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Why did the Jews borrow gold and silver from Egypt under false pretenses, appearing as thieves? The shiur argues that the borrowing wasn't subterfuge but a genuine plan: wearing Egyptian clothing and using Egyptian vessels, the Jews would serve Hashem (ה׳) as Egypt's priestly representatives, elevating the nation spiritually. Only when Pharaoh waged war in Parshas Beshalach did the borrowed items become legitimate spoils of war.
Rabbi Zweig tackles a deeply troubling question that has bothered him for years: Why did Hashem (ה׳) orchestrate the borrowing of Egyptian wealth through what appears to be deception? If Hashem was going to perform a miracle to have the Egyptians give their wealth willingly (through chen ha'am, finding favor), why not simply have them give it as a gift or as reparations for centuries of slavery? The miracle of chen ha'am required supernatural intervention regardless—so why structure it as a loan that would never be repaid, making the Jewish people appear as thieves? The shiur begins by examining the fundamental illogic of Pharaoh's behavior throughout the plagues. From the moment the makos began, the Jewish people weren't working anyway, so what did Pharaoh lose by letting them go for three days? The entire struggle makes no sense from a practical standpoint. Rabbi Zweig explains this through a profound yesod brought from the Yalkut Shimoni: the story of the lion-king who killed the donkey toll-collector. Even though paying the toll would have cost the king nothing (the money returns to the royal treasury), and even though in the Gemara (גמרא) Sukkah 30a we learn that a king should pay taxes to set an example for citizens, here the king kills the toll-collector for daring to demand payment. Why? Because fights are never about substance—they're about control.
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Parshas Bo - Borrowing from the Egyptians (Shemos 11:2-3, 12:35-36)
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