(a) A number of sources teach that light radiated forth out of the Beis
ha'Mikdash to the entire world. The Midrash says that the reason why the
windows of the Beis ha'Mikdash were constructed in such a manner that they
were wider on the outside than on the inside was in order for the light to
go from inside the Beis ha'Mikdash and spread forth into the world, instead
of light going from outside into the Beis ha'Mikdash.
TOSFOS in Shabbos (22b, DH v'Chi) writes that despite the drapings over the
Mishkan which prevented light from the outside from coming in, the Kohanim
did not have to bring in any candle to do work in the Mishkan since it was
illuminated by the radiance of the Shechinah.
RABEINU BACHYE (in Kad ha'Kemach) writes that the presence of light
indicates the Divine Presence, just as it is customary to light candles in
the king's chambers in honor of the king.
Light also symbolizes the wisdom of Hashem as expressed in the Torah, and
the attribute of having the proper worldview. When people came to the Beis
ha'Mikdash, they were overcome with a love of Hashem's ways and a will to
follow those ways, as Tosfos in Bava Metzia (21a, DH Ki) quotes from a
The Beis ha'Mikdash is referred to as an "eye" as well, since the eye is the
part of the body that is able to perceive light and to transmit what it sees
to the rest of the body. Likewise, the Beis ha'Mikdash is the place which is
able to receive the light of Hashem and spread it to the entire world. (The
Beis ha'Mikdash is called "light" when looking at it from the perspective of
what it gives to the world, and it is called "eye" from the perspective of
what it receives from Above.)
(b) The Chachamim allude to the same theme when they teach that Olam ha'Zeh
is compared to night, and Olam ha'Ba is compared to day (Bava Metzia 83b,
Pesachim 2a). In Olam ha'Zeh, the presence of Hashem is veiled. Because of
this, this world is compared to nighttime, during which there is an absence
of light. In Olam ha'Ba, Hashem reveals His presence to all, and that is why
it is compared to the brightness of day (see Avodah Zarah 3a).
The Chachamim further allude to this when they teach that when the verse
says, "Hashem called the light 'day' and He called the darkness 'night'"
(Bereishis 1:5), the verse does not mention the Name of Hashem with regard
to night, because Hashem does not place His name with something associated
with evil (Tosfos in Ta'anis 3a, DH v'Ilu). The Midrash does not mean that
night is evil per se, but that darkness represents the lack of clarity in
our perception of Hashem's presence in the world.
(c) Based on this, RAV YITZCHAK HUTNER zt'l explains the choice of words in
the Mishnah at the beginning of Pesachim. The Mishnah there refers to the
night of the fourteenth of Nisan (the night of Bedikas Chametz) as "Or
l'Arba'ah Asar." The Gemara there explains that although the Mishnah means
to say the *night* of the fourteenth and not the day, it uses the word "Or"
(which literally means "light"), because that it is a more refined
What is more refined about using the word "light" to refer to night, and why
is that word not used except in the beginning of Pesachim (and in Kerisus
The answer is that the quality of the Yom Tov of Pesach is that it can
reveal the light that is hidden in the darkness of night. That is, even in a
time of Galus when Hashem's presence is less apparent, by reliving the
miracles of Yetzi'as Mitzrayim we can see more clearly the guiding hand of
Hashem in this world, and during the time of Galus, both of which (Olam
ha'Zeh and Galus) are compared to night. This is why Maseches Pesachim
begins by calling the night, "Or."
(d) The source for Rav Hutner's suggestion can be found in a comment of the
VILNA GA'ON in his commentary to the Hagadah regarding the question, "Why is
this night (ha'Lailah ha'Zeh) different from all other nights?". We know
that in Hebrew nouns are classified as either masculine or feminine.
Masculine nouns must be modified by masculine adjectives and pronouns, while
feminine nouns are modified by feminine adjectives and pronouns. Although
there is no fixed rule to determine the gender of a particular noun, there
is one principle that is consistent: When a noun ends in the vowel "Kamatz"
followed by a silent letter "Heh," that word is of feminine gender. If so,
"Lailah" (night) ought to be a feminine noun! Why are masculine modifiers
(such as "ha'Zeh") always used with the word "Lailah?"
The question of "Mah Nishtanah," asserts the Vilna Ga'on, is why "Lailah,"
night, is modified by the word "Zeh," a masculine pronoun. Should it not be
referred to as "ha'Lailah *ha'Zos*," with the feminine pronoun?
The Vilna Ga'on adds than not only would it be grammatically consistent for
"Lailah" to be feminine, it would also be logically consistent. Night, he
notes, is feminine in its very essence. It is for this reason that many
positive commandments must be performed exclusively during the daytime.
(Examples of these are blowing the Shofar on Rosh Hashanah, holding the
Arba'as ha'Minim on Sukos, wearing Tzitzis and Tefilin, etc.) This is in
accordance with the "feminine" nature of the night. Just as women are exempt
from fulfilling these positive commandments (see Mishnah in Kidushin 29a),
so too, the night, with its feminine element, is "exempted" from these
(The source for the Vilna Ga'on's comment that night is "feminine" can be
found in the Zohar (Bereishis 20b), which asserts that daytime is when *men*
are actively providing for the family's livelihood, as the verse says, "The
sun shines... and men go out to do their work until evening" (Tehilim
104:22-23). The woman, on the other hand, provides for her family at night.
As the verse puts is, "She arises while it is still night, and she prepares
sustenance for her household..." (Mishlei 31:15). In the words of the Zohar,
the man "rules" during the daytime and the woman "rules" during the
In fact, along these same lines we may find an even deeper meaning to the
Hagadah's question, the Vilna Ga'on explains. Although time-related Mitzvos
Aseh normally apply only during the day, there are a small number of
exceptions. The exceptions are the Mitzvos performed on the Seder night: the
eating of Matzah, Maror and [in former -- and future -- times] the Korban
Pesach, and the Mitzvah of relating the story of the Exodus. The Torah
specifically commands that these Mitzvos be performed *exclusively* at
The question of the Hagadah is why the night *of Pesach* is even more
"masculine" than other nights ("ha'Zeh"), being laden with positive Mitzvos.
(According to this interpretation, the four questions can be seen to
correspond to the four positive Mitzvos of Pesach night -- see the Mishnah's
version of the four questions in Pesachim 116a, -M. Kornfeld. See also
Shelah in his commentary "Matzah Shemurah" on the Hagadah, who makes a
similar point in his commentary on the words "Kol Oso ha'Lailah," and Gan
Raveh to Shemos 12:42.)
Intuitively, we realize that this night's masculine character must somehow
be related to the broader question that we mentioned above: Why does the
word "Lailah," in general, display a certain duality? Although it has the
feminine "Kamatz-Heh" ending, it is consistently described using masculine
If this is the intention of the Hagadah's question, then what is the answer
to this question? The Vilna Ga'on does not elaborate on this, but the answer
may be explained as follows (based on the words of the Shelah and Gan Raveh
The trials and tribulations of this world are compared to the night because,
in the present world, we are often blind to Hashem's presence in, and
control of, the world. The radiant, joyful period of the world of the future
in times of Mashi'ach is compared to the day, because then Hashem will make
His majesty clear for all to see. In retrospect, all events that occurred in
this world will be clearly seen to have been for the best. This is the
meaning of the Midrash (Shemos Rabah 18:11) that states that during our
future redemption the nighttime will be lit up like the day.
This means that at the dawn of the era of Mashi'ach, it will become
abundantly evident that even when we do not "notice" Hashem's presence
during the "night" of Olam ha'Zeh, it is there all the same. When one sees
things in the proper perspective, the guiding Hand of Hashem is "as clear as
day." Femininity denotes privateness (since it is characteristic of women to
be less conspicuous than men, Yevamos 77a). Night may "look" feminine (as
denoted by the "Kamatz-Heh" ending), but it is in fact masculine in nature;
Hashem's Hand can be seen if one just looks at it in the proper
perspective -- that of one who has witnessed Yetzi'as Mitzrayim, "Anochi
Hashem... Asher Hotzeisicha m'Eretz Mitzrayim." This explains the duality of
the word "Lailah."
The Zohar (2:38a) tells us that the night of our redemption from Mitzrayim
was lit up as bright as day. During that time of miraculous redemption,
night "became day." The reason that the night of Pesach is imbued with such
a masculine character is that it commemorates the night of the Exodus,
during which Hashem's presence was "as clear to us as day." This is why the
Torah, which usually assigns positive Mitzvos to the daylight hours, makes
an exception in this instance. On this night, the Torah designates the
nighttime for the performance of such Mitzvos.
May we soon merit to witness the ultimate manifestation of Hashem's Glory
and the end to all suffering, speedily in our days.