Commentaire de citation sur L’Exode 1:11

“And they afflicted us” (Deuteronomy 26:6) as it is said, “They appointed taskmasters over them in order to afflict them with burdens.(Exodus 1:11)” As in other cases, this statement contains a passage from the declaration in Deuteronomy, Chapter 26, and a proof text taken from the beginning of the Book of Exodus. But what does the proof text add to our understanding of the passage from Deuteronomy? The two passages appear to be the same. Exodus does not seem to expand our understanding of Deuteronomy. Rabbi Epstein argues that the verse from Exodus adds something to our understanding of Deuteronomy. By saying “in order to afflict them with burdens,” it suggests that the very purpose of the subjugation of Israel was not to benefit from their labor and hard work but simply to afflict Israel. Egypt could have afflicted Israel in order to get them to be more productive. The verse in Exodus suggests that they were afflicted simply for the sadistic pleasure of the Egyptians; to make them suffer. By simply saying that they afflicted them, we do not know the true purpose of the affliction. Exodus 1:11 adds this to our understanding of the text. “We cried out to Adonai, the God of our ancestors, and Adonai heard our voice.” (Deuteronomy 26:7): The Midrash teaches us that there are no unnecessary or redundant words in the Bible. If something is repeated there must be a reason for the repetition. So why does this verse repeat God’s name in the second half of the verse, “And Adonai heard our voice?” It could have said, “We cried out to Adonai, the God of our ancestors, and (He) heard our voice.” Why do we repeat “Adonai” twice in this verse? This teaches us that prayer ought to be based on humility. No one should assume that he is entitled to God’s intervention. The Talmud, Berachot 10b, says: “If a person petitions God in his own name (in other words, as if he were deserving of God’s assistance), then God will make him dependent upon on the assistance of others; but if he petitions God in the name of others, then God will reward him on his own merit.” This cryptic statement teaches us that God is more likely to answer our prayers when we are humble enough to ask for God’s assistance in the name of our ancestors not because we somehow believe that we are deserving or worthy of God’s assistance. That explains why Deuteronomy, 26:7, repeats the name of God. Because our ancestors cried out to the God of their ancestors (and not in their own name), God heard their voice and answered them directly.

They oppressed them: as is written, "They placed task masters over them in order to oppress them with their labors:" It is written: "He went out to his kinsfolk and witnessed their labors." (Exodus 2:11) Moses said: "Woe is me! Would that I could give my life that you should not have to work so hard! For working with mortar is the hardest type of labor." He would then place the bricks on his own shoulders and help each and every one of them.
Further, Moses also saw that the Egyptians forced the men to do women's tasks, a big people to do labor appropriate to small people, and young men's labors was performed by old people. He then made sure that every person's labors were appropriate to the person's strengths and skills. He pretended that he did this to help Pharaoh. God said: "You gave freedom to My children from their (inappropriate) labors. By your life, in the future you will free My children from oaths between a husband and wife. Furthermore, you left your work to check on the suffering of the Israelites and to act in the fashion of a brother, so I will leave the Ones on high and speak to you out of a burning bush. And so we read later: "God spoke to him out of a bush…" Let me explain:
Rabbi Bondi appears to add to the Midrashic presentation found in the Haggadah here. In effect, this is a Midrash on a Midrash. In the Haggadah, we find the verse from Deuteronomy 26:6. The Haggadah comments on this by quoting a verse from Exodus 1:11. This verse uses the word bisivlotam, "Their labors." Rabbi Bondi now quotes a second verse that uses this word (Exodus 2:11) as a pretext to speak about Moses' compassion for the oppressed Israelites. In this way he explains the significance of the word "Their labor." Israel's oppression was not that they were worked hard but that they were forced to do jobs that were unnatural - men doing women's work, old people carrying a young man's burden, etc. One of the styles of Midrash in the Haggadah is that a verse from the beginning of Exodus is quoted as a way to illuminate the brief retelling of the story in Deuteronomy. Here the commentator carries this approach one step farther, quoting yet another verse from Exodus and then offering an explanation for it from the Midrash.

Another explanation: “miskenut” [means] treasuries, from the phrase and he built storage cities for Pharaoh (Exodus 1:11). [This means] that they would not need to make storehouses for grain in the land due to fear of the ravages of famine or war, because when they do the will of God, blessed be He, their hearts are firmly secure in the Lord who guards them and saves them.

ויגדל משה AND MOSES WAS GROWN — But has it not already been written, (Exodus 2:10) “And the child grew”? Rabbi Judah the son of Eloai said: the first time it refers to growth in stature, the second time to greatness, — that Pharaoh appointed him to have charge over his palace (Tanchuma Yashan 2.2:17; cf. also Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 166:11).

וירא בסבלתם AND HE SAW THEIR BURDENS — he set his eyes and mind to share in their distress. (Exodus Rabbah 1:27)

איש מצרי AN EGYPTIAN MAN — This was one of the taskmasters appointed over the Israelite officers and he used to rouse them from their beds at cock-crow that they might proceed to their work (Exodus Rabbah 1:28 and Leviticus Rabbah 32:4).

מכה איש עברי SMITING A HEBREW MAN — beating and flogging him. The latter was the husband of Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri (see Leviticus 24:11), and the Egyptian taskmaster had set his fancy upon her. During the night he compelled him (her husband) to rise and made him leave the house. He, however, returned, entered the house and forced his attentions upon the woman, she believing it was her husband. The man returned and became aware of what had happened, and when the Egyptian perceived that he was aware of it he beat him and flogged him the whole day long (Exodus Rabbah 1:28).