מַזְכִּירִין יְצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם בַּלֵּילוֹת. אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲזַרְיָה, הֲרֵי אֲנִי כְּבֶן שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה, וְלֹא זָכִיתִי שֶׁתֵּאָמֵר יְצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם בַּלֵּילוֹת, עַד שֶׁדְּרָשָׁהּ בֶּן זוֹמָא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים טז) לְמַעַן תִּזְכֹּר אֶת יוֹם צֵאתְךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם כֹּל יְמֵי חַיֶּיךָ. יְמֵי חַיֶּיךָ, הַיָּמִים. כֹּל יְמֵי חַיֶּיךָ, הַלֵּילוֹת. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, יְמֵי חַיֶּיךָ, הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה. כֹּל יְמֵי חַיֶּיךָ, לְהָבִיא לִימוֹת הַמָּשִׁיחַ:
The exodus from Egypt is mentioned at night. [The section of tzitzith is recited in the evening Shema even though the night is not a time for tzitzith, it being written (Numbers 15:39): "And you shall see it" — to exclude a night garment; it is recited at night because of the exodus of Egypt which it includes.] R. Elazar b. Azaryah said: "I am as one who is seventy years old [i.e., I looked old. He was not really old, but his hair turned white on the day he was appointed Nassi, so that he appear old, and qualified for the Nassiate. And on that day, Ben Zoma expounded this verse.] velo zachithi [I did not prevail over the sages. A similar instance (Niddah 38b): "In this, zichnahu R. Elazar over the rabbis" — that is, he prevailed over them] that the exodus from Egypt be recited at night, until Ben Zoma expounded it (Deuteronomy 16:3): "…so that you remember the day that you came out of the land of Egypt all the days of your life": "the days of your life" — the days; "all the days of your life" — the nights. And the sages say: "the days of your life" — this world; "all the days of your life" — to include the days of the Messiah.