Evasions and Egyptians

Who is called Hashem's people?

First, I want to remind everybody to not use various easy methods to circumvent bans, as discussed here. It is immoral, unethical, against the TOS, against halakha (Jewish law), and contrary to derekh eretz (proper ethical conduct). I know that sounds preachy, but it was your choice to read it.

There is an interesting short episode in the Book of Kings, towards the end of the First Temple, during the period in which the Land of Judea falls under the dominion of Egypt. The pasuk states (II Kings 22:34):

וַיַּמְלֵךְ֩ פַּרְעֹ֨ה נְכֹ֜ה אֶת־אֶלְיָקִ֣ים בֶּן־יֹאשִׁיָּ֗הוּ תַּ֚חַת יֹאשִׁיָּ֣הוּ אָבִ֔יו וַיַּסֵּ֥ב אֶת־שְׁמ֖וֹ יְהוֹיָקִ֑ים וְאֶת־יְהוֹאָחָ֣ז לָקָ֔ח וַיָּבֹ֥א מִצְרַ֖יִם וַיָּ֥מָת שָֽׁם׃

Then Pharaoh Neco appointed Eliakim son of Josiah king in place of his father Josiah, changing his name to Jehoiakim. He took Jehoahaz and brought him to Egypt, where he died.

Now, I never saw an explanation as to what the significance of this is. Why did Pharaoh change King Elyakim’s name this way? But this week I thought of something.

אֶלְיָקִ֣ים is with the name of אלקים. And יְהוֹיָקִ֑ים is the same name, but with the שם הויה instead. Pharaoh switched the name אלקים to the שם הויה. But why?

We know that even the idolators recognized the Ultimate God, but worshipped many other deities as well (Menachos 110.) But from the times of Moshe, we find that Egyptians didn’t recognize the שם הויה, as Pharaoh tells Moshe (Shemos 5:2)

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר פַּרְעֹ֔ה מִ֤י יְהוָה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֶשְׁמַ֣ע בְּקֹל֔וֹ לְשַׁלַּ֖ח אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל לֹ֤א יָדַ֙עְתִּי֙ אֶת־יְהוָ֔ה וְגַ֥ם אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֹ֥א אֲשַׁלֵּֽחַ׃

But Pharaoh said, “Who is יהוה that I should heed him and let Israel go? I do not know יהוה, nor will I let Israel go.”

However, in later history, there was a dramatic change. During the times of righteous King Chizkiya, the Assyrian King Sennacherib swept through the entire region, conquering countless Kingdoms. He had just returned from sacking Egypt and was besieging poor, starving Jerusalem. Previously, he had sent his general Ravshake (who was an apostate Jew) to lower the morale of the defenders. Ravshake declared (II Kings 18:33-35),

וְאַֽל־תִּשְׁמְעוּ֙ אֶל־חִזְקִיָּ֔הוּ כִּֽי־יַסִּ֤ית אֶתְכֶם֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר יְהוָ֖ה יַצִּילֵֽנוּ׃

Don’t listen to Hezekiah, who misleads you by saying, ‘GOD will save us.’

הַהַצֵּ֥ל הִצִּ֛ילוּ אֱלֹהֵ֥י הַגּוֹיִ֖ם אִ֣ישׁ אֶת־אַרְצ֑וֹ מִיַּ֖ד מֶ֥לֶךְ אַשּֽׁוּר׃

Did any of the gods of other nations save their land from the king of Assyria?

אַיֵּה֩ אֱלֹהֵ֨י חֲמָ֜ת וְאַרְפָּ֗ד אַיֵּ֛ה אֱלֹהֵ֥י סְפַרְוַ֖יִם הֵנַ֣ע וְעִוָּ֑ה כִּֽי־הִצִּ֥ילוּ אֶת־שֹׁמְר֖וֹן מִיָּדִֽי׃

Where were the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where were the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? [And] did they save Samaria from me?

מִ֚י בְּכָל־אֱלֹהֵ֣י הָֽאֲרָצ֔וֹת אֲשֶׁר־הִצִּ֥ילוּ אֶת־אַרְצָ֖ם מִיָּדִ֑י כִּי־יַצִּ֧יל יְהוָ֛ה אֶת־יְרוּשָׁלִַ֖ם מִיָּדִֽי׃

Which among all the gods of [those] countries saved their countries from me, that GOD should save Jerusalem from me?”

The general blasphemed the Name of God, the שם הויה, by comparing Hashem to idols.

Suddenly, in one night, God sent an angel, and Sennacherib’s entire army was burnt to a crisp. The Navi Yeshaya declares that following the defeat of Sennacherib, many of Sennacherib’s captive Egyptians who watched the miracle unfold would convert to the Jewish faith, or at least follow the God of the Jews (Isaiah 20:18-25).

בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֡וּא יִהְיוּ֩ חָמֵ֨שׁ עָרִ֜ים בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֗יִם מְדַבְּרוֹת֙ שְׂפַ֣ת כְּנַ֔עַן וְנִשְׁבָּע֖וֹת לַיהוָ֣ה צְבָא֑וֹת עִ֣יר הַהֶ֔רֶס יֵאָמֵ֖ר לְאֶחָֽת׃ (ס)

In that day, there shall be several towns in the land of Egypt speaking the language of Canaan (Hebrew) and swearing loyalty to GOD of Hosts; one shall be called Town of Heres.

בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֗וּא יִֽהְיֶ֤ה מִזְבֵּ֙חַ֙ לַֽיהוָ֔ה בְּת֖וֹךְ אֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם וּמַצֵּבָ֥ה אֵֽצֶל־גְּבוּלָ֖הּ לַֽיהוָֽה׃

In that day, there shall be an altar to GOD inside the land of Egypt and a pillar to GOD at its border.

וְהָיָ֨ה לְא֥וֹת וּלְעֵ֛ד לַֽיהוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם כִּֽי־יִצְעֲק֤וּ אֶל־יְהוָה֙ מִפְּנֵ֣י לֹֽחֲצִ֔ים וְיִשְׁלַ֥ח לָהֶ֛ם מוֹשִׁ֥יעַ וָרָ֖ב וְהִצִּילָֽם׃

They shall serve as a symbol and reminder of GOD of Hosts in the land of Egypt, so that when [the Egyptians] cry out to GOD against oppressors, a savior and champion will be sent to deliver them.

וְנוֹדַ֤ע יְהוָה֙ לְמִצְרַ֔יִם וְיָדְע֥וּ מִצְרַ֛יִם אֶת־יְהוָ֖ה בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֑וּא וְעָֽבְדוּ֙ זֶ֣בַח וּמִנְחָ֔ה וְנָדְרוּ־נֵ֥דֶר לַֽיהוָ֖ה וְשִׁלֵּֽמוּ׃

For the Egyptians will be made to know GOD, and the Egyptians shall acknowledge GOD in that day, and they shall serve with sacrifice and oblation and shall make vows to GOD and fulfill them.

וְנָגַ֧ף יְהוָ֛ה אֶת־מִצְרַ֖יִם נָגֹ֣ף וְרָפ֑וֹא וְשָׁ֙בוּ֙ עַד־יְהוָ֔ה וְנֶעְתַּ֥ר לָהֶ֖ם וּרְפָאָֽם׃

GOD will first afflict and then heal the Egyptians: when they turn back, GOD will respond to their entreaties and heal them.

בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֗וּא תִּהְיֶ֨ה מְסִלָּ֤ה מִמִּצְרַ֙יִם֙ אַשּׁ֔וּרָה וּבָֽא־אַשּׁ֥וּר בְּמִצְרַ֖יִם וּמִצְרַ֣יִם בְּאַשּׁ֑וּר וְעָבְד֥וּ מִצְרַ֖יִם אֶת־אַשּֽׁוּר׃ (ס)

In that day, there shall be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians shall join with the Egyptians and Egyptians with the Assyrians, and then the Egyptians together with the Assyrians shall serve [ GOD ].

בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֗וּא יִהְיֶ֤ה יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ שְׁלִ֣ישִׁיָּ֔ה לְמִצְרַ֖יִם וּלְאַשּׁ֑וּר בְּרָכָ֖ה בְּקֶ֥רֶב הָאָֽרֶץ׃

In that day, Israel shall be a third partner with Egypt and Assyria as a blessing on earth;

אֲשֶׁ֧ר בֵּרֲכ֛וֹ יְהוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת לֵאמֹ֑ר בָּר֨וּךְ עַמִּ֜י מִצְרַ֗יִם וּמַעֲשֵׂ֤ה יָדַי֙ אַשּׁ֔וּר וְנַחֲלָתִ֖י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (ס)

for GOD of Hosts will bless them, saying, “Blessed be My people Egypt, My handiwork Assyria, and My very own Israel.”

Wow! “My people Egypt”! Hashem has other nations besides for the Jewish nation that He loves and considers His people, as long as they recognize Him!

I would suggest that this explains Pharaoh Necho’s name change. He was one of the followers of the Ultimate God, and was ironically demonstrating that he was more faithful than the Jewish King, by changing the Jewish King’s name to the שם הויה.

The ultimate lesson here is that when the Assyrian army fell without any physical hishtadlus, without an army, without a sword being drawn, only through the power of Torah and prayer, even the non-Jews recognized God’s hand, so much so that it had a dramatic effect on their history. How much more so should we recognize Hashem and strengthen our Avodah in these trying times.

Parenthetically, I saw an interesting article:

David and Solomon’s Biblical Kingdom May Have Existed After All, New Study Suggests

Monumental structures at Gezer have been redated to the early 10th century B.C.E., which means maybe Solomon built them after all, biblical archaeologists say. But colleagues remain skeptical

May have existed after all, eh?