“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.