Chapter I

כי ישאלך בנך לאמר מה העדות והחקים
והמשפטים אשר צוה ה׳ אלקינו אתכם
ואמרת לבנך עבדים היינו לפרעה במצרים
ויוציאנו ה׳ ממצרים ביד חזקה

"When in the time to come your child will ask you: 'What are the testimonies, statutes and laws [i.e., what is the meaning of the mitzvos that are divided into the three above-mentioned categories]1 that G‑d our L-rd has commanded you?' You shall say to your son: 'We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, but G‑d brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand.' "2

Jews are divided into four categories, though all are called G‑d's children, as the verse testifies:3 "You are children to the L-rd, your G‑d." These four categories are represented by the four types of sons described in the Haggadah:4 the wise, the wicked, the simple and the one who knows not how to ask. [The first] three know how to question, while the fourth lacks this ability. Though the questioners generally ask the same type of question what is the meaning of Torah and mitzvos, and how are they tied in with the Exodus we are able to discern the nature of the questioner by the way he phrases his question,5 and the answer is tailored accordingly.

There are individuals who are aware that something extraordinary is occurring, but who are so busy with other matters, or so coarsened, that not only do they not know the meaning of the exceptional events, but they do not even know how to ask about them. They are unaware that these events are connected with the forthcoming Redemption, Torah and mitzvos. Such individuals are described by the phrase "they know not what to ask." They must be told about Moshiach's coming, and G‑d's promise in the Torah and Prophets6 that He will redeem us from exile and lead us to Eretz Yisroel through our righteous Moshiach.

Our sages have foretold7 that prior to the Redemption, the world will suffer chevlei Moshiach, the "birthpangs of Moshiach." This is the significance of the extraordinary suffering and cataclysmic world events which we are now witnessing. Through teshuvah we can ease the [sufferings of] chevlei Moshiach.

Another category of people are aware that these exceptional events are connected with Torah and mitzvos observance. Their question is: "How is this connected to Moshiach's coming?" They also ask: "What is this?8 Why are these afflictions also being visited upon Jews who observe Torah and mitzvos?" Such a questioner is a tam, a simple-minded individual. He must be taught that the extraordinary Jewish suffering and earthshaking world events of chevlei Moshiach are a manifestation of what the prophet predicted:9 "If not but with a mighty hand shall I rule over you." As the Talmud says:10 "Calamity befalls the world only when evildoers are to be found within it, though retribution begins with the righteous."

Others [atheists and heretics] ask: "What manner of service is this for you"11 [i.e., why do you attach such significance to these events]? They explain the extraordinary suffering and world events in their usual heretical fashion, for they deny chevlei Moshiach as well as Moshiach's coming. They do not desire redemption, and question Torah and mitzvos when they ask: "What manner of service is this for you?" Not only do they deny the validity of Torah and mitzvos, they cannot stand the fact that other Jews study and observe.

One who so questions is an evil person, a rasha , [written with the three letters (רשע) reish, shin, ayin]. The response to a rasha12 is to eliminate the shin from the word rasha13 [leaving only the reish and ayin, which spell (רע) ra or evil], i.e., taking away from them the Jewish customs which they desire to perform [in an unholy manner], which leaves them with only their evil. [Since that which is wholly evil cannot continue to exist, this state shall cease as well]. An evil person is to be reminded that at the time of the Exodus from Egypt there were also those who denied the redemption, even after G‑d had shown explicit miracles. G‑d waited patiently until the plague of darkness, hoping they would repent. All disbelievers who did not repent died [during that plague].14

G‑d is again giving those who deny the coming Redemption an opportunity to repent.

There are those who question the meaning of mitzvos that involve physical action.15 These questioners are wise, for they realize that G‑d is truly our G‑d [and include themselves among the believers]. Their question is only: "What is the significance of these mitzvos ?" Such people are to be told that the taste of the Passover offering must always linger.16 When this is understood, the connection between the performance of mitzvos and the coming Redemption will be self-evident. The questioner will also understand that through teshuvah, the chevlei Moshiach are eased, for G‑d's intent is that each person develop himself to the point where he will come to love G‑d.

In summary: The Torah speaks of four categories of Jew. He that does not know what to ask must be told that today's extraordinary Jewish suffering and earthshaking world events are part of chevlei Moshiach, and are an admonition that teshuvah be done before the coming Redemption. The simple person must be told that chevlei Moshiach fulfills the prophecy: "If not but with a mighty hand shall I rule over you," and that its purpose is to bring Jews to teshuvah so that the Redemption may come. The wicked person, who explains everything along heretical lines, should be reminded that during the first redemption G‑d waited till the plague of darkness for the wicked to repent; those that did not, died. Now, too, G‑d awaits the repentance of the wicked. The wise person, who is aware that G‑d is our G‑d, should be made to understand the significance of those mitzvos that involve physical action.

Chapter II

Let us understand the reason for performing mitzvos in a physical manner, and specifically the significance of not eating anything [on the night of the Passover seder] after the afikomon or "dessert" has been eaten17 except the wine symbolizing the coming Redemption.18 Nowadays, during exile, the matzah we eat for the afikomon serves as a reminder of the Pascal offering.19 Nothing is eaten after the afikomon so that its taste may linger.20 The intent of the Paschal offering is to teach us to believe in Providence. Even when subjected to great danger, we should have full confidence in G‑d. For G‑d is the Guardian of Israel, as it is written:21 "The Guardian of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps."

G‑d's conduct with the Jewish people transcends the bounds of nature. When a Jew submits all his natural matters to G‑d's service, the Almighty then helps him in a supernatural manner. This is what is meant by the statement that the taste of the Paschal offering should linger in one's mouth, [remembering] that "G‑d saved our houses"22 [by protecting the Jews in a supernatural manner]. This is also the general idea of the exodus from Egypt, [at which time] G‑d acted in a manner that transcended nature.

The matter will be better understood by examining this concept [of transcending nature] as it applies to man's spiritual service. Here too, the whole purpose of nature is to serve as a vehicle for that which transcends nature. The verse states:23 "G‑d placed the world too within their hearts." This means to say that the world's spiritual purification is wholly dependent on man's spiritual refinement. Man achieves this refinement through spiritual service and physically performing mitzvos.

It is written:24 "You shall love the L-rd your G‑d with all your heart, with all your soul...." Our sages comment:25 " 'With all your heart' means with both inclinations, the yetzer tov and the yetzer hora. 'With all your soul' means one must love G‑d even if He should take one's soul."

To love G‑d "with all one's heart" means that even the yetzer hora should come to love G‑d, while to love G‑d with all one's soul means that one should wrest away from the animal soul its love of physical pleasures.

Both these loves are achieved only by waging war [against the animal soul], as we findwritten:26 "When you go out to do battle against your enemy," the evil inclination being man's enemy [inasmuch as it seeks to spiritually destroy a person].

The Zohar states:27 "The time of prayer is the time of battle," between the G‑dly and animal souls. Both souls possess intellect and emotions. The intellect of the divine soul comprehends only that G‑dliness is good, while the intellect of the animal soul comprehends only the goodness of material matters. That the intellect of the animal soul is devoted only to worldly pleasures is to be gleaned from the verse:28 "...that the tree was good to eat and pleasurable to the eyes."

The divine soul's intellect explains to the intellect of the animal soul the goodness that is inherent in G‑dliness. Because the animal soul possesses intellect, it is capable of comprehending that G‑dliness is indeed good. For though the animal soul is immersed in physical pleasures, the very fact that it possesses intellect [enables it to comprehend G‑dliness.]

Herein lies the difference between the animal soul and the yetzer hora. The yetzer hora is only emotive, while the animal soul possesses intellect as well. Although its intellect is bound up with physical matters, it can be made to comprehend that G‑dliness is better. There are a number of proofs which help the animal soul comprehend the matter. The animal soul is aware that there are various levels of goodness and pleasure. Food is pleasurable, but music is more pleasurable. The pleasure [received through the exercise] of a good emotional attribute [such as an act of kindness] exceeds even the pleasure of music. And the goodness of intellect surpasses even that of emotion; since intellect is more refined than emotion, it follows that the pleasure derived from it is also superior. That intellect is superior to emotion can be perceived from the fact that emotion is much more tangible [or coarser] than intellect; intellect is drawn to understand that which is above it, while emotions are drawn to that which is below them.

Through these various explanations the intellect of the animal soul concludes that spiritual goodness is superior to physical goodness.

When the G‑dly soul gives the animal soul to understand various G‑dly concepts by using explanations and illustrations which are readily comprehensible, [the animal soul undergoes a marked change]. Little by little, the intellect of the animal soul comes closer to comprehending matters of G‑dly intellect. Ultimately it will come to realize that only G‑dly goodness is truly good, and that it is this goodness which a person should desire.

This then is the meaning of: "You shall love the L-rd your G‑d with all your heart..." that the animal soul too should attain a love of G‑dliness.

In summary: The afikomon serves as a remembrance of the Paschal offering. It helps us remember Providence, and that G‑d's conduct with Jews is supernatural. The purpose of mitzvos performed physically is to refine the world's physicality, this being dependent on each person's prior refinement of self. The person achieves self-refinement by teaching the animal soul the goodness of G‑dliness, and thus endoweing it with a love of G‑d. This [love of G‑d by the animal soul as well as the G‑dly soul] is love "with all your heart."

Chapter III

To love G‑d "with all your soul" involves wresting away from the yetzer hora its pleasure in material matters. This can be accomplished only after much effort and long meditation on the verse:29 "Behold I have placed before you today life and goodness, death and evil."

At the conclusion of the section, the verse states:30 "[therefore] choose life." The life and death referred to are spiritual. The [true] life and existence of every physical being is the G‑dliness which creates and vivifies it, for only G‑dliness is truly alive and good, as the verse states:31 "And G‑d the L-rd is truth, He is G‑d who is life."

Physical matters are "death and evil." We observe that when physical things lose their life-force they rot. The physical pleasure in material matter has no divine life-force, and as such is intrinsically loathsome. The animal soul will lose its delight in corporeal matters upon reflecting that all matter contains waste products, and that all physical pleasures are intrinsically loathsome.

Yet even when the animal soul realizes that spiritual good is better than physical good, it is not prepared to forego its physical delights. Rather, it desires both matters [to delight in G‑dliness and at the same time] to delight in permitted physical matters. Indeed, even permissible matters should be desired only for their ability to nurture, and not for the pleasure they contain.

The spiritual service necessary for the attainment of either of these two levels of love begins during prayer. Prayer is the time when the G‑dly soul makes the animal soul understand the goodness of G‑dliness, and causes it to agree that one should only desire the benefits found within physical matters, and not their pleasures and delights. The main spiritual service, however, comes during the rest of the day, when a person is immersed in worldly matters.

Both levels of love can be achieved only by waging war against the yetzer hora and animal soul, which fiercely oppose [the efforts of the divine soul]. Even when the G‑dly soul emerges victorious and a person achieves the ability to love with all his heart and soul, he has only attained what is inherently finite.

However, the third kind of love "with all your might" is an intrinsic love of G‑d possessed by the soul; a love that transcends logic. A manifestation of this love is a Jew's readiness to give his very life and withstand all tests [for the sake of G‑d]. This love is indeed found within each and every Jew, for "a Jew is neither able nor desirous of being severed, G‑d forbid, from G‑dliness."

The animal soul presents no opposition to this level of love. [In terms of man's spiritual service,] attainment of this level represents [one's personal] exodus from Egypt, and freedom from all [spiritually restraining] bonds and limitations.

[The three wells dug by Yitzchok are symbolic of these three levels of love.] The three wells32 were called Eisek, Sitnah and Rechovos, in that order. The first two levels of love ["with all your heart and with all your soul"] reflect the eisek and sitnah ["dispute" and "enmity"] which were raised by Yitzchok's opponents, [similar to the first two levels of love, which are disputed by the yetzer hora and animal soul]. Concerning the well Rechovos it is written:33 "And they did not dispute its ownership," for this represents love "with all your might," and this well has no opponent.

[Before Yitzchok dug the undisputed well of Rechovos,] the verse states: "And he moved from there and [only then] dug another well." In order for a person to love with all his might, he must first "move from there," i.e., remove himself from the corporeality contained within physical matters, and see to it that all physical matters are elevated to their source in G‑dliness.

Herein lies the answer given the wise son: Superficially, it would seem that the wise son's question is similar to that of the wicked son [i.e. what is the meaning of the mitzvos which are being done?] However, the wise son only questions the significance of the physical performance of mitzvos. The answer to his question is that the divine purpose of Torah and mitzvos is to purify and elevate physical matter [and therefore mitzvos are performed physically]. This, too, is the intent of the chevlei Moshiach to awaken Jews to teshuvah, so that we speedily merit the Redemption through our righteous Moshiach.

In summary: Loving G‑d "with all your soul" involves removing from the animal soul its pleasure and delight in physical matters by giving it to understand the goodness inherent in G‑dliness. The first two levels of love [with all one's heart and with all one's soul] encounter opposition. However, love "with all your might" is not subject to opposition, just like the well of Rechovos which was not contested by the shepherds of Grar. The "well of Rechovos" can only be attained through the physical performance of mitzvos and teshuvah, which also eases the chevlei Moshiach, and causes us to speedily merit the greeting of our righteous Moshiach.