Illustration credit: Rivka Tsinman
Before God starts sending plagues, God tells Moshe to make this promise to Benei Yisrael:
לָכֵן אֱמֹר לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲנִי ה'
וְהוֹצֵאתִי אֶתְכֶם מִתַּחַת סִבְלֹת מִצְרַיִם
וְהִצַּלְתִּי אֶתְכֶם מֵעֲבֹדָתָם
וְגָאַלְתִּי אֶתְכֶם בִּזְרוֹעַ נְטוּיָה וּבִשְׁפָטִים גְּדֹלִים׃
וְלָקַחְתִּי אֶתְכֶם לִי לְעָם
וְהָיִיתִי לָכֶם לֵאלֹקִים
וִידַעְתֶּם כִּי אֲנִי ה' אֶלֹקֵיכֶם הַמּוֹצִיא אֶתְכֶם מִתַּחַת סִבְלוֹת מִצְרָיִם׃
Therefore, say to Benei Yisrael: I am God, and
I will bring you out from under the burdens of Mitzrayim (Egypt).
I will save you from slavery.
I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and through great miracles.
I will take you to be My people,
and I will be your God.
And you will know that I am your God who brought you out from under the burdens of Egypt.
- What do you notice? What are Moshe and Benei Yisrael supposed to be learning from God’s statement? What is your takeaway?
- How many verbs (action words) can you count God doing?
- The four bolded Hebrew words are called the אַרְבַּע לְשׁוֹנוֹת גְּאֻלָּה (arba leshonot geulah, four descriptions of redemption). According to the Talmud Yerushalmi (Pesahim 10:1), the four cups of wine that we drink on Pesah represent these four words. Why do you think there had to be four different words? What is each one saying that the others aren’t? Why might they appear in this order?
- What are Benei Yisrael supposed to do as a result of being redeemed? Why?
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