Ksharim - Makom Israel

L e s s o n 6:Egypt – Prototype of Jewish Diaspora1. Outline:a. The story of Joseph and Israel’s move to and enslavement in Egypt.b. A study of several sources on different aspects or incidents characteristic of theJewish experience in the Diaspora.c. An attempt to match the historical events with details in Joseph story.d. Discussion – Is galut good? The purposes/benefits of exile vs. its price.2. Introduction:Up until now the biblical story has been centered in or at least focused on the land ofIsrael. The land has been the pivot of the Patriarchal narrative. Divine promises of itsinheritance combined with the forefathers’ attempts to realize and pass on that visionhave fueled the story even when the action was taking place somewhere else. The storyof Joseph is a turning point; it literally moves the characters out of the land of Israel andcenters on the unfolding story in Egypt. From the time Jacob joins Joseph until the endof the Pentateuch the land of Israel no longer serves as the stage on which events unfoldor the focus of the narrative. The questions we will discuss over the next three lessonsare: Why? What does this shift in emphasis tell us about the role of the land in ournational consciousness? What is the significance of the exile, enslavement and exodus –then and now?This lesson will discuss the story of Joseph as a prototype of different Diasporaexperiences throughout the ages.3. Lesson Goals:a. To familiarize the class with the details of the story of Josephb. To enable them to see the story not only as an account of a family drama (whichit is) but as a prototype of the situations and dilemmas typical to Jews in Galut.c. To familiarize the class with different Diaspora experiences throughout history -Babylonia, Spain, Europe and America and study the similarities and differencesbetween them.d. To raise the questions of the possible advantages of Galut as well as its demandsand dangers for the Jewish nation and individual.4. Expanded Outline:a. The story of Joseph is quite long, taking up almost all of the last 17 chapters ofGenesis. Therefore it would be quite difficult to read all the text in class. It maybe helpful, if possible, to have the participants review the text at home beforethe class and familiarize themselves with it.b. The class can start with a short synopsis of the Joseph story if necessary. A pagewith relevant textual passages and commentaries is included in this outline. Itcan be handed out to the class to be used as a reference for the ensuingdiscussion.41 Ksharim