A profound moral imperative demands the protection of society's most vulnerable members, particularly the foreigner. This requirement is not based merely on abstract concepts of justice but is deeply rooted in historical memory and national experience. Human rights, in this view, are derived from one's fundamental humanity rather than social status or origin, requiring an attitude of total equality and fairness.
A stranger is generally understood as an individual born in a foreign land who relocates to a new society [רש״י]. Commentators offer different perspectives on exactly who this individual is. Some identify the stranger as a righteous convert who has fully embraced the Torah [רלב״ג, אונקלוס]. Others view the stranger as a resident alien, an individual lacking local family roots and unfamiliar with regional customs, which inherently makes him an easy target for exploitation [אבן עזרא, בכור שור, חזקוני].
The laws protecting the stranger immediately follow the strict prohibitions against idolatry. This placement carries a vital message: while idolatry is utterly despised, the individual who abandons it to join the community is deeply loved. Therefore, it is forbidden to humiliate a convert or suspect that his mind still lingers on pagan rituals, because upon his conversion, his past transgressions are completely forgiven and his soul is purified [הדר זקנים, חתם סופר, אלשיך, נחל קדומים].
The prohibition against harming the stranger is divided into two distinct categories. The first serves as a warning against verbal abuse. This includes causing emotional pain, hurling insults, or maliciously reminding the stranger of his religious past or the deeds of his ancestors [רש״י, רשב״ם, רלב״ג]. The second category addresses physical and financial exploitation. This involves stealing from the stranger, leveraging his social weakness to force him into labor, or restricting his economic rights [רש״י, רשב״ם, רש״ר הירש]. Alternatively, some scholars suggest that both categories simply represent a broad prohibition against any form of exploitation of the weak by the strong, whether through financial extortion or other forms of distress [שד״ל].
The historical reminder of the enslavement in Egypt serves as the foundation for these laws, prompting several distinct interpretations. The first approach centers on human empathy. By appealing to natural human emotion, the memory of suffering and helplessness in Egypt should naturally awaken compassion toward anyone experiencing similar alienation [שד״ל, קאסוטו, ביאור יש״ר]. The utter lack of legal rights for foreigners was the very root of the Egyptian enslavement, and this injustice must never be repeated [רש״ר הירש].
A second, more practical perspective views the historical reminder as a warning against hypocrisy. If one insults a stranger's origins, the stranger can easily respond by pointing out that the Israelites themselves were once foreigners in Egypt. The underlying principle is that one should never highlight a flaw in another that exists within oneself [רש״י, מזרחי, תורה תמימה]. On a spiritual level, an individual might mistakenly assume that the Israelites possess inherently holy souls, while the stranger originates from an inferior or impure source. The historical reminder counters this arrogance by noting that the Israelites were also immersed in impurity in Egypt before God redeemed them, establishing that there is no fundamental spiritual difference between a native citizen and a convert [אור החיים].
The primary approach moves beyond psychological or social explanations to present a profound theology of divine justice. This reasoning focuses on recognizing God as the ultimate protector of the vulnerable. One must never exploit a stranger under the assumption that the victim lacks family or a protector to defend him. The Israelites experienced firsthand in Egypt how God sees the tears of the oppressed, hears their cries, and wages war on behalf of the defenseless against those stronger than them. Just as God saved Israel out of pure mercy and without any prior merit, He will stand by the stranger [רמב״ן, רבנו בחיי, טור הארוך].
Furthermore, the constant emphasis on treating the stranger with dignity stems from a practical concern. Mistreating a vulnerable newcomer might drive him to adopt the negative behaviors of the surrounding society or critically weaken his new spiritual resolve [תורה תמימה].