ד"א [ויהי בשלח]. למה הדבר דומה, למלך שנשבה בנו, לבש נקמה באויביו והלך והביאו, נטל את השבאיי ותלאו בגרדון, התחיל לצער אותו ואמר למה עשית כך לבני, עם שהוא מצערו, התחיל להודות, ואמר המלך ווי שהודה זה, הייתי מבקש לצערו הרבה והודה מיד, נתן לו אפופסין, כך פרעה שיעבד את ישראל במצרים, התחילו המכות באות עליו, ולא שילח את ישראל אלא אחר שבאו עליו כל המכות התחיל לשלחן, אמר הקב"ה ווי ששילח אותן ויהי בשלח פרעה.
Another interpretation (of Exod. 13:17): [NOW IT CAME TO PASS (WYHY), WHEN <PHARAOH> HAD LET <THE PEOPLE> GO.] To what is the matter comparable? To a king whose son was taken prisoner.7Cf. below, 4:13. He clothed himself in vindictiveness against his enemies. So he went and brought him <back>. <Then,> he took the captor and hanged him on a scaffold.8Lat.: gradus (“step”). Hanging on the scaffold in this case was like hanging on a cross and would not bring about immediate death. He began to torment him. Then he said to him: Why did you do this to my son? While he was tormenting him, he began to confess. The king said: Alas, when this one had confessed. I was intending to torment him a lot, but he has confessed immediately. <Then, > he gave him a dispensation.9Gk.: apophasis. So it was with Pharaoh when he enslaved Israel in Egypt. The plagues began to come upon him, but he did not let Israel go. Only after all the plagues had come upon him, did he begin to let them go. The Holy One said: Alas (WY), when he let them go. (Exod. 13:17): ALAS (WY), WOE (HY),10Thus the midrash interprets NOW IT CAME TO PASS (WYHY) as ALAS, WOE by understanding WYHY as two words. WHEN PHARAOH HAD LET <THE PEOPLE > GO.
ד"א [ויהי בשלח]. למה הדבר דומה, למלך שנשבה בנו, לבש נקמה באויביו והלך והביאו, נטל את השבאיי ותלאו בגרדון, התחיל לצער אותו ואמר למה עשית כך לבני, עם שהוא מצערו, התחיל להודות, ואמר המלך ווי שהודה זה, הייתי מבקש לצערו הרבה והודה מיד, נתן לו אפופסין, כך פרעה שיעבד את ישראל במצרים, התחילו המכות באות עליו, ולא שילח את ישראל אלא אחר שבאו עליו כל המכות התחיל לשלחן, אמר הקב"ה ווי ששילח אותן ויהי בשלח פרעה.
Another interpretation (of Exod. 13:17): [NOW IT CAME TO PASS (WYHY), WHEN <PHARAOH> HAD LET <THE PEOPLE> GO.] To what is the matter comparable? To a king whose son was taken prisoner.7Cf. below, 4:13. He clothed himself in vindictiveness against his enemies. So he went and brought him <back>. <Then,> he took the captor and hanged him on a scaffold.8Lat.: gradus (“step”). Hanging on the scaffold in this case was like hanging on a cross and would not bring about immediate death. He began to torment him. Then he said to him: Why did you do this to my son? While he was tormenting him, he began to confess. The king said: Alas, when this one had confessed. I was intending to torment him a lot, but he has confessed immediately. <Then, > he gave him a dispensation.9Gk.: apophasis. So it was with Pharaoh when he enslaved Israel in Egypt. The plagues began to come upon him, but he did not let Israel go. Only after all the plagues had come upon him, did he begin to let them go. The Holy One said: Alas (WY), when he let them go. (Exod. 13:17): ALAS (WY), WOE (HY),10Thus the midrash interprets NOW IT CAME TO PASS (WYHY) as ALAS, WOE by understanding WYHY as two words. WHEN PHARAOH HAD LET <THE PEOPLE > GO.