Nisan-Fighting the Fire of Anger XVI-Breslav-The Haggadah To Break Anger II
1. He who restrains his anger will not see his enemies rule over him. 2. Anger leads to contempt and to sin. 3. The angry person’s wisdom and prominence cannot endure. 4. God loves the person who forgives his offenders and shows them not an angry face. 5. The person who is habitually angry fails to enjoy his life and feels all the tortures of Purgatory. 6. The angry person has no respect for the Divine Presence. He forgets his learning and increases folly within himself. 7. The sins of the angry person will surely outweigh his merits. (Sefer HaMidot)
The Haggadah To Break Anger II
1. Dayeinu: HaRav Nachman Cohen shlit”a explains in his masterful Haggadah that while we were in the desert we confronted many who denied how they benefitted from others, such as the descendants of Lot, Amon and Moav, because we, the Children of Israel, constantly denied how we benefitted from God’s abundance:
Took us out of Egypt – Deuteronomy 1:27
Judged the Egyptians – Psalms 106:7
Punished their gods – Psalms 106:19
Killed their firstborn – Psalms 106:20
Gave us their money – Hosea 2:10
Split the Sea for us – Psalms 106:7
Brought us through on dry land – Psalms 106:7
Drowned our enemies in the Sea – Psalms 106:7
Took care of our needs in the desert – Psalms 78:19, 25:32
Manna – Numbers 21:5, Psalms 106:14
Shabbat – Exodus 16:27
Sinai – Psalms 106:13
Torah – Numbers 11:10, Psalms 106:25
Israel – Psalms 106:24
HaRav Cohen also compares the Fifteen Steps of Dayeinu to Psalm 78-The Pesach Psalm I, II, III, IV.
Our constant anger with God, led us to fall victim to our enemies; Joseph’s brothers, Israel to the Babylonians etc.
2. We read selections from the book of Ezekiel: “I need you as populous as the plants of the field,” describing how God elevated us despite our lowly state, and yet, we responded to His kindness with contempt and sin.
3. Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryah: How did he become Nassi, Prince of the Sanhedrin, necessitating the miracle of his appeared turning white? Rabban Gamiliel was disposed because of the way he managed his anger.
4. Darkness: The Children of Israel did not take advantage of the period of Darkness to rob their former masters; they did not respond to the Egyptians with anger. God responded to this level of forgiveness with tremendous love.