Hallel Ha’Mitzri, colloquially referred to as “Hallel,” is a compilation of Psalms 113-118. Typically, we recite Hallel on holidays and Rosh Chodesh, between Shacharit and Mussaf, either in its full or abridged form. However, when it comes to Pesach, Hallel takes on a whole new persona, as it is recited at night as an integral part of the Haggadah. Some communities even have the minhag (custom) to communally recite Hallel after Maariv. What is it about the intersection between Pesach and Hallel that creates a divergence from the normally prescribed time to say Hallel? Another unique aspect of the Hallel/Pesach relationship is that while most of the pesukim of Hallel extol Hashem, Psalm 114 begins with “B’tzeit Yisrael mi’Mitzrayim”—when Bnai Yisrael left Egypt—and then continues on and references kriyat Yam Suf (splitting of the Red Sea). Why are yetziyat Mitzrayim (the Exodus) and kriyat Yam Suf mentioned in the middle of Hallel, when no other specific miracles are mentioned?

The Rambam in Hilchot Chanuka (3:6) digresses slightly from teaching the laws of Chanuka to briefly discuss Hallel and enumerate the days on which it is said. The Magid Mishne there, analyzes whether Hallel is a biblical or rabbinic commandment, and notes the different reasons we say Hallel. On holidays that contain an added kedushat hayom (sanctity of the day), there is a rabbinic requirement to incorporate Hallel into our tefilah due to the inherent kedusha of the day. However, there is a biblical requirement to recite Hallel after a person witnesses or experiences a miracle. This Hallel is more of a personal recognition of, and demonstration of thanks to G-d.

This comment of the Magid Mishne can shed some light onto the distinctive nature of Hallel on Pesach night. Like all other holidays, Pesach is a moed and Hallel would therefore be included as part of the morning tefilah. The first night of Pesach, however, ushers in an added dimension. Not only are we celebrating the sanctity of the day, we are also reliving yetziat Mitzrayim—our Exodus from Egypt and transformation from slaves to free men as G-d’s nation. The Mishna in Pesachim (10:5) mentions that every year each person is required to feel like he himself left Egypt. While every day we have the obligation of zechirat yetziyat Mitzrayim (recalling the Exodus), on Peach night we have a special requirement of sippur yetziyat Mitzrayim. The mitzvah of sippur yetziyat Mitzrayim is to discuss and mention at length all that happened in Egypt and our nation’s miraculous exit. This helps to explain the requirement to recite Hallel at the seder. At the seder we do not merely mention the Exodus in passing, we need to completely relive it ourselves. Once we accomplish that through the recitation of Magid at the seder, we break out in song and praise G-d for allowing us to leave Egypt and become free men. We can see this from the continuation of the Mishna in Pesachim 10:5. After mentioning that we need to experience the redemption ourselves, the Mishna continues by saying that “we are required to praise, glorify, exalt […] to the One who did all these miracles for us and our forefathers.” [This idea was developed by Rabbi Yosef D. Soloveitchik and is quoted in Harerei Kedem Vol. II no. 101.] The Hallel of the seder accomplishes both the “sippur” and the “zechira” obligations of the night. By singing songs of praise to G-d we are reliving the feelings of appreciation and jubilation for the Exodus, but by mentioning “b’tzeit Yisrael m’Mitzrayim” —we also fullfill the zechira aspect by mentioning it.

The Gemara in Pesachim (117a) discusses who authored Hallel and who inaugurally recited it. One possibility the Gemara entertains is that after kriyat Yam Suf, Moshe and Bnai Yisrael broke out in Hallel, making them both the authors of Hallel and the first ones to have said it. Although this suggestion would conflict the presumption that David HaMelech (who lived many years after the Exodus) wrote Hallel, it would explain the reference within Hallel to the Exodus. When composing a prayer to be said for generations to commemorate miracles, it only makes sense to include the first and most significant miraculous phenomenon that ever occurred in Bnai Yisrael’s history.

When we say Hallel at the seder night, it should cause us to pause and take notice. We must understand why exactly we are singing songs of praise for G-d, especially at this specific moment of the seder. We should take stock of all the miracles we have enumerated up until this point in the Haggadah and realize that this demands our recognition and appreciation. While saying the words of the Hallel, we should specifically focus on the internal reference of “b’tzeit yisrael m’Mitzrayim” and recognize that with this we are not only fulfilling the commandments of zecher l’yetziyat Mitzrayim and sippur yetziyat Mitzrayim, but that we are connecting to the first moment in our nation’s history that necessitated the shira (song) of Hallel.