a passing breath that does not return.
(40) How often did they defy Him in the wilderness,
did they grieve Him in the wasteland! (41) Again and again they tested God,
vexed the Holy One of Israel. (42) They did not remember His strength,
or the day He redeemed them from the foe; (43) how He displayed His signs in Egypt,
His wonders in the plain of Zoan. (44) He turned their rivers into blood;
He made their waters undrinkable. (45) He inflicted upon them swarms of insects to devour them,
frogs to destroy them. (46) He gave their crops over to grubs,
their produce to locusts. (47) He killed their vines with hail,
their sycamores with frost.-c (48) He gave their beasts over to hail,
their cattle to lightning bolts. (49) He inflicted His burning anger upon them,
wrath, indignation, trouble,
a band of deadly messengers. (50) He cleared a path for His anger;
He did not stop short of slaying them,
but gave them over to pestilence. (51) He struck every first-born in Egypt,
the first fruits of their vigor in the tents of Ham. (52) He set His people moving like sheep,
drove them like a flock in the wilderness. (53) He led them in safety; they were unafraid;
as for their enemies, the sea covered them.
call on His name;
proclaim His deeds among the peoples. (2) Sing praises to Him;
speak of all His wondrous acts. (3) Exult in His holy name;
let all who seek the LORD rejoice. (4) Turn to the LORD, to His might;
seek His presence constantly. (5) Remember the wonders He has done,
His portents and the judgments He has pronounced, (6) O offspring of Abraham, His servant,
O descendants of Jacob, His chosen ones. (7) He is the LORD our God;
His judgments are throughout the earth. (8) He is ever mindful of His covenant,
the promise He gave for a thousand generations, (9) that He made with Abraham,
swore to Isaac, (10) and confirmed in a decree for Jacob,
for Israel, as an eternal covenant, (11) saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan
as your allotted heritage.”
(12) They were then few in number,
a mere handful, sojourning there, (13) wandering from nation to nation,
from one kingdom to another. (14) He allowed no one to oppress them;
He reproved kings on their account, (15) “Do not touch My anointed ones;
do not harm My prophets.”
(16) He called down a famine on the land,
destroyed every staff of bread. (17) He sent ahead of them a man,
Joseph, sold into slavery. (18) His feet were subjected to fetters;
an iron collar was put on his neck. (19) Until his prediction came true
the decree of the LORD purged him. (20) The king sent to have him freed;
the ruler of nations released him. (21) He made him the lord of his household,
empowered him over all his possessions, (22) to discipline his princes at will,
to teach his elders wisdom. (23) Then Israel came to Egypt;
Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham.
(24) He made His people very fruitful,
more numerous than their foes. (25) He changed their heart-b to hate His people,
to plot against His servants. (26) He sent His servant Moses,
and Aaron, whom He had chosen. (27) They performed His signs among them,
His wonders, against the land of Ham. (28) He sent darkness; it was very dark;
did they not defy His word?-c (29) He turned their waters into blood
and killed their fish. (30) Their land teemed with frogs,
even the rooms of their king. (31) Swarms of insects came at His command,
lice, throughout their country. (32) He gave them hail for rain,
and flaming fire in their land. (33) He struck their vines and fig trees,
broke down the trees of their country. (34) Locusts came at His command,
grasshoppers without number. (35) They devoured every green thing in the land;
they consumed the produce of the soil. (36) He struck down every first-born in the land,
the first fruit of their vigor. (37) He led Israel out with silver and gold;
none among their tribes faltered. (38) Egypt rejoiced when they left,
for dread of Israel had fallen upon them.
(39) He spread a cloud for a cover,
and fire to light up the night. (40) They asked and He brought them quail,
and satisfied them with food from heaven. (41) He opened a rock so that water gushed forth;
it flowed as a stream in the parched land. (42) Mindful of His sacred promise
to His servant Abraham, (43) He led His people out in gladness,
His chosen ones with joyous song. (44) He gave them the lands of nations;
they inherited the wealth of peoples, (45) that they might keep His laws
and observe His teachings.
Hallelujah.
(יד) לָכֵ֛ן הִנֵּה־יָמִ֥ים בָּאִ֖ים נְאֻם־ה' וְלֹא־יֵאָמֵ֥ר עוֹד֙ חַי־ה' אֲשֶׁ֧ר הֶעֱלָ֛ה אֶת־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃ (טו) כִּ֣י אִם־חַי־ה' אֲשֶׁ֨ר הֶעֱלָ֜ה אֶת־בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ צָפ֔וֹן וּמִכֹּל֙ הָאֲרָצ֔וֹת אֲשֶׁ֥ר הִדִּיחָ֖ם שָׁ֑מָּה וַהֲשִֽׁבֹתִים֙ עַל־אַדְמָתָ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר נָתַ֖תִּי לַאֲבוֹתָֽם׃ {פ}
(14) Assuredly, a time is coming—declares the LORD—when it shall no more be said, “As the LORD lives who brought the Israelites out of the land of Egypt,” (15) but rather, “As the LORD lives who brought the Israelites out of the northland, and out of all the lands to which He had banished them.” For I will bring them back to their land, which I gave to their fathers.
Mishnah
1. On the eve of Passover [from] close to [the time of] the afternoon offering, no one must eat until nightfall. Even the poorest person in Israel must not eat [on the night of Passover] unless he reclines. And they must give him no fewer than four cups of wine, even [if he receives relief] from the charity plate.
2. They pour the first cup [of wine] for [the leader of the seder]. The House of Shammai say: He recites a blessing for the day [first], and then recites a blessing over the wine But the House of Hillel say: He recites a blessing over the wine [first], and then recites a blessing for the day.
3. [Then] they set [food] before him. He dips the lettuce before he reaches the course following the [unleavened] bread. [Then] they set before him unleavened bread, lettuce, and a mixture of apples, nuts, and wine, and two dishes, although the mixture of apples, nuts, and wine is not compulsory. Rabbi Eliezer bar Tzadok says: It is compulsory. And in the Temple they used to bring before him the body of the Passover-offering.
4. They pour a second cup [of wine] for him. And here the son questions his father. And if the son has insufficient understanding [to question], his father teaches him [to ask]: Why is this night different from all [other] nights? On all [other] nights, we eat leavened and unleavened bread, [but] on this night, [we eat] only unleavened bread. On all [other] nights, we eat all kinds of vegetables, [but] on this night, [we eat only] bitter herbs. On all [other] nights, we eat meat roasted, stewed or boiled, [but] on this night, [we eat] only roasted [meat]. On all [other] nights, we dip [vegetables] once, [but] on this night, we dip [vegetables] twice. And according to the son's intelligence, his father instructs him. He begins [answering the questions] with [the account of Israel’s] shame and concludes with [Israel’s] glory, and expounds from “My father was a wandering Aramean” until he completes the whole passage.
5. Rabban Gamliel used to say: Whoever does not mention these three things on Passover does not discharge his duty, and these are they: the Passover-offering, unleavened bread, and bitter herbs. [The] Passover-offering [is offered] because the Omnipresent One passed over the houses of our ancestors in Egypt. Unleavened bread [is eaten] because our ancestors were redeemed from Egypt. [The] bitter herb is [eaten] because the Egyptians embittered the lives of our ancestors in Egypt. In every generation a person must regard himself as though he personally had gone out of Egypt, as it is said: “And you shall tell your son in that day, saying: ‘It is because of what the Lord did for me when I came forth out of Egypt.’” Therefore it is our duty to thank, praise, laud, glorify, exalt, honor, bless, extol, and adore Him Who performed all these miracles for our ancestors and us; He brought us forth from bondage into freedom, from sorrow into joy, from mourning into festivity, from darkness into great light, and from servitude into redemption. Therefore let us say before Him, Hallelujah!
6. Up until which point should he recite? The House of Shammai says: Up to 'as a happy mother of children'. The House of Hillel says: Up to 'flint stone into a water-spring', and conclude with the blessing of redemption. Rabbi Tarfon says: 'who redeemed us and our ancestors from Egypt', but without a concluding blessing. Rabbi Akiva says: 'O YHVH our God and God of our ancestors--may we come to reach other seasons and festivals in peace, joyful in the rebuilding of your city, and jubilant in your Temple service, where we will eat from the offerings and Passover sacrifices etc.' until 'Bless you YHVH, Redeemer of Israel.
7. They mix a third cup; he blesses his meal. [The] fourth [cup] is concluded with Hallel, which he says with the [concluding] blessing. Between these cups, if he wishes to drink, he may drink. Between the third and the fourth [cups], he may not drink.
8. They may not add an afikoman after the Pesach offering. If a few of them fell asleep, they may eat. If all of them [changed locations], they may not eat. Rabbi Yossi says: if they nod off, they may eat. If they fall asleep, they may not eat.
(9) The Paschal lamb after midnight renders one’s hands ritually impure, as it becomes notar, an offering that remained after the time when they may be eaten has expired; and the Sages ruled that both piggul, offerings that were invalidated due to inappropriate intent while being sacrificed, and notar render one’s hands ritually impure. If one recited the blessing over the Paschal lamb, which is: Who sanctified us with His mitzvot and commanded us to eat the Paschal lamb, he has also exempted himself from reciting a blessing over the Festival offering. However, if he recited the blessing over the Festival offering, he has not exempted himself from reciting a blessing over the Paschal lamb. This is the statement of Rabbi Yishmael. Rabbi Akiva says: This blessing does not exempt one from reciting a blessing over this one, and that blessing does not exempt that one, as there is a separate blessing for each offering.
