The Exodus, Freedom, and Welcoming the Stranger

In other words, "We ain't leaving anybody behind!"
We all know the song "Let My People Go," an African American spiritual based on the text from Exodus, but the next phrase of Scripture is missing from the song. God says, "Let My people go to worship Me" (Exodus 9:13). Our liberation is connected to God. The Torah is a fascinating story of enslaved people struggling for their freedom. The slaves gain their freedom because God sides with the Israelites over their oppressor, Pharaoh. Then, once the Israelites are free, rules of behavior and laws are created for a new society and social system that underlies freedom for all people. You may be thinking that the Torah does not abolish slavery, and you are right, a fact that has always concerned me. Instead, the Torah lists a series of laws in Parashat Mishpatim on how to protect the slave. Slavery existed during biblical times and still exists today. The Torah gives us laws to protect slaves from abuse and mistreatment; it appears to try to correct some of the pitfalls of slavery. It's as if the Torah cannot imagine a world without slavery. Even though the Torah does not abolish slavery, it sets in motion a series of fundamental laws that will lead people to abolish slavery of their own accord.
In the Torah, liberation begins with and emphasizes a concern for the poor, the oppressed, and the marginalized. God sides with the oppressed and marginalized and against the oppressors.
-Rabbi Sandra Lawson

I want to highlight the Hebrew word v’gam, which we can just as accurately translate as "and also." The Torah doesn't want us to forget that the people who escaped slavery so long ago in search of freedom were not monolithic. The focus on the livestock and herds reminds us that some in the community were well off enough to own property and others may have been poor, indicating that those who fled came from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. I often tell the college students I work with to imagine the budding relationships that were happening. Perhaps an Israelite fell in love with an Egyptian. When the Israelites were leaving, some Egyptians threw their lot in with the ones they loved and followed Moses into the wilderness. This text is a reminder that we were and always have been a diverse group.
-Rabbi Sandra Lawson

When one who has previously been a stranger joins us, that person must be treated as one who is born in the Land. We are to treat everyone equally.
Each of us is a dynamic and awesome being who, when we live up to our potential, can do amazing things--maybe even become the Moses of our generation. Let us remember that our freedom is connected to God. When we treat others in our community as if they don't belong, we prevent others from worshiping God, and we are not living up to our Jewish values.
-Rabbi Sandra Lawson

Discussion Questions by Ariel Tovlev

1. What is the ending of the phrase “Let My people go”? How do the extra three
   words change the meaning? Why do you think we often leave those words out?
   
2. Rabbi Lawson teaches that the Torah includes laws to protect the oppressed and
   marginalized, specifically slaves and strangers, who were some of the most vul- nerable communities in ancient times. What are the vulnerable communities in our modern society, and how might we protect them?
   
3. Rabbi Lawson highlights the Hebrew phrase eirev rav (mixed multitude) from this week’s parashah. What does this concept of a mixed multitude mean to you? How might we honor this concept in our communities today?