Traditional - Enslavement and Exodus | Passover haggadah by Michael Greenberg

Search Library

:גָּדוֹל עָצוּם, כְּמָה שֶּׁנֶּאֱמַר
וּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, פָּרוּ וַיִּשְׁרְצוּ, וַיִּרְבּוּ וַיַּעַצְמוּ, בִּמְאֹד מְאֹד, וַתִּמָּלֵא הָאָרֶץ אֹתָם

Great, mighty, as it is written.
“The children of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and became mighty, and the land was full of them.”

:וָרָב. כְּמָה שֶּׁנֶּאֱמַר
רְבָבָה כְּצֶמַח הַשָּׂדֶה נְתַתִּיךְ, וַתִּרְבִּי, וַתִּגְדְּלִי, וַתָּבֹאִי בַּעֲדִי עֲדָיִים: שָׁדַיִם נָכֹנוּ, וּשְׂעָרֵךְ צִמֵּחַ, וְאַתְּ עֵרֹם וְעֶרְיָה

.וָאֶעֱבֹר עָלַיִךְ וָאֶרְאֵךְ מִתְבּוֹסֶסֶת בְּדָמָיִךְ וָאֹמַר לָךְ בְּדָמַיִךְ חֲיִי וָאֹמַר לָךְ בְּדָמַיִךְ חֲיִי

And numerous, as it is written:
“I made you as populous as the plants of the field; you grew up and wore choice adornments; your breasts were firm and your hair grew long; yet, you were bare and naked.”

“The Egyptians suspected us of evil and afflicted us; they imposed hard labor upon us.”

.וַיָּרֵעוּ אֹתָנוּ הַמִּצְרִים וַיְעַנּוּנוּ
וַיִּתְּנוּ עָלֵינוּ עֲבֹדָה קָשָׁה: וַיָּרֵעוּ אֹתָנוּ הַמִּצְרִים. כְּמָה שֶּׁנֶּאֱמַר: הָבָה נִתְחַכְּמָה לוֹ. פֶּן-יִרְבֶּה, וְהָיָה כִּי-תִקְרֶאנָה מִלְחָמָה, וְנוֹסַף גַּם הוּא עַל-שׂנְאֵינוּ, וְנִלְחַם-בָּנוּ וְעָלָה מִן-הָאָרֶץ

The Egyptians suspected us of evil, as it is written:
“Let us deal with them wisely lest they multiply, and, if we happen to be at war, they may join our enemies and fight against us and then leave the country.”

וַיְעַנּוּנוּ. כְּמָה שֶּׁנֶּאֱמַר
וַיָּשִׂימוּ עָלָיו שָׂרֵי מִסִּים, לְמַעַן עַנֹּתוֹ בְּסִבְלֹתָם: וַיִּבֶן עָרֵי מִסְכְּנוֹת לְפַרְעֹה, אֶת-פִּתֹם וְאֶת-רַעַמְסֵס: וַיִּתְּנוּ עָלֵינוּ עֲבֹדָה קָשָׁה. כְּמָה שֶּׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיַעֲבִדוּ מִצְרַיִם אֶת-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּפָרֶךְ

And afflicted us, as it is written:
“They set taskmasters over them in order to oppress them with their burdens; the people of Israel built Pithom and Raamses as storecities for Pharaoh.” They imposed hard labor upon us, as it is written: “They imposed back-breaking labor upon the people of Israel.”

וַנִּצְעַק אֶל-יְיָ אֱלֹהֵי אֲבֹתֵינוּ, וַיִּשְׁמַע יְיָ אֶת-קֹלֵנוּ, וַיַּרְא אֶת-עָנְיֵנוּ, וְאֶת-עֲמָלֵנוּ, וְאֶת לַחֲצֵנוּ

“We cried to the Lord, the God of our fathers; the Lord heard our cry and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression.”

וַנִּצְעַק אֶל-יְיָ אֱלֹהֵי אֲבֹתֵינוּ, כְּמָה שֶּׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיְהִי בַיָּמִים הָרַבִּים הָהֵם, וַיָּמָת מֶלֶךְ מִצְרַיִם, וַיֵּאָנְחוּ בְנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל מִן-הָעֲבֹדָה וַיִּזְעָקוּ. וַתַּעַל שַׁוְעָתָם אֶל-הָאֱלֹהִים מִן-הַעֲבֹדָה

We cried to the Lord, the God of our fathers, as it is written: “It happened in the course of those many days that the king of Egypt died; the children of Israel sighed because of their labor and cried; their cry of servitude reached God.”

וַיִּשְׁמַע יְיָ אֶת–קֹלֵנוּ. כְּמָה שֶּׁנֶּאֱמַר
וַיִּשְׁמַע אֱלֹהִים אֶת-נַאֲקָתָם, וַיִּזְכֹּר אֱלֹהִים אֶת-בְּרִיתוֹ, אֶת-אַבְרָהָם, אֶת-יִצְחָק, וְאֶת יַעֲקֹב

The Lord heard our cry, as it is written:
“God heard their groaning; God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.”

וַיַּרְא אֶת-עָנְיֵנוּ
זוֹ פְּרִישׁוּת דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ. כְּמָה שֶּׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים אֶת-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. וַיֵּדַע אֱלֹהִים

And saw our affliction,
that is, the conjugal separation of husband and wife, as it is written: “God saw the children of Israel and God knew.”

וְאֶת-עֲמָלֵנוּ. אֵלּוּ הַבָּנִים. כְּמָה שֶּׁנֶּאֱמַר
כָּל-הַבֵּן הַיִּלּוֹד הַיְאֹרָה תַּשְׁלִיכֻהוּ, וְכָל-הַבַּת תְּחַיּוּן

Our toil refers to the drowning of the sons, as it is written:
“Every son that is born you shall cast into the river, but you shall let every daughter live.”

וְאֶת לַחֲצֵנוּ. זֶה הַדְּחַק. כְּמָה שֶּׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְגַם-רָאִיתִי אֶת-הַלַּחַץ, אֲשֶׁר מִצְרַיִם לֹחֲצִים אֹתָם

Our oppression means the pressure used upon them, as it is written:
“I have also seen how the Egyptians are oppressing them.”

וַיּוֹצִאֵנוּ יְיָ מִמִּצְרַיִם, בְּיָד חֲזָקָה, וּבִזְרֹעַ נְטוּיָה, וּבְמֹרָא גָדוֹל וּבְאֹתוֹת וּבְמוֹפְתִים

“The Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and outstretched arm, with great awe, miraculous signs and wonders.”

וַיּוֹצִאֵנוּ יְיָ מִמִּצְרַיִם. לֹא עַל-יְדֵי מַלְאָךְ, וְלֹא עַל-יְדֵי שָׂרָף. וְלֹא עַל-יְדֵי שָׁלִיחַ. אֶלָּא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בִּכְבוֹדוֹ וּבְעַצְמוֹ. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְעָבַרְתִּי בְאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם בַּלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה, וְהִכֵּיתִי כָל-בְּכוֹר בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם, מֵאָדָם וְעַד בְּהֵמָה, וּבְכָל-אֱלֹהֵי מִצְרַיִם אֶעֱשֶׂה שְׁפָטִים אֲנִי יְיָ

The Lord brought us out of Egypt not by an angel, not by a seraph, not by a messenger, but by the Holy One, blessed be He, Himself, as it is written: “I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night; I will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt from man unto beast; on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments; I am the Lord.”

וְעָבַרְתִּי בְאֶרֶץ-מִצְרַיִם בַּלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה, אֲנִי וְלֹא מַלְאָךְ. וְהִכֵּיתִי כָל בְּכוֹר בְּאֶרֶץ-מִצְרַיִם. אֲנִי וְלֹא שָׂרָף. וּבְכָל–אֱלֹהֵי מִצְרַיִם אֶעֱשֶׂה שְׁפָטִים, אֲנִי וְלֹא הַשָּׁלִיחַ. אֲנִי יְיָ. אֲנִי הוּא וְלֹא אַחֵר

I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, myself and not an angel; I will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, myself and not a seraph; on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments, myself and not a messenger; I am the Lord, I and none other.

haggadah Section: -- Exodus Story