 teach us in Egypt; how to become truly free.
There is an old saying that " it is easier to take a Jew out of exile than take the exile out of a Jew." We will see this in future Torah portions as the Jews suffer setbacks during the sojourn in the desert, many due to their inability to free themselves from their past.
God gave them one glorious lesson in Egypt, on the " art of liberation. "
ANOINTING THE SEASONS
We can now understand why the Torah begins this section with the commandment concerning time.
We are commanded to anoint the seasons, to decide when the new moon has arrived.
We are entrusted with the ability to determine the nature of time. Will it be sacred or mundane?
We are at the same time taught a powerful lesson: The Jew has the ability to transcend time, to trust in God so completely that the problems of the present are resolved when considered in the larger context of eternity.
Will the night be a time of fear, or the final moment before dawn?
The ability of the Jews to trust in God was the final act that ushered in the redemption from Egypt. For when a Jew truly trusts in God, he becomes part of the world to come, tasting redemption.