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While the Torah opens the story of Israel's Egyptian bondage by restating the names of the heads of the twelve tribes, the protagonists of the narrative to come are strikingly nameless. The parents of Moses are only identified as "a man from the house of Levi who went out and married Levi's daughter"(Exodus 2:1). In sharp contrast to Genesis' account of the birth of the future heads of the twelve tribes, the circumstances of Moses' birth do not provide him with a name. Only upon his reaching the status of a "lad", though still an infant, does he belatedly receive a name from the "nameless" daughter of Pharaoh, who "bore" (moshe) him from the water.

The most striking omission of name, however, would have to be that of God Himself. While the people of Israel obviously "know" the God of their fore-bearers despite his apparent concealment in the midst of their bondage, Moses nevertheless feels a need for a means of "naming" or "defining" the inherent nature of the Almighty. God's reply that Moses tell the people that "I Will Be Who I Will Be" (transliterated by Rabbi Areyeh Kaplan as YHVH) makes for less of a definition than an expressed intent of action.

The concept of "concealed providence" as an inherent aspect of exile or "galut" is something which Rabbi Yissocher Frand sees Jacob foretelling us when blessing Joseph's sons at the outset of the exile. Jacob here invokes not the name of God, but His "angel who has redeemed him"(Genesis 48:16). Whereas Abraham and Isaac had primarily benefited from God's direct providence, Jacob, in preparing his descendants for the nature of exile, more fully introduced the concept of indirect guidance from above. Clearly, this type of providence is difficult to discern, and therefore, severely tests our faith. However, beyond a test of our spiritual mettle, there would seem to have been an additional important factor here in the divine plan for the Exodus. Maimonides states that on Passover, every individual is to see his or herself as having personally been redeemed from Egyptian bondage. The very undefined nature in the opening reading of Shmot perhaps sets the stage for one to "paint" one's self into the scene and more fully and directly appreciate the meaning and significance of our redemption.

With this week’s portion of the Torah we begin the long journey of darkness into dire slavery and finally our Exodus into freedom.

After Yosef’s passing, a new Pharaoh is in power and he fears the prolific and prosperous Jewish people. His solution is to enslave the Jews and then to make their slavery bitter. G-d sends Moshe to lead His people out of this cruel slavery. He tells him to tell Pharaoh that G-d met with him and he is to let the Jewish people go out into the wilderness for three days to worship Him.

Now, G-d knew perfectly well what was going to happen. He knew that He was sending the Jewish people out into freedom, never again to return to Egypt. So how could He tell Moshe to say this to Pharaoh? G-d’s Name is Truth. He is the truth, so how could He have sent Moshe to apparently lie to Pharaoh?

When G-d had Moshe tell Pharaoh that the Jews were going to leave for three days, He was simply doing to Pharaoh exactly what Pharaoh had done to the Jews. It was only fair that G-d should treat him as he had treated the Jews.

When Pharaoh ordered the enslavement of the Jewish people he did not send his soldiers to immediately enslave them. He first had the Jews work for the “community good.” There was the ruse that the Jews were going to work along with the Egyptians helping to improve their host country. It was in the National interest that the Store-cities be built and it was only fitting that all of the residents of the state share in this communal endeavor. Then slowly, the Egyptians began to walk away from the backbreaking work. But when a Jew would try to walk away, there were guards there to push him back. Then little by little the real slavery began. Little by little it became darker and darker. Pharaoh demanded harsher and harsher treatment until even commanding the murder of all of the Jewish (and even non-Jewish) male babies.

Now, what does this have to do with us today? The Torah is to be studied from at least four main perspectives, which when combined become thirteen different perspectives that can be utilized to better understand its meaning.

The main perspectives are; the literal, the allegorical, the interpretation, and the mystical or secret, underlying perspective. Obviously, each of these will tell a different story, but none of the stories will contradict any of the other stories. From each perspective we learn a different truth.

Simply stated:

The literal perspective of the slavery and the Exodus from Egypt is the narration of what actually happened to the various characters in the story. This is simply the literal, historical perspective.

One of the many allegorical stories we can learn from the Exodus is to understand that the Torah is also speaking of a man being enslaved by his physical work. Man can either work entirely for the physical benefit, or he can work for its spiritual benefit. When he works merely for the physical, he has become a slave to his work. His slavery will get harsher and harsher and no matter how successful he is, he will become more and more entrenched in his slavery. And, oh, is this is a bitter slavery. His physical master, be it lust for wealth, power, or fame is clutching him like a vise. His own enslaving desire constantly commands, “Do more! Get more!” His slavery becomes darker and darker. It is only when he finally cries out to G-d, and endeavors to seek spiritual life does his slavery begin to end. Certainly, if he will work as hard on his spiritual life as he did for his physical life he will be able to completely leave the cruel King who was enslaving him.

The perspective of interpretation draws from the main story and applies these teachings to other teachings. So, for instance, we are taught that the bricks the Jews were forced to make in Egypt and the mortar they had to mix with back breaking labor actually point to the remedy for this slavery. “Bricks” in Hebrew is pronounced lavanim. This is similar to the word “to understand” lehavin. Freedom comes with true understanding. Mortar is pronounced chomer. One of the most common Talmudic phrases when analyzing two comparable items is, “all the more so.” This is pronounced, kal v’chomer. Studying Torah elevates the bricks and mortar of slavery to become the building blocks and mortar of spiritual freedom.

We see the very things that were physically enslaving us must be used in a spiritual way in order to go out into freedom. The exact tools of our slavery become the tools of our freedom.

When Moshe tells Pharaoh to let the Jewish people go, Pharaoh yells at him, “Behold the people of the land are now numerous, and you would have them cease from their burdens?” Without changing any of the words, this same sentence can be read, “Behold, the ignorant people are now numerous and you are going to give them Shabbat (rest) from their burdens.”

The cruel voice of the enslaving master can be seen to be prophesying, “Moshe you are going to give the people Shabbat.” Right in the deepest darkness the dawn is coming. Here is the greatest teaching of the Exodus. We must learn how to turn the binding evil inclination into the uplifting good inclination.

From the mystical perspective, this is the story of each of our individual souls’ descent into a body, into their own personal limitations. The Hebrew word for Egypt means “to shut” or “limit.” This is what happens to the soul when it comes into this world. When the soul looks out at the physical world through physical eyes it sees only physicality. It even comes so far down into its Egypt that it believes that it too is physical. It forgets its lofty nature and its holy purpose and pursues the physical pursuits of the world. This is the soul’s descent into Egypt.

It is only when the soul remembers and directs its physical limitations to serve the spirituality does it begin to experience the freedom it seeks even while it is still locked in a physical body.

Wishing you all a Shabbat Shalom!