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He also is the first to call us an "ahm," an independent nation of our own, thus asserting that we are a nation within a nation, a "5th column" that will only seek to subvert the glorious Egyptian nation and ultimately subdue it. "They will either join with our enemies and wage war against us, or they will leave the land," he charges, and so while they can't leave - that would cause a "brain-drain" of valuable Jewish know-how - they also can't stay on as full-fledged citizens.
After accusing us of a lack of patriotism to Egypt, Paro "invites" the Hebrews to join in a national work project, to show our loyalty to the king. We eagerly join the party, but, say Chazal, little by little, Paro dismisses the Egyptians until the Jews alone are left doing the work, ushering in the brutal Age of Slavery for more than a century.
Perhaps the most devious of Paro's machinations is to employ a "divide and conquer" strategy. He appoints "shotrim," Jewish policemen, to supervise the Israelites and make sure that they meet their quota of bricks. This results in a Jew vs. Jew scenario. Instead of focusing on our primary oppressor - the Egyptians - the average Hebrew now resents and blames their brother overseers. The supervisors, in turn, blame Moshe and Ahron for "pushing the envelope" vis a vis Paro and making their lives more difficult. This causes Moshe to cry out bitterly to Hashem, "Why have You made things worse for Your people; why have You sent me?" The overall result is that our unity breaks down, as Paro planned, and we are consumed with divisive "in-fighting" that saps our strength.
Moshe will struggle to bring us back together, but it will be a difficult, uphill battle. There will always remain elements within the population - Datan and Aviram, Korach, the Meraglim, etc. - who subvert the nation's brotherhood for their own self-aggrandizement. It is a fatal flaw that has plagued us throughout history, to this very day - the inability to close ranks and join together in unison, rather than accentuate our differences and snipe away at one another.
The Pharoahs of the world are overjoyed when they hear us shouting at one another; but they fear and respect us when we speak with one voice. It is that voice that we must learn to master, so that no other country can be master over us.
Rabbis in Midrash
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Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 9 - "Seeing is Believing" (parag. 21-30)
These paragraphs elaborate on the theme that seeing and knowing is better than any attempt to prove logically, and begins explaining the difference between Israel and gentiles.
Ein Aya Various Universal Stages of the Geula Process
Rav Kook examines the various stages of redemption, explaining how (in addition to the obvious oft-mentioned stages of ingathering the exiles, reviving the Hebrew language, army, state etc.) the messianic dream of world prosperity, the State of Israel and world unity can and are realistically and logically gradually coming true.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 8- "Answering Questions on the Kuzari's Proof from Mass Revelation
How do we know that the "claim" of mass revelation to 2,000,000 witnesses at Mt. Sinai is really true? This important class answers all of the questions skeptics ask about this claim of the Kuzari.
Ein Aya Armies Still Necessary for Balance & the War Against Wars
Rav Kook explains why the world was originally divided into the various seemingly contradicting ideologies and cultures, in order to develop each one respectively. Swords or armies symbolize how each respective ideology defends themselves, as well as deters their opposing ideologies and cultures. On the other hand, the messianic era will be one of peace, and Rav Kook explains the transition to that stage, which mankind is already undergoing.
The Land of Israel LGBT'S IN ISRAEL
The question was asked, how can one make Aliyah with the LGBT parades?
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 7 - Five Accumulative Proofs of G-d
As a preparation for the Kuzari's classic proof of G-d from the mass-revelation at Sinai, we start here with 5 other directions to strengthen our belief which also contribute to what the Kuzari will present as well.
Ein Aya Muscle & Meaning: The Dual Nature of Gevurah (Physical Strength)
Is physical strength and fitness a necessity or an ideal? Although it if often totally overlooked among topics of Judaism, Rav Kook writes that it clearly is also a necessity to deter the many enemies of Israel, but even in Y'mot HaMashiach, in the Messianic era, to a certain extent, it's ideal continues even after our enemies will have been finished off.
