The Alter of Kelm (Chachma Umusar, vol. 1, page 10) makes a very interesting observation regarding Moshe's initial encounter with Pharoh. The Torah informs (Shemos 4:29) us that Moshe and Aharon gather the elders of Bnei Yisroel, shared with them Hashem's communication, and performed the signs that Hashem had given them. This is followed by the concluding verse in that chapter that the people believed that Hashem had remembered them and saw their affliction. This is immediately followed by the Torah relating that Moshe and Aharon came to Pharoh, uninvited, and delivered the Divine message to free the Israelite slaves. The Alter asks, would it not have made more sense for Moshe and Aharon to go to Pharoh, as they were told to do by Hashem, and subsequently report back to the people that the process of redemption has already begun? The people would have been so much more excited upon hearing that Moshe and Aharon daringly appeared before the mighty Pharoh of Egypt unannounced. The answer is that it was only the merit of the emunah - faith that the people had upon hearing Moshe's report from Hashem that enabled Moshe and Aharon to go with confidence to Pharoh. The exodus from Egypt began with the emunah of the Jewish people.
Similarly, the miraculous salvation of krias Yam Suf, which was the culmination of the geulah for the Jewish nation, occurred based on the impetus of the peoples' emunah. This is taught explicitly by Rabbeinu Bachya in his commentary at the beginning at parshas Beshalach, where he says that the sea did not split all at once, rather they proceeded with the waters literally up to their nostrils and were motivated by their emunah to proceed further, and this is what produced the splitting of the yam. Moreover, Rabbeinue Bachya writes regarding the passuk (Shemos 12:13), "I shall see the blood and I shall pass over you, there shall not be a plague of destruction upon you when I strike in the land" that it was not the blood on the doorpost that protected them from any harm, but rather the Torah is teaching us that whoever had complete and total emunah/trust in G-d, and disregarded Pharoh's decree and publicly slaughtered the god of Egypt, was worthy of protection that night.
Note that in the Hallel that we will recite on the forthcoming yom tov, we contrast the emptiness and powerlessness of other gods with the infinite qualities of Hashem. Tehillim (115:8) states, "those who make them should become like them, whoever trusts in them". This powerful teaching of King David is describing the emptiness and moral values of those who adhere to idolatry and the richness of character for those who believe in Hashem, as His essence adorns and elevates them. The individual who believes in Hashem is transformed to the state of being a tsaddik, as noted by the prophet Havakkuk (2:4), "the righteous person shall live through his faith".
It is most interesting to note that the Medresh (Shemos Rabba 3:4) teaches that what occurred in conjunction with our first geulah will repeat itself on the occasion of the final redemption. Thus, Hashem assured Yaakov (Bereishis 46:4), "anochi - I shall descend with you to Egypt, I shall also bring you up", and similarly at the burning bush Hashem utilized the same word "anochi" (Shemos 3:6) to announce the forthcoming immediate redemption. So too, continues the Medrash, the Jewish people will once again be redeemed with "anochi", as promised by the prophet Malachi (3:23), "I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of Hashem".
There are many things that we do at the Pesach Seder which, at first glance, are contradictory in nature. The first example is that we introduce the Maggid section of the Haggadah by presenting the matzah and describing it as the bread that we ate in the land of Egypt. Indeed, Seforno (Devarim 16:3) teaches that the Egyptians fed us matzah during our period of slavery. However, later on Rabban Gamliel mandates that we must explain that the reason for our eating matzah on this night is to remember our being hurried out of Egypt so quickly that we did not have time to sufficiently bake our chametz. Which one is it? Is it the bread of slavery or the bread of freedom? The answer, we know, is both! Imagine sitting at the very first Seder in Egypt and this is your thanksgiving dinner, and when you are told to celebrate with matzah your first reaction has to be - "impossible!" Yet, this is the incredible ability of the Jew to completely transform the same matzah from slavery to freedom.
I'd like to go back to that first Pesach Seder. Why is it that they had to finish the Seder before chatzos - midnight? It seems so strange! At that point in time nothing had happened. Moshe warned Pharoh, and indeed the whole land of Egypt knew, that Hashem on or about midnight would kill all first born in Egypt. Until midnight, however, nothing happened yet, so what were they celebrating? And why did they have to finish their meal before chatzos, when makkas bechoros would occur? The answer is most powerful: they were celebrating their faith, their belief that Hashem would free them at chatzos. Therefore, it is so exciting that annually we finish our meal by chatzos and we eat the afikomen by chatzos to demonstrate our belief that just as He extracted our ancestors in the merit of their emunah, so too will He free us of our travails in accordance with our emunah.
Today, we are facing an unprecedented reality - never before has the entire world literally been shut down. If anybody were to say, "I don't see the Corona virus, so it is not out not there", we would understandably describe it as idiocy. Similarly, we cannot see Hashem but only He could effect this total world shutdown. This idea is in the very words of the Haggadah that we will recite shortly in which our Rabbis explain the verse (Shemos 12:12), "I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night" to mean, "I and no angel, I and no saraph, I and no messenger, I, Hashem, and no other!"
The above is not meant to engender fear and tension, but to remember that He is Avinu, our Loving Father, first and foremost and then Malkeinu, our King. I trust that the following story will help any who might be overwhelmed with nervousness. The Rambam was the doctor of the Sultan in Egypt. His having this prestigious position aroused the jealousy of many doctors. Word reached the Sultan, and he devised a method of determining who is the greatest doctor. He asked both the Rambam and the other contender for his position to each prepare a poisonous potion for the other to drink, and if they can save themselves that shows that they are truly a master of their profession. The Rambam drank first. I wish I could tell everybody what herbs and medications he took, but he survived. The other doctor drank the Rambam's drink and died 5 days later. The Sultan asked the Rambam what he put in the drink. The Rambam answered, He said, "bye your life, there was nothing but a glass of water"! The Rambam then went on to explain that the other individual died from nervousness. He was so concerned every moment, maybe it could be this, what's in there, maybe it could be that, that his nerves literally consumed him. We must all learn from the above. We left Mitzrayim because of our emunah. Rav Yaakov Emden z"tl teaches that there is only one miracle greater than that of the exodus, and that is the survival of the Jewish nation. We survived because of our emunah. What's in your matzah? The Zohar teaches that aside from the flour and water there is one more ingredient, namely emunah. What is getting us through this great challenge is the matzah we ate last Pesach, and G-d willing the matzah that we will eat this coming leil haSeder will energize us in our emunah until the coming of Mashiach.