The Book of Exodus (Second Moses) begins with a people who have fallen into the depths of state-sanctioned slavery and are later freed. But behind this grand narrative lies a secret, passed down on deathbeds for many generations before: a "secret phrase" that serves as a beacon of hope for a people of captivity.
By David Nekrutman, translation and editing by CSI
Joseph
On his deathbed, Joseph made a surprising announcement to his brothers: “I am dying. But God will surely help you and bring you out of this land.” (Genesis 50:24) Joseph’s words could have been purely statesmanlike. He could have reassured his brothers’ fears by saying, “I will take care of you. I will appoint a successor who will look after you and arrange your return home.”
Joseph could have "managed" this. Instead, Joseph completely bypasses human strategies. He places his brothers' stay in Egypt within a supernatural timetable, determined not by the whims of the pharaohs, but by a single word: pakad. This word is highly significant; it is a kind of "code word.".
The DNA of the Federal Government
To understand Joseph's decision, we must first look back. The root, the word stem, pakad, can mean many things, but its first appearance in the Torah is fundamental: "And the Lord looked upon Sarah (pakad)..." (Genesis 21:1). In this context, pakad describes God's deep affection. God "looks upon" Sarah—and grants her the long-desired son. Using the same root, Joseph speaks to his brothers about the future exodus from Egypt and the subsequent national birth of Israel. That is to say: Just as God "looked upon" Sarah, so he will later look upon Israel, upon his people, and liberate them.
In both cases, redemption arises from situations of impossibility. Just as a womb that is too old to bear life can no longer do so, a nation of slaves cannot bring down an empire and become its own free nation. Both are humanly impossible, but not in God's eyes. Joseph presents the liberation of his brothers and their descendants as a supernatural redemption—thus proving that God's covenant with them takes effect precisely where human action reaches its limits.
The password of salvation
Let us now jump from Joseph and his brothers to the Book of Exodus. God appears to Moses at the burning bush and gives him the “secret password” to convey to the elders: “Tell them… ‘I have watched over you (pakod, pakadeti)…’” (Exodus 3:16) – pakad twice. When the Israelites heard this code, they understood immediately. Sarah came to mind, as did Joseph and his announcement that the moment would come when God would deliver his people from Egypt. Faith arose in their hearts, and they bowed their heads in reverence. In God’s words to Moses, the echo of Joseph’s promise and Sarah’s miracle resonated within them.
Living the code
Between the promised pact of Joseph and the pact of Moses lay centuries. Centuries in which seemingly nothing happened; centuries in which silence reigned. Yet the promise remained. God was there, God was at work, God was preparing. Trust in the stillness of the process. God's stillness does not mean his absence, nor does it mean passivity or disinterest. God's stillness is the space in which his supernatural timetable unfolds at a perfect pace.
This article first appeared in our newspaper "Israelaktuell," issue 144. You can order the newspaper here . We would also be happy to send you several copies for distribution.
