Divine Plans and Israelite Free Choice

Exegetical Approaches

Overview

Commentators disagree on how to characterize the Divine prophecy at the Covenant of Pieces and what impact it had on the course of action of Yaakov's family. Some contend that Hashem's words set forces into motion that left no free choice whatsoever, while others argue that it was simply a private prophecy with no ramifications whatsoever. Finally, a middle ground attempts to view Hashem's words as a directive which Yaakov and his family chose to fulfill.

Remote Control

Hashem pulled the strings behind the scenes to realize the master plan of the Covenant of Pieces by exiling Yaakov's family to Egypt, and there was no freedom of choice in this matter.

Sources: Bavli SotahSotah 11aAbout the Bavli, Bereshit Rabbah84:1386:2About Bereshit Rabbah, R. Shimon b. Tzemach DuranHaggadah Shel PesachAbout R. Shimon b. Tzemach Duran

Covenant of the Pieces – According to this approach, the Divine prophecy constituted an immutable decree which determined the course of history and left the Israelites no option other than to go down to Egypt.

"לֹא אַתֶּם שְׁלַחְתֶּם אֹתִי הֵנָּה כִּי הָאֱלֹהִים" – This verse can be understood like its literal meaning that Hashem controlled how all of the events transpired.

"וַיֵרֶד מִצְרַיְמָה – אָנוּס עַל פִּי הַדִּבּוּר" – R. Shimon b. Tzemach Duran following earlier commentators¹ explains that "הַדִּבּוּר" in this Midrash refers to the prophecy to Avraham at the Covenant of Pieces, and that Hashem caused Yaakov to go down to Egypt in order to fulfill this prophecy.²

Why did the Israelites remain in Egypt? Hashem arranged matters so that the Israelites would not want or be able to leave Egypt.

Purpose of the exile – This position must explain what Hashem's purpose was in bringing about the exile. For various options, see Purposes of the Egyptian Bondage.

Egyptian free choice – This approach could similarly maintain that the Egyptians did not decide on their own to enslave the Israelites, but were forced by Hashem to do so. However, it is possible to distinguish between Avraham's descendants who were mentioned explicitly in the Covenant and the Egyptians who were not. For more, see Divine Plans and Egyptian Free Choice.

Divine Orders

The Israelites descended to Egypt to fulfill Hashem's command, but they exercised their own free choice in deciding to do so.

Sources: Siddur Rashi394About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki, Haggadah Commentary attributed to Rashbamד"ה "אנוס"About R. Shemuel b. Meir

"וַיֵרֶד מִצְרַיְמָה – אָנוּס עַל פִּי הַדִּבּוּר" – Siddur Rashi and the Haggadah Commentary attributed to Rashbam³ understand "הַדִּבּוּר" to refer to Hashem's instructions to Yaakov in Bereshit 46:3 that he should not fear going down to Egypt.⁴ Alternatively, Yaakov felt bound by the prophecy given to Avraham at the Covenant of Pieces.⁵

Covenant of the Pieces – This approach could view the Divine prophecy as an imperative which Avraham's descendants were commanded to fulfill.⁶

"לֹא אַתֶּם שְׁלַחְתֶּם אֹתִי הֵנָּה כִּי הָאֱלֹהִים" – Yosef could be telling his brothers that the events which transpired have put them all in a position that they can now fulfill Hashem's command.

Why did the Israelites remain in Egypt? According to this position, the Israelites felt bound to abide by Hashem's prophecy.

Purpose of the exile – This position must explain what Hashem's purpose was in bringing about the exile. For various options, see Purposes of the Egyptian Bondage.

Egyptian free choice – This approach would maintain that the Egyptians were obligated to enslave the Israelites in order to fulfill Hashem's decree. For more, see Divine Plans and Egyptian Free Choice.

Passive Prediction

Hashem's words were just a prediction, and had no impact on the Israelite decision to come to Egypt. The Israelites went down to Egypt because of their own personal and economic considerations.

Sources: RanBereshit 15:14About R. Nissim Gerondi,⁷ Akeidat YitzchakShemot #36About R. Yitzchak Arama, Abarbanel (Approach #3)Zevach Pesach s.v. "Baruch Shomer" Approach #3Zevach Pesach s.v. "וירד"About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel

Covenant of the Pieces – The Covenant merely foretold the future, and it neither constituted a command nor implied that there would be any Divine coercion.⁸

"לֹא אַתֶּם שְׁלַחְתֶּם אֹתִי הֵנָּה כִּי הָאֱלֹהִים" – This approach could understand like the RambamMoreh Nevukhim 2:48About Rambam that the action is attributed to Hashem because He is the ultimate source of everything in the world.⁹

"וַיֵרֶד מִצְרַיְמָה – אָנוּס עַל פִּי הַדִּבּוּר" – Abarbanel notes that the Rambam's text of the Haggadah did not include this homiletical interpretation,¹⁰ and he suggests that Rambam omitted it because it contradicted the doctrine that Yaakov and his sons acted out of free choice.¹¹ Abarbanel also cites an alternate rendering which suggests that "אָנוּס" and "עַל פִּי הַדִּבּוּר" are two distinct factors. According to this, the coercion involved was not Divine but rather the consequences of the sale of Yosef or the famine,¹² and Hashem's role was only to offer his permission and protection.¹³

Why did the Israelites remain in Egypt? See Keli YekarBereshit 47:27Shemot 12:40Vayikra 18:3About R. Shelomo Ephraim Luntschitz who suggests that the Israelites decided on their own that they wanted to settle permanently in Egypt, and were, in fact, punished for this.

Purpose of the exile – The Akeidah and Abarbanel explain that according to this approach there is no need to search for a Divine reason for the exile and bondage in Egypt, as it was merely a product of human initiative.¹⁴

Egyptian free choice – This approach would maintain that the Egyptians enslaved the Israelites of their own volition and without any connection to Hashem's words at the Covenant of Pieces. For more, see Divine Plans and Egyptian Free Choice.

¹ See Lekach TovDevarim 26:5About R. Toviah b. Eliezer and the Haggadah Commentary of Raavan. For the alternative interpretation, see below.

² Thus he links this Midrash to the motif of Divine manipulation found in Bereshit Rabbah. It is not clear whether the Lekach Tov and Raavan would also adopt this reading. They could alternatively maintain that Yaakov did exercise his own freedom of choice to go to Egypt, and was "אָנוּס" and limited in his options only in the sense that he desired to fulfill Hashem's command. This second possibility must assume that Yaakov knew about the contents of the prophecy, while the first option could say that he was unaware of them.

³ The gloss to the text of the Eitz Chayyim (p. 324), Orchot Chayyim, and Avudraham explain similarly.

⁴ As this verse is not a standard imperative, commentators attempt to show why it should be construed as a command.

⁵ This could be the position of Lekach TovDevarim 26:5About R. Toviah b. Eliezer and the Haggadah Commentary of Raavan. See the discussion above.

⁶ This would be true if one maintains that "הַדִּבּוּר" refers to the prophecy to Avraham at the Covenant of Pieces, but not necessarily true for Siddur Rashi and the Haggadah Commentary attributed to Rashbam.

⁷ The Ran is addressing the question of whether Hashem compelled the Egyptians, and it is possible to distinguish between them (as the Egyptians are not explicitly named) and the Israelites. However, from his language "אבל אמר כמגיד עתיד ידוע תדע, שיתגלגל הענין מצד מנהגו של עולם שיהיה זרעך גר בארץ לא להם" it appears that he viewed the entire process as a natural sequence of events.

⁸ The Ran, Akeidah, and Abarbanel all note that Bereshit 15:13 makes no mention of Hashem playing any role in the exile or slavery. This stands in contrast to the following verse which emphasizes His role in bringing about the redemption. The Akeidah and Abarbanel make this same point about several other verses in Tanakh which describe the descent to Egypt as initiated by Yaakov and his family and not by Hashem, and Abarbanel contrasts these to the myriad verses which describe how Hashem actively brought the Children of Israel back to Israel.

⁹ Cf. the similar views cited by the Meiri discussed in Hardened Hearts and the discussion of "הָפַךְ לִבָּם לִשְׂנֹא עַמּוֹ" in Divine Plans and Egyptian Free Choice. See also AbarbanelBereshit 45About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel in a different passage for a discussion of the various options for the meaning of this verse.

¹⁰ It is also not found in Sifre Devarim, Haggadat Ginzei Schechter, Haggadat R. Natronai Gaon, but it does appear in other ancient textual witnesses such as the Greenstone Haggadah and R. Saadia Gaon's Haggadah.

¹¹ It is also possible that it was omitted because of theological concerns (cf. the derashah of "אני ולא הדיבר" which may be a polemic against the notion of the "logos").

¹² The famine likely constituted a serious risk to the lives of Yaakov and his family (see Bereshit 45:11 "פֶּן תִּוָּרֵשׁ אַתָּה וּבֵיתְךָ וְכָל אֲשֶׁר לָךְ").

¹³ Permission is emphasized here because it was not granted during the famine in the time of Yitzchak in Bereshit 26.

¹⁴ Even so, there may still be a need to explain why Hashem waited hundreds of years before intervening to stop the bondage, instead of simply preventing it from the outset.