Sfas Emes on the Burdens of Mizrayim:
"Wherefore say unto the children of Israel: I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm, and with great judgments." We normally translate the verse to say that Hashem saved the Israelites from the סִבְלֹת of Egypt as the "burdens" of Egypt.
However, the verb לסבל can also mean " to tolerate, to put up with, to have patience for."
The S'fas Emes, second Grand Rabbi of Ger, says that the problem of the Israelites was that, prior to their enslavement, they had gotten comfortable with their lives in Egypt. They did not find the impurity and avodah zara of Egypt to be an intolerable abomination for them.
Sfas Emes on the Burdens of Mizrayim:
for Pesach 2018
Dr. Yisroel Susskind
Exodus 6:6-7
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ו לָכֵן אֱמֹר לִבְנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֲנִי יְהוָה, וְהוֹצֵאתִי אֶתְכֶם מִתַּחַת סִבְלֹת
מִצְרַיִם, וְהִצַּלְתִּי אֶתְכֶם מֵעֲבֹדָתָם; וְגָאַלְתִּי אֶתְכֶם בִּזְרוֹעַ נְטוּיָה, וּבִשְׁפָטִים גְּדֹלִים.
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ז וְלָקַחְתִּי אֶתְכֶם לִי לְעָם, וְהָיִיתִי לָכֶם לֵאלֹהִים; וִידַעְתֶּם, כִּי אֲנִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, הַמּוֹצִיא אֶתְכֶם, מִתַּחַת סִבְלוֹת מִצְרָיִם.
Wherefore say unto the children of Israel: I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the
burdens
of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm, and with great judgments;
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We normally translate the verse to say that Hashem saved the Israelites from the סִבְלֹת of Egypt as the "burdens" of Egypt.
However, the verb לסבל can also mean " to tolerate, to put up with, to have patience for."
The S'fas Emes, second Grand Rabbi of Ger, says that the problem of the Israelites was that, prior to their enslavement, they had gotten comfortable with their lives in Egypt. They did not find the impurity and avodah zara of Egypt to be an intolerable abomination for them.
Anubis was the Egyptian god of the dead
So Hashem saved them from assimilating by making their lives in Egypt intolerable. Thus Hashem says, "I will bring you out from under the tolerating of the Egyptians." [See S'fas Emes, on Va'era, Exodus 6:6-7 , pages 27-29 ( י"ד-ט"ו).]
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The message to us is that Hashem wants it to be intolerable for us to put up with impurity, immorality, injustice and a life that is mindless about Hashem. Our task is to be conscious about nurturing our relationship with Hashem. Further, some of us have learned to be complacent and to accept life situations that deprive us of Joy; some of these situations involve our family life, while others take place at work. Torah commands us to create Joy in our lives.
Micah (6:8) explains
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ח הִגִּיד לְךָ אָדָם, מַה-טּוֹב; וּמָה-יְהוָה דּוֹרֵשׁ מִמְּךָ, כִּי אִם-עֲשׂוֹת מִשְׁפָּט וְאַהֲבַת חֶסֶד, וְהַצְנֵעַ לֶכֶת, עִם-אֱלֹהֶיךָ.
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8 It hath been told thee, O man, what is good, and what Hashem requires of you: only to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.
May it be that we walk beside Hashem so that we see Him "Walk the Ultimate Walk" by ushering in the Redemption, NOW.
My thanks to Rabbi Avi Engel of Ger who taught me this vort.
Dr. Yisroel Susskind is a clinical
psychologist (Ph.D., Yale, 1969) who practices locally (in Monsey, New York) and internationally (over the telephone and computer). He lectures worldwide on topics involving Torah, psychology, marriage and interpersonal relationships. He can be reached via email (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) or by phone 845-304-5481.
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