Dvar Torah (Exodus)- or, Egyptians, Hyksos, Dems and Reps
In this week's Torah portion, the Hebrews are enslaved by an Egyptian king who "did not know Joseph" (Exodus 1:8).

Why was the new king so hostile to the Jews? The Hertz Chumash suggests that the pro-Joseph king was part of the Hyksos, a Semitic group that took over Egypt for a couple of hundred years. Perhaps when the native Egyptians drove the Hyksos out of power, they turned on the Hyksos' Hebrew allies.

This scenario holds some lessons for us today. The Hebrews had made friends with the Hyksos, but were perhaps unable to get along so well with the natives. So when the natives took over, they enslaved the Hebrews. Lesson: Jews should have friends with all political factions.

So I am profoundly thankful that in America, Jews are represented among Democrats and Republicans, on the Left and on the Right. Because as long as we have friends in all camps, our liberties are at least somewhat secure.