The Mitzrim gave the Yidden: כְּלֵי כֶסֶף וּכְּלֵי זָהָב וּשְמָלוֹת—vessels of gold, silver, and clothing. Why is clothing mentioned here? Clothing represents a person’s honor and individuality (see RSRH). Chazal say that clothing is the Kavod of the human being (Gemara). It is his privacy, independence, and his protection from the outside. While gold and silver are a luxury, clothing is a necessity. And the Egyptians were known for their beautiful silks, much more than the Italian silks even today (I heard this from a taxi driver in New York). In fact, the Cohen Gadol wore Egyptian silks in the Kodesh HaKodoshim on Yom Kippur! (Mishna).
It says: וַיְנַצְלוּ אֶת מִצְרַיִם (Shemos 12:36) the Yidden emptied Mitzrayim from all its goodness; they took all the good it had. Mitzrayim was not a country with no goodness. They had: בְּחִירָה חָפְשִית—free choice to do good, but they were emptied. We took their Kavod (represented by the special Egyptian silks), and Mitzrayim was left with nothing. With this, the Arizal explains why we are commanded not go back to Mitzrayim, i.e., because it is totally devoid from all its goodness. We learn here a big Yesod, that there isn’t “only” evil in a person, it just depends how they channel it. Even Mitzrayim had goodness, and the Yidden took it all.
