Arami Oved Avi – Devarim vs. Shemot

Introduction

Why turn to the ceremony of first fruits?

As part of the instructions of how one should tell the story of the Exodus, the Mishna in Pesachim instructs: "ודורש מארמי אובד אבי עד שיגמור כל הפרשה כולה". The verses mentioned are from Devarim 26, and they are also recited when one brings of one's first fruits (ביכורים) to Jerusalem:

Though the verses speak of the descent to Egypt and the ultimate redemption, at first blush, they seem an unlikely choice of text upon which to expound.  Would not the many verses in Sefer Shemot which tell the story of the Exodus have been a more logical option? What is unique about the passage in Devarim that it should be favored over Sefer Shemot or any of the other verses in Torah which mention the salvation from Egypt?  Is there any intrinsic connection between the ceremony of the bringing of first fruits and the night of the Seder?