The story starts thousands of years ago in what is now the Middle East. Jacob the Israelites moved his family of 70 to Egypt to escape famine because food was plentiful there. He was also thrilled to be reunited with his son Joseph, who had been sold into slavery by his jealous brothers many years before. After a rough beginning, Joseph had flourished in Egypt and had become second in command to the Pharoah. Consequently, Jacob's family was treated well when they arrived, and over the next generations, the Israelites prospered and multiplied. 

Some years later, a new Pharaoh was threatened by the prominence and proliferation of the Israelites. To stop their ascent, he enslaved them, forcing the men to perform the backbreaking work of building his cities and palaces. In a paranoid attempt to ensure that no future Israelites would usurp his power, he also decreed that all male babies must be killed. In defiance of this heinous order, after managing to keep her son hidden for three months, one brave mother created a mini-ark and placed her son Moses upon it, sending him floating down the Nile. The Pharoah's daughter miraculously rescued the baby and raised him as her own in the Pharaoh's palace, 

As a young man, though unaware of his heritage, Moses was deeply disturbed by the treatment of the slaves, After intervening in a dispute, and killing an Egyptian slave master, Moses fled Egypt, The Israelites continued to suffer and prayed for salvation, Moses couldn't forget the misery of the slaves, even from far away. When he saw a lost lamb and a burning bush, he took these as signs from God that he needed to go back and help free the Israelites. Though Moses was reluctant to do this, he felt compelled, so he returned to Egypt and boldly demanded that the Pharoah free the slaves.  


haggadah Section: -- Exodus Story
Source: diyseder.com