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Egypt (Mitzrayim) plays a central role in the Bible, named both as a land of refuge and a land of danger and subjugation, particularly in the Passover narrative. Egypt is complex, both as the birthplace of the Jewish nation and as the one place the Torah tells Jews not to live. Despite this, Jewish communities flourished in Egypt from antiquity until relatively recently.
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The Birth of a Nation in Bondage
TANAKH
After several generations in Egypt, Jacob’s descendants became enslaved to Pharaoh. The book of Exodus recounts Pharaoh’s fear of what foreigners living among his people might do and his ensuing plot to enslave them.
The Origins of Egypt
TANAKH
The biblical narrative offers an account of the origins of the Egyptian nation that prefigures its role as the enemy of the Israelites. The book of Genesis traces the descendants of Noah’s sons after the flood, situating Egypt within the lineage of Ham, Noah’s evil son.
The Paradox of Egypt
COMMENTARY
Egypt is at once the birthplace of the Jewish nation and the site of centuries of their enslavement. Rabbi Francis Nataf, in his contemporary essays on the Torah, explores the irony inherent in Egypt’s role in the history of the Jewish people.
The Spiritual Bondage in Egypt
KABBALAH
Jewish tradition teaches that while enslaved in Egypt, the Israelites suffered spiritually — that they sinned and served foreign gods. The Zohar Chadash, a collection of kabbalistic texts, points to the significance of the spiritual dimension of their enslavement.
Abraham’s Portentous Journey
MIDRASH
Generations before the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt, Abraham moved from Canaan to Egypt for a brief time. Bereshit Rabbah, the ancient midrash from the land of Israel on the book of Genesis, draws parallels between the experiences of Abraham and those of his descendants in Egypt.
Don’t Go There
TALMUD
The Jewish tradition’s associations with Egypt are so negative that some texts prohibit travel there. The Jerusalem Talmud in tractate Sukkah finds biblical warnings against travel to Egypt and notes the misfortune that befell those who did not heed those warnings.
The Narrow Place
COMMENTARY
The Hebrew word for Egypt is “Mitzrayim,” which resembles the Hebrew root for “narrow,” or “straits.” Dr. Avivah Gottlieb Zornberg, a contemporary biblical scholar and author, explores how the meaning of the word “Mitzrayim” can shed light on the experiences of the Israelites who were enslaved there.
The Great Synagogue of Alexandria
TALMUD
The Jewish community in Alexandria, Egypt, was one of the most prosperous and magnificent Jewish communities of antiquity. The Babylonian Talmud in tractate Sukkah provides a vivid description of the grandeur of the great, ancient synagogue of Alexandria.
Divine Miracles Among the Magicians
JEWISH THOUGHT
Jewish tradition depicts ancient Egypt as a land known for magic and sorcery. Rabbeinu Nissim, a 14th-century scholar, notes that the Egyptians’ affinity for sorcery was part of why God specifically chose to work the miracles of the Exodus there.
From Strangers in Egypt to Friends in Need
MUSAR
Throughout the Torah, the Jewish experience in Egypt is invoked as a reminder of the importance of empathy and compassion towards those in need. Eliezer Papo, in his 19th-century ethical work, Pele Yoetz, explores the moral implications of the historical experience of enslavement.
The Spiritual Exodus
CHASIDUT
Chasidic teachings interpret the exodus from Egypt as representing a personal journey that every individual must undertake daily in their service to God. Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the first rebbe of the Chabad chasidic movement, offers a spiritual interpretation of the Exodus in his 19th-century work, Torah Ohr.
Philo’s Allegorical Egypt
SECOND TEMPLE
Philo, a late Second Temple period Hellenistic Jewish philosopher, lived in Alexandria, Egypt. In his allegorical interpretation of the Torah, Philo presents Egypt not just as a geographical or historical entity, but as a symbol of prosperity.
The Paradox of Egyptian Jewry
HALAKHAH
Despite biblical and talmudic warnings against settling in Egypt, there has been a thriving Jewish presence in Egypt throughout history, until relatively recently. Rabbi J. David Bleich, in his Contemporary Halakhic Problems, examines this apparent contradiction and the various interpretations and justifications provided by rabbinic authorities.
This Land is No Egypt
COMMENTARY
As the Israelites near the land of Israel, Moses warns them that the promised land will be very different from Egypt, the land they had left forty years earlier. Malbim, in his 19th-century biblical commentary, explains the theological significance of the difference between the lands of Egypt and Israel.
The Egyptian Horse Trade
COMMENTARY
The Torah prohibits Israelite kings from owning many horses, warning that it might result in a return to Egypt. Rabbi Isaac Samuel Reggio, a 19th-century Italian Jewish scholar, explains the rationale behind this prohibition.
Reliving the Exodus
LITURGY
The experience of the exodus from Egypt is foundational to the Jewish people’s relationship to God and Torah. The Passover Haggadah underscores the importance of personal identification with the Exodus narrative, for every individual in every generation.
Daily Reminders of Leaving Egypt
MISHNAH
The Jewish liturgy is full of reminders of the exodus from Egypt. The Mishnah, the first codification of Jewish law from the early third-century land of Israel, in tractate Berakhot records a discussion about where in the liturgy, precisely, to mention the Exodus.
Pyramids of Gizeh. Saddler, John, 1813-1892 (Engraver) Woodward, John Douglas (1846-1924) (Artist). New York. From The New York Public Library
Pyramids of Gizeh. Saddler, John, 1813-1892 (Engraver) Woodward, John Douglas (1846-1924) (Artist). New York. From The New York Public Library
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