Likkutei Sichos Vol. 30 – Vayigash 3
1. On the verse, “And He said, ‘I am G‑d, the G‑d of your father; do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there’,” Rashi cites the words “do not be afraid to go down to Egypt” and explains: “Because he was distressed that he was compelled to leave the land [of Israel] for outside the land.”
In this commentary, Rashi innovates two points (relative to the plain meaning of the verse):
(a) The verse says “do not be afraid,” but Rashi changes it and writes “because he was distressed”—yet “afraid” and “distressed” are two different feelings (even though they share a certain similarity).
[As we find in the verse earlier, “And Yaakov was very afraid and distressed,” and the Targum there renders: “and he was afraid... and distressed,” meaning: “fear” is a feeling of worry about a future event that might harm him; while “distressed” refers to a feeling of pressure, pain, and anguish, and can also relate to a definite trouble in the present or past.]
(b) The verse explicitly says “(do not be afraid) to go down to Egypt,” whereas Rashi changes it and writes “because he was compelled to leave the land for outside the land”—that is, his fear was (not about the descent to Egypt, as the verse states, but rather) about leaving the Land [of Israel], and it made no difference to which place he was going, whether to Egypt or to another land.
It can be said that these two changes are interdependent: the descent to Egypt (to a new land in general, and especially to Egypt, as will be explained in section 2) arouses fear (and worry); but leaving Eretz Yisrael (for outside the land) does not arouse fear, but rather distress (“he was distressed”).
But this is puzzling: from where does Rashi derive the right to depart from the plain meaning of the verse?
2. The source for this Rashi is (apparently) in Pirkei D’Rabbi Eliezer, which states: “When Yaakov heard that Yosef was alive, he pondered in his heart and said: How can I leave the land of my fathers and the land of my birth and the land in which the Divine Presence of the Holy One, blessed be He, dwells, and go to the land of the children of Cham, a land in which there is no fear of Heaven among them?”
This is very surprising:
Even Pirkei D’Rabbi Eliezer (in its explanation, which is also in the manner of derush) does not suffice with the concern over leaving the land alone—that Yaakov “pondered... how can I leave the land of my fathers...”—but continues that he also worried and was concerned about the place he was going to: “and go to the land of the children of Cham, a land in which there is no fear of Heaven among them.” This fits with the explicit wording of the verse, that Yaakov was afraid “to go down to Egypt.”
Yet specifically Rashi, whose goal is only to explain the simple meaning of the verse, does not mention at all Yaakov’s concern about going down to Egypt, but only the distress over leaving (the land) for outside the land!
[And it cannot be answered that the concern “that there is no fear of Heaven among them (in the land of Egypt)” is not according to the simple meaning of the verse—for we already find a similar idea regarding Egypt in the plain meaning of the Torah: on Pharaoh’s words to Avraham, “Here is your wife, take her and go,” Rashi explains, “Not like Avimelech, who said to him, ‘Here is my land before you,’ but rather he said to him, ‘Go and do not stay, for the Egyptians are steeped in immorality.’”]
Furthermore: according to Rashi’s explanation, it is difficult to understand how the continuation of the verse fits, that G‑d removed Yaakov’s distress by promising him, “for I will make you into a great nation there”:
According to the above Pirkei D’Rabbi Eliezer, that Yaakov was afraid to go down to Egypt because there was no fear of Heaven among them and he was concerned that his children would intermingle with the Egyptians and learn from their ways, it is understood that when G‑d said to him, “I will make you into a great nation there,” his mind was put at ease, for this was a promise that they would not intermingle with them.
But according to Rashi, that Yaakov was distressed because he was compelled to leave the land for outside the land, it is not understood: how was this distress of Yaakov alleviated by the promise “for I will make you into a great nation there,” which does not seem to address the cause of his distress?
3. Seemingly, one could explain that the reason Rashi does not interpret Yaakov’s fear of going down to Egypt as being due to the lack of fear of Heaven among them, etc., is as follows:
When Yosef said to his brothers, “Hurry and go up to my father and say to him... come down to me... and you will be near me, you, your children, and your grandchildren... for there are still five years of famine,” he informed Yaakov that a special place would be set aside for him in Egypt to live there—“and you shall dwell in the land of Goshen... and I will sustain you there.” The plain meaning is that they would have a place to live on their own.
[As it was in actuality—according to the plain meaning of the verse, “And I will set apart on that day the land of Goshen, upon which My people stand,” “in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel are,” meaning that they lived even in a distinct land and were not intermixed with the Egyptians.]
Therefore, it is simply understood that there was no reason to fear the conduct of the Egyptians, since they would not be living together with them, but rather in their own land, the land of Goshen.
However, it is very forced to say that this compels us to take the verse out of its plain meaning (and to explain that what is written, “Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt,” does not refer to a concern about going down to Egypt, but rather that he was distressed about leaving the Land of Israel for outside the Land).
For although one cannot compare the situation of Yaakov and his sons—seventy souls and more—in Egypt to that of Avraham and Sarah when they went down to Egypt (to the extent that Pharaoh had to send them away from there), since Yaakov and his sons would be living in the land of Goshen—nevertheless, it is simply understood that the descent to the land of Egypt, whose people were notorious for their extremely corrupt conduct, the very opposite of fear of Heaven [both in immorality, as mentioned above, and in idolatry—“the cattle… which they worship,” and so on], would naturally arouse Yaakov’s concern and fear.
And yet, Rashi takes the verse out of its plain meaning and explains that Yaakov was distressed about having to leave the Land of Israel for outside the Land!
4. Some of the commentators on the Torah have explained that “Yaakov was afraid and said: Now that I am going down to Egypt, the days are drawing near of the decree of bondage and affliction upon my descendants in a land that is not theirs,” as it is written in Targum Yonasan: “Do not fear to go down to Egypt because of the matter of bondage that you decreed with Avraham.” That is, his fear was about the beginning of the fulfillment of the decree, “They will enslave them and afflict them,” upon the Jewish people.
Seemingly, this explanation fits the plain meaning of the text even better than Rashi’s explanation, because according to Rashi, Yaakov’s concern was only a personal matter, relevant to him alone (that he was compelled to leave the Land of Israel for outside the Land); whereas according to this explanation, it was a general concern, relating to the Jewish people (the descendants of Yaakov) as a whole.
[Furthermore, the continuation of the verse, “for I will make you into a great nation there,” fits better according to this explanation, as the Chizkuni writes: “The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: Do not fear going down to Egypt. If I warned your father, I have come to assure you: If the days of bondage and affliction are drawing near, so too is the blessing that I blessed your grandfather, ‘and I will make you into a great nation’—that is, ‘for I will make you into a great nation there.’” In other words, the promise “for I will make you into a great nation there” is connected and relevant to the fulfillment of the Covenant Between the Parts.]
Why, then, did Rashi not explain that Yaakov was afraid of the fulfillment of the decree of the Covenant Between the Parts? After all, according to Rashi above on the verse “the spirit of Yaakov revived”—“the Divine Presence rested upon him, which had departed from him”—it is reasonable to say that Yaakov knew that the descent to Egypt was the beginning of the fulfillment of the decree of the Covenant Between the Parts.
[Seemingly, one could say that, according to the plain meaning of Scripture, this explanation is difficult to state in the wording “do not be afraid,” since this would not change what was known to him—that this is the fulfillment of G‑d’s decree. But this is not a sufficient answer, for Rashi could have explained (as he explains in any case, as above) that Yaakov was distressed that now the time of “they will enslave them and afflict them” was beginning. And obviously, even when one knows that the decree is the will of G‑d, it is still something that causes pain.]
5. The explanation of this may be as follows:
In the preceding verses, it is already related regarding Yaakov’s decision to go down to Egypt: “And Israel said, ‘It is enough; my son Yosef is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.’” And even more so—that he had already begun to go down: “And Israel journeyed with all that he had…” If so, it is puzzling: what is the content of this statement, “Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt,” which implies that Yaakov was still in doubt and afraid to go down to Egypt? This statement would have been appropriate before his decision to go down to Egypt, or at least before he had actually begun to go down.
Therefore, Rashi explains that “Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt” does not mean that he was afraid and hesitant to begin, but rather “because he was distressed that he was compelled to leave, etc.”—that is, he was pained by the action he was already undertaking.
However, it is not understood:
Why was this reassurance of “Do not be afraid to go down…”—which came to alleviate his distress—delayed until after he (had left his place and) arrived in Be’er Sheva? That means that all that time, Yaakov remained in distress!
We must therefore say that here (in Be’er Sheva), something new occurred, for which Yaakov now needed the “comfort” of G‑d’s promise, “Do not be afraid, etc.” Therefore, Rashi explains that he was distressed over being compelled to leave the Land (Eretz Yisrael) for outside the Land, and not specifically over the descent to Egypt.
The explanation is as follows:
Be’er Sheva is the border town—the southernmost city of Eretz Yisrael, from which one exits to the Diaspora. Therefore, even though from the outset his journey was with the intention of leaving the Land and descending to Egypt, and this journey was undertaken with joy, as it is written, “And Israel said, ‘It is enough; my son Yosef is still alive. I will go and see him before I die,’”—nevertheless, when he reached the border of Eretz Yisrael, standing at the threshold of actually leaving for the Diaspora, he was pained and distressed by the actual fact that he was compelled to leave Eretz Yisrael in practice.
And even though from the moment he left his place (from Chevron) he knew he was destined to leave the Land, nevertheless, the pain caused by knowing that he would eventually leave is not the same as the pain experienced when actually standing at the moment of departure, as is evident from experience.
[Similar to the words of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korchah, brought in Rashi above: “For G‑d sees what is to come… A male child was born to you in your days… I rejoiced and made everyone rejoice… But you did not know that he was destined to die… At the time of joy, there is joy.”]
6. However, according to this, the question becomes even greater: what is the connection to the continuation, “for I will make you into a great nation there”?
Since, in his descent to Egypt, Yaakov was not afraid that his children would assimilate among the nations or the like, but rather he was distressed over being compelled to leave Eretz Yisrael, what comfort does this promise—“for I will make you into a great nation there”—provide for his distress over leaving the Land, as explained above?
This will be understood by first explaining the reason and cause for Yaakov’s distress over being compelled to leave Eretz Yisrael. For it is not immediately clear: when Yaakov went to Charan, to the house of Lavan, it is not stated that he was distressed over being compelled to leave Eretz Yisrael!
To clarify further:
It has already been explained elsewhere that, according to the simple meaning of the verses, we do not find that the Patriarchs were careful to avoid leaving Eretz Yisrael for the Diaspora. Even though the Patriarchs fulfilled the entire Torah before it was given, as Rashi explicitly states regarding Avraham—that he even fulfilled rabbinic decrees and safeguards—nevertheless, they were not particular about the prohibition of leaving the Land.
The reason is that (in the simple sense) in the time of the Patriarchs, Eretz Yisrael was not yet distinguished in its holiness from other lands. Moreover, in their time, there was not yet even a change in the ownership of the Land (that it should belong to the Jewish people).
And regarding G‑d’s command to Yitzchak, “Do not go down to Egypt—for you are a perfect burnt-offering, and the Diaspora is not fitting for you,” we see: (a) this was only for Yitzchak, who was “a perfect burnt-offering”; (b) even here, Rashi is precise (and does not write that it was forbidden for him to leave the Land or the like, but rather) “the Diaspora is not fitting for you.”
It can be said: the difference between Eretz Yisrael and the Diaspora in the time of the Patriarchs (even for Yitzchak) was not because there was inherent holiness in the very land itself, but only because there, in Eretz Yisrael, Avraham had caused that G‑d would be “the G‑d of the heavens and the G‑d of the earth”—“I made Him familiar in the mouths of people,” whereas in the Diaspora, G‑d was only “the G‑d of the heavens” and not “the G‑d of the earth”—“for the people of the world did not recognize Him, and His name was not familiar in the land” (in the Diaspora).
[With this, we can also understand Rashi’s precise wording here regarding Yaakov, “that he was distressed over being compelled to leave for the Diaspora” (and not—to leave the Land), similar to his wording regarding Yitzchak, “the Diaspora is not fitting for you”—because in the time of the Patriarchs, there was not yet holiness in the Land that would obligate remaining in it.]
According to all this, it requires explanation: why was Yaakov distressed over being compelled to leave for the Diaspora (for the plain wording indicates that he was distressed over leaving for a place that is outside Eretz Yisrael, and not over being compelled to go to a foreign land, etc.)?
The explanation is as follows:
Yaakov’s situation at that time was different from his situation when he left for the house of Lavan (and also from the situations of Avraham and Yitzchak when they left for the Diaspora) in that, at this departure, there were already seventy souls besides the wives of his sons, and this was the beginning of the Children of Israel as a nation unto themselves. Seemingly, their proper and fitting place was the land of Canaan, the land where his father had sojourned, the land that was promised to each of the three Patriarchs, and it was there that they were to become a great nation, as G‑d promised Avraham, “And I will make you into a great nation”—specifically in Eretz Yisrael.
Therefore, it was specifically at this departure that Yaakov was distressed over being compelled to leave for the Diaspora, since, in his view, the place of “the souls of the house of Yaakov” ought to have been in the land of Canaan. To this, he was answered, “for there I will make you into a great nation”—on the contrary, the “great nation” of the Jewish people would be achieved specifically “there,” in the Diaspora.
7. The inner meaning of Torah in Rashi’s commentary:
Still, it requires explanation: since the intent of G‑d’s promise is to remove Yaakov’s distress (his being “distressed”), why does it say, “Do not fear”?
It can be explained—by way of allusion—that the statement “Do not fear, etc.” comes only to remove Yaakov’s fear and dread of the descent to Egypt, but not the fact that “he was distressed over being compelled to leave for the Diaspora.” For the feeling of distress over leaving for the Diaspora is not something to be removed; on the contrary, this very distress is what nullifies the reason and the matter that causes fear of the descent to Egypt.
This is also hinted at in Rashi’s wording: “Do not fear descending to Egypt—for he (Yaakov) was distressed, etc.” The word “for” here is giving a reason, meaning: why should Yaakov not fear the descent to Egypt? Because he was distressed over being compelled to leave for the Diaspora.
The explanation of the matter is as follows:
G‑d’s words to Yaakov as he descended into the exile of Egypt (“Do not fear, etc.”) serve as a lesson (also) to his children in every generation and place when they are in exile, that the feeling and attitude toward exile must be composed of two opposite movements:
On the one hand, every Jew must know that he has nothing to fear from exile, for since “not by our own will did we go into exile from Eretz Yisrael… our Father, our King, may He be blessed, exiled us from our land and sent us into exile,” it is understood that we have been given all the necessary strengths to overcome all the obstacles and hindrances, etc., that exist during the time of exile, and to serve Him as is fitting. Moreover, it is specifically through the service in exile, without regard for all the concealments and obstacles to fulfilling Torah and mitzvos and the scoffers, etc., that the greatness and strength of the Jewish people are revealed—“for there I will make you into a great nation” (as explained elsewhere).
However, on the other hand, together with the negation of fear of exile, one must feel the “distress” and pain of exile—that is, the attitude toward the state of exile should not, G‑d forbid, be one of tranquility and rest, but on the contrary, it should be with a constant sense of pain over the fact that the Jewish people are not in their true place—rather, like children who have been exiled from their father’s table. And not only are the children and the community of Israel in exile and captivity, etc., but as G‑d said to Yaakov, “I will go down with you to Egypt,” the Divine Presence itself is in exile.
And these two feelings—the absence of fear of exile and the feeling of the pain of exile—are dependent on each other: this power in a person, to rise above exile to the point that he does not fear or dread it, comes and is drawn from the feeling and recognition that exile is not his true place, and he is pained by his being in exile and constantly yearns to leave the state of exile and return to his true place. And this very yearning lifts him above the exile, so that he has no fear or dread of the concealments and obstacles of exile.
This is the practical lesson from Rashi’s commentary: If, at the beginning of Yaakov’s descent to Egypt, he was distressed over being compelled to leave for the Diaspora, how much more so should a person be distressed over the pain of exile in our times, after all the suffering that the Jewish people have endured throughout the time of exile, up to our present era, in the generation of the footsteps of Moshiach;
This pain (that it is “narrow” for him) must be expressed and revealed by every Jew through his outcry to the Holy One, blessed be He: “How long until the end of wonders?” “How long, etc., will the adversary taunt?”—demanding and beseeching the redemption from G‑d, as has been discussed many times, based on the teachings of our Sages and the words of the early and later halachic authorities, from whose words we live.
And this very outcry and demand itself hastens and brings even closer the true and complete redemption through our righteous Moshiach—“And I will also surely bring you up”—speedily in our days, literally.
(From a talk of Shabbos Parshas Vayigash, 5746)