"And if the Almighty had not rescued us from Egypt, behold we, our children, and grandchildren would still be (meshu'badim) enslaved unto Pharaoh n Egypt!"
Well the Pharaoh's haven't ruled Egypt in a long time - and it is hard to visualize us Israelites as slaves unto Pharaoh forever! Plus we would have probably assimilated a LONG while ago into Egyptian society and been just poor old Egyptians just as the rest. To take the statement literally; I.e. That we would still be enslaved is hard to comprehend.
Clear your minds of the image of the "evil Pharaoh". Now go back to the time of Joseph and recall a kindlier, gentler Pharaoh. Now if the Almighty had chosen HE could have appointed a liberal-minded Pharaoh. And THAT Pharaoh might have listened to Charlton Heston and willingly, or even Joyfully released the Israelites from bondage!
Just as Tsar Nikolai I freed the serfs and Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves, a generous Pharaoh could have Let HIS people go without a fight!
What would have been the upshot of such a kindlier/gentler ruler? We would be singing "his" praises instead of God's praises!
Thus, Abarbanel homiletically reads meshu'badim in its alternate meaning - mortgaged or indebted or encumbered. Had GOD not forced the issue by bringing Pharaoh unwillingly to his knees we would be be indebted to PHARAOH and not to the Almighty.
Perhaps the most ennobling aspect of our liberation is that we became indentured to GOD HIMSELF. " Kee Lee B'nei Yisro'el Avadim.." The emancipation of other slave societies met with less. Without Divine intervention and inspiration, "Up from Slavery succeeded only for the very few idealists.
A sobering thought to precede our last three cups of rejoicing!
Well the Pharaoh's haven't ruled Egypt in a long time - and it is hard to visualize us Israelites as slaves unto Pharaoh forever! Plus we would have probably assimilated a LONG while ago into Egyptian society and been just poor old Egyptians just as the rest. To take the statement literally; I.e. That we would still be enslaved is hard to comprehend.
Clear your minds of the image of the "evil Pharaoh". Now go back to the time of Joseph and recall a kindlier, gentler Pharaoh. Now if the Almighty had chosen HE could have appointed a liberal-minded Pharaoh. And THAT Pharaoh might have listened to Charlton Heston and willingly, or even Joyfully released the Israelites from bondage!
Just as Tsar Nikolai I freed the serfs and Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves, a generous Pharaoh could have Let HIS people go without a fight!
What would have been the upshot of such a kindlier/gentler ruler? We would be singing "his" praises instead of God's praises!
Thus, Abarbanel homiletically reads meshu'badim in its alternate meaning - mortgaged or indebted or encumbered. Had GOD not forced the issue by bringing Pharaoh unwillingly to his knees we would be be indebted to PHARAOH and not to the Almighty.
Perhaps the most ennobling aspect of our liberation is that we became indentured to GOD HIMSELF. " Kee Lee B'nei Yisro'el Avadim.." The emancipation of other slave societies met with less. Without Divine intervention and inspiration, "Up from Slavery succeeded only for the very few idealists.
A sobering thought to precede our last three cups of rejoicing!
Zissen Pesach
RRW
1 comment:
WADR, that's straight diqduq.
The Aramaic "shif'il" form was borrowed into mishnaic Hebrew for the root \עבד\, and perhaps one or two others.
Shi'abud always means indebtedness, owing someone a duty, not slavery. E.g. shi'abud nechasim, or "ein nishba'in al kefiras shi'abud qarqa'os".
I don't see this as homily, I see it as pointing out the close reading of the word. And therefore not really a chiddush at all, except to those who weren't until then medaqdeiq with the diqduq.
-micha
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