Parshas Shemos: HaBa’im Mitzraymah - Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik

In the first half of this shiur from the early 1980s, Rav Soloveitchik uses the first verse of Sefer Shemos to explore the nature of antisemitism and assimilation. The midrash notes that the children of Israel are introduced as “haba’im Mitzraymah” (coming to Egypt) in the present tense, as if they only arrived today, centuries after their actual descent. The Egyptians see the Jews’ persistent distinctiveness as a sign of indifference or hostility to the welfare of society; for the minority of Jews who resist assimilation, the goal is to maintain a unique covenant with God (which never contradicted participation in universal human pursuits). The second half of the shiur examines the leadership and heroism of Yocheved, Miriam, and Bas Paroh, through a close reading of the first two chapters of Shemos and the relevant midrashim. Their actions represent faith in redemption, tenacity in the face of assimilation, moral resistance to Pharaoh’s strategic vilification, and self-sacrifice for that which is right. __Chapters__ 0:00 HaBa’im Mitzrayma in the present tense 00:05:08 Reason I: the Egyptians saw them as strangers 00:14:14 Reason II: The Jews maintained their distinct identity 00:17:25 So is the antisemitic charge correct or not? 00:23:08 The Universal and Covenantal relationships with God. 00:34:32 Assimilation and scrolls - The Jews in Mitzrayim 00:44:35 Miriam’s leadership 01:02:10 Why Pharaoh wanted the midwives to kill the babies 01:12:20 Yocheved’s leadership 01:13:50 Bas Paroh’s resistance 01:27:25 Bas Paroh’s second sacrifice