There are two interesting questions pertaining to the Jews leaving Egypt. Firstly, one would think that when leaving Egypt, the Parsha would start off with trumpet-like-fiesta introduction. After all, it’s been two hundred and ten years under slavery and now the Jews are free; free to serve G-d, free to keep Shabbat, free to do all the mitzvot, free to have nice kiddushes on Shabbat!! Instead the Parsha begins with the word VAYEHI, which connotes negativity. WHY ARE WE NEGATIVE? WE JUST LEFT SLAVERY!!!
The second question is, if one notices, in all our prayers we say ZECHER YITZIAT MITZRAYIM – “remembrance of the exodus out of Egypt”. However, that translation is not correct. It should say YETZIAT MEMITZRAYIM – “going out from Egypt. Why do we say YETZIAT MITZRAYIM?
The answer is that Pharaoh was a wicked man and Egypt was the most impure country in the history of the world. In fact, the Rambam, Maimonides, who lived in Egypt, mentions in his Introduction to his books that “I am sinning every moment that I’m residing here”. Pharaoh purposely escorted the Israelites out of Egypt. In the process, he put a seal of the impurity that was the essence of the evil empire. That’s the reason why it starts off with the word Vayehi – bad. The impurity, the negative energy, continued into the nation of Israel. Most of the Jews who left Egypt died in the desert. It was only the next generation that entered the Promised Land.
When we say YETZIAT MITZRAYIM, that means that Egypt should go out of you, the impurity shall depart. We should be free and clear of the impurities of that evil empire and we shall be the pure souls that will achieve greatness as the chosen Jewish people.