Go and cry in the ears of Yerushalayim, saying, Hashem said; I remember in your favour, the devotion of your youth, your love as a bride, when you went after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown. (Yirmiyahu 2:2)

Hashem praises Klal Yisrael for their willingness to leave Egypt without any provisions. Rav Sholom Schwadron points out that if just out of the blue someone was asked by G-d to leave a safe and secure environment and follow blindly in the desert, that would demonstrate love and devotion to Hashem. However, the Jews just had a year-long experience of miracle after miracle, from dam (blood) to the plague of the first born. They saw that Hashem was capable of everything. What kind of a test is it for them to follow an all-powerful G-d into the desert? If He can encapsulate fire in hail, He can definitely have food packages rain down from Heaven!

I would like to add another thought about the Seder night. There are customs that we do at the seder that are there to mimic actually leaving Egypt. There are those who put the matzah on their shoulder and walk around the table just as the Jews did with their provisions when they left Egypt. What is the point of this pantomime?

Rabbi Yisroel Salanter tells us that what a person knows in his brain and what he feels in his heart are not necessarily connected. I will just use the example of standing at the edge of a pool, watching all your friends frolic inside, saying, “come on in – the water’s great!” You stick your big toe in the water and you think that it is a bit too cold. Everyone screams at you, “that is only at the beginning. Once you jump in it will be great!” and you know that they are right. But it can still take some courage to jump into the water.

Rav Sholom Schwadron says that it is one thing called “knowing” Emunah, which comes from seeing miracles for a year. There is another thing called “living” Emunah. Even though you have seen others live with Emunah, to actually have the courage to act on it yourself is a step that shows much deeper love and conviction and is not an automatic result of your knowing what is right. I once heard an allegory: A man fell off a cliff, but managed to grasp a large branch on his way down. While dangling hundreds of feet above the valley floor, he cried out to G-d for rescue. A Heavenly voice thundered out, “Let go and I will catch you!” but the person questioned, “How do I know that you are G-d?” The voice then responds, “What kind of a sign would you like? Name it and I will prove that I am the Creator!” The man makes a request, and G-d shows that He is omnipotent. Yet, it would still take courage for the man to let go and rely entirely on Hashem. This is courage that is borne out of love for Hashem.

Tonight, on the night of the Seder, it is not enough to just academically learn the facts of Emunah. The Rambam says that a person must envision himself as if he himself is leaving Egypt and grow in his love of Hashem. Let us take a deep breath, give ourselves over to Hashem, and enjoy our salvation. Good Yom Tov!