Commento su Esodo 12:36

וישאלום lit., AND THEY HANDED THEM OVER — Even what they did not ask of them did they give to them: “You say “one” — take “two”, but only go!” (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 12:35).

וישאילום, וינצלו את מצרים, they let them have what they asked; they emptied Egypt (of valuables). All this was a result of G'd giving the people favour in the eyes of the Egyptians so that the Egyptians lent them these trinkets against their will (the will of the Israelites). This proves that the Israelites were not prepared at that time to leave Egypt permanently else they themselves would have asked not only for what the Egyptians volunteered but for much more in order to enrich themselves. When the Torah writes that: "they emptied Egypt," the subject are the Egyptians themselves. From the above we see how correct the Talmud was in Berachot 9 where it is stated that the Israelites were so enamoured of the idea of leaving Egypt that financial gain did not interest them at that time. As a result G'd helped them acquire great possessions in a miraculous manner. All of this was a reward for their meritorious behaviour. [The author implies that if the Israelites had displayed greed by asking for a lot they never would have received as much as they did. Ed.]

נתן את חן העם, to give them as outright gifts what they asked for. G’d had predicted all of this to Moses already in Exodus 3,21

Even that which they did not request of them. . . [Rashi knows this] because at first it is written, “And they requested of the Egyptians” (v. 35), and then it is written, “Hashem granted the people favor,” telling us that they found favor, and their request was granted. If so, why does Scripture need to write here, “And they granted their request”? It must come to tell you that they gave them even things that they did not request.

V. 36. Obgleich es oben Kap. 3, 22 heißt: ונצלתם וגו׳, so kann doch hier, wo וישאילום vorangeht, dessen Subjekt die Ägypter sind, auch das unmittelbar darauf folgende וינצלו die Ägypter zum Subjekt haben. Israel war durch die in den drei Tagen der Finsternis bewiesene Redlichkeit und Großmut so in den Augen der Ägypter gestiegen, dass sie ihnen mehr gaben, als sie wünschten, ihnen ihre Gaben aufdrängten und sich aller Kostbarkeiten entleerten.

וה' נתן את חן העם, “and the Lord had disposed the Egyptians favourably towards this people;” this is how He fulfilled what He had said to Moses in Exodus 3,21, when He told him that the Israelites would not leave Egypt emptyhanded.

וינצלו The Targum translates this by ורוקינו, AND THEY EMPTIED OUT.

וישאילום. The Egyptians are subject in this, i.e. they lent, or gave outright as gifts, after the Israelites had asked. The Egyptians gave it in such a way that the recipients were not expected to return it to the original owners. In this context, the one who asks for something is considered the active party whereas the one who responds to the request is considered the מפעיל, in this instance the “giver.”

וינצלו את מצרים, the Israelites had asked for precious jewelry and fancy garments which they used to dress up their children in. The expression is used again in Exodus 33,6 after the sin of the golden calf when the Jews had to divest themselves of their jewelry which they had obtained at the time of the revelation at Mount Sinai. [at that time it had been jewelry of a spiritual nature, i.e. the phylacteries. Ed.] At any rate, the expression וינצלו refers to jewelry.