We tend to think of the Exodus as a distinctively Jewish experience – one of the most formative experiences for us as a nation. However, a verse in this week’s parashah, Ex. 12:38, notes:
Moreover, a mixed multitude went up with them…
But who was this “mixed multitude,” or at least who did the rabbis think they were? In rabbinic and later Jewish tradition, the “mixed multitude” is frequently seen as a source of discord for the Israelites during their time of wandering in the wilderness. But there is another way to understand them and their participation in the Exodus. According to the “under the line” commentary on this verse in Etz Hayim (built on a midrashic tradition), Egyptian society was divided in its responses to the enslavement of the Israelites:
“One third wanted to keep the Israelites as slaves [seeing nothing wrong with the structure of their society]. They died in the plagues.”
“A second group supported Israel’s bid for liberation and rose in revolt against Pharaoh’s stubborn policies. These were the Egyptians who gave Israel gold, silver, and jewels as they prepared to leave…” But one gets the sense that holding the Israelites as slaves had simply become too onerous on themselves and their land, and they just wanted the perceived cause of the problem (the Israelites) to go away.
But then there is the last group: “A third group of Egyptians celebrated the Pesaḥ with Israel, and then left with them…” The midrash refers to this group – who throw their lot in with the Israelites – explicitly as k’sheirim, “proper ones.” In this midrash, the mixed multitude receive the highest praise of all.
The midrash poses a profound moral question. How do we respond to injustice and oppression within our society? Even when we stand in opposition, we are still faced with a choice. Do we only notice the problem when it impinges on us? Is it sufficient to want to make the problem go away, to put it out of sight, even if we give up some of our material wealth to make that happen? The midrash suggests there is another, deeper and harder way, but one whose practitioners are the true “proper ones.” It encourages us to ask ourselves: what does it take to actually join with the oppressed, to throw our lot in with theirs, to participate direct and bodily in the struggle for justice and liberation?
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