Israel Emulates the Actions of Abraham
Translator's
Introduction
Earlier we saw that there are two ways
of telling the story of the Exodus: as a political story of liberation (we were
slaves; now we are free); and as a spiritual story of enlightenment (We were
idolaters; but God brought us closer to His service). Rabbi Bondi now
integrates the two versions of the Exodus story into one. Israel is enslaved
because they worshipped idols. But they do not deserve condemnation - so did
Abraham. And like Abraham when they discovered the true faith they were willing
to martyr themselves to maintain their beliefs. This is why they were worthy of
redemption.
Translation
The author
of the Haggadah now returns to the
four questions. We began answering these
questions with, "We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt." This is a day
of contrasts representing slavery and freedom.
The author
then left the main topic of the Haggadah
in order to present the Midrash of
the four children, since it relates to the commandment of telling the story of
the Exodus. Having completed this explanation, we now return to matters that
relate to the symbols of slavery and freedom. We begin with matzah, a symbol of slavery, to remember
that we were subjugated by the Egyptian. Why were we enslaved? Because we
worshipped idols. The Haggadah continues, "Long ago our
ancestors worshipped idols…" Yet didn’t our ancestors also worship idols
in Egypt? Why do we speak of Abraham as a worshipper of idols here?
The Haggadah continues, "And the
Omnipresent brought them close to His service." You might feel that the
fact that our ancestors worshipped idols in Egypt is an accusation against them,
so the Haggadah quotes the book of
Joshua: "And I brought forth your father Abraham…" Even though
Abraham was worshipped idols with his father Terah he was worthy of redemption. When Abraham recognized the unity of
God, he was willing to risk martyrdom
in the fiery furnace.
What
happened to patriarchs was repeated in future generations. When the Israelites
in Egypt saw God's signs and wonders, even though they were blemished by
idolatry, they cast off their impure garments and became believers who maintained
their faith at risk to their lives. They rejected the attributes and deeds of
Egypt, tied the Passover lamb to their bed posts so that the Egyptians could
see. They circumcised themselves so that the blood of circumcision and the
blood of the Passover offering mixed together. Is there any martyrdom greater
than this? (They risked their lives in the face of the Egyptians and even shed
their own blood.) The Israelites were
enslaved to the Egyptians and yet they were willing to cast off the yoke of
slavery and risk their lives. Only then did they slaughter the Passover lamb and
roast it. In this way the Israelites emulated the actions of Abraham. Because
of their acts of faith, they were worthy of being redeemed from Egypt. That is
why, "God brought them near."
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