Group None

However behold, He should have started the Torah from its commandments! So why did He adorn it with the telling of stories? But the idea is that it is a commandment upon us to 'tell the story of the exodus from Egypt.' This is like the author of the Haggadah said, "And anyone who adds [and spends extra time] in telling the story of the exodus from Egypt, behold he is praiseworthy." But behold, to understand the idea of the "adding" that he said - note that the Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said [that] the mundane speech of Torah scholar requires study. That is since it is certainly impossible to always speak of Torah, and one must [also] speak of physical things. But the 'righteous will stride in them' - even when they are speaking of physical things, they make them cling to Him, may He be blessed. So their [mundane] speech is truly Torah! For they elevate souls with this, just as with Torah study. And there are some souls that can be more elevated with talk than with Torah study. As they do not have the ability to be included in Torah and to rise with the Torah, but rather only with physical talk. And this is the idea of yitziyat mitzrayim (the exodus from Egypt). It is from the expression, meitzar yam (the border of the sea) - that is to say that it is close to the shore of the sea of true wisdom. Hence it is a commandment to always tell with yitziyat mitzrayim. The explanation of this is that, all the time and at every instant, whenever one speaks, his words should be with yitziyat mitzrayim. And this is the meaning of, "And anyone who adds, etc." For his telling should be with yitziyat mitzrayim not only on Passover, but even all the time.