Question:
Dear Rabbi,
I am an 8th grade yeshiva girl. In my class we are creating an Haggaddah. Each student was assigned a specific topic on which to find a devar Torah. I would really appreciate if you could help me find a devar Torah on Yishtabach, or tell me where I may be able to find one. Thank you.
Answer:
The following is a possible Devar Torah. You can adapt it as you see best for your project.
Yishtabach is a prayer that we say every day. Why is it part of the Haggaddah?
One of the main themes of Yishtabach is the number 15. There are fifteen expressions of praise in the paragraph. Avudraham writes that these correspond to the fifteen Psalms of Shir Hamaalos that David Hamelech sang, and to the fifteen expressions of redemption mentioned in the Passover Hagaddah (before the passage of “Pesach she’anu ochlim al shum mah”).
It is remarkable that the fifteen expressions of praise, and the fifteen praises of Shir Hamaalos, both correspond to the fifteen steps of redemption from Egypt, which culminate in the building of the Temple.
The reason for this is that as the Ramban writes (end of Parashas Bo), the purpose of the existence of humankind is that we should recognize that Hashem created us, and to thank him for it. The creation of the Jewish people took place in the redemption from Egypt, and therefore for each stage of the redemption, up to and including the building of the Temple, we must thank Hashem and give Him praise.
For this reason, Yishtabach, which corresponds to the stages of the redemption, is an integral part of the Seder.
