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Why did God take the Jews out of Egypt when 80% preferred to stay in the wealthiest nation, living comfortably at the top of society? The shiur argues that the Exodus was justified only because God offered an eternal covenant—immortality as a nation. The Thirteen Attributes of Mercy embody this eternal bond, assuring that the relationship between God and the Jewish people can never be broken.
Rabbi Zweig explores a fundamental question: why do we recite the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy when taking out the Torah (תורה) on Pesach (פסח), Shavuos, and Sukkos (סוכות)? These festivals are times of celebration, not days of repentance like Yom Kippur. The answer lies in understanding what the Exodus from Egypt truly offered the Jewish people. The shiur examines Moshe's response to God's anger after the sin of the Golden Calf. When God threatened to destroy the Jewish people, Moshe pleaded: "Why should the Egyptians say You took them out with evil intention?" This argument appears illogical—the Jews had clearly sinned grievously, there was cause for punishment, and who cares what the Egyptians think? Yet this was Moshe's central argument for mercy.
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Shemos 34:6-7 (Thirteen Attributes); Shemos 32:11-12 (Moshe's plea after Golden Calf)
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