A Message to the Jews and the Egyptians The purpose would seem to be twofold -- it was necessary both for the Jews and for the Egyptians. After spending all these years in Egypt, the beliefs of the Egyptians would have made inroads into the Jewish community. What better way to show the bankruptcy of the Egyptian belief system than having one of the Egyptian gods revealed as a Jew? For the Jews this would eradicate any nascent belief in Egyptian mythology. Of course, some Jews did find it difficult to totally reject these influences, as can be seen by the sin of the Golden Calf, but for most Jews the message was loud and clear. While Moses sees himself as unworthy to lead the Jews, Gods response is that no one is more worthy --specifically because of Moses faults. On the other hand, the message was also important for the Egyptians; they too needed to know that their religion was false. What better teacher than Moses, the ultimate insider? At one point he had dressed like them, talked like them, and they were even prepared to worship him. This theme of educating the Egyptians is articulated in the Haftorah Vaeyra, where we are told that one day all the nations of the world will recognize God. The redemption of Egypt, which serves as a prototype for the final redemption, had universal concerns -- not merely does it illustrate the removal of the Jews from this foreign land, but it serves as a powerful polemic against the greatest civilization in the world at that time. When the final redemption comes, it will not be of parochial, Jewish concern. It will be the greatest event in the history of the world, which will convince all the people of the world of the error of their ways.
Posted on: Wed, 07 Jan 2015 21:30:00 +0000
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