[Avodah] Amaleinu - Eilu haBanim

[SBA]

From: Micha Berger 

Someone at the seder pointed out that this derashah, "'ve'es amaleinu' --

eilu habanim", seems tenuous. Isn't ameilus about toil? Why then do we

darshen it to refer to the infant boys being taken away and drowned?

>> 

 

This query made me look into a few of my (50-60!) hagodos.

 

The best pshat that I found (until now) comes from the Hagodo Birchas Hashir
from the

"Plotzker gaon" - Rav Aryeh Leib Tzintz zt'l. 

 

He indeed teitches 'Amoleinu' as 'toil'.

 

He explains that one of the 2 reasons given for the Yidden being able to
depart Mitzrayim 190 years earlier than the originally decreed 400, was that
as they had unnatural population growth ('shisha bekeres echad') the extra
numbers made up the missing years by providing so much extra manpower.

 

Thus, by ordering the drowning of the male babies - and future additional
slaves - Paroy reduced the number of workers thereby increasing the 'kishui
hashibud' (the other reason for their early departure) and the time that
they had to remain in Mitzrayim to complete the 400 years worth of Shibud.

 

(Ayen shom as he also explains the 'gezeira' of 'kol habas techayun'.)

 

An associated cute vertel that I saw today - beshem the "Yalkut Hagershuni":

 

When Paroy asked the 'meyaldos ha'ivriyos': "Madua asisen hadavar hazeh
vet'chayena es hayeladim?", he was asking: "What about 'dina demalchusa
dina'?"

 

They replies "ki lo kanashim hamitzriyos ha'ivriyos" = ie, "you only ordered
the drowning of Jewish babies - and DDD is only applicable when the rules
are equal for all."

 

Upon hearing that, "Vaytzav Paroy >>LECHOL<< amoy - kol haben hayilod
haye'orah tashlichihu." 

VPChCh

 

(Of course this is pure drush - as (presumably) even this worthy list's most
obedient and law-abiding citizens - accept that DDD doesn't apply to orders
of murder..)

 

SBA

 

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