Throughout the Exodus story, God uses four phrases to describe the redemption of the Hebrew people.

  1. I will take you out. This refers to the freeing of the Jewish people from the harsh conditions they faced. It’s mentioned when God releases the plagues.

  2. I will save you. As the Jews begin to leave Egypt, they achieve their final salvation from servitude. 

  3. I will redeem you. When Moses splits the sea, the Israelites escape from Egypt for good. 

  4. I will take you as a nation. They finally reach the promised land in Israel. 

Each phase of the Jewish freedom effort relates to a stage of the civil rights movement.  For this first cup, we will think of Harriet Tubman. Born into slavery, Tubman escaped in 1849, following the North Star 100 miles to Pennsylvania. Nicknamed “Moses,” she would become the Underground Railroad’s most famous conductor, embarking on about 13 rescue operations and pulling out at least 70 slaves, including her family. Tubman continued her anti-slavery activities during the Civil War, serving as a scout, spy and nurse for the North and even becoming the first U.S. woman to lead troops into battle. Just as God took the Israelites out of slavery, Harriet Tubman took her family and others out of the south, freeing them of bondage.


haggadah Section: Kadesh