Comentário sobre Êxodo 1:1

ואלה שמות בני ישראל NOW THESE ARE THE NAMES OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL — Although scripture has already enumerated them by name whilst they were living, when they went down into Egypt (Genesis 46:8-27), it again enumerates them when it tells us of their death, thus showing how dear they were to God — that they are compared to the stars which also God brings out and brings in by number and name when they cease to shine, as it is said, (Isaiah 40:26) “He bringeth out their host by number, He calleth them all by name” (Exodus Rabbah 1:3; Tanchuma Yashan 1:1:2).

AND THESE ARE THE NAMES OF …. The meaning [of the connective vav — v’eileh, (‘and’ these are) — when it would have sufficed to say, “These are the names of …,”] is that Scripture desires to reckon the subject of the exile from the time they went down to Egypt. It was then that they were the first of the exiles to go into exile,¹⁶Amos 6:7. as I have explained.¹⁷See Note 7 above. It is for this reason that He returns to the beginning of the subject [stated in the Book of Genesis], which is the verse, And all his seed he [Jacob] brought with him into Egypt.¹⁸Genesis 46:7. There it is written afterward, And these are the names of the children of Israel, who came into Egypt, etc.¹⁹Ibid., Verse 8. This is the very same verse that He repeats here. Even though they are two separate books, the narrative is connected with subjects which follow one another successively. Here, once He mentioned the children of Jacob, He adopted a concise approach to his children’s children and all of his seed [and did not mention them by name as He had done in the Book of Genesis]. Rather, He alluded to them only generally, just as He had said there, All the souls of the house of Jacob, that came into Egypt, were threescore and ten.²⁰Ibid., Verse 27. In the same way He said here in Verse 5: And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls.
A similar case is found in the Book of Chronicles and the Book of Ezra. The Book of Chronicles finishes with the verse: Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Eternal by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the Eternal stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying: Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, etc.²¹II Chronicles 36:22-23. The author repeated the very language of these two verses at the beginning of the Book of Ezra in order to connect the narrative. However, since they were indeed two books, he completed the first book, [i.e., the Book of Chronicles], with the events that transpired before the building of the Second Sanctuary, and he devoted the second book, [i.e., the Book of Ezra], to the events that happened from the time of the building [of that Sanctuary].²²Ramban’s thesis apparently is that Ezra himself completely authored the two books, Chronicles and Ezra. See, however, Baba Bathra 15a, where it is stated, “Ezra wrote his book and the genealogy of Chronicles up to himself.” This would seem to indicate that only the first chapters of the Book of Chronicles, which deal with the genealogical tables, were written by Ezra, but not the other parts of the book. The key to the understanding of Ramban’s words must lie therefore in grasping his intent, i.e., that Ezra connected the Book of Chronicles with his own book by using the restoration-edict of Cyrus as the linking material, with the object of bringing out the continuity of the events during the two Sanctuaries. The same thing occurs in these two books, Bereshith and V’eileh Shemoth.

ואלה שמות, seeing that the Torah wanted to let us know how the Israelites had increased and multiplied (verse 3) it became necessary to repeat that when they had arrived in Egypt they had numbered only 70 souls. The dramatic increase in numbers of Israelites began only with the death of the generation that had moved there from the land of Canaan. As a result, when a new king came to the throne in Egypt, he wanted to diminish their numbers and did not succeed in doing so.

אלה, the ones mentioned here were deserving to be mentioned with their names. The reason is that each one of them possessed sufficient individuality to give meaning to his name. They were all of them an inspiration to their children as not one of them abandoned his family tradition. However, after the death of that generation even the relatively righteous ones among them did not rate so highly in the eyes of G’d or man so that the Torah deemed it necessary to tell us their names.

ואלה שמות בני ישראל, And these are the names of the children of Israel, etc. The reason that the Book of Exodus commences with the conjunctive letter ו is to teach that all these people were righteous, just like their parents. The word ואלה also is employed to show continuity with the people who had preceded them. In this instance the preceding people were Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, all of whom were outstandingly righteous. The generation mentioned at the opening of the Book of Exodus too were righteous people.

 ואלה שמות בני ישראל, “and these were the names of the Children of Israel, etc.” According to Ibn Ezra the reason why the Torah decided to repeat the names of the sons of Yaakov here once more is because at the end of the last portion of the Book of Bereshit the Torah described how Joseph lived to see grandchildren and great grandchildren and how they multiplied. The Torah now wants us to know that the other sons of Yaakov experienced a similar blessing after arriving in Egypt. Nachmanides explains that the mention of the names here is designed to impress upon the reader that the exile in Egypt did not begin with the suppression of the Jews by the new Pharaoh, but that it commenced with Yaakov’ and his family’s descent to Egypt some 93 years earlier. The report helps to establish the fact that the Book of Exodus is a direct continuation of the Book of Genesis. The Torah abbreviates here, mentioning only “the sons of Yaakov, his family totaling 70 souls,” instead of listing their names again as in chapter 46 of the Book of Genesis.

Though [Scripture] has previously enumerated them during their lifetime, etc. Rashi questions the need to count them [the Bnei Yisrael] a second time. They had previously been counted in Parshas Vayigash (Bereishis 46:8). One cannot argue that they were previously counted while alive and now they were being counted after death because this makes no difference [in the count] since they had already been counted. This is why Rashi expounds, “[This is] to show,” etc. Rashi finds further difficulty with the “vav” [= and] at the beginning of the word ואלה [And these]. “‘These’ are the names,” would have been sufficient.

Kap. 1. V. 1. Mit dem zweiten Buche beginnt die Geschichte des jüdischen Volkes. Aus der Einzel- und Familiengeschichte wird in die Volksgeschichte hinübergeleitet durch erinnernde Nennung der einzelnen Männer, die uns bereits als die "Grundstöcke" der jüdischen Volksgesamtheit bekannt sind. וְאלה es sind dies ganz dieselben, in ihren gesonderten Eigentümlichkeiten, aus welchen nunmehr das jüdische Volk erwuchs. Einen gemeinsamen Grundzug brachten sie mit, der die Grundbasis der jüdischen Nationalität bildet: את יעקב איש וביתו! Wenn später, als die durch pharaonische Misshandlung zerstückte Volksleiche, wie sie einst dem Ahn prophetisch gezeigt war, dem Aasgeier der Geschichte zu willkommenem Fraß am Boden zu liegen schien und durch Gottes Weckerruf "in ihrem Blute" zu unsterblichem Leben erstehen sollte, Gott den Aufbau seines Volkes nicht mit den Giebelspitzen, sondern mit der Granitbasis des "Hauses" — בשה לבית אבות שה לבית — mit dem Familienband der Kinder aufwärts, mit dem Familienband der Eltern abwärts begann: so wird uns hier gezeigt, dass diese Grundbasis des ewigen Gottesvolkes nur gewaltsam geraubt und zerstört war zur Zeit des erlösenden Aufbaues, mitgebracht war sie von vornherein, als die Söhne Israels hinabzogen in den ägyptischen Mutterschoß, in welchem sie unter Leid und Weh zum Volke geboren werden sollten. את יעקב איש וביתו: obgleich sie schon alle ein selbständiges Haus ausmachten, hingen sie doch noch alle fest und innig an Jakob! — את יעקב ist eine viel innigere Verbindung als את) .עם יעקב, Wurzel אתת. Es ist eigentümlich, daß im Hebräischen Wörter, die eine Verbindung ausdrücken, größtenteils auch eine Trennung bezeichnen. So פתל und ברל, so אֵת und אֵת Plural אִתִים; es lässt sich keine innige Verbindung ohne Sonderung von andern denken.) את יעקב איש וביתו: alle zusammen an dem alten Stamm, und doch jeder wieder für sich ein eigener, selbständiger Zweig, ein eigener, selbständiger Mittelpunkt für einen eigenen Kreis; alle Kinder Jakobs, und doch wieder selbst Väter für eigene Kinder; dieser Familiengeist und dieses Familienherz, das jeden Sohn sein Haus nur als Zweig des eigenen Elternhauses bauen, und jeden Vater in Kind und Enkel fortleben lässt, das Eltern mit Kindern und Kinder mit Eltern auf ewig und innig vereint, das ists, worin Israels ewige Blüte wurzelt, darin liegt das Geheimnis des jüdischen Stammes.

ואלה שמות וגו....הבאים, “and these are the names, etc........who arrived in Egypt ” why is that verse written in the present tense, seeing that it was quite some time since Yaakov and his sons had arrived in Egypt? They had been there long before the death of Joseph. The reason that they are referred to as new arrivals was that as long as Joseph was alive they did not have to pay any taxes. As soon as he had died they became subject to normal taxation. Therefore they considered that day as if it was the day that they had arrived there. (Sh’mot Rabbah 1,4)

ואלה שמות, “And these were the names of;” the prefix letter ו in the word ואלה is intended to connect what is written here to what had been written at the end of the Book of Genesis. The connection is with the three generations of Joseph through Menashe that he is reported to have still known before he died (Genesis 50,22). He had witnessed the fulfillment of the descendants of Avraham multiplying while in a land not their own. Rashi points out that when the Jewish people were compared by G-d as “numerous as the stars,” G-d meant that these stars are not just numbers but each one has a name and its coming and going is supervised by its Creator. Similarly, in spite of becoming numerous the Jewish people never were just numbers but each one having a name ensured that he would be treated on an individual basis by G-d. If someone were to ask where it is written that the Jews that Yaakov brought with him to Egypt were numbered by him, the Torah states that not only were they numbered but they were named, i.e.

Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra said that because He mentioned at the end of Bereshith [50:23] that Joseph saw children of the third generation to his children, this is why He mentioned [here in the second book] that his brethren likewise were at first few and then were fruitful and multiplied. But this is not correct.²³Ramban did not explain the reason for his rejection of Ibn Ezra’s interpretation. I found this in Isaac Abarbanel’s (1437-1508) Commentary on the Torah, where he offers the following explanation for Ramban’s rejection: “The reason for it is that in the Book of Genesis, the Torah has already mentioned each one of the twelve tribes, their children, and their children’s children, who went down into Egypt. And this is far more than the mere names of the tribes He mentioned here. Besides, it would have sufficed to say here, And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, thus informing us of their great increase, and not just mentioning the names of the tribes. Moreover, in my opinion, if Ibn Ezra’s interpretation be correct, it would not have been necessary here to include Joseph as it did in Verse 5, since he had been mentioned already at the beginning of this topic, [i.e., at the end of the Book of Genesis]. Moreover, the division of the chapters refutes Ibn Ezra’s opinion.”
Rashi wrote: “Although Scripture had already enumerated them whilst they were living, it again enumerates them by name, following their death, in order to show how they were beloved by G-d. They are compared to the stars which G-d also brings out by number and brings in by number,²⁴In our text of Rashi: “Which G-d also brings out and brings in by number and name.” as it is said, He bringeth out their host by number, He calleth them all by name.”²⁵Isaiah 40:26. “It is for this reason that He mentions the names of the tribes always and repeats them, all for the sake of showing how dear they are to G-d” (Bachya). These are words of homiletic exposition,²⁶Shemoth Rabbah 1:3. and insofar as they indicate the love of G-d for the tribes — how the Holy One, blessed be He, loves them and repeats their names always — they are words of truth. But the matters of the connection of the verses and how they are joined by the vav — [v’eileh shemoth — (‘And’ these are the names of…)] — is as I have explained.

It again enumerates them at their deaths, but without using the phrase “by their names” in conjunction with their death. Previously (Ibid.) while alive a detailed count was made (including their extended families) whereas in death, only the tribal leaders were counted. As it is written here “seventy souls.”

Another reason for the letter ו in this instance is to remind us that the years of exile of the Jewish people were computed as having already begun during the time of Abraham, not merely after the arrival of Jacob in Egypt (compare Tanchuma Shemot 4).

ואלה שמות “and these were the names.” The Torah informs us that all the people that came down to Egypt with Yaakov also died in that land.

To show how dear they are [to God], because they are compared to the stars. Do not ask “what is this dearness” that they are compared to the stars. The answer is that just as the stars are exist forever and illuminate by day and night, but their illumintation is not visible during the day because “light at midday is of no value,” so too does Yisrael exist in this world and in the World to Come.

Still another reason for the Torah writing that letter is to tell us that just as the earlier generations perceived that they were in exile and accepted their fate without resentment, so the generation of which we read here also accepted their destiny without complaint.

הבאים מצרימה, this construction is most unusual, we would have expected the Torah to write: אשר באו, “who arrived,” not such an indeterminate present tense as הבאים, literally: “Who were arriving.” The fact is that in retrospect, after having been subjected to cruel treatment by the Egyptians, they had forgotten about the good years and felt as if they had only just arrived there.

Which He brings out and brings in by number and by their [individual] names; The words “and by their names” refer only to the words “and He brings them in.” But concerning taking them out, (Hashem takes them out) only by number and not by name as it says in the verse, “Who brings out their host by number, and calls each by its name (when bringing them back in)” — concerning taking them out it is written “by number,” and (only) concerning bringing them in it is written “by name.” (Mizrachi)

Perhaps this will help us understand why the Torah bothered to list the names of the tribes when we have been well aware of their names since the Book of Genesis, and particularly since the list of the seventy people who descended to Egypt with Jacob. While Rashi claims that the Torah's repeating these names after their deaths is evidence of how fond G'd was of them, this is hardly more than a homiletical explanation. Besides, if Rashi were correct then the Torah should have recorded these names after verse six in which we heard that the members of that generation had all died. Verse seven should then have commenced with the words: ואלה שמות בני ישראל.

את יעקב, “with Yaakov.”

According to our approach the Torah informs us of the reason why the names appear once more, i.e. that they had all willingly accepted their destiny to endure exile as distinct from Esau who had decided to leave the land of Canaan by moving to Mount Seir (Genesis 36,8). Bereshit Rabbah 82,13, attributes Esau's move to the decree of G'd mentioned to Abraham in Genesis 15,13 that Abraham's descendants would become strangers in a foreign land. Esau wanted to escape that obligation and that is why he moved away voluntarily at that time. הבאים מצרימה, who arrived in Egypt; they came in order to endure exile; את יעקב, together with Jacob; "with Jacob," i.e. in the same spirit as Jacob, to discharge their duty to become exiles. The Torah wants to prove that the Israelites did not move to Egypt for other reasons and that is why it writes that they came איש וביתו, everyone with his respective family, i.e. they prepared for a lengthy stay; otherwise they would have left their families in the land of Canaan.

איש וביתו, “man and wife.” We know this from Genesis 46,26: מלבד נשי בני יעקב, “in addition to the wives of Yaakov’s sons.” (Genesis 46,26) Yaakov was aware that the Egyptians were deeply involved in promiscuity. He was afraid that his offspring would learn to copy these ways of the Egyptians. He had therefore married them off before they could do so.

באו, they had come. The Torah draws our attention to the difference between הבאים, and באו. We have explained already in Genesis 46,7 that not all of Jacob's family were of one mind about the timing of the descent to Egypt. Some volunteered, others had to be more or less coerced. The Torah again alludes to this distinction when describing the descent of the people who accompanied Jacob.

The division may also have been different. All those who are named came to Egypt of their own initiative. They might even have come without Jacob (if, for instance their father had died before the end of the famine). However, all those whom the Torah has not named again only came as part of the entourage of Jacob; they would never have left ארץ ישראל unless their founding father had taken such an intitiative. This is why the Torah repeated: "they came with Jacob, each one with his family."

There is yet another possibility. The word הבאים is to prove that those people were not forced to go to Egypt with Jacob. Proof: When they returned to the land of Canaan with the funeral cortege of Jacob, they all returned to Egypt. Had their original descent been involuntary, why would they have chosen to remain in Egypt 15 years after the end of the famine? The Torah therefore gives all these people credit for accepting G'd's decree to be strangers in a foreign land though they could have resisted implementation of that decree at that time.

"These are the names of the children of Israel who came to Egypt: Yaakov, etc" What appears to me is that based upon the Talmud, "Yaakov our father did not die; just as his children are alive, so he is alive." This alludes to Tracte Terumos Chapter 9, where it says over that when you plant terumah whatever grows from those seeds is also terumah as long as the seed isn't ruined [as long as the seed exists, like an onion]. So it says in the Zohar, in Yayechi, "come and see: Yaakov approached to the moon and he made fruits for the world, and there is no generation forever that does not have the seed of Yaakov." Because he made an arousal from above, as it says in the Torah "he gathered his feet to the bed," and that is the bed of Yaakov. That's the meaning of the Gemara "just as his children are alive, so he is alive" because he is also alive with them as the Gemara compares with terumah "whatever grows from seeds of terumah is also terumah as long as the seed isn't ruined." This is the meaning of the verse, "these are the names of the children of Israel that came with Yaakov," as they are all called by the name of "children of Israel" since Yaakov's strength has not ceased from them, just as a fruit whose seed is still there has the same status as the seed so too Yaakov's power like himself. That's the meaning of the verse that "Ephraim and Menashe should be considered like Rueven and Shimon to me." That means there isn't a new generation; rather, they are literally like the previous generation, because they are likened to the fruit whose seed is still there and therefore grandchildren are just like children.