The main theme of Pesach is the story of our redemption and of our unflagging faith in Hashem. The sub-themes of prayer, of speech and communicating with Hashem provide a strong background for the major theme. Ramban explains that we were redeemed only through the power of our prayer, for we had already fallen into a state of unworthiness.
The
Sam Derech
tells us that Yitzchak blessed Yaakov by recognizing his special voice (
hakol kol Yaakov
). Since then, the cries of
Bnei Yisroel
no longer need to be specific, for Hashem always listens. Like a mother who gives her attention and fulfills the wordless needs of her crying child, so does Hashem care for us as well.
Hashem told Avraham Avinu that his progeny would be enslaved for four hundred years. However, the Jews were redeemed after only two hundred ten years. The most often quoted reconciliation is that we begin counting the years of enslavement from the birth of Yitzchak. The
Maaseh Rokem
posits that the span of four hundred years was meant to be nebulous. Its end would be determined by when
Bnei Yisroel
would call out to Hashem. It happened that the beginning of the four hundred years coincided with the birth of Yitzchak. Had
Bnei Yisroel
cried out sooner, the beginning of the enslavement could have been calculated back to the time of the original prophecy.
And yet, once
Bnei Yisroel
cried out, the situation in Egypt got even worse. Rav Schwadron explains that the amount of suffering was preordained. Bnei Yisroel suffered so intensely in the 210 years that they had already suffered the entire amount Hashem had planned for them in 400 years. When our own challenges seem unbearable, perhaps it is because Hashem is hastening our deliverance.
The
Tiferet Shimshon
notes that most of the terms used to describe the prayer of
Bnei Yisroel
were wordless cries or groans. Hashem doesn't need to hear words in order to understand the pain in a person's heart. He is with us, feeling our pain, as the verse states, "
Itcha Anochi betzarah.
I am together with you in his troubles."
Pesach is a contraction of
Peh Sach
, the mouth speaks. When we were freed from our bondage, the power of speech was unshackled as well. Further, the entire ritual of the Seder is conducted through questions and answers, and he who increases telling the story of our exodus from Egypt is praiseworthy.
After Bnei Yisroel left Egypt, Hashem had them turn around and backtrack to
Pi Hachirot,
which our Sages identify as
Pitom
, one of the storage cities that
Bnei Yisroel
had built. Forerly
Bnei Yisroel
experienced forced silence there. But after having left Egypt they were free to connect to Hashem through speech and prayer. The
Chochmat Hamatspun
says that
Hashem brought them back there, because he wanted to hear the voice of His children call out to Him. Then he would split the sea. Indeed, the purpose of all the challenges and troubles Hashem puts before us is to bring us closer to Him.
When Hashem took us out of the oppressions of Egypt, He redeemed us from both physical oppression and from psychological oppression of Egyptian culture as well. Rabbi Schorr teaches that the charge to continuously see ourselves as if we personally left
Mitzrayim
refers to our tendency to be seduced by the mindset of the prevailing culture. Today's culture involves us in its materialism or its technology at the expense of our spiritual growth. If we ask for Hashem
'
s help, we too can free ourselves from the shackles that bind us to these oppressors.
Sichot Baavodat Hashem
points out that the night of the Seder is especially conducive for our prayers to be heard. Not only is the holiday called
Peh sach
, the mouth speaks, but
matzoh
, the necessary
"
bread
"
of the Seder is called
lechem oni
, the bread over which we speak many words.
Before the
Mah Nishtanah
, the
Hagadah
tells us, "Here the son asks," Here we can ask our Father in heaven for whatever we need. Certainly, when we eat the
matzoh
, we can ask that Hashem answer our prayers, and when we mention the child who cannot ask, we can ask Hashem to open our own mouths so that we can pray for spiritual growth.
