Why Did Hashem Redeem Us From Egypt? Sforno's Counterintuitive Take (Part 1)

This evening (3/23/22), in our aptly named "Chumash Exploration," we took up a very basic question: Why did Hashem redeem us from Egypt? Most of us would answer, "Because He said He would in the Bris Bein ha'Besarim (Covenant Between the Parts)." But not Sforno! And even if we look at the pesukim without Sforno, the answer is not simply "because He said He would in the bris." In tonight's shiur we go through the facts, raise the questions and problems, and learn Sforno's overarching approach. We answer all the questions except for one, and it's a big one. We hope to answer that question next time.