וַיִּסְעוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵרַעְמְסֵס. מֵרַעְמְסֵס לְסֻכּוֹת אַרְבָּעִים פַּרְסָה, וְהָיָה קוֹלוֹ שֶׁל מֹשֶׁה נִשְׁמָע מִסֻּכּוֹת. וְאַל תִּתְמַהּ, שֶׁהֲרֵי אָבָק שֶׁזָּרַק, הָלַךְ מַהֲלַךְ אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְהָיָה לְאָבָק עַל כָּל אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם. וּמִצְרַיִם מַהֲלַךְ אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם, וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן קוֹלוֹ. רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר: סֻכּוֹת, אֵלּוּ עֲנָנִים, כָּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: כִּי עַל כָּל כָּבוֹד חֻפָּה (ישעיה ד, ה). וְכֵן לֶעָתִיד לָבֹא, וְסֻכָּה תִּהְיֶה לְצֵל יוֹמָם וְגוֹ' (ישעיה ד, ו). לְבַד מִטַּף, קְטַנִּים וְנָשִׁים. וַיֹּאפוּ, לָשׁוּ וְלֹא הִסְפִּיקוּ לֶאֱפוֹת עוּגוֹת. וְאֵין עוּגָה אֶלָּא לְשׁוֹן חֲרָרָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: אַךְ עֲשִׂי לִי מִשָּׁם עֻגָה קְטַנָּה (מלכים א יז, יג). נֵס גָּדוֹל נַעֲשָׂה לָהֶן, שֶׁאָכְלוּ מִמֶּנּוּ שְׁלֹשִׁים יוֹם שִׁשִּׁים פְּעָמִים, עַד שֶׁיָּרַד לָהֶן אֶת הַמָּן. וְגַם צֵדָה לֹא עָשׂוּ לָהֶם, לְהוֹדִיעַ שִׁבְחָן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁלֹּא אָמְרוּ הֵיאַךְ נֵצֵא לַמִּדְבָּרוֹת וְלַיָּם וְאֵין לָנוּ צֵדָה, מְלַמֵּד, שֶׁהֶאֱמִינוּ. וַעֲלֵיהֶם מְפֹרָשׁ בַּקַּבָּלָה, הָלֹךְ וְקָרָאתָ בְאָזְנֵי יְרוּשָׁלַיִם וְגוֹ' (ירמיה ב, ב) וּמַה שְׂכָרָן? קֹדֶשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל לַה' (ירמיה ב, ג). And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth (Exod. 12:37). The distance from Rameses to Succoth is forty parasangs (approx. 43 miles), yet Moses’ voice could be heard at Succoth. Do not be surprised at this, for even the dust that Moses hurled into the air soared about for forty days, as it is said: And it shall become small dust over all the land of Egypt (Exod. 9:9). If the dust could spread over the whole of Egypt, which takes forty days to traverse, how much more likely it is that his voice could traverse forty parasangs. R. Akiba said: Succoth refers to the clouds, as it is said: For over all the glory shall be a canopy (sukkah) (Isa. 4:5). Likewise, in the future, And there shall be a canopy (sukkah) for a shadow in the daytime (ibid., v. 6). Besides children (Exod. 12:37). That is, besides little ones and women. And they baked cakes (ibid., v. 39). Actually, they did not manage to bake cakes. The word cakes refers to a cake baked on coal, as it is said: But make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it forth unto me (I Kings 17:13). An amazing miracle was performed for them by means of the cakes. They ate them twice a day for thirty days, until the manna descended for them. Neither had they prepared for themselves any victuals (Exod. 12:39). This was to demonstrate Israel’s worth, since they did not complain and say: “How can we cross the desert and the sea if we have no provisions?” This teaches us that they trusted Him. Concerning them, it is expressly stated in the post-Mosaic writing: Go, and cry in the ears of Jerusalem (Jer. 2:2). What was their reward for their faithfulness? Israel is the Lord’s hallowed portion (ibid., v. 3).
וּמוֹשַׁב בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר יָשְׁבוּ בְּמִצְרָיִם שְׁלֹשִים שָׁנָה וְאַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה. וּכְתִיב: וַעֲבָדוּם וְעִנּוּ אֹתָם אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה (בראשית טו, יג). הֲרֵי שְׁנֵי פְּסוּקִים מַכְחִישִׁין זֶה אֶת זֶה. כֵּיצַד? עַד שֶׁלֹּא נוֹלַד יִצְחָק, נִגְזְרָה גְּזֵרָה. וּמִשֶּׁנּוֹלַד יִצְחָק, חִשֵּׁב הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: כִּי גֵר יִהְיֶה זַרְעֲךָ (בראשית טו, יג). וְאַבְרָהָם חִשֵּׁב מִשְּׁעַת הַגְּזֵרָה. כְּתִיב אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה. וּכְתִיב וְדוֹר רְבִיעִי יָשׁוּבוּ הֵנָּה (בראשית טו, טז). הָא כֵּיצַד? עָשׂוּ תְּשׁוּבָה, אֶגְאָלֵם לְדוֹרוֹת. וְאִם לָאו, לְשָׁנִים. וַיְהִי מִקֵּץ שְׁלֹשִים שָׁנָה וְגוֹ'. כְּשֶׁהִגִּיעַ הַקֵּץ, לֹא עִכְּבָם כְּהֶרֶף עַיִן. בַּחֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר בְּנִיסָן נִגְזְרָה גְּזֵרָה וְנִדְבַּר עִם אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ בֵּין הַבְּתָרִים. בַּחֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר בְּנִיסָן בָּאוּ מַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת לְבַשְּׂרוֹ עַל יִצְחָק. בַּחֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר בְּנִיסָן נוֹלַד יִצְחָק. בַּחֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר בְּנִיסָן נִגְאֲלוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם. בַּחֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר בְּנִיסָן עֲתִידִין לְהִגָּאֵל מִשִּׁעְבּוּד גָּלֻיּוֹת. וַיְהִי מִקֵּץ שְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה. קֵץ אֶחָד לְכֻלָּם. Now the time that the children of Israel dwelt in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years (Exod. 12:40). Yet it is written: And shall serve them, and they shall afflict them four hundred years (Gen. 15:13). Since these two verses are obviously contradictory, how can they be reconciled? The first decree was issued prior to the birth of Isaac, but after Isaac’s birth, the Holy One, blessed be He, reconsidered the matter, as it is said: Thy seed shall be a stranger, and they shall afflict them four hundred years. Abraham reflected on this subject at the time of the decree. It is written: And they shall afflict them four hundred years, but it is also written: In the fourth generation they shall come back hither (ibid., v. 16). How can these verses be reconciled? These verses suggest that, if they repent, I will redeem them after four generations, but if not, after four hundred years. And it came to pass at the end of four hundred and thirty years (Exod. 12:41). At the end of that time he did not delay them as long as the blink of an eye. It was on the fifteenth day of Nisan that he issued the decree and spoke to Abraham our father, at the time of making the covenant-between-the-parts. It was on the fifteenth day of Nisan that ministering angels came to inform him about the birth of Isaac; it was on the fifteenth day of Nisan that Isaac was born; it was on the fifteenth day of Nisan that they were redeemed from Egypt; and it is on the fifteenth day of Nisan that they will be redeemed from servitude to kingdoms. The same day was designated for all these events.
לֵיל שִׁמֻּרִים הוּא לַה' לְהוֹצִיאָם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם הוּא הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה, שֶׁבּוֹ עֲתִידִין לְהִגָּאֵל, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי יהוֹשֻׁעַ. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר: בְּתִשְׁרֵי עֲתִידִין לְהִגָּאֵל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: תִּקְעוּ בַחֹדֶשׁ שׁוֹפָר וְגוֹ' (תהלים פא, ד). הוּא הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה, הוּא הַלַּיְלָה שֶׁאָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְאַבְרָהָם, בַּלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה אֲנִי גוֹאֵל אֶת בָּנֶיךָ. שִׁמֻּרִים, צְרִיכִין יִשְׂרָאֵל לְהִשְׁתַּמֵּר בּוֹ בַּלַּיְלָה. It was a night of watching unto the Lord for bringing them out from the land of Egypt (Exod. 12:42). This is also the night upon which they will be redeemed, R.Joshua maintained. R. Eliezer held, however: In the future they will be redeemed in Tishri, as it is stated: Blow the horn at the new moon (Ps. 81:4). It was a night (Exod. 12:42). It was the night about which the Holy One, blessed be He, had said to Abraham, “On that night I will redeem thy sons.” Watching unto the Lord for all the children of Israel (Exod. 12:42); that is to say, all the Israelites must be watchful on that night.