Obligation to Tell the Story of the Exodus/2

Obligation to Tell the Story of the Exodus

Exegetical Approaches

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No Biblical Obligation

There is no Biblical obligation to tell the story of the Exodus on Pesach night.  The verses which seem to obligate one are understood to refer to either non-verbal actions, other days of the year, or parts of other obligations .

Sources:Perhaps R. Saadia, Bahag, R. Eliyahu HaZaken, R. Shelomo b. Gabirol, and the Yereim¹

Shemot 13:3 – "זָכוֹר אֶת הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה" – These sources might dismiss this verse as a potential source for the obligation on several grounds:

• The verse uses the verb "זָכוֹר" rather than "אמור" (or the like) and thus might refer to remembering in the heart and not recounting via speech. 
• It is also possible that the phrase should be understood as a heading for what follows.  It commands "commemorate the day you left Egypt" and the rest of the unit then explains how to do so: don't eat leavened bread, do the Pesach service, and celebrate Chag haMatzot for seven days.
• In addition, it is not clear if the verse refers to remembering specifically on Pesach or throughout the year.  See Mekhilta 13:313:14About Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael Shemotwho reads this phrase as being the source for remembering the Exodus daily.²

Devarim 16 – "לְמַעַן תִּזְכֹּר אֶת יוֹם צֵאתְךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם כֹּל יְמֵי חַיֶּיךָ" – These sources would likely explain that the word "לְמַעַן" suggests that the remembering mentioned in the verse is not a commandment in and of itself, but simply the purpose of the obligation to eat matza mentioned earlier.  In addition, the verse speaks of remembering rather than telling, and specifies that this commemoration should take place "כֹּל יְמֵי חַיֶּיךָ" rather than on Pesach night specifically.³

Shemot 12:27 / 13:8 – "וַאֲמַרְתֶּם זֶבַח פֶּסַח הוּא"/ "וְהִגַּדְתָּ לְבִנְךָ... לֵאמֹר" – These verse explicitly mention speech⁴ and clearly refer to Pesach night. However, as they both speak of the recounting as accompanying the eating of the Pesach sacrifice, these sources might suggest that the telling is subsumed under the larger mitzvah of eating, and therefore does not constitute its own obligation.  Alternatively, the recounting is simply the purpose of the eating and therefore is a קיום המצוה but not an independent obligation.

Telling Through Eating

The obligation to tell the story of the Exodus does not necessitate a verbal retelling, but is rather fulfilled through the act of eating the Pesach sacrifice.  By eating the lamb with matza and maror, one re-enacts the original Pesach thereby effectively recounting the essence of the story.

Verbal Recounting

There is an obligation to verbally tell the story.  This position subdivides regarding whether the obligation exists only if a child questions or even if not:

Only If Child Asks

Even Without Children

¹ None of these count telling the story as a distinct commandment in their ספרי מצוות, suggesting that they did not view it as a Biblical obligation.  However, it is difficult to know for certain how to understand the omission.

² To do so, the Midrash must disconnect the phrase from the rest of the verse (which speaks of the prohibition of leavened bread and would seem to refer to Pesach/Chag HaMatzot) and instead read these words as a heading for the entire unit (13:3-16) which follows. The section as a whole deals not only with Chag HaMatzot but also with the redemption of firstborns and the mitzvah of tefillin, obligations which takes place all year long.

³ See Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael Shemot13:3About Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael Shemot.

⁴ Even though "הגדה" can perhaps be done in non-verbal ways, the verses states "וְהִגַּדְתָּ לְבִנְךָ בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא לֵאמֹר", you must tell your child, "saying..."