Another question we received from a reader is regarding the term: “make bricks without straw”, which is a phrase that refers to a task that must be undertaken without the appropriate resources. This phrase origins from the bible, when the Israelite slaves in Egypt were no longer supplied with straw and had to take the time and effort to collect and prepare their own, while still producing the same number of bricks.
In Exodus 5 (Parshat Shemot in the Torah), Moses and Aaron meet with Pharaoh and deliver God’s famous message “Let my people go”. Pharaoh not only refuses, but punishes the Israelites by telling his overseers, “Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves”, but still requiring the same daily output of bricks as before.
Brick Making Process
Many clay products require the addition of other materials to add strength and durability to the material. In the case of bricks in Old Testament Egypt – river clay was composed of very fine particles that made it dry slowly, and adding straw to it would “open up” the clay, allowing it to dry faster in the sun. In addition to aiding in drying, the linear nature of straw adds stability to the brick, much like rebar or wire mesh reinforces modern-day concrete blocks. Bricks made without straw would dry slowly, break and crumble easily. Adobe bricks used around the world are generally only sun-dried but grasses, straw, and other materials are added to the clay for the same basic reasons.
Having said that, it is now clear why making bricks without straw would be impossible, meaning the lack of it was a critical problem for the Hebrew slaves.
Making Bricks Without Straw
The story begins when Moses and Aaron meet with Pharaoh (the king of Egypt) and ask him to free the Hebrew slaves. Pharaoh not only refuses but punishes the Israelites for their audacity. This is the way the story unfolds in the bible:
6 That same day Pharaoh gave this order to the slave drivers and overseers in charge of the people: 7 “You are no longer to supply the people with straw for making bricks; let them go and gather their own straw. 8 But require them to make the same number of bricks as before; don’t reduce the quota. They are lazy; that is why they are crying out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ 9 Make the work harder for the people so that they keep working and pay no attention to lies.”
10 Then the slave drivers and the overseers went out and said to the people, “This is what Pharaoh says: ‘I will not give you any more straw. 11 Go and get your own straw wherever you can find it, but your work will not be reduced at all.’ 12 So the people scattered all over Egypt to gather stubble to use for straw. 13 The slave drivers kept pressing them, saying, “Complete the work required of you for each day, just as when you had straw.” 14 And Pharaoh’s slave drivers beat the Israelite overseers they had appointed, demanding, “Why haven’t you met your quota of bricks yesterday or today, as before?”
15 Then the Israelite overseers went and appealed to Pharaoh: “Why have you treated your servants this way? 16 Your servants are given no straw, yet we are told, ‘Make bricks!’ Your servants are being beaten, but the fault is with your own people.”
17 Pharaoh said, “Lazy, that’s what you are—lazy! That is why you keep saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.’ 18 Now get to work. You will not be given any straw, yet you must produce your full quota of bricks.
Exodus 5
This meant that actually, the complaint to Moses and Aaron have made things worse for the Hebrew slaves in Egypt, as they now had to wake up earlier to assemble the straw for themselves and keep producing the same amount of bricks as before (when it was supplied to them by their Egyptian masters).
The Israelites complain to Moses and Aaron, and Moses in turn complains to God that every time he has gone to Pharaoh on behalf of the Israelites, things have gotten worse for them. God replies to Moses that the time will come when Pharaoh himself will actually drive the Israelites out of Egypt and that God will redeem the Israelites “with a strong hand and an outstretched arm” (you can read more about it on Wikipedia).
Going a bit further in time, we know that God delivered on this promise, took the Israelites out of Egypt and to the promised land, where they settled in 12 tribes.
make bricks without straw: To do or attempt to do something without the basic necessary tools or materials one needs.
They don’t give us nearly enough time or support to get these projects to the standards they should be, so we end up making bricks without straw.
You’re never going to have a championship team unless they start recruiting players who are actually any good. You can’t make bricks without straw.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. (2015)
