פירוש על שמות 1:14

ובכל עבודה בשדה, ploughing and harvesting.

וימררו את חייהם, they ruined their own lives not only by improper deeds, but also by succumbing to alien philosophies. This is described in Ezekiel 20,8 “and they rebelled against Me and did not want to listen to Me. No Man!- the idols of their eyes they did not cast out and the idols of Egypt, they did not forsake.”

וימררו את חייהם, They made their lives bitter, etc. The Torah speaks of עבודה קשה, to describe work which was very difficult by its very nature without it being performed under intolerable conditions. What was the nature of this work? The making of clay bricks or working in the fields.