Egypt: The journey from the narrows of speech to the freedom of voice

Source: The narrows between mind and heart: Understanding the exile of speech

"And all this is the aspect of Passover and the Exodus from Egypt, for Egypt is the aspect of the narrowness of the throat... which was the essence of the Egyptian exile, that speech was in exile. And for this reason it is called Passover, because then the Exodus from Egypt took place, when speech emerged from exile, which is the aspect of Passover — 'the mouth speaks'."

(Rabbi Nachman, Likutey Halakhot)

Explanation: The psychology of silencing: When words choke in Egypt

Hasidic thought looks at the psychology of "Egypt": Egypt is not a country; it is the narrows between the mind (understanding) and the heart (emotion). Speech in Egypt is narrow, distress, constriction; it chokes words and acts through force. The hands do the speaking. The holiday is the holiday of speech—the exile of speech that was choked and silenced, peh sach—"the mouth speaks."

Perspective: Modern silencing: From public opinion to artificial intelligence

As noted, the Exodus from Egypt is primarily—whether read allegorically or literally—the redemption of speech. Yet since then, humanity has learned to silence through other, more aesthetic means: via public opinion, political correctness, failing education systems, media outlets that dictate what is said, and of course today, AI.

Going Deeper: Breaking the narrows: From functional fixedness to freedom of thought

In psychology, "functional fixedness" is the tendency to see an object, person, or situation in only one way—the "conventional way," through narrow eyes. Scientific research shows that disruptions of routine (like the plagues of Egypt in a metaphorical sense) are precisely what allow the brain to forge new connections and emerge from the narrows. Suddenly, after despair, one emerges from the straits; suddenly there is a solution. It is just that for this to happen, what is often required is a revolution—or continuing to follow 'Mar'eh Makom.'

Culture: Mercedes Sosa: The voice of the voiceless

In 1976, a brutal, violent military regime seized power in Argentina. At that very time, a young woman was becoming one of the greatest artists in the world: Mercedes Sosa, dubbed by her people "the voice of the voiceless." For many years Sosa was a persecuted exile until the regime fell, yet her songs remained anthems of protest right up until her state funeral in Argentina in 2009, where three days of national mourning were declared. Sosa collaborated with many Israeli artists and was deeply beloved in Israel. Here is a moving performance of one of the protest songs she sang, "Solo le pido a Dios" ("I Only Ask of God"). Here is the translation:

I only ask of God: that I not be indifferent to pain, that dry death not find me empty and alone, without having done enough. / I only ask of God: that I not be indifferent to injustice, that God not strike me on the other cheek after the claws of war have scratched me. / I only ask of God: that I not be indifferent to war, it is a massive monster crushing all the innocence of the people. / I only ask of God: that I not be indifferent to deceit, if a single traitor can accomplish more than an entire nation—may that nation not lose hope. / I only ask of God: that I not be indifferent to exile, of one who must leave her homeland because her culture was denounced as worthless.