Living Torah Archives

The Israelites were exiled in Egypt and forced to engage in slave labor, yet, when their redemption finally came, there were some who didn’t want to leave exile! Life became easy as soon as the slave-labor ceased, so they began complaining, “Why do we need to search for Torah and Judaism in the desert, and follow a wild individual like Moses? We have a competent king, culture and wisdom – let’s remain. But G-d sent a warning through Moses, that Pharaoh will “banish them from his land.” A Jew isn’t given a choice in the matter.

While the Egyptians enslaved and persecuted the Jews, the Tribe of Levi was given much more freedom than the rest. They were actually allowed to study Torah and engage in holy pursuits. Moses and Aaron who were Levites as well, could have simply ignored the plight of their Jewish brethren and not been any the worse off. But in the end, it was specifically their concern that helped bring the Jews to redemption.

In a Chassidic discourse distinguished by its tone and rhythm, the Rebbe draws parallels between the Exodus from Egypt, and the journey of the soul. Just like there were many stages to the Exodus, in which as each boundary was breached another needed to be overcome, our lives are very much the same.

One of the 613 commandments is to recount the Exodus from Egypt every single day. It is imperative for the success of a Jew’s daily mission to live with the consciousness that today he is witnessing G-d’s miracles of redemption.

At the Giving of the Torah, G-d’s voice was heard throughout all of creation proclaiming, “I am the L-rd your G-d Who took you out of Egypt.” Is this really G-d’s greatest accomplishment? Why didn’t He say, “I have created heaven and earth?”

Two essential lessons from the Exodus for every Jew: Pharaoh, the mightiest king in the world, ruthlessly oppressed the Jewish People. Yet his behavior completely reversed, and, instead of afflicting the Jews, “Pharaoh sent the people away...”. Then the Torah relates: “G-d did not lead the Jews through the Land of the Philistines… lest they see war, reconsider, and return to Egypt.” G-d does not command us to follow a path in which we cannot succeed. “G-d prepares the steps of man” – when G-d leads a person to a certain place, and, through the teachings of the Torah, gives him a mission to accomplish, this, itself, proves that he has all the capabilities he needs to succeed.

The Torah does not tell us the exact times when many important events occurred. Nevertheless, we are told that Pharoah commanded the Jews to leave Egypt exactly at midnight on the 15th of Nissan. Further, the Torah narrates the exact moment they actually left: The next day, precisely at noon – not delaying even for the “blink of an eye”.