Not Necessarily

The magid section of the Haggadah can be viewed in two discrete parts. The first contains what would appear to be random details in Jewish Law concerning this night, praises of God, and other insights into the background of the Exodus. The second half focuses solely on the analysis of a sequence of Biblical verses, which begin with:

“The Aramean wished to destroy my father (Yaakov); and he went down to Egypt and sojourned (vayagar) there, few in number; and he became there a nation - great and mighty and numerous”

The verse points out that Yaakov “went down to Egypt”. The Sages explain that it was “anus al pi hadibur”, which many translate as “forced by Divine decree”. This alludes to the series of events prior to Yaakov leaving the Land of Israel for Egypt. After discovering that his son Yosef was alive, and the viceroy of Egypt, Yaakov naturally wants to see him (Bereishit 45:28):

“And Israel said, "Enough! My son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die."”

Yaakov begins his journey, and upon reaching Beer Sheva, receives a critical prophecy (ibid 46:3-4):

“And He said, "I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid of going down to Egypt, for there I will make you into a great nation. I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up, and Joseph will place his hand on your eyes.”

God is clearly comforting Yaakov about his decision to leave to Egypt. There is a further reassurance in the promise to redeem the Jews from Egypt.

Why did Yaakov require such reassurances? Many commentators struggle to understand what exactly what so troubling to Yaakov. Rashi (ibid 46:3) explains that Yaakov’s fear was tied to leaving the Land of Israel. Others, such as Ritva, explain that Yaakov was fully aware of the future enslavement of the Jewish people to the Egyptians. Knowing their fate, Yaakov did not want to travel to Egypt and set in motion the Divine plan.

Yaakov seemed resistant to leave for Egypt; he also seemed to never intend to spend a considerable amount of time there. The verse uses the language of “vayagar”, which the Sages understand to mean a “sojourn”:

"And he sojourned there" - this teaches that our father Jacob did not go down to Egypt to settle, but only to live there temporarily. Thus it is said, "They said to Pharaoh, We have come to sojourn in the land, for there is no pasture for your servants' flocks because the hunger is severe in the land of Canaan; and now, please, let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen."

Why is it so important to emphasize that Yaakov’s stay was to be temporary? And can we assume this reluctance to stay was related to his concern of travelling with his family to Egypt?

Yaakov’s primary mission was to build the Jewish nation. He carried with him the ideological foundations laid forth by his father and grandfather. The transition now had to extend beyond his direct family to a secure nation. The mission was in peril with the “death” of Yosef, but now, with news of his being alive and ensconced in Egypt, Yaakov was now able to refocus his attention on completing his mission. He was also aware of the future enslavement of the very nation he was tasked with building. Naturally, as a father, he wanted to be reunited with his long-lost son. Yaakov, though, had to consider the potential threats as well that awaited him in deciding to leave his current surroundings. The point of contention between Rashi and the other commentators concerns the nature of the danger. According to most commentators, the danger was sourced in the future physical subjugation of the Jewish people to the Egyptians. The strain placed on the people through the years and years of toil could very well destroy the nation. Rashi, though, sees the threat in more ideological terms. Leaving the Land of Israel meant leaving an island of ideological security, where the basic tenets of Judaism had been built and a small community developed. Moving the family to Egypt, the pinnacle of secular civilization, meant exposing them to a litany of potentially corruptive beliefs and practices. Naturally, Yaakov would be quite concerned about such a result.

God attempts to assuage Yaakov’s concerns, reframing the issue in the context of the prophecy. Yes, the destiny of the fledgling Jewish nation was going to be one filled with peril. But, God promised that it would be a mere stage in their development, rather than their demise. The normal assumption, then, would be a certain resignation of fate demonstrated by Yaakov. However, there is an incorrect premise sometimes promulgated with the idea of prophecy. As we know, mankind was gifted with a concept of freewill. He can choose what type of life to live, strengthening his relationship with God or choosing to turn away. Yaakov was promised by God to be the future of the Jewish people; yet, when faced with an impending attack by Esav, he prepared himself for defense of his family. Yaakov surmised it could be possible that due to his actions, the Divine plan had shifted, and the prophecy altered along with it. The same type of thinking was taking place here. Yaakov understood that there was a Divine plan, but that did not mean he should abandon his responsibility as the ideological father. He never intended for his family to become a permanent fixture in Egypt, hoping that they would be able to insulate themselves from Egyptian influence and return back to the Land of Israel. As is noted above, the family set up camp in Goshen, removed as much as possible from mainstream Egyptian society. While Yaakov understood the prophecy as setting the stage for a difficult path, he did not abandon his role as the leader of the nation. He forged ahead, trying to build the strongest foundation possible, in the hopes that possibly the path laid out might be altered.

The seeds of the nation were planted by Yaakov, and he dedicated himself in trying to encourage its growth. As well, he sensed the impending danger ahead, and attempted to put into place some type of protective measure as hope of potential change. With the second half of magid beginning, we now turn to the history of the Jewish trials and tribulations in Egypt. Yet, prior to diving in, it would appear critical for us to not view the events through a prism of fatalism. Framing the story in this manner, and keying in on Yaakov’s devoted leadership, help us gain a deeper understanding in the development of the Jewish nation.