Page 664 - BERESHIT
P. 664
After Yaakov Avinu passed away, the Jews and Egyptians accompanied 21
him on his journey to his final resting place. The Canaanites described the
procession as the “grief of Egypt.” Wasn’t this a mistaken perception?
Am Yisrael went to Canaan with Yosef and the Egyptian army. Why
didn’t they take over the Land of Canaan? Why did they go back to
Egypt?
The Canaanites knew that the time for Am Yisrael’s conquest had not yet
come. They saw Am Yisrael accept Hashem’s Will to return to Egypt as
vassals, submitting to four hundred years of servitude. Thus they were
actually Egyptian ‘citizens’ and that is why their mourning was called
‘Egypt’s grief.’
This was a kiddush Hashem. The nations were impressed at their belief.
Their first thoughts were to do Hashem’s Will; only afterwards, did they
think about their national longings for Eretz Yisrael.
