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Exodus 10:1 - 13:16
In this week’s Torah portion, we read that Moses says to the Israelites, “Remember this day, on which you went free from Egypt, the house of bondage, how the Eternal freed you from it with a mighty hand: no leavened bread shall be eaten.” [Exodus 13:3] The obligation to recall the Exodus from Egypt is stressed many times in the Torah. We are commanded once a year at the Passover seder to recount in detail the story of our redemption. Even in our daily and Shabbat prayers, such as Mi Chamocha and the Kiddush, we make mention of our liberation. So why is it that we place SO much emphasis on this ancient event? Even in the first commandment God identifies God’s self as the One who took us out of Egypt. Why not as the One who created the world? Or the one who gave us Torah? And why are so many holidays besides Passover, like Shabbat and Sukkot, connected with the Exodus?
The issue is not merely one of historical significance. There must be a deeper reason that we “must see ourselves as if we left Egypt.” To answer this I think we first have to ask: Why did God take the Jews out of Egypt in such a dramatic fashion? Was it really necessary to bring ten plagues, when God seemingly could have merely just “un-hardened” Pharoah’s heart?
Nachmanides, a Catalan philosopher and rabbi, explains that the main purpose of the plagues was not to punish the Egyptians, but rather to educate both them and us. Of course, many, if not all, of the Egyptians doubted God’s existence and sovereignty. However, no one could have witnessed the miracles that transpired in the form of the plagues and still retain his/her atheistic or idol worshipping beliefs. The message was so strong that even Pharaoh, who had completely denied God’s existence, was forced to exclaim: “God will rule forever!”
It wasn’t, however, only the Egyptians who were struggling with God. The Jews too were in need of some re-education. They had become assimilated into Egyptian culture. They, too, needed to experience God firsthand. No one was there to witness the creation of the world, but the Exodus was experienced by countless Jews who continue to tell the story to subsequent generations. Today, each of us is part of this important chain as we pass on this “eyewitness account” to our children. It is part of our lineage and part of our heritage, but more importantly it was truly part of our experience. It is the turning point of our existence as a nation and as a people and, accordingly, is at the center of our identity as Jews.
Shabbat Shalom,
Cantor Korn
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