Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Sforno · Torah
Sforno on Exodus 3:22/ספורנו על שמות ג׳:כ״ב
אוְנִצַּלְתֶּם אֶת מִצְרָיִם. אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁתְּקַבְּלוּ הַכֹּל מֵהֶם דֶּרֶךְ הַשְׁאֵלָה, וְתִהְיוּ חַיָּבִים לְהַחֲזִיר, הִנֵּה תִּקְנוּ אַחַר כָּךְ אֶת הַכֹּל בַּדִּין, בְּרָדְפָם אַחֲרֵיכֶם לְהִלָּחֵם בָּכֶם וְלִשְׁלֹל אֶת שְׁלַלְכֶם. כִּי אָמְנָם כַּאֲשֶׁר מֵתוּ בְּאוֹתָהּ הַמִּלְחָמָה, כִּי ה' נִלְחָם, הָיָה בַּדִּין מִדָּה כְּנֶגֶד מִדָּה כָּל שְׁלַל הָרוֹדְפִים לַנִּרְדָּפִים, כַּמִּנְהָג בְּכָל מִלְחָמָה.
1ונצלתם את מצרים. Even though all that they will give you will be on loan and you will be obligated to return these items. The status of these “borrowed” articles underwent a legal change when these same Egyptians turned into pursuers of the departing Israelites with intent to kill them. From that moment on what had previously been on loan now became legitimate booty of war. Not only that, but the previous owners had died in a war fought against them by G’d Himself when the pursuers had become the pursued, something which happens in many wars.