The Torah makes a point of detailing each and every one of the nation’s encampments in the Wilderness. Clearly, we must derive a lesson from this pasuk. Horav Yeruchem Levovitz, zl, explains (based on the commentaries of the Rishonim) that the idea of yetzias Mitzrayim, the Egyptian exodus, is based on the principle that it and all its accompanying miracles and wonders were revealed for anyone to see. No room existed for even the biggest fool or greatest agnostic to deny what took place. If one possessed a modicum of intelligence, he saw what was clearly Divine intervention in its most illuminating and transparent form. Furthermore, we recognize an underlying principle of the mitzvah to remember yetzias Mitzrayim. Hashem wants the Exodus, with every miracle and wonder that preceded and accompanied it, to be indelibly ingrained in the hearts and minds of His people. We should never forget that miracles abound which we may not see, but, just as they occurred in Egypt, they continue to accompany us to this very day.
Encountering a revealed miracle can be (and should be) a profoundly transformative experience. When someone experiences such a moment, it can lead to a shift in perspective, allowing him to see Hashem’s world through a new lens. As a result, everyday occurrences which up until this time had appeared mundane and insignificant take on a new image and reality. The individual now sees Hashem in every aspect of his life, understanding that if one trusts in Hashem, the complexities of life seem to become less complicated. Encountering a revealed miracle serves as a reminder that even the most ordinary moments which we accept as normal occurrences can hold profound meaning. This new approach to the ordinary will, by extension, generate a sense of gratitude and reverence for the extraordinary within the ordinary.
The Ramban expresses this concept (commentary to the end of Parashas Bo): “The great and open miracles of yetzias Mitzraim are meant to teach us about the hidden miracles that happen all the time, and that whatever happens to a person is not teva, nature, but Divinely orchestrated. Hashem communicates with us through the natural laws of teva, and this is how we experience life as it is, but it is Hashem Who choreographs it all under the cloak of teva.”
Every one of the masa’os, journeys, was a revealed miracle in its own right. When we remember the revealed, we are able to cope with what appears unrevealed. We have Yetzias Mitzraim on a small scale all of the time, we just are unaware because we do not stop to think about reality.
