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Text Excerpt
אותו צדיק, ״ועבדום וענו אתם״ — קיים בהם, ״ואחרי כן יצאו ברכש גדול״ — לא קיים בהם.
that righteous person, Abraham, will not say: God fulfilled His pronouncement: “And they will be enslaved and afflicted,” but God did not fulfill His pronouncement: “And afterward, they will leave with great possessions.” As God said to Abraham: “Surely you should know that your descendants will be foreigners in a land that is not theirs, and they will be enslaved and afflicted for 400 years. And also that nation who enslaves them will I judge. And afterward, they will leave with great possessions” (Genesis 15:13–14).
אמרו לו: ולואי שנצא בעצמנו! משל: לאדם שהיה חבוש בבית האסורים והיו אומרים לו בני אדם: מוציאין אותך למחר מבית האסורין, ונותנין לך ממון הרבה, ואומר להם: בבקשה מכם, הוציאוני היום, ואיני מבקש כלום.
The school of R' Yannai continues: Israel said to Moses: If only we could get out ourselves. The Talmud offers a parable to one who was incarcerated in prison, and people would say to him: We promise, we will release you tomorrow and give you much money. He says to them: I beseech you, release me today and I ask for nothing. So too, Israel preferred leaving immediately empty handed rather than leaving later with great riches.
״וישאלום״, אמר רבי אמי: מלמד שהשאילום בעל כרחם. איכא דאמרי בעל כרחם דמצרים, ואיכא דאמרי בעל כרחם דישראל.
With regard to the spoils taken from Egypt described in the verse: “And YHWH gave the nation grace in the eyes of Egypt, and they gave them what they requested and they emptied Egypt” (Exodus 12:36), R' Ami said: This teaches that the Egyptians gave them what they requested against their will. There is a dispute with regard to the question: Against whose will? Some say it was given against the will of the Egyptians, and some say it was given against the will of Israel. The proponent of each position cites support for his opinion.