Midrash sobre Exodo 3:22

(Numb. 22:2:) “Now Balak ben Zippor saw.” What is the meaning of “Now he saw?” He saw retribution which would come against Israel in the future.³Numb. R. 20:2. And he hated them more than all their enemies, as all of the [others] came with wars and subjugation which they could withstand. But this one was like a man who could extract a word from his mouth to uproot an entire nation. (Numb. 22:2:) “Now Balak [ben Zippor] saw.” It would have been better for the wicked if they had been blind, for their eyes bring a curse to the world. With reference to the generation of the flood, [it is written] (in Gen. 6:2), “The sons of God saw [how beautiful the human daughters were and took whomever they chose as their wives].” [It is also written] (in Gen. 9:22), “Then Ham, the father of Canaan, saw [the nakedness of his father and told his two brothers outside].” It is also written (in Gen. 12:15), “So Pharaoh's courtiers saw her (i.e., Abram's wife Sarah) [and praised her to Pharaoh, and the woman was taken to Pharaoh's house].” It is also written (in Gen. 34:2), “Then Shechem ben Hamor saw [Dinah].” So also [here] (in Numb. 22:2), “Now Balak [ben Zippor] saw.” The matter is comparable to someone who appointed guards to guard from an invader; and he had confidence in them, because they were warriors. When the invader came over and killed them, he trembled with fear for himself. It was the same also with Balak. When he saw what happened with Sihon and Og to whom he had been sending payment to guard him, he was afraid for himself. And in addition to that, he had seen the miracles at the Wadis of Arnon.⁴According to Numb. 21:26-31, Sihon defeated the King of Moab and captured his territory as far at the Arnon. See above and Numb. R. 19:25, for a description of the miracles. See also below and Numb. R. 20:7, according to which Sihon’s victory resulted from a curse by Balaam. (Numb. 22:3:) “Wayyagor mo'av.”⁵A traditional translation of these words would be NOW MOAB WAS IN GREAT DREAD, or something similar. What is the meaning of “Wayyagor (rt.: ygr)?”⁶Numb. R. 20:3. When Israel appeared to the Ammonites, they appeared clothed for peace. But when they appeared to the Moabites they appeared armed [for battle]. Thus it is stated (in Deut. 2:19), “When you draw near the frontier of the Children of Ammon, do not trouble them.” It is written [to imply not to trouble them] with all kinds of trouble; (ibid., cont.) “and do not provoke (rt.: grh) them,” with any kind of provocation. In regard to Moab, however, He said (in Deut. 2:9), “Do not trouble Moab, and do not provoke (rt.: grh) them with war.” Do not make war with them, but whatever you can seize apart from [war], seize. For that reason they appeared armed, and [the Moabites] gathered themselves (rt.: 'gr) to their cities, as stated (in Numb. 22:3), “Now Moab yagor (i.e., gathered).” Wayyagor (rt.: ygr, here understood a form of 'gr) can only be a word for a gathering, just as it says (in Prov. 10:5), “A prudent child gathers (rt.: 'gr) in the summer.” Another interpretation (of Numb. 22:3), “wayyagor”: [It is] a word for fear, in that they were afraid, as they saw the whole land in the hands of Israel. As Sihon had come and taken [part of] the land of Moab, as stated (Numb. 21:26), “and he fought against the earlier king of Moab….” And Og had taken all of the land of the Children of Ammon, as stated (Deuteronomy 3:11), “Since only Og was left from the remnant of the Rephaim….” [And] Israel came and took it from both of them; theft that has no iniquity. And [so the Moabites] saw their land in the hand of Israel and they would say, “Did the Holy One, blessed be He, not say (in Deuteronomy 2:9), ‘As I will not give you from its land as an inheritance’; and behold our land is in front of them (already in their possession).” Therefore they were afraid. (Numb. 22:3, cont.:) “And Moab had a horror (rt.: qwts) [of the Children of Israel],” because they saw themselves as a [mere] thorn (qwts) over against them.

(Exod. 10:22:) AND THERE WAS THICK DARKNESS IN ALL THE LAND OF EGYPT FOR THREE DAYS. There were < actually > seven days of darkness over the Egyptians.¹⁰Tanh., Exod. 3:3; Exod. R. 14:3. For the first three days whoever was sitting and wanted to stand would stand, and whoever was standing and wanted to sit would sit. Then for the next three days whoever was sitting was unable to stand and whoever was {sitting} [standing] was unable to sit.¹¹Tanh., Exod. 3:3, and Exod. R. 14:3 explains how the two sets of three days are derived from Exod. 10:22–23. First THERE WAS A THICK DARKNESS IN ALL THE LAND OF EGYPT FOR THREE DAYS WHEN THEY COULD NOT SEE ONE ANOTHER. THEN FOR THREE DAYS NO ONE COULD GET UP FROM WHERE HE WAS. Here are six <days>. And which day was the seventh? The one of which it is stated (in Exod. 14:20): THUS THERE WAS THE CLOUD AND THE DARKNESS WHICH LIT UP THE NIGHT. The cloud was in Egypt; and while it gave light to Israel, it was darkened for Egypt, as stated (in Exod. 10:23): BUT ALL THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL HAD LIGHT IN THEIR DWELLINGS. Now, Israel entered the houses of the Egyptians, and whatever the Egyptians had, Israel searched out and looked at <them>. So, when the Holy One said to Israel (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…, Israel entered in among the Egyptians. Then, when each and every one would say to his companion and neighbor: Lend me that object which you have, and when he would say: I do not have it, he would say: I know that you have it, and here it is in your chest. See, it is in such and such a place. I saw it in your hand. So he lent him that object. And how did Israel know this? It is simply that in those days of darkness they had entered their houses and seen their silver, their gold, and whatever objects they had. R. Abbin the Levite said: Also when the plague of blood came over the Egyptians,¹²Cf. above 2:14. the Nile was turned into blood, as stated (in Exod. 7:24): AND ALL THE EGYPTIANS DUG AROUND THE NILE FOR WATER TO DRINK, < BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT DRINK THE WATER OF THE NILE>. What did they do? They saw Israel filling its casks from the Nile. So they went after them and sought water to drink from them, but it became blood within their mouths. R. Abbin said: Whatever they bought from Israel for a price they drank as water. Since it is impossible for anyone to exist without water, they bought water from Israel and thereby enriched Israel. [So also here, when the plague of darkness came upon them, they were acquainted with the Egyptians' houses and thereby <the Egyptians > made Israel rich.]

Rabbi Azarya said: The congregation of Israel said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘Master of the universe, because You gave me the plunder of my neighbors,¹⁶⁶This comment is based on the similarity of the word moshkeni, “draw me,” and mishkenai, “from my neighbors” (Maharzu). we will run after You, as it is stated: “A woman will borrow from her neighbor” (Exodus 3:22); [we thus received] the plunder of Egypt, [along with] the plunder of Siḥon and Og, and the plunder of the thirty-one kings, [and so] we will run after You.’
Another matter, “draw me [moshkheni]; we will run after you,” because you incited my wicked neighbors against me. Rabbi Avun said: [This is analogous] to a king who grew angry at a noblewoman and incited wicked neighbors against her, and she began shouting: ‘My lord the king, rescue me!’ So too regarding Israel, “Sidonites, Amalek, and you called to Me and I rescued you from their hand” (Judges 10:12).
Another matter, “draw me [moshkheni]; we will run after you,” You endanger me [maskineni], so we will run after You. Alternatively, You make me impoverished [memaskeini], so we will run after You, like what Rabbi Aḥa said: A Jew requires the carob to repent,¹⁶⁷Carobs were an important component of the diet of the poor. When people experience economic distress, that can cause them to repent. like what Rabbi Akiva said: Poverty is appropriate for the daughter of Jacob like a [decorative] red strap on the neck of a white horse. Alternatively, “draw me [moshkheni]; we will run after you,” from the collateral that You have taken from me [mashkineni], we will run after You. From the great collateral that you have taken from me, we will run after You, as Rabbi Menaḥama said in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan: It is written: “We have done injury [ḥavol ḥavalnu] to you” (Nehemiah 1:7), this is the first destruction and the second destruction, that were taken as collateral due only because of us.¹⁶⁸The reference here is to the destruction of the two Temples. The Temple is presented as something great that was taken as collateral in the sense that it was taken due to the debt generated by the sins of Israel. The trauma of destruction can cause people to repent.
Rabbi Berekhya [said] in the name of Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Ilai: It is written: “Moses led Israel [from the Red Sea]” (Exodus 15:22); he led them away from the sin at the sea.¹⁶⁹They sinned at the sea by complaining against God and Moses before the splitting of the sea (see Shemot Rabba 21:10) or by carrying an idol with them (see Shemot Rabba 24:1–3). They said to him: ‘Moses our master, to where are you leading us?’ He said to them: ‘To Eilim, from Eilim to Alush, from Alush to Mara, from Mara to Refidim, and from Refidim to Sinai.’ They said: ‘To wherever you go and lead us, we are with you.’ This is analogous to one who went and married a woman from a village. He said to her: ‘Arise and come with me.’ She said to him: ‘From here to where?’ He said to her: ‘From here to Tiberias, and from there to Burseki, from Burseki to the upper marketplace, and from there to the lower marketplace.’ She said to him: ‘To wherever you go and take me, I will go with you.’ So too, Israel said: “My soul cleaves after You” (Psalms 63:9). Rabbi Yosei bar Ika said: The verse proclaims and says: “Draw me; we will run after you,”—if to Bible, to Bible; if to Mishna, to Mishna; if to Talmud, to Talmud; if to Tosefta, to Tosefta; if to aggada, to aggada.