וישב ישראל בשטים (במדבר כה א). ילמדנו רבינו בזכות כמה דברים נגאלו ישראל ממצרים, כך שנו רבותינו בזכות ד' דברים נגאלו ישראל ממצרים, שלא שינו שמם, ולא שינו לשונם, ולא גילו מסתורין שלהם, ולא נפרצו בעריות.
(Numb. 25:1:) WHILE ISRAEL WAS STAYING AT SHITTIM, <THE PEOPLE BEGAN TO GO WHORING>. Let our master instruct us: By virtue of how many things was Israel redeemed from Egypt?104Tanh., Numb. 7:16; Numb. R. 20:22. Thus have our masters taught: Israel was redeemed from Egypt by virtue of four things: (1) that they did not change their name, (2) that they did not change their language, (3) that they did not disclose their secrets,105Gk. and Lat.: mysteria. and (4) they were not unbridled in unchastity.106Lev. R. 32:5; Cant. R. 4:12:1; PRK 11:6; M. Pss. 114:4; also Mekhilta de Rabbi Ishmael, Pisha 5; Exod. R. 1:28.
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שלא שינו שמם, שראובן ושמעון ירדו וראובן ושמעון עלו. ולא שינו לשונם, שנאמר כי פי המדבר אליכם (בראשית מה יב), שהיו מספרין בלשון הקודש. שלא גילו מסתורין שלהן שאמר להם משה ושאלה אשה משכנתה (שמות ג כב), והיה הדבר מופקד אצלם י"ב חודש, ולא גילו למצרים, ולא נפרצו בעריות, שנאמר גן נעול מעין חתום אלו הנקבות, תדע לך שהוא כן, שהרי אחת היתה ופרסמה הכתוב, ויצא בן אשה ישראלית [וגו', ושם אמו שלומיצת בת דברי למטה דן] (ויקרא כד י יא), וכל אותן מ' שנה שהיו במדבר לא סרחו בערוה עד שבאו לשטים, לכך נאמר וישב ישראל בטשטים וגו'. שטים, שעשו שטות, שנאמר נואף אשה חסר לב (משלי ו לב).
That they did not change their name. Thus Reuben and Simeon went down (to Egypt), and Reuben and Simeon (with no name change) came up (from Egypt).
And they did not change their language, as stated (in Gen. 45:12): THAT IT IS MY MOUTH (i.e., MY LANGUAGE) WHICH IS SPEAKING UNTO YOU. Thus they were talking in the sacred tongue.
That they did not reveal their secrets, when Moses said to them (in Exod. 3:22): BUT EACH WOMAN SHALL BORROW <OBJECTS OF SILVER, OBJECTS OF GOLD, AND CLOTHING> FROM HER NEIGHBOR <AND FROM THE WOMAN WHO SOJOURNS IN HER HOUSE>. Now the command was entrusted to them for twelve months, but they never revealed it to the Egyptians.
And they were not unbridled in unchastity, as stated (in Cant. 4:12): A LOCKED GARDEN IS MY SISTER, MY BRIDE, A LOCKED FOUNTAIN,107Gal. The word can also mean “door” and the midrash may well have this meaning in mind. A SEALED SPRING. (ibid.:) A LOCKED GARDEN. These are the males. A LOCKED FOUNTAIN, A SEALED SPRING. These are the females. You yourself know that it is so, since there was <but> one exception and Scripture aired her case (in Lev. 24:10–11): NOW THERE WENT OUT THE SON OF AN ISRAELITE WOMAN, <WHOSE FATHER WAS AN EGYPTIAN > […. AND THE NAME OF HIS MOTHER WAS SHELOMITH BAT DIBRI OF THE TRIBE OF DAN.]108If he were not a bastard, his father’s name would have been given. Now in all those forty years that they were in the desert, they never committed the sin of unchastity, until they came to Shittim. It is therefore stated (in Numb. 25:1): WHILE ISRAEL WAS STAYING AT SHITTIM, <THE PEOPLE BEGAN TO GO WHORING>. AT SHITTIM, because they had committed folly (shetut),109The word can also mean “idolatry.” as stated (in Prov. 6:32): ONE WHO COMMITS ADULTERY WITH A WOMAN HAS NO SENSE.
וישב ישראל בשטים (במדבר כה א). ילמדנו רבינו בזכות כמה דברים נגאלו ישראל ממצרים, כך שנו רבותינו בזכות ד' דברים נגאלו ישראל ממצרים, שלא שינו שמם, ולא שינו לשונם, ולא גילו מסתורין שלהם, ולא נפרצו בעריות.
(Numb. 25:1:) WHILE ISRAEL WAS STAYING AT SHITTIM, <THE PEOPLE BEGAN TO GO WHORING>. Let our master instruct us: By virtue of how many things was Israel redeemed from Egypt?104Tanh., Numb. 7:16; Numb. R. 20:22. Thus have our masters taught: Israel was redeemed from Egypt by virtue of four things: (1) that they did not change their name, (2) that they did not change their language, (3) that they did not disclose their secrets,105Gk. and Lat.: mysteria. and (4) they were not unbridled in unchastity.106Lev. R. 32:5; Cant. R. 4:12:1; PRK 11:6; M. Pss. 114:4; also Mekhilta de Rabbi Ishmael, Pisha 5; Exod. R. 1:28.
שלא שינו שמם, שראובן ושמעון ירדו וראובן ושמעון עלו. ולא שינו לשונם, שנאמר כי פי המדבר אליכם (בראשית מה יב), שהיו מספרין בלשון הקודש. שלא גילו מסתורין שלהן שאמר להם משה ושאלה אשה משכנתה (שמות ג כב), והיה הדבר מופקד אצלם י"ב חודש, ולא גילו למצרים, ולא נפרצו בעריות, שנאמר גן נעול מעין חתום אלו הנקבות, תדע לך שהוא כן, שהרי אחת היתה ופרסמה הכתוב, ויצא בן אשה ישראלית [וגו', ושם אמו שלומיצת בת דברי למטה דן] (ויקרא כד י יא), וכל אותן מ' שנה שהיו במדבר לא סרחו בערוה עד שבאו לשטים, לכך נאמר וישב ישראל בטשטים וגו'. שטים, שעשו שטות, שנאמר נואף אשה חסר לב (משלי ו לב).
That they did not change their name. Thus Reuben and Simeon went down (to Egypt), and Reuben and Simeon (with no name change) came up (from Egypt).
And they did not change their language, as stated (in Gen. 45:12): THAT IT IS MY MOUTH (i.e., MY LANGUAGE) WHICH IS SPEAKING UNTO YOU. Thus they were talking in the sacred tongue.
That they did not reveal their secrets, when Moses said to them (in Exod. 3:22): BUT EACH WOMAN SHALL BORROW <OBJECTS OF SILVER, OBJECTS OF GOLD, AND CLOTHING> FROM HER NEIGHBOR <AND FROM THE WOMAN WHO SOJOURNS IN HER HOUSE>. Now the command was entrusted to them for twelve months, but they never revealed it to the Egyptians.
And they were not unbridled in unchastity, as stated (in Cant. 4:12): A LOCKED GARDEN IS MY SISTER, MY BRIDE, A LOCKED FOUNTAIN,107Gal. The word can also mean “door” and the midrash may well have this meaning in mind. A SEALED SPRING. (ibid.:) A LOCKED GARDEN. These are the males. A LOCKED FOUNTAIN, A SEALED SPRING. These are the females. You yourself know that it is so, since there was <but> one exception and Scripture aired her case (in Lev. 24:10–11): NOW THERE WENT OUT THE SON OF AN ISRAELITE WOMAN, <WHOSE FATHER WAS AN EGYPTIAN > […. AND THE NAME OF HIS MOTHER WAS SHELOMITH BAT DIBRI OF THE TRIBE OF DAN.]108If he were not a bastard, his father’s name would have been given. Now in all those forty years that they were in the desert, they never committed the sin of unchastity, until they came to Shittim. It is therefore stated (in Numb. 25:1): WHILE ISRAEL WAS STAYING AT SHITTIM, <THE PEOPLE BEGAN TO GO WHORING>. AT SHITTIM, because they had committed folly (shetut),109The word can also mean “idolatry.” as stated (in Prov. 6:32): ONE WHO COMMITS ADULTERY WITH A WOMAN HAS NO SENSE.