The Exodus Story
Leader:
Go and learn what Laban the Aramean attempted to do to our father Jacob! For Pharaoh decreed only against the males, Laban attempted to uproot everything, as it is said (Deuteronomy 26:5):
Group:
An Aaramean attempted to destroy my father. Then he descended to Egypt and sojourned there, with few people; and there he became a nation-great, mighty, and numerous.
Then he descended to Egypt
Leader:
Compelled by Divine decree
Group:
He sojourned there
Leader:
This teaches that our father Jacob did not descend to Egypt to settle, but only to sojourn there temporarily
Group:
With few people
Leader:
As it is written in Deuteronomy 10:22 “With seventy persons, your forefathers descended to Egypt, now Adonai, your God, has made you as numerous as the stars of heaven.”
Group:
There he became a nation
Leader:
This teaches that the Israelites were distinctive there.
Group:
Great, mighty, and numerous
Leader:
As it says in Exodus 1:7, “And the children of Israel were fruitful, increased greatly, multiplied, and became very, very mighty; and the land was filled with them.”
Group:
The Egyptians did evil to us and afflicted us; and imposed hard labor upon us
The Egyptians did evil to us
Leader:
As it says in Exodus 1:10, “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.”
Group:
And afflicted us
Leader:
As it says in Exodus 1:11, “They set taskmasters over them in order to oppress them with their burdens; and they built Pithom and Raamses as treasure cities for Pharaoh.”
Group:
They imposed hard labor upon us
Leader:
As it says in Exodus 1:13, “The Egyptians subjugated the children of Israel with hard labor
Group:
We cried out to Adonai, the God of our fathers; and Adonai heard our cry and saw our affliction, our burden, and our oppression.
We cried out to Adonai, the God of our fathers
Leader:
As it says in Exodus 2:23, “It happened in the course of those many days that the king of Egypt died; and the children of Israel groaned because of the servitude and cried; their cry because of the servitude rose up to god.”
Group:
Adonai heard our cry
Leader:
As it says in Exodus 2:24, “God heard their groaning, and God recalled His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and with Jacob.”
Group:
And saw our affliction
Leader:
That is the disruption of family life, as it says in Exodus 2:25, “God saw the children of Israel and God took note.”
Group:
Our burden
Leader:
Refers to the children as it says in Exodus 1:22, “Every son that is born you shall cast into the river, but every daughter you shall let live.”
Group:
Our oppression
Leader:
Refers to the pressure expressed in the words of Exodus 3:9, “I have also seen how the Egyptians are oppressing them
Group:
Adonai brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm, with great awe, with sights and wonders
Adonai brought us out of Egypt
Leader:
Not through an angel, not through a seraph, not through a messenger, but the Holy One, Blessed is He, in His glory, Himself, as it says in Exodus 12:12, “I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night; I will slay all the firstborn in the land of Egypt from man to beast; and upon all the gods of Egypt will I execute judgments; I, Adonai.
Group:
With a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm
Leader:
Refers to the pestilence, as it says in Exodus 9:3, “Behold, the hand of Adonai shall strike your cattle which are in the field, the horses, the donkeys, the camels, the herds, and the flocks – a very severe pestilence.”
Group:
With great awe, with signs, with wonders
Leader:
Refers to the miracles performed with the staff as it says in Exodus 4:17, “Take this staff in your hand, that you may perform the miraculous signs with it.”
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