Hashem said to Moshe, "Come to Paroh, for I have made his heart and the hearts of his servants heavy, so that I may place these signs in his midst. And so that you shall recount to your son and your son's son how I toyed with Egypt, and the signs that I set among them, and you shall know that I am Hashem”.
The Ohr Hachaim asks why does the Torah have to offer a second reason for this command to go to Par’oh and warn him? What was insufficient about the sign that Hashem wished to place in the midst of Mitzrayim?
Additionally, the Ohr Hachaim writes that the possuk seems to be dividing the plague of locust into two, the toying with Mitzrayim and placing the signs in Par’oh’s midst. What are these two things, how do they differ from each other, and what is their purpose?
The Ohr Hachaim raises a third issue: the end of the possuk. What does the Torah mean by the words וִידַעְתֶם כִי אֲנִי ה' — and you will know that I am Hashem?
The Ohr Hachaim explains that Hashem was explaining that the purpose of the signs and wonders that He was performing was not revenge on Par’oh but rather to strengthen the belief in the hearts of Klal Yisroel. He wished to ensure that the effect was indelible and that Klal Yisroel would never abandon their faith in Hashem. The wonders Hashem performs in the midst of Par’oh were geared to affix the wonders in the midst of Klal Yisroel. The Gemara says that some opinions are that a fully grown fetus that is found in a slaughtered animal that has walked on the ground may not be eaten without slaughtering because the onlooker may be confused and think that people are eating unslaughtered meat. However, if the animal has uncharacteristically attached hooves, it is permitted. The reason for this is that although a person may get confused between this fetus and a regular animal, thinking that slaughter is wholly unnecessary when two strange things occur at once, nobody will confuse that with anything else.
Hashem showed Par’oh and the world great wonders. He controls the wind, water, earth, animals, fire, and air fully. The confluence of these powers is quite unusual but insufficient to entrench these memories in Klal Yisroel’s hearts. Hashem needed to perform these wonders with an extra twist to affix these memories permanently. The punishment and pain inflicted on Par’oh and the Mitzrim are memorable in a way the wonders could not be on their own.
Hashem wished that Klal Yisroel repeat this story to their children and never forget it. They will do this in two ways: first, that which Hashem toyed with Mitzrayim and treated them with such great harshness and Divine anger. No other nation ever underwent such great hardship and pain, and nobody was afflicted in so many ways.
Second, the changes to nature that were done for this purpose. Even if nobody was punished with these actions, the nullification of the laws of nature for Klal Yisroel’s sake was a reason for people to repeat this story with wonder.
Why indeed did Hashem wish to make two separate wondrous acts? Why was it important for people to remember that which He did?
The possuk answers this with the words וִידַעְתֶם כִי אֲנִי ה'. Through repeating and internalizing the message of the ten plagues, Klal Yisroel will become suffused with the knowledge that Hashem is in charge of everything, and all false beliefs will be nullified.
The exodus from Mitzrayim is proof that Hashem runs the world, punishing those who deserve it and rewarding those who deserve otherwise.
The purpose of the entire repetition and remembrance of the exodus is that we know who Hashem is and that we must approach Him appropriately.
Miracles of the Night of Pesach
It is a night of watching for Hashem to remove them from the Land of Mitzrayim, that is this night for Hashem, guarded for the children of Yisroel for all of their generations.
Chazal tell us that five great miracles are associated with this night, and all of them are alluded to in this possuk.
- In the days of Avraham Avinu, the war between the five kings and the four had the four kings winning. They captured the population of the five kingdoms, including that of Lot the nephew of Avraham. Avraham chased after them to save his nephew, winning them at war on the night of the fifteenth of Nissan, as the possuk says (Bereishis 14:15), ‘and he fought with them at night’.
- Klal Yisroel were finally redeemed from the Mitzrim on this night. As the possuk said earlier, ‘and it was in the middle of the night.’
- In the days of Chizkiah, king of Yehuda, when the archangel Gavriel smote the entire encampment of Sancheirev, wiping out the entire army. The possuk (Melachim II, 19:35) says, ‘And it was in that night’.
- In the days of Mordechai and Esther, where the possuk (Esther, 6:1) says, ‘On that night, the sleep of the king was disturbed.’
- The future redemption will happen on this night.
All of these miracles are alluded to in this possuk. First, the Torah says ה'לֵיל שִּמֻּרִּ ים הוּא לַ - It is a night of watching for Hashem. On that night, the gentiles who did not know about or believe in Hashem, found out that Hashem runs the world. Chazal tell us that there were people who did not believe that Hashem saved Avraham from the fire in Ur Kasdim. Now that they saw Avraham win the battle against the four kings, they believed in Hashem. This is why it is called the night of watching for Hashem.
The possuk then adds לְהוֹצִּיאָם מֵאֶרֶץ מִּצְרָיִּם – to remove them from the Land of Mitzrayim. This refers to the miracle of the redemption from Mitzrayim on this night.
The possuk then says הוּא הַלַיְלָה – this is the night. This refers to the night of the miracle of Sancheirev and Chizkiyahu. The Novi writes וַיְהִּי בַלַיְלָה הַהוּא – and it was on that night. This obviously refers to the same night when the army of Aram was decimated by Gavriel, the angel.
The Torah then says ה'הַזֶה לַ – this one to Hashem. This refers to the night Hashem changed Achashverosh’s mind and the Purim story turned to Klal Yisroel’s benefit and survival.
שִּמֻּרִּ ים לְכָל בְנֵי יִּשְׂרָאֵל לְדֹרֹתָם – guarded for the children of Yisroel for all of their generations. This refers to the future redemption. All generations, until the final one, guard this night for their final and complete redemption.
