How could it be that as the Jews left Egypt they despoiled the Egyptians (va-yenatzlu) and took their goods (Exodus 12:36)?
Based on this sentence, many anti-Semites have claimed that Jews are thieves, stealing from others. The mainstream response to this accusation is that the taking of Egyptian possessions was in fact a small repayment for all the years of Jewish enslavement.
There is yet another approach to the text that has far-reaching consequences in contemporary times. Perhaps the Jews did not take from the Egyptians after all. Possibly the Egyptians, upon request of the Jews, willingly gave their property as a way of atoning for their misdeeds.
This approach would read the word va-yenatzlu not as “despoil” but rather “to save” (from the word le-hatzeel). In giving money to the Jews, the Egyptians repented.
To paraphrase Dr. J.H. Hertz and Benno Ya’akov, 20th century commentaries: an amicable parting from Egypt would banish the bitter memories the Jews had of the Egyptians. Jews would come to understand that the oppressors were Pharaoh and other Egyptian leaders as opposed to the entire Egyptian people. The gifts ensure “a parting of friendship with its consequent clearing of the name, and vindication of the honor of the Egyptian people.”
All this has much in common with a burning issue that surfaced in the early 1950s: Should Jews accept reparation money from Germany? David Ben-Gurion argued for accepting it, saying Germany should at least pay for the horrors it had perpetrated lest it go completely unpunished. Menachem Begin argued the reverse. He held that the payment would be viewed as blood money, an atonement to wash away German sins. In his mind, this was unacceptable, as nothing could ever obviate the evil of the Third Reich.
The Book of Kohelet (Ecclesiastes 1:9) proclaims that there is nothing new under the sun. The contemporary debate concerning recouping monies and plundered assets from the Germans and Swiss and others for their misdeeds during the Holocaust has its roots in the exodus from Egypt. Was va-yenatzlu, mandated as it was by God, a unique event not to be repeated, or did it set a precedent to be emulated in order to give those connected with evildoers the chance to repent?
While I applaud the courage of those who have dedicated themselves to winning financial restitution for Holocaust survivors, I am deeply concerned. The fact that many people are not even familiar with this episode of the Exodus narrative clearly shows that our ability to remember the essence of the slavery in Egypt has not, in any way, been dampened by our successful recovery of Egyptian property. As we justly pursue the return of funds we must be careful that it does not obstruct our ability to preserve the legacy of the Shoah – an event that was not primarily about stolen money but about stolen souls.