Tanach · Acharonim on Tanach · Or HaChaim · Torah

Or HaChaim on Exodus 12:36/אור החיים על שמות י״ב:ל״ו

אוַיַּשְׁאִלוּם וַיְנַצְּלוּ וְגוֹ׳. פֵּרוּשׁ, לְצַד שֶׁנָּתַן ה׳ חֵן הָעָם בְּעֵינֵי הַמִּצְרִים, וּבָזֶה הָיוּ הַמִּצְרִים מַשְׁאִילִים אוֹתָם בְּעַל כָּרְחָם, וּמֵחֲמַת זֶה הִצְדִּיקוּ הַדְּבָרִים, כִּי אֵין כַּוָּנָתָם לָלֶכֶת בְּהֶחְלֵט, שֶׁאִם כֵּן הָיוּ מְבַקְּשִׁים הֵם לָקַחַת מֵהֶם לְהַרְוִיחַ יוֹתֵר, וּבָזֶה ״וַיְנַצְּלוּ אֶת מִצְרָיִם״. וְהִנֵּה הַמַּשְׂכִּיל עַל דָּבָר יִרְאֶה כִּי פּוֹעַל אָדָם יְשַׁלֶּם לוֹ (ברכות ט,א), כִּי לְצַד שֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל חִבְּבוּ דְּבַר הַיְּצִיאָה וְלֹא חָשְׁשׁוּ לַהֲנָאַת מָמוֹן, הוּא הַדָּבָר וְהוּא הַסִּבָּה שֶׁהִפְלִיאוּ לְהַרְוִיחַ, וּזְכוּתָם עוֹמֶדֶת לָהֶם.
1 וישאילום, וינצלו את מצרים, they let them have what they asked; they emptied Egypt (of valuables). All this was a result of G'd giving the people favour in the eyes of the Egyptians so that the Egyptians lent them these trinkets against their will (the will of the Israelites). This proves that the Israelites were not prepared at that time to leave Egypt permanently else they themselves would have asked not only for what the Egyptians volunteered but for much more in order to enrich themselves. When the Torah writes that: "they emptied Egypt," the subject are the Egyptians themselves. From the above we see how correct the Talmud was in Berachot 9 where it is stated that the Israelites were so enamoured of the idea of leaving Egypt that financial gain did not interest them at that time. As a result G'd helped them acquire great possessions in a miraculous manner. All of this was a reward for their meritorious behaviour. [The author implies that if the Israelites had displayed greed by asking for a lot they never would have received as much as they did. Ed.]