Shemot (parsha) - in The Liturgy

In The Liturgy

The Passover Haggadah, in the magid section of the Seder, quotes Exodus 1:7 to elucidate the report in Deuteronomy 26:5 that the Israelites had become “great” and “mighty.”

Next, the Haggadah cites Exodus 1:10–13 to elucidate the report in Deuteronomy 26:6 that “the Egyptians dealt ill with us, and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bondage.” The Haggadah quotes Exodus 1:10 for the proposition that the Egyptians attributed evil intentions to the Israelites or dealt ill with them. The Haggadah quotes Exodus 1:11 for the proposition that the Egyptians afflicted the Israelites. And the Haggadah quotes Exodus 1:13 for the proposition that the Egyptians imposed hard labor on the Israelites.

Also in the magid section, the Haggadah quotes Exodus 1:14 to answer the question: For what purpose do Jews eat bitter herbs (maror)? The Haggadah quotes Exodus 1:14 for the proposition that Jews do so because the Egyptians embittered the Israelites’ lives in Egypt.

Also in the magid section, the Haggadah cites Exodus 1:22, 2:23–25, and 3:9 to elucidate the report in Deuteronomy 26:7 that “we cried to the Lord, the God of our fathers, and the Lord heard our voice, and saw our affliction, and our toil, and our oppression.” The Haggadah quotes Exodus 1:22 to explain the Israelites’ travail, interpreting that travail as the loss of the baby boys. The Haggadah quotes Exodus 2:23 for the proposition that the Israelites cried to God. The Haggadah quotes Exodus 2:24 for the proposition that God heard the Israelites’ voice. The Haggadah quotes Exodus 2:25 for the proposition that God saw the Israelites’ affliction, interpreting that affliction as the suspension of family life. And the Haggadah quotes Exodus 3:9 to explain the Israelites’ oppression, interpreting that oppression as pressure or persecution.

And shortly thereafter, the Haggadah quotes Exodus 4:17 to elucidate the term “signs” in Deuteronomy 26:8, interpreting the “sign” to mean the staff of Moses.

The “cry” (tza’akah) of the Israelites that God acknowledged in Exodus 3:7 appears in the Ana B’khoah prayer for deliverance recited in the Kabbalat Shabbat prayer service between Psalm 29 and Lekhah Dodi.

According to a Midrash, Exodus 3:12 states God’s intention in removing Israel from Egyptian slavery when it says, “you shall serve God upon this mountain.” And it was to this service that Moses dedicated the Tabernacle, and it was on the day that Moses completed the Tabernacle that Moses composed Psalm 91, which Jews recite in the Pseukei D’Zimrah section of the morning (Shacharit) prayer service.

The exchange of Moses and God in Exodus 3:13–14 about God’s name is in part about how we as humans can perceive God, and that in turn is one of the motivations of prayer.

Some Jews read about the staff of Moses in Exodus 4:17 as they study Pirkei Avot chapter 5 on a Sabbath between Passover and Rosh Hashanah.

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