“And Hashem Brought Us Out of Egypt”

“ ‘And Hashem brought us out of Egypt,’ not through an angel, not through a seraph, and not through a messenger...”

Our rabbis tell us that there are four levels through which God lowered Himself, so to speak, from the highest of the heavens to this, the lowest of worlds, in order to create the physical plain. The four levels are Atzilus, Emanation; Beriyah, Creation; Yetzirah, Formation; Asiyah, Completion.

These four stages are derived from the words of the prophet: “All that is called by My Name (a) for My glory, (b) I have created it, (c) I have formed it, and (d) I have made it.” The first level, Atzilus, is the conceptualization of creation. Atzilus is derived from the word “etzel,” meaning “next to.” This is because Atzilus is the level that is closest to God. The second level is the initial actualization of creation, the ex nihilo (something from nothing) creation of primal matter. Third is formation, taking the amorphous matter and energy of the previous stage and giving it shape and form. The final stage is completion, in which the final product is perfected. According to the order in which we read this section in the Haggadah we first mention malach (angel), then saraf (seraph), and then shaliach (messenger).

This order follows a sequence from lower to higher. The malach is in the “world,” or level of Yetzirah. The saraf is in

Beriyah, a higher world than Yetzirah. Thus far it would appear that we are going up in levels, but surprisingly, the Haggadah then mentions shaliach, which is a reference to Moshe Rabbeinu, who was in Asiyah, the lowest of the four worlds. How is it that the pattern is broken – that we first ascend in levels and then we refer to the lowest world?

Perhaps we can answer in the following manner: It is true that the shaliach mentioned here is a human – Moshe Rabbeinu – and as such he exists in the world of Asiyah, the lowest world. However, Moshe Rabbeinu was a tzaddik, a person who is considered to be on a higher level than the angels, as a tzaddik can rise higher than a malach or a saraf, for he overcomes the tests of the Olam HaAsiyah – something that a malach and saraf cannot do. Consequently, being in this lower world actually makes the tzaddik rise higher than those who are on a higher level from the outset and who do not have to contend with the tests of the lower world. If so, it turns out that this whole section actually does follow an ascending order: first there is the malach, then the saraf, and finally, the highest who rises from the lowest, the shaliach, Moshe Rabbeinu, who is higher than the angels.

“Not Through an Angel”

There is an obvious question to be asked here. We are told in Bamidbar, “And He sent a messenger and brought us forth out of Egypt,” and our rabbis explain that this refers to Moshe Rabbeinu. It would seem from this verse that the Almighty did, in fact, take us out through a malach. If so, why does the Haggadah assert that it was the Almighty Himself Who took us out?

We can answer this in the following way: Explaining a verse in Yeshayahu which states, “He fulfills the word of His servant, and the counsel of His messenger He completes,” the Yalkut Shimoni says: “This is Moshe, as it says, ‘And He sent a messenger and brought us forth out of Egypt.’ God said to Moshe, ‘Go and tell the Jewish people, “And I will pass over in the land of Egypt in this night.” ’ Moshe went and told them, ‘So says Hashem, “At midnight...” ’ God said, ‘So be it. I shall act at midnight in order to fulfill the decree of Moshe.’ ”

The Midrash explains that Moshe played an integral part in taking the Jews out from Egypt. It therefore says, “And he [Moshe] took us out of Egypt.” However, Moshe was not active in the actual Exodus; he only fixed the time when it would occur, and the Almighty complied with this schedule. So in truth, it was God alone Who actively rook us out – “I and no angel.” However, “He sent a messenger who took us out of Egypt” – the messenger, Moshe, determined the exact time at which the Exodus would take place. Hashem followed Moshe’s decree, and it therefore says that Moshe Rabbeinu took us out of Egypt.

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