דברים, פרק כ״ד, פסוק י״ח

The memory of slavery and redemption acts as a central moral compass, shaping how a person treats human rights, personal property, and the weakest members of society. The primary approach among commentators is that the harsh experience in Egypt is meant to awaken deep empathy. When a person remembers being an abused slave with nothing of their own, they are called to show sensitivity to others who suffer. This memory demands that they never twist the justice due to the convert, the orphan, and the widow [אבן עזרא, חזקוני, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

This moral standard is rooted in God's own actions. God looked upon the lowliness of the Israelites and went beyond the strict letter of the law to save them [ספורנו, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Because He acted with such grace, He commands the people to treat the poor with that exact same measure of mercy and compassion [בכור שור]. This requirement is not merely a reflection of God's nature, but a tool to educate and train the human heart. By practicing compassion, a person learns to answer those begging for help, just as the Israelites asked for mercy when they suffered in Egypt [העמק דבר].

Beyond emotional and moral growth, remembering the enslavement completely shifts a person's understanding of wealth. A slave cannot own property. Therefore, any wealth a person currently holds exists solely because God freed them [ביאור יש״ר]. This leads to the understanding that every person and all their possessions actually belong to God [רלב״ג]. The redemption from Egypt was granted on the condition that the Israelites would keep God's commandments, meaning a person must follow these laws even when doing so causes a direct financial loss [רש״י, רמב״ן, ביאור יש״ר].

This mindset creates a practical duty to protect those who have nothing [ביאור יש״ר]. For example, this duty directly impacts the laws of lending. During the Exodus, God gave the Israelites favor in the eyes of the Egyptians so they could ask for garments and silver. Because of this historical kindness, an Israelite is forbidden from taking a widow's garment as collateral for a loan [קיצור בעל הטורים]. The memory of Egypt also serves as a stark warning. The original exile in Egypt was caused by the sin of withholding charity, so remembering that bitter time warns the nation to be careful to give to the poor in the present [נחל קדומים]. Finally, the special legal protections for the convert and the widow are deeply tied to the Exodus and Mount Sinai, where the entire nation of Israel went through a collective process of conversion, accepting the Torah as newly freed slaves [חתם סופר].