שמות, פרק ג׳, פסוק כ״ב

As the Israelites prepared to transition from slavery to freedom, they were assured that their long years of subjugation would end with significant compensation rather than an empty-handed departure. The morality of acquiring wealth from their captors has generated significant discussion. The primary approach among commentators is that the Israelites were not asking for a temporary loan, but were making an absolute request for a gift [רשב״ם, כלי יקר, רבנו חננאל, חזקוני ועוד]. Terrified by the plagues and desperate to hasten the exodus, the Egyptians handed over their possessions willingly. Conversely, another perspective maintains that the items were indeed borrowed with the initial intention of returning them [ספורנו, שד״ל וביאור שטיינזלץ]. However, ownership legally transferred to the Israelites as justified spoils of war once the Egyptians pursued them to the sea and God defeated the Egyptian army. In either case, the acquisition represented profound historical and legal justice. It served as delayed wages for centuries of uncompensated hard labor [הכתב והקבלה] and mirrored the later biblical mandate that a freed slave must never be sent away without provisions [קאסוטו].

The process of gathering this wealth was specifically directed at the women, as it is more customary for women to request and share jewelry with their friends [אבן עזרא, חזקוני]. Additionally, this initial acquisition of Egyptian wealth is viewed as a unique reward for the women, compensating them for their specific hardships during the years of slavery, while the men would later gather their own spoils at the sea [שפתי כהן]. The interactions between the Israelite women and their neighbors reveal a close, integrated living situation in the land of Goshen. The Israelites and Egyptians lived side by side, often sharing the same residential buildings [רש״י], or with Egyptians renting homes directly from Israelite landlords [ביאור יש״ר].

The requested wealth consisted primarily of silver and gold, materials chosen because they were lightweight and easily transportable on a long journey. These precious metals served as a portable, equivalent exchange for the houses and agricultural fields the Israelites were forced to abandon [מלבי״ם]. Clothing was also highly valued and actively sought. The Egyptians provided these garments so the Israelites could dress honorably for their anticipated religious festival in the wilderness [רשב״ם]. Others suggest the Egyptians eagerly gave away the clothing of their deceased firstborns, hoping the harsh desert winds would air out the garments and prevent the spread of disease [כלי יקר]. A contrasting view argues that the Israelites took very little clothing, limiting themselves to just two garments per person, utilizing one to wear and another to wrap their unbaked dough [קיצור בעל הטורים].

The instruction to place these accumulated treasures and oversized garments on the children served a strategic purpose. Following tactical advice from God, the Israelites dressed their young ones in fine jewelry and clothes to obscure the sheer volume of wealth they were carrying, thereby avoiding the appearance of a permanent departure [העמק דבר]. Another explanation suggests that the Israelites steadfastly refused to adopt Egyptian fashion. When they altered the foreign garments to suit their own traditional style, the clothes became significantly smaller, ultimately fitting only the children [פרדס יוסף]. This systematic removal of resources completely stripped the nation of its illegally held riches, clearing the moral ledger between the two peoples [הכתב והקבלה]. To the impoverished slaves, even a modest acquisition felt like draining the entirety of the empire's vast fortune [קאסוטו]. Ultimately, the profound loss of this wealth is exactly what tempted the Egyptians to chase the Israelites into the sea in a desperate, fatal attempt to reclaim their property [אור החיים].