Parshas Shemos
1. On the verse "וילך איש מבית לוי ויקח את בת לוי" ("A man of the house of Levi went and took the daughter of Levi")1, the Gemara2 asks: From the verse3 "אשר ילדה אותה ללוי במצרים" ("who was born to Levi in Egypt") we learn that Yocheved was born between the walls — "לידתה במצרים והורתה שלא במצרים" ("her birth was in Egypt, but her conception was not in Egypt")4. It follows, then, that when Amram took Yocheved (for the second time5) — before Moshe Rabbeinu was born — she was one hundred and thirty years old
(for6 the Jews were in Egypt for two hundred and ten years7, and when they left Egypt, Moshe was eighty7 years old).
Why, then, does the verse say "and took the daughter of Levi," the term "daughter" implying that she was young? And the Gemara answers: "מלמד8 שנולדו בה סימני נערות, נתעדן הבשר נתפשטו הקמטים וחזר היופי למקומו" ("This teaches8 that the signs of youth were born in her: the flesh became delicate, the wrinkles smoothed out, and her beauty returned to its place").
The Rashbam9 comments on this that the Gemara's derivation that "her birth was in Egypt, but her conception was not in Egypt" comes from the fact that the verse "who was born to Levi in Egypt" is "קרא יתירא הוא, דהא כבר כתיב בת לוי" ("a superfluous verse, for it is already written 'the daughter of Levi'").
2. It has already been said many times10 that when one matter is derived from another, although seemingly one could say that the derivation is merely a proof for us (that in order for us to know the one matter we must derive it from the other), nevertheless, when one reflects on the perfection of the Torah (and consequently, the utmost precision in all its details), one must accept that in the inner reality of things11, the teaching matter, which determines how and what the derived matter is, is itself the reason or the cause of the derived matter12 (of the matter itself, or at least of its being drawn down and revealed to us).
From this we can understand, regarding our subject:
a) Since the proof for the interpretation of "and took the daughter of Levi" — that "the signs of youth were born in her etc." — comes from "her birth was in Egypt, but her conception was not in Egypt" (which shows, as mentioned above, that she was by then already one hundred and thirty years old), it necessarily follows that the fact that "the signs of youth were born in her" when Amram took Yocheved for the second time is connected with this, in the manner of cause and effect; that is, it came about on account of "her conception was not in Egypt."
b) Conversely: Since the precise reading of the verse "who was born to Levi in Egypt" — that only her birth was in Egypt — arises on account of the verse "and took the daughter of Levi," which is bound up with the birth of Moshe13 (for on account of that verse*13 "who was born to Levi" is "a superfluous verse"), it is understood that "her conception was not in Egypt" was in order that Moshe Rabbeinu, the savior of Israel, should be born of such a mother whose "conception was not in Egypt."
c) Since the verse "who was born to Levi in Egypt" (which shows us that "her conception was not in Egypt"14, and consequently also "that the signs of youth were born in her"15) is stated in connection with the count of those entering the Land, we understand from this that both matters ("her conception was not in Egypt" and "the signs of youth were born in her") have an inner connection to the entry into the Land.
3. This will be understood by first noting what the Midrash16 says on the verse "ואלה שמות בני ישראל הבאים מצרימה" ("And these are the names of the Children of Israel who come to Egypt") ("who come" being in the present tense17): After all, "ימים רבים היו להם שבאו למצרים" ("they had already been in Egypt for many days") — but "כל זמן שיוסף הי׳ קיים, לא הי׳ להם משוי של מצרים. מת יוסף נתנו עליהם משוי, לפיכך כתיב הבאים כאילו אותו היום נכנסו למצרים" ("as long as Yosef was alive, they did not have the burden of Egypt upon them. When Yosef died, the burden was placed upon them; therefore it is written 'who come,' as if they had entered Egypt that very day").
This is also the explanation of the Alter Rebbe in Torah Or18: that the reason Parshas Shemos repeats the matter of their coming to Egypt — although it was already told earlier, in Parshas Vayigash19 — is that "who come to Egypt" of the Sidrah of Shemos is a much greater descent than "who come to Egypt" stated in Parshas Vayigash, to the point that it counts as a separate descent (coming) into Egypt.
And the Alter Rebbe explains that just as in the Egyptian exile there were two descents — the descent stated in Parshas Vayigash and the one stated in Parshas Shemos [both of which are alluded to in the doubled wording of the verse "ירד ירדנו" ("we indeed came down")20] — "ירידה אחר ירידה" ("descent after descent"), so too in the Exodus and redemption from Egypt there are two ascents [as alluded to in the verse "ואנכי אעלך גם עלה" ("and I will also surely bring you up")21, and in the verse "עלה נעלה" ("we shall surely go up")22 — a doubling of ascents] — "עילוי אחר עילוי" ("elevation after elevation"): one elevation took place when leaving Egypt — "אעלה אתכם מעני מצרים גו׳ אל ארץ זבת חלב ודבש" ("I will bring you up from the affliction of Egypt… to a land flowing with milk and honey")23; and the second elevation will take place in the future Redemption.
4. This second "who come to Egypt," related in our Sidrah, began (as the Midrash says) immediately when "Yosef died"24, before the passing of "all his brothers and all that generation."
And although "כל זמן שהי׳ אחד מהם קיים מאותן שירדו למצרים לא שעבדו המצרים בישראל" ("as long as one of those who had gone down to Egypt was alive, the Egyptians did not enslave Israel")25 — the precise wording is that they "did not enslave"; but the "burden of Egypt" was placed upon them immediately when "Yosef died"26.
5. From the fact that the Torah calls the "burden of Egypt," immediately after "Yosef died," "who come to Egypt," and that it is counted as a second descent — unlike the enslavement in Egypt after "Yosef died… and all that generation," which is told merely as an event and a detail within the second descent itself — it is understood:
a) that the descent at the time of Yosef's death is beyond comparison with the first descent that came before it, which is why it cannot be counted as a detail within the earlier descent, but is a descent in its own right27;
b) that the great distance between these two descents is similar to the distance in value between the ascent at the Exodus from Egypt and the ascent that will take place in the future Redemption28 (as cited above in the name of the Alter Rebbe, that the two ascents correspond to the two descents).
6. The explanation of this is as follows:
The concept of "Mitzrayim" (Egypt) (from the term meitzarim, straits and limits29) is that it leaves no room for the revelation of G‑dliness that is above nature30. That is why Yosef said to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, "אלקים יענה את שלום פרעה" ("Elokim will answer for Pharaoh's welfare")31, and "אשר האלקים עושה הראה את פרעה" ("What Elokim is about to do He has shown to Pharaoh")32 — because what can take hold in Pharaoh, king of Egypt, is only the level of the Name Elokim, which is numerically equivalent33 to "HaTeva" (nature)34.
When Moshe Rabbeinu came to Pharaoh and told him "כה אמר הוי׳ גו׳ שלח את עמי גו׳" ("Thus says Havayah… Send out My people…"), Pharaoh answered, "מי הוי׳ אשר אשמע בקולו גו׳ לא ידעתי את הוי׳" ("Who is Havayah that I should heed His voice… I do not know Havayah")35 — of the level of Havayah that is above36 nature, Pharaoh does not know, nor does he wish to acknowledge it37.
And in this consisted the first descent into Egypt, told in Parshas Vayigash38: Earlier the Jews were in Eretz Yisrael, where one sees openly how the Alm-ghty watches over each and every detail — "ארץ אשר הוי׳ אלקיך דורש אותה תמיד עיני הוי׳ אלקיך בה מרשית השנה ועד אחרית שנה" ("a land which Havayah your G‑d seeks out; the eyes of Havayah your G‑d are always upon it, from the beginning of the year until the end of the year")39. So when one comes to a land where "I do not know Havayah," this is an exceedingly great descent.
7. One of the ways in which the above difference between Eretz Yisrael and the land of Egypt expresses itself is that in Egypt no rain falls, and the growth of the crops etc. comes there from the Nile River; whereas Eretz Yisrael40 is "למטר השמים תשתה מים" ("from the rain of heaven it drinks water")41.
Why did the Alm-ghty arrange it so, "שלא תהא הארץ שותה אלא מלמעלן" ("that the land should drink only from above")? One of the reasons for this is in order "שיהיו הכל תולין עיניהם כלפי מעלה" ("that all should lift their eyes upward")42. When a person knows that he depends on "the rain of heaven," then even when he has abundant blessing — "תאכל ושבעת גו׳ וכל אשר לך ירבה" ("you will eat and be satisfied… and all that you have will increase") — this will nevertheless restrain him43 (to a certain degree) from "ורם לבבך ושכחת את הוי׳ אלקיך" ("and your heart will grow haughty and you will forget Havayah your G‑d")44, because he knows that however much he may do of all the things that depend on him — plowing, sowing, etc. — he must still rely on the Alm-ghty45.
But when he is in Egypt, where the Alm-ghty established that the conduct should be in the way of nature, that at a set time the Nile rises and waters the fields — since with eyes of flesh he does not see that he needs to rely on the Alm-ghty, he can persuade himself46 that "כחי ועוצם ידי עשה לי את החיל הזה" ("my strength and the might of my hand have made me this wealth"), and forget, Heaven forfend, that "הוא47 הנותן לך כח לעשות חיל" ("it is He who gives you the strength to make wealth")48.
8. With this we will also understand the reason why Yaakov, on coming to Egypt, gave Pharaoh a blessing "שיעלה נילוס ברגלו" ("that the Nile should rise at his step")49. Seemingly: the Nile was the idol of Egypt50; how, then, could Yaakov bless Pharaoh with something connected with the Nile, his idol (especially as this increased51 Pharaoh's pride, to the point of saying "לי יאורי" ("My Nile is mine"))?
The explanation is that, on the contrary, this is the very reason: Egypt served the Nile because it "עולה ומשקה את הארץ" ("rises and waters the land")52. Yaakov therefore blessed Pharaoh "that the Nile should rise at his step," and through this blessing he weakened the idolatry of the Nile, showing that the Nile too depends on [Yaakov, who gives a blessing through] the power of the Holy One, blessed be He.
Even so, it is understood that even after it was seen that the Nile too is subject to the Alm-ghty, this does not reach the conduct of "from the rain of heaven it drinks water"; for [besides the fact that even after Yaakov's blessing it is still not "the rain of heaven,"] the "Nile rising at his step" that was effected by Yaakov's blessing merely eases and lessens a toil. It is not essential to the existence of Egypt — unlike "from the rain of heaven it drinks water" in Eretz Yisrael, which is essential to its existence.
And since, even after Yaakov's blessing, the feeling in Egypt was that their very existence is (Heaven forfend) not from the Alm-ghty, coming there is an exceedingly great descent.
9. Accordingly, we will understand how after Yosef's death a new descent began — a second "who come to Egypt," and one that is beyond comparison with the descent that had existed until then:
It is stated in Chassidus53 that the level of Yaakov (in itself) is in Atzilus, and in order that the matters of Yaakov should reach the lower worlds as well — Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah, down to "עוה״ז הגשמי והחומרי ממש" ("this actual physical and material world"), "שאין תחתון למטה ממנו" ("than which there is none lower") and which is "מלא קליפות וסט״א" ("full of kelipos and the sitra achra")54 — this drawing-down comes through Yosef.
And this is the inner reason why Yaakov's blessing to Pharaoh — "that the Nile should rise at his step" — came about through "ויבא יוסף את יעקב אביו ויעמידהו לפני פרעה" ("And Yosef brought Yaakov his father and stood him before Pharaoh")55: Yaakov (in himself) and all his matters are in Atzilus; and in order that Yaakov's matters should be "heard" below as well, to the point that even in the Nile — the idol of Egypt — it should be felt that its action (in its fullness) depends on Yaakov's blessing, this comes specifically through Yosef, who brought down (and drew forth) the matters of Yaakov "before Pharaoh."
From this it is understood that the revelation of light that Yaakov drew down into Egypt — that even there the rule and dominion of the Alm-ghty should be heard — continued throughout the lifetime of Yaakov and (also) the lifetime of Yosef. But after "Yosef died," that revelation ceased, and so Egypt remained as it is in itself.
That is why the Midrash says, "When Yosef died… as if they had entered Egypt that very day": Until then, when the light drawn down through (Yaakov and) Yosef still shone openly in Egypt (even though at that time too Egypt was far lower than Eretz Yisrael, as explained above in Section 8), it was not yet the true meaning of "Mitzrayim." Only when "Yosef died" and the above revelation ceased was it "as if they had entered Egypt that very day."
10. Although even after Yosef's death it was still remembered that the blessing which had entered Egypt was from (Yaakov, through) Yosef56
[and the existence of a "מלך חדש . . אשר לא ידע את יוסף" ("new king… who did not know Yosef") could only come about after "וימת יוסף וכל אחיו וכל הדור ההוא" ("Yosef died, and all his brothers, and all that generation")57]
— this was merely a matter of knowledge and intellectual grasp, which is not at all comparable to the way it was before Yosef's death, when the light was openly revealed.
And since knowledge and grasp are merely an external matter58, whereas the main (and inner) matter of the drawing-down of Yaakov and Yosef was in any case no longer present by then, it follows that with the "and died" of "all his brothers and all that generation" — which brought about "ויקם מלך חדש אשר לא ידע את יוסף" ("a new king arose who did not know Yosef") (not even in knowledge) — no essential change in the descent took place
— and therefore this is counted merely as an event and a detail within the second "who come to Egypt" itself, as stated above in Section 5.
11. In light of all the above, we will also understand the connection of "the signs of youth were born in her" with "her conception was not in Egypt":
It is a rule that "אין חבוש מתיר עצמו" ("a prisoner cannot free himself")59. Therefore Moshe Rabbeinu, the savior of Israel, had to be specifically from the tribe of Levi60, who did not have upon them "מלאכת שעבוד מצרים" ("the labor of Egyptian bondage")61 — because since he was not enslaved, he had the power to take the Jews out of Egypt.
However, since Moshe had to take the Jews out not only from the bondage of Egypt but also from their descent into Egypt, including the first descent of Parshas Vayigash, it is understood that Moshe had to be in a state that is not subject (not only to the bondage of Egypt, but also not) to "who come to Egypt," and not even to the first "who come to Egypt."
That is why the Alm-ghty brought it about that the conception of Yocheved, the mother of Moshe, should be "not in Egypt"62, on account of which she is not counted (explicitly) among "those who come to Egypt"63, so that her son Moshe could be "the savior of Israel."
The same thing also expressed itself in the fact that before Yocheved was to give birth to Moshe, "the signs of youth were born in her"64 — a matter above nature65 — for since the main point of the Egyptian exile is the concealment and hiding of the garments of nature, when the "savior of Israel" is to be born, there must be a nullification of the garments of nature66.
And this is the explanation of why the matter of "the signs of youth were born in her" is derived from "her conception was not in Egypt," and the matter of "her conception was not in Egypt" is derived from "and took the daughter of Levi": In order that there could be the revelation of what is entirely above nature, to the extent of "the signs of youth were born in her," there first had to be "her conception was not in Egypt"; and "her conception (was) not in Egypt" was on account of "and took the daughter of Levi," which is bound up with the birth of the savior of Israel, as explained above.
And this is also the connection between the two matters — "her conception was not in Egypt" and "the signs of youth were born in her" — and the entry into the Land (which is why these two matters are derived from the verse "who was born to Levi in Egypt," stated in connection with the count of those entering the Land):
For the completion of the Exodus from Egypt took place only with the entry into Eretz Yisrael67, into "a land which Havayah your G‑d seeks out…" — the very opposite of Egypt; and this is the matter of "her conception was not in Egypt" and "the signs of youth were born in her" — the revelation of what is above nature, as explained above.
(From the sichos of Shabbos Parshas Shemos 5722)
Notes
1) Our parsha, 2:1.
2) Sotah 12a; Bava Basra 120a. So too in Shemos Rabbah 1:19. See also Targum Yonasan and Rashi on the verse.
3) Pinchas 26:59.
4) This is the wording in Bava Basra there. But there, 123b (Dikdukei Sofrim there cites a version as in our text — "and her conception was not in Egypt") and in Sotah there: "and her conception was not in Egypt" in the form "ואין הורתה במצרים." See note 62.
5) See Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer and Rashi cited in the next note, and elsewhere.
6) Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, ch. 48; Shemos Rabbah 8:11; Targum Yonasan, Bo 12:40; Rashi on the Torah (Lech Lecha 15:13; our parsha there; and elsewhere).
7) Va'eira 7:7.
8) In Sotah and Shemos Rabbah there, the word "מלמד" is absent, as is the end of the statement, "the flesh became delicate etc."
9) Bava Basra 120a.
10) See also Likkutei Sichos, vol. 5, p. 241.
11) See similarly Derech Mitzvosecha 22b regarding the mitzvah of eating matzah and the other mitzvos connected with remembering the Exodus: that through these mitzvos "faith is fixed in our hearts" because the Exodus is "a complete sign and wonder of the newness of the world etc." (Chinuch, mitzvah 21) — this is because in the inner reality of things, the matzah, as well as the recitation of the Haggadah etc., themselves have the power to strengthen faith.
12) See Likkutei Sichos, vol. 5, p. 61, note 30.
13) For according to the plain meaning, "The woman conceived and bore a son" comes after "and took the daughter of Levi" (see Rashi on our parsha 2:1; so too in Targum Yonasan, verse 2).
Even according to what the Sages said (Sotah there; Shemos Rabbah 1:13), "she had already been pregnant with him for three months at the start" — they said in Sotah there that "he went (and took) on the advice of his daughter," and the Rashbam explains (in Bava Basra there; and it obviously fits the discussion in Sotah, especially as it is cited there) "that she prophesied to him that a son was destined to come from him who would save Israel." And although "on account of her prophecy he did not need to take her back, for Amram surely knew of Yocheved's pregnancy… rather, he perforce took her back because she said to him, 'Your decree is harsher etc.'" (Chiddushei Aggados of the Maharsha on Sotah there, s.v. shehalach) — he explains (in Chiddushei Aggados there, s.v. vayikach): "They rejoiced at her return, so that the son, their savior, would not be born while she was divorced etc." See there.
*) In Rabbeinu Baalei HaTosafos on the Torah and in Chizkuni: that also according to Rashi, she conceived three months before he took her back, and the Egyptians counted six months for her from the day he took her back (for they too knew that a woman who gives birth at seven months gives birth after partial months), and Rashi's intent in "they checked on her after three" is from when she truly conceived. [According to their explanation, we must say that Rashi's source for her bearing him at seven months and one day is that had he been born at nine months (i.e., six months from when he took her back) she could not have hidden him at all, since the Egyptians too knew that it is possible to give birth at six months — they surely would have come to check then.] But according to their explanation, that the Egyptians' mistake lay in not knowing that she had conceived earlier, it is very difficult that the main reason she could hide him only three months is not written by Rashi at all, not even by hint! Therefore, in my humble opinion, we must say that according to Rashi, the Egyptians' mistake was only that they thought he was born at nine months, and thus that she conceived after he took her back. See also the commentary of Tur HaAruch and the Re'em here.
*13) The simple intent of the Rashbam in "for it is already written 'the daughter of Levi'" is the doubling in the verse of Parshas Pinchas itself: "Yocheved, the daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt."
However, the wording "Yocheved, the daughter of Levi" (in itself) can be interpreted as "of the family of Levi" (see Ramban, Vayigash 46:15), unlike "and took the daughter of Levi" in our parsha, which perforce means an actual "daughter of Levi," for otherwise it should have said "of the house of Levi," as at the start of the verse, "A man of the house of Levi went" (see also Maharzu on Shemos Rabbah on our parsha here — 1:19).
14) But from the statement "when you count them individually you find seventy less one" we do not know that her conception was not in Egypt; we know only that there is one more who is not listed explicitly among the seventy souls (see Bereishis Rabbah 99:9 [as printed; compare ch. 94], several opinions on this).
15) Accordingly, it is all the more understandable that the question "Is it possible at one hundred and thirty years old" (in Sotah there; Bava Basra there; Shemos Rabbah 1:19) also quotes "as it is said, 'who was born etc.'" — although its proof for this there is mainly (not from the precise wording of the verse, but) "for R. Chama bar Chanina said" — because this verse relates to "that the signs of youth were born in her," as in the text.
16) Shemos Rabbah there, 4; Tanchuma on our parsha, 3.
17) See Rashi, Vayigash 46:8; ibid., 26.
18) Beginning of our parsha.
19) 46:8 ff.
20) Mikeitz 43:20.
21) Vayigash 46:4.
22) Shelach 13:30.
23) Our parsha, 3:17.
24) This is why the verse juxtaposes "And these are the names of the Children of Israel who come to Egypt" to "And Yosef died…" before it (at the end of Parshas Vayechi). See the gloss to note 27.
25) Shemos Rabbah there, 8.
26) See also the commentary of Maharzu on Shemos Rabbah there, 4.
As for what is written, "And Yosef died" (also regarding the enslavement), see below, note 57.
27) Note also that the two descents (in Parshas Vayigash and in our parsha) are in two books* (whereas "And Yosef died…," "A new king arose…," and all the narratives of the enslavement etc. are in one book — "And these are the names…, who come to Egypt").
*) And although the burden of Egypt (the second descent) began when Yosef died, and this is written at the end of the book of Bereishis — what is related there concerns only Yosef's death, which was the cause of the descent, but not the descent ("who come to Egypt") itself.
28) See Yirmeyahu 23:7–8 (cited in the Tzemach Tzedek's glosses to Torah Or (mentioned above, Section 3) in Ohr HaTorah, Shemos, p. 3): "And they shall no longer say… who brought up the Children of Israel from the land of Egypt, but rather… who brought up… from the land of the north…." See in Ohr HaTorah there several sayings of our Sages along these lines.
29) See Torah Or 71c ff., and elsewhere.
30) See Torah Or there; on our parsha, 50b; and elsewhere.
However, from the very fact that the straits and limitations that stem from the Name Elokim are alluded to in the name "Mitzrayim," it is evident that the main force of the straits etc. is in Egypt (see below, note 40; see also Likkutei Sichos, vol. 5, p. 176 ff., that the Egyptian exile is the harshest exile), and therefore it is the root of [the straits of] all the exiles (see there, p. 183, note 17).
31) Mikeitz 41:16.
32) So cited in Torah Or there (71d). This is the verse in Mikeitz there, 28. As for why he does not cite the preceding verse (there, 25), "What Elokim is about to do He has told to Pharaoh" — and likewise the reason for the change in the verse — it can be said that this is to emphasize that the content of the dream will be in the manner of "shown," revelation; and that the level of Elokim is there in a way that leads to sight (revelation). That is why this wording comes specifically after the interpretation is spelled out.
33) Pardes, Shaar 12, ch. 2. And in the Shaloh, Shaar HaOsiyos (89a) — that so it is in the Zohar.
34) Because it conceals the light from above (Shaar HaYichud VehaEmunah, beginning of ch. 6).
35) Shemos 5:1–2.
36) Shaar HaYichud VehaEmunah, ch. 7. Likkutei Sichos, vol. 9, p. 55, note 32.
37) See the sources cited above, and Zohar I, 195a; Shaloh, Torah Shebichsav section, Parshas Va'eira (308b ff.).
38) See Torah Or 3b.
39) Ekev 11:12. And in Bachya there: "The main seeking and providence is there, and from there it extends to the other lands… for Eretz Yisrael is not placed under the rule of the stars and constellations… but the Holy One, blessed be He, Himself in His glory seeks it out constantly." See the sources cited in the next note.
40) And although seemingly the same applies to all lands that drink rainwater — yet [besides the fact that Eretz Yisrael needs rain more than other lands (Taanis 10a; Rashi there, s.v. tata'i; see also Shach on the Torah — Ekev there)], "Eretz Yisrael is watered by the Holy One, blessed be He, Himself, and the whole world through an emissary" (Taanis there. And in Chiddushei Aggados of the Maharsha there: "through an emissary, namely the supernal ministers of the nations and their constellations." Compare Ohr HaTorah, Ekev, p. 615. This is not the place to elaborate).
Even so, also in other lands, since they drink rainwater, the concealment is not as great as in Egypt; that is why specifically Pharaoh said, "My Nile is mine," as below, note 46.
41) Ekev there, [11:11; OCR unclear], and Rashi there. See Ohr HaTorah there, beginning of p. 605, that "the main meaning of 'a land which… seeks out, the eyes of…' refers to the matter of the rains." See also Ramban and Sforno there, and elsewhere.
42) Bereishis Rabbah 13:9. See also Yerushalmi Taanis 3:3.
43) Moreover: since the rain falls through "the creatures breaking their necks [in looking upward]" (Bereishis Rabbah there, 10; see also Yerushalmi there, 2:1), this brings about a feeling that is the opposite of "your heart will grow haughty."
44) Ekev 8:12–14.
45) See Bachya, Ekev 11:10: "Therefore He did not give you a land that is watered like the land of Egypt, so that the watering should not be in your hand and your eyes should always be lifted to Him, for the key of rain which is in His hand." See also Alshich there, 14.
46) See Yechezkel 29:3: "My Nile is mine"; and in Rashi there: "I have no need of those above etc."
47) Ekev 8:17–18.
48) Accordingly, the question of the Ramban (Ekev 11:10) is simply answered: "Although all is in His power, and it is easy in the eyes of the Blessed One to destroy (also) the inhabitants of Egypt and dry up their rivers and canals" — for were they in Egypt, they would not feel so strongly that "it is easy in the eyes of the Blessed One etc.," since in Egypt there is concealment and hiding.
49) Tanchuma, Naso 26; Rashi, Vayigash 47:10.
50) Tanchuma, Va'eira 13; Shemos Rabbah 9:9; Rashi, Va'eira 7:17.
51) See the discourse Basi LeGani 5710, end of ch. 7.
52) Rashi, Vayigash there.
53) See Biurei HaZohar 30, end of side a ff.; Ohr HaTorah, Vayechi 386a–b. See Likkutei Sichos, vol. 5, p. 249.
54) Tanya, ch. 36.
55) Vayigash 47:7.
56) That is why, when Yosef died and the flow of blessing ceased, they cast Yosef into the Nile "so that its waters would be blessed" (Sotah 13a).
And in Chiddushei Aggados of the Maharal on Sotah there: "For they knew that Yosef is the provider… for such was Yosef's blessing, that all should be sustained on his account, as it is written, 'from there he shepherds the stone of Israel'" — and this blessing (the power "that all should be sustained on his account") came to him from Yaakov.
57) According to this, it will be understood why it says here "And Yosef died," although this was already stated at the end of Vayechi — for what was new in "and all that generation died" is that they forgot (died) the matter of Yosef.
— Compare Yerushalmi Sotah 1:8: "One verse says etc., that the Philistines [OCR reads "the thirty"] feared him… after his death as they feared him… during his life." And since it is written (from which the above teaching comes) "and he judged Israel forty years" (according to the version of the Yerushalmi — Tosafos, s.v. ma'avirim, Shabbos 55b), it is understood that this (that he was judge, and in such a way that the twenty years after his death are included together with the twenty years of his life — which indicates some partnership between them — this) is the main thing (except that it was possible through the Philistines fearing etc.), that is, that it was as in his lifetime. It can still be said that this is the intent of "And Yosef died" in our parsha — that this too ceased (and here too, the word "and died" includes "all that generation" together with "Yosef").
58) See below, pp. 121–2 and the sources cited there, on the difference between sight and hearing.
59) Berachos 5b, and sources cited there.
60) See also Sefer Gevuros Hashem (of the Maharal), end of ch. 7; and there, that for this reason it says at the birth of Moshe, "A man (unspecified) of the house of Levi went and took a daughter (unspecified) of Levi" (and not in the wording usual in such cases).
61) Tanchuma, Va'eira 6; Shemos Rabbah 5:16; Rashi, Shemos 5:4.
62) Accordingly, the difference between the two wordings is well understood: 1) (Sotah 12a; Bava Basra 123b) "her birth was in Egypt, and her conception was not in Egypt [ואין הורתה במצרים]" (telling us the necessity that there be a birth (but not a pregnancy) in Egypt (see the next note)); 2) (Bava Basra 120a) "her birth was in Egypt, and her conception outside Egypt [והורתה שלא במצרים]" (telling us the necessity of a pregnancy outside Egypt. — In this wording too, it begins "her birth was in Egypt" because it refers to the verse "who was born in Egypt").
63) As for why, nonetheless, Yocheved too is included in "the souls… who came to Egypt": in order for Moshe to be able to redeem Israel, there must first be an enclothing in the matter of exile (see similarly the maamar V'Laachoso HaBesulah 5627, in explaining the verse "Who is this coming from Edom…").
But this enclothing in exile is only external and revealed — "her birth (is) in Egypt"; whereas inwardly and in concealment — "her conception" — is not in exile and straits at all.
64) See Likkutei Sichos, vol. 5, p. 97 ff., regarding Sarah: that through her first having "בלותי" ("my withering") and afterward returning to beauty — specifically through this was the true meaning of the unlimited revealed, that the unchanging returns even in the changing body. See there.
Accordingly, it can also be said regarding Yocheved that her first having undergone change etc. and afterward returning to her youth etc. for the birth of Moshe, the savior of Israel, means that the redemption through him should be not only such that afterward things would be as they were before the Egyptian exile, but rather in the manner of "ונצלתם את מצרים" ("and you shall empty Egypt") — the refinement of the sparks in Egypt itself, through which it is revealed that the exile itself is (inwardly) an ascent etc. See the next note.
65) Note also Ohr HaTorah on the verse "A man of the house of Levi went" (end of p. 56), that "Levi," a term of joining, means the yesh joining with and being nullified to the ayin, and "the emergence from yesh to ayin is a new thing and a change of nature."
And according to what is explained in Ohr HaTorah there, that the descent of ayin to give life to yesh is for the sake of an ascent, that the yesh too should be nullified etc. — this can be connected with the matter of returning to her youth, as in the previous note.
66) Similar to what is explained in Ohr HaTorah on our parsha (end of p. 59 ff.), the reason she gave birth to him without pain (Sotah 12a): because the pangs of birth are the level of the exiles, and Moshe, being the redeemer, could have no pangs at his birth*.
*) Accordingly it is all the more understood why the matter of "her conception was without pain" is told specifically regarding Yocheved, and regarding Yocheved herself — at the birth of Moshe — although all "righteous women were not included in the decree of Chavah" (Sotah there): because this relates especially to the role of Moshe, the savior of Israel.
67) That is why all the forty-two journeys, until Israel's encampment at the Jordan of Yericho, are called "who went out of the land of Egypt" (Likkutei Torah, Masei 89b; see there).
And perhaps it can be said that through the pregnancy with Moshe being without pain, this was drawn to the pregnancy of all righteous women. That is why this matter is derived from the pregnancy with Moshe (see above, beginning of Section 2).
Key Lesson
Moshe, the savior of Israel, had to come from a mother whose conception was outside Egypt and in whom the signs of youth were reborn, for one who redeems from the concealment of nature must himself stand above it. A person who brings others out of their limitations must draw on a point within himself that the "Mitzrayim" around him never touched. And even in a place where nature seems self-sufficient, like the Nile that rises on its own, one must lift one's eyes upward, knowing that all depends on the Alm-ghty.