The Haggadah: They will serve them and they will oppress them four hundred years

The actual exile in Egypt was only 210 years. Our Rabbis tell us that the reason why G-d had to take immediate action and remove us from Egypt early was because, had we stayed in Egyptian society any longer we would have sunk to the fiftieth and lowest level of spiritual impurity from which there is no return. Egypt was the antithesis of Torah and the Jewish people could not survive in such an impure environment so we had to get out as soon as possible.

R' Yaakov Kamenenetsky asks: The request to Pharaoh to leave Egypt was only a request from HaShem and his servant Moshe for the Jews to go on a three-day trip to worship G-d. How could G-d, Whose "seal is truth" (Yoma 69b), and Moshe, who was God's "truthful servant," lie like this?

He answers that if in fact Pharaoh would have allowed the Jews to leave for three days to worship G-d, this would have been enough to revitalize their spiritual level, and they could have returned to Egypt to continue their sentence of servitude without falling to the fiftieth level of impurity. Since Pharaoh refused, the only option was the complete Exodus from Egypt.

This is something we all need to think about. What changes can we make to revitalize our spiritual level? What could you do for the next three days that could help you make through the next 190 years! We have no idea what could potentially happen if we would really pray over the next three days. This is a powerful lesson to help us understand how a small spiritual push can have a big impact on the rest of our lives.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Rabbi Mitterhoff,

This concept of renewed sprirituality fits in with the renewal concept of Pesach.

According to Rav Dessler in his sefer Michtov Me`Eliyahu, the yearly flow of time is cyclical. In other words, the yearly flow of events are as constant and unchanging as the seasons. The Hebrew word for year is "shana", which translate as repeat or review. Therfore it follows, that what we percieve as constant linear change is nothing more than an illusion, since the underlying force which shapes and controls it are as predictable as the change of the seasons. This force is, of course, the influence of the Creator, who governs the universe according to his divine plan.
The physical and external changes that mark the seasons also include the possibility for spiritual change and growth. It is by connecting ourselves to the divine influence unique to the particular period and "season", potential for spiritual growth and advancement becomes a reality.
The Jewish holidays in addition to commemorating actual historical events, also make available to us the divine influence which created those past events which are always present. These are in-fact great opportunities for spiritul growth.
Spring, the Pesach season falls under the influence of the spirit of emancipation which is immediately followed by rebirth and renewal.
The emancipation refered to here is the freedom and unfettering ourselves from the chains of negative habits and distructive addictive behavior.
May we all merit this month,"the chodesh of geulah" the coming of Moshiach.

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WONDERFUL points to think about!