Bondage Ended at Rosh Hashanah and the Land as Inheritance

(Exodus 6:6-8) "And I will bring you out from under the burdens of Egypt." At Rosh Hashanah the labor of our ancestors in Egypt ceased. It is derived by a verbal analogy, "burden" and "burden": it is written here, "And I will bring you out from under the burdens of Egypt," and it is written elsewhere, "I removed his shoulder from the burden" (Psalms 81:7). And Joseph went out from prison at Rosh Hashanah, for it is written, "Blow the shofar at the new moon" (Psalms 81:4), and after it is written, "He appointed it as a testimony for Joseph when he went out over the land of Egypt," and it is written, "I removed his shoulder from the burden" (Psalms 81:7). Rabbi Simai says: "And I will take you to Me for a people, and I will bring you in." Scripture compares their going out of Egypt to their coming into the land: just as their coming into the land was two out of six hundred thousand [only Joshua and Caleb of that generation entered], so their going out of Egypt was two out of six hundred thousand [only that fraction left, the rest having died in the plague of darkness]. Rava said: And so too in the days of the Messiah, as it is said, "And she shall answer there as in the days of her youth, as on the day she came up from the land of Egypt" (Hosea 2:17). "And I will deliver you from their bondage" (this is written at remez 147). "And I will give it to you as a heritage." Our rabbis taught: Zelophehad was a firstborn and took a double portion. But does not the firstborn not take in property merely expected [as he does in property already held]? Rava said: The land of Israel is regarded as already held. They raised an objection: Rabbi Hidka said, Shimon the Shikmoni was my fellow-student among the disciples of Rabbi Akiva, and thus he used to say: Moses our teacher knew that the daughters of Zelophehad were heirs, but he did not know whether they take a firstborn's portion or not. The chapter of inheritances was fit to have been written through Moses, but the daughters of Zelophehad gained merit and it was written in their name. And Moses knew that the gatherer of wood was liable to death, as it is said, "those who profane it shall surely be put to death" (Exodus 31:14), but he did not know by which death. The chapter of the wood-gatherer was fit to have been written through Moses, but the wood-gatherer became liable and it was written through him, to teach you that merit is brought about through the meritorious and guilt through the guilty. And if it should enter your mind that the land was already held by them, why was there doubt? It was held. What was the doubt? The verse itself was in doubt for him, for it is written "And I will give it to you as a heritage [morashah]": is it an inheritance for them from their fathers, or do they bequeath it without themselves inheriting? They resolved both for him: it is an inheritance for them from their fathers, and they also bequeath without inheriting. Similarly you say, "You shall bring them in and plant them" (Exodus 15:17); it does not say "You shall bring us in" but "You shall bring them in," teaching that they prophesy without knowing what they prophesy.