The final verse of Parashat Vayigash reads, "Yisrael dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen; they acquired holdings in it, were fertile and increased greatly." Given the general tendency of the Torah towards brevity, one might question the need to state "in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen." After all, we are already quite aware of the fact that Goshen was in the land of Egypt!
Rav Moshe Feinstein suggests that the Torah wished to stress that the successful, fruitful and vibrant community of Yaakov's family was established specifically in the land of Egypt. Even on foreign soil, while embedded within a culture founded on paganism and immorality, Benei Yisrael managed to sustain a vigorous hub of Jewish religion. As Chazal comment, Yaakov's first concern upon his approach to Egypt was the establishment of a yeshiva. This represents the concerted effort invested in ensuring Jewish continuity and religious devotion in the Diaspora.
As the first national exile, Benei Yisrael's sojourn in Egypt paved the way for Jewish survival in subsequent exiles. It demonstrated the stubborn ability of our people to "acquire holdings, be fertile and increase" even under the most hostile conditions. Throughout the centuries, our unwavering compliance with the strictures of the Torah and intense devotion to Torah study have ensured our surmounting of the obstacles placed before us in every generation.
On the individual level, as well, the Egyptian exile serves as a source of encouragement. If the Jews can establish themselves with such success (which, as we know, later became alarming in the eyes of the Egyptian authorities) in the land of Egypt, then every individual, endowed with the divine image, has the capacity to grow and flourish even should he find himself - for whatever reason - in an Egypt-like situation. Even when the future looks bleak, when one feels like a stranger to himself and searches for direction, he can - through concentrated effort and hope - overcome the challenges before him and achieve redemption.