וְנָתַתִּ֛י אֶת־חֵ֥ן הָֽעָם־הַזֶּ֖ה בְּעֵינֵ֣י מִצְרָ֑יִם וְהָיָה֙ כִּ֣י תֵֽלֵכ֔וּן לֹ֥א תֵלְכ֖וּ רֵיקָֽם׃
E darei graça a este povo aos olhos dos mitzrim, e acontecerá que, quando vocês saírem, não sairão de mãos vazias.
Shemot Rabbah
“I will give this people favor in the eyes of the Egyptians, and it will be when you go, you will not go empty-handed” (Exodus 3:21).
“I will give this people favor” – what I said to Abraham: “And afterward they will emerge with great wealth” (Genesis 15:14). I am destined to grant you favor in the Egyptian’s eyes, so they will lend to them and they will leave well-stocked. This is so that Abraham our patriarch will have no claim, saying: “They will serve them, and they will afflict them” (Genesis 15:13), He [God] fulfilled for them, but “then they will emerge with great wealth” (Genesis 15:14), He did not fulfill for them.
“Every woman shall ask of her neighbor, and of she who lives in her house, silver vessels, and gold vessels, and garments; and you shall place them upon your sons, and upon your daughters; and you shall despoil the Egyptians” (Exodus 3:22).
“Every woman shall ask of her neighbor…” – this teaches that garments were especially dear to them, as when a person sets out on the road, if he lacks garments, he is embarrassed. “And you shall despoil [venitzaltem] the Egyptians” – they are destined to make Egypt like the depths [metzulot] that have no fish.
“I will give this people favor” – what I said to Abraham: “And afterward they will emerge with great wealth” (Genesis 15:14). I am destined to grant you favor in the Egyptian’s eyes, so they will lend to them and they will leave well-stocked. This is so that Abraham our patriarch will have no claim, saying: “They will serve them, and they will afflict them” (Genesis 15:13), He [God] fulfilled for them, but “then they will emerge with great wealth” (Genesis 15:14), He did not fulfill for them.
“Every woman shall ask of her neighbor, and of she who lives in her house, silver vessels, and gold vessels, and garments; and you shall place them upon your sons, and upon your daughters; and you shall despoil the Egyptians” (Exodus 3:22).
“Every woman shall ask of her neighbor…” – this teaches that garments were especially dear to them, as when a person sets out on the road, if he lacks garments, he is embarrassed. “And you shall despoil [venitzaltem] the Egyptians” – they are destined to make Egypt like the depths [metzulot] that have no fish.
Ruth Rabbah
“She said: ‘These six measures of barley he gave me, as he said to me: Do not go empty-handed to your mother-in-law” (Ruth 3:17).
“She said: These six measures of barley he gave me…” Rabbi Alexandri said: Everywhere that Israel entered, they did not emerge empty-handed. In the looting of Egypt they did not emerge empty-handed, in the looting of Siḥon and Og they did not emerge empty-handed, in the looting of the thirty-one kings they did not emerge empty-handed. “Empty-handed” is stated regarding Egypt, as it is stated: “It will be when you depart, you will not depart empty-handed” (Exodus 3:21); [“empty-handed”] is stated regarding the festival pilgrims: “They shall not appear before Me empty-handed” (Exodus 23:15); and “empty-handed” is stated regarding the righteous, as it is stated: “As he said to me: Do not go empty-handed to your mother-in-law.” “Empty-handed” that is stated regarding the righteous is not like “empty-handed” that is stated regarding Egypt, but rather, like “empty-handed” that is stated regarding the festival pilgrims, as we learned there: The burnt offering of appearance [must be worth at least] two silver coins and the festival peace offering [must be worth at least] one silver ma’a (Mishna Ḥagiga 1:2).231This is a relatively small amount, as the main point is to bring an offering of some kind. Similarly, what Boaz sent with Ruth to Naomi was not very expensive, but was an indication of honor and respect (Etz Yosef).
“She said: These six measures of barley he gave me…” Rabbi Alexandri said: Everywhere that Israel entered, they did not emerge empty-handed. In the looting of Egypt they did not emerge empty-handed, in the looting of Siḥon and Og they did not emerge empty-handed, in the looting of the thirty-one kings they did not emerge empty-handed. “Empty-handed” is stated regarding Egypt, as it is stated: “It will be when you depart, you will not depart empty-handed” (Exodus 3:21); [“empty-handed”] is stated regarding the festival pilgrims: “They shall not appear before Me empty-handed” (Exodus 23:15); and “empty-handed” is stated regarding the righteous, as it is stated: “As he said to me: Do not go empty-handed to your mother-in-law.” “Empty-handed” that is stated regarding the righteous is not like “empty-handed” that is stated regarding Egypt, but rather, like “empty-handed” that is stated regarding the festival pilgrims, as we learned there: The burnt offering of appearance [must be worth at least] two silver coins and the festival peace offering [must be worth at least] one silver ma’a (Mishna Ḥagiga 1:2).231This is a relatively small amount, as the main point is to bring an offering of some kind. Similarly, what Boaz sent with Ruth to Naomi was not very expensive, but was an indication of honor and respect (Etz Yosef).