[Avodah] Exactly when did we leave Mitzrayim?

[Akiva Miller]

(In this post, I presume that "Eretz Mitzrayim" and "Mitzrayim" are
synonymous. If anyone disagrees, please speak up.)

Where is the border of Mitzrayim? On exactly which day (hour? minute?) did
we "leave Mitzrayim"? On 16 Nisan, were we already out of Mitzrayim, or
were we still in the process of leaving?

I have been bothered by the very end of Magid, when we expound on the
50/200/250 nisim that occurred at the Yam Suf. And this is followed by
Dayenu, where we thank Hashem for many things, most of which occurred after
the 15th of Nisan.

Rambam Chometz Umatzah 7:1 explains the parameters of Sippur Yetzias
Mitzrayim: <<< There is a positive mitzva of the Torah to tell of the
miracles and wonders that were done for our ancestors in Mitzrayim on the
night of the 15th of Nisan, as it is said, "Remember this day, on which you
went out from Mitzrayim" >>> (Shemos 13:3)

I note his emphasis on the events of one specific day. The pesukim before
and after are perhaps even more explicit:

Shemos 12:51 - "It was on that very day - Hashem took the Bnei Yisrael out
of Eretz Mitzrayim with their legions."

Shemos 13:4 - "Today you are going out, in the month of Aviv."

The pesukim seem clear, that we went out on one specific day, namely 15
Nisan, and that by the 16th we were already out of Mitzrayim. Granted, we
were still in danger, because Paro could have caught up to us, and did in
fact try to do so. But that occurred AFTER we had already left.

And I think it very significant that the text of Rambam’s Haggada skips the
paragraphs about the Yam Suf, and Dayenu as well, going directly from the
Ten Plagues to Rabban Gamliel’s explanations of The Three Things.
Apparently, Rambam considered the events of the Yam Suf (and later) to be
extraneous, off-topic, and not part of Sippur Yetzias Mitzrayim.

But *we* do include those sections. It seems that we disagree with the
Rambam; we do consider these sections to be part of Sippur Yetzias
Mitzrayim. What is our basis for this? Even if some archeologist (or
midrash) would say that the political borders of Mitzrayim extended all the
way to the shore of the Yam Suf, we must still deal with the words of the
Torah; and I am persuaded by the Rambam's words, that in the context of
Sippur Yetzias Mitzrayim, the Torah wants us to tell about what happened on
one specific day, 15 Nisan.

This would include the prologue, of course. The story would not make any
sense if we didn't elaborate on the years leading up to this climactic
event. Stories of the slavery and of the makkos are critical; you can't
tell about the Exodus if you don't tell what we were Exiting from.

But Maggid could have ended there. Why do we include an afterword? Is it
really critical that the story of the Exodus has to also tell of the
Destination? Wasn't it enough that we got out? Needless to say, yes,
indeed, it *would* have been enough! But we say it anyway. And I'm
wondering if anyone writes about *why*.

Akiva Miller
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