מה כתיב למעלה מן הענין ולכהן מדין שבע בנות (שמות ב טז), מה כתיב שם, ויבואו הרועים ויגרשום (שם שם יז), מה עשו להם, נטלום להשליכם למים, ויקם משה ויושיען (שם), ואין הלשון הזה אלא הצלת מים, שנאמר הושיעני אלהים כי באו מים עד נפש (תהלים סט ב), וישק את צאנם, (שמות ב יז), ותבאנה אל רעואל אביהם (שם ם יח), שבעה שמות נקראו לו, יתר יתרו, רעואל, חובב, [חבר], קיני, פוטיאל.
What is written above on the matter (in Exod. 2:16)? NOW THE PRIEST OF MIDIAN HAD SEVEN DAUGHTERS. What is written there (in vs. 17)? BUT THE SHEPHERDS CAME AND DROVE THEM OFF. What did they do to them? They seized them in order to throw them in the water. (Ibid., cont.:) THEN MOSES ROSE UP AND SAVED (a form of hoshia') THEM. Now this word (hoshia') is only <used of> a deliverance (rt.: NTsL) from water. Thus it is stated (in Ps. 69:2 [1]): SAVE (hoshia') ME, O GOD, FOR THE WATERS HAVE REACHED MY NECK.51Exod. R. 1:32. (Exod. 2:17, cont.:) AND HE WATERED THEIR FLOCK. (Vs. 18:) WHEN THEY CAME TO THEIR FATHER REUEL. He was called by seven names: Jether, Jethro, Reuel, Hobab, [Heber,] Keni, Putiel.52Mekhilta de Rabbi Ishmael, Amaleq, 3.
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ויאמר מדוע מהרתן בא היום, ותאמרנה איש מצרי הצילנו מיד הרועים (שם שם יח יט), מ כאן שהשליכום למים, שנאמר וגם דלה דלה לנו (שם שם יט).
(Exod. 2:18b-19:) HE SAID: WHY HAVE YOU COME BACK SO SOON TODAY? AND THEY SAID: AN EGYPTIAN DELIVERED (rt.: NTsL) US FROM THE HAND OF THE SHEPHERDS. Hence it follows that they had thrown them into the water. Thus it is stated (ibid., cont.): AND HE EVEN DREW US UP.53This unusual rendering is required by the context.
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ויאמר אל בנותיו ואיו (שם שם כ), מיד (יצאתה) [רצתה] צפורה כצפור והביאתהו. ד"א למה נקראת צפורה שטיהרה כל בית אביה כדם הצפור.
(Exod. 2:20:) HE SAID UNTO HIS DAUGHTERS: SO WHERE IS HE? Zipporah (Tsipporah) immediately {went out} [ran] like a bird (tsippor) and brought him. Another interpretation: Why was she called Zipporah (Tsipporah)? Because she cleansed her father's house like the blood of a bird (tsippor).54According to Lev. 14:48–55; Neg. 13:1, such a cleansing was needed for a house with a curable plague of leprosy.
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ויואל משה לשבת את האיש (שמות ב כא), ר' יהודה אומר מהו ויואל, שנשבע לו, שנאמר ויואל שאול את העם (ש"א יד כד), קיבל עליו לדור עמו, ואין ויואל אלא לשון דירה, שנאט' ועתה הואל נא ולין (שופטים יט ו), ויתן את צפורה בתו למשה (שמות שם שם), כיון שנטל בתו קבע עליו לרעות צאנו, שנאמר ומשה היה רועה (שם ג א), מהו היה רועה, אמר ר' יוחנן, כל מי שנאמר בו היה, הוא היה בתחילתו, והוא היה בסופו, הוא היה בתחלתו כשר, ובסופו כשר, רבנין אמרין כי מי שנאמר בו היה, זן ופרנס, אמרו לו והרי והנחש היה ערום (בראשית ג א), אמר להן הוא יה מתוקן לפורענות, אמרו לו והכתיב וקין היה עובד אדמה (שם ד ב), אמר להם אף הוא מתוקן לגלות, אמרו לו והכתיב והיה (כי) [כאשר] נלכדה ירושלם (ירמיה לח כח), אמר להן סימן יפה היה לה, שאילולי שנלכדה ירושלים נתאכלו שונאיהן של ישראל. ר' לוי אמר כל מי שנאמר בו היה ראה עולם חדש, לפיכך ומשה היה רועה.
(Exod. 2:21:) THEN MOSES CONSENTED TO DWELL WITH THE MAN. R. Judah asks: What is the meaning of THEN <MOSES> CONSENTED (wayyo'el)? That he swore to him.55Tanh., Exod. 1:12; Exod. R. 1:33. <This usage is in accord with> what is stated (in I Sam. 14:24): FOR SAUL MADE THE PEOPLE SWEAR (wayyo'el). He agreed to live with him. Thus CONSENTED (wayyo'el, rt.: Y'L) is actually a word of lodging, <in accord with> what is stated (in Jud. 19:6): SO NOW PLEASE CONSENT (rt.: Y'L) TO STAY THE NIGHT. (Exod. 2:21, cont.:) AND HE GAVE MOSES HIS DAUGHTER ZIPPORAH. When he took his daughter, he appointed him to tend his flock, as stated (in Exod. 3:1): NOW MOSES WAS TENDING (rt.: R'H) <THE FLOCK OF HIS FATHER-IN-LAW JETHRO >. What is the meaning of HE WAS TENDING <THE FLOCK>? R. Johanan said: In the case of everyone about whom it is stated: HE WAS, what HE WAS at his beginning, HE WAS at his end.56Gen. R. 30:8; Esth. R. 6:3; cf. Tanh., Exod. 1:13; Exod. R. 2:4. He was worthy at his beginning and worthy at his end. The Rabbis say: Everyone57The translation reads KL for KY in agreement with Tanh., Exod. 1:13. In this literature KY is rarely used without the prefix W apart from biblical quotations. See M. H. Segal, A Grammar of Mishnaic Hebrew (Oxford: Clarendon, 1956), section 302, n. 1. about whom it is stated: HE WAS nourished and sustained. They said to him: But look (at Gen. 3:1): NOW THE SERPENT WAS THE MORE SUBTLE. He said to them: He also was being prepared (by the word WAS) for divine punishment (in Gen. 3:14–15). They said to him: But here it is written (in Gen. 4:2): CAIN WAS A TILLER OF THE GROUND. He said to them: He also was being prepared for exile. They said to him: And here it is written (in Jer. 38:28): AND IT WAS WHEN JERUSALEM WAS CAPTURED. He said to them: It was a good omen58Gk.: semeion. for it; because, if Jerusalem had not been captured, Israel59The text here reads “the enemies of Israel,” but this expression is here a euphemism for Israel, as in Suk. 29a. So Jastrow, s.v., sone. would have been consumed. R. Levi has said: Everyone about whom it is stated: HE WAS, has seen a new age.60According to Gen. R. 30:8, there were five such people: Noah, Joseph, Moses, Job, and Mordecai. Ergo (in Exod. 3:1): NOW MOSES WAS TENDING <THE FLOCK >.
מה כתיב למעלה מן הענין ולכהן מדין שבע בנות (שמות ב טז), מה כתיב שם, ויבואו הרועים ויגרשום (שם שם יז), מה עשו להם, נטלום להשליכם למים, ויקם משה ויושיען (שם), ואין הלשון הזה אלא הצלת מים, שנאמר הושיעני אלהים כי באו מים עד נפש (תהלים סט ב), וישק את צאנם, (שמות ב יז), ותבאנה אל רעואל אביהם (שם ם יח), שבעה שמות נקראו לו, יתר יתרו, רעואל, חובב, [חבר], קיני, פוטיאל.
What is written above on the matter (in Exod. 2:16)? NOW THE PRIEST OF MIDIAN HAD SEVEN DAUGHTERS. What is written there (in vs. 17)? BUT THE SHEPHERDS CAME AND DROVE THEM OFF. What did they do to them? They seized them in order to throw them in the water. (Ibid., cont.:) THEN MOSES ROSE UP AND SAVED (a form of hoshia') THEM. Now this word (hoshia') is only <used of> a deliverance (rt.: NTsL) from water. Thus it is stated (in Ps. 69:2 [1]): SAVE (hoshia') ME, O GOD, FOR THE WATERS HAVE REACHED MY NECK.51Exod. R. 1:32. (Exod. 2:17, cont.:) AND HE WATERED THEIR FLOCK. (Vs. 18:) WHEN THEY CAME TO THEIR FATHER REUEL. He was called by seven names: Jether, Jethro, Reuel, Hobab, [Heber,] Keni, Putiel.52Mekhilta de Rabbi Ishmael, Amaleq, 3.
ויאמר מדוע מהרתן בא היום, ותאמרנה איש מצרי הצילנו מיד הרועים (שם שם יח יט), מ כאן שהשליכום למים, שנאמר וגם דלה דלה לנו (שם שם יט).
(Exod. 2:18b-19:) HE SAID: WHY HAVE YOU COME BACK SO SOON TODAY? AND THEY SAID: AN EGYPTIAN DELIVERED (rt.: NTsL) US FROM THE HAND OF THE SHEPHERDS. Hence it follows that they had thrown them into the water. Thus it is stated (ibid., cont.): AND HE EVEN DREW US UP.53This unusual rendering is required by the context.
ויאמר אל בנותיו ואיו (שם שם כ), מיד (יצאתה) [רצתה] צפורה כצפור והביאתהו. ד"א למה נקראת צפורה שטיהרה כל בית אביה כדם הצפור.
(Exod. 2:20:) HE SAID UNTO HIS DAUGHTERS: SO WHERE IS HE? Zipporah (Tsipporah) immediately {went out} [ran] like a bird (tsippor) and brought him. Another interpretation: Why was she called Zipporah (Tsipporah)? Because she cleansed her father's house like the blood of a bird (tsippor).54According to Lev. 14:48–55; Neg. 13:1, such a cleansing was needed for a house with a curable plague of leprosy.
ויואל משה לשבת את האיש (שמות ב כא), ר' יהודה אומר מהו ויואל, שנשבע לו, שנאמר ויואל שאול את העם (ש"א יד כד), קיבל עליו לדור עמו, ואין ויואל אלא לשון דירה, שנאט' ועתה הואל נא ולין (שופטים יט ו), ויתן את צפורה בתו למשה (שמות שם שם), כיון שנטל בתו קבע עליו לרעות צאנו, שנאמר ומשה היה רועה (שם ג א), מהו היה רועה, אמר ר' יוחנן, כל מי שנאמר בו היה, הוא היה בתחילתו, והוא היה בסופו, הוא היה בתחלתו כשר, ובסופו כשר, רבנין אמרין כי מי שנאמר בו היה, זן ופרנס, אמרו לו והרי והנחש היה ערום (בראשית ג א), אמר להן הוא יה מתוקן לפורענות, אמרו לו והכתיב וקין היה עובד אדמה (שם ד ב), אמר להם אף הוא מתוקן לגלות, אמרו לו והכתיב והיה (כי) [כאשר] נלכדה ירושלם (ירמיה לח כח), אמר להן סימן יפה היה לה, שאילולי שנלכדה ירושלים נתאכלו שונאיהן של ישראל. ר' לוי אמר כל מי שנאמר בו היה ראה עולם חדש, לפיכך ומשה היה רועה.
(Exod. 2:21:) THEN MOSES CONSENTED TO DWELL WITH THE MAN. R. Judah asks: What is the meaning of THEN <MOSES> CONSENTED (wayyo'el)? That he swore to him.55Tanh., Exod. 1:12; Exod. R. 1:33. <This usage is in accord with> what is stated (in I Sam. 14:24): FOR SAUL MADE THE PEOPLE SWEAR (wayyo'el). He agreed to live with him. Thus CONSENTED (wayyo'el, rt.: Y'L) is actually a word of lodging, <in accord with> what is stated (in Jud. 19:6): SO NOW PLEASE CONSENT (rt.: Y'L) TO STAY THE NIGHT. (Exod. 2:21, cont.:) AND HE GAVE MOSES HIS DAUGHTER ZIPPORAH. When he took his daughter, he appointed him to tend his flock, as stated (in Exod. 3:1): NOW MOSES WAS TENDING (rt.: R'H) <THE FLOCK OF HIS FATHER-IN-LAW JETHRO >. What is the meaning of HE WAS TENDING <THE FLOCK>? R. Johanan said: In the case of everyone about whom it is stated: HE WAS, what HE WAS at his beginning, HE WAS at his end.56Gen. R. 30:8; Esth. R. 6:3; cf. Tanh., Exod. 1:13; Exod. R. 2:4. He was worthy at his beginning and worthy at his end. The Rabbis say: Everyone57The translation reads KL for KY in agreement with Tanh., Exod. 1:13. In this literature KY is rarely used without the prefix W apart from biblical quotations. See M. H. Segal, A Grammar of Mishnaic Hebrew (Oxford: Clarendon, 1956), section 302, n. 1. about whom it is stated: HE WAS nourished and sustained. They said to him: But look (at Gen. 3:1): NOW THE SERPENT WAS THE MORE SUBTLE. He said to them: He also was being prepared (by the word WAS) for divine punishment (in Gen. 3:14–15). They said to him: But here it is written (in Gen. 4:2): CAIN WAS A TILLER OF THE GROUND. He said to them: He also was being prepared for exile. They said to him: And here it is written (in Jer. 38:28): AND IT WAS WHEN JERUSALEM WAS CAPTURED. He said to them: It was a good omen58Gk.: semeion. for it; because, if Jerusalem had not been captured, Israel59The text here reads “the enemies of Israel,” but this expression is here a euphemism for Israel, as in Suk. 29a. So Jastrow, s.v., sone. would have been consumed. R. Levi has said: Everyone about whom it is stated: HE WAS, has seen a new age.60According to Gen. R. 30:8, there were five such people: Noah, Joseph, Moses, Job, and Mordecai. Ergo (in Exod. 3:1): NOW MOSES WAS TENDING <THE FLOCK >.