AND IT CAME TO PASS IN THE COURSE OF THOSE MANY DAYS, ETC. (Ex. 2, 23). R. Joshua of Saknin said: ‘It was the end of their exile when their bondage was most severe. As soon as the appointed time of delivery came, “the king of Egypt died”: i.e. the angelic Chieftain of Egypt was degraded from his high estate. As soon as he fell, the Holy One, blessed be He, remembered Israel and heard their prayer,’
(שמות ב׳:כ״ג) וַיְהִי בַיָּמִים הָרַבִּים הָהֵם. רִבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ דְּסַכְנִין אָמַר, וַיְהִי בַיָּמִים הָרַבִּים הָהֵם, סוֹף גָּלוּתָם הָיָה, שֶׁהָיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מְשׁוּעֲבָּדִים בְּכָל עֲבוֹדָה. בַּיָּמִים הָרַבִּים הָהֵם, שֶׁהָיוּ רָבִּים לְיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּמִצְרַיִם, וְכֵיוָן שֶׁנִּשְׁתַּלַּם קֵץ גָּלוּתָם, מַה כְּתִיב, וַיָּמָת מֶלֶךְ מִצְרַיִם. מַאי טַעְמָא. שֶׁהוּרַד שַׂר מִצְרַיִם מִמַּעֲלָתוֹ, וְנָפַל מִגַּאֲוָתוֹ. וְכֵיוָן שֶׁנָּפַל מֶלֶךְ מִצְרַיִם, שֶׁהוּא שַׂר שֶׁלָּהֶן, זָכַר הַקָדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, וְשָׁמַע תְּפִלָּתָם.
AND IT CAME TO PASS IN THE COURSE OF THOSE MANY DAYS, ETC. (Ex. 2, 23). R. Joshua of Saknin said: ‘It was the end of their exile when their bondage was most severe. As soon as the appointed time of delivery came, “the king of Egypt died”: i.e. the angelic Chieftain of Egypt was degraded from his high estate. As soon as he fell, the Holy One, blessed be He, remembered Israel and heard their prayer,’