[Avodah] Amaleinu - Eilu haBanim

[kennethgmiller at juno.com]

[email #2]

I quoted RSZA's explanation of the word "amal", that it refers to a great amount of effort, but an effort which is worthwhile. But I neglected to comment on RMB's second question:

> Why then do we darshen it to refer to the infant boys being taken
> away and drowned?

It seems to me that RSZA, as I quoted him, is explaining "amal" to refer NOT to the pain we endured at losing our baby boys, but to some effort which we exerted, which was difficult but worthwhile. Unfortunately, from my reading of RSZA, he did not seem to specify what effort he was referring to. My only guess is that Baal Hahagada wants us to expound on the underground resistance efforts which we were busy on while Paroh was enforcing those awful gezeros.

Granted, I wish the Hagada was more explicit, but this is not the only case where it is so coy. Take, for example: <<< "With an outstretched arm" - refers to His sword. As it is said, "a drawn sword was in His outstretched arm over Jerusalem." >>> This too, begs to be explained, why such a scary threat to the Holy City is being mentioned at he Seder.

I have written before that the Siddur encompasses many styles so that each person can find something for his mindset therein. (For example, Shemoneh Esreh is very simple, while the piyutim are very complicated.) Perhaps this is true of the Hagada as well, including many paragraphs where the peirush is spoon-fed, but also a few which invite more investigation.

Akiva Miller

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