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How could God command the Jews to 'borrow' from Egyptians with no intention of returning the items? The shiur argues the Jews were subjects, not property, entitled to wages, and the 'three days' meant emancipation celebration before returning as free people. The borrowing served as ha'anakah - dignity-restoring gifts that transformed master-slave relationships into friendships, ensuring the Jews felt worthy of their wealth.
This shiur tackles one of the most perplexing moral questions in the Torah (תורה): How could God command the Jewish people to "borrow" from the Egyptians when they had no intention of returning the items? Rabbi Zweig begins by establishing that God's agents cannot speak falsehoods, yet the Torah explicitly describes telling Pharaoh they would return after three days and commanding the Jews to borrow gold and silver from their neighbors. The analysis centers on Rashi (רש"י)'s critical distinction in Parshat Yisro that the Jews were "slaves to Pharaoh, not slaves to slaves" (avadim lamelech v'lo avadim la'avadim). Rabbi Zweig explains that this means the Jews were subjects (avadim) rather than owned property. A king can impose work obligations on his subjects through law, but unlike chattel slavery, he must compensate them with wages. This legal relationship entitled the Jews to payment from anyone who used their labor.
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Parshas Shemos, Parshas Bo
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