Lessons from Our Ancestors

(יב) וְכַאֲשֶׁר֙ יְעַנּ֣וּ אֹת֔וֹ כֵּ֥ן יִרְבֶּ֖ה וְכֵ֣ן יִפְרֹ֑ץ וַיָּקֻ֕צוּ מִפְּנֵ֖י בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

(12) But the more they were oppressed, the more they increased and spread out, so that the [Egyptians] came to dread the Israelites.

A possible lesson to learn from this posuk is that adversity actually makes us stronger not weaker.

רש"י על שמות א׳:י״ב:ג׳

(ג) ויקצו. קָצוּ בְחַיֵּיהֶם. וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ דָרְשׁוּ כְּקוֹצִים הָיוּ בְּעֵינֵיהֶם (שם):

Rashi on Exodus 1:12:3

(3) ויקצו the word means, THEY WERE WEARY OF THEIR LIVES. Our Rabbis explained that it means that they were as thorns (קוצים) in their eyes (cf. Sotah 11a).

What did the Egyptians despise us so much?

שמות א׳:ז׳

(ז) וּבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל פָּר֧וּ וַֽיִּשְׁרְצ֛וּ וַיִּרְבּ֥וּ וַיַּֽעַצְמ֖וּ בִּמְאֹ֣ד מְאֹ֑ד וַתִּמָּלֵ֥א הָאָ֖רֶץ אֹתָֽם׃ (פ)

Exodus 1:7

(7) But the Israelites were fertile and prolific; they multiplied and increased very greatly, so that the land was filled with them.

Basically, we were taking over the country. Had we increased in Goshen, the Egyptians would’ve been fine with it. Once, we were taking over more and more land, that’s when they started getting disgusted with us. Unfortunately, we see communities making the same mistake that our ancestors did.

רש"י על שמות א׳:י״ב:ג׳

(ג) ויקצו. קָצוּ בְחַיֵּיהֶם. וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ דָרְשׁוּ כְּקוֹצִים הָיוּ בְּעֵינֵיהֶם (שם):

Rashi on Exodus 1:12:3

(3) ויקצו the word means, THEY WERE WEARY OF THEIR LIVES. Our Rabbis explained that it means that they were as thorns (קוצים) in their eyes (cf. Sotah 11a).

Perhaps, Rashi is teaching us that when in exile don’t expand your community. It only causes non-Jews to have animosity towards us.
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