It was so close; freedom was in the air. After 210 years of slavery and servitude, the Jewish people stood on the threshold of emancipation, ready to embrace their national destiny. God reminded Moshe of the promise made to Avraham during the Bris Beyn Ha’Bisarim (the Covenant of the Pieces) that the nation would emerge from Egypt with great wealth. God instructed Moshe: “Please, speak into the ears of the people, and let them request, each man from his friend and each woman from her friend, silver vessels and golden vessels (Shemos 11:2).”  Moshe complied, and the Torah tells us, “And the children of Israel did according to Moses’ order, and they borrowed/requested (va’yishalu) from the Egyptians silver objects, golden objects, and garments. The Lord gave the people favor in the eyes of the Egyptians, and they gave them, and they emptied out Egypt (Exodus 12:35-36).”

Why does the Torah use the word “va’yishalu, request”? Why didn’t the Jews demand the gold and silver which they were owed as back-pay for 210 years of servitude?

Furthermore, it is interesting to note that Moshe commanded them regarding silver and gold, and yet when they approached the Egyptians, the people asked for clothing (smalot) as well. Rabbeinu Bachya (Rabbi Bachya ben Asher, Spanish Rabbi 1255-1340) makes a fascinating statement: These (articles of clothing) meant more to them than the silver and the gold, and [thus] whatever is mentioned later in the verse is more esteemed – gold is more important than silver, and clothing is more important than gold.

What is the significance of this clothing? Why would it be more valuable than silver and gold?

The Chizkuni (Rabbi Chizkiyah ben Manoach, a 13th century French rabbi) links the “gifts” received by Jewish slaves (from their Egyptian master) to the gifts that a Jewish master must give his servant upon emancipation.

“They (the Jewish people) will not go out empty-handed, because they (the Egyptians) will provide them with 3 types (of gifts); gold, silver and clothing – in order to fulfill (the promise that God made to Avraham) “and afterwards they will leave with vast possessions.” This is comparable to the provisions that one must give his servants (from sheep, granary and wine-press).”

In reference to the obligation of ha’anaka (providing for one’s servant upon emancipation), the Torah states:

If your brother, a Hebrew man, or a Hebrew woman, is sold to you, he shall serve you for six years, and in the seventh year you shall send him forth free from you. And when you send him forth free from you, you shall not send him forth empty-handed. You shall surely provide him from your flock, from your threshing floor, and from your vat, you shall give him from what the Lord, your God, has blessed you (Devorim 15:12-14).”

If we examine the word ha’anaka, we find that it shares a root with two other words: anak (giant) and yanak (to nurse). Perhaps, the Torah is trying to convey to us an important sensitivity toward the emancipated slave. When a person is an eved (servant/slave), it is easy to lose his or her sense of humanity and begin to feel like an object. Part of the emancipation process is to “re-humanize” the servant, to make him feel normal once again. Ha’anek taanik lo, you must mother him, nurture him, nurse him back to emotional health, help restore his “person-hood”, make him feel anak (giant, like he is something special). We begin this process on a most basic level by giving him possessions. By allowing him to own goods, we endow the former servant with a sense of humanity and autonomy in this new chapter of his life.

Perhaps, with this understanding, we can appreciate all that is occurring during these last few hours in Egypt. As the Jewish people are preparing to leave the land of their oppression, there is one thing they still need from their former masters – a recognition and validation of their humanity. The Jewish slave looked at his Egyptian master and said, “For the last 210 years you treated me like chattel – you broke my body with unending labor, you murdered my children, and you crushed my spirit. Now I am free, but there is something I need from you. Show me that you understand that I am a fellow human-being.  Express to me your recognition that I am a person just like you. Acknowledge and validate my humanity.”

Va’yishalu, they asked for the silver and gold; the Jews did not demand the Egyptians turn over these possessions. The Jew said, “I will ask nicely, I will request, no demands – I am respecting you as a human being, and I want to see if that feeling is reciprocal.”  Herein lies the test; how will the Egyptian respond to his former servant? Will he throw the gold and silver at the Jew and slam the door, or will there be some element of humane reciprocity? Will the Egyptians recognize and validate the humanity of their former slaves? The Torah states: “The Lord gave the people favor in the eyes of the Egyptians, and they gave them, and they emptied out Egypt (Exodus 12:37).”

The Kli Yakar (Rabbi Shlomo Ephraim ben Aaron Luntschitz, Lenczyk, Poland 1540- 1619) comments:

And that which it says, “And they gave them” – this means that the Egyptians requested that they (the Jewish people) accept more and more gifts – to such a degree did the Jews find favor in the eyes of the Egyptians.”

The Jewish people “asked”, and the Egyptians responded, “please take.” The Egyptians responded to them as “people”. Their humanity that had been ignored for 210 years was finally recognized and validated.

Building on this idea, we can now appreciate the meaning of the request for clothing. Clothing serves a dual role. Clothing endows the wearer with a positive self-image. Clothing can help me feel good about myself. Clothing also allows others to form an initial positive impression about me.

It was for these two reasons that the clothing played a pivotal role. It was this clothing that allowed the people to begin to think differently about themselves. Although they were objectively free, they still had to “feel free.” By donning the clothing of “free-men”, they were able to experience freedom even before actually leaving Egypt. Furthermore, by wearing the clothing of freedom, they were able to project this emancipatory image to their fellow Jews, former masters, and all humanity.

The accumulation of wealth upon leaving Egypt was more than just the fulfillment of the Abrahamitic promise. It was a necessary step in the emotional healing and re-humanization of a people. After over two centuries of persecution and pain, God allowed us to re-acquire our identity as human beings, don the physical and emotional clothing of freedom, and begin the journey toward our destiny. But this message is not only historically important, it has tremendous contemporary relevance as well. Our ancestors needed validation of their humanity from their former oppressors. God understood that this would help catapult the creation of a national identity. As important as validation from others may be, we cannot hinge our happiness and self-worth on how others view us. We must learn to feel free, even if others do not share the same opinion. We must learn to see the good within ourselves, even if others cannot. Sometimes, even those closest to us cannot always see the beauty we possess. We must find the strength to wear the clothing of self-confidence and walk toward our personal promised land.

Pharaoh continued his stiff-necked response to the plagues and refused to emancipate the Jewish people. His advisors told him it was a lost cause and Egypt would perish, but Pharaoh refused to heed their warnings. This week’s Parsha opens with the following verse:

The Lord said to Moses: “Come to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, in order that I may place these signs of Mine in his midst.” (Exodus 10:1)

Rashi explains: “The Lord said to Moses: Come to Pharaoh: and warn him.”  But what is the point in warning Pharaoh if God had hardened his heart? If Pharaoh had lost his free-will what impact would the warning have?  Is this not an exercise in futility?

The Lubavitcher Rebbe (Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, 1902-1994) provides an incredible insight:

“It is brought down in Tanya that even those for whom teshuva (repentance) is impossible, if such a person pushes forward and does in fact repent, his teshuva is accepted. So too here, although God hardened the heart of Pharaoh, he still had the opportunity to strengthen himself to repent and return.  This is why Moshe was sent to “warn” Pharaoh. This warning reinforced the idea that Pharaoh still had the ability to change and turn things around. A warning is only significant if the individual has the capacity to change. Had Pharaoh done teshuva, it would have been accepted by God.” (Likutei Sichos)

At first glance, the Rebbe’s words seem incomprehensible and even contradictory, but upon further reflection we learn that man never completely loses his free-will. There may be times when free-will is compromised and other times when aspects of free-will might even be taken away – but it is never totally gone. Even Pharaoh, whose heart was hardened by God Himself, had the ability to change.  There is always a choice. God sends Moshe to warn Pharaoh to teach him that he can change these circumstances if he so chooses.

There are times in life when we feel a lack choices. We feel like the walls are closing in and we have no options or possibilities. Some experience these feelings in difficult and strained relationships which have been tenuous for so long that we don’t see a way to repair them. Some of us experience this in our careers when after doing something for a prolonged period of time, we feel limited in our ability to find additional meaning or to transition to something else. And then some of us experience this in how we view ourselves. “I’ve been a certain way for so long that I don’t think I have the ability or capacity to change.” Pharaoh comes along and teaches us that we always have a choice. You may not be able to choose many of your life circumstances but even in those situations which have been foisted upon you, there is always a choice to be made. As Victor Frankl wrote, “The last of human freedoms – the ability to choose one’s attitude in a given set of circumstances.” We are never without choices. At times I can choose my situation and path in life. Other times the path has been set for me, but I still get to choose what I do with this path.

There are many layers of tragedy in the slavery naarative. There is the tragedy of an oppressed people, there is the tragedy of murder and bloodshed and there is a tragedy of a Pharaoh who could have prevented so much pain had he realized that he still had a choice. There is always a choice to be made, may we find the courage to make it.

“So Moses stretched forth his hand toward the heavens, and there was thick darkness over the entire land of Egypt for three days.” (Exodus 10:22)

Choshech (darkness), the ninth plague had descended upon Egypt. The plagues were not happenstance and random. Each plague had a purpose and message. What was the purpose inchoshech?

Rashi explains:

“…. The Israelites searched [the Egyptians’ dwellings during the darkness] and saw their [own] belongings. When they were leaving [Egypt] and asked [for some of their things], and they [the Egyptians] said, “We have nothing,” he [the Israelite] would say to him, “I saw it in your house, and it is in such and such a place.”

The Lubavitcher Rebbe (Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, 1902-1994) makes a fascinating observation. Every stage of our salvation and emancipation was miraculous. From the plagues to the splitting of the sea. No part of this redemption was rooted in the natural order. Yet, the Jews had to “ask” the Egyptians for gold, silver and clothing. If God was already orchestrating supernatural salvation, why not just have the Egyptians give the wealth to the Jews? Furthermore, this wealth was back pay and reparations for 210 years of barbaric mistreatment. Why did the Jewish nation have to spend the days of choshech searching for the Egyptian wealth?

The Talmud states (Megillah 6b):

ואמר ר’ יצחק אם יאמר לך אדם יגעתי ולא מצאתי אל תאמן לא יגעתי ומצאתי אל תאמן יגעתי ומצאתי תאמן

Rabbi Yitzḥak said: If a person says to you: I have labored and not found success, do not believe him. Similarly, if he says to you: I have not labored but nevertheless I have found success, do not believe him. If, however, he says to you: I have labored, and I have found success, believe him.

Where there is effort there is success. Where there is no effort there can be no enduring success. God was teaching us this all-important lesson. If you want the gold, silver and accomplishments of life you must be willing to search and work. Nothing meaningful will ever just show up at your doorstep.

The Jewish nation was about to take the final step in transitioning from a slave to a free nation. A slave is beholden to his master, a free man is responsible to himself. The slave lacks control over many elements of his existence, the free man must own the nature and direction of his life. Each of us desire things in life but all too often we don’t want to put in the work. We want the successes, but we want to minimize the effort. To reap the true blessings of life, one must be willing to search out opportunities even in the darkness. To experience success in this world requires an incredible amount of effort. We have dreams, aspirations and goals but we must realize that no one else will make them happen for us. No one else will roll up their sleeves to make our dreams come true. Too often, we live with a sense of life entitlement. We think our parents owe us, our spouse owes us, our children owe us and of course, God owes us. The most empowering way to live is to rid oneself of this sense of entitlement. No one owes you anything. If we want something from life, we need to make it happen.  We must search out the successesand be willing to work hard and exert ourselves. Navigate the darkness, follow your own light and IYH life success will follow.