Purpose of Redemption

בעבור זה עשה ה' לי.

“Because of this Hashem acted for me.”

The Sefat Emet begins by stressing that the phrase “because of this” indicates a purpose inherent in the redemption itself.

ברש"י שאקיים מצותיו.

Rashi explains: ‘So that I may fulfill His commandments.’

Rashi reads the verse as meaning that redemption was granted in order to enable the observance of mitzvot.

פי' שתכלית הגאולה הי' לכבודו ית"ש כדי שיהיו בנ"י כלים לעשות שליחות הקב"ה בעולם.

The meaning is that the purpose of the redemption was for His glory, so that the Children of Israel would become vessels to carry out God’s mission in the world.

The Sefat Emet deepens the idea: the mitzvot are not merely duties but the very mission for which Israel was freed—to manifest the Divine will.

הגם שפי' הפשוט אמת שבשביל המצות שעתידין בנ"י לעשות הי' הגאולה.

Although the simple meaning is also true: that the redemption occurred because of the mitzvot the Israelites were destined to perform.

Both layers stand: the future observance of mitzvot was a merit generating redemption.

ולכן הי' הגאולה בשם אהיה לומר שבזכות המצות שעתידין לעשות הם נגאלין.

Thus the redemption came through the Name “Eh‑yeh,” to indicate that by the merit of future mitzvot they would be redeemed.

The name “Eh‑yeh”—meaning “I will be”—signals a future-oriented merit, tied to actions yet to come.

אבל עיקר הפי' בעבור זה ממש שזה תכלית הגאולה לשמו ית'.

But the main explanation is literally “because of this,” meaning that this—God’s service—is the very purpose of the redemption for His Name.

The Sefat Emet insists the verse points not only to future merit but to the essential goal: Divine service itself.

ולכן הרשע שאומר מה העבודה הזאת לכם כופר בעיקר שאדרבא תכלית הגאולה הי' רק עבודה הזאת כמ"ש:

Therefore the wicked son, who says “What is this service to you?”, denies the essence, for the very purpose of the redemption was this service, as it is written.

The wicked son’s question rejects the central truth—that avodah is not a burden but the reason Israel was redeemed.

Summary: The Sefat Emet teaches that redemption was granted both in merit of future mitzvot and, more profoundly, for the sake of Divine service itself. Avodah is the purpose of freedom, and denying this is to deny the core of the Exodus.