Pesach – What “Passing Over” Really Means

by Rabbi Moshe Krieger, Yeshivas Bircas HaTorah (www.bircas.org)

On the night of the Lail HaSeder, we perform many mitzvos: eating matzah, drinking the four cups of wine, telling the story of Yetzias Mitzrayim.  What does Hashem want us to achieve through the Seder night?

The Sefer HaChinuch (mitzvah 21) explains that the central goal of the night is to strengthen our emunah. The entire structure of the Seder is meant to deepen our faith in Hashem. The Ramban, at the end of Parshas Bo, teaches the same idea. Through the miracles of Yetzias Mitzrayim, it became clear that Hashem exists, that He runs the world, that He punishes the wicked and protects the righteous. The miracles of Egypt were a revelation of Hashem’s hashgachah pratis, His direct involvement in the world.

The Slonimer Rebbe explains that on the Seder night we return to these foundations of emunah in a special way. Every day we mention Yetzias Mitzrayim in Krias Shema. But there we only briefly recall that Hashem took us out of Egypt. On the Seder night, we do much more than mention it.  Through the detailed telling of the story, through questions and answers, through the various mitzvos and symbols, we create a vivid experience.  Chazal say (Pesachim 118b) that a person must see himself as if he himself left Egypt. The more we speak about it, the stronger the emunah becomes in our hearts. The Haggadah says whoever speaks more about the Exodus is praiseworthy—it means that every extra moment strengthens this foundation of emunah. The Rebbe said that the greatness of a person depends primarily on the strength of his emunah. Everything in Yiddishkeit stands on emunah.  Learning Torah and performing mitzvos are certainly important, but the depth of a person’s belief in Hashem is what truly defines his spiritual stature.

The Seder is also about passing this emunah to the next generation. The Torah commands, “Vehiggadta levincha”—you shall tell your son (Shmos 13:8).  We have to transmit our faith to the children and build a family that lives with emunah. When parents speak about Yetzias Mitzrayim with enthusiasm and clarity, that message enters the hearts of the children.

The Rambam (Sefer HaMitzvot 157) adds another purpose to the Seder night. Besides strengthening emunah, we are also expressing hakaras hatov—deep gratitude to Hashem.

On this night we thank Hashem for redeeming us from Egypt.  In many communities Hallel is recited already in shul on the night of Pesach.  During the Seder itself we drink the arba kosos, the four cups of wine, which symbolize redemption and praise. Later we say the brachah thanking Hashem for redeeming us and our forefathers. All this shows our deep gratitude to Hashem.

When we look more closely, something is puzzling. The Torah says that we bring a korban Pesach to thank Hashem that He passed over the houses of the Jewish people during Makas Bechoros (Shmos 12:27). Hashem struck the Egyptian firstborns, but He passed over the houses of the Jews and did not harm them. That is why the holiday is called Pesach (Hashem passed over).  Throughout all the plagues, the Jewish people were protected. Blood, frogs, lice and the other plagues affected only the Egyptians. Why is Makas Bechoros singled out that we have to give Hashem special thanks that he passed over the Jews? Why is this event the focus of the Korban Pesach and even the name of the entire holiday?

Rav David Cohen brings an explanation from the Netziv in HaEmek Davar (Shemos 12:4). The Haggadah describes Makas Bechoros as giluy Shechinah—a revelation of the Divine Presence. Hashem Himself appeared, as it were, to carry out the plague.

When there is such a revelation of holiness, those who are spiritually impure cannot survive it. The Egyptians, immersed in the deep tumah of Mitzrayim, could not withstand this revelation of the Shechinah, and therefore their firstborn died. The Jewish people were also living in Egypt and had been influenced by that environment.  In truth, they too were not fully worthy of standing before such a revelation of holiness. By strict justice, the Jewish firstborn could also have been harmed. Yet Hashem chose us as His people. At that moment He sanctified us and declared that we would be His nation. Because of that special relationship, we were able to withstand the revelation of the Shechinah.

This is the deeper meaning of Hashem “passing over” the houses of the Jews. It was not simply that He spared us from punishment. Rather, He elevated us and gave us a special kedushah that allowed us to stand in His presence. This explains why the Korban Pesach and the entire holiday are connected to this event. Our greatest gratitude is not only that Hashem saved our lives, but that He chose us as His nation and gave us the ability to connect to Him.

In his Hagaddah, Maaseh Nissim, the Nesivos Hamishpat explains a similar idea regarding the brachah we recite in the Haggadah – thanking Hashem not only for redeeming our ancestors but also for redeeming us. At first glance this seems strange. We ourselves were not in Egypt. Why do we say that Hashem redeemed us?

The Nesivos explains that the brachah refers to something deeper than physical freedom. The redemption was spiritual. When Hashem took us out of Egypt, He transformed us from slaves of Pharaoh into the servants of Hashem. He gave us a unique kedushah and made us His nation. That spiritual redemption did not end thousands of years ago. It continues to define us today. We are still the people that Hashem sanctified at that moment. Therefore we can truly say that Hashem redeemed us.

The Orach Chaim (Shmos 23:22) adds another remarkable idea. He writes that every year on Pesach, especially on the night of the Seder, Hashem grants the Jewish people an additional measure of kedushah. The holiness that began at the Exodus continues to grow and deepen every year.

This gives the Seder night an entirely new meaning. When we thank Hashem, we are not only remembering a past event. We are acknowledging the ongoing gift of being Hashem’s people and having the privilege to serve Him.

This realization should lead us to a deeper form of gratitude and service. Reb Yerucham Levovitz, the great mashgiach of the Mir Yeshiva, explains that real hakaras hatov naturally leads to greater dedication. Whenever a person feels genuine gratitude toward someone, he wants to respond by doing whatever that person desires. If someone has done us a great kindness, we feel a strong desire to repay it. The same is true in our relationship with Hashem. When we truly appreciate the immense kindness Hashem has shown us—choosing us as His people and giving us the gift of Torah and mitzvos—we will naturally want to serve Him with greater devotion and joy.

This gratitude should not be limited to Pesach alone. Throughout the year we thank Hashem for many blessings—life, health, livelihood and protection from harm. But the greatest gift of all is that we have a connection with Him. We have Torah, mitzvos and the ability to come close to Hashem. That connection is the most precious gift a Jew can have.

Rav Shimon Green would often tell his students that the greatest thing a person should thank Hashem for is the opportunity to learn Torah; many people in the world never have that privilege.

This is the deeper message of the Seder night. Through building our emunah and recognizing all that Hashem has given us, we come to feel true hakaras hatov—not only for leaving Mitzrayim, but for becoming Hashem’s people and being able to connect to Him through Torah and mitzvos.

May we be zocheh to strengthen our gratitude to Hashem—on Pesach and throughout the entire year.