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The Passover Story
Contributed by Joy Auciello

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Arrival in Mitzryam

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Jacob and his children had arrived in Mitzryam to be close to Joseph; who was second in command to the Pharaoh, and with his ingenuity had saved the people of Mitzryam, and by extension those from neighboring countries, from death by famine. Jacob and his children were settled in the city of Goshen and prospered wonderfully—their numbers grew and grew.

As long as Jacob's son's are alive, the Children of Israel are accorded honor and respect, but after the passing of Joseph, "There arose a new king in Mitzryam who knew not Joseph And he said to his people. 'Behold the Children of Israel are more and mightier than we. Come, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply...'"(Exodus 1:8-10).

Enslavement

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In order to take power from the Hebrew people, they are all forced into labor, compelled to build cities of treasure houses for Pharaoh. But still, the Israelites continue to multiply at, to Pharaoh's eyes, an ever frightening pace. To put a stop to this, Pharaoh summons the Hebrew midwives, Shifra and Puah, and commands them to kill all Jewish newborn males. This, he is certain, will put an end to the propagation of this race. When the midwives defy his order, he commands that they cast all the newborn males into the Nile—his stargazers had predicted that the savior of the Hebrews would die through water—and Pharaoh hopes his plan will ensure an early death for any potential Israelite leader.

Moses' Birth

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Jocheved, the wife of the Levite Amram, gives birth to a son. Because he is born three months early, she is able to conceal him for that amount of time. When she can no longer hide him, she builds a cradle of reeds floats the child into the Nile, thereby obeying the letter of Pharaoh’s decree. The child's sister, Miriam, hides among the brush to watch the child.

Pharaoh's daughter comes to bathe in the river when she sees the floating cradle. When she opens it and sees the weeping baby, she realizes that this is a Hebrew child, but she is compassionate and she resolves to take the baby home and raise it as her own. She names him Moses "he who was drawn from the water."

Miriam approaches the princess and offers to find a wet-nurse for the baby. When Pharaoh's daughter accepts, Miriam brings her Jocheved, whom Pharaoh's daughter hires to nurse and care for the child. Thus Moses is nursed by his birth mother in the heart of his birth family.

Moses Is Appointed Leader

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As a young man, Moses leaves the palace and discovers the hardship of the Israelites in Mitzryam. He sees an overseer beating a Hebrew and, in anger at the injustice, kills him. The next day he sees two Hebrews fighting; when he admonishes them, they reveal his deed of the previous day, and Moses is forced to flee to the country of Midian. There he rescues the daughters of a shepherd named Jethro, begins living with Jethro’s clan, and marries one of his daughters—Zipporah—becoming a shepherd of his father-in-law's flocks.

In the meantime, the plight of the Children of Israel in Mitzryam worsens, "and their cry rose up to Elohim."

As Moses is shepherding his flock, he comes upon a burning bush, in which Elohim appears to him and instructs him to go to Pharaoh and demand that he let the Hebrew people go. Moses objects, citing a speech defect he acquired while in the palace, and so Moses' birth brother, Aaron, is appointed to serve as his spokesman.

Back in Mitzryam, Moses and Aaron assemble the elders to tell them that the time of their redemption has come. The people believe; but Pharaoh refuses to let them go.

Moses can no longer bear the pain of his brethren; he turns to Elohim saying, "Why have You done evil to this people?" Elohim promises that the redemption is close at hand, "Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land."

Art by Sefira Ross, a freelance designer and illustrator whose original creations grace many Chabad.org pages. Residing in Seattle, Washington, her days are spent between multitasking illustrations and being a mom.
haggadah Section: -- Exodus Story

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