Nature of the Bondage/2
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Nature of the Bondage
Exegetical Approaches
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 Yishmael, Rashi, R. Yosef Bekhor Shor, Ralbag, HaKetav VeHaKabbalah, Shadal, 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 refer to the planting and irrigation of Paroh's property or other public lands
Description of slavery in Shemot 5 – The description of officers in charge of laborers, set quotas of bricks and the very fact that Moshe asks permission from Paroh and not individual slave owners for the nation's three day release all support the idea that the nation were slaves to the state.
Where did the Israelites live? According to this approach, the people had their own homes to which they returned whenever their work ended.2
Free time? According to this position, the Israelites might have had time for themselves in the evenings after work.
Why isn't Paroh alone punished? This approach must explain why the entire Egyptian nation was punished if only Paroh enslaved the nation. It would likely answer that even if no laymen took individual slaves, they were the ones to carryout Paroh's policy of genocide. These sources might also suggest that the plagues were primarily meant to be educative rather than retributive, teaching the Egyptians to recognize Hashem. See Purpose of the Plagues for more.
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.
"וַיָּשִׂימוּ עָלָיו שָׂרֵי מִסִּים... וַיִּבֶן עָרֵי מִסְכְּנוֹת לְפַרְעֹה"
- According to Ramban this verse describes the initial stage of oppression in which the people were taxed to work for the State.
- Abarbanel, in contrast, asserts that the verse refer to two distinct phases, an initial monetary tax followed by forced labor for Paroh.
"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" – Tanchuma and Abarbanel asserts that this refers to working the lands of individual Egyptians. The State sponsored bondage focused instead on building.
When did they work for individuals? Tanchuma suggests that the Israelites would put in a full days work for Paroh and then upon returning home at night, lay Egyptians would demand that they work for them in their fields. The others are ambiguous but might suggest that some Israelites worked for the State while others were taken as house servants.
Where did the Israelites live? This position raises the possibility that while some 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
