“…In every generation, a person is obligated to regard himself as if he had come out of Egypt…” – The Haggadah

בְּכָל דּוֹר וָדוֹר חַיָּב אָדָם לִרְאוֹת אֶת עַצְמוֹ כְּאִלּוּ הוּא יָצָא מִמִּצְרָיִם – הגדה של פסח

One of the most remarkable aspects of Bnei Yisrael’s exodus from Egypt is the simple trust that they had in Moshe and in the Divine promise that he relayed.

Bnei Yisrael were living in Egypt—a naturally prosperous land, home to a thriving civilization. Yet at Moshe’s word, millions of men, women, and children abandoned their homes of two hundred years, and followed Moshe on a long and uncharted journey into a wilderness, with no obvious means of survival. They rejected a life and land of stability, and headed instead into a barren desert with no provisions other than their matzah and their faith.

The trust that our ancestors had in G-d, and their obedience of His directives to them through Moshe, serve as an example for Jewish people in all times and circumstances. In this world of endless competition and struggle, some might argue that the key to survival is to readily adapt to your surroundings, to follow the local trends and to subscribe to the fashions and passions of the time. It is unthinkable, they say, to commit instead to an ancient set of six hundred and thirteen rules that dictate every aspect of human life!

We therefore recount our ancestors’ faith when they journeyed from Egypt, and how it brought them not only spiritual goodness but material prosperity as well. We recall how their trust in G-d brought them not only to receive the Torah and become G-d’s chosen people, but also to inherit “the land flowing with milk and honey” — the Holy Land of Israel. By constantly recalling the story of the Exodus, we reinforce our commitment to faithfully live by G-d’s directives in the Torah, with absolute certainty that this, and only this, will guarantee our true happiness and success.

—Igros Kodesh, vol. 20, pp. 204-207