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Why did Egypt chase the Jews after expelling them, and what justified taking Egyptian wealth? The shiur develops the yesod that Jews were subjects of Pharaoh, not slaves to Egyptians—a critical distinction entitling them to wages. This legal relationship explains both the justified "taking" and reframes Sinai: Hashem (ה׳) introduced the Ten Commandments not as master to slaves, but as sovereign to subjects who earn reward.
Rabbi Zweig addresses a fundamental difficulty in the narrative of the Exodus: Pharaoh expelled the Jews from Egypt, yet immediately afterward he and the Egyptians regretted sending them away and pursued them. Rashi (רש"י) explains that the Egyptians wanted back the gold and silver the Jews had taken. But the pasuk says "How could we have sent them away from serving us?" suggesting they missed the labor, not the money. Furthermore, last week Pharaoh threw the Jews out; this week he chases them. What changed? The shiur explores another troubling pasuk: when Pharaoh became leprous and began slaughtering 300 Jewish children daily for blood baths, the Torah (תורה) says the Jews cried out "from the work" (min ha'avodah). How could parents complain about harsh labor when their children were being murdered? This seems an unimaginable insult.
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Up Next in this Series
Why does seeing a sotah inspire one to become a nazir? The nazir's abstention creates a pre-sin state where body and soul exist in perfect harmony. This 30-day period corrects the internal contradiction that led to his original transgression.
Why does the Midrash connect Pharaoh's expulsion of the Jews to the mitzvah of shiluach hakan? The shiur develops a chiddush that Pharaoh's sin wasn't only drowning the children, but the insensitivity of expelling the parents afterward. The deeper analysis reveals that Pharaoh may have valued the Jews greatly and wanted to control them—making his expulsion an act of tremendous cruelty, not liberation.
Why does Moshe respond to the splitting of the sea with shirah rather than praise or thanksgiving? Rashi's use of "al libo" reveals that shirah is an emotional expression—a response of love to love. When Hashem shows personal care, the only adequate response is "I love You too," not mere gratitude or praise, and this principle applies to all relationships.
Beshalach 14:5, Shemos 2:11, Yisro 20:2
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What is the primary purpose of the cities of refuge - protecting the accidental killer or something else? The shiur argues that creating respect for law takes precedence over providing sanctuary. True deterrence comes from recognizing the gravity of murder itself, not fear of punishment.
