Why Jews Needed Protection While Egyptian Captives Did Not: Identity and Commitment

Rabbi Zweig opens with a striking contradiction. The Jews in Egypt merited redemption through four things: they did not change their names, language, dress, and maintained righteous women. Yet simultaneously, they descended to the 49th level of spiritual degradation and did not perform circumcision until the night of the Exodus. How could they maintain such dedication to external Jewish identity while failing to observe the fundamental covenant of brit milah and descending to near-total impurity? The shiur examines Rashi (רש"י) on the plague of the firstborn. Rashi explains that any Jew without the blood of the Paschal lamb on his door would have been killed that night, not because the blood itself had protective power, but because it demonstrated commitment to God's commandment. Furthermore, Rashi states that once destructive forces are unleashed, they do not discriminate between righteous and wicked—hence the danger even to Jews who went outside.