Nature of the Bondage/2

Nature of the Bondage

Exegetical Approaches

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Slaves to the State

Slavery in Egypt was State sponsored and involved serving Paroh rather than acting as house slaves to individual Egyptians.

Sources:Mekhilta DeRabbi YishmaelYitro HaChodesh 5About Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael Shemot, RashiShemot 1:11-13Shemot 5:4About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki, R. Yosef Bekhor ShorShemot 1:11-14About R. Yosef Bekhor Shor, RalbagShemot Beur HaMilot 1:11-14Shemot Beur HaParashah 1:11-22About R. Levi b. Gershom, HaKetav VeHaKabbalahShemot 1:13About R. Yaakov Mecklenburg, ShadalShemot 1:11-14Shemot 5:4About R. Shemuel David Luzzatto, R. David Zvi HoffmannShemot 1:11-14About R. David Zvi Hoffmann

"וַיָּשִׂימוּ עָלָיו שָׂרֵי מִסִּים" – Most of these sources understand that this refers to a labor tax.  The nation was conscripted to work in building storehouses for the State, as stated in the end of the verse, "וַיִּבֶן עָרֵי מִסְכְּנוֹת לְפַרְעֹה".‎¹  Ralbag, instead assumes that there was a monetary fine, and only those who could not afford it were forced to labor for Paroh.

"וַיַּעֲבִדוּ מִצְרַיִם אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּפָרֶךְ" – These sources understand "מִצְרַיִם" to refer to Egypt (the state) rather than lay Egyptians.  The worsening of the slavery described in the verse relates not to its scope but to the intensification of the labor demanded.  Now the people were worked "בְּפָרֶךְ", given back-breaking labor to oppress them.

"וּבְכׇל עֲבֹדָה בַּשָּׂדֶה" – According to this approach the verse must refers to the planting and irrigation of Paroh's property or other public lands

Where did the Israelites live? According to this approach, the people had their own homes to which they returned whenever their work ended.

Slaves to the Sate and to Individuals

Not only were the Israelites conscripted to work for Paroh, but in addition any Egyptian who so desired was free to enslave an Israelite to work for them personally.

Sources:TanchumaVayetze 9About the Tanchuma, RambanShemot 1:10-14Shemot 5:4About R. Moshe b. Nachman, R. BachyaShemot 1:10About R. Bachya b. Asher, AbarbanelShemot 1About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel, perhaps Seforno,  R. S"R HirschShemot 1:11-14About R. Samson Raphael Hirsch

"וַיָּשִׂימוּ עָלָיו שָׂרֵי מִסִּים"

"וַיַּעֲבִדוּ מִצְרַיִם אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּפָרֶךְ" – According to these sources the word "מִצְרַיִם" refers to individual Egyptians.  This verse represents a worsening of the oppression as lay Egyptians, too, were given permission to take Israelites as their personal slaves.

"וּבְכׇל עֲבֹדָה בַּשָּׂדֶה" – Abarbanel asserts that this refers to working the lands of individual Egyptians.  The State sponsored bondage focused instead on building.

Where did the Israelites live? This position raises the possibility that while many Israelites might have lived in private homes in Goshen, others might have lived with their masters in Egypt proper.  See Where in Egypt Did the Israelites Live? for elaboration and see Whom and Where Did the Plagues Strike? for the ramifications this has on understanding the differentiation between Egyptians and Israelites during the Plagues.

Borrowing from neighbors

¹ R"Y Bekhot Shor asserts that while the rest of the Egyptians gave a fifth of their produce to Paroh, the Israelites, who were exempt from this, were instead forced to build the cities to store the grain.  He claims that they only did so on a rotation basis, working for several weeks or months and then returning home.