Seder Hallel: Sha’ar HaRachamim: Paragraph Two

“When Israel went out of Egypt,” referring to those who refused to change their names (Vayikra Rabbah 32:5). “The house of Jacob from a people who spoke a foreign language,” referring to those who may have changed their names but did not lose their language. At that point, “Judah became His sanctuary,” meaning that we were drawn to God’s holiness, “Israel His dominion,” that we merited through our connection to God, the Ultimate Ruler, to acquire the mastery to affect all of creation. “The righteous man rules through fear of the Lord (II Samuel 23:3),” the Holy One, Blessed is He, said, “I rule over the world, and who rules over Me? The righteous man who rules over himself.” (Yalkut Shimoni) (Sha’ar HaRachamim/Maggid Tzedek)

We have at this time of the Seder connected to our identity, our names, and have joined in a conversation of the ages, our language. This allows us to attach to God’s holiness, and used it to master ourselves, and through that self-mastery, but come active participants in God’s creation; as the midrash teaches, “Who rules over Me?”