The Exodus Story

Around the middle of the second millennium before the present era, or about 3,500 years ago, the family of Jacob numbering about 70 souls, went down to Egypt to escape famine in the land of Canaan. They remained in Egypt and grew into a numerous nation of about three million people.

Isaac's son Jacob had many sons, but his favorite was Joseph, who was sold by his jealous brothers to a caravan, which brought Joseph to Egypt. Joseph rose to become the Pharaoh's minister over all Egypt. He prepared storehouses with grain in anticipation of the great famine. When the drought and famine fell on all the region, Joseph's brothers came to Egypt to buy food. He recognized them, and had them bring Jacob and Leah and all their families to Egypt. There the Israelites lived and prospered and multiplied.

After Joseph died and all his brothers and all that generation... a new king arose over Egypt who did not remember Joseph. And he said to his people, "Look, the Israelite people are flourishing and getting really strong. Let us, then, deal shrewdly with them, lest they become more powerful, and in the event of war, join our enemies in fighting against us and gain control over the region."

So they set taskmasters over them with forced labor and made them build garrison cities for Pharaoh; Pithom and Ramses. The Egyptians embittered their lives with harsh labor at mortar and brick and in all sorts of work in the fields. But the more they were oppressed, the more they increased and spread out, so that the Egyptians came to despise and dread the Israelites. Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, "Every boy that is born shall be thrown in the Nile, but let every girl live." We cried out to Adonai, the God of our ancestors, and Adonai heeded our plight, our misery, and our oppression.

Adonai heard our moaning and remembered the covenant that was made with Abraham and Sarah, with Isaac and Rebekah, with Jacob, Leah and Rachel, with Bilhah and Zilpah and with every member of the House of Israel, even the generations waiting to be born. And Adonai said, "I will go through the land of Egypt... And I will mete out justice against all the gods of Egypt." Adonai called to Moses, charging him to appear before Pharaoh and demand that the people be released. But Pharaoh was stubborn; he would not heed the word of God. Nine times Moses went to Pharaoh to convince him of the supreme power of the Almighty. Nine times Pharaoh denied the Almighty and placed his trust in his own powers and his own gods. In the face of all pleas and portents, he refused to free the Israelites.

Many perished and the suffering was great. Pharaoh, nonetheless, remained obstinate; he would not yield. Finally when Adonai visited the tenth plague upon them, the death of first-born sons of Egyptians, a great cry went up throughout Egypt, and Pharaoh ordered Moses to take his people out of the land. And so Adonai brought us out of Egypt by a mighty hand, by an outstretched arm and awesome power, and by signs and portents; not through a messenger, not through any intermediary or any supernatural being, but the Holy One, alone, in solitary glory.

Our rabbis taught: When the Egyptian armies were drowning in the sea, the Heavenly Hosts broke out in songs of jubilation. God silenced them and said, "My creatures are perishing, and you sing praises?"

Though we descend from those redeemed from brutal Egypt, and have ourselves rejoiced to see oppressors overcome, yet our triumph is diminished by the slaughter of the foe.

Our rabbis taught: "The sword comes into the world because of justice delayed and justice denied."

To remember upheaval that follows oppression, we pour ten drops for the plagues upon Egypt.

A full cup is the symbol of complete joy. Though we celebrate the triumph of our sacred cause, our happiness cannot be complete so long as others had to be sacrificed for its sake. We shall, therefore, diminish the wine in our cups as we recall the plagues visited upon the Egyptians, to give expression to our sorrow over the losses, which each plague exacted. We now recite the list of the ten ancient plagues, pouring off wine as each one is mentioned.

Dam, Blood
Tzfardeah, Frogs
Kinim, Lice
Arov, Swarms
Dever, Blight
Sh'chin, Boils
Barad, Hail
Arbeh, Locusts
Choshech, Darkness
Makat B'chorot, Death of the Firstborn