This week’s parashah, Shemot (Ex. 1:1 – 6:1) begins the
story of the oppression of the Israelite people in Egypt and how God redeemed
them from Egyptian slavery to become a covenant people to God. By chapter 2 we will learn of the birth of
Moses and how God chose him to free the people from Pharaoh’s tyranny and lead
them to the wilderness. But first, in
chapter 1, the story picks up where it left off, with the death of Joseph. Joseph died, as did his brothers and all that
generation, but their offspring multiplied greatly, filling the land. Then a new Pharaoh ruled Egypt, one who did
not know Joseph and what he had done for Egypt, and, frightened by the
Israelite population explosion, pressed them into forced labor.
These few verses come to teach us two things: First, the
majority population of a place can be easily coerced to feel threatened by an
increase in the numbers of a minority.
Although the Israelites were still a tiny percentage of the Egyptian
people, Pharaoh reasoned that Israel might pose a military threat to Egypt by
siding with Egypt’s enemies, and the Egyptian people readily agreed. Second, political situations change quickly,
and memories are short. Jacob and his
sons were heartily welcomed to Egypt as honored guests, but all it took was a
new ruler to turn the Egyptians from hosts to oppressors.
