The Daily Ma’amar by our Rebbe Rav Eliezer Berland shlit”a – the inner reason for eating five olive-sized portions of Matzah and the secret of drinking four cups of wine on Seder night. Courtesy of the “Hashem Hu HaElokim” leaflet:
The secret of five olive[-sized portions] which we eat on Passover on Seder night; the first olive in “HaMotzi Lechem min Haaretz,” the second olive for “Achilat Matzah,” the third olive with Maror Korech, and another two olives of Matzah with the Afikomen. That they are parallel to the five portions of the soul – Nefesh, Ruach, Neshamah, Chayah, Yechidah.
Because five [times] Elokim [5 x 86] is the numerical value of Nefesh [430], the secret of the pure Minchah (meal offering) which turns ani (I) to ayin (nothingness), the secret of five times Havayah Adonut plus 1 [=91 x 5 = 455, plus 1 = 456].
And Serach bat Asher is the numerical value of Alef Hey Yud Hey x 2 = 362 plus KaMaG (143) [the name Ekyeh filled with alefs] plus 3 letters = Serach = 508 bat Asher who entered with her body to the Garden of Eden x 5 times [177 x 5 = 885 plus 5 = 990], numerical value of Mashiach ben David, Mashiach ben Yosef, who are revealed on Seder night. And Mashiach ben David is revealed in the eating of Charoset – Chas Ruth = Ruth Chacham, that from her descended David, the fifth generation; Ruth Boaz Oved Yishai David, after five generations parallel to five times Elokim, the numerical value of Nefesh [=430] plus Havayah = 26 = TaNU = 456.
Because through eating the Matzah Maror, we create a new heaven and earth = heaven 390 and earth 297 new 312 = 999 plus 1 = 1,000, in the secret of “the thousand is for you Shlomo” (Shir HaShirim 8:12), the numerical value of Mashiach ben Yosef Mashiach ben David [24, when spelled with a yud] = 1,000.
Because through eating Matzah and Maror and drinking four cups, that they are four times the name SaG = 258, plus 1 = Reuven = Garon (throat), we merit to the revelation of the soul of Reuven, that he is the first born to his brothers, that he saved Yosef from being killed. Therefore, we steal the Afikomen = 287, “Your brother came in deception” = 287, that through the stealing of the Afikomen, we rectify the sin of the selling of Yosef, who the brothers stole from the land of the Hebrews, as Yosef said to the Chamberlain of the Cupbearers, “for I was stolen from the land of the Hebrews” (Bereishit 40:15). And the rectification was through the stealing of the goblet by Binyamin, because goblet (gaviya) is the numerical value of 13 attributes of mercy which are drawn from the name AV, and therefore it is written in [parashat] Miketz five times “gaviya,” opposite the five times Elokim which are the numerical value of Nefesh [=430].
And Yosef alluded to them in the secret of the gaviya, that from it – from Binyamin – descended Mordechai and Esther = 935 plus 1 = 936, the secret of Gaviya – 13 x AV (72) [=936].
As it is written, “And to Binyamin he said…in the morning he will devour [prey] and in the evening he will distribute spoils” (according to Bereishit 49:27], the secret of the great Nesher (eagle) [=555], that he is David, as it says (I Shmuel 20:31), “The son 52 of Yishai 320 is living 18 on 100 the earth 55” plus 10 = 555.
Because through eating five Matzot and drinking our cups, we merit to ascend to Keter (Crown) of Adam Kadmon, the hidden of all hidden things, the concealed of all concealed things, the [most] concealed of everything. That through the Keter of Adam Kadmon, we create a new heaven 390 and earth 297 – new 312, plus 1 = 1,000, the secret of Mashiach ben Yosef Mashiach ben David = 1,000.
And then through drinking four cups — which are four times the name SaG — on Seder night, we merit that all the mentalities spread throughout all 248 organs and 365 sinews, and then a person rules over all the orders of nature.
Like Nakdimon ben Gurion, who took 12 springs of water on the day before Succot, and promised to return them before Seder night on the day before Pesach, 14 Nisan until sunset, and no rain fell during that year, even a drop of water. And that gentile, who was an aspect of “the tzaddik is the foundation of the world,” said to Nakdimon ben Gurion that he is prepared to give to him everything for free, but only on the condition that rain falls. Because the favor of a gentile is always dependent on a particular condition. And then leading up to Seder night, when sunset already arrived and no drop of water fell the entire year, and the gentile was phenomenally happy, because he knew that now he would fill all the springs with endless silver bars, but Nakdimon ben Gurion ruled over all the orders of nature, and the sun became spotted for him.
To download the original Hebrew, click here
