Yom Geulah

Avodah
1

With Pesach around the corner I am reminded of something
I learned years ago in the name of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik.
There is a distinction between geulah and yeshua. The term
geulah is applicable to occurrences brought forth by Hashem only;
a yeshua may come through the media of a sh’liach or sh’lichim
whom God has inspired to leadership in time of distress.
Thus we find no individual, not even Moshe Rabenu, associated
with Geulas Mitzrayim. That redemption came about through the
Almighty’s direct intervention (…am-zu ga’alta.. Ex:15:13).
Historically geulah happened once in our past — at yetzias Mitzrayim.
To only one other event is the word geulah applied; and that is yet
to come leosid lovo when God will send Moshiach Tzidkenu.
Yeshuot, on the other hand, occurred frequently in our history. One
of the great yeshuot happened more than 2,000 years ago when
the chashmonaim rebelled against the Syrians and were victorious.
Another distinction: for geulah we give thanks to the Almighty only;
for a yeshuah we may add also our gratitude to those who were the
sh’luchei haShem.

“God creates out of nothing. Wonderful you say. Yes, to be sure, but he does what is still more wonderful: he makes saints out of sinners.”
― Søren Kierkegaard <http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6172.S_ren_Kierkegaard&gt;, The Journals of Kierkegaard <http://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/6568732&gt;

2

Historically geulah happened once in our past - at yetzias Mitzrayim.
To only one other event is the word geulah applied; and that is yet
to come leosid lovo when God will send Moshiach Tzidkenu.

How does that square with the halacha that:

If there are two Adars, Purim is observed in Adar-II so that we can be somech g'uela l'geula?

-- Sholom

3

: With Pesach around the corner I am reminded of something
: I learned years ago in the name of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik.
: There is a distinction between geulah and yeshua. The term
: geulah is applicable to occurrences brought forth by Hashem only;
: a yeshua may come through the media of a sh'liach or sh'lichim
: whom God has inspired to leadership in time of distress.
...
: Another distinction: for geulah we give thanks to the Almighty only;
: for a yeshuah we may add also our gratitude to those who were the
: sh'luchei haShem.

I'm confused. The first distinction means that for a ge'ulah there is
no one else to thank. What meaning does the second distinction have that
isn't a logical necessity of the first one?

Here's a third distinction I noticed.

Hashem had us do the qorban Pesach to prove we were redeemable. Ge'ulah
is only for those who show worth. (If not actually fully earned.)

Yeshu'os can be for the sake of a third party -- like Hashem saving
Lot from Sodom in Avraham's zekhus. And what's notable about such
yeshu'os, is that those who are saved are warned against looking down
at those who weren't. Ask Lot's wife.

And while yetzi'as Mitzrayim was a ge'uklah, qeri'as Yam Suf was
"Vayosha Hashem bayom hahu".

I used that idea to unify two ways of looking at Noach. There are two
Rashis with a pair of opinions in them near the start of the parashah:

1- Tamim hayah bedorosav -- is this to add to the complement, or to
   diminish it?

2- Was the tzohar a window, or a gem?

If the tzohar was a window, then Noach could see the others drown. So,
this is the view of Noach which takes "tamim" to be leshevach.

If it was a gem, he couldn't. Noach who was only a tzadiq "bedorosav"
couldn't watch the destruction for the same reason Lot couldn't.

And if we really want to stretch it, this can carry through to chazal's
ambivalence about rainbows. The tzohar-as-gem would imply a teiva that
had rainbows all over the walls. The rainbow as os beris would be tied
to being saved despite not earning it.

Noach who was tamim and deserved being saved had a window, and the
first rainbow was unrelated to memories the destruction.

Idea is explained at more length here
http://www.aishdas.org/asp/of-arks-and-rainbows

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha