[Avodah] irrational anti-Semites?

[Michael Makovi]

> Pharaoh has two worries about the Jews, in the same sentence, that seem to
> contradict each other: " the Jews are multiplying too rapidly, there are too
> many of them" AND "they might go up out of Egypt." Well duh if there are too
> many of them, LET them leave, wouldn't that be the solution?  So it's hard
> to understand exactly what his point is.  "There are too darn many of them
> and they might leave!"  Makes no sense.  (Reminds me of that joke, "I won't
> eat at that restaurant, the food is terrible, and such small portions!")
>
> Rashi says Pharaoh was speaking euphemistically, not wanting to curse
> himself, but his real fear was not that the Jews might go up and leave
> Egypt, but that the EGYPTIANS might be forced to leave their own country!
>
>
> Hirsch says that the Egyptians -- like all anti-Semites -- wanted a few Jews
> around, because they knew they were good for the country, but not /too/ many
> -- like there's some optimum number of Jews an anti-Semite would want in his
> country, not too few and not too many.
>
> The contradictory nature of Pharaoh's anxiety ("There are too many Jews but
> I don't want them to leave") reminds me of how the Soviets used to treat
> Jews -- hated them, persecuted them, but wouldn't let them leave.  It's
> like, "We all know this stinking country is a hellhole, one vast Gulag.  Why
> should you Jews be able to escape this prison-country?"  Like letting them
> leave would be a privilege, a reward for being such impossible people.
>
> There is also an additional phrase in there, "they might /join our enemies
> and fight us/, and then leave." It still doesn't make clear exactly what
> Pharaoh's concern was.  I'm not totally satisfied with Rashi or with Hirsch
> but maybe somebody else came across another commentary on this question that
> sheds more light on it?  Or do we just say, you can't expect anti-Semitism
> to make sense, and that IS the message?
>
>
> --Toby Katz
> =============

I think the answer might be davka that Pharaoh didn't know what he
wanted. He was afraid we would stay in the country and be a
fifth-column, but all the same, he wanted to continue using our labor.
He was afraid to keep us and afraid to let us go.

Alternatively, perhaps he was afraid that we would leave and return as invaders.

Mikha'el Makovi