## Marbeh Lesaper on Pesach Haggadah, Magid, First Fruits Declaration

###### Marbeh Lesaper on Pesach Haggadah, Magid, First Fruits Declaration 4:1
[Marbeh Lesaper on Pesach Haggadah, Magid, First Fruits Declaration 4:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Marbeh%20Lesaper%20on%20Pesach%20Haggadah/s/Magid,_First%20Fruits%20Declaration/r/4:1)

**במתי מעט וכו'** נרא' הטעם דהיו שבעים נפש. כנגד שבעי' אומו' כדי כל נפש אחד לשלו' באומה אחת ולכך שהי' שר של מצרים למעלה מכל שרי ע' אומו' וכשהיה נכבש שר של מצרים נכבשו כולם. ונר' לתת טעם הא דהיו ישראל רד"ו שני' בשיעבוד. כי היו יורדי מצרים שבעי' נפש וראוי לכל אחד להיו' בשיעבו' שלש שני' כשלא שני שכר שכיר וג"פ שבעי' הוא רד"ו. ולאחר מיתת יוסף התחיל השיעבוד נמצא שאותן ע' נפש שמת כל הדור ההוא שראוי להיות בשיעבוד. לכך הוטל אלו רד"ו שנים על בניהם תחת אבותם יהיו בניהם והם נטלו שכר מצרים:

**Rabbi Mark Greenspan:**
**Few in number**: There were seventy members of Jacob’s family parallel to the seventy proverbial nations of the world. The angelic Prince of Egypt ruled over the angelic princes of all the other nations so when Israel vanquished Egypt’s angelic prince, Israel would rule over all the other nations of the world. 
There is another explanation why the Israelites served 210 years in Egypt: each member of the family was obligated to serve a minimum of three years each,¹³⁴ if one spent three years out of the seven years of indentured servitude sick, one has still fulfilled one’s obligation, but not if one was sick the entire time. See *Tosaphot, D”H Halach*. According to this, each of the children of Jacob had to spend at least three years as servants in Egypt. so that together the family would have served 210 years in total. These years of servitude began after the death of Joseph. Since the seventy who came down to Egypt were obligated to fulfill a minimum of three years each and did not, their children had to fulfill their obligation in order to pay their debt to Egypt – a total of 210 years.

footnotes:
¹³⁴ See BT Kiddushin, 17a – A Hebrew slave had to serve his master for a sabbatical period – a maximum of seven years. What would happen if he became ill during to the seven year period? According to the Talmud