Commentary for Exodus 2:1

ויקח את בת לוי AND HE HAD TAKEN TO WIFE A DAUGHTER OF LEVI — He had lived apart from her in consequence of Pharaoh’s decree that the children should, on their birth, be drowned. Now he took her back and entered into a second marriage with her, and she also physically became young again. For really she was then 130 years old — for she was born “between the walls” when they were about to enter Egypt (cf. Rashi on Genesis 46:15) and they (the Israelites) remained there 210 years, and when they left Egypt Moses was 80 years old; consequently when she became pregnant with him she was 130 years old — and yet Scripture calls her בת לוי a young daughter of Levi (Sota 12a; Bava Batra 119b).

AND THERE WENT A MAN OF THE HOUSE OF LEVI. Our Rabbis have said⁵¹Sotah 12a. that he went after the advice of his daughter.⁵²Amram and Jochebed, Moses’ parents, had been married previously. The children of that union were Miriam and Aaron. “When Pharaoh decreed that the male children of the Hebrews be killed, Amram separated from his wife, and his example was followed by all of the Israelites. Miriam then told her father that his decree is worse than that of the king. ‘Pharaoh decreed only against the male children, while you include the girls as well. It is doubtful if the decree of wicked Pharaoh will persist, while you are a righteous man and your enactment will surely be upheld by G-d.’ Upon recognizing the justice of her plea, Amram remarried his wife, and the men who had previously followed his example also remarried” (Sotah 12 b). It is this episode which the verse suggests by saying, And there went a man, i.e., “went” after the advice of his daughter and remarried his divorced wife. See also further on in the text for a reference to a prophecy Miriam made at that time. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra said that the Israelites dwelled in many cities, and this woman Jochebed lived in another city. [This would explain the term “went” in the above verse, i.e., he went to another city for his wife.] But what need is there for Scripture to mention this?
In my opinion Scripture uses the term “went” because this man paid no heed to Pharaoh’s decree and took to himself a woman to beget children. Such is Scripture’s way of speaking of anyone who prompts himself to do something new. Thus: And Reuben went and lay with Bilhah;⁵³Genesis 35:22. So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim;⁵⁴Hosea 1:3. Since she was a harlot, it required self-prompting on his part to perform the novel act of marrying her. Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites;⁵⁵Genesis 37:27. Come, and let us smite him with the tongue;⁵⁶Jeremiah 18:18. Come now, and let us reason together.⁵⁷Isaiah 1:18. Similarly this man Amram alerted himself and married a daughter of Levi.
The reason Scripture does not mention the name of the man nor the name of the woman he married is to avoid tracing their genealogy and mentioning who their fathers and their fathers’ fathers were up to Levi. At this point, Scripture desires to shorten the subject until the birth of the redeemer takes place, and after that, in the second seder,⁵⁸I.e., in Seder Va’eira. (A seder is the weekly portion of the Torah read in the synagogue at the Sabbath morning services.) Specifically, Moses’ genealogy is found in Seder Va’eira, Chapter 6, Verses 16-20. He traced the genealogy even of other tribes⁵⁹Reuben and Simeon. (Ibid., Verses 14-15). on account of Moses.
In line with the simple meaning of Scripture, i.e., that this was a first marriage [and not a remarriage as stated above], there is no significance in its being mentioned earlier or later in the chapter. This marriage took place before Pharaoh’s decree [that all male Hebrew children be killed], and she gave birth to Miriam and Aaron. After that, Pharaoh decreed, Every son that is born, ye shall cast into the river,⁶⁰Above, 1:22. and then she gave birth to this goodly son Moses. Scripture did not mention the birth of Miriam and Aaron inasmuch as there was nothing new about them. However, in the opinion of our Rabbis,⁵¹Sotah 12a. this was a remarriage, since Amram separated from his wife in consequence of Pharaoh’s decree and then took her back on account of his daughter’s prophecy.⁶¹Miriam prophesied, “My mother is destined to bear a son who will deliver Israel” (Sotah 13 a). He made her a wedding and placed her in the litter, while Miriam and Aaron danced about them in their joy⁶²So clearly stated in Sotah 12a. because through this marriage, Israel would be redeemed [from Egypt]. Even though Aaron was young⁶³He could have been no more than two years old since he was but three years older than Moses, and Moses was born after the second marriage. [at that time], G-d put gladness in his heart for this occasion, or possibly his sister Miriam taught him.

וילך איש מבית לוי, a reference to Amram.