Parshas HaChodesh 5631 Second Ma'amar

The Purpose of Exile

The Sfas Emes’s Approach to Life’s Challenges

Chazal[1] relate a story about the Tanna, Rebbi Elazar ben Arach.  After the destruction of the second Beis HaMikdash, Rebbi Elazar ben Arach went to a certain city expecting his students to follow him. They didn’t. Alone in a city known for its decadence, he forgot his Torah learning. When he had the opportunity to read from a Torah, instead of reading, “הַחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה לָכֶם/This month is for you,” (Shmos 12:2) he read, “הַחֵרֵשׁ הָיָה לִבָּם/Their hearts were deaf”, a seemingly innocuous mistake.  The Chiddushei HaRim[2], however, understands that this was not an innocuous mistake.  The mistake was actually a hint to Rebbi Elazar to leave the city.

The Chiddushei HaRim understands this from a Midrash[3] which implies that the leaders of Israel have the power to lead the people and steer them onto the right path.  If instead they allow themselves to be led by the people, they fall.  Rebbi Elazar understood the words that he mistakenly said as applying to the inhabitants of the city of his exile.  He understood that he would not be able to improve them, would be drawn after their evil ways and should therefore leave.  

The Sfas Emes gives another interpretation to this story.  The new moon/month symbolizes renewal.  The Hebrew words for “month” and “new” are the same, חֹדֶשׁ and חָדָשׁ, respectively.  In order to experience the light of renewal, “הַחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה לָכֶם/This month is for you,” the Sfas Emes explains, we first must experience the darkness of deafness, represented by, “הַחֵרֵשׁ הָיָה לִבָּם/Their hearts were deaf”.

We could only experience God’s revelation at the redemption from Egypt after having first experienced the darkness of His concealment in the exile.  In fact, we define exile and redemption as God’s concealment and revelation respectively.  The redemption is simply a removal of the screen that hides God.  We merited this renewal of our relationship with God by first living through and bearing His concealment.

This idea underlies the need for the four kingdoms[4] – Babylon, Medes, Greece and Rome – before the final redemption.  Each of the four kingdoms is a rectification for an aspect or aspects of God’s concealment.  A complete rectification will manifest at the ultimate redemption as, “מַלְכוּתְךָ מַלְכוּת כָּל־עֹלָמִים .../Your kingdom is a kingdom spanning all worlds …” (Tehillim 145:14), the culmination of the historical process.

Rebbi Elazar ben Arach went to the city knowing that the inhabitants were on a low spiritual level.  He wanted to experience an atmosphere of God’s concealment so that subsequently he could find a renewed revelation.

The Zohar[5] as well teaches us that purity implies a preceding period of impurity.  Attaining purity from a state of impurity means that the mask hiding God is removed.  This idea is related in Chazal’s understanding of the following pasuk, “מִי־יִתֵּן טָהוֹר מִטָּמֵא לֹא אֶחָד/Who can produce purity from impurity?  No one!” (Iyov 14:4)  The Midrash[6] translates this pasuk as, “Who produces purity from impurity?  Is it not the One?”  Impurity does not have an autonomous existence.  Impurity is a screen that hides purity.  God produces purity from impurity by removing the screen that hides Himself.

We can only experience God's revelation by subordinating ourselves to Him.  This is also symbolized by the ashes of the red heifer.  The ashes represent our own subordination.  We only attain purity when we are sprinkled with the ashes of the red heifer.  When we subordinate ourselves and our own desires to God, we “connect” to Him and attain a state of purity.

When purity is reached we are open to a renewed relationship with God.  This is the meaning of the pasuk, “לֵב טָהוֹר בְּרָא־לִי אֱ־לֹהִים וְרוַּח נָכוֹן חַדֵּשׁ בְּקִרְבִּי/Create a pure heart for me, Lord, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” (Tehillim 51:12)  First David HaMelech asks God for purity - revelation.  This naturally leads to a desire for renewal.

This is why Parshas Para representing attainment of purity from an impure state precedes Parshas HaChodesh which represents spiritual renewal.  May we merit it!

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[1]Shabbos 147b

[2]Sefer HaZchus Shlach s.f. Slach lecha

[3]Shmos R. 27:9

[4] For a detailed discussion of the four kingdoms as described in the Book of Daniel, see Maharal’s Ner Mitzvah.

[5]Zohar 2:69b

[6]Bamidbar R. 19:1

Mas'ei 5634 First Ma'amar

The Midrash[1] on this week’s parsha states a Halacha regarding cities of refuge.  Beis Din is required to post signs so that people who have killed know how to reach the cities.  The Midrash cites a pasuk regarding this, “טוב וישר ה׳ על כן יורה חטאים בדרך/Good and upright is God; He therefore guides sinners on the way.” (Tehillim 25:8) 

The Hebrew word for sinners is חוטאים.  Why does the pasuk use the word חטאים/sins instead?  In fact, Chazal note this in another pasuk in Tehillim (104:35), “יתמו חטאים מן הארץ .../Sinners will cease from the land …”  The Talmud[2] relates that Rebbi Meir lived in a rough neighborhood. Thugs bothered him and he prayed for their demise.  His wife Bruria castigated him saying that he should instead pray that they repent because the pasuk does not call for the demise of the sinners, rather for the end of sin – Sins will cease from the land.  Clearly, our pasuk as well is referring to sins and not sinners.  But what, then, is the meaning of our pasuk.  In what way does God guide sins?  Are sins entities that can be guided?

Chazal[3] teach us that when one sins, a spiritual entity is created that works to that person’s detriment.  Punishment for sin is not only because a person rebelled against God.  Punishment is a direct consequence of the sin.  The sin causes the punishment, through the spiritual entity it creates, in a very real and direct way.  Therefore, even when there is no rebellion against God such as when a person commits a sin unwittingly, that sin still needs rectification to get rid of the spiritual entity created by the sin.  This is the reason that a person who kills someone without intent is exiled.  Exile is the rectification for the sin of killing without intent.

Why is exile the rectification for killing without intent?  The Chiddushei HaRim explains.  An exile recognizes that he has no place to be.  A person who killed someone, essentially, removed him from this world.  As a result that person is punished by losing his place in this world as well.  If the person killed with intent, he is killed.  If he killed without intent, he is exiled.  Exile is also a form of removing the exile from his place.  Paradoxically, when a person realizes what he did to another person and comes to the conclusion that he, as well, has lost his privilege to a place in this world, God’s grants him a place albeit in exile.

Rav Moshe Cordeveiro in his work Tomer Devorah[4] states that nothing can exist without shefa from God.  How then does the spiritual entity that the sin created exist?  God can say to the spiritual entity to go to the one who created it and live off him.  This would cause incredible suffering for that person.  Instead, God, in his great kindness, gives shefa to the spiritual entity created by the sin allowing the sinner time to repent.  This is the meaning of our pasuk, “... יורה חטאים בדרך .../… He guides ‘sins’ on the way …”  May we merit using the space God has given us to rectify our sins and return to Him.  Amen!

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[1] Bamidbar R. 23:13

[2] Brachos 10a

[3] Avos 4:11

[4] Tomer Devorah Chapter 1, ד"ה הב' – נושא עון.  He explains that this is the meaning of נושא עון/carrying sin.  God in his mercy carries the sin so that the sinner is not destroyed by it thereby giving him a chance to repent.

Shemos 5631 Third Ma'amar

“... וְאָמַרְתִּי לָהֶם אֱ-לֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵיכֶם שְׁלָחַנִי אֲלֵיכֶם וְאָמְרוּ-לִי מַה-שְּׁמוֹ מָה אֹמַר אֲלֵהֶם/… and I will say to them, ‘The God of your forefathers sent me to you,’ and they will ask me, ‘What is His name,’ what shall I say to them?” Why did Moshe Rabbeinu think they would ask God’s name? Why would this be important? What is the significance of knowing His name?

The Sfas Emes explains that God’s name symbolizes His revelation in this world. During exile we say that the glory of His name is concealed. Redemption means that the glory of His name is revealed. His Providence is clearly apparent to all. In a time of redemption everyone understands that exile is simple a shell preventing us from experiencing God’s presence. The Zohar makes this point when it says that Shabbos is the name of God. Shabbos is that aspect of Creation that represents an uplifting of everything towards its spiritual source. The ultimate spiritual source of everything is God Himself. God is thus more “revealed,” – it is easier to be aware of His presence – on Shabbos. Shabbos, then, is the name of God because His name represents His revelation.

In reality, though, God does not change. There is a higher level of faith whereby one’s recognition and awareness of God are not affected by external circumstances. Moshe Rabbeinu was on this level. During the exile, the nation of Israel was not.
According to this, the significance of the question, “What is His name?” is, “Where do we see the revelation of God in the exile?” God’s answer is that His name is, “אֶהְיֶה/I will be.” God says that although now, in the exile, His presence is hidden, the exile specifically because of its darkness, causes a greater revelation later. Even the Egyptians will recognize that God is in charge.

After the redemption, the nation reached the higher level of faith. We find in Shiras HaYam, “ה' אִישׁ מִלְחָמָה ה' שְׁמוֹ/God is master of war, God is His name.” At the time of redemption there is clear recognition that, “God is His name.” They are one and the same. Significantly the name of God used here is the Tetragrammaton, which means that God is beyond time – He does not change. When He reveals Himself, it becomes clear that the God who is revealed – represented by His name – is the same as the God that was hidden before.

Certainly, before the redemption, the nation of Israel was not on this level of faith, hence the question, “What is His name?” Moshe understands this when he says to God, “וְהֵן לֹא-יַאֲמִינוּ .../They will not believe.” Even though the pasuk relates subsequently that they did believe, Moshe Rabbeinu was not mistaken. The nation believed the signs that Moshe showed them. They believed that the redemption was at hand. They were on a certain level of faith. This, however, is not what Moshe Rabbeinu was referring to. Moshe Rabbeinu was referring to the total and complete faith that God is present in the exile exactly as He is present in redemption. Moshe Rabbeinu was saying that they were not on his level of faith, the faith of knowing that God is here the way we believe in what we actually see with our eyes. Moshe Rabbeinu knew that he would not be able to make them understand that God is present in the exile the same way He is present in the redemption. After the redemption, though, the pasuk testifies that the nation reached this level, “וַיַאֲמִינוּ בַה'/They believed in God.”

According to this we can understand the three signs that God sent Moshe Rabbeinu to show the nation. After each of the first two signs, God says to Moshe that He is giving another sign in case the nation does not believe the previous one. Isn’t this strange? God obviously knows beforehand whether the nation will believe or not. Why did He not simply send Moshe Rabbeinu the sign that He knew would be effective? The explanation according to what we have said, is that there are levels of belief. The highest level is the level of Moshe Rabbeinu, the level akin to seeing something with our own eyes. It is possible, though, to start at a lower level and work up to a higher level. The three signs represented this process. Each subsequent sign represented a higher level of faith than the previous sign.

At the level of faith that Moshe Rabbeinu reached, the surrounding exile and darkness is recognized for what it really is. It is an illusion that God created. It is not reality. The Sfas Emes teaches us that built into Shabbos is a spiritual enlightenment which allows us to experience this, to some extent. Significantly, the chapter in Tehillim that describes Shabbos states clearly that even though we see evildoers succeeding, this is not truth. This is not reality. This is an external illusion. That which gives life and existence to everything, even to the evildoers, is only God. May we merit seeing God in everything both redemption and exile and may we merit redemption this year! AMEN.

Bo 5631 First Ma'amar

The Chidushei HaRim asks why it was necessary for God to bring specifically ten plagues upon the Egyptians. God could have accomplished His purpose with any number of plagues or with no plagues at all. Why ten? The Chidushei HaRim answers that the ten plagues removed God’s concealment from the ten commands with which the world was created and changed them fromעשרה מאמרות/ten commands to עשרת הדברות/ten commandments.

The Sfas Emes explains this enigmatic answer. God created the world withעשרה מאמרות/ten commands. These are stated clearly in the first chapter of Breishis. God constructed the Creation mechanism so that when He uttered the words of creation, the words themselves gave their creations existence. So, for example, when God said, “יהי אור/Let there be light,” those words gave existence to light. The life force behind everything in this world is those letters in the beginning of the Torah which describe the Creation. The letters are the means through which God extends His Will to create and continue the existence of the entire creation. This is a crucial concept. The Creation was not a one time act. It is a continuous.

Looking around us, though, it is not clear at all that the life force that gives everything existence is in the letters of these very commands. In fact, it is not obvious that there is a spiritual life force at all. The Godly life force in Creation is hidden. The purpose of the plagues that God wrought upon Egypt was to clearly reveal that the physical Creation owes its continuing existence to a Godly life force. It was to make it known that there is more to the world around us than our eyes perceive. Each plague revealed God in one aspect of the creation. Each plague removed a barrier preventing us from being aware of God in that aspect of nature referred to in one Creation מאמר/command. This is why God brought ten plagues upon the Egyptians; one plague for each of the ten commands by which God created the world.

What does the Chidushei HaRim mean, though, when he says that each מאמר/command changed to a דבור/utterance? The Chidushei HaRim is using a play on words. Although in Hebrew the root דבר/DBR means speech, in Aramaic it means leader. The Zohar uses this same play on words when it explains, “ודברת בם/You will speak about them.” The Zohar explains this as, “You will guide your actions according to the word of God.” דבור/Leadership symbolizes the revelation of God in the world. In the exile God’s truth is hidden. The Zohar describes this as the aspect of דבור/leadership being in exile.

We find this concept regarding Moshe Rabeinu’s speech impediment. When God asked Moshe Rabeinu to return to Egypt to speak to Pharaoh and begin the redemption process, he responds, “לא איש דברים אנכי/I am not a man of words.” When the Torah was given, however, the pasuk says, “אלה הדברים אשר דבר משה .../These are the words that Moshe spoke …” How did Moshe change from a man with a speech impediment to one who could speak and explain the entire Torah to the nation? The Midrash teaches us that after he merited receiving the Torah he was healed. In the exile Moshe Rabeinu was not a man of words. Moshe Rabeinu understood that in the exile God’s influence was far from apparent. But at the giving of the Torah, God’s leadership was clear for all to see. It follows that Moshe Rabeinu’s speech impediment, which symbolized God’s concealment, was healed.

As we’ve said, the ten plagues removed God’s concealment from theעשרה מאמרות/ten commands with which the world was created. As we and the Egyptians became more aware of God with each plague, each aspect of nature represented by one of the ten commands was changed to an aspect of God’s דבור/leadership. Finally, they were aware of God in all aspects of nature. This is why the Chidushei HaRim said that the ten commands which created the world changed to עשרת הדברות/ten aspects of (God’s) leadership.

Va'Eira 5631 Second Ma'amar

Why must we sometimes endure exile, distress and troubles? The fundamental reason for all exile on a national level and distress and troubles for each of us individually is so that we will recognize that it is God who is in control, not us. If we do not appreciate Him when things are going well for us, His answer is to hide from us and let us fend for ourselves, in a manner of speaking. Then, when things start to fall apart, we realize just how much we need Him. The Chidushei HaRim says that if a person would know for sure that God is the source of everything that happens, there would be no reason to conceal His presence.

We find this concept in the p’sukim at the beginning of this week’s parsha. After God asks Moshe to tell the children of Israel that He will take them out of Egyptian bondage, redeem them and take them unto Him as a nation, He promises, “... וידעתם כי אני ה' אלקיכם המוציא אתכם מתחת סבלות מצרים/… You shall know that I am God, your Lord Who is extracting you from under the oppression of Egypt.” By the end of the Exodus it would be obvious that God orchestrated it.

The exile and exodus from Egypt is a lesson for all generations and for each of us on a personal level. When we realize that everything that happens to us is orchestrated by God, then the reason for the tribulations is removed and there is a redemption of sorts, reminiscent of our redemption from Egypt. It is for this reason that we are commanded to remember the Exodus every day. It is a reminder that it is not through our own efforts but rather by the grace of God that we are not slaves in Egypt today. The way out of difficult situations is by remembering this principle. To the extent that it becomes clear to us that God is in control, not us, we are able to extract ourselves from every difficult situation in which we find ourselves.
It is not necessary to wait until we are in distress. We can prevent difficulties as well by remembering this important lesson. This is the deeper meaning of Chazal’s requirement to remember the Exodus, “... כל ימי חייך/… all the days of your life.” The implication is that even during those days when you are truly living, because you are close to God, the source of life, you are required to remember that it is He who took you out of Egypt. By extension, we remember that it is He who orchestrates our good fortune as well as our distress. It is the deeper meaning behind the view that this requirement applies even in the days of Mashi’ach, certainly a good time for us. It is a time when Chazal tell us that the evil inclination does not rule. Still, we are required to remember, that if it were not for God’s mercy we would still be slaves in Egypt.

Only after the Exodus when we were no longer enslaved, were we able to accept upon ourselves the yoke of heaven. The Zohar explains that as long as a person has upon him a burden, he cannot accept the yoke of God. This is the reason a slave is exempt from the mitzvah of Kri’as Sh’ma. He is exempt from accepting the yoke of heaven upon himself because he is subject to the authority of his master. This also explains why we thank God in the second Brachah of Birchas HaMazon for both taking us out of Egypt and for redeeming us from the house of bondage. Besides taking us out of Egypt, removing the Egyptian yoke from us is worthy of thanks in and of itself. It allowed us to subsequently accept the yoke of heaven. We see this in the p’sukim at the beginning of our parsha. God takes us for His nation only after he redeems us from the oppressive yoke of Egypt.

This very same idea applies to each one of us any time we find ourselves in a distressful situation. In order to fully accept upon ourselves the yoke of heaven, we first need to be extracted from the situation. We do this by accepting that it is God who put us in the difficulty. He did this so that we may come to the realization that He is in complete control, not us. This recognition helps us to leave the distress behind and allows us to accept the yoke of heaven. God, in his mercy, has given us these tools so that each of us may experience his own personal Exodus every day. May we merit it!

Shemos 5631 Second Ma'amar

“וַיָּקָם מֶלֶךְ-חָדָשׁ עַל-מִצְרָיִם אֲשֶׁר לֹא-יָדַע אֶת-יוֹסֵף/A new king arose in Egypt who did not know Yosef.” (Shmos 1:8) Explaining this pasuk the Midrash says that after Yosef died the nation of Israel stopped circumcising their children. They said, “Let us be like the Egyptians.” As a result God caused the love the Egyptians had for us to turn into hatred. A new king arose who did not know Yosef.

Generally, Chazal give novel interpretations to pesukim when the simple meaning is diffucult. What compelled the Midrash to give this explanation? The key word in the pasuk is “new.” The Chidushei HaRim explains that novelty is an attribute of spirituality. When we contemplate the material world around us it is easy to conclude that nothing new happens. Nature follows predictable laws. Today is the same as yesterday which was the same as the day before. The Chidushei HaRim explains that while this may be the case for the material world it is not true of the spiritual. Shlomo HaMelech teaches this in the pasuk, “... וְאֵין כָּל-חָדָשׁ תַּחַת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ/… and there is nothing new under the sun.” (Koheles 1:9) The implication is that above the sun – beyond nature – there is novelty and renewal. Originality, creativity and novelty are spiritual endeavors. The physical is merely a manifestation of that which already exists in the spiritual.

Because novelty is a spiritual attribute, it is particularly associated with the nation of Israel. The key to change and creativity is the realization that everything physical contains within it spirituality. When we disregard external physical appearances and relate to the underlying spirituality in our actions, the power of creativity is ours. In Egypt we disregarded the spiritual and allowed ourselves to be affected by the physical environment of decadent Egypt. As the Midrash notes, we wanted to be like the Egyptians. So, novelty was taken from us and given to the Egyptians instead.

What, though, is the significance of breaching the covenant of circumcision? After all, in Egypt we fell to very low levels. Why does the Midrash single out circumcision as the reason for losing our connection with God, with novelty?
The Sfas Emes explains. Yosef is called the keeper of the covenant referring to the covenant of the circumcision. The plain meaning is that he resisted the temptations of Potiphar’s wife. However, on a deeper level, circumcision represents unveiling the spiritual that is concealed by the physical. Yosef is called a keeper of the covenant of circumcision because he believed that although the material world around him was decadent, spirituality was concealed within it. Yosef’s belief was complete. He did not notice the physical decadence. He saw only the spiritual.

In our daily lives, we many times see barriers and obstacles that prevent us from reaching our goals. We can overcome them by cultivating the belief that the physical is a mask that hides the spiritual. On a spiritual level, there are no barriers. They are illusory. Everything starts with belief that the spiritual light exists but we don’t see it because it is behind a screen. We find a hint to this in the brachah following Sh’ma at night. The bracha starts, “אֱמֶת וֶאֱמוּנָה/Truth and faith.” At night, a time of darkness when we do not see light, Chazal advise us to believe that it is there anyway.

We see this again when Moshe Rabbeinu says in response to God’s request to return to Egypt to begin the process of the redemption, “... וְהֵן לֹא-יַאֲמִינוּ לִי .../… and they will not believe me …” (Shmos 4:1) Faith is a prerequisite for redemption. In order to merit redemption – seeing God – we must have faith during the preceding darkness.

Responding to Moshe Rabbeinu’s concern, God gives him a sign which gives expression to this concept. God tells Moshe to throw his staff to the ground. When he does this it turns into a snake. When he grabs it, it turns back to a staff. In reality it was a staff. The snake was an illusion. The way to see the reality behind the illusion is by believing it is there, grabbing on to it, connecting with it and, importantly, disregarding external appearances. The staff appeared as a snake. God told him to disregard this and to grab its tail. Upon doing so the snake reverted to a staff. God powers external appearances as well.

God gives existence to the screen that we call reality even when the screen appears to contradict spirituality and holiness. The truth, though, becomes clear to us according to the level of our faith. We can actually experience the spiritual that underlies the physical world by first believing it is there. Once we believe, no physical obstacle can stand between us and our goals. We are connected directly with the source of novelty, creativity and originality.

The Sfas Emes applies this concept to exile and redemption. Exile means that God is concealed. He is not apparent. Redemption means that God is revealed in the world. As we’ve said, a strong belief that the physical world is powered by the spiritual is a necessary prerequisite for redemption to occur. During exile this idea is concealed. If it were revealed there would be no possibility of exile.
We find this concept explained in the Zohar. The Zohar uses the analogy of sound vs. speech to explain God’s presence vs. His influence in the world.

Undifferentiated sound represents God’s oneness. He is everywhere always. In terms of God’s presence, there is no difference between one place and another. Speech is “processed” sound. It is the method by which we relate to and influence others. Speech, therefore, represents God’s influence and revelation in the Creation. With regard to God’s revelation, there are differences between one place and another. Exile means that God’s influence in the world is not apparent. It is concealed. For this reason the Zohar tells us that in Egypt, speech was in exile. God’s influence was not apparent.

Realizing this and believing it means to understand that although we see things differentiated in the physical world, underlying every separate thing is Oneness. The “undifferentiated sound” is ubiquitous. To the person who internalizes this belief totally, there is no fundamental difference between revelation and concealment. This is the deeper meaning of Chazal telling us that faith is the one basic principle as the prophet Habakuk said, “The righteous person lives by his faith.” May we merit it!

Vayechi 5631 Second Ma'amar

“הקבצו ושמעו בני יעקב ושמעו אל ישראל אביכם/Gather and hear, children of Ya’akov, and listen to your father Yisrael.” Since the pasuk uses the word אל/to instead of the shorter conjunctive form ל/to, the Midrash says that Ya’akov Avinu is comparing himself to God which is also spelled, א-ל. Ya’akov Avinu is telling his children, “Just like God creates worlds, so too, your father creates worlds.” What does this mean and why is Ya’akov telling this to his children?

The physical world exists because of the spiritual life force within it. This spiritual life force emanates from God through a spiritual hierarchy until it reaches the physical world. Ya’akov Avinu was part of this spiritual hierarchy. Ya’akov Avinu was the vehicle through which the spiritual life force that was responsible for the continuing existence of Egypt and the Egyptians descended. This is why the parsha starts with the words “ויחי יעקב בארץ מצרים/Ya’akov lived in the land of Egypt …” instead of the more usual “וישב יעקב .../Ya’akov dwelt.” ויחי/He lived suggests that he also gave life to the land of Egypt. Ya’akov compared himself to God as a creator of worlds in the sense that he gave life to Egypt.

Why, though, did God use Ya’akov as the mechanism for giving life and existence to Egypt? A Zohar in parshas VaYeishev gives us a clue. The Zohar says that the redemption from Egypt could only have happened because the brothers treated Yosef like a slave. What is the connection between the redemption and the way that Yosef’s brothers treated him? Since the relationship between the brothers and Yosef was one of masters to a slave – they sold him – and Yosef ruled over the Egyptians, it follows that the brothers were also rulers over the Egyptians. The fact that we were slaves to the Egyptians for a period of time was a temporary anomaly which was corrected with our redemption from Egypt. If the brothers had not sold Yosef, had not treated him as a slave, and we had subsequently gone to Egypt, we would not have been redeemed from Egypt, according to the Zohar. This Zohar is teaching us that for redemption to occur, the seeds of redemption must be planted before the exile.

This concept explains our Midrash as well. God used Ya’akov as the vehicle for imparting life to Egypt in order to subordinate Egypt to Ya’akov. This was another seed of the redemption which God planted before the exile. It made the redemption possible.