(Numb. 11:16:) Gather Me seventy men.” Did they not have elders in the past?52Numb. R. 15:20. Was it not already stated in Egypt (in Exod. 3:16), “Go and gather the elders of Israel?” So for what reason had the Holy One, blessed be He, said (in Numb. 11:16), “Gather Me seventy men?” [It was] to teach you that when Pharaoh had said (in Exod. 1:10), “Come let us act shrewdly [...],” Pharaoh gathered all Israel, and said to them, “Please work with me as a favor today.” This is what is written (in vs. 13), “So the Egyptians made the Children of Israel labor with ruthlessness (befarekh).” What is the meaning of “with ruthlessness (befarekh)?” With gentle speech (befeh rakh).53The midrash is interpreting Exod. 1:13 to mean, SO THE EGYPTIANS MADE THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL LABOR WITH GENTLE SPEECH. So Sot. 11ab; Exod. R. 1:11. Pharaoh took a basket and trowel; who [could] see Pharaoh taking basket and trowel, and working with bricks and not [also] work? Israel immediately went quickly, and applied all their strength along with him all the day, because they were strong and mighty. When it grew dark, he posted taskmasters over them. He said to them, “Reckon the [number of] bricks.” They immediately arose and counted them. He said to them, “This many you shall produce for me each and every day.” He assigned Egyptian taskmasters over the officers of Israel, and the officers were assigned over the rest of the people. Moreover when he said to them (in Exod. 5:7), “You shall no longer give the people straw,” the taskmasters came and counted the bricks. [If] they [the bricks] were found deficient, the taskmasters beat the officers, as stated (in Exod. 5:14), “And the officers of the Children of Israel, whom [the taskmasters of Pharaoh] had set over them, were beaten….” When the officers were beaten for the rest of the people, they did not hand them over into the hands of the taskmasters, for they said, “It is better for us to be beaten than that the rest of the people falter.” Therefore when the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses (in Numb. 11:16), “Gather Me seventy men,” Moses said, “My Master, I do not know who is worthy and who is not worthy.” He said to him (in Numb. 11:16 cont.), “Whom you know to be elders and officers of the people.” These are the officers who had handed themselves over to be beaten on their behalf in Egypt because of the required amount of bricks. Let them come and receive this dignity. It therefore says (ibid.), “whom you know to be elders and officers of the people.” Because they handed themselves over to be beaten for the community, therefore (in Numb. 11:16 cont.), “they shall lead with you in leading the people.” [From here] you learn that whoever hands himself over for the sake of Israel merits dignity and the holy spirit. It is therefore written (ibid.) “whom you know [to be elders and officers of the people.” From the ones of whom it is written (in Exod. 5:14), “And the officers of the Children of Israel [whom the taskmasters of Pharaoh had set over them] were beaten.”
אֶסְפָה לִי שִׁבְעִים אִישׁ. וְכִי לֹא הָיָה לָהֶם זְקֵנִים לְשֶׁעָבַר. וְהַלֹּא כְּבָר נֶאֱמַר בְּמִצְרַיִם, לֵךְ וְאָסַפְתָּ אֶת זִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל (שמות ג, טו). אֶלָּא מִפְּנֵי שֶׁאָמַר לֵיהּ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְמֹשֶׁה, אֶסְפָה לִי שִׁבְעִים אִישׁ. לְלַמֶּדְךָ, שֶׁבְּשָׁעָה שֶׁאָמַר פַּרְעֹה, הָבָה נִתְחַכְּמָה לוֹ וַיָּשִׂימוּ עָלָיו שָׁרֵי מִסִּים וַיִּבֶן עָרֵי מִסְכְּנוֹת (שם א, י-יא), בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה, קִבֵּץ אֶת כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַר לָהֶם: בְּבַקָּשָׁה מִכֶּם עָשׂוּ עִמִּי הַיּוֹם טוֹבָה, הַיְינוּ דִּכְתִיב: וַיַּעֲבִידוּ מִצְרַיִם אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּפָרֶךְ (שם פסוק יג). מַהוּ בְּפָרֶךְ בְּפֶה רַךְ. פַּרְעֹה נָטַל סַל וּמַגְרֵפָה. מִי הָיָה רוֹאֶה אֶת פַּרְעֹה נוֹטֵל סַל וּמַגְרֵפָה וְעוֹשֶׂה בַּלְּבֵנִים וְלֹא הָיָה עוֹשֶׂה. מִיָּד הָלְכוּ כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּזְרִיזוּת וְעָשׂוּ עִמּוֹ אוֹתוֹ הַיּוֹם בְּכָל כֹּחָן, לְפִי שֶׁהָיוּ בַּעֲלֵי כֹּחַ וְגִבּוֹרִים. כֵּיוָן שֶׁהֶחְשִׁיכָה, הֶעֱמִיד עֲלֵיהֶם נוֹגְשִׂים, אָמַר לָהֶם: מְנוּ אֶת הַלְּבֵנִים. מִיָּד עָמְדוּ וּמָנוּ אוֹתָם, וְאָמַר לָהֶם: כָּזֶה אַתֶּם מַעֲמִידִים לִי בְּכָל יוֹם וָיוֹם. מִנָּה אֶת הַנּוֹגְשִׂים שֶׁל מִצְרַיִם עַל הַשּׁוֹטְרִים שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְהַשּׁוֹטְרִים נִתְמַנּוּ עַל יֶתֶר הָעָם. וּכְשֶׁאָמַר לָהֶם: לֹא תֹּאסִפוּן לָתֵת תֶּבֶן לָעָם (שם ה, ז), הָיוּ בָּאִין הַנּוֹגְשִׂים וּמוֹנִין אֶת הַלְּבֵנִים וְנִמְצְאוּ חֲסֵרִים, הָיוּ מַכִּין הַנּוֹגְשִׂים אֶת הַשּׁוֹטְרִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיֻּכּוּ שׁוֹטְרֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר שָׂמוּ עֲלֵיהֶם וְגוֹ' (שם פסוק יד). וְהָיוּ הַשּׁוֹטְרִים מֻכִּים עַל שְׁאָר הָעָם וְלֹא הָיוּ מוֹסְרִין אוֹתָן בְּיַד הַנּוֹגְשִׂים, וְהָיוּ אוֹמְרִים: מוּטָב לָנוּ לִלְקוֹת, וְאַל יִכָּשְׁלוּ שְׁאָר הָעָם. לְפִיכָךְ כְּשֶׁאָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְמֹשֶׁה, אֶסְפָה לִי שִׁבְעִים אִישׁ, אָמַר מֹשֶׁה לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, רִבּוֹנִי, אֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ מִי רָאוּי וּמִי אֵינוֹ רָאוּי. אָמַר לוֹ: אֲשֶׁר יָדַעְתָּ כִּי הֵם זִקְנֵי הָעָם וְשׁוֹטְרָיו, אוֹתָן הַזְּקֵנִים וְהַשּׁוֹטְרִים שֶׁמָּסְרוּ עַצְמָן לִלְקוֹת עֲלֵיהֶם בְּמִצְרַיִם בְּמַתְכֹּנֶת הַלְּבֵנִים, הֵם יָבֹאוּ וְיִטְּלוּ בַּגְּדֻלָּה הַזּוֹ. לְפִיכָךְ הוּא אוֹמֵר, אֲשֶׁר יָדַעְתָּ כִּי הֵם זִקְנֵי הָעָם וְשׁוֹטְרָיו. וּלְפִי שֶׁמָּסְרוּ עַצְמָן לִלְקוֹת עַל הַצִּבּוּר, לְפִיכָךְ, וְנָשְׂאוּ אִתְּךָ בְּמַשָּׂא הָעָם. לְלַמֶּדְךָ, שֶׁהִשְׁוָן הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְמֹשֶׁה. מִכָּאן אַתְּ לָמֵד, שֶׁכָּל מִי שֶׁמּוֹסֵר עַצְמוֹ עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל, זוֹכֶה לְכָבוֹד וְלִגְדֻלָּה וּלְרוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ. לְכָךְ כְּתִיב: אֲשֶׁר יָדַעְתָּ כִּי הֵם זִקְנֵי הָעָם וְשׁוֹטְרָיו, מִן אוֹתָם שֶׁכָּתוּב בָּהֶן, וַיֵּכּוּ שׁוֹטְרֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל.
(Numb. 11:16:) Gather Me seventy men.” Did they not have elders in the past?52Numb. R. 15:20. Was it not already stated in Egypt (in Exod. 3:16), “Go and gather the elders of Israel?” So for what reason had the Holy One, blessed be He, said (in Numb. 11:16), “Gather Me seventy men?” [It was] to teach you that when Pharaoh had said (in Exod. 1:10), “Come let us act shrewdly [...],” Pharaoh gathered all Israel, and said to them, “Please work with me as a favor today.” This is what is written (in vs. 13), “So the Egyptians made the Children of Israel labor with ruthlessness (befarekh).” What is the meaning of “with ruthlessness (befarekh)?” With gentle speech (befeh rakh).53The midrash is interpreting Exod. 1:13 to mean, SO THE EGYPTIANS MADE THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL LABOR WITH GENTLE SPEECH. So Sot. 11ab; Exod. R. 1:11. Pharaoh took a basket and trowel; who [could] see Pharaoh taking basket and trowel, and working with bricks and not [also] work? Israel immediately went quickly, and applied all their strength along with him all the day, because they were strong and mighty. When it grew dark, he posted taskmasters over them. He said to them, “Reckon the [number of] bricks.” They immediately arose and counted them. He said to them, “This many you shall produce for me each and every day.” He assigned Egyptian taskmasters over the officers of Israel, and the officers were assigned over the rest of the people. Moreover when he said to them (in Exod. 5:7), “You shall no longer give the people straw,” the taskmasters came and counted the bricks. [If] they [the bricks] were found deficient, the taskmasters beat the officers, as stated (in Exod. 5:14), “And the officers of the Children of Israel, whom [the taskmasters of Pharaoh] had set over them, were beaten….” When the officers were beaten for the rest of the people, they did not hand them over into the hands of the taskmasters, for they said, “It is better for us to be beaten than that the rest of the people falter.” Therefore when the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses (in Numb. 11:16), “Gather Me seventy men,” Moses said, “My Master, I do not know who is worthy and who is not worthy.” He said to him (in Numb. 11:16 cont.), “Whom you know to be elders and officers of the people.” These are the officers who had handed themselves over to be beaten on their behalf in Egypt because of the required amount of bricks. Let them come and receive this dignity. It therefore says (ibid.), “whom you know to be elders and officers of the people.” Because they handed themselves over to be beaten for the community, therefore (in Numb. 11:16 cont.), “they shall lead with you in leading the people.” [From here] you learn that whoever hands himself over for the sake of Israel merits dignity and the holy spirit. It is therefore written (ibid.) “whom you know [to be elders and officers of the people.” From the ones of whom it is written (in Exod. 5:14), “And the officers of the Children of Israel [whom the taskmasters of Pharaoh had set over them] were beaten.”