Illustration credit: Rivka Tsinman
וַיְהִי מִקֵּץ שְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה וְאַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה
וַיְהִי בְּעֶצֶם הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה
יָצְאוּ כׇּל צִבְאוֹת ה' מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם׃
לֵיל שִׁמֻּרִים הוּא לַה' לְהוֹצִיאָם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם
הוּא הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה לַה' שִׁמֻּרִים לְכׇל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְדֹרֹתָם׃
After 430 years, on this very day, all of God’s army departed from Egypt.
It was a night of shimmurim (guarding or observing) for God, to take them out of Egypt;
This night was for God, shimmurim for all of Benei Yisrael for generations.
- What do you notice? What stands out to you?
- What words in these pesukim emphasize the drama and excitement of this moment?
- Why might Benei Yisrael be called “God’s army” here?
- Did you notice that this night is described as “shimmurim” two times? The שֹׁרֶשׁ (shoresh, root) ש.מ.ר means to protect or to keep.
Rashi says the night of shimmurim means that God had been protecting, or reserving, this night as the time to fulfill the promise to free Benei Yisrael.
Hizkuni says it means that it was the night when God guarded Benei Yisrael from harm.
Ramban says that it refers to Benei Yisrael keeping special mitzvot on this night.
- When you read these pesukim, and the rest of the story about the amazing night of יְצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם (yetziat Mitzrayim, the Exodus from Egypt), could shimmurim mean more than one thing? What can each interpretation be adding to our understanding of this special night?
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