Parasha “Shemot” (Names) begins “ And these are the names of Yisrael’s sons who came to Mitzrayim…” (Shemot 1:1)
Rashi explains that although the Torah had already enumerated them by name during their lifetime (when they went down to Egypt), it enumerated them again in the beginning of the book of Shemot, at the time of their death. This is to show us how loved they are to G-d and thus names each one by name. Before the Jews went into exile H”S wanted to let them know how beloved they were to Him.
The physical exile is the subjugation into slavery. The spiritual exile is the psychological subjugation into the culture of the country they lived in.
Although many of the Jews assimilated into the Egyptian culture they never left their Hebrew names, their language and their dress code.
B”H they still retained part of their identity. Today we are still experiencing Exile, although we are not slaves in a physical way, mentally we are trapped into other cultures and ways of thought that are the antithesis to our Jewish values.
The Torah is a guide to life, its purpose is to teach and guide us on how to bring down the Divine conscience to the most mundane aspects of our life.
It has been through exile, that the Jew has been able to maintain his autonomy and connection to his true self.
When we connect ourselves to our traditions and way of life, we help usher the redemption, which is the destination.
The struggles we encounter in the way and we are able to overcome help us get ready for what its yet to come.
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