What is "This" All About? Some Torah Puzzles About Passover and Its Meaning

(41) at the end of the four hundred and thirtieth year, on this very day, all the ranks of YHVH departed from the land of Egypt. (42) It is a night of vigil for YHVH to bring them out of the land of Egypt; It is this night for YHVH of vigil for all the children of Israel throughout the ages.

For all the children of Israel throughout the ages: in accordance with the statement of our sages (in Talmud, Rosh Hashanah 11) “The Israelites were redeemed in Nissan, and they are to be redeemed in the future in Nissan.”

God takes them out of Egypt....: Note that it doesn't say God took them out of Egypt, but takes them, in present tense, for God is always taking them out of Egypt. For it is known that the redemption from Egypt is fixed and extends until the days of the Messiah, and that is why it is a positive command to remember/mention the exodus from Egypt every day, as it is said (Numbers 16:3), "So that you remember the day you left Egypt all the days of your life." For the beginning/origin of slavery and exile was in Egypt. And so that is where God first caused the light of redemption to appear. But the truth is that this light of redemption never ceased, and stands ready to redeem Israel from all that trouble or oppress them.

But as is known, the mystical meaning of the Egyptian exile was that Awareness ("da'at") was in exile. ... The essence of Awareness is to know that all one's powers and life-force are the Blessed Creator itself .... And so then, when the Awareness was in exile, there was no creation at all, for the essence of creation is in order that they should know the Blessed One, so when Awareness was in exile, there was no creation at all and the world was formless and void.... Until they left Egypt and Awareness left the exile and then they received the Torah. And so the exodus from Egypt points to the literal renewal of the world.

How is this night different from all other nights? On all other nights we eat bread or matzah. Why on this night only matzah? On all other nights we eat any kind of herbs. Why on this night bitter herbs? On all other nights we need not dip our herbs even once. Why on this night do we dip twice? On all other nights we eat either sitting or reclining. Why on this night do we all recline?

(6) “Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a festival of ה׳. (7) Throughout the seven days unleavened bread shall be eaten; no leavened bread shall be found with you, and no leaven shall be found in all your territory. (8) And you shall explain to your child on that day, ‘It is because of this ה׳ did/acted for me when I went free from Egypt.’

IT IS BECAUSE OF THIS. Rabbi Merinus says that ba’avur zeh (it is because of this) should have been written, zeh ba’avur; i.e., this is because of what the ETERNAL did for me. He cited what in his opinion are many other such instances. However, I do not think that he was right in even one instance. For how can we invert the words of the living God? The meaning of the verse is just the opposite of what he understands it to be, because we do not eat unleavened bread “because of this.” Its meaning rather is: it is because of this, i.e., it is because of this service, namely, the eating of unleavened bread and the abstention from leavened bread, which are the first of the precepts that God commanded us, that the ETERNAL did signs for us and brought us out of Egypt. Its meaning thus is: God took us out of Egypt only to serve It, as it is written, when thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain (Ex. 20:12). It is furthermore stated, I am the ETERNAL your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the Lord your God (Num. 15:41).