[Avodah] Exactly when did we leave Mitzrayim?

[Micha Berger]

On Thu, Apr 11, 2019 at 11:15:37pm EDT, R Akiva Miller wrote:
: (In this post, I presume that "Eretz Mitzrayim" and "Mitzrayim" are
: synonymous. If anyone disagrees, please speak up.)

Eretz Goshen is both in and not in Mitzrayim. I am not sure whether the
issue is the word "eretz", but I think some ambiguity as to what the
term refers to exists somewhere.

I think looking for a firm border is anachronistic anyway. Control kind
of faded away as you reach the no man's land of the desert. Think the
European city-state -- there was more or less sovereignty over areas
further from the city, depending on roads, distance, etc...

And before any real cartography? I don't think the notion of "drawing
lines", hard demarcations, would have crossed anyone's mind.

I would faster guess that Yetzias Mitzrayim refers to leaving Egyptian
controlled territory, to the point where we escaped their control.
Which would actually be a moving target -- before the army was dispatched
and after Par'oh exerted his authority up to the Red Sea.



And on Sun, Apr 14, 2019 at 01:27:04pm EDT, RAM's follow-up included:
: For now, I plan to say that Maggid is *not* only about Yetzias Mitzrayim.
: Just as proper understanding of a story includes its prologue (Arami Oved
: Avi, for example)...

Bitechilah ovedei AZ starts at Terach, even!

Not even background to how and why we were in Mitzrayim to begin with.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             Today is the 10th day, which is
micha at aishdas.org        1 week and 3 days in/toward the omer.
http://www.aishdas.org   Tifferes sheb'Gevurah: When does strict
Fax: (270) 514-1507                  judgment bring balance and harmony?