The Exodus from Egypt is such a focal point of our religious experience that not only do we celebrate a holiday dedicated to bringing it to life, but we are also commanded to remember this unrivaled demonstration of God’s strength and presence in our lives every day and night. The derivation of this commandment, discussed in Berachot 12b, is quoted by the Haggadah toward the beginning of the Maggid section. In it, Ben Zoma expounds the source for zechirat yetziat Mitzrayim, remembering the Exodus from Egypt, from the verse (Devarim 16:3) “kol yemei chayecha, all the days of your life.” “Yemei chayecha” teaches us to remember the Exodus during the day, and the superfluous “kol” extends the obligation to the night. The Sages, however, understand this verse differently: “yemei chayecha” obligates us in the commandment of zechirah (mentioning the Exodus) in olam ha-zeh (in this world), while the extra “kol” includes olam ha-ba (the World to Come). The Haggadah ends the discussion at this point. In reality, though, the discussion in the Gemara continues. Ben Zoma challenges the Sages from a verse in Yirmiyahu:

Assuredly, a time is coming—declares the LORD—when it shall no more be said, “As the LORD lives, who brought the Israelites out of the land of Egypt,” but rather, “As the LORD lives, who brought out and led the offspring of the House of Israel from the northland and from all the lands in which I have banished them…”

Yirmiyahu 23:7-8[1]

הנה ימים באים נאם ה' ולא יאמרו עוד חי ה' אשר העלה את בני ישראל מארץ מצרים, כי אם חי ה' אשר העלה ואשר הביא את זרע בית ישראל מארץ צפונה ומכל הארצות אשר הדחתים שם…

ירמיהו כג:ז-ח

This verse, Ben Zoma points out, strongly indicates that the Exodus from Egypt will not be relevant in the days of Mashiach, thus contradicting the Sages’ explanation of “kol.” The Sages, however, respond that yetziat Mitzrayim will only be tafel, secondary, to the ultimate redemption, but will never be wholly forgotten. Ben Zoma’s understanding of the verse from Yirmiyahu is understandable, being that this is the simple reading of the verse. What, then, is motivating the Sages to disagree with Ben Zoma?

Author Eric Weiner indirectly sheds light on this question in his book, The Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World. In his pursuit to uncover the causes of happiness, Weiner relates, “I had asked a Swiss man what the glue was that held his country together, given the linguistic, if not ethnic, diversity. Without hesitation he answered: history. Can history really do that? Is it that powerful?”[2] Perhaps, through their explanation of the verse in Yirmiyahu, the Sages are answering Weiner’s question with a resounding “yes.” As demonstrated by the numerous references to it in Tanach, yetziat Mitzrayim is central to our history as a nation. It represents both God’s mighty hand and the beginning of our journey to receive the Torah and enter the Land of Israel. Pesach, which serves as a concentrated period of time to focus on this event, embodies yetziat Mitzrayim’s foundational historic importance to the Jewish nation. This may be what inhibits the Sages from foreseeing a time when the Exodus would be forgotten, as Ben Zoma did. Such a central moment in our national history can never be discarded, lest we, as a nation, lose the elements that unite us.

And yet, the importance of the message of the verse in Yirmiyahu, with its vision of a greater future, cannot be underestimated. History is important, but it is not enough. The Jewish people in the days of Yirmiyahu knew their history, but it had no significant relevance to them. It did not motivate them to strive for a higher spiritual level, a closer relationship with God. Aware of this danger, Rabbi Samson Rafael Hirsch relates a novel approach to Shemot 13:8, which instructs parents to educate their children about the Exodus. He warns that dryly relaying our history and laws is insufficient. Instead, parents must act as living role models, instilling in their children a true understanding of their obligations and inspiring them to excitedly embrace their lives as Jews. In this way, we can avoid the dangers that ensnared the people in the days of Yirmiyahu. Only if we convey to future generations that our history is meant to motivate us to strive to even greater heights, that yetziat Mitzrayim is just the beginning of our journey to an even greater redemption, can we successfully fulfill the message of Yirmiyahu.

If this actually is the message of the verse, however, one would think it would be a necessary point to highlight in the Haggadah. Why, then, was the argument between Ben Zoma and the Sages cut short? In his commentary to the Haggadah, Rav Shlomo Aviner quotes a comment of Maharal that hints to an answer to this question.[3] Maharal explains that, ultimately, the first redemption, yetziat Mitzrayim, is the reason for the final redemption. Already at the time of yetziat Mitzrayim, the Jewish people possessed the potential to reach the higher spiritual level that would make them worthy of the future redemption. Only when that potential is acted upon will they merit the coming of Mashiach. Thus, while it is necessary to focus on the future—and indeed, references, like le-shanah ha-ba’ah be-Yerushalyim ha-benuyah, are made in the Haggadah, ultimately, we must use the seder night as an opportunity to completely focus on yetziat Mitzrayim. We need to discuss, examine, and unlock the hidden potential of yetziat Mitzrayim waiting to be used. Be-chol dor va-dor chayav adam lir’ot et atzmo ke-ilu hu yatza me-Mitzrayim, in every generation, a person must see himself as if he left Egypt. Hopefully this year, we can truly tap into the potential of yetziat Mitzrayim in order to reach our true and ultimate redemption.

[1] JPS 2000 translation.

[2] Eric Weiner, The Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World (New York: Hachette Book Group USA, 2008), 108.

[3] Rav Shlomo Aviner, Haggadah shel Pesach (Bet El: Sifriyat Chavah, 2001), 34.