## Divrei Negidim on Pesach Haggadah, Magid, First Fruits Declaration

###### Divrei Negidim on Pesach Haggadah, Magid, First Fruits Declaration 3:1
[Divrei Negidim on Pesach Haggadah, Magid, First Fruits Declaration 3:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Divrei%20Negidim%20on%20Pesach%20Haggadah/s/Magid,_First%20Fruits%20Declaration/r/3:1)

ויגר שם מלמד שלא ירד להשתקע. פי׳ שאילו ירד להשתקע חס ושלום היו מבטלים הגאולה כי כל זמן שלא היו רק כמו גרים לא היו ראוים להיות נשארים. כי הגר הוא כמו אורח נוטה ללון ולמחר יוצא. כך היו ישראל במצרים שלא ירד יעקב להשתקע ובשביל כך זכו לגאולה. וכדי שלא תאמר כי הם ירדו להשתקע. והא דכתיב ויגר שם. שלא קבלו אותם מצרים רק כמו גרים אבל ישראל מחשבתם דירת קבע. לכך מביא מקרא זה לגור בארץ באנו וגו׳. דמוכח מזה שגם הם לא היה מחשבתם רק להיות כמו גרים ולא ירדו להשתקע:

**Rabbi Mark Greenspan:**
**“He dwelled (*vayagar*) there, teaching us that he did not go down to settle there.”** If Jacob had gone down to Egypt to settle there permanently, this would have negated God’s promise of redemption. As long as they saw themselves as temporary residents, it was known that they would not remain in the land. A *ger*is someone who is only temporarily settled in a place and will be gone tomorrow. This was how the Israelites saw themselves in Egypt when Jacob went down to Egypt and because of this they were worthy of redemption. The word *vayagar*was chosen here to show that they did not go down to settle permanently.
Doesn’t the verse already imply that they settled there temporarily? ¹already implies temporary residence so why do we need another proof text here to prove this? The Maharal suggests that while the original settlers saw themselves as temporary residents, by the time of Moses the people saw themselves as permanent residents. The Egyptians, however, saw the Israelites as *gerim*and not as citizens. Despite their attitudes, the Israelites merited redemption because of their ancestors and because from the standpoint of the Egyptians they were still outsiders. The Egyptians saw Israel as *gerim*, as temporary residents, while the Israelites thought of the land as their permanent residence. That is why the *Haggadah*brings this proof text, “They said to Pharaoh, to dwell in Egypt temporarily we have come for there is no pasture for the flocks of your servants…” (Gen. 47:4) This verse shows that their original intention was not to stay permanently in the land but to dwell temporarily.

footnotes:
¹ The word vayagar