Shemot 13:16

16 And it shall be for an ot (sign) upon thine hand, and for totafos (ornaments, frontlets, bands, phylactery) between thine eyes; for by chozek yad Hashem brought us forth out of Mitzrayim.

Shemot 13:16 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 13:16

And it shall be for a token upon thine head, and for frontlets
between thine eyes
These laws observed concerning the setting apart the firstlings of their beasts, the redemption of the firstborn of unclean ones, and of the firstborn of men, will bring the reason of it, the destruction of the firstborn of Egypt, and the preservation of the firstborn of Israel, as fresh to remembrance as any token upon the hand, put there to bring things to mind; and it will be as easily and as clearly discerned as anything upon a man's forehead may be seen by another: for by strength of hand the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt:
which is often mentioned, that it might be observed; it being the signs and wonders which the omnipotent hand of God wrought, especially the last, which worked upon Pharaoh, to let the people of Israel go; and their posterity, in all succeeding ages, would speak of this affair as if personally concerned in it, they being then in the loins of their ancestors, and represented by them, as well as they reaped and enjoyed all the benefits of that wonderful deliverance, the possession of the land of Canaan, and the blessings of it, as well as many other privileges both of a civil and religious kind. And so Maimonides F11 says,

``in every age a man is obliged to consider himself as if he in himself now went out of the bondage of Egypt, as it is said, "and he brought us forth from thence"''

FOOTNOTES:

F11 Hilchot Chametz Umetzah, c. 7. sect. 6.

Shemot 13:16 In-Context

14 And it shall be when thy ben asketh thee in time to come, saying, Mah zot? (What is this?) that thou shalt say unto him, By chozek yad Hashem brought us out from Mitzrayim, from the bais avadim;
15 And it came to pass, when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, that Hashem killed kol bechor of Eretz Mitzrayim, both the bechor adam, and the bechor behemah; therefore Ani zoveiā€™ach laHashem (I sacrifice to Hashem) kol that openeth the rechem (womb), being hazecharim (the males); but kol bechor of my banim I redeem.
16 And it shall be for an ot (sign) upon thine hand, and for totafos (ornaments, frontlets, bands, phylactery) between thine eyes; for by chozek yad Hashem brought us forth out of Mitzrayim.
17 And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that Elohim led them not through the derech of the eretz of the Pelishtim (Philistines), although that was near; for Elohim said, Lest perhaps the people change their mind when they see milchamah, and they return to Mitzrayim;
18 So Elohim led HaAm about, through the derech of the midbar of the Yam Suf; and the Bnei Yisroel went up out of Eretz Mitzrayim ready for battle.
The Orthodox Jewish Bible fourth edition, OJB. Copyright 2002,2003,2008,2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International. All rights reserved.