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Why did the Egyptians lend their valuables to the Jews, yet initially deny having them? The shiur proposes that the three-day journey to serve God was meant to be an Egyptian national event, with Egypt participating in recognizing Hashem (ה׳). The Egyptians gave clothing, silver, and gold not out of friendship but because they wanted to be included in this religious transformation.
This shiur explores the puzzling narrative in Parshas Bo regarding the Jews borrowing valuables from the Egyptians before the Exodus. Rabbi Zweig addresses several fundamental questions: Why does the Torah (תורה) use the word "re'eihu" (friend) to describe the Egyptian-Jewish relationship? Why does Rashi (רש"י) say the Egyptians initially denied having the items? How does this square with the concept of "chen ha'am" (favor in the eyes of the people)? And why does the Torah include clothing (smalos) alongside silver and gold? The shiur begins by noting textual inconsistencies. In Parshas Shemos, the original instruction mentions borrowing from neighbors and those living in their houses, while here in Parshas Bo it says "ish me'rei'eihu" (a man from his friend). The word "re'eihu" is particularly striking because it typically refers to a fellow Jew, not a non-Jew, as the Gemara (גמרא) derives from "ki yigach shor ish es shor re'eihu." Yet here it describes Egyptians lending to Jews.
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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.
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Shemos 11:2-3, Bo
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