“And you shall tell your son on that day…” - Shemot 13:8

Mitzvah 21

Much of our relationship with Hashem is rooted in what we saw and experienced at the time of the Exodus. By recounting the Exodus to our children, we continue our tradition from generation to generation (see Ramban and Abarbanel). According to this, the main benefit of this Mitzvah is for one’s children and for the continuity of the nation as a whole.

But there are other reasons and deeper layers of meaning as well:.

We will focus on the verse, “You shall tell your son on that day, saying: ‘Hashem acted on my behalf when I left Egypt for the sake of this’” (Shemos 13:8). What is ‘this’? Rashi interprets ‘this’ to mean that Hashem redeemed us so that we would perform the Mitzvos, including “this”: pesach, matzah, and maror. In other words, recounting the Exodus leads to the conclusion that we should therefore serve Hashem.

The connection between Hashem redeeming us and our requirement to perform His Mitzvos is manifold: (a) The miracles of the Exodus demonstrate the existence of a Creator Who manipulates every element of His world according to His singular will (Rabbeinu Menachem HaBavli and others). Recounting these miracles brings this truth to heart and obligates us to serve our Creator. (b) By redeeming us from slavery, Hashem assumed mastery over us. (c) The overwhelming kindnesses that Hashem lavished upon us throughout the Exodus place upon us an obligation of gratitude that we repay by serving Him. (d) These kindnesses instill within us boundless love for our Benefactor and a great desire to serve Him. (e) At the time of the Exodus, Hashem descended from the highest heavens to come to the aid of mortals, exacted justice upon our tormentors, and fulfilled His promise to our Patriarchs despite our own unworthiness. All this showed a glimpse of His justness, compassion, kindness, humility, magnificence, and awesome power. Through the Ten Plagues, which affected every element of nature, we came to the realization that Hashem controls the entire world. It is natural to want to serve such a deity. This desire became absolute at the Revelation at Sinai, where we saw the Divine Presence with our own eyes and perceived that there is none other than Hashem.

Accordingly, recounting the Exodus serves the purpose of reminding ourselves and informing our children of our exalted obligation to serve Hashem. Sefer HaChinuch explains that even a person who is all alone needs to relate the story of the Exodus aloud, to awaken his feelings.

Another facet of this Mitzvah is that speaking of Hashem’s kindnesses is a way of thanking Him. The core section of the Haggadah is the passage recited when bringing Bikkurim -- a passage thanking Hashem for the Land that He granted us -- because telling the story of the Exodus is actually an expression of thanks.

Telling the story of the Exodus is also a praise of Hashem like none other: On an esoteric level, the words “For the sake of zeh (this) did Hashem act on my behalf when I left Egypt” may be interpreted to mean “For the sake of Hashem” (as it states “Zeh Keli… This is my G-d and I will glorify Him); that is, for the sake of His glory (Rabbeinu Bachya). When Moshe took the Jewish people out of Egypt, he told them: “Hashem is redeeming you so that you will relate His glory among the nations (Midrash Tehillim Ch. 44). The Zohar (Bo 40b) states that when we recount the Exodus at the Pesach Seder, Hashem gathers the angels and tells them, “Come and listen to My children praising Me and rejoicing in My salvation.” When the angels hear the Jewish people joyously relating how Hashem saved them, they rise to praise Hashem as well.

We say in the Haggadah, “The more one recounts the Exodus, the more praiseworthy it is.” This is true for all the above reasons: every additional word strengthens the tradition, enhances our belief in Hashem, heightens our sense of duty to serve Him, expresses greater thanks, and brings forth new praise of Hashem’s Name both in Heaven and on earth.

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