Commentaire de citation sur Le Deutéronome 10:19

This is the bread of affliction: The Seder begins with this invitation to the needy to join us in the Passover meal so that they won't be embarrassed by sitting at the table of someone wealthier than them. We comfort them by saying, ‘Aren't we all brothers and sisters who were redeemed from the house of bondage - both your and my parents?’ We do this in order to fulfill the commandment, "You shall love the stranger for you were strangers in the land of Egypt." (Deut. 10:19) In this way the needy person will not be humiliated.

And he transferred the people to cities. Rashi explains that this was to remove shame from his brothers so that people wouldn’t say they were exiles. However, this explanation is difficult to accept, as it seems unlikely that Joseph would disrupt the entire land for such a minor benefit. Furthermore, the term “exile and outcast” only applies to someone who had an inheritance of field and vineyard and was exiled from them. But Jacob was not a permanent resident anywhere, and all the Patriarchs were sojourners, as the state of being foreigners had already begun from Isaac’s birth. We don’t find that the Patriarchs were concerned about this. It is more reasonable to explain all this upheaval based on the verse And you shall love the stranger because you were strangers in the land of Egypt (Deuteronomy 10:19). For anyone who has never been a stranger does not feel the pain of the stranger and does not have compassion for the stranger’s soul. But one who has himself been a stranger knows the pain of the stranger, and what is hateful to oneself, one should not do to others. Therefore, Joseph transferred the people to cities so that they would all be strangers in a land not their own, so that they would feel the pain of the stranger. It’s possible that this was also Rashi’s intention, as this is the shame he refers to — that they would be reproached by being called exiles, with people saying “If God desired your welfare, why are you exiles?” and thus feeling justified in mistreating them. Therefore, Joseph transferred them to cities so they could respond, “You too have become weak like us” (based on Isaiah 14:10).

It appears that the term “going” [walking] applies only to the movement of the legs, which transport a person from place to place. However, it’s possible that even when one goes to another place, their mind may still be connected to the place they left. But the term “ journeying” implies a complete transfer of both body and thought entirely. For this reason, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Abraham, Go forth from your land (Genesis 12:1), because initially, most likely, his soul was still connected to his father’s house. Later it says (Genesis 12:9), journeying toward the south — first he was “going” and afterward “journeying” southward, because God had made him forget his father’s house entirely.
This is what is meant by Moses said to Hovav — he concealed from him the name Yitro, because perhaps he thought that converts are as difficult for Israel as a scab (Yevamot 47b), since anything “extra” [yeter] is considered as if cut off, and this is why he was called Yitro. Therefore, presumably they would not welcome him properly, so Moses changed his name from Yitro to Hovav, hinting at what is written (Deuteronomy 10:19), You shall love the stranger, meaning that he should be beloved [chaviv] to them. Therefore, he asked him to go with them.
And Moses said, We are traveling — because for us it is called “traveling” from the place we left, as we have no inheritance, vineyard, or family there. However, for you it would be called “going” from your land and your birthplace. Nevertheless, I ask, Come with us and we will do good to you, for the Lord has spoken good upon Israel. This means that He commanded us to do good to those who cleave to us, and it is fitting to say upon Israel in this context, as it is written (Isaiah 14:1), And the stranger will join upon them and they will cleave to the house of Jacob. For the term upon implies something added to the main body.
And he said to him, “I will not go” — He was angry that Moses mentioned the term “going,” suspecting him of still having his thoughts wandering in his land and birthplace. For in truth, the Torah was so beloved to him that he had completely removed even his thoughts from his land and birthplace, and he had a complete desire to cleave to the Divine Presence.

והיית לנו לעינים — The verb is in the past tense and we have to understand it just as the Targum renders it: and all the mighty deeds that have been wrought for us thou hast seen with thine own eyes. Another explanation is that it is the future tense: whatever things will be hidden from our eyes, you will enlighten our eyes about it. Still another explanation is that the passage means that you will be held in affection by us as our “very eye-balls”. as it is said, (Deuteronomy 10:19) “and ye shall love the stranger” (Sifrei Bamidbar 80).