「出離埃及」是以色列子民對天主最直接的經驗之一,即上主是施與救援的天主。藉此事件,天主不僅確立了以民為其特選子民的身分,更為他們建立了世世代代要紀念的「逾越節」（參閱出十二14）。然而,在梅瑟帶領以色列子民從埃及走向福地的旅途中,「出谷事件」似乎很快就被遺忘,以色列子民不斷追念曾經在埃及的一切, 用以反抗、抱怨、試探上主。儘管如此,天主不僅賜予他們旅途所需的一切,還為他們建立了世世代代要紀念的另外一個節日—「帳棚節」（參閱肋廿三41）。從此,逾越節和帳棚節成為以色列子民每年必要歡慶的兩個重要節日：一方面,它們成為對歷史的追憶;另一方面,也象徵著天主與以色列子民之間拯救與被拯救、揀選與被揀選的關係,以及由此而來的以色列子民的身分認同。本文旨在重讀這段「記憶」與「遺忘」、「反抗」與「和好」、「創傷」與「治癒」的曲折過程, 從而窺探以色列子民如何解讀「紀念」,以及如何定義其身分。

“The Exodus from Egypt” was one of the people of Israel’s most direct experiences of the Lord as the rescuing God. Through this event, God not only identified the Israelites as His chosen people but also instituted the “Passover” (cf. Exo 12:14), which was to be commemorated by all generations. However, when Moses led the people of Israel on their journey from Egypt to the Promised Land, the “Exodus” seemed to be quickly forgotten by them, and the Israelites continuously reminisced about what they had experienced in Egypt by rebelling, complaining, and testing the Lord. However, God not only provided everything they needed for their journey but also established another festival for them to be commemorated by all generations, which is the Feast of Tabernacles (cf. Lev. 23:41). Since then, the Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles have become two important annual festivals of the Israelite people. On the one hand, these two festivals have become historical memorials; on the other hand, they symbolize the relationship between God and His people in terms of saving and being saved, of choosing and being chosen, and thus the identity of the Israelite people. The purpose of this article is to reread this tortuous process of “remembering” and “forgetting,” “revolt” and “reconciliation,” and “trauma” and “healing” in order to explore how the Israelite people interpreted their “commemoration” of the two events and defined their identity.