Frightening: The Secret of Passover's Chad Gadya and the Jealousy of the Tzaddik

"What is this, 'Chad Gadya, Chad Gadya (one kid, one kid) that Father bought for two zuzim'?" asked Rabbi Ofer Erez shlit"a (may he live long and good days) in his weekly lesson at the 'Maginei Eretz' Yeshiva in Ido HaNavi, and he answered: "Father refers to Yaakov Avinu (our forefather Jacob) who bought only one kid, which is Mashiach ben David (the Messiah from the line of David)."

At the beginning of the lesson, Rabbi Ofer mentioned the *Heichal HaBracha* (a Chassidic commentary) by the Komarna Rebbe zt"l (of blessed memory), who says that in truth, King David was supposed to be born from Esau and Leah (if Esau had done teshuvah [repentance]), while Yosef HaTzaddik (Joseph the Righteous) would have been born from Yaakov and Rachel. However, after Yaakov bought the birthright from Esau, King David also became one of his descendants. Rabbi Ofer continues in this way to interpret the secret of Chad Gadya from the Passover Haggadah.

Why is "Chad Gadya" written twice in the song from the Passover Haggadah?

"It says 'Chad Gadya' again because one kid Yaakov bought from Esau (the acquisition of King David's soul, according to the words above) and one kid he had from his own side. From here we see that twice, 'Chad Gadya, Chad Gadya' refers to Mashiach ben David and Mashiach ben Yosef. By the act of buying the birthright and marrying Leah, Yaakov Avinu actually acquired the entire process of the kid goat—the soul of Mashiach ben David."

"And the cat came and ate the kid" - The test of not opposing the Tzaddik

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

From the jealousy of the angels, it descends that the leaders 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 leaders 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 oppose him. The Vilna Gaon writes that this is the secret meaning of 'And the cat came and ate the kid,' because the Gadya (kid) is the secret of the souls in the aspect of Mashiach, and the cat that eats it is the jealousy that hides the light of the Tzaddik in the world."

The test of the People of Israel is not to oppose or be jealous of this Tzaddik

"Reb Noson writes these things; although he does not link it to the interpretation of 'Chad Gadya,' he explains that the test of the People of Israel is not to oppose or be jealous of this Tzaddik." Regarding two Tzaddikim, jealousy is mentioned: 1. Regarding Yosef it is said, "And his brothers were jealous of him" (Genesis 37:11). How could it be that all the tribes, who are holy and supreme, the roots of the souls of Israel, were jealous of Yosef, the Tzaddik Yesod Olam (Tzaddik who is the foundation of the world)?! How could it be that they wanted to kill him and eventually threw him into a pit and sold 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 hidden, and as a result, we descended into the exile in Egypt."

Saul knew that David was the perfect Tzaddik, and despite this, he was jealous of him

"2. "And Saul eyed David from that day forward" (I Samuel 18:9). Regarding Saul's jealousy of David, it is said that it came from the greatness of King David, as Saul recognized that David was the perfect Tzaddik. King Saul was a Tzaddik Yesod Olam, pure as the day he was born; he had only one mistake, which was not killing Agag, the king of Amalek. We see that even in such a massive Tzaddik, jealousy exists, because this is a foundation embedded in creation—the jealousy that hides and conceals the light of the True Tzaddik."

"How much one needs to pray in order to be saved from this jealousy that is hidden in the human soul; if a person does not clarify this, entire ideologies arise within him against the Tzaddik."

The lesson was edited from the recording of 'Breslov Netzach Netzachim' headed by Rabbi Yaakov Salama shlit"a (may he live long and good days)