Passover תרנ”ה-תרנ”ו 16
בפסוק והנה מצרים נוסע כו’ ויצעקו כו’ אל ה’.
“In the verse: ‘And behold, Egypt was journeying… and they cried out… to the Lord.’”
The Sefat Emet begins by noting the moment when Israel sees Egypt pursuing them and cries out to God, setting the stage for the teaching that follows.
ובמד’ השמיעני את קולך כו’.
“And in the Midrash: ‘Let me hear your voice…’”
The Midrash emphasizes God’s desire for Israel’s voice, highlighting that their cry itself is part of the redemptive process.
כי באמת יצ”מ הי’ הכנה לדורות כמו שנצטוינו לזכור בכל יום יצ”מ.
“For in truth, the Exodus from Egypt was a preparation for all generations, as we were commanded to remember the Exodus each day.”
The Exodus is not a one-time event but an ongoing spiritual foundation; daily remembrance keeps its power alive in every generation.
כי הקליפה רודפת תמיד אחר בנ”י.
“For the kelipah always pursues the Children of Israel.”
Negative forces continually chase after Israel, just as Egypt pursued them; the spiritual struggle is constant.
ונעשה ביצ”מ הכנה להיות נושע תמיד ע”י זכירת מצרים בפה.
“And in the Exodus a preparation was made to be saved continually through the verbal remembrance of Egypt.”
The act of speaking about the Exodus becomes a spiritual tool that grants ongoing salvation.
כי עיקר כחן של בנ”י בפה.
“For the primary strength of the Children of Israel is in the mouth.”
Israel’s true power lies not in physical force but in speech—prayer, Torah, and verbal remembrance.
וזה נגמר ביצ”מ להיות הפה מתוקן.
“And this was completed in the Exodus—that the mouth became repaired.”
The Exodus rectified Israel’s faculty of speech, enabling its use for sacred purposes.
וממילא השטר חירות בידינו בכח תורה ותפלה בפה.
“And therefore the document of freedom is in our hands through the power of Torah and prayer spoken by the mouth.”
Because speech is now spiritually restored, Torah and prayer become Israel’s enduring instruments of freedom.
ולכן כאשר ראו כי עוד מצרים נוסע אחריהם נתיראו.
“And therefore, when they saw that Egypt was still journeying after them, they became afraid.”
The people feared because they sensed that the threat of spiritual pursuit had not ended.
ונאמר להם כי הגאולה היה על זה שיהיו נגאלים בכל עת ע”י צעקה.
“And it was said to them that the redemption was based on this: that they could be redeemed at any time through a cry.”
The essence of the redemption is the assurance that calling out to God remains a perpetual path to deliverance.
כמ”ש במד’ צעקו וה’ שמע שזה עיקר הבטחתן של ישראל להיות נושע בפיהם.
“As the Midrash says: ‘They cried out and the Lord heard,’ for this is Israel’s primary assurance—that they are saved through their mouth.”
The promise given to Israel is that their spoken cry always reaches God, and this itself is the enduring source of salvation.
Summary: The Sefat Emet teaches that the Exodus endowed Israel with a repaired power of speech, making verbal remembrance, prayer, and outcry the perpetual path to redemption. Even when pursued by spiritual forces, Israel holds the document of freedom through the sanctified mouth.
