"So the Egyptians enslaved the children of Israel with back breaking labor [b'farech]" (Ex. 1:13). R. Elazar says, "B'pe rach—with a soft mouth." R. Shmuel says, "B'frichah—With rigor." "And they embittered their lives with hard work[, with clay and with bricks and with all kinds of labor in the fields...]" (Ex. 1:14). Rava said, "At first with mortar and bricks, and ultimately with all field work." "[...] all their work that they worked with them with was back breaking labor." To the one who says b'frichah—for they exchanged the work of the men with that of women, and the work of the women with that of men. To the one who says there b'pe rach—certainly that was [also] with rigor. At the time that he said (Ex. 1:10), "Get ready, let us be clever with it," Pharaoh gathered all Israel and said to them, "Please, let some of you work with me today for wages," which is as written, "b'farech—b'pe rach, with a soft mouth." He took a sack and a rake, and whoever saw Pharaoh taking a sack and a rake and working with bricks, would do [likewise]. Right away Israel went with alacrity and worked at the craft all day according to their strength (for they were strong and mighty). When it got dark, overseers were set over them, and they said to them, "Count the bricks." They right away stood and counted them, and he said to them, "Make me the same [amount] every day." He appointed Egyptian overseers over Jewish officers. The overseers would come and count the bricks and find a number missing, and the officers were beaten in place of the rest of the people, [for] they would not betray them to the overseers. They said, "Better that we should be beaten than that the rest of the people be hurt." Therefore, when the Omnipresent said (Num. 11:16), "Gather for Me seventy men," Moses said, "Master of the universe, I do not know who is worthy and who is unworthy." He said to him (ibid.), " '[...W]hom you know'–for these are the elders of the people and their officers who gave themselves up to be beaten in their place in Egypt. They should come and take this greatness." From this you may learn that anyone who gives themselves up for Israel merits honor and greatness. "And with all manner of labor in the field" (Ex. 1:14)—For is it possible that they worked in the field and not the city? Rather, they decreed upon them, that the men should lie in the field, and the women in the city, in order to reduce their fertility. The women would warm up heated food for them and bring to their husbands all kinds of food and drink and reassure them, saying, "They did not subjugate us. Ultimately the Holy One blessed be He will redeem us." From this, they had relations and were fruitful and multiplied. What was their reward? They merited the spoils of Egypt and the spoils of the Sea [of Reeds], as it says (Ps. 68:14), "If you lie between the borders—the feathers of a dove covered with silver...." And it is written (Song 4:12), "A locked garden"—these are the women, who were modest like a garden without a breach. "[A] locked up spring" (ibid.)—these are the men, who were laid like springs upon the field.