Midrasch zu Tehillim 77:16

Rabbi Eliezer interpreted the verse regarding the redemption from Egypt. Just as this lily, when it is situated among the thorns, is difficult for its owner to pluck it, so too, the redemption of Israel was difficult for the Holy One blessed be He. That is what is written: “Or has a god sought to come and take for himself a nation from the midst of a nation…?” (Deuteronomy 4:34). Rabbi Yehoshua said in the name of Rabbi Ḥanan: It is not written here: “A nation from the midst of a people,” or “a people from the midst of a nation,” but rather, “a nation from the midst of a nation,” as these were uncircumcised and those were uncircumcised, these grew their hairlocks and those grew their hairlocks,¹⁶The reference is a to a hairstyle that was common among gentiles, known as belorit, in which they would grow a long lock of hair from the backs of their heads. these wore garments of diverse kinds and those wore garments of diverse kinds.¹⁷The Israelites and Egyptians appeared quite similar to each other in appearance and in lifestyle. If so, the attribute of justice would never have allowed Israel to be redeemed from Egypt. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: Had the Holy One blessed be He not bound Himself with an oath, Israel would never have been redeemed from Egypt. That is what is written: “Therefore, say to the children of Israel: I am the Lord and I will take you out from under the burdens of Egypt” (Exodus 6:6). “Therefore” is nothing other than an oath, just as it says: “Therefore, I have taken an oath to the house of Eli” (I Samuel 3:14). Rabbi Berekhya said: “With Your arm, You redeemed Your people” (Psalms 77:16), by force.¹⁸You overcame the attribute of justice by force.
Rabbi Yudan said: From “to come and take for himself a nation” until “awesome deeds” (Deuteronomy 4:34) there are seventy-two letters.¹⁹In the Hebrew text. If a person will tell you seventy-five, say to him: Exclude from them the second [mention of the word] nation [goy], which is not included in the tally. Rabbi Avin said: He redeemed them with His name, as the name of the Holy One blessed be He consists of seventy-two letters. ²⁰The second nation is Egypt, which is not included in the name of God.

The disciples of R. Jose questioned him: "How did David marry two sisters while they were both living?" He answered them: "He married Michal after the death of Merab." And R. Jose said so in accordance with his own theory, for we are taught in a Baraitha: R. Jose used to lecture about the following two confused passages: It is written (II Sam. 21, 8) And the king took the two sons of Rizpah, the daughters of Ayah, whom she had born unto Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of Michal, the daughler of Saul, whom she had borne to Adriel, the son of Barzillai the Mehollathite. But was Michal given to Adriel? Was she not given to Palti b. Layish? as it is written (Ib. 25, 44) But Saul had given Michal his daughter, David's wife, to Palti, the son of Layish. Hence the Scriptures equalize the betrothing of Merab to Adriel to the betrothing of Michal to Palti b. Layish. Just as the betrothing of Michal to Palti was a sin because she was already the wife of David, so also was the betrothing of Herab to Adriel a sin because she was already David's wife. But what would R. Joshua b. Karcha say to the passage which reads: The five sons of Michal, the daughter of Saul? Did then, Michal hear them? Was it not Merab who bore them? R. Joshua will answer that Merab bore them and Michal merely brought them up, and therefore they bore the name of Michal. This is to teach you that the one who brings up an orphan is considered by Scriptures as if he bore the child. R. Chanina says: "This is inferred from (Ruth 4, 17) There hath been a son born unto Naomi, etc. Did, then, Naomi bear him? Was it not, in fact, Ruth who bore him? Therefore we must say that, though Ruth bore him, he was nevertheless brought up by Naomi, and therefore is he called after her." R. Jochanan said: "From the following (I Chr. 4, 18) And his wife the Jewess bore Jered the father of Gedor, and Heber the father, etc., and these are the sons of Bithiah, the daughter of Pharaoh, whom Mered had taken [for wife]. Mered refers to Caleb, and why was he called Mered (rebel)? Because he rebelled against the accusation of the spies. And was he then born of Bithiah? Behold he was born of Jochcbed? We must therefore say that, though he was born of Jochebed, he was nevertheless raised by Bithiah, and therefore he is called after her name." R. Eliezer said: From the following (Ps. 77, 16) Thou hast with Thine arm redeemed Thy people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah, Were they, then, born to Joseph, and not to Jacob? They were born to Jacob, but Joseph fed them, and therefore they were named after him.

(Numbers 7:54:) "On the eighth day, the prince of the Children of Manasseh." R. Abbin Berabbi the Levite said, “As Joseph was offering his praise, his master saw him murmuring with his mouth.¹²²Numb. R. 14:3. He said to him, ‘What are you saying.’ Then he answered and said to him, ‘I am offering praise to the Holy One, blessed be He.’ He said to him, ‘I want to see Him.’ Joseph said to him, ‘Consider the sun, [who is merely] one of His several attendants.¹²³In an unvowelled Hebrew text “sun” (shemesh) and “attendant” (shammash) would have the same spelling, i.e., ShMSh. [Since] you cannot look at [His attendant], how much the less [can you look at] His own glory.’¹²⁴See above. Exod. 8:6; below, Numb. 3:15. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, ‘By your life, because of you I am appearing to him.’ Thus it is stated (in Gen. 39:3), ‘When his master saw that the Lord was with him.’” R. Chaninah said, “What is the meaning of (Ps. 24:10), ‘Who is this King of glory]?’ [It is] since He shares His glory with those who fear Him.¹²⁵Above, Exod. 2:7, and the other parallels listed there. In the case of a king of flesh and blood, no one [else] uses his scepter; but the Holy One, blessed be He, gave his scepter to Moses, as stated (in Exod. 4:20), ‘and Moses took the rod of God in his hand.’ In the case of a king of flesh and blood, no one [else] sits on his throne; but it is written about Solomon (in I Chron. 29:23), ‘Then Solomon sat upon the throne of the Lord.’ In the case of a king of flesh and blood, no one [else] rides on his horse; but Elijah ride on the horse of the Holy One, blessed be He. Now which horse belongs to the Holy One, blessed be He? Storm and whirlwind. Thus it is stated (in Nahum 1:3), ‘the Lord is in the whirlwind, and the storm is His road.’ And He gave it to Elijah. So it is written (in II Kings 2:11), ‘and Elijah went up in a whirlwind into the heavens.’ In the case of a king of flesh and blood, no one [else] wears his attire; but the Holy One, blessed be He has put his attire on the messianic king. And what is the attire of the Holy One, blessed be He? Honor and majesty, as stated (in Ps. 104:1), ‘You have put on honor and majesty.’ And it is written (in Ps. 21:6), ‘honor and majesty do You bestow upon him.’” What is written about the Holy One, blessed be He (in Is. 59:18)? “According to their deeds, so shall He repay.”¹²⁶Biblical translations commonly render “RECOMPENSE” (gemulot) as “THEIR DEEDS.” What is the meaning of “[He] shall repay […] He shall repay” (twice)? That He repays the good according to their good [deeds] and the evil according to their evil [deeds]. What is written about Joseph (in Gen. 49:22)? “Joseph is a fruitful son.”¹²⁷So literally. Biblical translations usually render “son” (ben) by a word like “bough” or “vine.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Joseph, there shall be peace upon the eye which you closed and did not look at any of the Egyptian women.”¹²⁸Cf. Gen. R. 98(99):18. Thus it is stated (ibid., cont.), “daughters¹²⁹Again English versions generally read “boughs” or the like. step upon the wall (i.e., to gaze).” R. Abbin said, “What is the meaning of ‘upon the wall ('ly shwr)’?¹³⁰Numb. R. 14:6. The Holy One, blessed be He, said, ‘It is for me ('ly) to pay a reward (skr) for that eye.’” Our masters have taught (in Zev. 14:4, 5, 6, 7, 8) that they would eat in the Temple within the curtains, but in Shiloh (which lay in Ephraimite territory) [they would eat outside the sanctuary as far away as the eye could see,¹³¹See Zev. 118b. as] the Holy One, blessed be He, rewarded Joseph for what he did. What is written [about Joseph (in Gen. 39:12)? “And he left his cloak [in her hand].” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “By your life, when the Children of Israel go out from Egypt in the future, the sea is going to see your coffin and flee.”¹³²See Mekhilta deRabbi Ishmael, Beshallah, 4; Gen. R. 84:5; M. Pss. 114:9. It is so stated (in Ps. 114:3), “The sea saw and fled […].” What did it see? It saw that Joseph had kept all of the Ten Commandments. Simeon, the man of Kitron, says, “It saw the bones of Joseph.”¹³³Gen. R. 87:8). And in addition, Joseph's coffin (aron) proceeded before the ark (aron). And the peoples of the world saw it and said, “What is the nature of this ark which is proceeding before the ark of the Torah?” Then Israel said, “This is a coffin of a dead man that is proceeding before the ark of the Torah, since this [man] fulfilled everything that was written in this [Torah], before the Torah was given. And therefore he merited to proceed with it.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Joseph, “Joseph, although I have rewarded you with a little reward in this world, the main fund remains for you in the world to come, when Israel is redeemed with an everlasting redemption. Through the merit of Jacob and through your merit, they will be redeemed, as stated (in Ps. 77:16), “With Your mighty arm You redeemed Your people, the Children of Jacob and Joseph. Selah.”