הנה זה היה סיבת גלות מצרים שלא ידעו חסרונם כמבואר בכתבי האר"י זלה"ה כי בגלות מצרים נסתלק הדעת. וזהו שאמר הכתוב וירא ה' כי סר לראות וכו' יע"ש. לכך היו בגלות אצל פרעה בחינת העורף מקום השכחה. לכן אמר פרעה לא ידעתי את ה' היפך הדעת. עד שנתגלה בעולם בחינת משה שהוא בחינת הדעת. ואז וימת מלך מצרים שהוא פרעה העורף. שנסתלק השכחה ובא בחינת דעת בעולם. ואז ידעו חסרונם. ולכך ויאנחו בני ישראל מן העבודה שחסרו עבודת השם יתברך ותעל שועתם אל האלהים מן העבודה. וכל זה על ידי ומשה היה רועה וגו'. ולכך מאחר שעיקר גלות מצרים היה על ידי שנסתלק הדעת בחינת גלות הרוחניי שהיו בגדר השכחה ולא ידעו חסרונם לכך נמשך מגלות הרוחניי גלות הגשמיי. מה שאין כן כשידעו חסרונם על ידי בחינת הדעת. אז עשו תשובה לתקן חסרונם ונתקרב קץ הגאולה: (תוי"י פ' פקודי דע"ה ע"א).
The cause of the Egyptian exile was that they did not know what they lacked,11The recognition of one’s faults and lacking is the first step in coming to deliverance, since one can then cry out to G-d over what is lacking. This is a common theme in the writings of R. Yaakov Yitzchok of Polnoye. as is explained in the writings of the Arizal, for in the Egyptian exile, ]their] da'at left them. Thus, the verse says about Moses (at the burning bush), “And G-d saw that he turned to see” (Exodus 3:4). Thus, they were in exile under the rule of Pharaoh, who is the aspect of the neck, which is the place of forgetfulness.12The root letters of the word Pharaoh, פרעה, also constitute the letters of the word “neck,” oref, עורף. In Kabbalah, the face always corresponds to that which gives illumination. The Hebrew word for face, panim, is the same as the word for “interiority,” penim, for the face reveals the soul. The “back” always represents that which conceals, for little can be discerned by seeing someone’s back. Based upon the coordinates of the sefirot and the human body, Da'at corresponds to the throat, for the throat is the passageway that unites the mind and the heart – a function of da'at. Moses corresponds to da'at, the throat, illumination, whereas Pharaoh corresponds to the back of the neck, exile and concealment. (Thus, according to the Midrash, Pharaoh sought to cut off Moses’ head.) Pharaoh said, “I do not know G-d,” which is the opposite of da'at. [The exile continued] until the aspect of Moses was revealed in the world, the aspect of da'at. Then, “the king of Egypt died” (ibid. 2:23), which is Pharaoh, the neck. Forgetfulness was lifted, and the aspect of da'at came into the world. Then they realized their shortcomings, and “The children of Israel cried out from their labor” (ibid.). They realized that they were lacking in the service of G-d. “And their cries rose to G-d from their labor.” All of this was because of Moses: “And Moses was a shepherd” (ibid.).13Moses was the aspect of da'at, and when he came to redeem the Israelites, he invested them with da'at as well. Therefore, since the essence of the Egyptian exile was the removal of da'at, which was a spiritual exile, the aspect of forgetfulness, and their inability to recognize their own shortcomings, it also became a physical exile. This is not true of one who recognizes his own shortcomings by means of da'at. For then, he can repent and fix what he lacks, and speed the final redemption. Toldos Yaakov Yosef, Pekudei
הנה זה היה סיבת גלות מצרים שלא ידעו חסרונם כמבואר בכתבי האר"י זלה"ה כי בגלות מצרים נסתלק הדעת. וזהו שאמר הכתוב וירא ה' כי סר לראות וכו' יע"ש. לכך היו בגלות אצל פרעה בחינת העורף מקום השכחה. לכן אמר פרעה לא ידעתי את ה' היפך הדעת. עד שנתגלה בעולם בחינת משה שהוא בחינת הדעת. ואז וימת מלך מצרים שהוא פרעה העורף. שנסתלק השכחה ובא בחינת דעת בעולם. ואז ידעו חסרונם. ולכך ויאנחו בני ישראל מן העבודה שחסרו עבודת השם יתברך ותעל שועתם אל האלהים מן העבודה. וכל זה על ידי ומשה היה רועה וגו'. ולכך מאחר שעיקר גלות מצרים היה על ידי שנסתלק הדעת בחינת גלות הרוחניי שהיו בגדר השכחה ולא ידעו חסרונם לכך נמשך מגלות הרוחניי גלות הגשמיי. מה שאין כן כשידעו חסרונם על ידי בחינת הדעת. אז עשו תשובה לתקן חסרונם ונתקרב קץ הגאולה:
(תוי"י פ' פקודי דע"ה ע"א).
The cause of the Egyptian exile was that they did not know what they lacked,11The recognition of one’s faults and lacking is the first step in coming to deliverance, since one can then cry out to G-d over what is lacking. This is a common theme in the writings of R. Yaakov Yitzchok of Polnoye. as is explained in the writings of the Arizal, for in the Egyptian exile, ]their] da'at left them. Thus, the verse says about Moses (at the burning bush), “And G-d saw that he turned to see” (Exodus 3:4).
Thus, they were in exile under the rule of Pharaoh, who is the aspect of the neck, which is the place of forgetfulness.12The root letters of the word Pharaoh, פרעה, also constitute the letters of the word “neck,” oref, עורף. In Kabbalah, the face always corresponds to that which gives illumination. The Hebrew word for face, panim, is the same as the word for “interiority,” penim, for the face reveals the soul. The “back” always represents that which conceals, for little can be discerned by seeing someone’s back. Based upon the coordinates of the sefirot and the human body, Da'at corresponds to the throat, for the throat is the passageway that unites the mind and the heart – a function of da'at. Moses corresponds to da'at, the throat, illumination, whereas Pharaoh corresponds to the back of the neck, exile and concealment. (Thus, according to the Midrash, Pharaoh sought to cut off Moses’ head.) Pharaoh said, “I do not know G-d,” which is the opposite of da'at. [The exile continued] until the aspect of Moses was revealed in the world, the aspect of da'at. Then, “the king of Egypt died” (ibid. 2:23), which is Pharaoh, the neck. Forgetfulness was lifted, and the aspect of da'at came into the world. Then they realized their shortcomings, and “The children of Israel cried out from their labor” (ibid.). They realized that they were lacking in the service of G-d. “And their cries rose to G-d from their labor.” All of this was because of Moses: “And Moses was a shepherd” (ibid.).13Moses was the aspect of da'at, and when he came to redeem the Israelites, he invested them with da'at as well.
Therefore, since the essence of the Egyptian exile was the removal of da'at, which was a spiritual exile, the aspect of forgetfulness, and their inability to recognize their own shortcomings, it also became a physical exile. This is not true of one who recognizes his own shortcomings by means of da'at. For then, he can repent and fix what he lacks, and speed the final redemption.
Toldos Yaakov Yosef, Pekudei