The Idiosyncrasy of Leaving Egypt

(8) And you shall tell your child on that day, saying: It is because of this which the Eternal did for me when I came forth out of Egypt.

In each and every generation one is obligated to see themselves as if they went out from Egypt, as it says (Exodus 13:8) And you shall tell your child on that day, saying: Because of this, the Eternal did for me when I went out from Egypt.

The parent begins with shame and concludes with glory, and creatively interprets from “My father was a wandering Aramean” (Deut. 26:5) until they complete the whole passage.

What is meant by 'with shame?' Rav said, "At first, our ancestors were idol worshipers." And Shmuel said, "We were slaves."

We were slaves to Pharaoh in the Egypt. And the Eternal, our God, took us out from there with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm. And if the Holy Bountiful One had not taken our ancestors from Egypt, surely we and our children and our children's children would be enslaved to Pharaoh in Egypt.

From the beginning, our ancestors were idol worshipers. And now, HaMakom has brought us close to serve God, as it is said (Joshua 24:2-4), "Joshua said to the whole people, 'So said the Eternal, the God of Israel: Across the river your ancestors dwelt from always, Terach, the father of Avraham and the father of Nachor, and they worshiped other gods.'"

1. The Eternal said to Moses and to Aaron in the land of Egypt... 3. "Speak to all the community of Israel: ‘On the tenth of this month, they shall take a lamb per ancestral house, a lamb per household....5. An unblemished lamb, a yearling male you shall have, from the sheep or from the goats you may take it.

6. It shall be kept by you until the fourteenth day of this month, and the whole congregation of the community of Israel shall slaughter it at twilight. 7. They shall take from the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel, on the houses in which they will eat it. 8. They shall eat the meat on this night fire-roasted, with flatbread on bitter herbs shall they eat it. 9. Do not eat from it raw, nor cooked in water, but fire-roasted, its head with its shanks and with its entrails. 10. You shall leave nothing from it until morning, and what is left of it by morning in fire you shall burn. 11. Thus shall you eat it: your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, your staff in your hand , and you shall eat it in haste. It is a passover offering to the Eternal...

14. This day shall be a remembrance for you, and you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Eternal through your generations, an everlasting statute you shall celebrate it. 15. Seven days shall you eat flatbread. The very first day you shall expunge leaven from your houses, for whosoever eats leavened bread, that person shall be cut off from Israel, from the first day to the seventh day.

(39) And they baked the dough which they brought out from Egypt into flatbread cakes, for it had not leavened; because they were thrust out of Egypt, and could not wait, neither had they prepared supplies for themselves.

16. Terror and fear did fall upon [the dwellers of Canaan], as Your arm loomed big they were like a stone. Until Your people crossed over, O LORD, till the people you made Yours crossed over.

17. You’ll bring them, you’ll plant them, on the mount of Your estate, a firm place for Your dwelling You wrought, O LORD, the sanctum, O Sovereign, Your hands firmly founded.

18. The LORD shall be king for all time!”

This is the bread of affliction that our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt. Anyone who is hungry, come and eat! Anyone who is in need, come and partake of the Passover meal.

Now we are here, next year we will be in the land of Israel; this year we are slaves,

next year we will be free people.