Where in Egypt Did the Israelites Live/2

Where in Egypt Did the Israelites Live?

Exegetical Approaches

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Throughout Egypt

The Israelites were not confined to Goshen and settled throughout Egypt.

Sources:PhiloOn the Life of Moses I XXVI:143-146About Philo, Ibn EzraShemot Short Commentary 1:7Shemot Short Commentary 8:19About R. Avraham ibn Ezra,¹ R. Eliezer AshkenaziMa'asei Hashem Ma'asei Avot 42Ma'asei Hashem Ma'asei Mitzraim 4Ma'asei Hashem Ma'asei Mitzraim 12About R. Eliezer Ashkenazi (Ma'asei Hashem), MalbimBereshit 45:10Bereshit 47:27Shemot 1:7About R. Meir Leibush Weiser, NetzivBereshit 45:10Bereshit 46:34Bereshit 47:27Shemot 1:7About R. Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin

Original Settlement in Goshen – According to R. Ashkenazi, Malbim, and Netziv the Israelites originally settled in Goshen so as to prevent assimilation and preserve their national identity.  Since the region was isolated from the Egyptians, it was easy to avoid mingling with Egyptians and being influenced by their idolatrous ways.²  However, this original plan did not last.

"תִּמָּלֵא הָאָרֶץ אֹתָם"

• Most of these sources understand the word "הָאָרֶץ" to refer to Egypt as a whole and maintains that this verse describes the spread of the Israelites out of Goshen into other Egyptian cities. 
• Maasei Hashem, in contrast, does not think that the term refers to Egypt proper, but rather more literally to fields (אָרֶץ simply means lands).  In their abundance, the nation sprawled out to the shores of the Nile without sufficient housing to hold them.

Why move out?

• Proliferation – Malbim and R. Ashkenazi assume that, due to the nation's great proliferation, Goshen could no longer contain them.  According to R. Asheknazi, however, they did not on their own buy houses amidst the Egyptians.  It was Paroh who built urban housing for them so that the midwives would be present for the delivery of the babies (enabling his plan of genocide).³  For elaboration, see ויעש להם בתים.
• Desire for integration – Netziv asserts, in contrast, that the move was volunatry and related to the Israelites desire to mingle with Egyptian society.  They forsook Yaakov's will that they be "a nation that lives alone" preferring to acculturate.

Assimilation of Israelites – Netziv emphasizes how the move promoted the assimilation of the nation, leading them to worship idolatry like their neighbors and forego circumcision.  This, he claims, was one of the reasons for the enslavement.⁴  For elaboration see both Religious Identity in Egypt and Purposes of the Egyptian Bondage.

Borrowing from Egyptian neighbors – R. Ashkenazi points to this episode as evidence that the nation lived in Egypt proper.  He claims that the neighbors cannot refer to any Egyptians living in Goshen since the region was too small to house a significant enough number of them to enrich the Israelites from their possessions.⁵  Moreover, the phrase "וַיְנַצְּלוּ אֶת מִצְרָיִם" suggests that the Israelites exploited those in Egypt itself.

"רַק בְּאֶרֶץ גֹּשֶׁן אֲשֶׁר שָׁם בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל" – This verse (and the similar one in Shemot 8:18)

Separation during the Plagues – This position would have to explain the verses which state that Hashem separated between Egypt and Goshen, suggesting that the Israelites lived only in Goshen.

Skipping over doorposts

Slaves to Individuals or the State

Shtetel or Ghetto

Only in Goshen

The Nation of Israel lived in the region of Goshen and never spread throughout the rest of the country.  This position subdivides regarding whether or not any Egyptians lived in Goshen with them:

Segregated from Egyptians

Goshen was reserved for the Israelites and no Egyptians dwelt  there.

Sources:perhaps ShadalShemot 1:7Shemot 1:15About R. Shemuel David Luzzatto, one opinion in RDZH

Integrated with Egyptians

Egyptians inhabited the region alongside the Israelites.

Sources:Ibn EzraShemot Long Commentary 1:7Shemot Long Commentary 2:3Shemot Long Commentary 12:27About R. Avraham ibn Ezra, RalbagBereshit Beur HaMilot 46:34Beur HaMilot Shemot 1:7Beur HaMilot Shemot 8:19Beur HaMilot Shemot 10:23About R. Levi b. Gershom, HaKetav VeHaKabbalahShemot 10:23About R. Yaakov Mecklenburg, R. David Zvi HoffmannShemot 1:7Shemot 3:21, fn. 123Shemot 10:23Shemot 11:2About R. David Zvi Hoffmann

¹ This is Ibn Ezra's opinion in his short commentary.  In his long commentary, in contrast, he posits that they stayed in Goshen.

² See Why Live in Goshen? for more.

³ He also asserts that these housing complexes enabled the Egyptians to better carry out his decree of throwing the babies into the Nile.  Paroh did not expect the Egyptians to enter every Israelite home in search of babies, but rather told them that if they see any of their neighbors with a baby who had been born before the arrival of the midwives, they should take it.

⁴ According to him Paroh's decrees served as Hashem's vehicle to prevent further assimilation.

⁵ He suggests that the amount they would have been give would never amount to the "רְכֻשׁ גָּדוֹל" that they were promised.