Parshas Re'eh - Exodus from Egypt and the future redemption

The passuk says in this week’s sedrah (perek 16, passuk 3):

לֹא תֹאכַל עָלָיו חָמֵץ שִׁבְעַת יָמִים תֹּאכַל עָלָיו מַצּוֹת לֶחֶם עֹנִי כִּי בְחִפָּזוֹן יָצָאתָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם לְמַעַן תִּזְכֹּר אֶת יוֹם צֵאתְךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם כֹּל יְמֵי חַיֶּיךָ

“You shall not eat chametz together with the korban pesach, for 7 days you should eat with it matzah, the bread of affliction because you came out of Mitzraim in haste.

[Do this] in order that you should remember the day that you came out of Mitzraim all the days of your life.”

The Gevilei Eish says that we find that there are three differences between the geulah from Mitzrayim and the geulah from our current galus:

1       1) Regarding the geulah from Mitzrayim, the passuk says “וַחֲמֻשִׁים עָלוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם”, on which Rashi explains, “אחד מחמשה יצאו וד' חלקים מתו בשלשת ימי אפילה”, “Only 1/5^th of the benei yisrael came out of Mitzrayim and 4/5^th died in the three days of darkness.”

However regarding the geulah ha’asidah the passuk says (Shmuel 2, 14:14); “לְבִלְתִּי יִדַּח מִמֶּנּוּ נִדָּח” – “No-one will be pushed away (when moshiach comes).”

2.       2) Regarding the geulah from Mitzrayim, the passuk says (Shemos 10:13)

“לֹא רָאוּ אִישׁ אֶת אָחִיו וְלֹא קָמוּ אִישׁ מִתַּחְתָּיו שְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים וּלְכָל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הָיָה אוֹר בְּמוֹשְׁבֹתָם”

“A man did not see his brother, and no man was able to move for three days, however for all of the benei yisrael, there was light in their dwellings.”

However regarding the geulah ha’asidah, the passuk says (Yeshaya 60:3):

“וְהָלְכוּ גוֹיִם לְאוֹרֵךְ וּמְלָכִים לְנֹגַהּ זַרְחֵךְ”

“And nations will go by your light, and kings will go by the glow of your brightness.”

3.       3) Another difference is that regarding the geulah from Mitzrayim, the passuk says “כִּי בְחִפָּזוֹן יָצָאתָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם” – “Because you came out of Mitzrayim in haste.”

However regarding the geulah ha’asidah, the passuk says (Yeshaya 52, 12):

“כִּי לֹא בְחִפָּזוֹן תֵּצֵאוּ וּבִמְנוּסָה לֹא תֵלֵכוּן כִּי הֹלֵךְ לִפְנֵיכֶם ה' וּמְאַסִּפְכֶם אֱלֹקֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל”

“Because you will not go out in haste, and you will not travel while fleeing, because Hashem will go before you, and behind you will be the protection of the G-d of Yisrael.”

Why do we find these differences between the geulah from Mitzrayim and the geulah ha’asidah?

The Gevilei Eish explains as follows:

The Medrash says (מדרש תהילים מזמור קז):

"או הנסה אלקים לבא, לקחת לו, גוי מקרב גוי" (דברים ד' ל"ד) - כעובר שהוא נתון בתוך מעי בהמה, והרועה נותן ידו ושומטו, כך עשה הקב"ה שנאמר, "לבא לקחת לו גוי מקרב גוי"

“The passuk says, ‘Has Hashem ever come to take for himself a nation from the midst of another nation’, before the benei yisrael were redeemed from Mitzrayim they were like a foetus that is placed within the innards of an animal and the shepherd comes and delivers the foetus with his hands. So too did Hashem do, as the passuk says, ‘to come and take a nation from the midst of another nation.’"

When the benei yisrael were in Mitzrayim, they became mixed up with the Mitzrim, therefore:

1       1) Four fifths of the benei yisrael died during makkas choshech because they did not want to come out of Mitzrayim and be a separate chosen people.

2        2) The light that shone for the benei yisrael during makkas chosech only benefited the benei yisrael, this was in order to differentiate between the benei yisrael and the Mitzrim.

3       3) The geulah was done unnaturally quickly in order that the connection between the benei yisrael and the Mitzrim should be broken and should not have a chance to drag the benei yisrael back.

However after the benei yisrael received the Torah, they are no longer considered part of the umos ha’olam at all, as the passuk says (Bamidbar 23:9):

הֶן עָם לְבָדָד יִשְׁכֹּן וּבַגּוֹיִם לֹא יִתְחַשָּׁב

“Behold a people that dwells alone and is not considered to be one of the nations.”

Therefore, when the geulah ha’asidah comes;

1        1) All of the benei yisrael will be redeemed because they will not want to remain as part of the nations that they are being redeemed from.

2        2) The light that shines for the benei yisrael will be able to benefit the umos ha’olam because there will be no need to differentiate between the benei yisrael and the umos ha’olam.

3        3) The geulah will take place at a natural pace because there will be no connection to break between the benei yisrael and the umos ha’olam.