Frightening: The Secret of Chad Gadya of Pesach and the Jealousy of the Tzaddik

"What is 'Chad Gadya, Chad Gadya, that Father bought for two zuzim'?" asked Rav Ofer Erez shlit"a in his lesson, and answered - "Father is Yaakov Avinu, who bought only one kid, which is Mashiach ben David."

At the beginning of the lesson, Rav Ofer mentioned the statement from the Heichal HaBracha of the Admor of Komarno, who says that in truth, King David was supposed to be born from Esau and Leah (if Esau had performed teshuvah), while Yosef HaTzaddik was to be born from Yaakov and Rachel. However, after Yaakov bought the birthright from Esau, King David also became one of his descendants. Rav Ofer continues along this path to interpret the secret of the Chad Gadya from the Passover Haggadah.

Why is 'Chad Gadya' written twice in the hymn from the Passover Haggadah?

"It is written 'Chad Gadya' again because one kid Yaakov bought from Esau (the acquisition of the soul of King David, according to the words above) and one kid he had from his own side. And from here, the repetition of 'Chad Gadya, Chad Gadya' refers to Mashiach ben David and Mashiach ben Yosef, as Yaakov Avinu, through the act of buying the birthright and marrying Leah, actually purchased the entire process of the kid of goats, the soul of Mashiach ben David."

"And the cat came and ate the kid" - The test not to disagree with the tzaddik

"'And the cat came and ate the kid.' The Vilna Gaon says, based on the Mishnah, that the trait of the cat (shunra) is jealousy. The Chad Gadya is the secret of the true tzaddik, the secret of the Mashiachs, and there is always a test for the souls of Israel, and especially for the great ones of Israel, to be jealous of this tzaddik who is in the category of Mashiach; this is a very great test. The Gaon learns this from Tikkunei Zohar 70, where it is written that from the dreams of Yosef, we learn that Yosef ruled over the upper and lower worlds. The sun and the moon hint at the upper spiritual worlds, the sheaves in the dream hint at our world, when everyone nullifies themselves and receives the abundance from the soul of Yosef HaTzaddik."

From the jealousy of the angels, it descends that the great ones of Israel will be jealous of the tzaddik

"The holy Zohar adds and writes that the angels are jealous of this soul from which everyone receives, and from the jealousy of the angels, it descends that the people of Israel, and even the great ones of Israel, will be jealous of this tzaddik. Therefore, we have such a great test to nullify ourselves to this tzaddik, not to be jealous of him, and not to disagree with him. The Gra writes that this is the secret of the interpretation of 'And the cat came and ate the kid,' because the kid is the secret of the souls in the category of Mashiach, and the cat that eats it is the jealousy that conceals the light of the tzaddik in the world."

The test of the people of Israel is not to disagree with or be jealous of this tzaddik

"Reb Noson writes these things; although he does not connect them to the interpretation of 'Chad Gadya,' he explains that the test of the people of Israel is not to disagree with or be jealous of this tzaddik." Jealousy is written regarding two tzaddikim: 1. Regarding Yosef, it is said, "And his brothers were jealous of him" (Genesis 37:11), how can it be that all the tribes, who are holy of holies, the roots of the souls of Israel, are jealous of Yosef HaTzaddik, the foundation of the world?! How can it be that they want to kill him and finally throw him into a pit and sell him as a slave? Rather, this is the descent of the jealousy of the angels! "And the cat came and ate the kid," the light of the tzaddik was concealed, and as a result, we descended into exile in Egypt."

Shaul knew that David was the perfect tzaddik, yet he was still jealous of him

"2. 'And Shaul eyed David from that day and onwards' (I Samuel 18:9), regarding the jealousy of Shaul toward David, it is said that it came from the side of King David's greatness, as Shaul recognized in David that he was the perfect tzaddik. King Shaul was a tzaddik, the foundation of the world, as pure as the day he was born; he had only one mistake, that he did not kill Agag, king of Amalek. And we see that even in such a tremendous tzaddik, jealousy exists, because this is a foundation hidden in creation - the jealousy that hides and conceals the light of the true tzaddik."

"How much one must pray in order to be saved from this jealousy that is hidden in the soul of man; if a person does not clarify this, entire doctrines arise within him against the tzaddik."