The ancient rabbis felt that way about the Israelites in Egypt.
Think about it: generation after generation born into slavery. It's a crushing weight. But what if, suddenly, that debt was cancelled? What if the slate was wiped clean? That's the powerful image we find in Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus.
The verse in question is Exodus 12:2: "This month shall be for you." What does it mean? The rabbis, in their inimitable way, find layers of meaning. This particular interpretation, found in Shemot Rabbah 15, draws a fascinating parallel to the reign of a king.
Rabbi Levi tells a story. Imagine a duke, a powerful figure, who is suddenly draped in the purple cloak of royalty. What does he do to mark this new beginning? He cancels tax debts, burns the promissory notes that bind his people, and either parades the legions in celebration or grants them leave. It’s a complete reset. A new era.
This, Rabbi Levi suggests, is what happened when God redeemed the Israelites from Egypt. Before the Exodus, the Holy One, blessed be He, had been, in a sense, in "exile" for twenty-six generations since Creation. He hadn't fully revealed His kingship. But Egypt changed everything.
How so? Just like that duke, God cancelled the debt of slavery. Remember the verse: "And the children of Israel went out triumphantly" (Exodus 14:8)? That wasn't just a physical escape; it was a spiritual liberation. The debt was paid.
Then, the rabbis say, He burned the promissory note. This refers to the verse: "The residence of the children of Israel that they lived in Egypt [was four hundred and thirty years]" (Exodus 12:40). But wait a minute! According to tradition, they were only actually in Egypt for 210 years. (That is, before God took them out early). The rabbis understand this as God cutting short the period of suffering, symbolically "burning" the full duration of the decree.
Finally, God took out the legions. Not earthly armies, but the Israelite people themselves, formed into a nation, ready to serve Him. And so, according to Shemot Rabbah, this was the true beginning of God's reign, fulfilling the verse from Proverbs (8:15) quoted by Solomon: "Through me kings reign." It was a moment of ultimate sovereignty.
What a powerful image, right? It’s not just about historical events; it's about the possibility of renewal in our own lives. Can we find ways to cancel our own debts – both literal and metaphorical? To burn the promissory notes that bind us to the past? And to embrace our own potential, our own "legions," to serve something greater than ourselves? That's the invitation of Exodus, an invitation that echoes through the ages.