We ask the Four Questions, and this is the (very short) answer we give.
עֲבָדִים הָיִינוּ לְפַרְעֹה בְּמִצְרָיִם, וַיּוֹצִיאֵנוּ ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ מִשָּׁם בְּיָד חֲזָקָה וּבִזְרֹעַ נְטוּיָה. וְאִלּוּ לֹא הוֹצִיא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֶת אֲבוֹתֵינוּ מִמִּצְרָיִם, הֲרֵי אָנוּ וּבָנֵינוּ וּבְנֵי בָנֵינוּ מְשֻׁעְבָּדִים הָיִינוּ לְפַרְעֹה בְּמִצְרָיִם.
We were slaves to Pharaoh in the land of Egypt. And the Lord, our God, took us out from there with a strong hand and an outstretched forearm. And if the Holy One, blessed be He, had not taken our ancestors from Egypt, behold we and our children and our children's children would [all] be enslaved to Pharaoh in Egypt.
We were slaves? But we weren't there!
Deuteronomy (“Devarim”) is the fifth and last book of the Torah, Judaism’s foundational text, and it consists primarily of Moses’ final speeches ahead of his death.
(20) When, in time to come, your children ask you, “What mean the decrees, laws, and rules that our God Adonai has enjoined upon you?” (21) you shall say to your children, “We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt and Adonai freed us from Egypt with a mighty hand.
בְּכָל־דּוֹר וָדוֹר חַיָּב אָדָם לִרְאוֹת אֶת־עַצְמוֹ כְּאִלּוּ הוּא יָצָא מִמִּצְרַיִם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְהִגַּדְתָּ לְבִנְךָ בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא לֵאמֹר, בַּעֲבוּר זֶה עָשָׂה ה' לִי בְּצֵאתִי מִמִּצְרַיִם. לֹא אֶת־אֲבוֹתֵינוּ בִּלְבָד גָּאַל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, אֶלָּא אַף אוֹתָנוּ גָּאַל עִמָּהֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְאוֹתָנוּ הוֹצִיא מִשָּׁם, לְמַעַן הָבִיא אוֹתָנוּ, לָתֶת לָנוּ אֶת־הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר נִשָׁבַּע לַאֲבֹתֵינוּ.
In each and every generation, a person is obligated to see himself as if he left Egypt, as it is stated (Exodus 13:8); "And you shall explain to your son on that day: For the sake of this, did the Lord do [this] for me in my going out of Egypt." Not only our ancestors did the Holy One, blessed be He, redeem, but rather also us [together] with them did He redeem, as it is stated (Deuteronomy 6:23); "And He took us out from there, in order to bring us in, to give us the land which He swore unto our fathers."
Yosef Hayim Yerushalmi was an American professor of Jewish history and historiography in the second half of the 20th century.
Yosef Hayim Yerushalmi - Zakhor (p. 44).
For whatever memories were unleashed by the commemorative rituals and liturgies were surely not a matter of intellection, but of evocation and identification... The entire Seder is a symbolic enactment of an historical scenario whose three great acts structure the Haggadah that is read aloud: slavery—deliverance—ultimate redemption... Memory here is no longer recollection, which still preserves a sense of distance, but reactualization...
...nowhere is the notion brought forth more vigorously than in a Talmudic dictum central to the Passover Haggadah itself. “In each and every generation let each person regard himself as though he had emerged from Egypt.”
וַאֲפִילוּ כֻּלָּנוּ חֲכָמִים כֻּלָּנוּ נְבוֹנִים כֻּלָּנוּ זְקֵנִים כֻּלָּנוּ יוֹדְעִים אֶת הַתּוֹרָה מִצְוָה עָלֵינוּ לְסַפֵּר בִּיצִיאַת מִצְרָיִם. וְכָל הַמַּרְבֶּה לְסַפֵּר בִּיצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם הֲרֵי זֶה מְשֻׁבָּח.
And even if we were all sages, all discerning, all elders, all knowledgeable about the Torah, it would be a commandment upon us to tell the story of the exodus from Egypt. And anyone who enlarges the telling of the story of the exodus from Egypt, behold he is praiseworthy.
What does it mean, "to enlarge" the telling of the story?
Zevach Pesach is a comprehensive commentary to the Haggadah written by Don Yitchak Abarbanel. He wrote his commentary in Italy, after being exiled from Spain in 1492.
והנוסחא האמיתית היא "וכל המרבה לספר ביציאת מצרים הרי זה משובח", כי הסיפור הוא מצווה והמרבה בו הרי זה משובח.
The proper version of this passage should be, “All who increase the telling of the story of the Exodus from Egypt at length are praiseworthy.” To tell the story (misaper) is a commandment, while telling it at length (marbeh) is praiseworthy.
מַעֲשֶׂה בְּרַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר וְרַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ וְרַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן־עֲזַרְיָה וְרַבִּי עֲקִיבָא וְרַבִּי טַרְפוֹן שֶׁהָיוּ מְסֻבִּין בִּבְנֵי־בְרַק וְהָיוּ מְסַפְּרִים בִּיצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם כָּל־אוֹתוֹ הַלַּיְלָה, עַד שֶׁבָּאוּ תַלְמִידֵיהֶם וְאָמְרוּ לָהֶם רַבּוֹתֵינוּ הִגִּיעַ זְמַן קְרִיאַת שְׁמַע שֶׁל שַׁחֲרִית.
It happened once [on Pesach] that Rabbi Eliezer, Rabbi Yehoshua, Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah, Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Tarfon were reclining in Bnei Brak and were telling the story of the exodus from Egypt that whole night, until their students came and said to them, "The time of [reciting] the morning Shema has arrived."
Who are these Rabbis?
The Mishnah is the first major work of rabbinic literature, consisting of teachings transmitted over hundreds of years and compiled around 200 CE. Pirkei Avot (literally “Chapters of the Fathers,” also known as “Ethics of our Fathers”) consists of short statement of advice, ethics and wisdom.
רַבָּן יוֹחָנָן בֶּן זַכַּאי קִבֵּל מֵהִלֵּל וּמִשַּׁמָּאי... חֲמִשָּׁה תַלְמִידִים הָיוּ לוֹ לְרַבָּן יוֹחָנָן בֶּן זַכַּאי, וְאֵלּוּ הֵן, רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן הוֹרְקְנוֹס, וְרַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן חֲנַנְיָה, וְרַבִּי יוֹסֵי הַכֹּהֵן, וְרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן נְתַנְאֵל, וְרַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲרָךְ.
Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai received [the oral tradition] from Hillel and Shammai... Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai had five disciples and they were these: Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus, Rabbi Joshua ben Hananiah, Rabbi Yose, the priest, Rabbi Shimon ben Nethaneel and Rabbi Eleazar ben Arach.
The Talmud is the textual record of generations of rabbinic debate about law, philosophy, and biblical interpretation, compiled between the 3rd and 8th centuries and structured as commentary on the Mishnah. Tractate Berakhot (“Blessings”) is part of the Talmud and discusses the laws of prayers.
הָיָה רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל יוֹשֵׁב וְדוֹרֵשׁ וְרַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ עוֹמֵד עַל רַגְלָיו, עַד שֶׁרִנְּנוּ כׇּל הָעָם וְאָמְרוּ לְחוּצְפִּית הַתּוּרְגְּמָן: עֲמוֹד! וְעָמַד. אָמְרִי: עַד כַּמָּה נְצַעֲרֵיהּ וְנֵיזִיל, בְּרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה אֶשְׁתָּקַד צַעֲרֵיהּ. בִּבְכוֹרוֹת בְּמַעֲשֵׂה דְרַבִּי צָדוֹק צַעֲרֵיהּ. הָכָא נָמֵי צַעֲרֵיהּ, תָּא וְנַעְבְּרֵיהּ! מַאן נוֹקֵים לֵיהּ? נוֹקְמֵיהּ לְרַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ — בַּעַל מַעֲשֶׂה הוּא. נוֹקְמֵיהּ לְרַבִּי עֲקִיבָא — דִּילְמָא עָנֵישׁ לֵיהּ, דְּלֵית לֵיהּ זְכוּת אָבוֹת. אֶלָּא נוֹקְמֵיהּ לְרַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲזַרְיָה, דְּהוּא חָכָם, וְהוּא עָשִׁיר, וְהוּא עֲשִׂירִי לְעֶזְרָא.
Rabban Gamliel, as the Nasi, was sitting and lecturing, and Rabbi Yehoshua all the while was standing on his feet, because Rabban Gamliel did not instruct him to sit. He remained standing in deference to the Nasi. This continued for some time, until it aroused great resentment against Rabban Gamliel, and all of the people assembled began murmuring and said to Ḥutzpit the disseminator: Stop conveying Rabban Gamliel’s lecture. And he stopped. The Gemara relates that in their murmuring they said: How long will Rabban Gamliel continue afflicting him? Last year on Rosh HaShana, he afflicted him; regarding the firstborn, in the incident of Rabbi Tzadok, he afflicted him. Here too, he is afflicting him. Let us remove him from his position as Nasi. It was so agreed, but the question arose: Whom shall we establish in his place? Shall we establish Rabbi Yehoshua in his place? The Sages rejected that option because Rabbi Yehoshua was party to the incident for which Rabban Gamliel was deposed. Appointing him would be extremely upsetting for Rabban Gamliel. Shall we establish Rabbi Akiva in his place? The Sages rejected that option because Rabbi Akiva, who descended from a family of converts, would be vulnerable. Perhaps due to Rabban Gamliel’s resentment he would cause him to be divinely punished as he lacks the merit of his ancestors to protect him. Rather, suggested the Sages, let us establish Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya in his place, his outstanding characteristics set him apart from the other candidates. He is wise, rich, and a tenth generation descendant of Ezra.
רַבִּי טַרְפוֹן אוֹמֵר... לֹא עָלֶיךָ הַמְּלָאכָה לִגְמֹר, וְלֹא אַתָּה בֶן חוֹרִין לִבָּטֵל מִמֶּנָּה.
Rabbi Tarfon said:... It is not your duty to finish the work, but neither are you at liberty to neglect it.
Why are their students not discussing "the exodus from Egypt" with them?
Rabbanit Michal Kohane received ordination from Maharat, a Yeshiva for Orthodox women in 2020.
Rabbanit Michal Kohane, Seder in Bnai-Brak Hills
The Hagada opens with a strange story about a group of rabbis who gather in Bnai Brak “all that night” to tell the story of the Exodus from Egypt until their students come to tell them it’s time for the morning prayer. The story is full of peculiar information. We tend to think it was the night of their seder since, after all, they were telling about “Yetzi’at Mitzrayim”; but if so, why meet at the hometown of the youngest one of them, and not honor the elder? In fact, why even specify the location? Where are their wives, children and families? And why are the students outside? Can’t the rabbis themselves see the morning light? Not to mention that if I was one of their students and had a chance to attend a seder with Rabbi Akiva, for example, surely, I would want to be inside and hear these five amazing rabbis’ insights and commentaries. Unless... maybe it was not a seder after all.
Rabbi Manuel Gold has been called “the Sherlock Homes of Jewish scholarship” for his fearless probing into sacred literature with the eye of a historian and the enthusiasm of a sleuth who has just solved a mystery.
Rabbi Manuel Gold on ReformJudaism.com
We know from historical accounts that these five rabbis supported Bar Kokhba (Simon ben Kosevah) and the three-year revolt (132-135 C.E) he would lead in Judea against the Roman occupation. They may even have been planning the revolt in Bnai Brak, Rabbi Akiba’s home base, using “Exodus from Egypt” as code for “Freedom from Rome.”
This subterfuge shielded the Jewish activists from Roman spies and Roman curiosity, allowing them to claim, “We are simply talking here at our symposium about a time long ago when our people were in Egypt.”
The Tosefta is a companion volume to the Mishnah, the foundation of the Jewish oral tradition, and was written around the 3rd century C.E. Tosefta Pesachim (“Passover Festivals”) is part of the discusses laws relating to Passover.
מעשה ברבן גמליאל וזקנים שהיו מסובין בבית ביתוס בן זונין בלוד והיו [עסוקין בהלכות הפסח] כל הלילה עד קרות הגבר הגביהו מלפניהם ונועדו והלכו [להן] לבית המדרש
It happened that Rabban Gamliel and the Elders were reclining in the house of Beitos ben Zunin in Lud, and they were involved with the laws of Pesach the whole night until the call of the rooster. [Their students] raised the covering of the window from in front of them, and they [then] convened and went to the house of study.
Rabbi Manuel Gold on ReformJudaism.com
Rabban Gamliel and the Elders were reclining at the house of Boethus ben Zunin in Lod, engaged in discussing the laws of Pesach until the rooster crowed. This seder story has all the earmarks of a meeting of those Jews who opposed another revolt against Roman rule.
First, the attendees, Gamliel and the Elders, were members of the aristocracy, what we might today call political conservatives. Second, they are meeting in the city of Lod, which was a major commercial center. Third, they reclined at the home of Boethus, a very wealthy Jewish merchant with a Greek name, a sign of his cross-cultural contacts. Finally, they were not discussing the “Exodus from Egypt,” code for the revolt, but the “laws of Pesach,” an indication that their concern was inwardly focused on the laws of Passover.