Rabbi Knopf's Blog

The Talmud teaches that 30 days before Passover, we should start learning about the holiday and its meaning. In that spirit, I humbly offer "30 Days of Liberation." For each of the next 30 days, I will offer a brief message drawn from the wisdom of Passover. I hope you find these messages meaningful and inspiring. Feel free to share/forward.

30 Days of Liberation: Day 18
When Israel left Egypt, they did not leave empty-handed. On the contrary, the Israelites “asked the Egyptians for objects of silver and gold, and clothing” (Exodus 12:35). The Egyptians, for their part, “let them have their request” (12:36). According to the classical commentators, the biblical narrative was being modest. In reality, the Egyptians gave approximately 600,000 Israelites the equivalent of 400 years worth of backpay. Call it whatever you want, but these are reparations for centuries of enslavement. Without them, the Israelites never would have survived the sojourn in the wilderness, conquered the Promised Land, or built a strong sovereign nation. Freedom from bondage was not enough. The Egyptians had a responsibility to ensure that the Israelites could actually flourish as a free people, that Israel’s opportunity to thrive would be equal to Egypt’s. Recalling this very experience, God later commands Israelite slaveowners that they must eventually free their slaves, and when they do, they must furnish them handsomely with food, clothing, and property. We have a responsibility not only to redeem victims of injustice from oppression, but to ensure that those victims and their posterity, once redeemed, will play on a level field with their oppressors and their oppressors’ descendants, enjoying the same opportunities.

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