The Sifrei Devarim, a collection of early rabbinic legal interpretations on the Book of Deuteronomy, pauses to reflect on just that. It unpacks a key verse, reminding us of the specific hardships our ancestors endured. It's not just about abstract slavery; it's about real lives and real pain.
When the Torah recounts God hearing our cry and seeing "our affliction, our toil, and our oppression" (Deuteronomy 26:7), the Sifrei Devarim doesn't let us gloss over those words. It digs in. What exactly did they mean?
"And our toil" – v’amaleinu – the text specifies, referring directly to the horrific decree found in Exodus 1:22: "Every son that is born, into the Nile shall you throw him, and every daughter shall you keep alive." Think about that for a moment. The systematic infanticide. The unimaginable anguish of parents forced to drown their newborn sons. That's the "toil" the Sifrei Devarim wants us to remember. It’s not just hard work; it’s state-sponsored murder.
And "our oppression" – v’lachatz? This, the Sifrei Devarim explains, is the general oppression they faced. It points us to Exodus 3:9: "And I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them." It's the weight of constant discrimination, the lack of basic human rights, the crushing burden of being a people without power.
But the Sifrei Devarim doesn't stop at the suffering. It moves on to the redemption, to the moment of liberation. Deuteronomy 26:8 states, "And the L-rd took us out of Egypt…". But how? The text emphasizes that this wasn't some hands-off divine intervention.
“And the L-rd took us out” — “not through an angel, and not through a seraph (a fiery angelic being), and not through a messenger.” The Sifrei Devarim underscores the direct, personal involvement of God in the Exodus. It then quotes Exodus 12:12, where God declares, "And I shall pass through the land of Egypt in this night, and I shall smite, etc."
The text breaks down that verse, hammering home the point: "'And I shall pass through the land of Egypt' — I, and not an angel. 'And I shall smite every first-born' — I, and not a seraph. 'And upon all the gods of Egypt I shall wreak judgments' — I, and not a messenger, 'I am the L-rd.'"
Why is this so important? Why does the Sifrei Devarim insist on this direct action? Perhaps it's to remind us that God isn't some distant, detached force. God is intimately involved in our struggles, in our triumphs, in our history. The Exodus wasn’t a miracle performed at arm's length. It was a direct, personal act of divine intervention.
The Exodus wasn't just about escaping slavery. It was about a personal God hearing the cries of a suffering people and acting directly to redeem them. And the Sifrei Devarim, in its careful unpacking of these verses, ensures that we never forget the depth of the suffering or the intimacy of the salvation. It urges us to remember, to learn, and to appreciate the profound connection between God and the Jewish people. As we remember these pivotal moments, we are reminded of God's ever-present role in our lives.