Egyptian Citizenship and the Loss of Bris Milah in Egypt

Rabbi Zweig addresses a striking Midrash that states when Yosef died, the Jewish people stopped performing bris milah and became "matzrified" (Egyptianized), even though all of Yosef's brothers were still alive. The question is profound: how could the brothers permit such a fundamental abandonment of the covenant of Avrohom while they were still living? The Midrash's language suggests they weren't merely neglecting bris milah—they were actually exempt from it. The shiur develops a comprehensive legal framework to explain this phenomenon by examining the nature of Egyptian citizenship. Rabbi Zweig turns to Parshas Behar and Rashi (רש"י)'s commentary on "lo sa'asu lachem elilim." Rashi explains that when a Jew is sold to a non-Jew, he might think he can adopt his master's practices—worshipping idols, desecrating Shabbos (שבת), or engaging in forbidden relationships. The question arises: why would we need a pasuk to tell us this? The answer reveals a fundamental principle: just as when a Jew purchases a non-Jewish slave, that slave acquires a Jewish status and becomes obligated in mitzvos, the reverse should logically apply—when a non-Jew owns a Jew, that Jew should acquire the status of a non-Jew and become exempt from uniquely Jewish obligations.