The Jewish people were quite afraid that Pharoh would change his mind again, so they packed up their belongings very quickly.  They had no time to prepare any food for the trip and no time to let their dough rise into puffy bread.  There was only enough time to make a flat cracker-like bread that we call matzah.  They tied all of their matzah onto their backs and ran into the desert.  

The people had not traveled very far on their journey before the evil King changed his mind again.  Pharoh ordered his large army of soldiers, with their strong horses and chariots, to chase them and bring them back to Egypt to become his slaves again.

Pharoh's soldiers were racing very fast towards them, so the Jews dashed forward.  But, they had to stop quite suddenly when they reached the Red Sea.  The sea was much too wide and too deep to swim across.  Now they became very frightened because they thought Pharoh's soldiers would soon catch them.

The people prayed to God and a miracle happened.  The sea opened up right down the middle.  Two huge walls of water stood in front of them with a dry, sandy path stretching out between the walls of water.  The Jewish people ran across the path and just as they reached the other side of the sea, the walls of water fell back down and the pathway disappeared.  The water of the sea now separated the Jewish people from the land of Egypt and all of Pharoh's kingdom.  The Jewish people were finally free!!!

Every year on the holiday of Passover, we eat special foods, sing songs, tell stories, and have a Passover Seder and special meal.  Telling this story helps us to remember the brave journey of the Jewish people and the great miracle of going from slavery to freedom.  It teaches us how important it is for everyone in our world to be free from bad kings and harsh or discriminatory treatment.


haggadah Section: -- Ten Plagues