RESPONSE TO AFFLICTION

שמות פרק א, יב וְכַאֲשֶׁר יְעַנּוּ אֹתוֹ כֵּן יִרְבֶּה וְכֵן יִפְרֹץ וַיָּקֻצוּ מִפְּנֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל:

“But as much as they would afflict them, so did they multiply and so did they spread. They were disgusted because of the children of Israel.”

Rashi: Just as the Egyptians’ intention was to afflict the Jews lest they increase, HaShem responded that the Jews would increase. The Egyptians were disgusted with the situation to the extent that the Jews were like thorns (קוצים) in their eyes.

Ibn Ezra:
ירבה – In spite of the hardship, the Jews multiplied.
יפרץ – Even more so, HaShem broke the laws of nature so they would increase, in style of פורץ גדרים breaking boundaries.

Rabbi Yaacov Emden: The continued existence of the Jewish people is due to the eternal miracle from HaShem. The first evidence of the miracle was the increase from 70 people to over 2 million.

Abarbanel:
ירבה – The miraculous increase occurred not only in numbers (six in a birth) but in health; no disease or deaths at birth or during childhood.
יפרץ – Since so many children and not enough steady supply of food, they broke the fences to the food preserves and to the fields. This is the reference stated later that the Jews in the desert remembered the no-cost fish that they ate in Egypt. This breakdown in society norms led to the Egyptians despising the Jews.

Shach: In order to leave Egypt, the Jews needed a critical mass of 600,000 people at Har Sinai. Therefore, the Jews were under pressure to have children (ירבה) in order to reach the goal/end (הקץ), which is the Gematria of the end letters (כֵן יִרְבֶּה וְכֵן יִפְרֹץ).

Or HaChaim: As the Jews were subjected to the status of workers, more labor:
ירבה – HaShem increased number to accomplish more (quantity).
יפרץ – HaShem increased their energy to do the work (quality).

Or HaChaim (2nd explanation): The torture clarified the respective appearance of bad and good:
ירבה – As the torture increased, the evil of Egyptians became clear.
יפרץ – As the torture increased, the goodness of the Jews became refined.

Chid”a: The Jews received additional blessings since they assumed the exile and its affliction for all the children of Avrohom (which should also include the children of Yishmael and of Eisav):
ירבה – Assumed the blessing of Yishmael to be a multitude
יפרץ – Assumed the blessing of Eisav (sword) of dominion over others to become rulers (Kings)

Chid”a (second): By having children in holiness, the Jews elevated the sparks from the kelipa of Egypt:
ירבה – destroyed the negative of kelipa
יפרץ – in contrast to the Egyptians, the Jews choose to do Teshuva and brought the blessings to themselves

Lubavitcher Rebbe explaining the Tzemech Tzedek: The physical servitude and torture and the response of the growth of the Jewish people is an analogy for the revelation of the greatness of the soul made possible by its ascension after its going down below, through the affliction of its involvement with the Yetzer HaRa:
ירבה – the soul’s greatness is revealed
יפרץ – leading to the ultimate revelation of Moshiach ("עלה הפורץ לפניהם")