“Because I fell, I rose up; if I sit in darkness, Hashem will be a light to me” (Michah 7:8).
One of the fundamental principles in Yiddishkeit is the concept of “y’ridah l’tzorech aliyah,” which means there is no ascent (aliyah) without some prior descent (y’ridah). Moreover, Chazal tell us that the lower the descent (i.e., the further a person is from emes, from Hashem, from his true self, and from others), the higher the potential ascent (i.e., the bigger his ability to come out of the experience making great spiritual leaps and bounds).
According to the Ohr HaChaim, when the Jews were in Egypt, they had spiritually descended to the 49th level of tum’ah. Because of their journey to the depths of tum’ah, they were able to take out the sparks of k’dushah (“nitzotzei k’dushah”) that were contained in each level and ultimately elevate them. The concept of “nitzotzei k’dushah” basically means a higher understanding and connection to Hashem that then leads to greater emunah.
Had the Jews in Egypt entered the 50th level of tum’ah, however, they wouldn’t have been redeemed. Only with the power of Torah can the Jews successfully enter and leave the 50th level of impurity. But at that point, the Jewish Nation had not yet accepted the Torah.
Hashem thus waited until the final moment – until it became absolutely necessary for the Jews to leave immediately. Had the Jewish people stayed even one instant longer, they would have fallen into the spiritual abyss of the 50th level, and we would have been lost as a nation.
The greatness of the generation in Egypt is that they were still able to connect to Hashem in some way even in the midst of the harsh exile when all seemed lost, and Hashem’s Presence was hidden. This was no simple test, and the reality is that many did not pass it.
(Material was previously published on ShiratMiriam.com).
List of People Who Need a R’fuah Sh’leimah (a complete recovery)
Please recite Psalms
20, 30, 88, 121, and 130.
Shmuel Moshe ben Peninah
Yosef ben Leah
Aharon Mordechai ben Sharon
Eliyahu ben Miriam
Moshe ben Rachel
Michael Uram ben Raya Rachel
Nisan ben Yael
Nissim ben Devorah
Exra ben Farida
Yehoshua ben Miriam
Mordechai ben Rachel Anba
Yehoshua ben Fruma
Yisrael Meir ben Etta Rachel
Masoud Meir ben Etta Rachel
Moshe ben Mazal
Yechezkel ben Esther Serel
Yitzchak Chaim ben Sarah
Shimon ben Mercedes
Eliyahu ben Margalit
Yosef ben Nosrat
Yosef Gidon Yaakov ben Peninah
Moshe Chaim ben Shulamis
Frieda Malkah bas Sarah
Tinokey bas Rivkah
Malkah bas Reich Shifrah
Rachel bas Yehudis Binah Baila
Tovah Yocheved bas Esther Bukas
Ruchama Perel Malkah Leah bas Chanah Serel
Esther Hadassah bas Devorah
Alizah bas Miriam
Chanah Elianah bas Naomi
Adele bas Adi
Orah bas Naomi
Chayah Brachah bas Miriam
To add names of individuals who need a r’fuah sh’leimah to next week’s T’hilim column, please email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and complete the Google form.
