Shemos 5:7 · EXTRA 1 — no longer give straw EXTRA

Parashas Shemos · Side page (no TT primary unit on this range)

The Complete Passuk

לֹ֣א תֹאסִפ֞וּן לָתֵ֨ת תֶּ֧בֶן לָעָ֛ם לִלְבֹּ֥ן הַלְּבֵנִ֖ים כִּתְמ֣וֹל שִׁלְשֹׁ֑ם הֵ֚ם יֵֽלְכ֔וּ וְקֹשְׁשׁ֥וּ לָהֶ֖ם תֶּֽבֶן׃

“You shall no longer provide the people with straw for making bricks as heretofore; let them go and gather straw for themselves.

Shemos Rabbah 5:18 — EXTRA.

Core Text

לא תאספון לתת תבן —\ldots כדי שיהו ישראל טרודים ולא יעסקו בגאולה.

English: “You shall no longer give straw” — \ldots so that Israel would be preoccupied and would not occupy themselves with the redemption.

On the midrash / in context: Pharaoh’s intensification is read as a deliberate strategy to crush any hope raised by Moshe’s first appearance.

Custom

Chazal teach that the denial of straw was intended to drown out the message of redemption with endless labor.