Where hatred begins A lesson from Parashat Shemot

Or HaChaim on Exodus 1:6:8

Perhaps the Torah wanted to describe a gradual deterioration in the status of the Jews in Egypt which commenced with Joseph's death. At that time the Jews who had up to then been considered the elite of Egyptian society were reduced to being no more than equals to the Egyptians at large. Once Joseph's brothers died the social position of the Jews underwent a further deterioration, some Egyptians beginning to detest them. However, they still had not lost their status of legal equality with the rest of the population. Once the last of the surviving Jewish immigrants died, the legal position of the Jews had become sufficiently shaky to enable a new king to legislate against them. The principal reason was that the proliferation of the Jews and the high degree of their visibility throughout the country frightened the local population and they feared that the Jews would eventually try to dominate them.

Sforno on Exodus 1:8

ויקם מלך חדש על מצרים אשר לא ידע את יוסף, although there can be no question that in the annals of Egyptian history the 80 year reign of Joseph and his legislation saving Egypt from the famine was duly recorded, as well as how he legislated that the whole land would belong to Pharaoh and the farmers would become his tenants, it did not occur to anyone to associate the Hebrews of his time with the family of Joseph who had been so highly esteemed. The idea that the present day Hebrews deserved special consideration on account of their illustrious forbears did not occur to anyone observing the way these Hebrews behaved at that time.

Ramban on Exodus 1:10:1

"Let us scheme against them" Pharaoh and his advisers did not decide to smite them with the sword, because that would be a great betrayal, to smite a nation that has come to the land on the command of the first king. Even the common people wouldn't give consent to the king to do such a crime, for he advises with them, and additionally the nation of Israel was numerous and mighty and would fight back in a great war. Rather he advised that they should act cleverly so that Israel should not feel that he is acting out of hate, and therefore he levied a tax on them, for it is common for foreigners to pay a tax to the king, as is seen by Solomon (Kings 1, 9:21)

Luzzatto on Exodus 9:7

The Egyptians were silent when Pharaoh first proposed the oppression. Moreover, 1:11 says specifically that they (i.e. the Egyptians) were ruthless in setting taskmasters over Israel. The midwives, weak as they were, did not carry out Pharaoh's command, yet they avoided punishment. How much more easily could all the Egyptian people have avoided or at least mitigated Pharaoh's decrees?

Sotah 12a:8

§ The Gemara returns to the discussion of the bondage in Egypt. “And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying: Every son that is born you shall cast into the river, and every daughter you shall save alive” (Exodus 1:22). Rabbi Yosei, son of Rabbi Ḥanina, says: The use of the phrase “every son that is born” indicates that he decreed even on his own nation that all their male babies must be killed. And Rabbi Yosei, son of Rabbi Ḥanina, says further: He decreed three decrees. Initially, he commanded the midwives only with regard to Jewish infants: “You shall look upon the stones. If it be a son, then you shall kill him; but if it be a daughter, then she shall live” (Exodus 1:16). And afterward, he decreed with regard to the Jewish infants: “Every son that is born you shall cast into the river” (Exodus 1:22). And ultimately, he decreed even on his own nation that Egyptian infant boys should be cast into the river as well.

Shemot Rabba 1:11

The Egyptians oppressed the Israelites בפרך ruthlessly. Rabbi Eliezer said: Read tis as if בפה-רך "with smooth words"-- Pharaoh deceived them first with words and made them slaves before they realized their new status.

Andre Neher, as quoted in Itturei Torah III p.73

Of the slaves, the Egyptian says: "They have no hearts." and here, as wherewhere else in the Orient, the heart signifies the personality itself. This discovery, which is a positive as a law of physics, authories him to treat the serf like an inanimate object. The state and its prestige demand the systematic construction of colossal depots, fortresses, palaces, temples, cities and tombs. The slaves provide the gratuitous and inexhaustible pool of labor for this immense task.

Sanhedrin 37a:1-16

Therefore a singular man was created-- to teach you that anyone who causes one Israelite life to be lost, the text accounts to him as if he caused a whole world to be lost. And anyone who sustains one Israelite life, the text accounts to him as if he sustained an entire world. And for the sake of peace among the creations--so that no man can say to his friend, "My father is greater than your father." And so that heretics will not claim "There are multiple powers in the heavens." And to testify to the greatness of the Holy Blessed One. For a man forges many coins from the same mold and each one is identical. But the King of kings of kings, the Holy Blessed One forges each man from the same mold of the original man and no one is like his fellow. Therefore each and ever person is obligated to say, "For me was the world created."