In this week’s parsha, Parshas Bo, we see
the first great moment in the history of the Jewish nation as the Bnei Yisrael
finally leave Mitzrayim. A phrasing appears in the pesukim that is found rarely
throughout the Torah to describe how the Nation left exactly. The pasuk says, “וַיְהִ֕י בְּעֶ֖צֶם
הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה הוֹצִ֨יא יְהֹוָ֜ה אֶת־בְּנֵ֧י יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל מֵאֶ֥רֶץ
מִצְרַ֖יִם עַל־צִבְאֹתָֽם” “It happened on that very day: Hashem took the
Children of Yisrael out of the land of Egypt, in their legions.” (Shemos 12:51).
Interestingly, this same exact phrasing appears only ten pesukim earlier! “…וַיְהִ֗י בְּעֶ֨צֶם֙ הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֔ה יָֽצְא֛וּ
כָּל־צִבְא֥וֹת יְהֹוָ֖ה מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם” “…and it was
on this very day that all the legions of Hashem left the land of Egypt.” (ibid:
41). Pasuk 41 is clearly referring to the actual exit from Egypt; in that case,
what is Pasuk 51 referring to?
The Ramban gives an
explanation which I believe is based on the larger meaning of the phrase, “בְּעֶצֶם הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה”. Rashi on Devarim
32:48 explains that the Torah uses the phrase “בְּעֶצֶם הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה” in situations where
a group of people were attempting to resist the will of Hashem. The three
examples he brings are: when the people said they would stop Noach from
entering the Ark by the Flood, by the death of Moshe, and by Yetzias Mitzrayim.
The Egyptians said they would do everything in their power to prevent the Bnei
Yisrael from leaving, so Hashem said not only would the Bnei Yisrael leave, but
they would leave right in the middle of the day with everyone watching, and remain
powerless to stop them.
Returning to the
explanation of the Ramban; immediately following the Bnei Yisrael’s exodus in
Pasuk 41, Pasuk 42 says, “לֵ֣יל שִׁמֻּרִ֥ים הוּא֙
לַֽיהֹוָ֔ה לְהֽוֹצִיאָ֖ם מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם” “It is a night of
keepings for Hashem to take them out of the land of Egypt.” Based on this
pasuk, we might assume that the previous pasuk’s description of the Nation
having left in the middle of the day means something different than the simple
translation. The proper explanation is while Pasuk 41 teaches us Rashi’s
explanation, Pasuk 51 teaches us they didn’t slink out of Mitzrayim while their
Egyptian masters were sleeping. Rather, while they received permission to leave
already the night before, they waited until the morning so the full affect of
the entire nation leaving would be felt.
Shabbat Shalom!
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