ומת כל בכור (שמות יא ה). נתכנסו כל הבכורות אצל אבותיהן אמרו להם כל מה שאמר משה הביא עלינו, אין אתם מבקשין שנחיה, אלא בואו ונוציא את (העבדים) [העברים] הללו מבינינו, ואם לאו הרי אנו מתים, השיבו אותם ואמרו להם אפילו כל המצרים מתים אינן יוצאין מכאן, מה עשו נתכנסו כל הבכורות והלכו להם אצל פרעה והיו מצווחין אל פרעה ואומרים לו בבקשה ממך הוצא העם הזה שבשבילם הרעה תבא (עליהם ועליו) [עלינו ועליך]. אמר להם לעבדיו צאו וקפחו שוקיהם של אלו, מה עשו הבכורות, מיד יצאו ונטל כל אחד ואחד מהם חרבו והרג אביו, שנאמר למכה מצרים בבכוריהם (תהלים קלו י), למכה בכורי מצרים אין כתיב כאן אלא למכה מצרים בבכוריהם, משנהרגו אבותיהם נגלה [עליהן] הקב"ה והרגן, שנאמר וה' הכה כל בכור, אם בכורות המצרים חטאו השבויים מה חטאו, אלא שהיו (אומרין ושמחין) [שמחין ואומרין] נהא בשעבודים ואל יצאו ישראל מכאן, לפיכך הרגן עד בכור השבי (שמות יב כט), וכל שכן בכור השפחה שהיו משעבדין בהם. ולמה בכור בהמה, שהיו המצרים משתחוים לטלאים, שלא יאמרו קשה יראתינו שלא שלט בה את הפורענות [לכך וכל בכור בהמה].
(Exod. 11:5:) AND EVERY FIRST-BORN <IN THE LAND OF EGYPT> SHALL DIE. All the first-born came together with their fathers.73PRK 7:6/9; PR 17:5. <The first-born> said to < their fathers >: Whatever Moses has said he has brought upon us. Do you not wish us to live? Rather come and let us have these {slaves} [Hebrews] go away from among us; for if we do not, we are dead. They answered them and said to them: Even if all the Egyptians die, they will not go away from here. What did they do? All the first-born came together and went to Pharaoh. They cried out unto Pharaoh and said to him: Please have this people go away, for because of them evil will come {over them and over him} [over us and over you]. He said to his servants: Get going and beat those <people> on the legs. What did the first-born do? Immediately, when they had gone out, each and every one of them took his sword and killed his father. It is so stated (in Ps. 136:10): TO THE ONE WHO SMOTE EGYPT THROUGH THEIR FIRST-BORN. "To the one who smote the first-born of Egypt" is not written here, but TO THE ONE WHO SMOTE EGYPT THROUGH THEIR FIRST-BORN. After they had killed their fathers, the Holy One appeared [over them] and killed them, as stated (in Exod. 12:29): <AND IT CAME TO PASS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT > THAT THE LORD SMOTE ALL THE FIRST-BORN, <FROM THE FIRST-BORN OF PHARAOH, WHO WAS SITTING UPON HIS THRONE, TO THE FIRST-BORN OF THE CAPTIVE WHO WAS IN THE DUNGEON, AND ALL THE FIRST-BORN OF THE CATTLE.> If the first-born of the Egyptians had sinned, how had the captives sinned?74Mekhilta de Rabbi Ishmael, Pisha 2; Tanh., Exod. 3:7. It is simply that they had {said and rejoiced} [rejoiced and said]: We may remain in slavery, but do not let Israel get away from here. For that reason he killed them (according to Exod. 12:29): TO THE FIRST-BORN OF THE CAPTIVE. <The same applies> all the more to first-born of the bondmaid, since they were oppressors. But why were THE FIRST-BORN OF THE CATTLE killed? Because the Egyptians were bowing down to the lambs. <It was> so they would not say: Our idolatry is too strong for him to have dominion over it with divine retribution. [Therefore (in Exod. 12:29): AND ALL THE FIRST-BORN OF THE CATTLE.]
ומת כל בכור (שמות יא ה). נתכנסו כל הבכורות אצל אבותיהן אמרו להם כל מה שאמר משה הביא עלינו, אין אתם מבקשין שנחיה, אלא בואו ונוציא את (העבדים) [העברים] הללו מבינינו, ואם לאו הרי אנו מתים, השיבו אותם ואמרו להם אפילו כל המצרים מתים אינן יוצאין מכאן, מה עשו נתכנסו כל הבכורות והלכו להם אצל פרעה והיו מצווחין אל פרעה ואומרים לו בבקשה ממך הוצא העם הזה שבשבילם הרעה תבא (עליהם ועליו) [עלינו ועליך]. אמר להם לעבדיו צאו וקפחו שוקיהם של אלו, מה עשו הבכורות, מיד יצאו ונטל כל אחד ואחד מהם חרבו והרג אביו, שנאמר למכה מצרים בבכוריהם (תהלים קלו י), למכה בכורי מצרים אין כתיב כאן אלא למכה מצרים בבכוריהם, משנהרגו אבותיהם נגלה [עליהן] הקב"ה והרגן, שנאמר וה' הכה כל בכור, אם בכורות המצרים חטאו השבויים מה חטאו, אלא שהיו (אומרין ושמחין) [שמחין ואומרין] נהא בשעבודים ואל יצאו ישראל מכאן, לפיכך הרגן עד בכור השבי (שמות יב כט), וכל שכן בכור השפחה שהיו משעבדין בהם. ולמה בכור בהמה, שהיו המצרים משתחוים לטלאים, שלא יאמרו קשה יראתינו שלא שלט בה את הפורענות [לכך וכל בכור בהמה].
(Exod. 11:5:) AND EVERY FIRST-BORN <IN THE LAND OF EGYPT> SHALL DIE. All the first-born came together with their fathers.73PRK 7:6/9; PR 17:5. <The first-born> said to < their fathers >: Whatever Moses has said he has brought upon us. Do you not wish us to live? Rather come and let us have these {slaves} [Hebrews] go away from among us; for if we do not, we are dead. They answered them and said to them: Even if all the Egyptians die, they will not go away from here. What did they do? All the first-born came together and went to Pharaoh. They cried out unto Pharaoh and said to him: Please have this people go away, for because of them evil will come {over them and over him} [over us and over you]. He said to his servants: Get going and beat those <people> on the legs. What did the first-born do? Immediately, when they had gone out, each and every one of them took his sword and killed his father. It is so stated (in Ps. 136:10): TO THE ONE WHO SMOTE EGYPT THROUGH THEIR FIRST-BORN. "To the one who smote the first-born of Egypt" is not written here, but TO THE ONE WHO SMOTE EGYPT THROUGH THEIR FIRST-BORN. After they had killed their fathers, the Holy One appeared [over them] and killed them, as stated (in Exod. 12:29): <AND IT CAME TO PASS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT > THAT THE LORD SMOTE ALL THE FIRST-BORN, <FROM THE FIRST-BORN OF PHARAOH, WHO WAS SITTING UPON HIS THRONE, TO THE FIRST-BORN OF THE CAPTIVE WHO WAS IN THE DUNGEON, AND ALL THE FIRST-BORN OF THE CATTLE.> If the first-born of the Egyptians had sinned, how had the captives sinned?74Mekhilta de Rabbi Ishmael, Pisha 2; Tanh., Exod. 3:7. It is simply that they had {said and rejoiced} [rejoiced and said]: We may remain in slavery, but do not let Israel get away from here. For that reason he killed them (according to Exod. 12:29): TO THE FIRST-BORN OF THE CAPTIVE. <The same applies> all the more to first-born of the bondmaid, since they were oppressors. But why were THE FIRST-BORN OF THE CATTLE killed? Because the Egyptians were bowing down to the lambs. <It was> so they would not say: Our idolatry is too strong for him to have dominion over it with divine retribution. [Therefore (in Exod. 12:29): AND ALL THE FIRST-BORN OF THE CATTLE.]