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C R O W N JEWELS
From this, we can conclude that even ultimately, when
the Jews performed "all their work," the core of their
enslavement involved making bricks. This concept is also
reflected i n the ensuing phases of the narrative, for when
Pharaoh desired to "make the work difficult for the men,"
{— an event which took place i n the final phases of the
enslavement i n Egypt, after Moshe and Aharon had already
come to Pharaoh as G-d's emissaries and told h i m to release
the people — } he sought to accomplish this, (not through
any other type of work, but) through the task of making
bricks. [He told his overseers] not to give the Jews any
straw for the bricks, and yet to require them to produce the
same quantity of bricks i n the same given amount of time as
they had previously.
Moreover, throughout the time o f the enslavement, the
Jews' workday was primarily devoted to making bricks
(although they also performed other tasks). This is
understood from the interpretation the Midrash offers to
the verse: " A n d the Egyptians made the children of Israel
perform excruciating (‫ )בפרך‬labor," as ‫בפה רך‬, " w i t h a soft
tongue," [i.e., w i t h deception]. Pharaoh himself took a
basket and a rake and made bricks, and while performing
this work, he told the Jewish people: "Work together w i t h
me today as a favor," i.e., that they should follow his exam¬
ple and make bricks. [The Jews fell for his ploy, and]
worked w i t h h i m " w i t h all their strength." W h e n night fell,
Pharaoh had a reckoning made o f the bricks and told the
Jews: "Prepare this amount every day."
5
6
7
8
9
10
5.
As Rashi states i n his commentary to Shmos 24:10: "The Jews were enslaved
i n m a k i n g bricks."
6.
Shmos 5a.
7.
Bamidbar Rabbah 15:20; Midrash Tanchuma, Parshas Bahaaloscha, sec. 13; Tanchuma, Buber edition, sec. 23; see also Shmos Rabbah, ch. 1.
8.
Shmos 1:13.
9.
See also Sotah 11b.
10. See ibid. 11a.