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In order to avoid being “enslaved” by the desire for money and pleasure, certain spiritual and philosophical types go to the other extreme by belittling the material world and striving only for spiritual truth. However, Judaism believes that everything is important. The physical and material aspects of life have a role to play, as long as they are used as tools in the service of spiritual values, and not seen as the ultimate goal.
To help the Israelites understand this, God decreed that they be enslaved to the wealthy nation of Egypt. Whereas the Egyptians intended to exploit them, the Israelites triumphed in physical and material ways. During the early slavery years, they were fruitful and multiplied until they became a massive community. Later, when the Israelites were redeemed from Egypt, they left with great wealth. This served as partial payment for their hard work over many years, and as partial compensation for their great suffering. Ultimately, justice prevailed. The material values cultivated by Egypt served as a platform for the manifestation of the Divine Presence: the silver and gold vessels the Israelites received from the Egyptians provided materials to build the Tabernacle, and later the Temple.
