A Word from the Translator

A Word from the Translator

Dear Friends,

If you are reading this, then I am going to assume that you have been reading  my translation of the commentary on the Haggadah, Maarechet Heidenheim by Rabbi Tebele Bondi. This is the first time that I am publishing a commentary as a blog but it is the thirteenth year that I am translating and publishing a traditional commentary on the Haggadah. There are hundreds of such commentaries and each of them has unique insights into the meaning of the Haggadah and Passover.

This has become a yearly tradition for me. Each year, I study a different commentary, translate it best as I can, and then put it together with the text of the Haggadah. A siyyum is held for the work on the eve of Passover when the first born is supposed to fast. As per our tradition, by studying and completing a Jewish text (usually a tractate of Talmud) and then sharing the final bits of learning with others, a celebration is held in lieu of the fast.  Even though the others present did not study the entire text, they are credited with the accomplishment and exempt from the fast.

Here are a list of my translations, most of which are still available in print and as PDF, if you are interested in ordering them. (They are $10 for each Haggadah plus shipping)

Translations

1.      Leil Shemurim by Rabbi Yehiel Michal Halevi Epstein 2001

2.      Reiach Dudaim, by Rabbi David Dov Meisels 2002

3.      Baruch Sh’amar, by Rabbi Baruch Halevi Epstein 2003

4.      Ma’aseh Nissim, by Rabbi Yaakov Loberbaum 2004

5.      Yismach Yisrael, by Rabbi Yirachmiel Yisrael Danziger 2005

6.      Shibbolei HaLeket,  by Rav Tzidkiyah HaRofei, 2006 (Not available)

7.      Ephod Bad, by Rabbi Benjamin David Rabinowitz 2007

8.      Naftali Seva Ratzon, by Rabbi Naftali Hertz Ginzburg 2008

9.      Kos Shel Eliyahu, by Rabbi Eliyahu Ben Harun 2009

10.   Peirush Ha-Hafla’ah, by Rabbi Pinchas HaLevi Horowitz 2010

11.   Marbeh Lisaper, By Rabbi Yedidiah Tiah Weil, 2011

12.   Agadata D'Pascha Edited by Rabbi Joseph Kapah 2012

13.   Kimcha D'Avshuna by by Rabbi Johanan Treves 2013

Original Works

1.    The Ha-Ha Haggadah by Rabbi Mark Greenspan 2006 (Out of Print)

2.    Around the Table: A User Friendly Haggadah, By Rabbi Mark Greenspan 2006 (Out of Print)

My colleagues and friends ask how I manage to do this and frankly I have no answer to their question. Much of it is done in the free moments I find, late in the evening or early in the morning.  The authors of these commentaries becomes my study partner for several months - I carry their work with me everywhere including to shul. 

There is never enough time to complete the work and some years I have published as much as I was able to finish by the week after Purim - I need to give the publisher sufficient time to proper print the work. I am fortunate to have good friends and family who review the translation for grammatical mistakes but the translation is never a finished product. If I had another month, or two or six, I know I could do a better job. When I look back I still find mistakes and clumsy language. 

Translation is a great and awesome challenge. It is not simply a matter of knowing Hebrew but mastering two languages sufficiently to capture complex ideas from Hebrew into English. I would have to say that my 'translation' falls somewhere between a literal translation and a paraphrase. It is not a word for word translation, and there is an occasional word or phrase here and there that I simply skip over.  This year I am also including the Hebrew text along with the translation on line for those who know Hebrew. You can be the judge of how well or poorly I succeed. I invite your comments, criticisms and suggestions for the final publication of a 'hard copy' before Passover. 

These commentaries are often repetitive and occasionally, the text defies translation - so as I have said, it is the best that I can offer. But my philosophy is that something is better than nothing, even if it is imperfect.  

This year, I have added one more step in the translation project which actually removes the work from the realm of translation to an extent. Having translated the work, I have reread my work and made stylistic changes to better capture the essence of the commentators ideas. That means that it is less literal and more literary. 

A word about the Hebrew text. This has been a challenge as well. I have the Haggadah as  PDF but it is an old text and it is written in Rashi script (a special font used for traditional Hebrew books).Publishing the Hebrew text means copying and pasting the text into Davka and then carefully reviewing the Hebrew - the computer confuses certain letters (such as Bet with a kaf, and a het with a taf) so there are a significant number of errors. More than eighty percent of the text copies properly but it means reviewing the text two and three times - and I am certain there are still errors in my Hebrew text.

My hope is that you will find new ideas to share with others at the Seder this year. Rabbi Bondi's work will not leave you disappointed. Written at the end of the nineteenth century and published in Frankfort, Germany, it reflects the musings of a man who was aware that he was living in a society in the midst of change and upheaval. He confronts and challenges modernity but he does so in a respectful and modern way.

Best wishes for a "sweet and kosher Passover."

Rabbi Mark Greenspan

The Bread of Miserliness

Lechem Oni

The Bread of Miserliness

לפרש הלשון בארעא דמצרים ולא אמר כד נפקו ממצרים. שמעתי מאא''ז הגאון מר''ה א"נ הערץ שייער זצ''ל להמשיך כל הפסקא , דאיתא בזה"ק בפסוק אל תלחם לחם רע עין, באחי יוסף הכתוב מדבר בשביל שנהנו מסעודת יוסף הצדיק במצרים והמצריים היו רעי עין ע'כ נענשו שהיו בגלות מצרים והנה לחם רע עין נקרא לחם עני לזאת מרמז כהא לחמא עניא די אכלו אבהתנא ר"ל השבטים בארעא דמצרים בסעודת יוסף וזאת היתה הגרם שהמצרים ג''כ האכילונו לחם עוני וגם היום עדיין אנו אוכלים לחם עוני לזכרון זאת אבל באמת אנו צריכים לתקן מה שחטאו אבותינו. ואנו מראין בזה שאנחנו אינם נוהגין מדת רע עין. כי טבע הרע עין כשמסרב עני לסעוד אצלו מראה לעני  שרוצה שיאכל עמו ואמור לו פעם אחד אכול עמי. וטבע העני לסרהב עצמו בפעם ראשון ואז הרע עין אינו מפציר ממנו עוד הפעם כי יראי פן באמת יאכול אצלו והוא צר עין לכן ירף ממנו ולבו שמח כשמעו מהעני שאינו רוצה וזהו גניבת דעת ומדת רע עין, לא כן מדת

ישראל רחמנים בני רחמנים אנו מסרהבין הענ י בטוב לב וכשהעני מסרב בפעם ראשון אזי מפציר לו עוד הפעם עד שהעני יאכל עמו ע''כ גם אנו אומרים בכפל לשון כל דכפין וכל דצריך שאנחנו מסרבין את העני בלב טוב ובשמחה לא כמדת רע עין. ובכוח זה אף אם השתא הכא נזכה לשנה הבאה בירושלים בארעא דישראל בזכוח הצדקה שאנחנו עושים בשמחה ובתמים כדכחיב ציון במשפט תפדה ושביו בצדקה דפח"ח. ומהאי טעמא נראה לי תקנו הך פסקא בבבל ומתחיל בגנות במצרים אכלו לחם עוני וכ' ומסיים בשבח לשנה  הבאה בני חורין :

Translation:

Why does the Haggadah say, "(This is the bread of poverty which our ancestors ate) in the land of Egypt" instead of "(This is the bread of poverty which our ancestors ate) when they left Egypt?" I learned the following explanation from my grandfather, Rabbi Abraham Naphtali Hertz Sheier. The Zohar explains that the verse, "Do not eat of a stingy man's bread," (Proverbs 23:6) applies to Joseph's brothers. The Egyptians were resentful of them because they were invited to eat at Joseph's table during the years of famine. (They were resentful of Joseph and his brothers for not sharing the great wealth of Egypt.) And so, the Egyptians punished them during the exile by feeding them Lechem ra ayin, "a stingy man's bread." Another term for this is lechem oni.   We hint at this explanation when we say, "This is like the lechem oni, the miserly bread, which our ancestors at in the land of Egypt." That is, when the tribes were in Egypt at Joseph's table. (The miserliness of Joseph's brothers) caused the Egyptians to feed us lechem oni. Today we eat lechem oni as a reminder of what happened in Egypt.  We must repair our ancestors' sin, and show that we do not act in a miserly fashion. By behaving with hospitality and generosity, we show that we are no longer miserly. 

A miserly person invites the needy person to his table but extends the invitation only once. He knows that the needy tend to turn down such an invitation. The miser says nothing more because he is afraid that if he asks again, the poor person might accept the invitation. He is happy when he hears that the needy person has turned down his invitation - his actions are really deceptive and miserly. 

This is not the Jewish way. Jews are a compassionate people, children of compassionate people. They coax the needy person to join them at the dinner table. When the needy person turns down the invitation, they asks again and again until he agrees to join the meal. That is why, the language of this passage is doubled: "All who are hungry come and eat; all who are needy come celebrate the Passover." Similarly, we need to coax the needy person with a generous heart and joyfully.

"Now we are here," in exile but (but by showing generosity and hospitality) "next year we will be in Jerusalem in the Land of Israel." It is through the merit of Tzedakah joyfully and purely performed that we will be redeemed, as it is written, "Zion shall be redeemed through justice and her repentant ones through tzedakah." (Is. 1:27) The words of his mouth are truly fine. It is for  this reason that the sages decreed that this passage should be in Aramaic, and that it should begin with disgrace, "In Egypt they ate the bread of miserliness," and that it should end with praise, "Next year may we be free."

Explanation:

Lechem Oni first appears in Deuteronomy 16:3. In the NJPS translation it is translated as "the bread of distress." It is translated in a variety of other ways: the bread of affliction, poor bread and the bread of persecution. Rabbi Bondi understands this expression in a different way: "miserly bread." He  connects it to the story of Joseph. Having brought his family down to Egypt during the years of famine, Joseph allowed Jacob and his family to eat at his table. While other people were impoverished by Joseph's economic policies, the children of Israel lived in comfort. It is no wonder that the Egyptians resented Jacob and his family. When Joseph and his brothers died, the Egyptians took vengeance on them and impoverished them, feeding them "miserly bread" as payback for the years of poverty the people of Egypt endured during the famine.

This was the sin to which Rabbi Bondi refers. It is now our obligation to 'repair' the sin committed in Egypt by being especially generous and hospitable in our dealings with others. Rabbi Bondi distinguishes Jewish hospitality from that of their neighbors (we might take exception with this judgment of Jews and gentiles). The Jewish way is not simply to invite someone and leave it at that. One should coax them until they agree to come; one must do so with a joyful heart.   

Thus when we say, "This is the lechem oni which our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt, we are reminded both of Israel's sin in not being generous in their dealings with Egypt and the way in which the Egyptians punished them  for their miserliness. It is a reminder to redeem the world through justice and tzedakah by sharing with others.

Ha Lachma Anya: Elegance and Poverty

Like this Bread of Poverty:

Celebrating Passover with Elegance

Rabbi Bondi begins by discussing the elegance with which we should celebrate Passover: our best dishes and utensils, our finest clothes. This stands in stark contrast to the words with which we begin the Haggadah: This is the bread of poverty. The fine utensils remind us of how Israel plundered the Egyptians before leaving Egypt. If we follow it back even farther, it is also a painful reminder of how the Egyptians enslaved and robbed the Israelites in the first place. The story of Israel’s subjugation as recorded in this commentary sets the stage for the story of Israel’s redemption. It is also a not so veiled commentary about assimilation in nineteenth century Germany.

טעם שאנחנו משתמשים בליל זה בכלי כסף וזהב ושמלות מכובדים איש איש כברכתו נוכל לומר הטעם הא' מחמת שאנו מראין שיצאנו כבני מלכים על שהוציאנו בלילה הזה לחירות והמלכים משתמשין בכלים מכלים שונים גם אנחנו לזכרון זה אנו עושים כן

וטעם הב' שאנחנו מודים ומשבחים לאבינו שבשמים שכמו שבמצרים היו להם לישראל כלי כסף וכלי זהב ובגדים מה ששאלו ממצרים כן גם עתה ברחמיו לא עזבונו ויחון אותנו לפליטה גם  בגלותינו לא השפילנו עד עפר  ולזכור ע"י זה מה שקיים לאבותינו ואחרי כן יצאו ברכוש גדול בצאת ישראל ממצרים

אך לא יזכר ולא יפקד ח"ו מזה רוח גבוה לאמר כחי ועצם ידי עשה לי את החיל הזה רק אדרבא יותר מאשר ברכו ד' בהון עתק ורכוש רב יותר יהי'לבנו חרד בקרבנו להתבונן על כל הטוב אשר גמלנו אשר היא רק מצד החסד מטובו י"ת ולא מצד מעשינו הטובים רק על דרך וחנותי את אשר אחון ולזה יתאמץ כל אחד ואחד ג "כ לעשות הישר והטוב ולהדבק בדרכיו ומזה אנחנו מזכירים את יציאת מצרים שרחם אותנו להקימנו מעפר ולהעשירם־ כהבטחתו לאאע"ה וקיים בהם כמו  שנאמר וינללו את מצרים.

ואל תתמה הלא הקב"ה שונא גזל והאיך צוה להם  אם שינצלו את מצרים הא אפילו גזל עכו"ם אסור.

וי''ל הטעם שזהו העשירות אשר לקחו ממצרים איננו מספיק אפילו כהנה וכהנה כפלים לשלם את קושי השעבוד שעבדו ישראל ששים רבוא הגברים רד"ו שנה ומכש''כ לדברי האומר במ"ר ע"פ וחמושים עלו אחד מחמשים או אחד מחמש מאות וי"מ הטעם כי כל הכסף אשר לקחו ממצרים הוא הכסף של ישראל עצמן אשר גזלו המצריים מישראל כדמצינו במדרשים שונים באגדת בבלי וירושלמי.

ובתחילה אציג לפניך מה דאיתא במדרש רבה שמות פ"א וימת יוסף וכל אחיו וכל הדור ההוא. ובני ישראל פרו וישרצו ששה בכרס אחד ויש אומרים י"ב ויש אומרים ששים בכרס אחד ואז היו בני ישראל חשובים גדולים ועשירים במצרים מהירושה ממה שבץ יוסף הצדיק בעת מלכות והשדות והכרמים של מצרים וכל כסף וזהב ממצרים ואף שנתן לאוצר פרעה הרבה מאוד מ''מ גם לו גם לפרעה היה רב למאוד ומזה העשיר מאוד וצוה להעביר העם מעיר לעיר לזכרון שאין למצרים עוד חלק בארץ ומאז הסיר חרפה מישראל שלא יהיו קורים אוחם גולים.

ומעת הזאת היו המצריים וישראל הכל שווין בחירותם אך אחר שהיו שוים בחירות כמו מצרים  ולישראל היה עשירות רב והוטב להם בכל מיני הטבה, אז וירם לבבם וישכח ישראל שהם בני אברהם יצחק ויעקב ועשו כמעשה מצרים והלכו בחוקתיהם כדי שיהיו שוין לגמרי למצרים (מדרש רבה שמות) ואמרו נהיה כמצרים והפרו ברית מילה

ומה עשה הקב"ה הפך את לבב מצרים נגד ישראל ומאוהב ישראל נהפכו לשנאי ישראל והיו בעיניהם כקוצים ומאז היו רוצים לחדש עליהם גזירות הה"ד ויקם מלך חדש למה חדש והלא פרעה עצמו היה אלא שאמרו  המצריים לפרעה בא וכזדווג לאומה זו אמר להם שוטים אחם, אלולי יוסף לא הייתם חיים עד עכשיו, משלהם אנו אוכלים. כיון שלא שמע להם הורידוהו מכסאו ג' חדשים עד שאמר להם כל מה שאתם רוציםהריני עמכם והשיבו אותו על כסא מלכותו. לפיכן כתוב ויקם מלן חרש שנהפך לאיש אחר ומעתה והלאה כדי שיהיה מרוצה לעם היה ומראה שנאתו לישראל יותר מכל עמו הה''ד ויאמר אל עמו הוא

התחיל בעצה תחילה ויאמר הבה נתחכמה איך נשעבדם, אחת לאחת בחכמה עד שבאים לירידה  תחתונה ועוד הבה נתחכמה כמה היא עולה כוחן של ישראל כדי להודיע כמה קשי העבודה הצריכה להם להשתעבדם להשתבר את כל כחן ולהחליש אח גבורתם עד למאוד שלא יהיה נוסף עלינו כי תקראנה מלחמה וכדי ליבש אח ליחוחם שלא יהיו ראויים להוליד עוד  ולהמעיטם ולא להרבותם.

ואז התיעץ עם המצרים מאחר שידוע להם שישראל רוצים ואומרים נהיה כמצרים והלכו בחוקתיהם וכל מה שהמה עושים גם ישראל עושים בכל רצונם על כן נתחכמה לבנות ערים בצורות ואמרו כל גדולים במצרים צריכין לסייע בבנינים ומסדרין גדודי חיילות חיילות בלע"ז נקרא (בוי לעגיאנען) וגם פרעה עצמו תלה מלבן על צוארו וגם מישראל בוחרין לסייע הבנין וכל ישראל רואים כל גדולי מצרים אפילו פרעה עצמו עוסק בבנין אז באים כולם ומסייעים בשמחה וטוב לב ועובדים בכל כחן כדי להשוות עצמן עם המצריים ולהראות שהמה שלמים אתם ועודפים בעבודתם על המצריים והמצריים משבחים את עבודתם בשביל שעובדים הרבה ביום אחד וע"י זאת ראו המצריים כמה וכמה סכום הלבנים שיכולים לעשות ביום כשהם עושים בטוב לב.

ואח"כ פורשים המצריים מהם ונשמטים מהם אחד אחד אח"כ גזרו על ישראל שכל מה שעשו ביום ראשון הישראלים כמספר וכסכום יהיו עושים כנגדן כל הימים באין מחקור ולא יעדרו דבר מהסכום הראשון ככה יעשו מדי יום יום וזאת היתה עבודת פרך כי אינו דומה מי שיש פת בסלו למי שאין לו פת בסלו ההד"כ ויעבידו בפרך בתחילה בפה רך ולבסוף בפרך

ואחר שהתחיל לגזור גזרו גזירה אחר גזירה גזירה אחרונה קשה משל ראשונה וגזרו מעתה יהיו ישראל לעבדים ואמרו מה שקנה עבד קנה רבו ונלקח מהם כל כסף וזהב שלהם וכל מה שהיה לישראל הם היו מנצלים אותם כדי שיהיו ישראל עניים גדולים וצריכים לעבוד להם בע"כ כד  להחיות אך את נפשם לפי שאין להם מה לאכול אם לא קבלו ממצרים מדי יום ביומו פרוסת לחם

ועבור זה הפרוסה היו צריכין לעבוד כל היום ולזכרון זאת תקנו חז"ל להתחיל יציאת מצרים בפסקא כהא לחמא די אכלו אבהתנא בארעא דמצרים.

Translation:

Here is the reason we use fine utensils and clothing at the Seder, each according to his ability. The first reason: To show that we left Egypt like royalty on this night on the journey to freedom. Just as royalty uses the finest utensils as befits a king (Esther 1:7), so we do the same as a commemoration of the Exodus.

The second reason: This is how we give thanks and praise to our Father in Heaven. Our ancestors had utensils of silver and gold as well as fine clothing that they took from the Egyptians before leaving Egypt. So, too, we use fine utensils as we celebrate the Passover. This is our way of showing that God has not abandoned us and has had compassion upon us even in this time of exile.  It is also a reminder of the promise (which God made to Abraham) in Scripture: "Afterwards they will go forth (from Egypt) with great wealth." (Gen 15:14).

One shouldn’t become haughty and think, as a result of this blessing, that, "My own power and the strength of my hand have won this wealth for me." (Deut. 8:17) Just the opposite! The more God blesses a person with wealth and possessions, the more he should tremble, realizing that one received these gifts as a result of God's graciousness and not because of one's good deeds. Rather, he has received them because "the grace that I have granted and the compassion that I have shown you." (Ex. 33:19) With this in mind, each person should make an effort to act properly and to cleave to God's ways. We are reminded that God showed compassion to us during the Exodus from Egypt; he lifted us up from the dust and enriched us according to the promise He made to our father, Abraham, and fulfilled the promise, "Afterwards they went forth with great wealth," (Gen 15:14) 

One shouldn’t be surprised, (saying): "Doesn’t God hate robbery? How could he command the people to plunder Egypt? Even stealing from a non-Jew is prohibited!

(The plunder taken from Egypt was reparations.) the wealth that the Israelites took was not even enough to repay the Israelites for the labor performed by 600,000 Israelite men who were subjugated for 210 years. Even if the amount had been doubled it would not be enough! This is all the more the case when one considers the loss of life. The Torah says Israel went forth from Egypt chamushim. (Exodus 13:18)[1] Some say chamuchim means that only one in fifty of the Israelites went forth from Egypt and others say that it means that only one in five hundred. (The others died serving the Egyptians.) Others claim that all the silver and gold that they took from the Egyptians actually was originally theirs; the Egyptians had stolen it from them, as we shall see based on the Babylonian and Jerusalem Talmud, and Exodus Rabbah.

I will now present the story of Israel's enslavement. In Exodus Ch. 1 we learn: "Joseph died and all his brothers and all that generation. But the Israelites were fertile and prolific; they multiplied and increased very, very, greatly, so that the land was filled with them. (Ex. 1:6-7) The Midrash says that six came forth from each womb; others say, sixty.[2] The Israelites became wealthy and influential members of Egyptian society as a result of the inheritance they received from Joseph. Joseph amassed vineyards and fields as well as silver and gold during his tenure as a leader. Even though he filled Pharaoh's treasury, he also acquired great wealth. He also made the Egyptians to move from city to city so that they would not forget that the land did not belong to them. By doing this, the Egyptians could not call the Israelites exiles since everyone was exiled from their homes. Thus, Joseph removed the disgrace from the Israelites who had been outsiders and exiles.[3]

During this time the Egyptians and the Israelites had equal rights. The Israelites, however, were wealthier than their neighbors. They became haughty and soon forgot that they were the children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They began to follow the practices of the Egyptians and to observe their statutes so that Israel would be seen as completely the same as everyone else. They even abandoned the covenant of circumcision!

What did the Holy One do? God turned the hearts of the Egyptians against the Israelites. From lovers of Israel, the Egyptians became haters of Israel. Israel was a thorn in their side. As a result, the Egyptians wanted to make decrees against the Israelites.

Scripture says, "A new king arose." Wasn’t this the same Pharaoh as before? When the Egyptians told Pharaoh to harm to the Israelites, he said to them: "You are fools! Were it not for Joseph, none of you would be alive today. We are eating his food!”

When Pharaoh refused to heed them, they removed him from his royal position for three months until he said: "All that you want I will do." Only then did they return him to the throne. That is why the Torah says, "A new king arose." From then on Pharaoh became a different man, doing whatever pleased his people. He showed even greater hatred against Israel than the other Egyptians, as it is written: He said to his people…" He began by offering advice: "Let us deal wisely…" We must subjugate them step by step until they are completely beneath our control.”  

Another interpretation of "And he said: Let us deal wisely …" “Let us figure out where their strength comes from so we can subjugate them and eviscerate their might completely. In that way they will never be able to rise up against us and join our enemies. Also we must weaken them so that they stop having children; they will shrink in numbers and not increase.”

When they realized how much the Israelites wanted to be just like the Egyptians, Pharaoh took counsel with his people. They saw that whatever the Egyptians did, the Israelites copied with all their might. Therefore, the Egyptians decided to build fortified cities. They announced that all the important people in Egypt should help in this building project. They organized the people into platoons of soldiers. Even Pharaoh hung a brick around his neck and volunteered to help out in the building project. When the Israelites saw this, they came forward and joyfully joined in. They worked with all their might in order to be just like their neighbors and to show that they were they were one with them. The Egyptians praised them for their efforts on the first day. In this way the Egyptians saw how much the Israelites were able to accomplish.

After that the Egyptians separated themselves from the Israelites one by one and decreed that the Israelites had to do the same amount of work every day. They did allow the quota of bricks to be diminished. It was truly ruthless labor (parekh)…On the first day the Egyptians convinced them to do the work with ‘a soft tongue’ (peh rakh), but in the end it turned out to be a pretext for ruthless labor (parekh).

The Egyptians then passed decrees against the Israelites, each more difficult than the one before. They decreed that since the Israel were now their slaves, anything the Israelites owned now belonged to their Egyptian masters. They took all their silver and gold and possessions so that the Israelites became impoverished. Now they had nothing to eat except what the Egyptians gave them each day. The people of Israel had to work each day for a piece of bread. They had to work hard just to stay alive. It is in remembrance of this that the sages decreed that we should begin the Seder by saying, "This is like the bread of poverty which our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt."

Commentary:

Rabbi Bondi, drawing classic rabbinic Midrash, turns the story enslavement of the Israelites in Egypt into a diatribe against assimilation.  Remember that Rabbi Bondi is writing this commentary at the end of the nineteenth century in Germany at a time of wide spread assimilation. He has watched with alarm as the Reform Judaism has more and more influence over his community.  The Israelites ( as well as his co-religionists) desperately want to be accepted by their neighbors. They are willing to follow their customs and laws of their neighbors to show their unity with the Egyptians/Germans.  They are even willing to give up the practice of Brit Milah, circumcision in the interest of being like their neighbors. For this, God punishes the people of Israel. The Holy One turns the neighbor’s collegiality into animosity. No doubt, Rabbi Bondi was aware that the harder his coreligionists tried to assimilate into European society, the more their neighbors held them in low regard. In the story of the Exodus, what happens as a result of this? The Egyptians use this ‘weakness’ as a means of persecuting the Israelites.    

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[1] The verse says "Now the Israelites went up armed (chamushim) from the land of Egypt." The sages understood this term differently. Chamishim means fifty.

[2] The verse from Exodus contains six words describing how prolific the Israelites were; the midrash takes this as proof that each woman gave birth to sextuplets. But even that is not enough. One opinion states that they gave birth to sixty children each time they went into a labor, comparing the women to scorpions which birth seventy young at a time. The word vayishritzu, they were prolific, comes from the same root as sheretz, which is used to describing creeping creatures and insects.

[3] See BT Chullin 60b