Pesach commemorates the emergence of a Jewish nation as a political entity. Scores of other peoples joined the Exodus, forever depriving Jews of genetic singularity and redefining the nation in religious and political terms.
The founding of modern Israel closely parallels the Exodus, except that Zhabotinsky lacked the miracle-working powers of Moses and could not convince the Jews of European bondage to flee the imminent extermination. The Hebrews doubted their destiny already on Sinai and wished to return to death-spelling Egyptian bondage; the Jews who barely escaped the Holocaust seek to emigrate from Israel. Hebrews accepted a pagan cult and worshipped a golden calf; the Jews accepted Arabs in Israel and worship the ethnic-blind democracy; Jews three thousand years apart adhered to Judaism only moderately. Following the scouts’ advice, Hebrews shrunk from fighting for Canaan; following the wise leftists, Jews shrunk from annexing Judea and Samaria. Hebrews saw the divine fire-cloud daily; Jews saw no lesser miracles of military victories in 1948, 1967, and 1973. Neither had availed them of their doubts.
Moses set the ultimate precedent when he killed the Egyptian for merely beating a Jew. Moses exceeded “an eye for an eye” on tactical level, but reestablished the reciprocity of damages on a macro level. His action shows that enemies of the Jews are collectively liable, and each of them could suffer for others’ offenses. Moses killed the Egyptian not for beating a Jew, but to punish an enemy for depredations of other Egyptians against the Jews. Moses’ example guides Israel in dealing with Arab enemies.
Moses launched a terrorist campaign against Egyptian civilians on the divine command, from crops’ destruction to annihilation of civilian firstborn. Israel followed through with the example, and launched hostage taking (of Jordanians by young Arik Sharon) and aircraft hijacking (of Syrian passenger jet to exchange for Israeli POWs).
Amalekites were naturally upset by a huge number of Hebrews entering their domain. The Hebrew purpose of building a state which infringes on Amalek’s sovereignty violated the Amalekites’ rights. Hebrews did not evaluate a reasonable compromise of integrating Amalekites into the Jewish state. Courageous freedom fighters from among the Amalekite tribes continuously attacked the Hebrews. For a long time, Hebrews were not sufficiently strong to stop the insurgency – but remembered the damage. In the last echo of Exodus, Saul exterminated the Amalekites and the prophet Samuel personally cut down their king Agag. It would be nice to see a chief rabbi of Israel hacking Abu Mazen to pieces.
