Haggadah:Bekhol Dor VaDor – Echoes of the Egyptian Exilic Experience/1/he

"בכל דור ודור" – הדים לשעבוד מצרים¹

הקדמה

In Tanakh, suffering on a national scale usually comes as punishment for evil deeds. Yet, in the case of the Egyptian bondage, there is no indication that any particular sin was responsible for the decree.²  As a result, commentators throughout the ages have struggled to understand what necessitated Israel’s exile and subsequent slavery in Egypt.  While doing so, many attempted to also answer the "בכל דור ודור" question:  Why it is specifically our nation which is always targeted for persecution in every generation.³  Naturally, these commentators utilized their own exilic experiences to illuminate the narrative of the Egyptian encounter, while reciprocally using the Biblical story as a model through which to comprehend all future oppression.⁴  This bi-directional process leads to many fascinating insights.
 
Several commentators focus on how life in exile was critical for the formation of Israel’s national identity and the prevention of assimilation.  ספורנובראשית מ"ו:ג'אודות ר' עובדיה ספורנו (איטליה, המאה הט"ו-ט"ז) asserts that had Yaakov's family remained in Canaan, they would have gradually absorbed the culture and values of their neighbors.  Being exiled to a society which abhorred them⁵ and later enslaved them is what enabled the Children of Israel to grow and develop into a nation.⁶  As רש״ר הירשבראשית מ״ה:י״אאודות ר' שמשון רפאל הירש (גרמניה, המאה הי"ט) further elaborates, in medieval times, ghettos continued to play the same role as Goshen, ensuring that the Jews remained distinct and did not assimilate.
 
נצי״בנצי"ב שמות א':ז'נצי"ב במדבר כ"ג:ט'Haggadah Shel Pesach "Vehi Sheamedah"אודות ר' נפתלי צבי יהודה ברלין (ליטא, המאה הי"ט) moves in a similar direction, but focuses on the second stage of the narrative, the oppression, and its utility in combatting assimilation.  In contrast to Seforno, he asserts that it was in Egypt that the Children of Israel first began to assimilate, and that it was anti-Semitism which proved to be their salvation.  Netziv adds that, historically, every time the Jews attempted to join surrounding society, the result was non-acceptance and even persecution, the perfect antidote to acculturation.⁷
 
רש״ר הירשבראשית מ״ה:י״אאודות ר' שמשון רפאל הירש views the tribulations of exile as a vehicle not only for religious growth, but also for societal and interpersonal maturation.   He claims that both the Egyptian and the current exiles resulted from jealousy and class distinctions. Yaakov's preferential treatment of Yosef and the difference in status between the sons of his primary wives and those of his maidservants and led to internecine strife.  Similar sectarian divisions have plagued Judaism ever since.  Anti-Semitism, though, is blind to such divisions, and it serves as the great equalizer, promoting unity and forging common experiential bonds.
 
Finally, ר׳ אליעזר אשכנזימעשי ה', מעשי מצרים א'אודות ר' אליעזר אשכנזי (פולניה, המאה הט"ז) focuses on how the exilic experience affects not merely the nation of Israel, but also the world at large.  The exilic encounter with other nations facilitates the spread of ethical monotheism and Torah values throughout the world, and the miraculous process of redemption from Egypt proclaimed Hashem's existence to all.⁸  May it be His will that this process be completed speedily and during our lifetime!

¹ סיכום קצר זה מתמקד בעמדות של רק קומץ של פרשנים. לדיון יותר ממצה של הנושא, ראו מטרות שעבוד מצרים.

² לניתוח של המדרשים והפרשנים שאף על פי כן מנסים לזהות חטאים מסוימים שגרמו לשעבוד מצרים, ראו: מטרות שעבוד מצרים.

³ ראו תנחומא (בובר)פרשת וארא י״זאודות הTanchuma ששם שאלה זו בפי משה: "רבונו של עולם מפני מה זאת האומה משתעבדת, שבעים אומות יש בעולם ואינן משועבדות אלא האומה הזאת בלבד".

⁴ In some cases, commentators are probably also motivated by a desire to counter Christian polemical claims that the misfortunes of the wandering and downtrodden exilic Jew are a sign of Divine rejection. See, for example, ר׳ חסדאי קרשקשאור ה׳ ג׳:א׳:ח':ב'אודות ר' חסדאי קרשקש (ספרד הנוצרי, מאה הי"ד) who valiantly tries to explain that the Children of Israel suffered in both Egypt and his own day, as part of "ייסורין של אהבה" which God brings upon the righteous.

⁵ ספורנו notes that since the Egyptians were xenophobic (כפי שנאמר בבראשית מ"ג:ל"ב) and would not even eat with the Hebrews, let alone marry them, there was a greatly reduced chance of assimilation in Egypt than in Canaan.

⁶ It is noteworthy that similarly Rabbinic Judaism developed and flourished in the aftermath of exile and destruction. By necessity, adversity leads to both self-reflection and innovation.

⁷ In fact, נצי"ב suggests that Hashem's promise at the Covenant of Pieces that Abraham's descendants would always remain foreigners is what maintained Jewish identity throughout history, and is the referent of "והיא" ב"והיא שעמדה לאבותינו ולנו". According to his reading, the Jewish people's best efforts to assimilate instead engender the anti-Semitism of "בכל דור ודור עומדים עלינו לכלותינו", ודרך זה "והקב"ה מצילנו מידם" ומונע את התבוללותנו בגוים.

⁸ He goes so far as to suggest that when Avraham heard news of the upcoming bondage and redemption, he was thrilled that his descendants would serve as the vehicle through which the wonders of Hashem would become manifest to the world.