Mar 27 2025 32 mins 15
Pesach | Introduction to Midrash Arami Oved Avi, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom
Why was Devarim 26:5-8 selected to be the base text for the retelling of the Exodus at the Seder?
As the Mishna (Pesachim 10:4) codifies, the core text to be used in telling the story of Yetziat Mitzrayim is Devarim 26:5-8 - "Arami Oved Avi" which, in 4 short verses, retells the story of the exile, servitude, pleas for deliverance and miraculous Exodus. We examine the earliest sources of the Midrash and demonstrate how our traditional Haggada-text of this Midrash is a combination of several Midrashic strains - all brought together in a powerful and evocative style to help all participants to (potentially) reexperience Yetziat Mitzrayim, as it occurs בכל דור ודור - in every generation.
