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By Rabbi Shloimie Lindenbaum
דבר נא באזני העם וישאלו איש מאת רעהו… (פרק יא פסוק ב)
Hashem asks Moshe to instruct Klal Yisroel to go to the Egyptians and ask to borrow their gold and silver. Rashi points out that Hashem expressed this as a request, almost a plea, because He didn’t want Avraham Avinu to complain that Hashem never fulfilled His promise that Klal Yisroel will leave with a רכוש גדול (large acquisition). The phrasing of Rashi is strange- shouldn’t Hashem want to keep His promise of רכוש גדול regardless of Avraham’s complaint? It seems that only because of Avraham’s encouragement did Hashem feel compelled to send off Klal Yisroel with a large treasure, but the fulfillment of the promise alone would not have required it? R’ Eliyahu Boruch Finkel quotes R’ Nochum Partzovitz who answered that only because of Avraham was Hashem required to provide Klal Yisroel with such a large fortune. He explains that Chazal tell us that Avraham’s הכנסת אורחים (hospitality) was such that whoever came into his house was treated higher than their usual standard. When it came to the Egyptian’s gold and silver, from Klal Yisroel’s perspective even a small amount of money would be considered a רכוש גדול compared to their assets as slaves the past 210 years. Only because they were children of Avraham, who always ensured that a person is treated greater than their expectation, were Klal Yisroel זוכה to receive something that would be a רכוש גדול even from the perspective of someone wealthier than them.
ועצם לא תשברו בו (פרק יב פסוק מו)
In preparation for leaving Egypt and finally becoming Hashem’s Nation, Klal Yisroel is commanded to fulfill the mitzvah of קרבן פסח. One of the details in this קרבן is that when eating the meat, one is not allowed to break any of the bones. The ספר החינוך explains that this is supposed to illustrate for us and instill in us a royal and elevated way of living. Only poor people, who are hungry for the marrow in the bones, break and chew on the bones. It is improper for anyone of higher status to conduct themselves this way. Now that Hashem was forming us into a priestly and holy nation, elevated from the rest of the world, we needed to train ourselves to act in the proper manner, one that is befitting for a regal people.
