Reb Dovid of Lelov explained that Pharaoh's enslavement of the Jewish people was not simply motivated by a desire to oppress and exploit them. Rather, his primary concern was that, despite living in Egypt for generations, the Jewish people had maintained their קְדֻשָּׁה and הָנּומֱא and refused to assimilate into Egyptian society, as we say in the Hagaddah ויָהֶּׁש םָׁש םיִנָּיֻצְמ לֵאָרְשִי, the Yidden were distinguishable there. Egypt was the centre for immorality and idol worship, and Pharaoh, in his wickedness, could not stand the strong connection of the Jewish people to their faith and their refusal to lower themselves and integrate into the culture.
By enslaving them, he hoped to eliminate the Jewish people's sense of national identity and unity and ensure their complete integration into society. He aimed to force the Jewish people to abandon their traditions and adopt the practices and beliefs of the Egyptians, particularly idol worshipping.
The efforts to assimilate them into Egyptian culture were met with failure, however, and the Jewish people remained strong in their distinct identity and faith, even amidst the harsh conditions of their enslavement. Pharaoh recognized the strength they derived from their weekly gatherings, where they were mechazeik one another in הָנּומֱא and learned and discussed the ways of Hashem. He then understood that as long as the Jewish people continued to assemble on Shabbos, all his attempts to assimilate them would be fruitless. In an attempt to break their spirit, Pharaoh decreed that they may no longer rest on Shabbos, effectively depriving them of the opportunity to come together.
This is hinted at in the apparently superfluous א in Pharaoh’s words “לֹא ן ופִסאֹת” (You shall not continue), which tells us that it can also be read as לֹא ן ופֵסָאֵּת -You shall no longer assemble, ןֶּבֶּת תֵתָל - to provide understanding (to study the ways of Hashem), alluding to the gatherings of the Jewish people that frightened Pharaoh so. (רמתיים צופים תדב"א זוטא פ"ד אות קכא)
The Imrei Yosef of Spinka adds a deeper understanding, saying that Pharaoh was troubled by the gathering itself, as he was aware of its ability to bring the Ge’ulah closer. The Gemara (.סנהדרין לט) states that " אָּתְניִכְׁש הָרָשֲע יֵּב לָּכ שַׁרְיָא" -Wherever a group of ten Yidden is assembled, the Shechinah rests. This, says the Imre Yosef, implies that the mere presence of Jewish people in a gathering creates a heightened level of קְדֻשָּׁה in the world. It is precisely this holiness that Pharaoh feared. He was concerned that these gatherings, with their inherent sanctity, would ultimately lead to the Jews leaving his control.
Furthermore, Chazal (מגילה כט.) tell us about the immense and boundless love that Hashem shows towards us. וּלָּגֶּׁש םֹוקָמ לָכְּבֶּׁש ,אּוהְךּורָּב ׁשֹודָּקַה יֵנְפִל לֵאָרְשִי ןיִביִבֲח הָּמַּכ שְׁכִינָה עִמָּהֶּן, How beloved is Yisrael before Hashem, that in every place they exiled the presence of the Shechinah accompanies them. The Shechinah is in exile together with us and experiences our suffering, so to speak. This concept is known as “הָניִכְׁשַה תּולָג”. As many seforim teach, all the mitzvos we do, need to be performed with the intention and aspiration “לְאוֺקֻמֵי אָּתְניִכְׁש מֵעַפְרָא” - to elevate the Shechinah from the “dust”, i.e., the תּולָג it is in, and to alleviate the צַעַר הַשְׁכִינָה.
The Imrei Yosef says that when Yidden come together, they increase the power and manifestation of קְדֻשָּׁה in the world and the Shechinah is raised from the low state of “exile”. We can learn this from the words of Chazal in the aforementioned Gemara. The Gemara uses the words “אָיְרַׁש אָּתְניִכְׁש” to describe the dwelling of the Shechinah in a place where Yidden gather. But the word “שַׁרְיָא” in Aramaic can also mean “unties or releases”. According to this translation, we can understand these words to mean that when Jews gather, the Shechinah is released from bondage. This, in turn, brings the Ge’ulah closer, because the Shechinah wouldn’t leave us alone in our suffering. This is what Pharaoh feared most and tried to prevent at all costs. (אמרי יוסף שמות ד"ה והנה זה)
