Each day in our prayers, we mention the exodus from Egypt. Will we continue to commemorate it after Moshiach comes?
This question is addressed in the Talmud in the name of Ben Zoma: “Will we mention the exodus from Egypt in the days of Moshiach? It is written (Jeremiah 23:7-8) ‘Behold days are coming, says the L-rd, when we will no longer say “by the life of G-d who took the Jewish People out of Egypt,” but “by the life of G-d who took us out and brought the seed of the house of Israel from the land of the north and all the other lands.” The sages answered him: The verse is not meant to imply that we will no longer remember the exodus from Egypt. However, the future Redemption will be primary, and the exodus from Egypt will be secondary.
The inner meaning of this dialogue is explained in Chassidic teachings: There is a fundamental difference between the defeat of the forces of evil after the exodus from Egypt, and after the final Redemption. After the exodus, the powers of evil were vanquished but not eliminated completely. In the time of Redemption, though, the forces of evil will be wiped out completely, as the prophet Zechariah states: “I will remove the spirit of impurity from the land.”
This, perhaps, was the question of Ben Zoma: By mentioning the exodus from Egypt, we are spurred on to continue our struggle with the forces of evil. The exodus reminds us that we were once victorious over evil and with G-d’s help, we will triumph once more, and this time, get rid of the evil completely. If so, once we have completed our mission there is no longer any reason to mention the exodus from Egypt.
The sages responded: It is indeed true that we will be elevated to a higher level, in which there will be no struggle with evil, but there is still a special quality in taking on evil straight on and overcoming it. Therefore we will continue to remember the exodus from Egypt, even if it will be secondary to the final Redemption.
Brachot 12a, Likutei Sichot vol. 16, p. 126.
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