Difference between revisions of "Exile and Enslavement – Divinely Designed/0/en"
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<p>Centuries before the Exodus,<fn>For discussion of exactly how long, see <aht page="Duration of the Egyptian Exile">Duration of the Egyptian Exile</aht>.</fn> Hashem revealed to Avraham that his descendants would be exiled and enslaved in a foreign country for hundreds of years. Bereshit 15 reads:</p> | <p>Centuries before the Exodus,<fn>For discussion of exactly how long, see <aht page="Duration of the Egyptian Exile">Duration of the Egyptian Exile</aht>.</fn> Hashem revealed to Avraham that his descendants would be exiled and enslaved in a foreign country for hundreds of years. Bereshit 15 reads:</p> | ||
<multilang style="overflow:auto"> | <multilang style="overflow:auto"> | ||
| − | <q xml:lang="he" dir="rtl">(יג) | + | <q xml:lang="he" dir="rtl">(יג) וַיֹּאמֶר לְאַבְרָם יָדֹעַ תֵּדַע כִּי גֵר יִהְיֶה זַרְעֲךָ בְּאֶרֶץ לֹא לָהֶם וַעֲבָדוּם וְעִנּוּ אֹתָם אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה. |
| − | <div>(יד) וְגַם אֶת הַגּוֹי | + | <div>(יד) וְגַם אֶת הַגּוֹי אֲשֶׁר יַעֲבֹדוּ דָּן אָנֹכִי וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן יֵצְאוּ בִּרְכֻשׁ גָּדוֹל.</div></q> |
<q xml:lang="en">(13) He said to Avram, "Know for sure that your descendants will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs, and they will enslave them and afflict them for four hundred years. | <q xml:lang="en">(13) He said to Avram, "Know for sure that your descendants will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs, and they will enslave them and afflict them for four hundred years. | ||
<div>(14) And also the nation, whom they will serve, will I judge, and afterwards they will go out with great wealth.</div></q> | <div>(14) And also the nation, whom they will serve, will I judge, and afterwards they will go out with great wealth.</div></q> | ||
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<h2 name="Divine Intervention?">Divine Intervention or Human Choice?</h2> | <h2 name="Divine Intervention?">Divine Intervention or Human Choice?</h2> | ||
<p>The various stages of the Egyptian Exile were foretold to Avraham already at the Covenant of the Pieces in Bereshit 15:14:</p> | <p>The various stages of the Egyptian Exile were foretold to Avraham already at the Covenant of the Pieces in Bereshit 15:14:</p> | ||
| − | <q dir="rtl">(יג) | + | <q dir="rtl">(יג) וַיֹּאמֶר לְאַבְרָם יָדֹעַ תֵּדַע כִּי גֵר יִהְיֶה זַרְעֲךָ בְּאֶרֶץ לֹא לָהֶם וַעֲבָדוּם וְעִנּוּ אֹתָם אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה. |
| − | <div>(יד) וְגַם אֶת הַגּוֹי | + | <div>(יד) וְגַם אֶת הַגּוֹי אֲשֶׁר יַעֲבֹדוּ דָּן אָנֹכִי וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן יֵצְאוּ בִּרְכֻשׁ גָּדוֹל.</div></q> |
<p>At first glance, these verses would seem to support the notion that Hashem was responsible for all of the events in Egypt from beginning to end. Upon closer examination, though, these verses differentiate between the exile and slavery stages on one hand, and the redemption on the other. Only the latter mentions Hashem's direct involvement, while the former describes merely the roles of Avraham's descendants and an unidentified foreign nation. A similar distinction is true of the recounting of the actual events in Sefer Shemot. While Shemot 3–15 outline in great detail Hashem's active intervention to redeem the Israelites, Shemot 1–2 are pointedly silent about His role in facilitating the exile and bondage.<fn>This stands in stark contrast to many other Biblical punishments regarding which Tanakh emphasizes that it was God who was responsible.</fn></p> | <p>At first glance, these verses would seem to support the notion that Hashem was responsible for all of the events in Egypt from beginning to end. Upon closer examination, though, these verses differentiate between the exile and slavery stages on one hand, and the redemption on the other. Only the latter mentions Hashem's direct involvement, while the former describes merely the roles of Avraham's descendants and an unidentified foreign nation. A similar distinction is true of the recounting of the actual events in Sefer Shemot. While Shemot 3–15 outline in great detail Hashem's active intervention to redeem the Israelites, Shemot 1–2 are pointedly silent about His role in facilitating the exile and bondage.<fn>This stands in stark contrast to many other Biblical punishments regarding which Tanakh emphasizes that it was God who was responsible.</fn></p> | ||
<p>Two additional verses shed light on this issue. In Bereshit 45:8, Yosef assures his brothers that it was God who directed the course of events which sent him (and them) to Egypt:<fn>This verse may be the backdrop for the Haggadah Shel Pesach's exegesis "וירד מצרימה – אנוס על פי הדיבור".</fn></p> | <p>Two additional verses shed light on this issue. In Bereshit 45:8, Yosef assures his brothers that it was God who directed the course of events which sent him (and them) to Egypt:<fn>This verse may be the backdrop for the Haggadah Shel Pesach's exegesis "וירד מצרימה – אנוס על פי הדיבור".</fn></p> | ||
| − | <q dir="rtl"> | + | <q dir="rtl">וְעַתָּה לֹא אַתֶּם שְׁלַחְתֶּם אֹתִי הֵנָּה כִּי הָאֱלֹהִים וַיְשִׂימֵנִי לְאָב לְפַרְעֹה וּלְאָדוֹן לְכָל בֵּיתוֹ וּמֹשֵׁל בְּכָל אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם.<fn>Yosef repeats this theme in Bereshit 50:20 "וְאַתֶּם חֲשַׁבְתֶּם עָלַי רָעָה אֱלֹהִים חֲשָׁבָהּ לְטֹבָה לְמַעַן עֲשֹׂה כַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה לְהַחֲיֹת עַם רָב". See also <aht source="Tehillim105">Tehillim 105:17-22</aht> which portrays Hashem as having pulled the strings which led to the Israelites' descent to Egypt.</fn></q> |
<p>Similarly, <aht source="Tehillim105">Tehillim 105:25</aht> appears to imply that Hashem manipulated the Egyptians and caused them to hate the Israelites and plot against them:</p> | <p>Similarly, <aht source="Tehillim105">Tehillim 105:25</aht> appears to imply that Hashem manipulated the Egyptians and caused them to hate the Israelites and plot against them:</p> | ||
| − | <q dir="rtl">הָפַךְ | + | <q dir="rtl">הָפַךְ לִבָּם לִשְׂנֹא עַמּוֹ לְהִתְנַכֵּל בַּעֲבָדָיו.</q> |
<p>Although some exegetes attempt to reinterpret these verses – see <aht page="Divine Plans and Egyptian Free Choice">Divine Plans and Egyptian Free Choice</aht>,<fn>See also Abarbanel's position discussed in <aht page="Purposes of the Egyptian Bondage">Purposes of the Egyptian Bondage</aht>.</fn> at face value the verses seem to imply that Hashem was actively involved in designing the course of the Egyptian Exile from beginning to end.<fn>See the note above that this seems to be the general thrust of <aht source="Tehillim105">Tehillim 105</aht>.</fn> This has significant exegetical and theological ramifications from the perspectives of both the oppressed and the oppressing nations – the Israelites and the Egyptians.</p> | <p>Although some exegetes attempt to reinterpret these verses – see <aht page="Divine Plans and Egyptian Free Choice">Divine Plans and Egyptian Free Choice</aht>,<fn>See also Abarbanel's position discussed in <aht page="Purposes of the Egyptian Bondage">Purposes of the Egyptian Bondage</aht>.</fn> at face value the verses seem to imply that Hashem was actively involved in designing the course of the Egyptian Exile from beginning to end.<fn>See the note above that this seems to be the general thrust of <aht source="Tehillim105">Tehillim 105</aht>.</fn> This has significant exegetical and theological ramifications from the perspectives of both the oppressed and the oppressing nations – the Israelites and the Egyptians.</p> | ||
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<h2 name="Divine Intervention">Divine Intervention to Initiate the Slavery</h2> | <h2 name="Divine Intervention">Divine Intervention to Initiate the Slavery</h2> | ||
<p>Hashem's involvement may not have been limited to merely preordaining the slavery. <aht source="Tehillim105">Tehillim 105:25</aht> appears to imply that Hashem manipulated the Egyptians and caused them to hate the Israelites and plot against them:<fn><aht source="Tehillim105">Tehillim 105:17-22</aht> also portrays Hashem as having pulled the strings which led to the Israelites' descent to Egypt.</fn></p> | <p>Hashem's involvement may not have been limited to merely preordaining the slavery. <aht source="Tehillim105">Tehillim 105:25</aht> appears to imply that Hashem manipulated the Egyptians and caused them to hate the Israelites and plot against them:<fn><aht source="Tehillim105">Tehillim 105:17-22</aht> also portrays Hashem as having pulled the strings which led to the Israelites' descent to Egypt.</fn></p> | ||
| − | <q dir="rtl">הָפַךְ | + | <q dir="rtl">הָפַךְ לִבָּם לִשְׂנֹא עַמּוֹ לְהִתְנַכֵּל בַּעֲבָדָיו.</q> |
<p>But if Hashem caused the slavery, why should the Egyptians have to pay the price? This question motivated many commentators to reinterpret this verse:</p> | <p>But if Hashem caused the slavery, why should the Egyptians have to pay the price? This question motivated many commentators to reinterpret this verse:</p> | ||
<ul> | <ul> | ||
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<h2 name="Divine Foreknowledge">Divine Foreknowledge of Paroh's Obstinacy</h2> | <h2 name="Divine Foreknowledge">Divine Foreknowledge of Paroh's Obstinacy</h2> | ||
<p>In Shemot 3:19-20, before Moshe encounters Paroh, Hashem states that Paroh will refuse to listen and will need to endure many plagues before letting the people go.</p> | <p>In Shemot 3:19-20, before Moshe encounters Paroh, Hashem states that Paroh will refuse to listen and will need to endure many plagues before letting the people go.</p> | ||
| − | <q dir="rtl">(יט) וַאֲנִי | + | <q dir="rtl">(יט) וַאֲנִי יָדַעְתִּי כִּי לֹא יִתֵּן אֶתְכֶם מֶלֶךְ מִצְרַיִם לַהֲלֹךְ וְלֹא בְּיָד חֲזָקָה.<br/> |
| − | (כ) | + | (כ) וְשָׁלַחְתִּי אֶת יָדִי וְהִכֵּיתִי אֶת מִצְרַיִם בְּכֹל נִפְלְאֹתַי אֲשֶׁר אֶעֱשֶׂה בְּקִרְבּוֹ וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן יְשַׁלַּח אֶתְכֶם.</q> |
<p>Can this Divine knowledge and pronouncement be squared with the doctrine of free will? Was Paroh's fate determined and sealed with Hashem's proclamation, or could he still have exercised free choice and immediately released the Israelites? See <aht page="Philosophy:Free Will">Free Will</aht>.</p> | <p>Can this Divine knowledge and pronouncement be squared with the doctrine of free will? Was Paroh's fate determined and sealed with Hashem's proclamation, or could he still have exercised free choice and immediately released the Israelites? See <aht page="Philosophy:Free Will">Free Will</aht>.</p> | ||
<h2 name="Hardened Heart">Hashem Hardens Paroh's Heart</h2> | <h2 name="Hardened Heart">Hashem Hardens Paroh's Heart</h2> | ||
<p>Shemot 4:21 goes a step further:</p> | <p>Shemot 4:21 goes a step further:</p> | ||
| − | <q dir="rtl"> | + | <q dir="rtl">וַיֹּאמֶר ה׳ אֶל מֹשֶׁה בְּלֶכְתְּךָ לָשׁוּב מִצְרַיְמָה רְאֵה כָּל הַמֹּפְתִים אֲשֶׁר שַׂמְתִּי בְיָדֶךָ וַעֲשִׂיתָם לִפְנֵי פַרְעֹה וַאֲנִי אֲחַזֵּק אֶת לִבּוֹ וְלֹא יְשַׁלַּח אֶת הָעָם.</q> |
<p>Here, we see not only Divine knowledge, but Hashem's active intervention in strengthening Paroh's heart in order to prevent him from releasing the people. Variations of this theme are then repeated so many times in subsequent chapters that it becomes almost a mantra. Is it possible to reconcile this with the principle of free choice?<fn>A similar question exists regarding verses which indicate that Hashem prevented a person from sinning or caused him to perform a virtuous deed. For more, see <aht page="Philosophy:Free Will">Free Will</aht>.</fn> Or, alternatively, was there a justification for Hashem's suspending Paroh's ability to control his own actions? For a full analysis, see <aht page="Hardened Hearts">Hardened Hearts</aht>.</p> | <p>Here, we see not only Divine knowledge, but Hashem's active intervention in strengthening Paroh's heart in order to prevent him from releasing the people. Variations of this theme are then repeated so many times in subsequent chapters that it becomes almost a mantra. Is it possible to reconcile this with the principle of free choice?<fn>A similar question exists regarding verses which indicate that Hashem prevented a person from sinning or caused him to perform a virtuous deed. For more, see <aht page="Philosophy:Free Will">Free Will</aht>.</fn> Or, alternatively, was there a justification for Hashem's suspending Paroh's ability to control his own actions? For a full analysis, see <aht page="Hardened Hearts">Hardened Hearts</aht>.</p> | ||
Version as of 12:58, 10 April 2014
Exile and Enslavement – Divinely Designed?
Introduction
Centuries before the Exodus,1 Hashem revealed to Avraham that his descendants would be exiled and enslaved in a foreign country for hundreds of years. Bereshit 15 reads:
EN/HEע/E
(יג) וַיֹּאמֶר לְאַבְרָם יָדֹעַ תֵּדַע כִּי גֵר יִהְיֶה זַרְעֲךָ בְּאֶרֶץ לֹא לָהֶם וַעֲבָדוּם וְעִנּוּ אֹתָם אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה.
(יד) וְגַם אֶת הַגּוֹי אֲשֶׁר יַעֲבֹדוּ דָּן אָנֹכִי וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן יֵצְאוּ בִּרְכֻשׁ גָּדוֹל.(13) He said to Avram, "Know for sure that your descendants will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs, and they will enslave them and afflict them for four hundred years.
(14) And also the nation, whom they will serve, will I judge, and afterwards they will go out with great wealth.The realization of this Divine master plan required the choreographed cooperation of two additional parties – the Children of Israel and the unidentified foreign nation to be named later (i.e. the Egyptians).2 Before Hashem could redeem the Israelites, they first needed to go into exile, and another nation had to enslave them.3
To comprehend the dynamics of this entire process, one must first examine each of its multiple stages and try to establish to what extent each of Hashem, the Israelites, or the Egyptians played decisive roles in their implementation. Did Hashem control the entire process4 or did the Israelites and Egyptians exercise their own free wills at different stages?5 One can then proceed to analyze the motivations of each of the various participants and to address the theological ramifications of the interplay between all of these issues.
Exile: Hashem and the Israelites
The Covenant of Pieces and Yosef's words to his brothers in Bereshit 45:5-8 imply Divine foreknowledge of the exile and Hashem's active intervention to make it happen. This raises several issues:
- Did God's prophecy to Avraham suspend human free choice?6
- Why did Hashem decree the exile, and did He force the Israelites to emigrate to Egypt? Could Avraham's descendants have chosen not to leave Israel?
- Why did the Israelites continue to remain in Egypt even after the famine was over?
For discussion of these questions, see Divine Plans and Israelite Free Choice and Purposes of the Egyptian Bondage.
Slavery: Hashem and the Egyptians
While at the Covenant of Pieces Hashem presents the slavery as a foregone conclusion, Shemot 1 describes how Paroh and the Egyptians enslaved the Israelites without mentioning any Divine role. Both of these also need to be reconciled with Tehillim 105 which implies that Hashem actively caused the bondage.
- Could the Egyptians or Paroh have employed free choice and decided not to subjugate the Israelites?7
- If Hashem impacted the Egyptians' decisions, how could He hold them accountable for their involuntary actions?
- Why did Hashem cause, or at the very least stand idly by, while His chosen nation suffered? Did the Israelites deserve to be enslaved?
- Why are we so grateful for Hashem's redemption of the Children of Israel, if He was also responsible for causing the exile and bondage?8
For analysis of these issues, see Divine Plans and Egyptian Free Choice and Purposes of the Egyptian Bondage.
Delayed Redemption: Hashem and Paroh
Even after Hashem commissions Moshe to take the Israelites out of Egypt, a long time passes until the Exodus actually occurs.9 This delay is caused by the hardening of Paroh's heart which Hashem, not only predicts already in Shemot 3:19, but actually causes according to Shemot 4:21 and many other verses.
- Was Paroh's fate determined and sealed with Hashem's proclamation, or could he still have exercised free choice and immediately released the Israelites?
- If Paroh's flouting of God's word was a preordained conclusion, why was he punished and what was the point of making Moshe repeatedly go through the motions of trying to persuade Paroh to release the Israelites?
- Why would Hashem force the Israelites to endure additional and even harsher slavery if He had already decided to redeem them?
For further discussion, see Hardened Hearts, Delayed Redemption, and Purpose of the Plagues.
