The Haggadah of the Gerrer Dynasty

The Rebbe Rav Simchah Bunim of Peshis'cha asked his talmid, the Kotzker Rebbe, from where he derived inspiration to serve Hashem. The Kotzker replied that he was motivated by the pasuk, Raise up your eyes on high and see, Who created these... (Yeshayah 40:26). "That idea can inspire other nations," said the Rebbe of Peshis'cha, "but a Yid should take his hisorerus from the story of Yetzias Mitzrayim."

In the tefillah recited prior to burning the chametz, we ask Hakadosh Baruch Hu: Ve'es Yitzreinu Hara Tivarehu Mie'etanu, to remove the Yetzer Hara from within us. . How can a person make such a request when Chazal teach us (Berachos 33b) that Everything is in the hands of Heaven, except for the fear of Heaven? The Chiddushei HaRim explained what Chazal were saying. "Everything is in the hands of Heaven" means that in general, when a person requests something, in Shamayim there is a choice as to how to answer. Hakadosh Baruch Hu can say yes, and He can say no. But there is one exception. "Except for the fear of Heaven" means that when a person sincerely asks to experience fear of Heaven, his request will always be granted. If a person would make that sort of request and really mean it, then it is not in the hands of Heaven to turn it down – meaning that the tefillah will certainly be accepted. "But," the Chiddushei HaRim would conclude, “people have to truly ask for it..."

The mitzvah of bedikas chametz is performed in the cracks and crevices. The Imrei Emes explained that this means that the search is not just for the effects of the yetzer hara, but also for what is the root of cheit within us, and how can we be its source rid of it?

The "Echad," the One and Only force in creation, the Ribbono Shel Olam, resides deep in every Jew. There is the spark of Echad in the chacham and rasha alike, every single Jew connected with Him in their own way.

During the last Seder of his life, the Beis Yisrael explained the words in the Haggadah: Until Ben Zoma expounded upon it: "In order that you may remember the day you left Mitzrayim all the days of your life." The phrase "the days of your life" would have indicated only the days: the addition of the word "all" includes the nights as well. But the Sages declare that "the days of your life" would mean only the present world; the addition of "all" includes the era of Mashiach. The dispute between Ben Zoma and the chachamim, said the Rebbe, revolved around this very idea. The Chachamim held that the only point of life is to hasten the arrival of Mashiach, and the goal is just "to bring to the days of Mashiach," while Ben Zoma believed that the purpose of life is fulfilled during the nights; the point is to bring faith and connection to Hashem to the darkest place and times as well and to fulfill Hashem's will in this world, at this time.

The visitor who waited to go into the room of the Beis Yisrael appeared to be a distinguished person, and before his turn came, he called the gabbai, Reb Chanina Schiff, to the side. He felt it important for the gabbai to inform the Gerrer Rebbe that he, the visitor, was a direct descendant of the Chasam Sofer. Reb Chanina explained that the Rebbe would read the kvittel and see what he had to see, and added that such introductions were not customary in Ger, but the guest was insistent. He came into the room and Reb Chanina obliged him, telling the Beis Yisrael that the visitor was a descendant of the Chasam Sofer. The Gerrer Rebbe reacted with surprise. "I have to know that he's an einekel of the Chasam Sofer?" he asked. “He is the one who has to know and remember that he is an einekel of the Chasam Sofer!"

"We like in a world of protektzia, where a person needs connections with the right people to get a good job or to help get a child into school, so we forget the truth. We forget that by the Eibishter there is no such thing as protektzia, and every single person has the same right and the same koach to ask Him for help." The Rebbe indicated the door to his room, the waiting room filled with people beyond it. “Every day, there is a long line of people who come here, but they forget that they can go directly to Him and help themselves!"

The Avnei Nezer, the Rebbe of Sochatchov, was traveling to a bris to serve as sandak. The chassidim were surprised, because the Rebbe's every moment was sacred, and he wouldn't generally travel elsewhere for a bris. They checked who the baalei simchah were, and were surprised to learn that the new parents were relatively simple, quiet people. One of the older chassidim asked the Rebbe directly why he was joining this particular simchah, and the Avnei Nezer explained his reasoning. The new father, a tailor from a nearby village, had come to ask the Rebbe to participate a few days earlier, sharing his story. "Rebbe," he said, "my wife and I have been married for fifteen years without children, but now the Ribbono Shel Olam helped us and my wife gave birth to our bechor. Would the Rebbe come serve as sandak at the bris?" "Do you hear?" the Avnei Nezer asked. "Today, everyone who gets helped tells you where they got helped- this one in Ger, the other in Radzimin and the third in Alexander... but this Yid made a kiddush Hashem, telling me that the One Who helped him was Hashem Yisbarach! I haven't heard that in a while, and out of appreciation, I am joining his simchah."

The pasuk says that while darkness rested over all of Mitzrayim, "Ulichol Bnei Yisrael Hayah Ohr Bimoshvoseichem" (Shemos 10:23). Chassidim of the Chiddushei HaRim would connect this with a vort their Rebbe said on a pasuk (Tehillim 139:12). There, it says "Gam Choshech Lo Yachshich Mimcha" which literally means, "Even darkness will not obscure anything from You." The Chiddushei HaRim explained it to mean, "Even darkness does not obscure, because it is from You. And therefore, it too is light." For a Yid, a dark time is an opportunity for growth, for connection to the Creator, for discovering new strengths, and so it too has light within it. In the world, there might be choshech, but for the Bnei Yisrael, it is always light

"Asah Lanu Nissim Unikama BiParoah Osos Umofsim Bi'admas Bnei Cham" In Kotzk they would say that Osos Umofsim, signs and wonders, belong only Bi'admas Bnei Cham, in strange lands, and are not the means to inspire the true oveid Hashem. Wonders and miracles cause a person to stop and look, but not to change

The Lev Simchah quoted his father, the Imrei Emes, who remarked that the seudah eaten at the Seder is surrounded by Hallel, portions of Hallel recited before it, the rest following it. This indicates that the seudah itself is part of the Hallel, the eating and drinking also a form of expressing gratitude to Hashem

"VeHasomech Noflim" When a person sins, says the Chiddushei HaRim, even after he has already fallen, the Ribbono Shel Olam is still there to support him so that he can find a way to rise again. Even when someone is nofeil, falling, Hashem is being someich him, supporting him to provide hope for the future

On Pesach, there is a commandment of Lo Yeraeh Licha Chametz, No chametz shall be seen of yours (Shemos 13:7), The Pnei Menachem saw this as hinting to the realm of Licha, those areas that a person might consider his own, since there is no clear mitzvah or aveirah defining their behavior. The Torah wants those areas to be elevated and holy as well, even what is permitted used to serve Hashem - do not let your Licha become chametz, he explains.

The Pnei Menachem suggested that the flaw in the approach of the wicked son lies in the word he uses, Lachem, as opposed to that used by the wise son, Eschem. The wicked son states that he understands that if the Torah explicitly prohibits an action or deed, then we have to desist from it. But why is there a focus on the Lachem, those areas of personal discretion, in which there is no explicit mitzvah or aveirah directing a person? Why should people welcome sensitivity to the will of Heaven in their personal lives? This question, devaluing the importance of the holiness inherent in areas of Lachem, is counter to the basic principles of Judaism

What is the significance of reacting by hitting his teeth specifically, as opposed to any other part of his body? How is that a response to his question? The Gerrer Rebbe shlita connects this with the Gemara (Kiddushin 24b). The Gemara discusses why the Torah needs to specify that a servant goes free if the master damages his eye or his tooth: Why not just say one of them and we could learn all body parts from it? The Gemara answers that since a person is not born with teeth, perhaps the tooth is not considered a body part; thus, we would not know that the servant is set free if his master knocked out a tooth. This is our message to the rasha. Just like the tooth, we tell him, which is not a part of you but something that came later, so too the wickedness of your past. It is not you. You are whole without it.

When we say "dayenu," we are expressing the belief of the tzaddik, that if that was what we would have gotten, then clearly, that would have been precisely what we need.

The Gemara (Eiruvin 21b) says that when Shlomo HaMelech instituted the halachos of eiruvin and netilas yadayim, a Bas Kol rang out and said "your heart becomes wise, then my heart too will rejoice" (Mishlei 23:15). The question is why this was referred to as a "chachmah," a sign of unusual wisdom worthy of Heavenly approval. The Kotzker Rebbe explained that these two halachos represent two opposing approaches the eiruv allows a person to be part of the broad spectrum of society, joining with others on Shabbos and Yom Tov, and the halachos of netilas yadayim are a means of keeping a person elevated and separate, ensuring that he retains a state of purity. To be able to do both - to know when to mix with others, and when to remain apart that is the ultimate chachmah of life, said the Rebbe.

Although the korban todah belongs in the category of korbenos shelamim, there is a marked difference between it and a regular shelamim, because an ordinary shelamim is consumed over the course of two days and the intervening night, while a todah must be eaten within one day and the night that follows. The Chiddushei HaRim explains that this is because the korban todah is an expression of gratitude, and each day brings its own miracles and Divine kindnesses. Thus, the thanks must be expressed right away, for tomorrow, there will already be new reasons to say thank You.