וַיֹּ֣אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֔ה כֹּ֖ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֑ה כַּחֲצֹ֣ת הַלַּ֔יְלָה אֲנִ֥י יוֹצֵ֖א בְּת֥וֹךְ מִצְרָֽיִם׃
Musa berkata, “Beginilah firman Yang Mahakekal: Kira-kira tengah malam Aku akan keluar ke tengah-tengah Mesir.
Likutei Halakhot
Therefore, the first redemption, which is the Exodus from Egypt, which includes all of the redemptions - because all of the redeemed are referred to by the name 'Egypt' as Rabbeinu z"l wrote in another place in Likutei Moharan 4. Therefore, the beginning of the redemption was in the middle of the night as it is written (Exodus 11:4) "Around midnight I will go out into Egypt". Because the essence of all the redemptions, especially the redemption from Egypt, came about through the aspect as seen above which was written in the lesson above. This was accomplished by means of divine providence which G-d drew down from the end of the earth, from the future world. At the time of the Exodus from Egypt, there was an upheaval in the constellations and then an overturning of nature, for G-d then revealed His divine providence through His awesome miracles and His overturning nature. All of this took place through the world of the future, for it came through the Yovel (Zohar I 21b, II 41b, 46b) which corresponds to the 50 gates of Binah, which corresponds to the world of the future. (Tikunei Zohar 79b). And therefore the redemption was specifically at midnight; in other words it broke the night and the darkness which are the aspect of the wisdom of nature, and it revealed divine providence in the world. Through this was the main essence of the revelation, as explained above. And this is the aspect of (Id.) “Every firstborn in the land of Egypt will die, and G-d will pass over… And save the Israelites' first born”. Because the first born is first, the aspect of knowledge, the aspect of (Proverbs 1:7) “First thing, knowledge”. In other words, the knowledge of the Other Side, which is the aspect of natural sciences, was subdued, and the knowledge of holiness, the knowledge of divine providence, the aspect of "my firstborn, Israel" (Exodus 4:22) - which is the knowledge of faith in divine providence, from which the holy offspring of the Jewish people are drawn-was increased. The Jewish people are above nature, for they are rooted in "Look to the heavens and count the stars". G-d told him this will be your offspring (Genesis 15:5), upon which our sages comment G-d lifted Abraham above the heavens (Genesis Rabbah, there). Therefore, the Jewish people are above nature, for according to nature, according to the arrangement of the constellations, Abraham should not have been able to have any children. It was only because G-d said to him "let go of your astrology", and raised him above the heavens, that he was able to have a child, as in 'that will be your offspring'. Therefore Jewish offspring are drawn from its root from beyond nature, which is represented by 'My firstborn, Israel'. Because G-d struck the Egyptian first born at midnight to subdue and break the knowledge of natural sciences, and to intensify the knowledge of divine providence, the aspect of the firstborn of Israel, as explained above.
Kedushat Levi
Exodus 11,4. “Moses said: ‘thus has the Lord said, etc.;’” we have to understand why the expression כה was used here to introduce Moses’ prophecy when we had learned that whereas all the other prophets introduced their prophecies with this word, Moses prophesied by using the vision he referred to as זה, “this,” i.e. as a clear vision.
We gain the impression from this preamble to the prophecy of the plague of the death of the firstborn that Moses had not been granted to see this vision as clearly as he had seen other visions, and that he had attained the level of seeing visions described as זה, only at the revelation at Mount Sinai. In Exodus 19,1 we read ביום הזה באו מדבר סיני, “on this day (first of Sivan) they arrived in the desert of Sinai.”
The words of that verse help us understand the formulation of the question in Deuteronomy 6,20, attributed in the Haggadah shel Pessach to the “smart” son, מה העדות והחוקים והמשפטים, “what are the testimonies, the statutes and the social laws, etc.?” The Torah there should have written: על מה, i.e.” why were these laws given,” not “what are these laws”, seeing that the questioner had demonstrated that he was familiar with these laws already!
Looking at this verse purely from the p’shat,, the “smart” son appears to enquire for the reasons underlying these various types of commandments in the Torah. He does not address the commandments themselves. Seeing that this is so, he should have asked: על מה, “why or what for”, did G’d command these different observances? Not only do we find the formulation of the questions difficult to understand, but, at least in the Haggadah shel Pessach, [as opposed to the answer given in the written Torah, Ed.] how does the answer of אין מפטירין אחר הפסח אפיקומן, “one must not eat a dessert after having consumed the meat of the Passover offering,” answer the question?
The proper answer to the smart son’s question is that G’d took us out of Egypt using all kinds of supernatural miracles in doing so, and that this redemption was not a temporary redemption subject to being reversed, but that it made of the Jewish people a free people, a people never again to become enslaved collectively. Not only did the Egyptians “let us go,” but they tried to “expel” us out of fear that more of their number would die if we stayed on their soil a minute longer. The answer that the author of the Haggadah shel Pessach suggests that the father give to this “smart” son seems to leave out the principal reasons for the legislation by concentrating on something of secondary or even still lesser significance.
We gain the impression from this preamble to the prophecy of the plague of the death of the firstborn that Moses had not been granted to see this vision as clearly as he had seen other visions, and that he had attained the level of seeing visions described as זה, only at the revelation at Mount Sinai. In Exodus 19,1 we read ביום הזה באו מדבר סיני, “on this day (first of Sivan) they arrived in the desert of Sinai.”
The words of that verse help us understand the formulation of the question in Deuteronomy 6,20, attributed in the Haggadah shel Pessach to the “smart” son, מה העדות והחוקים והמשפטים, “what are the testimonies, the statutes and the social laws, etc.?” The Torah there should have written: על מה, i.e.” why were these laws given,” not “what are these laws”, seeing that the questioner had demonstrated that he was familiar with these laws already!
Looking at this verse purely from the p’shat,, the “smart” son appears to enquire for the reasons underlying these various types of commandments in the Torah. He does not address the commandments themselves. Seeing that this is so, he should have asked: על מה, “why or what for”, did G’d command these different observances? Not only do we find the formulation of the questions difficult to understand, but, at least in the Haggadah shel Pessach, [as opposed to the answer given in the written Torah, Ed.] how does the answer of אין מפטירין אחר הפסח אפיקומן, “one must not eat a dessert after having consumed the meat of the Passover offering,” answer the question?
The proper answer to the smart son’s question is that G’d took us out of Egypt using all kinds of supernatural miracles in doing so, and that this redemption was not a temporary redemption subject to being reversed, but that it made of the Jewish people a free people, a people never again to become enslaved collectively. Not only did the Egyptians “let us go,” but they tried to “expel” us out of fear that more of their number would die if we stayed on their soil a minute longer. The answer that the author of the Haggadah shel Pessach suggests that the father give to this “smart” son seems to leave out the principal reasons for the legislation by concentrating on something of secondary or even still lesser significance.
Likutei Halakhot
Therefore the essence of the Exodus from Egypt is at midnight, as it is written there (Exodus 11:4) "Toward midnight I will go forth among the Egyptians". For the essence of the Exodus from Egypt was through the staff of Moshe and Aaron, which are the aspect of prayer, in the aspect of judgment, the aspect of "and cast it down before Pharaoh.’ It shall turn into a serpent.” (Exodus 7:9), etc., as explained above. Therefore the essence of the Exodus from Egypt was in the middle of the night. For then, the power of prayer in the aspect of justice is aroused, as explained above. This is what our Rabbis of Blessed Memory stated (Berakhot 3b) "Did David know exactly when it was midnight? Even Moses our teacher did not know exactly when it was midnight!"..."David had a sign indicating when it was midnight. [As Rav Aḥa bar Bizna said that Rabbi Shimon Ḥasida said:] A lyre hung over David’s bed", etc. This is how it still was after the exile, and therefore they still did not know to properly determine the aspect of midnight {except for} the reverence that is evoked from the prayer. But David is Messiah, and he merits this absolutely complete prayer. For through this the complete redemption will come, and there is no exile after it. This is the aspect of (Psalms 45:4) "Gird a sword on your thigh, O mighty one", etc. "nations shall fall under you, in the heart of the king's enemies. (Psalms 45:6). And the verse (Psalms 110:2) "The staff of your might the Lord will send from Zion", etc., which is brought there in the lesson above. Regarding prayer, it is said that the essence is on David/Messiah, about whom it is said "The word of the Lord to my master; 'Wait for My right hand, until I make your enemies a footstool at your feet.'" (Psalms 110:1). For he will finish the complete redemption, because he sits at the right of Hashem Yisbarach, until He makes his enemies a footstool, etc. Therefore David obtained the time of חֲצוֹת/midnight, for he was awakened through the prayer, as seen and explained above. This is exactly what is written there, {that} David had a lyre that was hanging above his bed and when it was midnight, a northern wind blew through it and played it. This is the aspect of the wondrous melody that was explained there, which was evoked through the prayer as it is written there. Therefore, he was awakened via the northerly wind specifically, which is the aspect of strength/severities, the aspect of prayer in the aspect of judgment as seen above. That is how David knew that it was truly midnight, for the essence of the aspect of midnight, which is the aspect of the awakening from sleep, the aspect of redemption. For the exile is called sleep "in the darkness of night". And the redemption is called awakening from sleep, as it is written (Psalms 78:65) "And the Lord awoke as one asleep". All of this is evoked through the prayer in the aspect of judgment, as seen above. For this is the strength to awaken in the middle of the night, as explained above. From there, the sound of the melody is aroused, as seen above, on David's lyre through the northerly wind specifically. And therefore through this specifically he knew it was really midnight and he arouse and studied Torah, for all of this is one aspect, as explained above.