Halakhah su Ezechiele 29:78

In explanation of Sefer Yere'im's position, Rabbi Raphael argues that, insofar as the ban against residence in the land is concerned, there is indeed a distinction between permanent dwelling and temporary residence for business purposes and the like. However, insofar as the prohibition against settling among the people of Egypt is concerned, no such distinction can be drawn. Accordingly, return to Egypt even for purpose of commerce is, infact, included in the biblical prohibition. The statement found in the Palestinian Talmud which permits return for purposes of commerce must be understood as permitting return to Egypt only subsequent to the displacement of the Egyptian populace by Sennacherib. Since the inhabitants of Egypt are no longer the Egyptians of antiquity, temporary residence in Egypt is now permissible.¹¹It should be noted, however, that Daniel’s return to Egypt occurred subsequent to the population exchange at the time of Sennacherib. Thus Daniel would have been permitted to return for purposes of commerce even from the land of Israel and the incident would not serve to demonstrate that return to Egypt from other lands is not forbidden. Sefer Yere’im is able to cite this narrative in support of his thesis because he follows the opinion of R. Joshua, recorded in the Tosefta, Yedayim 2:8, who maintains that Egypt was not permanently affected by Senna-cherib’s population exchange. In this context the Tosefta cites the verse, “At the end of forty years will I gather the Egyptians from the people whither they were scattered” (Ezekiel 29:13). The opinion of R. Joshua is rejected by all other authorities.