Danny Ginsbourg: Jacob Descending to Egypt

 Why does descending to Egypt frighten Jacob?

A selection of commentators weigh in on this troubling question and their psychologically enlightening answers.

We read in our Parasha, that after receiving the joyous tidings that his beloved son Yosef was alive, Yaakov Avinu said:’I shall go and see him before I die. So Israel set out..he came to Be’er Sheba where he offered sacrifices to the G-d of his father Yitzchak’.

Ask the parshanim: Why did Yaakov make his offering to ‘the G-d of Yitzchak’, and not to ‘the G-d of Avraham and Yitzchak’?

Answers the Be’er Mayim Chaim:’His intent was to seek permission from Hashem to descend to Egypt, as this had been forbidden to his father Yitzchak.’

We read Hashem’s answer:’I am the G-d - G-d of your father. Have no fear of descending to Egypt, for I shall establish you as a great nation there. I shall descend with you to Egypt, and I shall also surely bring you up; and Yosef shall place his hand on your eye. So Yaakov’ and all his family and all their possessions ‘came to Egypt’.

Our Sages, commenting on Hashem’s reassurance, expound: ‘You do not tell someone ‘have no fear’, unless he is fearful’.

What was Yaakov Avinu’s fear, as to descending to Egypt?

Answers the Abarbanel:’From the words of Hashem’s reassurance, we learn that Yaakov was fearful that Bnei Israel would be decimated by the Egyptians; and further, that as Egypt was full of idolatory, Hashem’s השגחה: providence would not be with him in Egypt, as it was in the Land; he was also fearful that he might die there, and not be buried with his holy ancestors, in their burial place in Hebron; additionally, that Yosef should predecease him, and that he would be alone in Egypt, in his mourning.

‘Hashem reassured him against each of these four concerns:

As to the first, saying that he would merit to become ‘a great nation there’.

As to the second, that He, Hashem, would ‘descend with’ him ‘there’.

As to the third, that he would not be buried in Egypt, but that Hashem would ‘surely bring’ him ‘up’, to be buried with his ancestors.

And, finally, as to the fourth concern, Hashem assured him that he would not predecease Yosef, but that his beloved son would attend to him when the time arrived for Yaakov to depart this life arrived, and would ‘place his hand on’ his ‘eyes’’.

The Netivot Shalom expands on the major concerns of Yaakov, from descending to Egypt. He asks rhetorically: ‘What was the great fear of Yaakov? If it was the decree of the subjugation and suffering decreed in Egypt, how does Hashem’s answer, that they ould become ‘a great nation there’, allay this fear?

‘Answer: Only ‘there’ דווקא: specifically, can this occur! Only in that furnace of iron, can your people become ‘a great nation’.

‘If it is your wish that they indeed become ‘a great nation’, it can only be achieved through their ‘purification’ ‘there’- only this can enable them to become ‘a great nation’, a greatness which is not measured by their numbers- the world is populated by countless numbers of people - but by they meriting to become Hashem’s chosen people.

‘We can further say, that Yaakov’s fear was not of the subjugation and suffering of his people ‘in a land not theirs’, as he accepted the decree that this be their fate, in the Covenant of the Halves.

‘However, when Yaakov heard that the place of the exile of his people was Egypt, he became very fearful, Egypt being known as the most venal and Idolatrous of all places.

‘This is why, in His reassurance, Hashem specifically said to Yaakov:’Have no fear of descending TO EGYPT’, because ‘I shall also descend with you to Egypt’’.

Rav David Hofstedter adds a beautiful insight as to the need for Bnei Israel to endure their subjugation in Egypt, to enable them to rise and emerge as ‘Hashem’s people’.

He notes an intriguing passage, in the Haggadah of Pesach:It recites that ‘Hashem took Avraham your Father..’, and continues ‘and now He has brought us closer to His service’, and concludes:’And Yaakov and his sons descended to Egypt’.

He ponders: ‘But the passage as to the descent of Yaakov and his sons does not allude to coming closer to the service of Hashem?!

‘The answer is, that when we reflect on the exile to Egypt, we realize that it was not ‘simply’ a punishment, but rather an end in itself; as the Malnim writes: ‘Egypt was the purifying furnace of iron, to remove all the impurities of Bnei Israel, by the harshness of theit affliction; and only by dint of this process, did they become Hashem’s people’.

‘This is why the Haggadah relates that ‘Yaakov and his sons descended to Egypt’, as a necessary step to ‘Hashem bringing us closer to His service’’

Rav Zalman Sorotzkin offers a different explanation as to why Yaakov came to Be’er Sheva, and made his offering there ‘to the G-d of his father Yitzchak:’He did so, in the fervent hope, that he w ould receive the same answer as his father Yitzchak had received from Hashem: ‘do not descend to Egypt’.

‘However, as the time had now arrived for Bnei Israel to fulfill the decree of exile, Yaakov was commanded:’Have no fear of descending to Egypt’’.

The Alshich Hakadosh adduces another compelling reason, as to why Yaakov had to descend to Egypt:’True, as we read, that Hashem reassured Yaakov, that He ‘shall descend with’ Bnei Israel, ‘to Egypt’. However, a pre-requisite for the shechina to ‘reside’ in a place, is that there should there be a person worthy to be מרכבה לשכינה: a ‘carriage’ for the shechina.

‘This is why, Hashem, in stating that He would descend to Egypt, specified ‘with you’: with Yaakov, as there was no one else in Egypt, who merired being ‘a chariot forbthe Shechina’.

‘True, the righteous Yosef was there, but he was not yet of the stature necessary to be a ‘chariot for the shechina’ - only Yaakov merited this.

‘If you then ask: How then will Bnei Israel merit the latter part of this promise:’I shall surely bring you up’, that the shechina would also be with them throughout their exile, and ascend from Egypt with them- how would this be possible after the death of Yaakov?

‘The answer: Yosef would grow in stature, from the years of being in the presence of Yaakov in Egypt, and thus, merit to be ‘a chariot for the shechina’ once Yaakov departed.’

A parting consolation from the Recanati:’The concluding words of Hashem’s reassurance to Yaakov:’And I shall also surely bring you up’, is a promise that, when the shechina ascends from its ‘sojourn’ in Egypt, Bnei Israel will ascend with it, because they are bound together with it.

‘The descent of the shechina to exile in Egypt with Bnei Israel, is, in itself, the reason for their redemption.

‘This is Hashem’s promise to Yaakov: ‘I shall descend with you to Egypt, and I shall surely bring you up’- even if Bnei Israel are not worthy in the,selves to be redeemed, nevertheless, so that there should not be a חילול ה׳: a desecration of Hashem’s Name, Bnei Israel will then be redeemed.’