Parashat Shemot (Exodus 1:1 - 6:1)
“So they set taskmasters over them to oppress them with forced labor; and they built garrison cities for Pharaoh: Pithom and Ramses.” - Exodus 1:11
The opening pages of Shemot, the Book of Exodus, is a montage of events that thrust the Tribes of Israel into tumult and pain, quietly set in motion with the death of Joseph the son of Jacob. Though he had served as prime minister of Egypt—second only to the pharaoh—for eighty years, the nation’s regard for Joseph and his people began to slowly erode. The values and most of all, their sense of destiny faded. The promises and warnings spoken by God to their ancestor Avraham no longer rang in their ears:
Know well that your offspring shall be strangers in a land not theirs, and they shall be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years; but I will execute judgment on the nation they shall serve, and in the end they shall go free with great wealth. - Genesis 15:13-14
In those short years after Joseph’s death, the Children of Israel built homes, raised families, dined on leeks, garlic and a fava bean dip called ful, still enjoyed today in Cairo cafes. (see the Talmud - Megillah 16b). Some Israelites would assimilate, becoming model citizens of their adopted home. The warnings of harsh servitude to come were buried by the comforts of life.
Only twenty-three years later, with the passing of Levi, the last surviving son of Jacob, the influence of the Jacob’s immediate family slip away. In just twenty-three years, the memory of Joseph’s achievements was a whisper. In addition to saving the populace from starvation, he greatly increased the nation’s wealth. Through the efforts of Joseph, Egypt had grown into a world power. The catalyst for this reversal of fortune is recorded plainly in Exodus 1:8-10:
A new king arose over Egypt who did not know Joseph.
And he said to his people, “Look, the Israelite people are much too numerous for us. Let us deal shrewdly with them, so that they may not increase; otherwise in the event of war they may join our enemies in fighting against us and rise from the ground.”
There is an allusion that speaks of how these events unfolded both rapidly and unexpectedly and it's found in the format of the written text in Parashat Vayechi which concludes the book of Genesis. The Torah portion is referred to as "closed" because it does not have an open separation between it and the previous portion. The “closed” aspect is revealed in the account of Jacob’s death. His eyes were closed to certain prophecies about the future of his people and the eyes of his descendants would be closed to the horrors of slavery. The onset of the latter came so rapidly that they literally didn’t see it coming.
There are a variety of additional insights as to why a new pharaoh would usher in such drastic measures. I survey those other opinions in a previous blog, “Forgetting Joseph” and it seems that all the reasons could apply.
Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch offers a very reasonable scenario, explaining how the new pharaoh had never heard of Joseph or his achievements, explaining that the language, in the above verse suggests that the new king was part of a foreign invasion that overthrew the previous dynasty. Egypt was suddenly under the thumb of an aggressive, despot who trafficked in deceit to undermine the Children of Israel. His world view was the polar opposite of Joseph who possessed rare qualities as prime minister. Overall, his leadership was characterized by faith in God, humility, foresight and compassion, qualities that align with the Torah's teachings and still serve as a model for contemporary heads of state.
The ambitions of the new pharaoh were, at first, somewhat limited by Egyptian morality. For whatever philosophic failings we attribute to the Egyptians of that era, historians are consistent in their opinion that, whether they worshiped one god or many, the Egyptians were a religious people. Rav Hirsch points out that the esteem for the Children of Israel was based on their collective kindness and moral integrity. Their character was such that the new Egyptian ruler would suffer a public relations disaster if he attempted to imprison the Israelites. In other words, they were law-abiding citizens.
The pharaoh had to resort to trickery to enslave Israel. That trait is seen by separating the word “pharaoh” into two words, peh rah, which alludes to a soft mouth.
The size of Egypt in relationship to its neighbors was impressive. It was protected from invasion by natural borders such as the sprawling Western Desert, the Mediterranean on the North, the Reed Sea due East and in the South, the mountains of Cush (Ethiopia) but the Northeastern border was wide open and vulnerable. Thus, the king decided to turn Pitom and Rameses into great walled garrisons, housing supplies and personnel. Pharaoh enticed the Israelites to join him in a patriotic project to enhance and expand the defense of the northeaster frontier. Rashi, commenting on on Exodus 1:11:5, reveals that Pitom and Rameses already existed but the king’s building project would renovate and fortify the sites.
Sources such as Yalkut Shimoni tells us that Pharaoh invited the Israelites to join him and the Egyptians to the first day of his national works scheme. The king arrived wearing a ceremonial brick mold around his neck, made of gold. He fashioned the first brick, then another, even stacking his handiwork. The implication was clear; no one would shy away from such a lowly task if the king could humble himself for the good of the nation. The Israelites, driven by patriotic fervor, did their best to make as many bricks as possible and outproduced the Egyptians. From that day forward, the Tribes of Israel were strongly encouraged to meet the same tally of bricks, except for the Tribe of Levi who were already considered a priesthood and like all of the priestly class in Egypt were exempt.
Soon, overseers were set over the Israelites while the remaining Egyptian volunteers slipped away. This eventually led to stringent policing of Israel. Another measure added severe taxation, forcing them into debt. The only way they could reduce their financial obligation was to continue working.
The walls of these sites towered over the workers. In Exodus 1:11, the text describes the city-garrsion as miskanot. According to Tractate Sota, in the Talmud, the word is derived from the sakan which denotes danger but miskanot can also mean poor, revealing pharaoh's intent to impoverish Israel. Da'at Zekenim reveals that the site called Pithom was given that name because it was built near a hazard characterized as an abyss that threatened to swallow up the workers. This is consistent with details found in the oral tradition regarding the dangers of building these garrisons. It was said that the lofty nature of the walls along with the sandy soil (in the eastern edge of the soft earth of the Delta)made for an unstable foundation. The walls would often collapse overnight, something that occurred with frequency.
The Israelites faced the daily Sisyphean task of raising the walls all over again.
Years ago, I visited an archaeological site called Tell el-Maskhuta which may actually be the remains of one of the Biblical store cities. I met briefly with an Egyptian archaeologist who also happened to be part of the Coptic religion, which holds the story of the Exodus as true and he believed that the site may have been Pitom. He told me that funding the dig was almost impossible because the the local antiquities authority was in no hurry to identify anything that would support the narrative that the Israelites were slaves in Egypt.
Another aspect of this site that we should consider is that the Egyptian name is similar to the Torah’s descriptive word for the store cities being called miskanot. The ruins and nearby sites have been extensively excavated and considered by some scholars to have been Per-Tem, the ancient name for Pitom.
Much of the area, including the fabled Way of Horus was a military route used during the ancient Egyptian military campaigns enabling the pharaohs to send military expeditions into the Levant and beyond, either for trade, diplomacy, or warfare. Numerous archaeological ruins have been discovered including military outposts and towns established to guard the route. Many of these sites have yielded the ruins of sizeable walled fortresses that underscore the similarities we see in these ruins and the Torah account. I would even include ancient Tjaru and Qantara, as viable candidates for strategic locations such as Pitom and Rameses.
I hope the reader will consider the reality of the Exodus account in Parashat Shemot and the events that ushered in the era of Israel’s enslavement. In the on-line People’s Talmud, there is a discussion from the Haggadah that says that, “Each Jew must see him or herself as if they had personally come out of Egypt characterizing this coming out as a work-in-process that began in Egypt but actually is not completed until the Moshiach arrives. Each Jew is expected to discover his or her role in this process according to the specific needs of their generation.”
From a spiritual perspective, the cities of Pithom and Rameses symbolize the Exile and the shaky foundations of ancient Egypt's materialism and immorality. Laboring to raise the stores cities represents challenges we all face, maintaining faith and our connection to God in the midst of our enemies. B'esrat HaShem, we are approaching an era when the Jewish People will lead us out of the darkness of Egypt and instead of store cities for Pharaoh, they will build a House of Prayer for All nations. Shabbat Shalom
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