On the weekly Torah Portion
And in order that you may tell in the ears of your son... and you shall know that I am G-d (Ex. 10:2)
How can a parent imbue his children with a sincere faith in G-d? "You shall know that I am G-d"--you yourselves must believe in G-d first, before you teach your offspring.
(Rabbi Yehoshua Rokeach)
They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place (10:23)
The worst kind of darkness that can exist is when a person does not see his brother or extend his hand to help the needy. When one ignores his responsibilities and makes believe that the problems of others don't exist, the end result is that he himself will suffer and not be able to rise.
(Chidushei HaRim)
And you shall eat it in haste (12:11)
Why the big rush when the Children of Israel finally left Egypt? Didn't their extreme haste give the mistaken impression that they had to escape quickly? Pharaoh actually wanted them to leave at that point. They could have taken more time to pack and depart at a more leisurely pace. However, leaving Egypt was not a mere geographical move for the Jews; it was a moral step in the right direction. It was a step away from the world of spiritual degradation they had become accustomed to in Egypt. When a person desires to sever his connection to evil, it must be done all at once and not gradually. A person must grab the first opportunity that presents itself to escape from a negative influence. However, when Moshiach comes and reveals himself we will not be so hard pressed to leave the Exile immediately. G-d has promised to remove all impurity from the world, so there will be no reason to run away from evil.
(Tanya)
