Why Did the Israelites Go to Egypt? A Fresh Perspective

The team of archaeologists stood semicircle around the narrow crack uncovered at the edge of the chamber deep within the pyramid. "This is likely the hidden entrance to the tomb," one of them remarked. They gently tried pushing, jiggling, opening—and eventually, the ancient entrance gave way, revealing the tomb in all its glory! A massive stone sarcophagus lay at the center of the room, and on the walls were stunning paintings depicting the life of the departed pharaoh, paintings that had remained sealed and unseen for over thirty-five hundred years.

In one of the paintings, a bent man is depicted, carrying a massive clay pot on his back, reaching up to steady it. In the background, a gigantic building, perhaps signifying that the man—a slave—was part of its construction project.

That evening, as the lead researcher penned his journal, he noted: "This image brought to life the words of the Psalmist, who says, 'I removed the burden from his shoulder; his hands were freed from the basket.' The Israelites toiled in the most grueling and backbreaking labor, which made their memory of liberation so profound. Their hands no longer needed to support burdensome pots upon their backs; they were free to pursue work and Jewish mitzvot.

But why? Why did the Israelites need to descend into Egypt? The Torah provides no clear explanation. Could they have sinned so egregiously that they were punished with centuries of torment?

In the covenant of the pieces, Hashem promises Abraham that his descendants will inherit the land of Canaan. Abraham asks Hashem, "How will I know that I shall inherit it?" Then Hashem causes a deep sleep to fall upon Abraham and answers him, "Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years." The Talmud (in Nedarim 32a) interprets that because Abraham doubted Hashem's promise that his children would inherit the land, they were punished by being enslaved in Egypt. Yet, the question remains puzzling. Is it conceivable that an entire nation suffers such severe enslavement for 210 years because of one question?

The Talmud (in Taanit 27b) opens the door to understanding Abraham's question differently. It interprets Abraham's question not as a request for assurance stemming from disbelief, but as a question born out of understanding the lofty status of the Land of Israel. Abraham acknowledged the high value of the Land of Israel and realized that a nation would need great merits to hold onto it, so he asks Hashem: What merit will sustain my descendants, ensuring they are not expelled from the land? Hashem answers him—with offerings. The Yalkut Shimoni on Bereishit explains how each animal in the covenant of the pieces symbolized a different offering that the Israelites would later bring.

This interpretation from the Talmud in Taanit opens a path to understanding the purpose behind Israel's descent into Egypt. Now we know that Hashem's reply to Abraham about the merit keeping the Israelites in the land lies in the covenant of the pieces—the significance of sacrifices—and the bondage in Egypt. Let us set aside the importance of sacrifices for another discussion, and focus on the Egyptian bondage and how it aids in inheriting the land.

In Parashat Kedoshim (Leviticus 20: 22), the character of the Land of Israel is described thus: "Therefore you shall keep all my statutes and all my judgments, and do them: that the land, to which I bring you to dwell therein, will not vomit you out." This verse explains that if the Israelites do not uphold the Torah, the land will expel them.

"You shall not walk in the statutes of the nation, which I cast out before you; for they commit all these things, and therefore I abhor them" (ibid. 20: 23). This verse clarifies that the reason the Canaanites lose the land is not because it belongs inherently to the Jews, but due to their sins, as the Land of Israel does not tolerate behavior not consecrated to the service of Hashem.

"I said unto you, you shall inherit their land, and I will give it unto you to possess it, a land flowing with milk and honey: I am the Lord your God, who has separated you from the peoples" (ibid. 20: 24). This verse highlights what distinguishes the Israelites from the Canaanites—the separation by Hashem, and it is this difference that allows them to inherit the land.

Thus, we have a holy land, a land that does not endure a common people living it as any nation would, but a sacred, unique people committed to sanctity, practicing justice, and prioritizing the service of Hashem. This is no trivial matter. Such a people must understand well the transience of life in this world. If a nation does not grasp this, how can it prioritize divine service? It may put riches first, create a strong army, build great walled cities, and for these ends, it might corrupt its ways and forget its purpose... In the Land of Israel, it demands a people who reside there like strangers, aware of the temporary nature of their stay abroad, avoiding excessive construction of homes and vineyards. Such a people living in the Land of Israel in the consciousness that their time in this world is brief, can resist the temptation to govern their land as if they will live there eternally and dedicate themselves to complete and truthful divine service. This is precisely what the bondage imparted to the Israelites.

After residing as sojourners for 210 years and laboring under harsh conditions of bricks and straw, a powerful sense of alienation was instilled deep within the heart of the nation—a feeling that persists until today, especially after 2000 years of exile. This sense has led the Jewish people, after millennia in foreign lands, not to assimilate into the surrounding cultures but to preserve their distinct identity and continuously remember that this world is temporary. Indeed, archaeological findings exhibit a notable decline in building and art following the Israelites' entry into the land. The explanation is simple: a people living like strangers in their land invest most of their energy and time in serving Hashem, not seeking wealth but focusing on fulfilling their purpose and calling in the world.