתִי, which represents Galus Yishmael, and we should be zocheh to the geulah with Mashiach ben Dovid.

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