It's like, bam, out of nowhere, you're bearing a load you didn't even see coming. Well, the ancient Israelites knew that feeling all too well when they found themselves in Egypt.
We read in Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, about the verse "Who came to Egypt..." Now, hold on a minute. "Came"? In Hebrew, the verse could even be read as "who were coming to Egypt." But hadn't they already been there for quite some time? What's with the present tense?
That's where the brilliance of midrash comes in. It’s like a secret code, inviting us to dig deeper into the text. Shemot Rabbah asks, “Was it today that they came? Hadn’t many years passed since they came to Egypt?” The text isn't being dense; it's pointing us toward a profound shift in their experience.
The answer? As long as Joseph was alive, things were different. They were under his protection, enjoying a certain level of comfort and respect. Joseph, the son of Jacob who rose to power, shielded them from the harsh realities of Egyptian life. But when Joseph died, everything changed. The protective umbrella vanished. Suddenly, the burden of Egypt, the oppression and slavery, crashed down upon them.
That's why it says "who came," as if they were entering Egypt anew, on that very day. It wasn’t a geographical arrival; it was a shift in their experience, their reality.
And then the verse continues, "With Jacob..." Shemot Rabbah reminds us that they were all under Jacob's patronage. Jacob, whose Hebrew name, Yaakov (יַעֲקֹב), means "heel" or "supplanter," but who became Israel, the father of the nation. He was the one who amassed mitzvot (מִצְוֹת), good deeds, and earned the privilege of fathering the twelve tribes. His merit protected them.
"Each came with his household." Some commentaries, as noted in Tanchuma (another important collection of Midrash), even suggest that each family was fully prepared before descending to Egypt. Rabbi Huna says that each father arranged wives for even his youngest sons before going to Egypt, as is written "each came with his household." They were building for the future, even as they entered a land of potential hardship.
So, what does this all mean for us? It’s a reminder that our circumstances can change in an instant. What once felt safe and secure can suddenly become oppressive. But it's also a testament to the enduring power of family, tradition, and the merit of our ancestors. And it reminds us that even in the face of adversity, we can still prepare for the future, and find meaning and purpose in the present. Just like the Israelites, who, even as they "came" to Egypt, were already planting the seeds of their future redemption.