Just as God stepped in to defend Benei Yisrael when they were oppressed foreigners in Egypt, He will also intervene to protect the helpless foreigner from those who torment and abuse him.
The Torah commands in Parashat Eikev, “You shall love the foreigner, for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt” (10:19). The Ramban, commenting on this verse, makes reference to his remarks earlier in his Torah commentary, in Parashat Mishpatim (Shemot 20:22), regarding the verse, “You shall not cause distress to a foreigner or oppress him, for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt.” According to the Ramban, the Torah here warns against feeling confident in the foreigner’s vulnerability. One reason why people oppress foreigners is simply because they can; they feel that a foreigner lacks the connections and resources to defend himself, and thus abuse will go unpunished. The Torah here warns that just as God stepped in to defend Benei Yisrael when they were oppressed foreigners in Egypt, He will also intervene to protect the helpless foreigner from those who torment and abuse him.
The Ramban makes reference in this context to the verse in Parashat Shemot (2:23) which describes how in response to Benei Yisrael’s cries in Egypt, “their plea ascended to God from the labor.” According to the Ramban, this means that God accepted the people’s pleas not because of their worthiness, because they deserved to be helped, but rather “min ha-avoda” (“from the labor”) – because of their suffering. God defends the downtrodden and the oppressed, and the people’s suffering itself was thus the reason why God sent the plagues against the Egyptians and delivered Benei Yisrael from bondage. By the same token, the Torah warns, if we oppress a foreigner, He will intervene and come to the foreigner’s defense. And thus we are commanded, “You shall love the foreigner, for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt.” Our nation’s experience of suffering followed by triumph over Egypt demonstrates that our perceived advantage over the poor, defenseless foreigner is not real, for God Himself eventually rises to his defense.
According to the Ramban, the message introduced here by the Torah is as much theological as it is ethical. It is a reminder that perceived advantages and disadvantages that we have over one another are only perceived, for in actuality, the outcome is always determined only by God. We must never feel overly confident in the face of a seemingly feeble adversary, or overwhelmed in the face of an outwardly superior opponent. Instead, we must remember “ki geirim heyitem be-eretz Mitzrayim.” God comes to the aid of the oppressed, and we must therefore never feel confident enough to take advantage of the weak or desperate enough to panic before the mighty. Ultimately, advantages and disadvantages mean nothing, as God alone determines the victor and the loser.
Courtesy of Yeshivat Har Etzion - www.etzion.org.il