מִצְרַיִם הוּא לְשׁוֹן מֵיצָר וּגְבוּל. גָּלוּת מִצְרַיִם בְּרוּחָנִיּוּת הוּא מַה שֶׁנֶּפֶשׁ הַבַּהֲמִית מַגְבֶּלֶת וּמַסְתֶּרֶת עַל הַנֶּפֶשׁ הָאֱלֹקִית, עַד שֶׁנֶּפֶשׁ הָאֱלוֹקִית מִתְצַמְצֶמֶת כָּל כַּךְ שֶׁנַּעֲשֶׂה בְּקַטְנוּת וְהֶעְלֵם. וִיצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם הוּא הֲסָרַת הַמֵּיצָר וְהַגְּבוּל. וְהַיְינוּ דְהַשֵּׂכֶל שֶׁבַּמוֹחַ מֵאִיר בַּלֵב בְּמִדּוֹת טוֹבוֹת בְּפוֹעַל מַמָּשׁ.

The word Mitzrayim (Egypt) is related to meitzar (“a constricting boundary”).1 The spiritual counterpart of the Egyptian exile is the constraint and concealment that the animal soul [imposes] on the G‑dly soul, to the point that the G‑dly soul becomes diminutive and hidden.

[Every individual’s] exodus from this personal Egypt involves the removal of these constricting limits, so that the intellect in the brain shines into the heart, [bringing forth] positive character traits that are tangibly manifest.2

Delving Deeply

Every individual is shackled in his own personal Egypt — the boundaries and limitations that confine and constrain him. One person’s Egypt may be his selfish desires. Another’s may be his frozen mindsets. There is even a “holy Egypt,” in which a person committed to spiritual growth resigns himself to mediocrity, for by accepting his innate limitations as unalterable, he cripples his potential for spiritual advancement.

Whatever the nature of our individual Egypt, we can break free of its bondage by looking within and tapping the inner core of our G‑dly soul, whose infinite potential derives from G‑d Himself.