This parsha, by itself, is not very optimistic. It begins w/us being told how the Hebrew population grew rapidly, to the point that having an alien population in Egypt that did not share Egyptian culture & language, was seen as a potential threat to Egypt’s orderly society,
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which if you study Egyptian history, was not so much orderly as a history of coups d’etat, army rebellions & takeovers, & a couple invasions.
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It is understandable that a large unassimilated population could be seen as threatening as it could side with one faction or another and be destabilizing.
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So, the Egyptians made two changes. (1) They decided to kill first-born Hebrew male children, thus reducing the population and creating an excess of female children who might assimilate.
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(2). They changed the status of the Hebrews, by ending their partial autonomy and forcing them to pay taxes that went for Government and its religious institutions, again an effort to subjugate and/or assimilate.
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Consider in modern times the fears of nations about non-assimilated minorities.
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We see in Torah (and the Hagada Shel Pesach) that the people were oppressed by “Sarai Missim” - שרי מיסים - literally tax officials. Sort of like taxation without representation as the people that were taxed received no benefit for their paid taxes.
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Yes, in Preminger’s film, slavery is pictured as whips and beatings, and I suppose that kind of tactic could collect taxes too. But it is interesting that in the Torah narrative “slavery” is equated with being taxed unfairly and excessively. Sounds right to me.
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& the Parsha tells us about Moshe’s origin & upbringing and how he was sensitive to the treatment of the Hebrew population, to the point of killing an abusive Egyptian & Moshe fleeing to the Sinai where he encounters Yitro’s daughters & their father & stays w/them for many yrs
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But most importantly Moshe is communicated to by HaShem and HaShem hears Moshe’s complaints, and Moshe receives an order. Go to Egypt. Demand that the people be allowed to leave. And Moshe receives a promise - that the people will be freed.
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And, interestingly, there has been debate over the years as to Moshe’s origin. Interpretations of his name range from related Hebrew terms, for being “drawn from the water”, but one might doubt that interpretation...
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because the Egyptians would not have named him based on a Hebrew term. Another interpretation could be that Moshe was an Egyptian name from the old Egyptian “born” or “child”, as in “Ahmos”, meaning “child of the moon”. Something to think about.
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