1,135. The Mitzvah to Recount the Exodus

Chometz u’Matzah 7:1

There is a mitzvah from the Torah to relate the miracles and wonders that were performed for our ancestors in Egypt on the night of 15 Nisan, as per Exodus 13:3, “Remember this day, on which you left Egypt,” which is comparable to Exodus 20:8, “Remember the Sabbath day.” We see that this mitzvah must performed on the night of 15 Nisan from Exodus 13:8: “You shall tell your son on that day, 'It is because of this....’” “This” refers to matzah and maror, from which we learn that this mitzvah is performed at the time when these things lie before us. Even though it says “tell your son,” this mitzvah applies even to a person who has no son. Even the greatest scholars must recount the exodus from Egypt. One who elaborates in this matter is to be praised.

Chometz u’Matzah 7:2

It is a mitzvah to tell one’s sons about the exodus even if they don’t ask, as per Exodus 13:8, “You shall tell your son.” A father should teach his son according to the child’s aptitude. If the son is young or foolish, he should say, “My son, in Egypt, we were all slaves. On this night, God redeemed us and took us out to freedom.” If the son is older and wiser, his father should inform him all about what happened to us in Egypt and the miracles that Moshe performed for us, again according to the child’s ability to understand.