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Parshat Bo

By: Rabbi Morrie Wruble

The last pasuk in Parshat Bo teaches us about where the תפילין should be worn. "והיו לאות על ידכה ולטוטפות בין עיניך ."

The Gemarah in Menachot 37A questions why the word " ידכה " has the letter ה at the end. The answer given is that the extra ה teaches us that the תפילין should be worn "ביד כהה ", on the weaker hand (i.e. most people wear תפילין on their left hand; a lefty would put תפילין on his right hand). The Gemara goes on to explain that "בין עיניך " is not literal. The תפילין של ראש is placed on what would be delineated as the "soft spot" of a baby's head. Both the תפילין של יד and the תפילין של ראש are placed on the weaker sections of the body. This seems especially strange since the end of that פסוק says we wear תפילין to show "כי בחזק יד הוציאנו ד' ממצרים ", that G-d took us out with a "strong" hand. Tefillin should stress strength, not weakness!

The pasuk is teaching an important pedagogical principle. The battle of ideas is never truly won with one side forcing its viewpoint on another. When diplomacy failed to convince Pharaoh to free the Jewish people, G-d unleashed ten devastating plagues on the Egyptian people. These plagues certainly showed the superior strength of G-d, but it accomplished little in reshaping the long term values of the Egyptian people. Once the plagues stopped, the Egyptians went back to their previous behavior and very few of them decided to join the Jewish people.

To have a long lasting effect on people, moral lessons must be transmitted through rational arguments that are presented in a mild and compassionate manner: "כהה ביד ". A practical example of this concept is seen in the story of Korach's rebellion against the leadership of Moshe and Aharon. Why was there a need, after the rebellion had been put down, to reinforce the selection of Aharon as the Kohen Gadol by having his stick alone blossom in the mishkan (Bamidbar17:16-24)? The Jews should have been convinced that Moshe and Aharon were the ones G-d appointed by the dramatic way in which Korach and his followers were defeated. The ground opened up and consumed the leaders of the rebellion with 250 of their followers burnt to death while offering incense. When the Jews reacted to these events by holding Moshe and Aharon responsible for the deaths of these people, G-d sent a plague that killed an additional 14,700 Jews. Yet, apparently, this show of force didn't fulfill the desired effect of convincing the Jews that their leaders had been chosen by G-d. Only after the additional test with the sticks, that involved no show of force, were the Jews ready to reject the claims of Korach. This is a classic example of being able to catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.

This approach is the basis of our educational policy at Midreshet AMIT. Students are encouraged to question and challenge their teachers in a warm and respectful exchange of ideas. Chesed is not only taught, but shown by example by the Beit Hayeled staff. These past weeks we have had the pleasure of many alumnae coming back to visit AMIT. We have seen their lives enriched by their experience here in Midreshet AMIT and we're proud to have played a part in their growth. May they continue to enrich their lives both in thought and in deed.

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