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Shemos 1:13 · unit 1

Parashas Shemos · Passuk 1:13

The Complete Passuk

וַיַּעֲבִ֧דוּ מִצְרַ֛יִם אֶת־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בְּפָֽרֶךְ׃

And the Egyptians enslaved the children of Israel with crushing labor (befarech).

Chabad.org — 1:13

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to R’ Elazar / R’ Shmuel bar Nachmani — Sotah 11b (verified).

Sefaria — Sotah 11b

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text — Sotah 11b

בפרך — ר׳ אלעזר אומר בפה רך, ר׳ שמואל בר נחמני אמר בפריכה.

English: “Befarech” — R’ Elazar said: with a soft mouth (peh rach). R’ Shmuel bar Nachmani said: with crushing (perichah).

On the daf / in context: Two complementary readings of the same word. One stresses the initial soft persuasion that drew Israel into the labor; the other stresses the subsequent physical crushing of body and spirit. Both appear on the same amud that details the progressive harshness of the slavery.

Type of Learning

Custom — dual midrashic reading of befarech.

What Is Learned

Chazal teach that the enslavement began with gentle words and ended in body-breaking labor; the single word contains both stages.

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