We all know the story of Moses, the plagues, and the Exodus. But what seeds of mistrust were sown long before the mitzrayim, the Egyptians, enslaved the Israelites?
According to Ginzberg’s Legends of the Jews, the final straw wasn’t just about numbers or fear of uprising. It goes back to a war, a surprising act of heroism, and a devastating lack of gratitude.
Picture this: Malol is at war with Zepho, the grandson of Esau. It’s a brutal conflict, and the Egyptians are on the verge of a crushing defeat. Who comes to their rescue? The Israelites. That’s right, the very people who would later be enslaved saved the Egyptians from utter destruction.
You’d think that would foster goodwill, right? A sense of shared destiny? But no. Instead, the Egyptians were consumed by fear. They saw the Israelites' strength – that "giant strength," as Ginzberg puts it – and they worried that one day, it would be turned against them.
The Egyptian counselors and elders went to Pharaoh, their voices laced with anxiety. "Behold," they said, "the people of the children of Israel are greater and mightier than we." They saw the Israelites' power, inherited from their ancestors, who could stand against overwhelming odds and emerge victorious. It was a power that made the Egyptians deeply uneasy.
"Now, therefore," they pleaded with Pharaoh, "give us counsel what to do with them, until we shall gradually destroy them from among us, lest they become too numerous in the land." The fear was palpable. What if the Israelites became too powerful? What if, in a future war, they joined forces with Egypt's enemies? The elders imagined the Israelites turning against them, destroying them, and seizing the land for themselves.
It's a chilling moment. This wasn't just about managing a growing population; it was about a fundamental distrust, a fear of the "other," and a willingness to betray those who had saved them. It's a stark reminder of how easily gratitude can be replaced by suspicion, and how quickly fear can lead to oppression. This fear, this betrayal, is what set the stage for the long and painful years of slavery that followed, and ultimately, for the Exodus itself.
So, the next time you read the story of Passover, remember this: it wasn’t just about freedom from physical bondage. It was about overcoming the legacy of fear and betrayal that had poisoned the relationship between these two nations. It makes you wonder, doesn't it, how often fear dictates our actions, and what the true cost of that fear might be?