לָכֵ֞ן אֱמֹ֥ר לִבְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֘ אֲנִ֣י יְהֹוָה֒ וְהֽוֹצֵאתִ֣י אֶתְכֶ֗ם מִתַּ֨חַת֙ סִבְלֹ֣ת מִצְרַ֔יִם וְהִצַּלְתִּ֥י אֶתְכֶ֖ם מֵֽעֲבֹֽדָתָ֑ם וְגָֽאַלְתִּ֤י אֶתְכֶם֙ בִּזְר֣וֹעַ נְטוּיָ֔ה וּבִשְׁפָטִ֖ים גְּדֹלִֽים: וְלָֽקַחְתִּ֨י אֶתְכֶ֥ם לִי֙ לְעָ֔ם וְהָיִ֥יתִי לָכֶ֖ם לֵֽאלֹהִ֑ים וִֽידַעְתֶּ֗ם כִּ֣י אֲנִ֤י יְהֹוָה֙ אֱלֹ֣הֵיכֶ֔ם הַמּוֹצִ֣יא אֶתְכֶ֔ם מִתַּ֖חַת סִבְל֥וֹת מִצְרָֽיִם:
Therefore, say to the children of Israel, ‘I am the Lord, and I will take you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will save you from their labor, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. And I will take you to Me as a people, and I will be a God to you, and you will know that I am the Lord your God, Who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.
Exodus 6:6-7
This week’s parsha begins with Hashem’s promise to Moses regarding the children of Israel, the 4 expressions. The last of these expressions indicates that Hashem will take us to Him. Implicit in this expression is the idea that not only will He take us to him, He will take us to Him as a nation.
This expression is poignant in that at this point in history, the children of Israel are not yet a nation. The idea is that Hashem will make us a Nation, and in doing so, he will take us, as a Nation, to him. Hashem promises Moses that He will make us into Am Yisrael, the Nation of Israel.
Hashem fulfills his promise at Sinai. He makes us into the Nation of Israel, and gives us, as a Nation, Torah. From that point on, all of Scripture is about the Nation of Israel and its relationship to Hashem. Shabbat shalom.
