This series is devoted to short but complete Torah morsels that
can be used at the seder. This series is reprinted from
Rashi is Simple with permission of the author, myself.
Complete postings may be found at http://www.shamash.org/rashi/

In todays posting we briefly review the prophecy that
        >we would be in Egypt for 400 years
But in fact we were only there 200 years. Why?



#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*# (C) Dr Hendel, 1999 *#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*
In 1-15-13 we are told
        >Your children will be
                >aliens in a land not their own
                >slaves
                >tortured
        >for 400 years

Yet the stay in Egypt was only about 200 years.
Rashi explains that
        >the being ALIENS lasted 400 years
        >the slavery and torture was less


Rashi finds 3 supports for this idea

EXAMPLE 1
---------
The text says you will be aliens in
        >a land not their own (
In other words we were aliens in MANY lands not just egypt

EXAMPLE 2
---------
It says that the Jews

        >WILL BE strangers

The word WILL BE
         in the Bible always denotes emphasis
Hence the STRANGERNESS lasted for a long time.


EXAMPLE 3 (The Best Proof)
--------------------------
Historically Jews were strangers from the time of
the patriarchs; Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were all
strangers Rashi brings numerous verses for this cited below.
Rashi concludes
        >Great is being a stranger since all the patriarchs
        >were tested thru being strangers

(To see verses where the Patriarchs were strangers see
1-21-34, 1-23-4,1-35-27, 1-47-4,1-32-5..
The NOTATION 1-21-34 Means Gen (Book 1) Chapter 21 Verse 34 )

#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*# (C) Dr Hendel, 1999 *#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*