Ki Tavo - in The Liturgy

In The Liturgy

The Passover Haggadah, in the magid section of the Seder, quotes and interprets Deuteronomy 26:5–8.

The Haggadah interprets the report of Deuteronomy 26:5, often translated as “a wandering Aramean was my father,” to mean instead that Laban the Aramean tried to destroy Jacob. Next, the Haggadah cites Genesis 47:4, Deuteronomy 10:22, Exodus 1:7, and Ezekiel 16:6–7 to elucidate Deuteronomy 26:5. The Haggadah quotes Genesis 47:4 for the proposition that the Israelites had sojourned in Egypt. The Haggadah quotes Deuteronomy 10:22 for the proposition that the Israelites started few in number. The Haggadah quotes Exodus 1:7 for the proposition that the Israelites had become “great” and “mighty.” And the Haggadah quotes Ezekiel 16:6–7 to elucidate the report in Deuteronomy 26:5 that the Israelites had nonetheless become “numerous.”

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.

Next, the Haggadah cites Exodus 2:23–25, Exodus 1:22, and Exodus 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 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. The Haggadah quotes Exodus 1:22 to explain the Israelites’ travail, interpreting that travail as the loss of the baby boys. And the Haggadah quotes Exodus 3:9 to explain the Israelites’ oppression, interpreting that oppression as pressure or persecution.

Next, the Haggadah cites Exodus 12:12, Exodus 9:3, 1 Chronicles 21:16, Deuteronomy 4:34, Exodus 4:17, and Joel 3:3 to elucidate the report in Deuteronomy 26:8 that “the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders.” The Haggadah quotes Exodus 12:12 for the proposition that God took the Israelites out of Egypt, not through an angel, not through a seraph, not through an agent, but on God’s own. The Haggadah quotes Exodus 9:3 to elucidate the term “a mighty hand” in Deuteronomy 26:8, interpreting the “mighty hand” to mean the plague of pestilence on the Egyptian livestock. The Haggadah quotes 1 Chronicles 21:16 to elucidate the term “an outstretched arm” in Deuteronomy 26:8, interpreting the “outstretched arm” to mean the sword. The Haggadah quotes Deuteronomy 4:34 to elucidate the term “great terribleness” in Deuteronomy 26:8, interpreting the “great terribleness” to mean the revelation of the Shekhinah or Divine Presence. The Haggadah quotes Exodus 4:17 to elucidate the term “signs” in Deuteronomy 26:8, interpreting the “sign” to mean the staff of Moses. And the Haggadah quotes Joel 3:3 to elucidate the term “wonders” in Deuteronomy 26:8, interpreting the “wonders” to mean the blood.