Q:
If we are expected to rejoice at the downfall of resha’im, why don’t we say the full Hallel on the last days of Pesach?
A:
So I’ll say two answers to that. One answer is what there is in seforim and one answer is what I think is the real answer.
In seforim it says the last day of Pesach we don’t say whole Hallel because of the drowning of Pharaoh’s army. Although this is contradicted by the fact that az yashir Moshe, so we see we do rejoice, and therefore we’ll say it’s just a zecher that the malachim didn’t rejoice. We’re reminded that Hakodosh Boruch Hu doesn’t rejoice when His Handiwork has to be destroyed. That’s all. It’s a zecher to that. But we have to rejoice anyhow.
The truth is, however, there’s a more simple and straightforward answer. Because the takanah of Hallel was only a whole Hallel. There’s no such thing as half Hallel in the original takanah. And the takanah was the first day of Pesach and that’s all. Hallel that we say on Chol Hamoed, was only a minhag that they started later. It’s the same like Rosh Chodesh — Rosh Chodesh is half Hallel because originally there was no takanah of Hallel. And the minhag of Hallel is only half Hallel.
But whatever it is, we know that אָז יָשִׁיר מֹשֶׁה וּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. We did sing. And it says בְּשִׂמְחָה רַבָּה וְאָמְרוּ כֻּלָּם, with a very great joy. And we’re not better than they were. So we see that we’re expected to be very happy because the more we rejoice in the drowning of the Egyptians, the more we’ll see the glory of Hashem in this world.
Now I’ll explain that. Hashem could have shown us His glory in another way. He could have caused let’s say wonders to happen by the roadside and they would have seen the glory of Hashem. He could have caused Egypt to have an epidemic, all get a cold and they remained home. But when you see your enemies who tried to pursue you and they’re drowning in the sea, it’s much more fun. Nekamah, revenge, is much more fun than merely seeing the greatness of Hashem. And don’t underestimate the value of nekamah. קֵל נְקָמוֹת הַשֵּׁם! Hashem is the G-d of revenge. The Gemara says that revenge in the right place, it’s a good thing.
And therefore we say “הִנָּשֵׂא שׁוֹפֵט הָאָרֶץ – Be elevated You judge of the world.” How are You elevated? “הָשֵׁב גְּמוּל עַל גֵּאִים – When You turn back recompense on the arrogant.” That’s the right place! When Hashem takes revenge. And so we’re happy when we see the downfall of the reshaim because we see that Hashem is elevated.
Now the question is why were the malachim prevented from saying shirah? Hashem didn’t let the malachim sing. Why were the angels told not to sing?
The answer is why should angels sing? They’re not going to get any better. They don’t have a function of improving themselves so why should they rejoice if human beings are being destroyed? But us? Our function is to prepare for the Next World. We have to get better and therefore, for us, not only it’s permissible to rejoice, but it’s a big mitzvah to sing and dance on Purim when Haman had his downfall. It makes us happy that Pharaoh and his army were drowning and gargling! It makes us happy when Hitler and Arafat get a bullet in the head! And we dance and sing, because the more we see the downfall of the reshaim, the more we see the glory of Hashem.
April 1992
