Go and Learn (Tze U'lmad-- Arami Oved Avi) | Passover haggadah by Shaul Kelner

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צֵא וּלְמַד, מַה בִּקֶּשׁ לָבָן הָאֲרַמִּי לַעֲשׂוֹת לְיַעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ--שֶׁפַּרְעֹה הָרָשָׁע, לֹא גָזַר אֵלָא עַל הַזְּכָרִים; וְלָבָן בִּקֶּשׁ לַעְקֹר אֶת הַכֹּל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמָר אֲרַמִּי אֹבֵד אָבִי

Tzei ul’mad, mah bikeish Lavan ha’arami la’asot l’Ya’akov avinu. Sheparoh lo gazar ela al haz’charim v’lavan bikeish la’akor et hakol, shene’emar: Arami Oved Avi

Tze Ul'mad! Go and learn what Lavan the Aramean intended to do to our ancestor Jacob. Even Pharaoh only intended to kill the male children, while Lavan intended to annihilate all of Jacob’s family, bringing the Jewish People to an end. This is the hidden meaning of Deuteronomy 26, Arami Oved Avi, "my father (Jacob) was an Arami Oved, a wandering Aramean." Tje verse can also be interpreted through a play on words to mean,"an Aramean tried to destroy (Oved) my father"

אֲרַמִּי אֹבֵד אָבִי, וַיֵּרֶד מִצְרַיְמָה וַיָּגָר שָׁם בִּמְתֵי מְעָט, וַיְהִי שָׁם לְגוֹי גָּדוֹל, עָצוּם וָרָב

Arami oved avi, vayered Mitsraymah vayagar sham bimtey me'at, vayehi-sham legoy gadol, atzum varav

"My father was a wandering Aramean, close to perishing, and he went down to Egypt, and he sojourned there with a few people, and there he became nation, great and mighty and multitudinous"

And now the rabbis will interpret each part of the verse. Remember, whosoever expands and expounds on the Exodus story is praiseworthy.

" וַיֵּרֶד מִצְרַיְמָה– אָנוּס עַל פִּי הַדִּבּוּר.

Vayared mitzrayma – ahnus al pi hadibur.

Vayered Mitsraymah -- "And he went down to Egypt" -- compelled by Divine decree

וַיָּגָר שָׁם. מְלַמֵּד שֶׁלֹּא יָרַד לְהִשְׁתַּקֵּעַ אֵלָא לָגוּר שָׁם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמָר "וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֶל-פַּרְעֹה, לָגוּר בָּאָרֶץ בָּאנוּ, כִּי-אֵין מִרְעֶה לַצֹּאן אֲשֶׁר לַעֲבָדֶיךָ, כִּי-כָבֵד הָרָעָב בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן; וְעַתָּה יֵשְׁבוּ-נָא עֲבָדֶיךָ, בְּאֶרֶץ גֹּשֶׁן".

Vayagar sham – milameid shelo yarad Ya’akov avinu l’hishtakei’a b’mitzrayim ela lagur sham, shene’emar: vayomru el paroh, lagur baaretz banu, ki ein mireh latzon asher la’avadecha, ki chaveid hara’av b’eretz K’na’an. V’atah yeish’vu na avadecha b’eretz goshen.

Vayagar sham-- "And he sojourned there" (Deuteronomy 26:5). This teaches that he did not descend to live there permanently, but rather temporarily, "And they said to Pharaoh: 'We have come to sojourn in the land, for there is no pasture for your servants' flocks, for the famine is grave in the land of Canaan. Now therefore, we pray thee, let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen'" (Genesis 47,4).

בִּמְתֵי מְעָט--כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמָר "בְּשִׁבְעִים נֶפֶשׁ, יָרְדוּ אֲבֹתֶיךָ מִצְרָיְמָה; וְעַתָּה, שָׂמְךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, כְּכוֹכְבֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם, לָרֹב" (דברים י,כב)

Bimtey me’at – k’mah shene’emar: b’shivim nefesh yardu avotecha mitzraymah, v’atah samcha Adonai Elohecha k’choch’vei hashamayim larov..

Bimtey me'at -- "With a few people"--as it is written "You ancestors went down into Egypt with seventy persons; and now the Lord your God has made you as numerous as the stars of the heavens" (Deuteronomy 10,22).

וַיְהִי-שָׁם, לְגוֹי--מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהָיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מְצֻיָּנִין שָׁם

Vay’hi sham l’goy – m’lameid shehayu Yisrael mitzuyanim sham..

Vayehi-sham legoy -- "And there he became a nation"--this teaches that Israel were distinguishable from others there.

גָּדוֹל וְעָצוּם--כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמָר "וּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, פָּרוּ וַיִּשְׁרְצוּ וַיִּרְבּוּ וַיַּעַצְמוּ--בִּמְאֹד מְאֹד; וַתִּמָּלֵא הָאָרֶץ, אֹתָם" (שמות א,ז)

Gadol, atzum – k’mo shene’emar: uv’nei Yisrael, paru vayishr’tzu vayirbu vaya’atzmu b’m’od m’od, vatimalei ha’aretz otam.

Gadol, atzum -- "Great and mighty"--"And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them" (Exodus 1,7).

וָרָב--כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמָר "רְבָבָה, כְּצֶמַח הַשָּׂדֶה נְתַתִּיךְ, וַתִּרְבִּי וַתִּגְדְּלִי, וַתָּבֹאִי בַּעֲדִי עֲדָיִים: שָׁדַיִם נָכֹנוּ וּשְׂעָרֵךְ צִמֵּחַ, וְאַתְּ עֵרֹם וְעֶרְיָה" (יחזקאל טז,ז)

Varav – k’mah shene’emar: rivavah k’tzemach hasadeh nitatich, vatirbi vatigdili vatavo’I ba’adi adayim, shadayim nachonu usi’areich tzimei’ach, v’at airom v’eryah.

Varav-- "And multitudinous"--as it is said (in the Book of Ezekiel,) "Multitudinous as the plants of the field I made you, and you grew and came of age and put on the finest jewels. Your breasts were ripe and your hair sprung up, but you were stark naked. And I passed by you and saw you wallowing in your blood and I said to you, 'In your blood, live!'; And I said to you, 'In your blood, live!" (16: 7,6)

haggadah Section: -- Exodus Story