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“And Hashem said to Moshe. Behold I am about to cause to rain for you bread from the Heaven, and the people will go out daily to collect (their daily portion) so that I can test them if they will follow in My Torah or not.” (16:4)

The Divine gift of manna was essentially the last of the great miracles which surrounded the Egyptian Exodus. These wonders were designed to illuminate our path and guide us in our belief in Hashem. Indeed, Chazal view the manna as the ultimate miracle which nurtured our emunah and stimulated our bitachon in Hashem. Hashem brought us through the desert in a long, circuitous way. He nourished us with manna from Heaven and water from the Well in order to imbue Torah into our bodies and souls. Relying upon Hashem to provide “parnasah,” livelihood, and believing in His “ability” to sustain…

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“And Amalek came and (he) battled with Yisrael in Refidim.” (17:5)

The Ramban writes that when Bnei Yisrael went forth to wage war with Amalek, Moshe feared the worst. He prayed intensely to Hashem on their behalf. The Ramban questions Moshe’s concern. Had not Hashem performed miracles for them? Was there any reason for Him to neglect them at this stage of their redemption? The Ramban explains that Moshe feared Amalek particularly because he was Eisav’s grandson. Eisav had been assured of the blessing of “by your sword you shall live.” This blessing accorded him great physical might, which assured him of success in his battles. This blessing was the source…

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“And that you shall tell in the ears of your son and your son’s son… that you should know that I am Hashem” (10:2)

The end of this pasuk “and you should know” seems to be inconsistent with its beginning. The purpose of teaching about the exile and exodus to our children is that these fundamental experiences become an intgral part of our nation’s heritage. They will be employed as a vehicle to emphasize and imbue our children with faith in Hashem. Thus, it should have stated, “And they shall know.” Obviously, we may note that the lessons to be derived are not only for the children, but also for the parents. When these pivotal experiences are taught with an air of complacency and…

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“This month shall be to you the beginning of the months.” (12:2)

The Sforno explains that from this point forward the months of the year shall be yours, to do with them as you will. During the bondage, however, “time” did not belong to you. Rather, slaves spend their time fulfilling the will of others. A slave has no time which he can consider his own. He lacks freedom of choice due to his subservience to his master, who determines his complete schedule. In contrast, freedom grants the individual mastery over his own time, enabling him to decide the most effective course for its utilization. Perhaps we may suggest a more profound…

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“And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians.” (12:30)

One who reads the above pasuk cursorily may miss its profound message. How was Pharaoh and all of Egypt capable of going to bed, let alone falling asleep, when they were fully cognizant of what might transpire if Moshe’s warning were to be realized? Had not the first nine plagues taken their toll on the Egyptian people? Even if there has been room to doubt the potential for this plague’s fulfillment, sleep would still have been impossible. This was an integral part of Hashem’s divine plan. Had Pharaoh stayed awake, anxiously waiting to see if this latest warning would be…

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“It was a night of watching unto Hasehm, for bringing them out of Egypt.”(12:42)

The events preceding and including that fateful night are indelibly engraved in the hearts and minds of the Jewish people. The Ten Plagues were the equivilant of ten seminars of instruction in the recognition of the true G-d and the election of Am Yisrael as His people. At each plague, the Jewish people were elevated to new heights of awareness of these two foundamental beliefs. After the tenth lesson they had attained such understanding that Hashem considered them ready to go forward towards the ultimate rendezvous at Mt. Sinai. These experiences will remain with us as ultimate lessons for all…

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“And you shall tell your son on that day, saying, it is because of that (which) Hashem did for me when I went out of Egypt.” (13:8)

A father has the holy obligation to educate his child, as well as to serve as a paradigm of guidance and inspiration to his child. Just as parents are required to provide for their child’s physical needs, they must also be vigilant in sustaining them spiritually. Various techniques have been developed for the appropriate manner in which to educate children.   The Rambam cites Avraham Avinu’s unique approach to reaching out in order to educate the members of a pagan society concerning belief in Hashem . Avrohom had the ability to relate to each person according to his individual level…

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“And in order that you relate in the ears of your son and your son’s son… so that you may perceive that I am Hashem.” (10:2)

The Torah explicitly states the purpose of the Exodus from Egypt. The entire purpose was the transmittal of this event to future generations. Since the Exodus, divine revelation, and the giving of the Torah are the foundation of our belief, it is mandatory that we relate these events to future generations. Relating these events to the next generation, gives them the opportunity to identify with the previous generation, thereby establishing another link in the chain of our national heritage. Why the necessity to relate this to our children and our children’s children? If every father is obliged to teach his…

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“And in order that you relate in the ears of your son and your son’s son that which I have wrought in Egypt and my signs which I have done among them.” (10:2)

Things were witnessed in Egypt that people would talk about for generations. Indeed, in all future encounters nations feared Israel’s potential power because of what transpired in Egypt, yet the Torah tells us that these miraculous occurrences should be told into the ears of our children. If history will proclaim these awesome miracles, why should we then whisper them into the ears of our children? The Torah is teaching us an important lesson. The message of Jewish history depends upon its interpretation. Records of various historical events mean very little. Throughout the annals of Jewish history various miraculous events have…

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“And Moshe replied, we will go with our young and old alike.” (10:9)

Why does Moshe mention the young before the old? Should not the elders go before the young? The Kesav Sofer responds that the young had to be rescued as soon as possible. Since they lacked a proper spiritual upbringing, they were more susceptible than their elders to the Egyptian environment. Only after the youth had left, did the older generation, who still maintained some roots in Judaism, and were more likely to survive spiritually in Egypt, leave. The Koznitzer Magid Zt”l applies a homiletical exposition to this posuk. As we go in our youth, we will ultimately go in our…

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