ויקם פרעה לילה (שמות יב ל). מהו לילה, שהיה חשוך (בלילה) [כלילה].
(Exod. 12:30:) AND PHARAOH NIGHT AROSE.75Ths midrash is identifying NIGHT with Pharaoh, perhaps as his name. A more traditional translation would run: AND PHARAOH AROSE IN THE NIGHT. What is the meaning of NIGHT? That he (Pharaoh) was dark {in} [like] the night.
2
הוא וכל עבדיו. הוא חשוך והן חשוכין.
(Ibid., cont.:) HE AND ALL HIS SERVANTS. He was dark and they were dark.
3
ותהי צעקה גדולה וגו' (שם), כיצד מצרי נושא חמש נשים, והיו לו חמש בכורות מהן וכן אשה שהיתה נשואה לחמש אנשים, והיו לה מהן חמש בכורות (מהן), והיו כולם מתים, לקיים מה שנאמר ומת כל בכור. ובית שלא היה בו בכור היתה צווחה גדולה (מן הבית) [כבבית] שהיה בו בכור, שהיה בעל הבית בכור, שנאמר (גם) [אף] אני בכור אתנהו (תהלים פט כח), שנאמר ותהי צעקה גדולה במצרים כי אין בית אשר אין שם מת (שמות שם).
(Ibid., cont.:) BECAUSE THERE WAS A GREAT CRY…. How so? When an Egyptian marries five women, he has five first-born from them; and likewise when a woman is married to five men, she has from them five first-born {from them}. So all of them died. It was in order to confirm what is stated (in Exod. 11:5): AND EVERY FIRST-BORN <IN THE LAND OF EGYPT> SHALL DIE. Moreover, a house in which there was no first-born had an outcry {greater than the house} [as great as in the house] in which there was a first-born, because the master of the house was <himself> a first-born,76I.e., by virtue of his status the head of the house was considered a first-born. as stated (in Ps. 89:28 [27]): I WILL ALSO APPOINT HIM FIRST-BORN. Thus it is stated (in Exod. 12:30): BECAUSE THERE WAS A GREAT CRY IN EGYPT; FOR THERE WAS NO HOUSE WHERE THERE WAS NOT SOMEONE DEAD.
4
ויקרא למשה ולאהרן (שם שם לא). היה הולך וקורא בלילה בכל שוק ושוק ואומר היכן הוא משה והיכן הוא דר, והיו בניהם של ישראל משחקין בו, ואומרים לו פרעה להיכן אתה הולך, והוא אומר להם למשה אני מבקש, והם אומרים לו כאן הוא דר ומשחקים בו עד שעמד עליו, [א"ל פרע] קומו צאו מתוך עמי (שם), אמר לו משה וכי גנבים אנו, הקב"ה אמר לא תצאו איש מפתח ביתו עד בקר (שם שם כב), א"ל פרעה בבקשה ממך קומו צאו, א"ל משה למה אתה מטריה הרבה, א"ל שאני בכור ומתיירא אני שמא אמות, א"ל משה אל תתירא מן הדבר, לגדולה מזו אתה מתוקן, ולא תאמר שפרעה בלבד היה דוחק אלא כל המצרים היו דוחקין, שנאמר ותחזק מצרים וגו' (שם שם לג), אמר להם הקב"ה חייכם אין כולכם מתים כאן אלא בים, למה לא מתו כולם במכת בכורות אלא בים, אמר ר' שמואל בר נחמן בערמה באו מצרים על ישראל, אמרו אם משעבדים אנו אותם באש, יכול אלוהיהן להביא עלינו אש מלמעלה, כשם שהביא על הסדומים, אלא נשבע שאיני מביא עוד מבול לעולם, (חייכם) בואו ונשעבדם במים, אמר להן הקב"ה אני נשבעתי שאיני מביא עוד מבול לעולם, חייכם אותן אנשים הלכו למבול, שנאמר יגירהו על ידי חרב (תהלים סגי ב), אותן האנשים נגררין והולכין מעצמן לים, מנת שועלים יהיו (שם), אמר שלמה אחזו לנו שועלים וגו' (שה"ש ב טו). אמר ר' שמואל (שעל הים הביטו) [שעל ים כתיב].
(Exod. 12:31:) AND HE CALLED MOSES AND AARON <IN THE NIGHT>. He (Pharaoh) went <about> calling them during the night in every single street and was saying: Where is Moses, and where does he live?77Mekhilta de Rabbi Ishmael, Pisha 13. But the children of Israel were mocking him and saying to him: Where are you going, Pharaoh? When he said to them: I am looking for Moses, they said to him: Here is where he lives. So they mocked him until he stood before him (i.e., Moses). [Pharaoh said to him] (ibid., cont.): ARISE AND GO AWAY FROM AMONG MY PEOPLE. Moses said to him: Are we thieves? The Holy One has said (in Exod. 12:22): NONE OF YOU SHALL GO OUTSIDE THE DOOR OF HIS HOUSE UNTIL MORNING. Pharaoh said to him: Will you please arise <and> leave! Moses said to him: Why are you going to so much trouble? He said to him: Because I am a first-born, and I am afraid I may die. Moses said to him: Do not be afraid of <this> thing. You are destined for something greater than this. Now you are not to say that Pharaoh alone was urging < Israel to leave >; rather all the Egyptians were urging <them to leave>. It is so stated (in Exod. 12:33): AND THE EGYPTIANS PRESSED <THE PEOPLE ON, TO SEND THEM OUT OF THE LAND IN HASTE>…. The Holy One said to them: By your life, none of you shall die here but in the sea. Why did all of them not die from the plague of the first-born, but in the sea? R. Samuel bar Nahman said: <It> was through guile <that> the Egyptians came upon Israel. They said: If we enslave them by fire, their God will be able to bring fire upon us from above just as he brought it upon the Sodomites. He has, however, sworn never again to bring a flood into the world. {By your life,} come and let us enslave them through water. The Holy One said: I have sworn never again to bring a flood into the world. By your life, those people have gone into the flood. It is so stated (in Ps. 63:11 [10]): THEY SHALL BE DRAGGED78Interpreting yaggiruhu as coming from the root GRR instead of from NGR. TO THE POWER OF THE DRYNESS79Interpreting HRB as horev instead of herev. A more usual translation would read: THEY SHALL BE DELIVERED TO THE POWER OF THE SWORD. For interpretation of the verse given here, see Exod. R. 22:1; Cant. R. 2:15:1. (of the sea bed). These people (i.e. these Egyptians) were dragged and went into the sea on their own. (Ibid., cont.:) THEY SHALL BE A PORTION FOR THE FOXES. Solomon said (Cant. 2:15): TAKE US <TO> THE FOXES (ShW'LYM)…. R. Samuel has said: {They saw THE DEPTH OF THE SEA (Sh'L HYM).} [DEPTH OF SEA (Sh'L YM) is written <here>.]
5
פרע מהם הקב"ה במצרים, ואח"כ פרע מהם על הים, במצרים מה כתיב, ויהי בחצי הלילה, כיון שהכה השר שלהן ואחר כך הכה אותן, וכן הוא אומר ובכל אלהי מצרים וגו' (שמות יב יב), של אבן היה נימוק, של כסף ושל זהב היה ניתוך, כיון שפרע מאלהיהם ואחר כך פרע מהם, סוס ורוכבו רמה בים, זה השר, ואח"כ מרכבות פרעה וחילו], אף במלכות רומי הרשעה הזו משהקב"ה פורע משר שלהם ואחר כך פורע מהם, כשם שעשה למלכות בבל, משפרע משרם ואחר כך פרע מנבוכדנצר, שנאמר ופקדתי על בל בבבל (ירמיה נא מד). ואף כך הוא עושה לאדום, שנאמר מדוע נסחף אביריך (שם מו טו), זה השר שלהם, שמלקה אביריך אותו בצרעת, ואין נסחף אלא צרעת, שנאמר שאת או ספחת וגו' (ויקרא יג ב), ואחר כך הוא פורע ממנה, שנאמר כי ה' הדפו (ירמיה שם), וכן הוא אומר יפקד ה' על צבא המרום במרום (ישעיה כד כא), ואחר כך ועל מלכי האדמה (באדמה) [על האדמה] (שם), אבל ישראל כשם שאלהיהם חי וקיים לעולם ולעולמי עולמים, כך הם חיים וקימים לעולם ולעולמי עולמים, שנאמר וה' אלהים אמת הוא אלהים חיים ומלך עולם (ירמיה י י), ובישראל כתיב ואתם הדבקים בה' אלהיכם חיים כולכם היום (דברים ד ד).
The Holy One exacted punishment from them in Egypt and afterwards he exacted punishment from them at the sea. What is written concerning Egypt (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>. When he had killed their prince, he afterwards killed them; and so it says (in Exod. 12:12): AND ON ALL THE GODS OF EGYPT <I WILL EXECUTE JUDGMENTS>…. <Gods > of stone have rotted; <those> of silver and gold have been melted. When he had exacted punishment from their gods, he afterwards exacted punishment from them. (Exod. 15:1, cf. 21:) THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER HE HAS THROWN INTO THE SEA. This is the prince. And after that (in vs. 4): PHARAOH'S CHARIOTS AND HIS ARMY <HE HAS CAST INTO THE SEA>. Also in the case of this evil Roman Empire, when the Holy One has exacted punishment from their prince, he will afterwards exact punishment from them, just as he did to the Babylonian Empire. When he had exacted punishment from their prince, he afterwards exacted punishment from Nebuchadnezzar. It is so stated (in Jer. 51:44): I WILL ATTEND TO BEL (the prince of Babylon) IN BABYLON.80Cf. vs. 47: I WILL DEAL WITH THE IMAGES OF BABYLON…; AND ALL ITS SLAIN SHALL FALL IN THE MIDST OF IT. And so also he does to Edom (i.e., to Rome), as stated (in Jer. 46:15): WHY HAS ABBIREKHA BEEN WASHED AWAY?81The midrash understands ABBIREKHA as a singular subject, because the Hebrew verb translated, HAS BEEN WASHED AWAY, is singular; however, it is common to follow such a singular verb with a plural subject. Thus the new JPS translation reads: WHY ARE YOUR STALWARTS SWEPT AWAY? This is their prince since he is afflicting that Abbirekha with leprosy.82See below, Lev. 4:16; cf. Gen. 41:43, where “Abrech” (‘BRK) can be taken as a princely title, which according to Gen. R. 90:3 has the homiletic meaning, “Father (‘B) in wisdom and tender (RK) in years.” In the biblical context Jer. 46:15 refers to Egypt, but the midrash regards Abbirekha as intimating the prince of Edom, since according to sec. 6, above, “All the plagues which the Holy One brought upon the Egyptians he is going to bring upon Edom.” Now WASHED AWAY (rt.: SHP) can only mean leprosy, since it is stated (in Lev. 13:2): <WHEN ANYONE HAS ON THE SKIN OF HIS FLESH > A SWELLING OR A SORE (rt.: SPH) <OR A BRIGHT SPOT, AND IT BECOMES ON THE SKIN OF HIS FLESH THE PLAGUE OF LEPROSY >…. Then afterwards he exacts punishment from it (i.e., the whole Kingdom of Edom, rt.: 'DM). It is so stated (in Jer. 46:15, cont.): BECAUSE THE LORD THRUST IT DOWN. And so it also says (in Is. 24:21): THE LORD SHALL PUNISH THE HOST OF HEAVEN IN HEAVEN; then afterwards (ibid.): AND THE KINGS OF THE EARTH (rt.: 'DM) {IN} [ON] THE EARTH (rt.: 'DM). But in the case of Israel, just as their God lives and abides forever and forevermore, so do they live and abide forever and forevermore. Thus it is stated (in Jer. 10:10): BUT THE LORD IS A TRUE GOD: HE IS A LIVING GOD AND AN EVERLASTING KING; while concerning Israel it is written (in Deut. 4:4): BUT YOU WHO CLUNG TO THE LORD YOUR GOD ARE ALL ALIVE TODAY.
ויקם פרעה לילה (שמות יב ל). מהו לילה, שהיה חשוך (בלילה) [כלילה].
(Exod. 12:30:) AND PHARAOH NIGHT AROSE.75Ths midrash is identifying NIGHT with Pharaoh, perhaps as his name. A more traditional translation would run: AND PHARAOH AROSE IN THE NIGHT. What is the meaning of NIGHT? That he (Pharaoh) was dark {in} [like] the night.
הוא וכל עבדיו. הוא חשוך והן חשוכין.
(Ibid., cont.:) HE AND ALL HIS SERVANTS. He was dark and they were dark.
ותהי צעקה גדולה וגו' (שם), כיצד מצרי נושא חמש נשים, והיו לו חמש בכורות מהן וכן אשה שהיתה נשואה לחמש אנשים, והיו לה מהן חמש בכורות (מהן), והיו כולם מתים, לקיים מה שנאמר ומת כל בכור. ובית שלא היה בו בכור היתה צווחה גדולה (מן הבית) [כבבית] שהיה בו בכור, שהיה בעל הבית בכור, שנאמר (גם) [אף] אני בכור אתנהו (תהלים פט כח), שנאמר ותהי צעקה גדולה במצרים כי אין בית אשר אין שם מת (שמות שם).
(Ibid., cont.:) BECAUSE THERE WAS A GREAT CRY…. How so? When an Egyptian marries five women, he has five first-born from them; and likewise when a woman is married to five men, she has from them five first-born {from them}. So all of them died. It was in order to confirm what is stated (in Exod. 11:5): AND EVERY FIRST-BORN <IN THE LAND OF EGYPT> SHALL DIE. Moreover, a house in which there was no first-born had an outcry {greater than the house} [as great as in the house] in which there was a first-born, because the master of the house was <himself> a first-born,76I.e., by virtue of his status the head of the house was considered a first-born. as stated (in Ps. 89:28 [27]): I WILL ALSO APPOINT HIM FIRST-BORN. Thus it is stated (in Exod. 12:30): BECAUSE THERE WAS A GREAT CRY IN EGYPT; FOR THERE WAS NO HOUSE WHERE THERE WAS NOT SOMEONE DEAD.
ויקרא למשה ולאהרן (שם שם לא). היה הולך וקורא בלילה בכל שוק ושוק ואומר היכן הוא משה והיכן הוא דר, והיו בניהם של ישראל משחקין בו, ואומרים לו פרעה להיכן אתה הולך, והוא אומר להם למשה אני מבקש, והם אומרים לו כאן הוא דר ומשחקים בו עד שעמד עליו, [א"ל פרע] קומו צאו מתוך עמי (שם), אמר לו משה וכי גנבים אנו, הקב"ה אמר לא תצאו איש מפתח ביתו עד בקר (שם שם כב), א"ל פרעה בבקשה ממך קומו צאו, א"ל משה למה אתה מטריה הרבה, א"ל שאני בכור ומתיירא אני שמא אמות, א"ל משה אל תתירא מן הדבר, לגדולה מזו אתה מתוקן, ולא תאמר שפרעה בלבד היה דוחק אלא כל המצרים היו דוחקין, שנאמר ותחזק מצרים וגו' (שם שם לג), אמר להם הקב"ה חייכם אין כולכם מתים כאן אלא בים, למה לא מתו כולם במכת בכורות אלא בים, אמר ר' שמואל בר נחמן בערמה באו מצרים על ישראל, אמרו אם משעבדים אנו אותם באש, יכול אלוהיהן להביא עלינו אש מלמעלה, כשם שהביא על הסדומים, אלא נשבע שאיני מביא עוד מבול לעולם, (חייכם) בואו ונשעבדם במים, אמר להן הקב"ה אני נשבעתי שאיני מביא עוד מבול לעולם, חייכם אותן אנשים הלכו למבול, שנאמר יגירהו על ידי חרב (תהלים סגי ב), אותן האנשים נגררין והולכין מעצמן לים, מנת שועלים יהיו (שם), אמר שלמה אחזו לנו שועלים וגו' (שה"ש ב טו). אמר ר' שמואל (שעל הים הביטו) [שעל ים כתיב].
(Exod. 12:31:) AND HE CALLED MOSES AND AARON <IN THE NIGHT>. He (Pharaoh) went <about> calling them during the night in every single street and was saying: Where is Moses, and where does he live?77Mekhilta de Rabbi Ishmael, Pisha 13. But the children of Israel were mocking him and saying to him: Where are you going, Pharaoh? When he said to them: I am looking for Moses, they said to him: Here is where he lives. So they mocked him until he stood before him (i.e., Moses). [Pharaoh said to him] (ibid., cont.): ARISE AND GO AWAY FROM AMONG MY PEOPLE. Moses said to him: Are we thieves? The Holy One has said (in Exod. 12:22): NONE OF YOU SHALL GO OUTSIDE THE DOOR OF HIS HOUSE UNTIL MORNING. Pharaoh said to him: Will you please arise <and> leave! Moses said to him: Why are you going to so much trouble? He said to him: Because I am a first-born, and I am afraid I may die. Moses said to him: Do not be afraid of <this> thing. You are destined for something greater than this. Now you are not to say that Pharaoh alone was urging < Israel to leave >; rather all the Egyptians were urging <them to leave>. It is so stated (in Exod. 12:33): AND THE EGYPTIANS PRESSED <THE PEOPLE ON, TO SEND THEM OUT OF THE LAND IN HASTE>…. The Holy One said to them: By your life, none of you shall die here but in the sea. Why did all of them not die from the plague of the first-born, but in the sea? R. Samuel bar Nahman said: <It> was through guile <that> the Egyptians came upon Israel. They said: If we enslave them by fire, their God will be able to bring fire upon us from above just as he brought it upon the Sodomites. He has, however, sworn never again to bring a flood into the world. {By your life,} come and let us enslave them through water. The Holy One said: I have sworn never again to bring a flood into the world. By your life, those people have gone into the flood. It is so stated (in Ps. 63:11 [10]): THEY SHALL BE DRAGGED78Interpreting yaggiruhu as coming from the root GRR instead of from NGR. TO THE POWER OF THE DRYNESS79Interpreting HRB as horev instead of herev. A more usual translation would read: THEY SHALL BE DELIVERED TO THE POWER OF THE SWORD. For interpretation of the verse given here, see Exod. R. 22:1; Cant. R. 2:15:1. (of the sea bed). These people (i.e. these Egyptians) were dragged and went into the sea on their own. (Ibid., cont.:) THEY SHALL BE A PORTION FOR THE FOXES. Solomon said (Cant. 2:15): TAKE US <TO> THE FOXES (ShW'LYM)…. R. Samuel has said: {They saw THE DEPTH OF THE SEA (Sh'L HYM).} [DEPTH OF SEA (Sh'L YM) is written <here>.]
פרע מהם הקב"ה במצרים, ואח"כ פרע מהם על הים, במצרים מה כתיב, ויהי בחצי הלילה, כיון שהכה השר שלהן ואחר כך הכה אותן, וכן הוא אומר ובכל אלהי מצרים וגו' (שמות יב יב), של אבן היה נימוק, של כסף ושל זהב היה ניתוך, כיון שפרע מאלהיהם ואחר כך פרע מהם, סוס ורוכבו רמה בים, זה השר, ואח"כ מרכבות פרעה וחילו], אף במלכות רומי הרשעה הזו משהקב"ה פורע משר שלהם ואחר כך פורע מהם, כשם שעשה למלכות בבל, משפרע משרם ואחר כך פרע מנבוכדנצר, שנאמר ופקדתי על בל בבבל (ירמיה נא מד). ואף כך הוא עושה לאדום, שנאמר מדוע נסחף אביריך (שם מו טו), זה השר שלהם, שמלקה אביריך אותו בצרעת, ואין נסחף אלא צרעת, שנאמר שאת או ספחת וגו' (ויקרא יג ב), ואחר כך הוא פורע ממנה, שנאמר כי ה' הדפו (ירמיה שם), וכן הוא אומר יפקד ה' על צבא המרום במרום (ישעיה כד כא), ואחר כך ועל מלכי האדמה (באדמה) [על האדמה] (שם), אבל ישראל כשם שאלהיהם חי וקיים לעולם ולעולמי עולמים, כך הם חיים וקימים לעולם ולעולמי עולמים, שנאמר וה' אלהים אמת הוא אלהים חיים ומלך עולם (ירמיה י י), ובישראל כתיב ואתם הדבקים בה' אלהיכם חיים כולכם היום (דברים ד ד).
The Holy One exacted punishment from them in Egypt and afterwards he exacted punishment from them at the sea. What is written concerning Egypt (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>. When he had killed their prince, he afterwards killed them; and so it says (in Exod. 12:12): AND ON ALL THE GODS OF EGYPT <I WILL EXECUTE JUDGMENTS>…. <Gods > of stone have rotted; <those> of silver and gold have been melted. When he had exacted punishment from their gods, he afterwards exacted punishment from them. (Exod. 15:1, cf. 21:) THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER HE HAS THROWN INTO THE SEA. This is the prince. And after that (in vs. 4): PHARAOH'S CHARIOTS AND HIS ARMY <HE HAS CAST INTO THE SEA>. Also in the case of this evil Roman Empire, when the Holy One has exacted punishment from their prince, he will afterwards exact punishment from them, just as he did to the Babylonian Empire. When he had exacted punishment from their prince, he afterwards exacted punishment from Nebuchadnezzar. It is so stated (in Jer. 51:44): I WILL ATTEND TO BEL (the prince of Babylon) IN BABYLON.80Cf. vs. 47: I WILL DEAL WITH THE IMAGES OF BABYLON…; AND ALL ITS SLAIN SHALL FALL IN THE MIDST OF IT. And so also he does to Edom (i.e., to Rome), as stated (in Jer. 46:15): WHY HAS ABBIREKHA BEEN WASHED AWAY?81The midrash understands ABBIREKHA as a singular subject, because the Hebrew verb translated, HAS BEEN WASHED AWAY, is singular; however, it is common to follow such a singular verb with a plural subject. Thus the new JPS translation reads: WHY ARE YOUR STALWARTS SWEPT AWAY? This is their prince since he is afflicting that Abbirekha with leprosy.82See below, Lev. 4:16; cf. Gen. 41:43, where “Abrech” (‘BRK) can be taken as a princely title, which according to Gen. R. 90:3 has the homiletic meaning, “Father (‘B) in wisdom and tender (RK) in years.” In the biblical context Jer. 46:15 refers to Egypt, but the midrash regards Abbirekha as intimating the prince of Edom, since according to sec. 6, above, “All the plagues which the Holy One brought upon the Egyptians he is going to bring upon Edom.” Now WASHED AWAY (rt.: SHP) can only mean leprosy, since it is stated (in Lev. 13:2): <WHEN ANYONE HAS ON THE SKIN OF HIS FLESH > A SWELLING OR A SORE (rt.: SPH) <OR A BRIGHT SPOT, AND IT BECOMES ON THE SKIN OF HIS FLESH THE PLAGUE OF LEPROSY >…. Then afterwards he exacts punishment from it (i.e., the whole Kingdom of Edom, rt.: 'DM). It is so stated (in Jer. 46:15, cont.): BECAUSE THE LORD THRUST IT DOWN. And so it also says (in Is. 24:21): THE LORD SHALL PUNISH THE HOST OF HEAVEN IN HEAVEN; then afterwards (ibid.): AND THE KINGS OF THE EARTH (rt.: 'DM) {IN} [ON] THE EARTH (rt.: 'DM). But in the case of Israel, just as their God lives and abides forever and forevermore, so do they live and abide forever and forevermore. Thus it is stated (in Jer. 10:10): BUT THE LORD IS A TRUE GOD: HE IS A LIVING GOD AND AN EVERLASTING KING; while concerning Israel it is written (in Deut. 4:4): BUT YOU WHO CLUNG TO THE LORD YOUR GOD ARE ALL ALIVE TODAY.
חסלת פרשת בא
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