למען תזכור את י ו ם צ א ת ך מ מ צ ר י ם כ ל י מ י ח י י ך so that you may remember the day of your departure from the land of Egypt as long as you live
The Day of Your Departure
Martin Herskovitz
The Haggadah cites the midrash of Ben Zoma on the verse in Deuteronomy:
למען תזכור את י ו ם צ א ת ך מ מ צ ר י ם כ ל י מ י ח י י ך“ so that you may remember the day of your departure from the land of Egypt as long as you live.” 1
Why does this verse specify remembering the day of departure and not the entire Egyptian narrative.
We focus on the day of departure because the nation of Israel was created specifically on the day that God redeemed us, as per the Midrash 2 on the verse:” Has any other god dared to take a nation out of another nation by means of trials, miraculous signs, wonders, war, a strong hand, a powerful arm, and terrifying acts? Yet that is what the LORD your God did for you in Egypt, right before your eyes.” 3
The Midrash explains the term“ A nation out of another nation”: that Israel was indistinguishable from the Egyptian people and did not deserve to be redeemed except for the covenant with Abraham. Thus the commandment is we must remember the specific day we left( י ו ם צ א ת ך)- every day of our lives.
1
Deuteronomy 3:16
2
Vayikra Rabba 23:2
3
Deuteronomy 4:34
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