Oppression and Recognition

לָכֵן אֱמֹר לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲנִי ה' וְהוֹצֵאתִי אֶתְכֶם מִתַּחַת סִבְלֹת מִצְרַיִם וְהִצַּלְתִּי אֶתְכֶם מֵעֲבֹדָתָם וְגָאַלְתִּי אֶתְכֶם בִּזְרוֹעַ נְטוּיָה וּבִשְׁפָטִים גְּדֹלִים. וְלָקַחְתִּי אֶתְכֶם לִי לְעָם וְהָיִיתִי לָכֶם לֵאלֹקִים וִידַעְתֶּם כִּי אֲנִי ה' אֱלֹקֵיכֶם הַמּוֹצִיא אֶתְכֶם מִתַּחַת סִבְלוֹת מִצְרָיִם.

Therefore, say to the Bnei Yisrael, “I am Hashem, and I shall take you out from under the burdens of Mitzrayim, and I shall rescue you from their service, and I shall redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. And I shall take you to me as a people and I shall be a God to you; and you shall know that I am Hashem your God, Who takes you out from under the burdens of Mitzrayim.”[1]

These two verses, stated by Hashem to Moshe at the beginning of our parsha, contain what are known as “the four expressions of redemption.” However, as many commentators point out, these four terms represents four distinct stages in the redemption from Mitzrayim.

Let us consider a fascinating detail within these verses. The word “sivlos” – burdens appears twice: first in the beginning of verse 6 and then again at the end of verse 7. However, there is a difference between these two. The first time that it is written, it is missing the letter vav at the end – “סִבְלֹת”, while, the second time, it is written “in full,” with the vav – “סִבְלוֹת”.

What is behind this shift?

R’ Yosef Salant offers a most profound explanation.[2] It is clear from the midrash and classic commentators that the damage sustained by the Jewish people in Egypt was twofold in nature; for alongside the physical and material oppression of the slavery itself, there was also a spiritual decline. This is summed up in the statement of the Zohar that by the time they left, the people were on the forty-ninth level of impurity.[3] Whether this damage was inflicted knowingly and intentionally by the Egyptians or was simply a by-product of the general Egypt experience is a matter of some discussion among the commentators,[4] but the damage was done. The corollary of this idea is that redemption from Egypt, in the fullest sense of the word, incorporated a spiritual rehabilitation as well as physical deliverance.

It is the nature of things that if a person has a problem of a physical nature, be it medical, economic, or otherwise, that person will be aware of the fact. By contrast, if a person has a spiritual problem, he might not be aware of it at all. Indeed, it is practically a trademark of spiritual problems that a person becomes desensitized to spiritual matters, including his own spiritual situation. Ironically, sometimes, it is only after a person manages to recover to a certain degree that he is then able to look back and realize that he initially had a problem.

The commentators point out that when a plural word is spelled without a vav at the end, it is in order to denote an element of singularity as well. This brings us to the spelling of the word “sivlos”. As we noted the first time it appears, when Hashem says, “I will take you out from under the burdens of Egypt,” the word is written without a vav – “סִבְלֹת”. The reason is because, at the time that they were being rescued, the people were only aware of being under one type of burden, namely, the physical oppression. However, the next verse, which describes Hashem having taken the people to Him as His people, culminating in the giving of the Torah, at which point they will then be able to look back from their spiritually recovered state and realize that Hashem has taken them out from both types of oppression, both physical and spiritual – hence, the word “סִבְלוֹת” is written with a vav.

The Jewish People have long since left Mitzrayim. However, this lesson, that was imparted to us upon our departure from there, was given for them to take with them, and is one well worth taking note of.

[1] Shemos 6:6-7.

[2] Be’er Yosef, Parshas Va’eira.

[3] One of the major questions regarding this matter is understanding how the subjugation in Egypt can, on the one hand, have inflicted such massive spiritual damage on the Jewish people, while, on the other hand, the entire experience was preparing them to be able to receive the Torah! It would appear that one needs to differentiate between the reconstruction that was taking place on a core level and the negative fallout that accrued on a behavioral level.

[4] See e.g. Beis Halevi Parshas Shemos.