Daily Wisdom 18 Shevat
February 9, 2023 Vayikra / Leviticus 25:55
Why Did the Children of Israel Have to Dwell in Exile in the Land of Egypt?
The sojourn of the Children of Israel in Egypt was certainly part of Hashem's plan to create a chosen people. However, the enslavement is as essential as the salvation. The enslavement infuses Hashem's deliverance of the people with great significance. It defines the relationship between Hashem and the Children of Israel after they are delivered. By liberating the Israelites from their taskmasters Hashem acquires rights over them where they now become "servants" of Hashem. This thought is expressed in the following verse of Vayikra / Leviticus 25:55):
כִּֽי־לִ֤י בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ עֲבָדִ֔ים עֲבָדַ֣י הֵ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־הוֹצֵ֥אתִי אוֹתָ֖ם מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם אֲנִ֖י יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃
"For it is to Me that the Israelites are servants: they are My servants, whom I freed from the land of Egypt, I am Hashem your L-rd".
By Rabbi Baruch Simcha
Rabbi Baruch Simcha is a Rabbi at the Academy, who teaches during the Sunday Live Classes. He is a writer for NoahideAcademy.org.
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