You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and (how) I carried you on eagles' wings, and I brought you to Me. (Exodus 19:4)

Like an eagle, which carries its young on its wings, for all other birds place their young between their feet since they fear another bird flying above them. The eagle, however, fears only man, lest he shoot an arrow at it, because no other bird flies above it. Therefore, it places them (its young) on its wings. It says, “Rather the arrow pierce me and not my children.” I (God) too did that: “Then the angel of God…moved, …And he came between the camp of Egypt, etc.” [Exodus 14:19-20] and the Egyptians shot arrows and catapult stones, and the cloud absorbed them. (Rashi, based upon Lekaḥ Tov)
Rashi cites Lekaḥ Tov's exposition of the meaning of God's carrying the Israelites on eagles' wings as protecting His nation with the Clouds of Glory, as an eagle protects its fledglings.
The ancient Aramaic translation attributed to Yonatan ben Uziel incorporates an aggada:

"You have seen what I did to the Egyptians" and I carried you on the Clouds of Glory, as if carrying you on eagles' wings, taking you from Ramses (the point from which the Israelites departed Egypt [Exodus 12:37]) and bringing you to the place of the Temple to offer the Paschal sacrifice there, and on that night, I returned you to Ramses and from there brought you near to Me to teach you My Torah.

According to this legend, prior to the Exodus from Egypt, God brought the Israelites to the site of the Temple, where they offered the original Paschal lambs, and He then returned them to Egypt, from which He led the Israelites out in order to achieve closeness to Him and to study the Torah.

Rabbi Shmuel Feivush haKohen (1620 – 1700) explains the legend cited by Yonatan ben Uziel: Since, as our Sages taught [Babylonian Talmud, Bava Batra 158b], that "the air of Eretz Yisrael makes one wise," - "only one who has been exposed to the air of Eretz Yisrael can learn the secrets of Torah." For this reason, it was necessary that the generation of the Exodus, the generation destined to receive Torah, reach the Land of Israel – even if only temporarily – in order to be prepared to receive Torah.
We may add that, according to the legend presented by Yonatan ben Uziel, the destination within the Land to which God brought His people was specifically the place of the Temple. This destination is of great significance, since it is from Zion that Torah will come. [Isaiah 2:3; Micah 4:2] Thus, in order to prepare the Nation of Israel to receive Torah, God brought them to the place from which Torah comes to all nations.
(David Magence)


Shabbat Shalom!
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