במדבר, פרק ל״ג, פסוק ג׳

The starting point of the Israelites' journey through the wilderness marks a historic climax, the moment a nation of slaves marched toward freedom in broad daylight before their defeated oppressors. The exact timing of this departure highlights the magnitude of the miracle and God's providence over His people. The exodus occurred in the first month, a time naturally aligned with light and success for the Israelites. By taking place on the fifteenth day, when the moon is completely full, the departure aligned with the absolute peak of the month's illumination and fortune [אור החיים, העמק דבר].

Beyond its natural significance, this specific timing carried a profound symbolic weight against Egyptian culture. The first month of the year is associated with the constellation of Aries, the ram, which was worshipped as an Egyptian deity. Exactly on the fifteenth day, when this astrological sign reached its maximum prominence in the sky, the Israelites slaughtered their Passover sacrifice—a lamb. By doing so, they completely nullified and trampled the power of Egyptian idolatry [מלבי״ם].

The precise timeline places the departure on the day immediately following the Passover sacrifice. The primary approach among commentators is that this refers to the fifteenth day of the month, the day after the afternoon slaughter of the sacrifice [רבנו בחיי, תורה תמימה, חזקוני, נתינה לגר]. However, an alternative perspective suggests the actual departure occurred on the sixteenth. According to this view, the Israelites spent the fifteenth miraculously gathering in the city of Rameses, only leaving as a unified group the following day [רב סעדיה גאון המובא בפענח רזא]. This initial assembly was not a standard march. The Israelites had been scattered throughout Egypt, yet in the blink of an eye, as if carried on eagles' wings, they were miraculously brought together at their starting point [שפתי כהן]. During this early stage, a mixed multitude joined and mingled with them, though the Israelites would later separate to continue their journey as a distinct and defined nation [שפתי כהן, קיצור בעל הטורים].

Although the final plagues and Pharaoh's desperate plea for them to leave took place in the dark of night, the actual exodus occurred in full daylight [רש״ר הירש, תורה תמימה]. The Israelites did not slip away quietly like runaway slaves. They marched out with immense power, bravery, and the joyous exaltation of song. Their proud departure made it undeniably clear to everyone watching, including the mixed multitude, that they were entirely free and would never return to bondage [ביאור שטיינזלץ, הכתב והקבלה, העמק דבר, קיצור בעל הטורים].

The first rays of the morning sun illuminated a sharp historical contrast: on one side, a newly freed nation marching confidently forward, and on the other, a broken nation of former masters burying their dead. This sequence of events reveals that God acted primarily to avenge the humiliation of the Israelites and protect their honor, and only afterward did He execute judgment upon the Egyptian gods. This powerful image of God serving simultaneously as a championing savior and an ultimate judge shaped the foundation of Israelite faith for all generations [רש״ר הירש, אדרת אליהו].