On Passover, 80% of Hebrews were killed for not wanting to go to Israel (videos)

[Chaim Ben Pesach]

בס''ד

Two new videos on the same subject - one in English, one in Hebrew.

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In English:



In Hebrew:



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[edu]

For a more in depth discussion of this topic see what was written in the JTF torah forum
at http://jtf.org/forum/index.php/topic,67119.0.html

[AsheDina]

I want to be in Israel, David does not.
I see NO future in America.

I dont mean to hurt American people.  but, I fight and fight for America and nothing happens.
So, Im tired.

[Debbie Shafer]

I'm so glad Passover is the topic of discussion, and the Jews that did not want to leave Egypt.  If I recall correctly, some of them were angry who did go with Moses because of the hardship they faced in the wilderness, and giving up grain and other food sources in Egypt.  We often wondered what happened to those who rebuked God's plan to bring them out of exile.  Glad Chaim spoke about this, also showing the other American Jews who reject their own people...Good commentary...highly rate this for the biblical information.

[TruthSpreader]

Shame on them for not wanting to go to Israel. Egypt is no place for the Jews and never was,

[muman613]

I would like to point out that I do not agree with the title of this video or thread. It says 80% of the Hebrews were KILLED....


But that is not what happened. Only 1/5th of the Jewish people in Egypt left in the Exodus, this is very true according to the Passover Hagaddah and the Talmud. But they certainly were not 'killed' by the hands of other Jews, nor were they killed by the hands of Egyptians. Those who were not prepared to make the leap to freedom died in the plague of Darkness.

There is a difference between the word KILLED and the word DIED. Those who died in the plague of darkness were buried by the Jews who did not die, because even in the plague of darkness the Jews who wanted to leave had light. Thus there is much more to the plague of darkness than simple lack of light (See also that the darkness was so thick that the Egyptians could not even move).

See references below:

http://www.torah.org/learning/outsidethebox/5764/beshalach.html

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Why would the Israelites fear going into battle? The very next verse says that "the Children of Israel went up (from Egypt) armed." It seems that they were prepared to wage war if necessary.

Rashi, quoting the Medrash, says that the Hebrew word for "armed," chamushim, can also mean "one-fifth." Only one-fifth of the Jews departed from Egypt; four-fifths had died during the plague of Darkness. Why does the Medrash choose to tell us that at this particular point, after the Jews had left Egypt? Why did it not tell it to us earlier, during the plague of Darkness?

Earlier, the Torah said that a great multitude of Egyptians accompanied the Israelites when they left Egypt (12:38). The Targum Yonassan says that 2,400,000 Egyptians went out with the Children of Israel. We know that only one-fifth of the Jews left Egypt and that was 600,000 men. If one-fifth of the Jewish people totaled 6000,000, then 2,400,000 had died during the plague of Darkness. Now, we find a most remarkable "coincidence." The number of Egyptians that accompanied the Israelites exactly equaled the number of Israelites who died during the plague of Darkness. The implication is that these Egyptians took the place, in some respect, of those Jews who perished.

Who were those Egyptians who accompanied the Israelites? The Medrash describes these Egyptians as the elite of their society. They were the wise men, the wealthy and the craftsmen. Pharaoh allowed them to depart with the Israelites. Later, Pharaoh did not regret sending out the Israelites; it was these elite Egyptians that he regretted allowing to leave. It was those Egyptians, who the verse calls "the people," that would have feared war from the Philistines. It would be those people who would want to return to Egypt. So, instead of taking the most direct route to the Promised Land, through Philistine territory, G-d led the people around through the desert. (Shmos Rabbah 20:2)
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http://www.chabad.org/parshah/article_cdo/aid/248302/jewish/The-Kabbalah-of-Darkness.htm

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The ninth of the Ten Plagues to be visited on Egypt was the plague of Darkness: “No person could see his brother, nor could any person rise from his place, for three days; but for the children of Israel, there was light in all their dwellings" (Exodus 10:23).

The physical plague of darkness had its root in a spiritual darkness, which can be defined as the absence of G-d’s revealed presence. In discussing the spiritual origin of this plague the Midrash cites two opinions: Rabbi Nechemia taught that the darkness originated in the regions of geheinom (purgatory); Rabbi Yehudah taught that it originated in the celestial spheres.1

The Chassidic masters explain the difference between these two forms of darkness:

1) The classic dark, associated with geheinom, acts as a curtain. When a curtain is drawn across a window it obstructs the sunlight and leaves the room thoroughly in the dark. This is the darkness of geheinom, where G-d’s presence is entirely concealed.2

2) The celestial dark is primordial; it predates all light. G-d’s essence is beyond revelation. When he chose to reveal himself he radiated outwards so that his light would become visible, but beyond the light there was still dark. That dark is the domain of his essence and the essence doesn’t require light. Comfortably ensconced within itself, it doesn’t lack luminescence but transcends it.3

In other words, the classic dark conceals G-d’s light, whereas the celestial dark reveals G-d’s essence, which transcends all light.

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The Two Antidotes

What were the Children of Israel doing while the Egyptians languished in the darkness?

The Midrash cites two purposes that the plague of darkness served:

1) Many Jews didn’t want to leave Egypt, so G-d decreed that they would die there. Egyptians remained unaware of this shameful fact because these Jews died and were buried during the period of darkness.

2) The darkness provided an opportunity for Jews to circulate in Egyptian homes to determine the location of the valuables that they would later borrow. When Jews later asked to borrow these items, Egyptians could not deny owning them because the Jews would unerringly point to where they were hidden.5

According to one of the commentaries,6 both reasons are true. During the first three days of the plague the Jews buried their dead and during the second three days they explored Egyptian homes.
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[Chaim Ben Pesach]

בס''ד

Muman, they were killed by Hashem in the plague of darkness.

[muman613]

בס''ד

Muman, they were killed by Hashem in the plague of darkness.

I know you did not mean it how it sounded to me... I just wanted to make clear that just judging from the title that there was more to it than just them being 'killed'.

I appreciate your comment Chaim. I believe it is important to remember the importance of Israel to the Jewish people especially during this time of Pesach.

[muman613]

It is clear that the great Rashi mentions this medresh in Parsha Beshalach concerning the word 'Chumashim" which is interpreted as 1/5... This is from the commentary on Chabads Online Torah...

http://www.chabad.org/parshah/torahreading.asp?aid=15562&p=1&showrashi=true

armed: Heb. חִמֻשִׁים וַחִמֻשִׁים [in this context] can only mean “armed.” (Since He led them around in the desert [circuitously], He caused them to go up armed, for if He had led them around through civilization, they would not have [had to] provide for themselves with everything that they needed, but only [part,] like a person who travels from place to place and intends to purchase there whatever he will need. But if he travels a long distance into a desert, he must prepare all his necessities for himself. This verse was written only to clarify the matter, so you should not wonder where they got weapons in the war with Amalek and in the wars with Sihon and Og and Midian, for the Israelites smote them with the point of the sword.) [In an old Rashi]) And similarly [Scripture] says: “and you shall cross over armed (חִמֻשִׁים)” (Josh. 1:14). And so too Onkelos rendered מְזָרְזִין just as he rendered: “and he armed (וְזָרֵיז) his trained men” (Gen. 14:14). Another interpretation: חִמֻשִׁים means “divided by five,” [meaning] that one out of five (חִמִֹשָה) [Israelites] went out, and four fifths [lit., parts of the people] died during the three days of darkness [see Rashi on Exod. 10:22]. — [from Mechilta, Tanchuma, Beshallach 1]

See also:

http://www.sichosinenglish.org/books/vedibarta-bam/016.htm

"And it came to pass when Pharaoh sent out the people." (13:17)

QUESTION: Why is the cantillation ("trope" printed above the Hebrew text) revi'i munach on the words "vayehi beshalach"?

ANSWER: Regrettably, there existed among the Jewish nation a group of wicked people uninterested in leaving Egypt. Had Hashem punished them publicly, the Egyptians would have thought that the suffering affected everyone, both the Jews and themselves. Therefore, during the plague of darkness, when the Egyptians were unable to see anything and were literally tied to their places, these unworthy Jews died and were buried.

The Torah relates, "vachamushim alu B'nei Yisrael" — "and B'nei Yisrael went up armed" (13:18). Rashi explains that the word "chamushim" alludes to the fact that only one fifth of the people left Egypt, while the other four fifths died.

Hence, the words "vayehi beshalach" have the cantillation of "revi'i munach" (which can be read as meaning "four remains") to indicate that four of the five portions remained, and only one fifth of the people left when Pharaoh sent them out.

[Tag-MehirTzedek]

I always hear this being said (the 1/5 th) and different people say their own things on it. For example here it's about the land of Israel. The Haredim mention about not being religious and how the same will happen. Personally I do not take this at face value. The numbers are way too high on a physical sense and even higher numbers are mentioned 1/500 etc. this is a midrash soo be careful. I think the PSAT is the greatest lesson that we were armed but because of the slave mentality we did not think of fighting back. Perhaps and this is just a though maybe the hachamim are talking about mentally and spiritually not leaving Egypt and those still suffering of the slave mentality, thus as the pussik says that they were armed we we don't see fighting at that point. Also if it is literal then we would be saying praises and Hallel on an event literally worse then the holocaust?