"In every generation and every day a person is obliged to regard himself as if he had that day come out of Egypt." This refers to the release of the divine soul from the confinement of the body, the "serpent's skin," in order to be absorbed into the Unity of the light of the blessed En Sof, through occupation in the Torah and commandments in general, and in particular through accepting the Kingdom of Heaven during the recital of the Shema, wherein the person explicitly accepts and draws over himself His blessed Unity, when he says: "The Lord is our G‑d, the Lord is One."
It has previously been explained that "our G‑d" is understood in the same way as "The G‑d of Abraham," and so forth, because he became nullified and absorbed into the Unity of the light of the blessed En Sof, except that Abraham merited this by reason of his works and his advancing in holiness from degree to degree, as is written: "And Abram journeyed, going on and on...." In our case, however, it is a heritage and a gift, in that He has given us His Torah and has clothed in it His blessed will and wisdom, which are united with His blessed Essence and Being in perfect unity; and surely this is as if He gave us His very self, as it were. In this sense the Zohar commented on the verse: "That they bring Me an offering." (For the expression
This is the interpretation of "And Thou hast given to us, O Lord, our G‑d, in love,..." [and] "For by the light of Thy countenance hast Thou given us, O Lord our G‑d...." Therefore the only thing that precludes us from the attachment of the soul to His blessed Unity and light is the will, that is, if the human being does not will it at all, G‑d forbid, to cleave to Him.... But immediately he does so desire, and he accepts and draws upon himself His blessed G‑dliness and declares: "The Lord is our G‑d, the Lord is One." then surely is his soul spontaneously absorbed into His blessed Unity, for "Spirit evokes spirit, and draws forth spirit." This is a form of "Exodus from Egypt." Therefore it was ordained that the paragraph concerning the Exodus from Egypt be read specifically during the recital of the Shema, although it is a commandment by itself, and not appertaining to the commandment of the recital of the Shema, as is stated in the Talmud and Codes; for they are actually the same thing. Likewise, at the end of the paragraph referring to the Exodus from Egypt, it is concluded also, "I am the Lord your G‑d." This also accords with what has been explained earlier.
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