Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Sforno · Torah

Sforno on Exodus 12:39/ספורנו על שמות י״ב:ל״ט

אכִּי לֹא חָמֵץ. כִּי לֹא הִתְחַמֵּץ, מִפְּנֵי קוֹצֶר הַזְּמַן שֶׁהָיָה מִשְּׁעַת נָסְעָם מֵרַעְמְסֵס שֶׁהִיא בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם עַד שֶׁהִגִּיעוּ לְסֻכּוֹת, שֶׁהִיא חוּץ לִגְבוּלָם, כַּאֲמָרָם זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה "שֶׁלֹּא הִסְפִּיק בְּצֵקָן שֶׁל אֲבוֹתֵינוּ לְהַחֲמִיץ עַד שֶׁנִּגְלָה עֲלֵיהֶם וְכוּ'". כִּי אָמְנָם בִּהְיוֹתָם בְּסֻכּוֹת חוּץ לִגְבוּל מִצְרַיִם נִגְלוּ עֲלֵיהֶם עַמּוּדֵי הֶעָנָן וְהָאֵשׁ, וַה' הוֹלֵךְ לִפְנֵיהֶם (שמות יג:כא).
1כי לא חמץ, it had not had time to rise and ferment due to the short period of time it took to get from Ramses which was still part of Egypt to Sukkot which was already beyond the boundary of Egypt. Our sages in the Haggadah shel Pessach described the experience in the following words: “the dough of our forefathers did not have time to rise and become leavened during the brief time it took for the Lord our G’d to manifest Himself and to redeem them.” The reference of the author of the Haggadah is to the appearance of the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire as soon as the Israelites had reached Sukkot and left Egyptian soil behind the, This was the manifestation of the Lord G’d of whom he speaks. The Torah there begins to speak of G’d walking in front of the Israelites (Exodus 13,21).