Where in Egypt Did the Israelites Live/2
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Where in Egypt Did the Israelites Live?
Exegetical Approaches
Throughout Egypt
The Israelites were not confined to Goshen and settled throughout Egypt.
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.
"רַק בְּאֶרֶץ גֹּשֶׁן אֲשֶׁר שָׁם בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל" – This verse and the similar one in Shemot 8:18 would seem to suggest that Goshen, rather than Egypt at large, was home to the Israelites. This position would explain that the verses simply imply that Goshen was home to them and not to the Egyptians, or that it was where the majority (but not all) of the nation lived.
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.
Separation during the Plagues – By the plagues of ערוב and ברד, the verses state that Hashem separated between the regions of Egypt and Goshen, which would seem to be most logical only if one assumes that Goshen was home to the Israelites and Egypt was not.
- Philo asserts that in reality the plagues differentiated based on ethnicity rather than geography, and would likely explain that these verses are simply generalizing according to the majority in each place.6
- Alternatively there really was only a geographic distinction in these plagues, and those Israelites living outside Goshen suffered along with the Egyptians. If it was this part of the nation that had assimilated, maybe they needed to learn the lessons of the plagues firsthand just like their neighbors.7
Skipping over doorposts – R. Ashkenazi points out that the need to "skip" over Israelite homes only makes sense if they were spread out among the Egyptian dwellings. Since Hashem says אֲנִי יוֹצֵא" בְּתוֹךְ מִצְרָיִם", it sounds like they were in egypt proper and not just Goshen.
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 Shadal, one opinion in RDZH
Integrated with Egyptians
Egyptians inhabited the region alongside the Israelites.
