The person’s name is not accidental, it generally manifests some basic characteristics of the individual. 

The biblical text assumes this. Starting with the first man, whose name reflected the fact that he was made from the earth.

His name is Adam, because adamah means earth. The Hebrews were faithful to that tradition and did not change their names when they arrived in Mitsrayim, Egypt. Centuries later, when the time came for the exodus from those lands, we observe that they continued to keep their original names. This fact was one of the merits –or perhaps causes– for the exodus: they maintained their identity through name, they did not succumb to the temptation of assimilation.

This idea is implicit in the first verse that reads: “Ele shemot… habaim ​​Mitsraima”, “These are the names of the sons of Yaacov, habaim, who come to Egypt”. Actually, the Hebrews had long lived in that land before. 

Therefore, the use of the word “habaim” ​​is surprising, “Coming”, as if it were an event that took place at that moment.

According to the Midrash, after the death of Yosef, the Hebrews lost influence in the palace court and the Egyptians began to treat them as if they had arrived recently to the country.

Instead of referring to the attitude of the Egyptians, perhaps the word “habaim” ​​alludes to the behavior of the Hebrews who did not assimilate into the environment and remained faithful to the tradition of the patriarchs, behaving as if they had arrived in Egypt in those very same days.

For maintaining their individuality, with names and clothes different, traditions and language, many Egyptians probably doubted the loyalty of the Hebrews.

The figure of Yosef contradicts this argument, because thanks to his vision and his managerial powers, Egypt was able to overcome the famine and help the entire region survive. He had interpreted that the poverty of the harvests of the seven years, was symbolized by the 7 lean cows. Yosef’s contribution was decisive and his proven loyalty to the fate of the Egyptians led Pharaoh to appoint him as the ruler of his court.

It is worth reflecting on this issue: can a group make a greater contribution to the collective when they maintain intact their ancestral traditions, or when they integrate totally to the majority? It can be argued that the state of the cultural and intellectual level of a society is directly proportional to the diversity of its members, to the specific and individual contributions each sector makes.

One of the fundamental reasons that the Hebrews were able to maintain their identity without assimilating to the environment was the sense of mission God entrusted to them “be a light for the nations”. This imperative will be mentioned explicitly in the Torah, which orders the Hebrews to constitute a Mamlechet kohanim vegoy kadosh, “a kingdom of priests and a people sacred”.

This mission or choice of the Hebrew people implies more than a distinction, it is translated into the responsibility to serve as an example for the other nations. It is not a matter of privilege, but of service.

However, it should be noted that not all the Hebrews in Egypt were faithful to the tradition of the patriarchs.

There were those who interpret the word “vachamushim”, used in the time of the exodus as an indication that only “mechamisha” (“one in five”) left Egypt. Apparently, eighty percent of the Hebrews were integrated completely into the Egyptian environment, were assimilated completely. Because of the temptation to adopt the most important culture of the time, the Egyptian culture with its advances in astronomy and writing invited the Hebrews to abandon their apparent primitivism that included their monotheistic ideal.

The tension between integration and individualism is the theme that will accompany the Jewish people throughout history, especially in the events that led to the celebration of Purim and the rebellion of the Hasmonaim, facts embodied in the holiday of Hanukkah. Not much has changed because assimilation still looks like the biggest threat to the survival of the Jewish people this very day.