Komentarz do Wyjścia 1:11

עליו [THEREFORE THEY DID SET] OVER THEM (עליו over him) i. e. over the people.

SAREI MISIM’ (OFFICERS OF THE TRIBUTE) TO AFFLICT THEM. Pharaoh imposed a tribute upon the Israelite people to take men from them for the king’s projects. He appointed Egyptian officers over the tribute to take men at will in turns to serve for a month or more in the royal building-projects and the rest of the days [they remained] at home. These officers commanded the Israelites to build cities for Pharaoh, and the people built storage-cities for Pharaoh through this levy. When the Egyptians saw that this forced labor did not harm the Israelites, they were in dread for their own lives⁴⁴Verse 12. on account of them. They decreed that all Egyptians force the Israelites to serve them,⁴⁵Verse 13. so that any Egyptian who needed work done had the authority to take from them men to do his work. This is the meaning of the verse, And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigor.⁴⁵Verse 13.
They furthermore decreed against them that they do hard work in mortar and in brick.⁴⁶Verse 14. Ramban now proceeds to show how all the Israelites — not only those forced into labor for the king’s building-projects — were afflicted. It is necessary to recall the full text: And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigor. And they made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field; in all their service, wherein they made them serve with rigor (Verses 13-14). Ramban understands the term “Egyptians” here as referring to the whole population. Further in the text, Ramban will suggest another interpretation. Whereas at first the officers would give them the bricks and the men of the forced labor would erect the buildings, they now conscripted the entire Israelite people into the work, commanding them to bring the earth, make the mortar with their hands and feet while only the straw was given to them from the king’s house, and give the bricks to the men of the forced labor engaged in the construction of the buildings. Every other manner of hard service in the field for Pharaoh and the Egyptians — such as excavations and the removal of dung — were all imposed upon them. In addition, they subjugated them, pressing them not to rest while beating and cursing them. This is the sense of the expression, in all their service, wherein they made them serve with rigor.⁴⁶Verse 14. Ramban now proceeds to show how all the Israelites — not only those forced into labor for the king’s building-projects — were afflicted. It is necessary to recall the full text: And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigor. And they made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field; in all their service, wherein they made them serve with rigor (Verses 13-14). Ramban understands the term “Egyptians” here as referring to the whole population. Further in the text, Ramban will suggest another interpretation.
The king supported them with sparing bread,⁴⁷Isaiah 30:20. as is customary for those who work in his service. This is the purport of those lusting persons⁴⁸Numbers 11:4. who said, We remember the fish, which we were wont to eat in Egypt for nought; the cucumbers, etc.⁴⁹Ibid., Verse 5. Fish are very abundant in Egypt, and by command of the king, the Israelites would obtain them from those who caught them. They would also take cucumbers and melons from the vegetable-gardens,⁴⁹Ibid., Verse 5. no one putting them to shame, for such was the king’s command.
But our Rabbis have said:⁵⁰Mechilta, Bachodesh, end of Chapter 5. “The Israelites were servants to kings, but not servants to servants.” If so, the verse, And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigor,⁴⁵Verse 13. alludes to Pharaoh’s officers of the tribute, [mentioned above in Verse 11].

מיסים, typically one of the words with double consonants, the singular being מס and the plural requiring a dagesh in the letter ס to show there really ought to have been two letters ס in the middle. Similar examples are found in Leviticus 2,6 where the line פתות אותה פתים is spelled with the dagesh in the letter ת of the word פתים as being derived from פת it would require two such consonants in the plural.