IN THE PARSHA:
In פרשת ראה we learn about the מצוה of הענקה.
When an עבד עברי goes free, the master is obligated to give him gifts.
משה רבינו reminds בני ישראל that when they were freed from their slavery Hashem gave them much wealth from the Egyptians, both when they left מצרים and again at the ים סוף.
Similarly, בני ישראל should do the same, and give their עבד עברי gifts when he leaves.
QUESTION:
The מצוה of הענקה is an obligation of the master for whom the slave worked. Why does the פסוק emphasize what Hashem did for בני ישראל after they were enslaved by the Egyptians?
ANSWER:
There are 2 parts to the מצוה of הענקה.
- It is something that the master must give, to show his appreciation for the work that the עבד עברי did for him while he was his עבד.
- It is something the עבד receives when he goes free, to help him become a fully free person, as he goes out on his own and isn’t bound to the master anymore.
If it was only an expression of the master’s appreciation, what the master gives would be limited by how much he appreciated the עבד.
However, since the objective is for the slave to feel fully free, he must always receive many gifts.
This is why the תורה emphasizes the gifts that Hashem gave us when we left מצרים.
Just as Hashem gave us gifts when we were freed from slavery, even though He was not the one who enslaved us, הענקה should not be limited by what the master himself wants to give. Rather, the master must give an abundance of gifts, so the עבד feels independent, self-reliant, and truly free.
Further discussion:
Which slave in the תורה was granted “הענקה” by Hashem, and by others who hadn’t either enslaved him?
(See אותיות ג, ז in the שיחה)
