Gold and silver: Was it worth the slavery?

In next week's Torah portion, we read about about G-d's instruction to Moshe to have the soon-to-be-freed Jews ask of their taskmasters, "Please, speak into the ears of the People, and let them borrow, each man from his friend and each woman from her friend, silver vessels and golden vessels." (Shemos 11:2)

This command was foreshadowed in Bereishis 15:14 when G-d spoke to Avraham concerning the future servitude, stating that "and afterwards they will go forth with great possessions."

In his commentary, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik teaches us the following from Shemos 4:21:

" 'And I will put this people's favor in the eyes of the Egyptians, and it will come to pass that when you go, you will not go empty-handed.' G-d reveals this detail to Moshe well before the liberation has been commenced, because this promise was an integral part of the Israelites' liberation from slavery. A slave has no rights of acquisition — verything that the slave owns belongs to the master. The fact that the Egyptians would allow the Israelites to acquire their own possessions clearly demonstrates their newly freed status. Furthermore, the freeing of slaves is often a degrading experience for the slave, since he is penniless when he leaves his master. Gifts are given only to one who is respected. Not only will the Israelites be freed from slavery, but they will be respected by the Egyptians." (Chumash With Commentary Based on the Teachings of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik: Shemos, OU Press, 2015)

This teaching by the Rav is further elaborated upon by Rabbi Shmuel Goldin in his commentary, "Unlocking The Torah Text: Shemos" (OU Press / Gefen Publishing House, 2008), wherein he covers numerous classic commentators concerning this unique episode in the Exodus saga. Among those referenced by Rabbi Goldin are Rabbeinu Bachya, the Chizkuni, the Ibn Ezra, the Netziv, the Vilna Gaon, the Malbim and, finally, Rabbi Zalman Sorotzkin, whose unique teachings from Oznaim LaTorah is referenced in detail, in English, by Rabbi Goldin.

Consider the following:

"The initial reluctance of the Israelites to accept the wealth of the Egyptians ... can only be understood in light of the experiences of our own time.