"I will free you from the labours of the Egyptians and deliver you from their bondage. I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and through extraordinary wonders. And I will take you to be my people and I will be your G-d."
These verses include what are known as ‘the four expressions of redemption’ which G-d used to describe to Moshe the way in which He would free the Jews from the Egyptian slavery.
The first 3 expressions describe the freedom being promised appropriately; vehotzeiti - and I will take them out, vehitzalti - I wil save them, vega'alti - I will redeem them. The Sforno explains that each of these phrases refers to the next stage in the process of freedom; starting with the plagues, then leaving the borders of Egypt and finally seeing their enemy drown. However, the fourth expression seems to describe something entirely different. “Velakachti etchem li le’am”- I will take you to Me to be My people. This phrase refers to the Bnei Yisrael becoming G-d’s nation at Har Sinai.
While this of course is a monumental event in our people’s history, why is it included as one of the four expressions of redemption? What does receiving the Torah have to do with freedom?
The answer to this question lies in a fundamental principle which the Sefer Hachinuch presents to us. He explains that counting the Omer, beginning on Pesach until we receive the Torah on Shavuot, is not merely to show our excitement for receiving the Torah. Rather it is because the two events are intrinsically linked. He explains that the main purpose of our freedom from Egypt was in order for us to receive the Torah and become a G-dly nation.
This principle sheds light on what the freedom which we celebrate on Pesach is all about. It is much more than just a celebration of our freedom from Egypt. Pesach is about celebrating the freedom which allowed us to become a Jewish Nation. It is a freedom with an aim and goal - to become Hashem's people.
Wishing you a Chag Sameach and Shabbat Shalom!