Friday, Nissan 25, 5777 / April 21, 2017

The holiday of Pesach, when we celebrate the Exodus from Egypt, is over. Yet, the mitzvah to remember the Exodus is not limited to Pesach. The Torah commands us, "You shall remember the day you came out of the land of Egypt all the days of your life." In the Torah the Exodus is mentioned at least fifty times! 

Q. Why does the Torah repeatedly (50 times!) remind us about the Exodus?

A. The Magid of Dubna explains it with the following parable:  A person had to send an important letter to his relative in a distant city. He searched and found a wealthy businessman from that city who was returning home in a few days. He asked him to deliver the letter to his relative.

That day, the man who wrote the letter heard that a fire destroyed the businessman's factory. Realizing that when he returns home he will be distressed and busy with his great loss, the man returned to the businessman and reminded him again to please not forget to deliver his letter.

"I told you that I would deliver the letter. Why are you reminding me again?" Not wanting to reveal what he knew about the fire, he persisted, “Please make sure to deliver the letter."

"Why are you so worried? It's no big deal. I will make sure he gets the letter," the businessman answered with a bit of annoyance. "I'm sorry for repeating myself.  But there is very important information which my relative must have. Please do see to it that the letter gets to him." "What a nudnik," thought the businessman.

Upon returning to his city, he found that everything he owned was gone. His family had no place to live and his debts were staggering. He was now totally occupied with putting his life back together and completely forgot about the letter. Then one day, he remembered the letter, and the many reminders he got.

Looking back he now realized that the man was not a nudnik at all. "He must have known about my unfortunate situation and was concerned that I would forget about the letter."

The same is with G-d’s repeated reminders to the Jewish people about the Exodus.  The Torah is everlasting and speaks to every generation.  Knowing that the Jewish people will experience trials and tribulations time and again and, due to their suffering, may in time, G-d forbid, “forget their Exodus” - i.e. lose hope. Thus, G-d commands us, again and again, to Remember the Exodus-- for just as we have been freed from Egypt over 3300 years ago, we will again be freed at the time of the ultimate redemption with the coming of Moshiach. May it be speedily in our days.  Amen.

SHABBAT  SHALOM

Montrealcandle lighting time: 7:30 / Shabbat ends: 8:38