In fact, the Medrash details how each plague (Makka) corresponded precisely to specific cruelties that the Egyptians had inflicted upon the Jewish people.
For example, the Egyptians forced the Jews to catch dangerous wild animals, and therefore Hashem brought upon them the plague of the Wild Animals.
However, Rav Chatzkel Levenstein reveals through other Midrashim that Hashem’s punishments were even more intricate than initially apparent.
A particularly telling example comes from the Midrash (Shemos Rabbah 16:4) explaining one of the deeper reasons for the Korban Pesach (Passover sacrifice):
The Medrash (Shemos Rabbah 16:4) says:
…In Egypt, Israel was enslaved for eighty years. An Egyptian would go into the wilderness, catch a deer or gazelle and slaughter it, place the pot on the fire, cook and eat, and Israel would see and would not taste it, as it is stated: “When we sat by the fleshpot, when we ate bread to satiation” (Exodus 16:3). It does not say: "When we ate from the fleshpot, but rather, “when we sat [by the fleshpot],” as they would eat their bread without meat.”
The Midrash continues with Hashem's response:
“The Holy One blessed be He said to them [the Egyptians]: ‘You caused My children to drool [from hunger] with the meat that you would eat, and you would not give them any; I, too, will arrange for My children to slaughter the lambs to which you prostrate yourselves. They will eat and you will be envious. Why? Because I am the true judge.’ That is: “A just balance and scales are the Lord's.” That is why it is stated: “Draw, and take for yourselves lambs.”
We see that even for the pain of seeing someone else eat without being included was also recorded by Hashem and was duly paid back.
Rav Chatzkel gleans another instance of Hashem’s attention to detail, as it were, to exact retribution to one of the finer nuances of evil that the Mitzriyim wrought, when the passuk records Moshe telling Pharaoh of the results that the Plague of the Firstborn will bring out. The passuk says:
And there shall be a loud cry in all the land of Egypt, such as has never been or will ever be again.” (Exodus 11:6)
Why does the Torah record what seems to be just a descriptive detail of what will most likely occur from the mass death?
Rav Chatzkel explains that this detail was deliberately recorded as retribution for the Egyptians' cruelty in throwing Jewish children into the Nile. The anguished “loud cries” of Egyptian parents would mirror the tears and “loud cries” that they had caused Jewish parents to shed.
Thus, the plagues were not executed in broad strokes to repay the obvious and heinous evils they committed, but also the more nuanced and less “severe” pains they caused, all a testament to the Truth and Hashgacha Hashem exhibits in His world. And, by exacting justice for even these nuanced evils, He fulfilled the promise to Avraham in the fullest sense:
“And I will execute judgment on the nation they shall serve, and in the end they shall go free with great wealth.” (Bereishis 15,14)
Before the Plague of the Firstborn, Moshe was commanded by Hashem to tell Klal Yisrael to ask all of the Mitzriyim to borrow vessels of gold and silver. The passuk says:
“Tell the people to borrow, each man from his neighbor and each woman from hers, objects of silver and gold.” (Exodus 11:2)
After Makkas Bechoros, Klal Yisrael followed Moshe’s directive. The passuk says:
“And Hashem had disposed the Egyptians favorably toward the people, and they let them have their request; thus they stripped the Egyptians.” (Exodus 12:36)
From the passuk’s simple reading it seems that the giving of the Mitzrytim was willing.
However, Chazal in the Talmud (Berachos 9b) say that the Mitzriyim lent their vessels forcibly. The Gemara says:
“And the Lord gave the nation grace in the eyes of Egypt, and they gave them what they requested and they emptied Egypt” (Exodus 12:36), Rabbi Ami said: This teaches that the Egyptians gave them what they requested against their will…against the will of the Egyptians. (See there for full discussion)
So which one was it, was it willingly or against their will?
Rav Eliyahu Klitzkin (Likkutim, brought in Margolios HaTorah p. 456) says that the answer is it was both; they gave it willingly but with a sense of feeling forced attached to it. Rav Klitzkin says that we find this concept of these emotions existing mutually in a Gemara in Kesubos 53a.
The Gemara discusses the Halachic permissibility about adding a dowry onto a Kesuba of one's daughter, and concludes that as long as the father is doing it on his own volition it is okay.
The Gemara records a story where a Rabbi was hesitant to be present at the time when the father of the son was present at the writing in-law because he felt that his presence would “force” the father of the daughter to give “on his own volition” more than he would want.
So too, says Rav Klitzkin, this was the attitude of the Mitzriym in lending the vessels to the Jews; they did it willingly, but out of a sense of obligation because the Jews found favor in their eyes.*
*(Although Rav Klitzkin doesn’t bring this, I think it’s an important piece to see from the Sifsei Chachamim on Rashi in the name of the Maharashal to Exodus 10:23, because there he makes a comment which connects how the Jews finding favor in their eyes which brought about them lending out of a sense of "obligation", see footnotes)
I’d like to suggest that Hashem brought about their enrichment to be in this way in order to pay back the Mitzriyim for how they enslaved them.
The Medrash says that the way in which Klal Yisrael became enslaved was in a crafty way. Pharaoh himself was doing bricklaying and Klal Yisrael saw, if he is doing it, we should too, are we better than Pharaoh? Slowly by slowly, they became enslaved.
We see that the entire way in which they became entirely enslaved, came about through this dual nature of willing-yet-obligated manner; seemingly voluntary but driven by social pressure and obligation.
Perhaps Hashem had the Mitzriyim hand back their freedom in a similar fashion, by doing it “willingly” but also out of a sense of obligation, all part of the “poetic justice” and laser focused execution of justice for even the finer points of the evils committed by the Egyptians.
I’d like to perhaps add on another layer. Chazal say (Sotah 11a) on the passuk “And a new king arose” (Shemos 1:8) that it wasn’t an actual new king, but one who made new laws.
Onkelos (ibid) follows this view (see Nefesh HaGer) but renders the passuk, “he did not uphold the edict of Yosef.”
The Midreshei HaTorah (p. 95) says that the “edict” Onkelos is referring to, is the edict that Yosef had enacted that everyone must give a fifth of their produce to Pharaoh (see Bereishis 47:26).
Part of the reason for this law, explains Midreshei Torah, was in order to put a limit of authority of what the government can take from their constituents.
By abolishing this law, the new Pharaoh had essentially created the groundwork to make it possible to enslave the Jews entirely.
Now, as Klal Yisrael was taking the silver and gold from the Mitzriyim, Chazal say that Moshe Rabbeinu was busy doing something else: He was finding the body of Yosef in order to fulfill the promise the Jews had accepted, to take him out of Egypt with them.
Perhaps, this was also nuanced poetic justice, as this act symbolically marked the end of an era that began with the abolishment of Yosef's protective decrees.
Every aspect of the redemption - from the plagues to the acquisition of wealth - was precisely calibrated to address both obvious and subtle injustices. This should strengthen our faith in the coming redemption (geula), knowing that Hashem sees and remembers every detail of our suffering.
Good Shabbos!
Below is the Sifsei Chachamim/Maharshal I referenced in the essay.
(ב) ויהי חשך אפלה: שלשת ימים. חֹשֶׁךְ שֶׁל אֹפֶל, שֶׁלֹּא רָאוּ אִישׁ אֶת אָחִיו אוֹתָן ג' יָמִים. וְעוֹד שְׁלוֹשֶׁת יָמִים אֲחֵרִים חֹשֶׁךְ מֻכְפָּל עַל זֶה, שֶׁלֹּא קָמוּ אִישׁ מִתַּחְתָּיו – יוֹשֵׁב אֵין יָכוֹל לַעֲמֹד, וְעוֹמֵד אֵין יָכוֹל לֵישֵׁב; וְלָמָּה הֵבִיא עֲלֵיהֶם חֹשֶׁךְ? שֶׁהָיוּ בְיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּאוֹתוֹ הַדּוֹר רְשָׁעִים וְלֹא הָיוּ רוֹצִים לָצֵאת, וּמֵתוּ בִשְׁלוֹשֶׁת יְמֵי אֲפֵלָה, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יִרְאוּ מִצְרִיִּים בְּמַפַּלְתָּם וְיֹאמְרוּ, אַף הֵם לוֹקִים כָּמוֹנוּ. וְעוֹד, שֶׁחִפְּשׂוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל וְרָאוּ אֶת כְּלֵיהֶם, וּכְשֶׁיָּצְאוּ וְהָיוּ שׁוֹאֲלִים מֵהֶן וְהָיוּ אוֹמְרִים אֵין בְּיָדֵנוּ כְלוּם, אוֹמֵר לוֹ, אֲנִי רְאִיתִיו בְּבֵיתְךָ, וּבְמָקוֹם פְּלוֹנִי הוּא (שמות רבה):
(2) ויהי חשך אפלה … שלשת ימים — there was darkness of gloom when no man saw another during those three days, and there was moreover another period of three days’ darkness twice as thick as this when no man rose from his place: one who happened to be sitting when this second period of darkness began was unable to rise, and one who was then standing was unable to sit down. And why did He bring darkness upon them? Because there were wicked people amongst the Israelites of that generation who had no desire to leave Egypt, and these died during the three days of darkness so that the Egyptians might not see their destruction and say, “These, (the Israelites) too have been stricken as we have”. And a further reason is that the Israelites searched (the darkness came just in order that they might do this) and saw their (the Egyptians’) jewels, and when they were leaving Egypt and asked them for their jewels, and they replied, “We have none at all in our possession”, they answered them, “I have seen it in your house and it is in such and such a place” (cf. Midrash Tanchuma, Bo 1; Exodus Rabbah 14:3).
(1) בד"ה ולמה הביא כו' בכל מכה ומכה כו' נ"ב אבל מהרא"י הקשה ס"ם למה הקשה רש"י יותר פה מבשאר מכות ותירץ משום שכבר גזר בימי המבול יום ולילה לא ישבותו א"כ לא היה מן הראוי לבא מכה זו אפי' על אומה אחת אם לא שבהכרח ואני מוסיף בשאלה אחרת מה שפירש לעיל ג' ימים היה חושך שלא יוכלו אפי' לעמוד מפני מה הביא מכה זו בשינוי מ"ה פי' שג' ימים הראשונים היו משום פושעי ישראל שמתו וג' ימים האחרונים היו שיראו את ממונם והם לא יוכלו למחו' שהרי ישבו במקומו ולא יוכלו לעמוד ובזה בא מציאת החן לישראל שהשאילום בע"כ שהרי הרגישו המצרים שאם היו רוצי' היו לוקחין את הכל שמי היה מוחה בהם שהרי לא היו יכולין לעמוד אלא אמרו ישרני' הם ולא יכזבו בנו ודוק מהרש"ל:
The Medrash actually makes this point explicitly, and I am surprised that the Mahrashal doesn't quote the Medrash. The Medrash says:
רַבּוֹתֵינוּ אָמְרוּ שִׁבְעָה יָמִים שֶׁל חשֶׁךְ הָיוּ, כֵּיצַד שְׁלשָׁה יָמִים הָרִאשׁוֹנִים מִי שֶׁהָיָה יוֹשֵׁב וּבִקֵּשׁ לַעֲמֹד עוֹמֵד, וְהָעוֹמֵד בִּקֵּשׁ לֵישֵׁב יוֹשֵׁב, וְעַל אֵלּוּ הַיָּמִים נֶאֱמַר: וַיְהִי חשֶׁךְ אֲפֵלָה בְּכָל אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם שְׁלשֶׁת יָמִים לֹא רָאוּ אִישׁ אֶת אָחִיו. שְׁלשָׁה יָמִים אֲחֵרִים מִי שֶׁהָיָה יוֹשֵׁב לֹא הָיָה יָכוֹל לַעֲמֹד וְהָעוֹמֵד אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לֵישֵׁב, וּמִי שֶׁהָיָה רוֹבֵץ אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לִזְקֹף, עֲלֵיהֶן נֶאֱמַר: וְלֹא קָמוּ אִישׁ מִתַּחְתָּיו שְׁלשֶׁת יָמִים. וּבִשְׁלשֶׁת יְמֵי אֲפֵלָה נָתַן הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא חֵן הָעָם בְּעֵינֵי מִצְרַיִם וְהִשְׁאִילוּם, שֶׁהָיָה יִשְׂרָאֵל נִכְנַס לְתוֹךְ בָּתֵּיהֶן שֶׁל מִצְרִים וְהָיוּ רוֹאִין בָּהֶן כְּלֵי כֶסֶף וּכְלֵי זָהָב וּשְׂמָלוֹת, אִם הָיוּ אוֹמְרִים אֵין לָנוּ לְהַשְׁאִיל לָכֶם הָיוּ יִשְרָאֵל אוֹמְרִים לָהֶן הֲרֵי הוּא בְּמָקוֹם פְּלוֹנִי, בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה הָיוּ הַמִּצְרִיִּים אוֹמְרִים אִם הָיוּ אֵלּוּ רוֹצִים לְשַׁקֵּר בָּנוּ הָיוּ נוֹטְלִין אוֹתָן בִּימֵי הַחשֶׁךְ וְלֹא הָיִינוּ מַרְגִּישִׁין, שֶׁהֲרֵי רָאוּ אוֹתָן כְּבָר אַחַר שֶׁלֹא נָגְעוּ חוּץ מִדַּעְתֵּנוּ כְּמוֹ כֵן לֹא יַחֲזִיקוּ, וְהָיוּ מַשְׁאִילִין לָהֶן, לְקַיֵּם מַה שֶּׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית טו, יד): וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן יֵצְאוּ בִּרְכֻשׁ גָּדוֹל,
Our Rabbis said: There were seven days of darkness. How so? The first three days, one who was sitting and sought to stand, stood, and one who was standing and sought to sit, sat. Regarding those days, it is stated: “There was a thick darkness in the entire land of Egypt three days. They did not see one another.” Three other days, one who was sitting was unable to stand, one who was standing was unable to sit, and one who was crouching was unable to straighten up. In their regard it is stated: “and no one rose from his place three days.”
[Through the events that transpired] during the three days of thick darkness,8At the conclusion of the three days of thick darkness, the Israelites would ask the Egyptians to borrow the items. the Holy One, blessed be He, granted the people favor in the eyes of the Egyptians and they lent them. For [during these days] Israelites would enter the houses of Egyptians, and would see in them silver vessels, gold vessels, and garments. [When the Egyptians were asked to lend these items,] if they would say: ‘We do not have anything to give you,” the Israelites would say to them: ‘Behold, it is in such and such place.’ At that moment, the Egyptians would say: Had they sought to deceive us, they would have taken them during the days of darkness and we would not have sensed it, as they had already seen them. Since they did not touch them without our knowledge, likewise, they will not keep them. They lent to them, in fulfillment of what is stated: “Then they will emerge with great property” (Genesis 15:14).