The Rambam tells us that in every generation a person has to act like he personally got out of mitzrayim himself. He writes:
כי אלו הוא בעצמו יצא עתה
As if he got out now.
That’s why we have to tell our children
בעבור זה עשה ה׳ לי
G-d did it for me
Why is this Important?
Rabbenu Manoach, a Rishon, says knowing this is important
1- Because it teaches us to be cognizant of G-d at all times.
2- It helps us to realize that Hashem’s supervision of the Jewish people is at all times and will never cease. Hashem never stops watching us - just like Hashem took us out of Mitzrayim and guarded us until today.
He says: if even someone is in a very difficult situation, he will rely on G-d, the one that the Jewish people hoped to, that saved us in times of trouble. Just like the story of Egypt was a cause for us reach greatness, so too all challenges- both those of the Jewish people at large, and our own individual challenges, in the end are cause for our salvation and our greatness. This is a lesson for our lives that we should take away from our seder. He continues:
Part of Yetziat Mitzrayim is realizing: If Hashem did it then, He can take care of me now. We have to keep that in mind. We have to hope for G-d’s salvation. We call that ציפיתה לישועה
We say everyday in our Amidah during
את צמח דוד that we hope G-d will bring Mashiah because we hoped and looked for Him every day. God is מקוה ישראל. We hope to Him in all situations.
This is so important that it is one of the 6 questions of the final test of the final judgement after 120 years.
The simple definition of this question is -
Did you look forward to Mashiah?
But the Bet HaLevi, and the Pele Yoetz, as well as others say that it’s not just that. It also means: In your daily life did you look forward to Hashem saving you from your problems?
Other questions include:
Did you set aside time for learning Torah, did you deal honestly in business, did you try to procreate, and this is one of them- Did you hope to Hashem? ציפיתה לישועה??
One of the rishonim says - how could this be one of the questions? We were never told. How could we be responsible for this? Where does it say we have to hope for salvation? We know we we commanded to learn Torah, and to procreate and to deal honestly, but where is the commandment for hoping to Hashem? And he answers that the first of the commandments - אנכי ה is the command.
But isn’t this commandment more like an introduction? I am Hashem your G-d the took you out of Egypt-That doesn’t sound like a command. It sounds more like a welcome. Where is the command in this?
The sefer Sama”k says that we have to understand it as I am Hashem- hope and count on Me - just like I took you out of Egypt, I’ll take you out of all your future problems.
We have to realize: The very first seder was in Egypt, before they were freed. They ate the maror and matzah in fear, with blood on their doorposts. But they celebrated because they knew Hashem would save them. We say לשנה הבאה בירושלים
Next year we’ll be out of here, and people have the custom of putting out a cup of wine for Eliyahu- these things show we believe Hashem will save us now like He did then.
And we have to teach our children this.
G-d took us out and He will take us out. The Seder is not just - G-d took us out- it’s also that He will take us out. It’s not just the past. It’s the future too. And it’s about both general and personal problems. This is a big takeaway from the night of the seder.