Dough That Could Not Rise and Garments Hugged With Love

"And the people took their dough before it was leavened" (Exodus 12:34). This tells that they kneaded the dough but did not manage to leaven it before they were redeemed. And likewise you find for the time to come, what does it say (Hosea 7:4), "He shall cease from the city, from the kneading of the dough until it is leavened." "Their kneading troughs": these are the remnants of matzah and bitter herb. Or perhaps it is rather the remnants of the Passover offerings? When it says (above, verse 10), "And you shall not leave any of it until the morning," behold, the remnants of the Passover offerings are already spoken of. What then does Scripture teach by saying "their kneading troughs"? These are the remnants of matzah and bitter herb. "Bound up in their garments" (Exodus 12:34). Rabbi Nathan says: was there no cattle there? Has it not already been said, "And a mixed multitude also went up with them" and so forth? What then does Scripture teach by saying "bound up in their garments upon their shoulders"? Rather, it teaches that Israel cherished the commandments. "And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses" (Exodus 12:35). And what did Moses say to Israel in Egypt? Behold, it says (Exodus 11:2), "Speak now in the ears of the people," and the children of Israel did so, and they asked of the Egyptians vessels of silver and vessels of gold and garments. For there is no need for Scripture to say "garments," but from here we learn that clothing was more cherished by them than the silver and the gold, for the last item is the most cherished.