We often hear about the plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, the mighty hand of God... But what about the internal processes, the spiritual shifts that paved the way for that monumental liberation?

According to Devarim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Deuteronomy, our freedom wasn't just a divine decree; it was a culmination of very specific conditions. Rabbi Elazar teaches us that Israel's redemption from Egypt came about because of five things: distress, repentance, the merit of the patriarchs, mercy, and… the end.

Let's break that down, shall we?

First, distress. Think about it: "The children of Israel sighed," as it says in Exodus 2:23. They were suffering, truly and deeply. Their pain became a catalyst.

Next, repentance. Now, this one’s interesting. It wasn’t just the suffering, but also the turning inward. Exodus 2:23 also tells us, "Their plea rose to God." The Etz Yosef, in its commentary, suggests this rising plea indicates a form of repentance. They weren't just complaining; they were actively seeking a change. Some sources even suggest that this is derived from the Jerusalem Talmud.

Then comes the merit of the patriarchs. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? Their covenant with God, their dedication, their very essence…it all played a role. "God remembered His covenant [with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob]," we read in Exodus 2:24. Their legacy mattered.

Following the merit of the patriarchs is mercy. It's one thing to remember a covenant; it's another to act on it with compassion. Exodus 2:25 states, "God saw the children of Israel." He saw their plight and, moved by compassion, extended His mercy.

And finally, the end. This is perhaps the most intriguing one. What does "the end" even mean? Well, according to this interpretation, God had decreed that Abraham’s descendants would be “strangers in a land that is not theirs…four hundred years” (Genesis 15:13), and that this period began from the birth of Isaac. The Etz Yosef explains that God "knew" (Exodus 2:25) that the time had come to fulfill His promise to Abraham, as we also see in Shemot Rabba 1:36. It was the appointed time, the fulfillment of prophecy.

But here’s the kicker: Rabbi Elazar doesn’t stop there. He goes on to say that these same five factors will be at play in the future redemption as well!

He shows us this using verses from Deuteronomy 4:30-31: distress ("When you are in distress"), repentance ("You will return to the Lord your God"), mercy ("As the Lord your God is a merciful God"), the merit of the patriarchs ("Nor forget the covenant of your fathers"), and the end ("And all these matters befall you by the end of days").

Even King David seems to echo these sentiments in the Psalms (106:44-46): "He saw their distress," "When He heard their cry," "He remembered His covenant for them," "He caused them to receive mercy." And the plea in I Chronicles 16:35, "Save us, Lord our God, and gather us in and save us from the nations" (see also Psalms 106:47), points towards that eventual "end," that final gathering.

So, what does this all mean for us? It suggests that redemption isn't a passive event, something that just happens to us. It requires our active participation: our acknowledgment of distress, our willingness to turn inward and repent, the legacy of our ancestors, the hope for mercy, and the faith in the ultimate fulfillment of time. Perhaps, by understanding these conditions, we can become active participants in bringing about a better future, a more redeemed world. What do you think?