At the end of the Parasha, The Ramban gives a very strong Emunah lesson and tells us the reason behind many mitzvot, with a little history lesson included.
From the beginning of time, starting with Enoch, the first one to have the wrong ideas in emunah, there have been people that denied Hashem.
Some people said that G-d and the world were created together. They didn’t believe in something from nothing. Others said that G-d created the world, but He doesn’t know what’s going on. Another group said that G-d knows what’s going on, but He doesn’t get involved, that He treats humans like fish in the ocean- He doesn’t get involved in their lives and there’s no reward and punishment.
They think G-d left the world. So how does G-d disprove these notions? By performing miracles. When Hashem does a miracle, it changes nature. Turning blood into water, and water into blood, shows that He’s in charge of matter. It shows that He can make these inherent changes, and make something from nothing which means He made matter.
Furthermore, we see that G-d knows what’s going on, and that He gets involved, because it was announced in advance by a prophet, that somebody who mistreated His nation (the Jews), would get punished.
If you paid attention to the plagues over these past two Parshiyot, you’ll see that there are words that send these messages; such as “So you will know that I am Hashem in the land” which means, “I’m still controlling everything, - I’m still around.”
“You should know that Hashem owns the land” means that Hashem made something from nothing.
“So, you should know that there’s nobody like Me” which means, “nothing stops Me.”
Each plague was there not just to punish the Egyptians, but to teach us, and the world, lessons in Emunah.
And because G-d doesn’t make miracles in every generation to prove Himself to every heretic, G-d commanded us to constantly remember the miracles of the Yetziat Mitzrayim, and to tell it to our children and to our grandchildren. This way it will forever be alive in the Jewish people. That’s why the punishments for eating hametz on Pesach or not eating the Korban Pesach are so severe. Because G-d wants to make sure that we have a seder night. That’s why even Jews that are very far from Torah have a seder. Because that’s the time to give over Emunah, from generation to generation. We also have mezuzot on our doors to remember this, and we say Keriyat Shema twice every day to remember it as well. All of this is done for one reason: that a heretic should not be able to say that G-d does not control the world.
That’s also why he says to be careful in a small Mitzvah like we are with big Mitzvot- because even the “smallest” mitzvah gives us the message of Yetziat Mitzrayim- which is the most important fundamental of our belief.
He says that’s why we come to shul and pray out loud. That’s the whole purpose of creation. His words are
ואין אל עליון חפץ בתחתונים מלבד שידע האדם ויודה לאלהיו שבראו,
The only reason G-d had a desire to create lower worlds is that man should recognize Him and thank and praise the One that created him.
He goes on to say a very famous line
ומן הנסים הגדולים המפורסמים אדם מודה בנסים הנסתרים שהם יסוד התורה כלה
The end goal of all of this Yetziat Mitzrayim and mentioning all the open miracles G-d did is that then you’ll realize there is something called hidden miracles. These hidden miracles are the foundation of our entire religion.
- believing that G-d is involved in our every day daily lives.
He says a powerful line
שאין לאדם חלק בתורת משה רבינו עד שנאמין בכל דברינו ומקרינו שכלם נסים אין בהם טבע ומנהגו של עולם, בין ברבים בין ביחיד,
You don’t have a portion in the Torah of Moshe Rabbenu, you aren’t part of the club until you believe that everything that happens is a miracle. there is no such thing as nature in the worldWhether we are talking about the masses or an individual
Everything is decreed by G-d.
That’s why we have to constantly talk about Yetziat Mitzrayim, and we have to live with it. It can’t be something in the past. That is G-d’s “diploma” so to say. It’s like the credentials hanging in a doctor’s office, so that you know what his credentials are. You look on the wall to see where he graduated. You want to know what Hashem can do? What are his powers? What are His abilities? All you need to do is look at Yetziat Mitzrayim. That’s why it is a fundamental of our religion, and why as we go through the Parshiyot, Shemot, Vaera, and Bo, we should walk away with these lessons.
Have a wonderful day and a Shabbat Shalom