Daily Halacha Podcast - Daily Halacha By Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

The Arizal (Rav Yishak Luria of Safed, 1534-1572) taught that on the night of the Seder, a great spiritual light descends from the heavens as a result of the Misvot that we perform. Although we always bring down spiritual light through our performance of Misvot, the Arizal explained that the lights come down on the night of the Seder in a special way. Normally, the lights of "Katnut" ("youth") descend first, before the lights of "Gadlut" ("adulthood"). (More specifically, there is first "Katnut Rishon" and then "Gadlut Rishon," which is followed by "Katnut Sheni" and then "Gadlut Sheni.") On Pesah, however, it is reversed: the great lights of "Gadlut" come down before the smaller lights of "Katnut." It is explained that the order is reversed on this night because it had to be reversed at the time of Yesi'at Misrayim (the Exodus from Egypt). If the smaller lights would have descended first, the negative spiritual forces in Egypt, which were exceptionally powerful, would have been able to withstand this power.