“CREATOR OR LIBERATOR?
God is mankind’s Creator and Israel’s liberator. The mention of “Egypt” in the Ten Commandments highlights that they are not universally applicable but rather exclusively directed towards the Israelites who suffered slavery in Egypt and were miraculously rescued by God. On the other hand, the Seven Commandments of Noah are considered the universal Code of Law for humanity. Some of their content is similar to the Ten Commandments, such as prohibitions against killing, stealing, idolatry, adultery, and incest. It’s important to note that the historical context of the Seven Laws stems from the covenant God made with humankind through Noah and his descendants after the universal flood. At the same time, the Ten Commandments celebrate a covenant between God and the nation of Israel, which committed to observing not seven or ten but 613 commandments.
“FREED FROM PHARAOH’S CONTROL There may be another reason why God identifies himself as the one who rescued the Israelites from Egypt rather than as the Creator of the World. Only two months after leaving Egypt, the Covenant is celebrated. For generations, the Jewish people were enslaved to Pharaoh and the Egyptian authorities were their only source of authority.
God reminds the Israelites that their situation has changed. They are no longer in Egypt, under Pharaoh’s jurisdiction. They are now in the desert, in a sort of no man’s land, and under divine jurisdiction.
To fully appreciate the contrast between God and Pharaoh, it’s important to remember that Pharaoh forced the Jewish people to obey and work for him. In contrast, God offered to enter into a covenant with the Jewish people, with mutual responsibilities. Indirectly but clearly, the Torah condemns slavery, tyranny, and the arrogance of those who impose their will on others through force.
AVOIDING ROMANTICIZATION
Finally, let’s understand why this verse highlights that Egypt was “the house of slaves.” Just like today, with many people who are unfamiliar with the Middle East, “Egypt” often conjures up images of a desirable tourist destination: the pyramids of Giza, the Valley of the Kings, Tutankhamun, the Nile, etc. But during the Exodus, Egypt was a superpower renowned for its grand pyramids, the mighty Nile, magnificence, exoticism, and wealth. The Torah reminds the Jews not to romanticize Egypt. “Remember that it was in that beautiful land where you were subjected to slavery.” The Greek historian Herodotus wrote that in 600 BCE, 800 years after Moses, the Egyptian Pharaoh embarked on an ambitious construction project, and records show that 120,000 slaves died while working on that project. There are no records of the number of Jews who died while they were in slavery (although a famous Midrash tells of the Egyptians using the bodies of Jewish children when they ran out of bricks to meet their quota). By calling Egypt “the house of slavery,” the Torah protects us from the danger of selective memory and teaches us to remember the human toll paid for the beautiful buildings, structures, and pyramids in Egypt.
