The Importance of Remembering the Exodus Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah said: ¹Berachot. It is actually about whether there is an obligation to recite the third paragraph of the Sh’ma. Since we are not obligated to wear fringes at night, we may be exempt from reciting this passage. But since it also mentions the Exodus, Rabbi Elazar concludes that the obligation to recite it and mention the Exodus even at night. This passage is brought here even though this statement does not address the commandment of telling the Exodus from Egypt on Passover. Rather it addresses the question of mentioning the Exodus in the Kriyat Sh'maevery night. It is to show how important the commandment of remembering the Exodus is. According to the sages one is obligated to mention the Exodus each day and according to Rabbi Elazar, one is obligated to mention the Exodus every day and every night. How much more should one remember the Exodus on the night that it took place. Further, the fact that the sages say that we are obligated to mention the Exodus as part of the Sh'maeven in the Messianic era teaches us we will still be required to tell the story of the Exodus on the night that it took place even in the Messianic era. This teaches us how important remembering the Exodus is: even in the Messianic era we must not forget the Exodus.

footnotes: ¹ This passage is taken from the first chapter of the Mishnah

Remember the Exodus, All the Days of Your life “Until Ben Zoma explained it from the verse, In order that you may remember…all the days of your life." (Deut. 16:3) Ben Zoma used this verse as a proof text for reciting the Sh'maat night even though it deals with the Passover offering. The previous verse states, "You shall slaughter the Passover offering for the Lord your God from the flock or the herd…" (Deut. 16:2) Without remembering the Passover rite on the day it took place, there can be no true remembrance of the Exodus. Mentioning the Exodus daily in the Sh'ma, is not sufficient for inspiring remembrance. The true essence of the Exodus is in celebrating the Passover offering on the eve of Passover. ¹ Now that we have remembered the Passover offering, we go on to say that a person should remember the Exodus every day of his life through the recitation of the Sh'ma. The statement "All the days of your life," is interpreted to mean that one must mention it not just in the daytime but at night as well. The sages, however, interpret this passage differently, taking it as a reference to the Messianic era. Why didn’t the sages interpret "All the days of your life," the same way as Rabbi Elazar? Why did it make more sense to Rabbi Elazar to take this as inclusive of the nights rather than agreeing with the sages who understood it as adding the Messianic era? It would seem that Rabbi Elazar understood the nights as essential to the Exodus since the transformative miracle took place at night while the Exodus actually happened during the day. Therefore, it was fitting to mention the Exodus both in the daytime and at night. The sages, on the other hand, felt that redemption happened during the day and not at night. ¹ The final plague was merely the means of allowing the Israelites to leave Egypt during the day. That is why we are only obligated to mention the Exodus in the day time. We do not mention the Exodus at night, at the time when the final plague took place. We only focus on the final plague on the eve of Passover when we celebrate the holiday. Certainly we must mention the Exodus on Passover night since it was the time when the miracle took place.

footnotes: ¹ The Maharal wonders why this verse was chosen as a proof text to explain why the Exodus must be mentioned daily (and according to Rabbi Elazar, nightly as well). The passage in Deuteronomy, Chapter 16 actually deals with offering the Passover sacrifice and not the commandment to tell the story of the Exodus. Mentioning the Exodus, however, is not the same as actually reenacting and remembering the Exodus. Only through the annual commemoration of the Exodus are we able to recall the Exodus throughout the year. In these verses the offering leads to remembering the Exodus, "All the days of your life." ¹ This fits with the Maharal's earlier statement that the essence of the Exodus is the Exodus itself and not the miracles or the plagues. He would agree with the sages who appear to conclude that we only mention the Exodus at night on the occasion when the events took place and not the rest of the year.