Pesach 5631 First Night First Ma'amar

“בְּכָל דוֹר וָדוֹר חַיָיב אָדָם לִרְאוֹת אֶת עַצְמוֹ כְּאִלוּ הוּא יָצָא מִמִּצְרַיִם ... לֹא אֶת אֲבוֹתֵינּו בִּלְּבָד גָאַל הקב"ה אֶלָא אַף אוֹתָנוּ גָאַל עִמָהֶם שֶׁנֶאֶמַר, 'וְאוֹתָנוּ הוֹצִיא מִשָׁם'/In each and every generation a man must look upon himself as if he left Egypt… God did not only redeem our forefathers. He redeemed us with them as it says, ‘He took us from there. (Devarim 6:26)” (Pesach Haggadah)

The Torah says simply that God took us out of Egypt. Why does the Haggadah author instruct us to view ourselves individually as if we left Egypt? Also, why did he choose to preface his instruction with, “בְּכָל דוֹר וָדוֹר/In each and every generation”? What does this add to our understanding of this teaching?

The Sfas Emes explains that the Exodus contained the seeds of all future redemptions. In Hebrew the word “מִצְרַיִם/Egypt” has the same root as the word for distress – מֵצַר, and it connotes a constricted path. Each generation has its own particular issues, its own constricted path that prevents it from serving God to the hilt, that prevents it from experiencing God’s presence. Each generation has its own “Exodus” as well, its own redemption that is uniquely appropriate for the tribulations of the generation. Each generation’s unique redemption was included in the original Exodus. The original Exodus made possible all future redemptions just as a seed makes possible the subsequent tree that grows out of it. The author alludes to the uniqueness of each generation by prefacing the instruction to remember the Exodus with, “בְּכָל דוֹר וָדוֹר/In each and every generation.”

The Maharal[1] explains that as part of the nation of Israel we were included in the Exodus. In order to experience our own personal redemption, though, we must view ourselves individually as if we left Egypt. When a person sees himself as part of the nation – by seeing himself as if he left Egypt – and believes that the seeds of his generation’s redemption hark back to the Exodus, his personal redemption will be revealed to him. Then he will be able to break out of those bonds holding him back from serving God to the utmost. He will be able to break free of his own constraints and experience a personal “Exodus.”

This same concept appears regarding the mitzvah of telling the story of the Exodus. We find in the Hagaddah, “... וְאֲפִילוּ כּוּלָנוּ חַכָמִים ... מִצְוָה עָלֵינוּ לְסַפֵּר בִּיצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם .../… and even if we are all scholars … we are required to tell the story of the Exodus...” Why is it incumbent even upon scholars, who certainly know the story of the Exodus well, to repeat it? God is more manifest to a Torah scholar than to others. God’s revelation is simply another way of saying redemption. Saying that God is revealed to a Torah scholar, is the same as saying that there is a redemption in his generation. This redemption is possible only because of the redemption from Egypt. It has its roots in the redemption from Egypt. However the scholar will only experience this redemption personally by believing that its source is the redemption from Egypt. He tells over the story of the Exodus to demonstrate his belief that the original Exodus contained the seeds of every future redemption. By relating the story of the Exodus he attests that it is relevant today and to his own personal situation.

According to the level of our faith that each of us were part of the original Exodus, our own redemption will be revealed to us and we will be able to overcome our own personal constraints and experience a personal redemption.

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[1] Gevuros HaShem 61