Open Signs

Living Emunah By Rabbi David Ashear

We said in the Hagaddah ״ UB’Moftim Zeh HaDam/ And with wonders,” this refers to Blood When the Torah describes one of the ways Hashem took us out of Mitzrayim with moftim , it’s referring to Dam/Blood . The Rishonim ask why Dam would be singled out here if there were another nine Makot . What was so special about Dam that it's called Moftim ? The Ritva explains that with all the other Makot , once they started, they were basically the same throughout, but Dam was continuously changing back and forth. When the water went to the Mitzri , it was blood. When it went to the Jew, it was water. If a person wanted to see Emunah clearly with his own eyes, he could have taken a bottle of water f and handed it to the Mitzri, see it turn into blood, then take it back and see it turn into water, and so forth. That was Moftim . There were numerous miracles taking place constantly. Others explain that the reference to Dam here is not the Makah of Dam . It refers to when Moshe Rabbenu came to inform the Jews that Hashem was going to save them from Mitzrayim. Moshe asked Hashem, How could I prove it to them, and Hashem gave him signs to give over. First, he showed them the stick that turned into a snake( ub’otot zeh hamateh). Then he showed them that his hand could turn into Tzara’at (The Baal Haggadah did not want to mention that, out of kavod for the Tzadik ) Then came the Moftim , the Dam . Moshe Rabbenu took water out of the Nile, poured it onto the floor, and it turned into blood. Then the Jewish people believed. They believed that Hashem was going to save them, and this was the Emunah they needed to earn the zechut to be redeemed. And we praise Hashem now, what a Chessed!! Hashem could have said, If they don't believe, then I'm not going to help them . But instead, He gave them clear and open signs that He was there and that He would help them. He helped give them Emunah to enable them to be saved. Today as well, we are feeling Geula in the air. We hope that it's coming very soon. And Hashem, once again, is showing us that He's here with us. A couple of weeks ago, we were able to shoot down all those missiles, and with more statistics coming out, it's clear that it was an open miracle. The odds of such a thing happening are astronomical. Then on Erev Pesach , we saw another open miracle that was captured on video camera! Palestinian teenagers took a car and rammed into yeshiva boys standing on the corner of a street. The video clearly shows the boys flying up into the air and coming down. Being saved from that alone was a miracle, but it goes further. The Palestinians got out of the car with a gun, and tried to shoot them, but the gun got jammed. They kept trying and trying but each time the gun would not work. They got so flustered and all of their plans got foiled They were caught and the boys escaped with just a few scratches and a bit of a bloody nose. These are Nissim! Weapons were later found in their car, revealing the mass murders they were planning. Hashem saved us once again. These are open miracles that we're seeing with our own eyes. Hashem is showing us openly that He's here. The Shomer Yisrael is taking care of us and protecting us. We have to internalize this Emuna. Va’Yaamen HaAm. This was the zechut that they needed to leave Mitzrayim . And this is the zechut we need today. B’ezrat Hashem , we will take these Simanim and have full Emunah in Hashem and we will see the Geula Shelemah B’Karov Amen ! Moadim L’Simcha