Go out and learn what Laban the Aramean sought to do to Jacob, our father; since Pharaoh only decreed [the death sentence] on the males but Laban sought to uproot the whole [people]. As it is stated (Deut. 26:5), "An Aramean was destroying my father and he went down to Egypt, and he resided there with a small number and he became there a nation, great, powerful and numerous." After the Maggid offered thanksgivings to God for keeping the promise with Jacob regarding the Exodus from Egypt, he further said that keeping that promise was beneficial not only in escaping the Exile but also the other troubles which our ancestors faced and we continue to face today. Because of that promise we were assured that we would become survivors, as we see in the story of Laban.

This proves that his thoughts were evil. The statement that Pharaoh “Only made a decree against the male children,” should be understood as applying only when the Israelites were in Egypt, as Scripture states, “Every son who is born you shall throw into the river…” (Ex. 1:22) After they left Egypt, when the Egyptians pursued them, it says, “The enemy said, I will pursue; I will overtake; I will divide their plunder; My lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.” (Ex. 15:9) This means that when Pharaoh pursued the Israelites and brought them back to Egypt, he had different goals. First, he would capture them and divide up their plunder, returning to its owners that which they ‘borrowed’ from them (before leaving Egypt). He would then give the rest to his soldiers. Regarding this he said, “I will divide their plunder.” Then, he would take the young women captive to serve as slaves at his pleasure. Regarding this, he said, “My lust shall be satisfied upon them.” That is, I have always desired that they serve me and now my desire shall be fulfilled by subjugating them.

Further Pharaoh said, “The rest of the nation including the elders, Moses, and Aaron shall be killed and vengeance shall be brought against them. Regarding this, Scripture says, “I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.” Therefore, it was not in Pharaoh’s mind to destroy them entirely but Laban’s question makes clear that he sought to uproot them completely and to smite mother and child, as we learn from what he said to Jacob, “The daughters are my daughters and the sons are my sons and he cattle is my cattle and all that you see is mine.” (Gen 31:43) In other words, he was saying “It was fitting for me to do with them as I wished,” if God had not prevented me. From this the Maggid derives the idea that Laban sought to destroy Jacob’s wives, sons and cattle completely. This is the implication of the verse, Arami oved avi. The word oved is a kal (transitive) form of the verb. Thus, the verb oved means to destroy and the passage means “An Aramean sought to destroy my father.”

I have now answered the questions in the forty second and forty third gates above!

The Maggid says that the promise which was given to Abraham, is that God would save his offspring from their enemies. It mentions among his enemies, Pharaoh and Laban, but not Esau. Esau was among the offspring of Abraham and he did not truly seek to wipe out his offspring. He mentions the other enemies who were not from the offspring of Abraham. They rose up against Abraham’s offspring with genocidal intention, had not God saved them in order to fulfill the promise made to our forefather. Since Jacob was innocent in his dealings with Laban, (though he was not completely righteous in the matter of the rods and in what he said to Laban and his wives afterwards)⁵³ what stood for him was the promise made to Abraham. The Maggid had to mention Laban because he appears at the beginning of the passage dealing with the first fruit declaration in Parshat Ki Tavo (Deut. 26:1-8), “You shall speak and say before the Lord your God, ‘An Aramean tried to kill my father.’ He went down to Egypt and resided there…” (Deut. 26:5-6) Since we are obligated on Passover eve to give thanks to God for all of the good done for us and to tell the story of the Exodus by beginning with shame and ending with praise, the Maggid saw that the first fruit pronouncement is the best way to do so. It begins with shame (Laban) and ends with praise (God brought us to this place). It mentions the Exodus, the plagues, and the signs and wonders. The person before whom the Seder plate is placed is like the person who brings the basket containing the first fruits. We don’t speak of Laban for his own sake but because the pronouncement of the first fruits alludes to him.

footnotes: ⁵³ Jacob uses some type of magic involving rods of wood to control the appearance of the herds he births (30:40-43). Also he is not completely honest when he says that God has told him to leave Laban’s house and return home (Gen. 31:11-13). Abarbanel honestly confronts Jacob’s strengths and weakness. Though Jacob is a victim of Laban, he uses trickery to leave with much of his father in laws wealth.

How can it be correct to assert as the Maggid does that God’s promise was maintained until our day, for over two thousand years? It was already fulfilled with the Exodus from Egypt! The answer to this question can be found both in the literal words of Scripture and in the interpretation offered by the sages and commentators, of blessed memory. In the vision of the Covenant of the Pieces, we read, “On that same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, ‘To your seed have I given this land from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates; the Kenites, the Kenazites, and the Kadmonites; the Hittites, the Perizzites and the Rephaim; the Amorites, and the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.’” (Gen. 15:18-21) Ten nations are mentioned in these verse, yet it is known that the Israelites only inherited the land of seven nations. They did not inherit the land of the Kenites, the Kenazites and the Kadmonites which are Edom, Amon and Moab. These three nations were not yet conquered but they would be conquered in the future redemption, as it is stated, “They shall lay their hands upon Edom and Moab and the Ammonites shall obey them.” (Is. 11:14) The promise made to Abraham includes a part that will be fulfilled in the final future redemption. Therefore, it is correct to say, “That promise which was kept for our ancestors and for us, that in every generation there were those who rose up against us to destroy us…” Also from the verses of the Covenant of the Pieces, we learn that Abraham saw not only Israel’s exile in Egypt, but future exiles as well, as the sages explained, ““Behold, a fear of great darkness fell upon him” (Gen.15:12) “Fear” – this refers to Babylonia. “Darkness” – this refers to Media which will darken the eyes of Israel through fasts. “Great” – this refers to Greece. “Fell upon him” – this refers to Edom.” (Gen. Rabbah 44:17) The Ramban has also explained, “The sages learned that this statement is an allusion to the subjugation of the four kingdoms…the prophet (Abraham) felt as if the darkness fell upon him like a heavy load that was too heavy to carry. The Holy One made known to Abraham that four nations would rule over and subjugate their land if they sinned. They also interpreted, “But the nations that they serve I shall also judge” as a reference to the four nations that God would judge in the future. From this perspective, the Maggid explained that the promise would be continue to be in effect until this day. With this explanation we have now answered the questions in the forty-fourth, forty-fifth and forty-sixth gates.