Towards the end of our parsha, after theTorah describes the animals we are not allowed to eat, Hashem reminds Klal Yisroel that He took them out of Mitzrayim. We should refrain from eating those prohibited animals because Hashem brought us out of Mitzrayim. But instead of the usual expression; “Hamotzi” – “the One who took us out,” the Torah uses the expression; “Hama’aleh” – “the One who lifted us out.”
The S’forno explains why we are reminded about Yetzias Mitzrayim in this context of the ma’acholos asuros, the prohibited foods. The S’forno tells us that the purpose of Yetzias Mitzrayim was so that we should be zoche to kedusha and to nitzchiyus, eternity, by recognizing Hashem and by walking in His ways. Guarding ourselves from the prohibited foods enables us to reach these goals.
With this we can perhaps understand the choice of expression; “hama’aleh” – “the One who lifts us out.” The tum’ah of Mitzrayim is still inside of us to some degree. Hashem gave us the mitzvos, especially those associated with kedusha such as the issurim related to food, as a method of infusing our lives with kedusha. Each time we overcome a nisayon we are climbing up and away from the negativity of Mitzrayim and we are coming closer to the goal described by the S’forno, achieving kedusha and eternity.
The Torah uses the word “hama’aleh” – “The One who lifts us up, who raises us” to remind us that our avoda in life is all about becoming higher. And it is through the mitzvos that Hashem gave us that we travel towards that goal.