“ליל שמרים הוא לד' להוציאם מארץ מצרים, הוא הלילה הזה לד' שמרים 12:42לכל בני ישראל לדרתם”
“It is a night of ‘shimurim’ for Hashem to take them (Klal Yisroel) out of the land of Mitzrayim, this was the night for Hashem; a ‘shimurim’ for all the B’nei Yisroel for their generations.” The word “shimurim” can mean waiting in anticipation, or it can mean to be watched or protected. What is the meaning of the word “shimurim” in this posuk?
Rashi says that Hakodosh Boruch Hu was waiting in anticipation for the day to come for Him to redeem Klal Yisroel. The word, “שמרים” is like from the posuk in Bereishis 37:11 “ואביו שמר את הדבר” – Yaakov waited in anticipation when the words of Yosef’s dreams would come true. This shows us the great love that Hakodosh Boruch Hu has for Klal Yisroel. Aside from the havtacha that He gave Avrohom Avinu that his descendants would be redeemed, Hakodosh Boruch Hu looked forward to that day.
Why did Hakodosh Boruch Hu need to give a havtacha to Avrohom Avinu? Why not just redeem them, without giving a havtacha? There is a great yesod to learn from this. This is from the great middos of Hakodosh Boruch Hu, that He gives a havtacha. The one who receives the havtacha is to have complete faith in Hakodosh Boruch Hu that He will do as He promised. If one has that complete bitachon in Hakodosh Boruch Hu, that is the zechus that causes the havtacha to become a reality. Hakodosh Boruch Hu gave the avos hakdoshim havtachos, and because they had complete bitachon in Hakodosh Boruch Hu, all of the havtachos will be fulfilled. Bereishis 15:6 “והאמין בד' ויחשביה לו צדקה” – It was because Avrohom Avinu had full emunah in Hakodosh Boruch Hu that he would be zoche to have all of his success. If chas v’sholom he would have been deficient in emunah and bitachon, then the words of Hakodosh Boruch Hu would not have been fulfilled. (דעת תורה)
The night of Pesach is a time of protection from the mazikin, spiritual damagers, but there is something more to know. The first redemption in the posuk refers to the redemption of Mitzrayim, which was not the ultimate redemption – for we are still in golus. The second part of the posuk refers to the ultimate redemption with the coming of moshiach. We need to let these words sink in – “Just as Hakodosh Boruch Hu waited with great anticipation to take Klal Yisroel out of Mitzrayim, He also waits with great anticipation to take us out of the golus we are currently in, to achieve an everlasting redemption.”
The pasuk says the word “שמרים” twice, for while Hakodosh Boruch Hu does in fact wait with great anticipation for the redemption of Klal Yisroel, Klal Yisroel must also look forward, and yearn for the redemption. Hakodosh Boruch Hu gave a havtacha that He will take us out of this exile with the coming of moshiach. The havtacha was given to allow us to deserve redemption. We need to yearn for that redemption and believe that it is coming. In the zechus that we truly yearn and believe it, may we be zoche to see the geulah shlaima, במהרה בימינו אמן.
