The Passover Haggadah elaborates on this verse, and asserts that Yaakov descended to Egypt against his will: “‘He went down to Egypt’—forced by Divine decree.”
This statement is somewhat perplexing. Yaakov, as we know, was devoted to G-d with all his being. If he knew that G-d desired he move to Egypt, how could he hesitate to oblige? Moreover, G-d had assured him, “I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will bring you up—you will also ascend.” This made it clear that the descent to Egypt was only temporary, and that the heights he would reach because of it would be extraordinary. With a future so promising, Yaakov should have been thrilled to make the trip! Why does the Haggadah say that he felt forced?
Although Yaakov was happy to do G-d’s bidding, his descent to the debased environment of Egypt was a constant source of angst. Despite the benefit that his move would ultimately yield, Yaakov never made peace with the enormous spiritual risk it posed to him and his family. Even if its impact would be temporary, he was perpetually uncomfortable, “reluctant” as it were, to be in the Egyptian environment. It was this discomfort, however, that ensured that his children were not entirely consumed by their surroundings, and the purpose of their exile was ultimately realized.
We, too, are destined by Divine Providence to be at times in situations and environments that are devoid of holiness. Like our ancestor Yaakov, we must recognize the Divine mission that we have been assigned, and happily devote ourselves to infusing our surroundings with holiness and meaning. Nevertheless, in order to successfully elevate our surroundings while ensuring that the environment does not negatively influence us, we must keep in mind that such surroundings constitutes a “descent to Egypt,” a place where a Jew is inherently uncomfortable, and only because Divine decree has compelled us to be.
—Likkutei Sichos, vol. 4, pp. 1218–1220
