Let MY People Go /
what does that they may serve me mean and what does it mean to serve
This is a direct quote from the Torah, repeated several times as God’s command to Moses regarding Pharaoh during the lead-up to the Ten Plagues (e.g., Exodus 8:1 in many translations: “Let My people go, that they may serve Me”).
The phrase underscores the core purpose of the Israelites’ liberation from Egyptian slavery: freedom not merely for its own sake, but to worship and serve God in the wilderness.
Interestingly, this week’s Torah portion—Parashat Shemot (Exodus 1:1–6:1), read on Shabbat January 10, 2026—begins the Book of Exodus, recounting the enslavement, Moses’ early life, the burning bush, and the initial demand to Pharaoh that sets this entire story in motion.
Chag sameach if you’re preparing for Shabbat!
The phrase “Let My people go, so that they may serve Me” (in Hebrew: שַׁלַּח אֶת־עַמִּי וְיַעַבְדֻנִי / Shalach et-ami v’ya’avduni) appears multiple times in Exodus (e.g., Ex. 7:16, 8:1, 9:1). The key word here is יַעַבְדֻנִי (ya’avduni), from the root ע־ב־ד (ayin-bet-dalet), which fundamentally means “to serve” or “to work.”
Core Meaning of “Serve” in This Context
Shift from Human to Divine Service
The Israelites were enslaved in Egypt, subjected to forced labor (avodah kashah – “hard service,” Ex. 1:14). God’s demand is not just for political freedom, but for a complete transfer of allegiance: release them from serving Pharaoh so they can serve God instead. It is a replacement of one master with another – from oppressive human bondage to voluntary divine service.Worship and Ritual Observance
In the immediate context, “serve Me” refers to religious worship. God repeatedly specifies that the people must go into the wilderness to “serve” Him through sacrifices and a festival (Ex. 3:12, 5:1, 7:16, 10:26). The first explicit request is: “Let us go... three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God” (Ex. 5:3). So “service” here means active worship – offering korbanot (sacrifices), celebrating, and acknowledging God publicly.Broader Biblical Sense of עָבַד
Throughout Tanakh, the verb עָבַד has a wide range:Ordinary work/labor (e.g., farming, building)
Servitude/slavery (the Israelites’ experience in Egypt)
Religious worship and obedience (especially when the object is God)
When directed toward God, it almost always means worship, devotion, and fulfilling His commandments. Classic examples:
“You shall serve the LORD your God” (Ex. 23:25; Deut. 6:13, 10:12)
Priests and Levites “serve” in the Mishkan/Temple
Israel as a whole is called God’s “servant” (eved Hashem)
Deeper Theological Meaning
In Jewish thought, this phrase reveals that true freedom is not mere absence of oppression, but the ability to direct one’s life toward divine purpose. Rashi (on Ex. 8:1) explains that the purpose of leaving Egypt was specifically so Israel could accept the Torah at Sinai and serve God through mitzvot. Without the “so that they may serve Me,” liberation would be incomplete – freedom for its own sake can become license or new forms of bondage. Instead, freedom is fulfilled in the “yoke of Heaven” – joyful, meaningful service to God.
Chassidic teachings (especially relevant given your name) elaborate that avodah (service) is inner work: refining one’s character, praying with intention, and transforming the world into a dwelling place for God. The Alter Rebbe (Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi) often contrasts avodah of Egypt (self-centered, forced labor) with avodah to Hashem (elevating the soul and the physical world through Torah and mitzvot).
In short: “that they may serve Me” means release them from Pharaoh’s service so they can worship Me, obey My commandments, and live lives of sacred purpose. “To serve” God is to make Him the center of one’s existence through worship, ethical living, and spiritual growth.
The video you shared from Yishai Fleisher explores a provocative theory: that the arrival of red heifers (parah adumah) in Israel—biblically mandated for ritual purification—was perceived by Hamas as a direct threat, potentially contributing to the timing or rationale behind the October 7 attack. Fleisher ties this to broader fears of Jewish efforts toward rebuilding the Third Temple.
At the heart of the discussion is the red heifer ritual (described in Numbers 19), whose ashes purify from tumat met (ritual impurity contracted through contact with death). This purification is essential for kohanim (priests) and the nation to approach the Temple and perform avodah—sacrificial service to God.
This connects deeply to our earlier conversation on “that they may serve Me” (v’ya’avduni) in Exodus. The liberation from Egypt wasn’t an end in itself but a means to enable Israel to serve God freely. That service began with the Mishkan (Tabernacle) in the wilderness—complete with korbanot (offerings)—and continued through the First and Second Temples. The ultimate, complete avodah requires the Beis Hamikdash, and the parah adumah is a rare, foundational prerequisite for resuming that service, as nearly all Jews today carry tumat met.
In Chassidic teachings (e.g., from the Alter Rebbe and the Lubavitcher Rebbe), this also carries deeper meaning: purifying from “death” symbolizes awakening the soul from spiritual numbness, refining the animal soul, and elevating the world through divine service. Current events like the red heifers can be seen as signs of preparation for the era when avodah will be restored fully with the coming of Moshiach—may it be speedily in our days.
Fleisher’s perspective is more activist and Temple Mount-focused, framing it within contemporary geopolitics and Jewish sovereignty. It’s a reminder that the call to “serve Me” echoes through history, from Pharaoh’s refusal to the challenges of today.
Regarding the Grok conversation link, it appears to be a shared chat that isn’t publicly accessible or doesn’t load external content—perhaps it’s meant for internal reference?
Grok : https://grok.com/c/177d5540-fdcb-44ff-be62-318325a20235?rid=094fa75b-82f0-4d6b-89fe-8ffe6c22b76c