Hayom Yom 19 Nissan - Mystical meaning of the Four Questions

Shabbos Chol HaMoed Pesach, Day 4 of the Omerגַּם בְּשִׂמְחָה וּבְצָהֳלָה[Whenever Shabbos coincides with Yom-Tov or (as in the present case) with one of the days of Chol HaMoed,] the wording [in the last stanza of the Lechah Dodi hymn in Friday evening’s Kabbalas Shabbos service] is gam besimchah u’vetzahalah (“both with rejoicing and gladness”).שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם. אֵשֶׁת חַיִל. מִזְמוֹר לְדָוִד. דָּא הִיא סְעוּדָתָא, וְיִתֶּן לְךָ — אוֹמְרִים בְּלַחַשׁ[In the above-described situation,] the passages beginning Shalom aleichem, Eishes chayil, Mizmor leDavid and Da hi seudasa [that are recited on Friday evening], and the passages beginning VeYiten Lecha [that are recited after Havdalah], should be said in a whisper.פַעַם פֵּרֵשׁ אַאַמוּ"רMy revered father, the Rebbe [Rashab], once gave the following [mystical] interpretation [of the Four Questions]:מַה נִּשְׁתַּנָּה הַלַּיְלָה — גָּלוּת שֶׁנִּמְשַׁל לְלַיְלָה — הַזֶּה — הָאַחֲרוֹןWhy is this night, this final exile (for exile is symbolized by night), different מִכָּל הַלֵּילוֹת — גָּלֻיּוֹת שֶׁקָּדְמוּהוּfrom all the other nights, from all the exiles that preceded it?שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אֵין אָנוּ מַטְבִּילִין — לְשׁוֹן מֵרוּק נִקָּיוֹן וְטַהֲרָה — אֲפִילוּ פַּעַם אֶחָתOn all [other] nights we do not dip (the verb מטבילין also means [immersion and thus implies] scouring, cleansing, and purification) even once. לֹא נִגְמַר הַמֵּרוּק בָּהֶם, כִּי הֲרֵי הָיָה אַחֲרֵיהֶם עוֹד גָּלוּתThe process of cleansing was not completed in the previous exiles, as is evident from the fact that each was followed by yet another exile. הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה שְׁתֵּי פְעָמִים — מֵרוּק גּוּף וְגִלּוּי הַנֶּפֶשׁOn this night we dip twice, [once to] scour the body and [once to] reveal the soul.שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָנוּ אוֹכְלִים חָמֵץ אוֹ מַצָּהOn all [other] nights, we eat chametz or matzah. הַיְנוּ כִּי גַם אַחַר הַגָּלוּת, הָעֲבוֹדָה הִיא מִצַּד נֶפֶשׁ הָאֱלֹקִית, מַצָּה בִּטּוּלFollowing all the other exiles, our Divine service involves both the G‑dly soul, symbolized by matzah, which represents bittul (self-nullification),וּמִצַּד נֶפֶשׁ הַבַּהֲמִית, חָמֵץ יֵשׁוּתand the animal soul, symbolized by chametz, which represents yeshus (egoism). הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה — אַחַר גָּלוּת הָאַחֲרוֹן — כּוּלּוֹ מַצָּה — שֶׁיּוּעֲבַר רוּחַ הַטּוּמְאָהOn this night, after this final exile, [we eat] only matzah, for the spirit of impurity will be removed from the world.שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָנוּ אוֹכְלִין שְׁאָר יְרָקוֹתOn all [other] nights, we eat other vegetables. כָּל הַמְקַנֵּא פָּנָיו מוֹרִיקוֹת[This recalls the popular saying that] “when a person becomes envious, his face turns green.” וּבְכָל הַגָּלֻיּוֹת הַרְבֵּה בְּחִינוֹת בְּקִנְאָה: קִנְאַת סוֹפְרִים וְהַדּוֹמֶהDuring all the exiles there were many kinds of envy, [including negative ones, such as envying another’s wealth, and also positive kinds of envy,] such as “the envy of scholars, [which increases wisdom].” הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה — אַחַר גָּלוּת הָאַחֲרוֹן — כּוּלּוֹ מָרוֹר — קִנְאָה הַיּוֹתֵר גְּדוֹלָהOn this night, after this exile, [we eat] only maror: envy will be [only positive and of] the most intense [kind].עַל דֶּרֶךְ מַאֲמַר רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה כָּל צַדִּיק נִכְוֶה מֵחוּפָּתוֹ שֶׁל חֲבֵרוֹAs the Sages said, “[In the World to Come,] every tzaddik will be singed by the [fiery] canopy of his colleague.”שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָנוּ אוֹכְלִין בֵּין יוֹשְׁבִין בֵּין מְסוּבִּיןOn all [other] nights, we eat either sitting or reclining. כָּל הַגִּלּוּיִם שֶׁעַל יְדֵי הַגָּלֻיּוֹת — אוֹכְלִין — בְּחִינַת הַתַּעֲנוּג[In the case of] all the revelations elicited by [the Divine service of Jews throughout] the exiles, “we eat” [i.e., we experience] the pleasure [that G‑d derives from this service].וְיֵשׁ הִתְפַּשְּׁטוּת הַתַּעֲנוּג וְתַעֲנוּג הָעַצְמִיNow, there is a [mere] emanation of this pleasure, and there is the pleasure itself.וְיֵשׁ מִי שֶׁמַּגִּיעַ בַּעֲבוֹדָתוֹ לְהִתְפַּשְּׁטוּת הַתַּעֲנוּג וְיֵשׁ לַתַּעֲנוּג הָעַצְמִיSome people, through their Divine service, reach a point [of spiritual growth] at which they apprehend [merely] an emanation of G‑d’s pleasure; others reach a point at which they can apprehend the very essence of His pleasure. [Sitting connotes a limited level of relaxed pleasure; reclining connotes the ultimate level of pleasurable tranquility.הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה — אַחַר גָּלוּת הָאַחֲרוֹן — כּוּלָּנוּ מְסוּבִּיןHence:] On this night, after this exile, we are all reclining: שֶׁכָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל יַגִּיעוּ לִבְחִינַת תַּעֲנוּג הָעַצְמִיevery Jew will reach the level at which they will apprehend the ultimate level of [G‑d’s] delight.Text and Translation courtesy of Sichos in EnglishFor questions and follow-up: [email protected]