One of the main themes of Galus Mitzrayim is the four stages or languages of Geula.
והוצאתי והצלתי וגאלתי ולקחתי
The Toshe Rebbe asks: Why is the last term, תולקחתי considered an expression of redemption? It doesn’t seem to follow the first three terms, that all express coming out of the servitude of Mitzrayim.
Additionally, the Ohr Hachayim Hakadosh asks a very powerful question regarding the fifth term used, which is והבאתי. Hashem swears that He will not only take out and save and redeem the Jews, but that He will also bring them to the land of Israel, and yet we know that most of the Jews died in the desert and never entered the land of Israel.
The Ohr Hachayim gives a profound answer that also answers the Toshe Rebbe’s question. If we look carefully, the fifth term of והבאתי is dependent on the fourth one ולקחתי אתכם לי לעם וידעתם כי .... Hashem says: I’ll take you out, and you will know that I’m the one that did so. And if the Jewish people fulfill this condition of knowing that Hashem took them out of Mitzrayim, then they will merit to be brought to the land of Israel.
Unfortunately, the Jewish people did not fulfill this condition, as is evident from comment by the Ohr Hachayim on the first pasuk in Parshas Beshalach: ויהי בשלח פרעה. The Jewish people didn’t reach the level of emuna that were supposed to; the Torah testifies that they attributed the release to Pharaoh, not fully to Hashem. Now it would be difficult to say that they really thought Pharaoh was the only one that let them out and not Hashem, but on their level, there was something missing in their emunah.
Last week, we discussed the idea of personal geulah, and that the original plan was for the Jewish people to enter the land of Israel. The fourth term of redemption, although connected to the fifth term, as explained above, is also independent. But the first three terms are dependent on the fourth one. That is to say, coming out of Mitzrayim and going through all the first three stages would have been meaningless without the fourth term. If the Jews would have been taken out and saved and redeemed but had not become the holy nation called Bnai Yisrael, then we wouldn’t have had a true redemption.
Look at the world today. Someone may have all the wealth that he can aspire to – and there are many people like this – and yet they feel more empty than ever before. This is true of all of humanity, and especially of the Jewish people. whose souls can’t survive without spiritual nourishment. May we take advantage especially of these holy weeks of Shovevim to increase our spiritual supply and merit the final redemption bimhera beyamienu.
