Midrash sobre Exodo 1:13

and in the eighty-ninth year died Naphtali, one hundred and thirty two years old, and he was ‎put into a coffin and given into the hands of his children. And in the ninety-third year Levi, the ‎son of Jacob, died in Egypt, he was one hundred and thirty-seven years old when he died, and ‎they put him into a coffin and they gave him into the hands of his children. And it came to pass ‎after Levi’s death, when the Egyptians saw that all the sons of Jacob, Joseph’s brothers, had ‎died, the Egyptians began to afflict the children of Israel, and to embitter their lives from that ‎day on even unto the day of their going out of Egypt; and they took away from their ‎possession all the vine yards which Joseph had given unto them, and all the fine houses in ‎which the children of Israel were dwelling, and all the fat of Egypt, everything the Egyptians ‎took away from the children of Israel in those days. And the land of Egypt grew heavy upon ‎the children of Israel in those days, and the Egyptians mistreated them until the children of ‎Israel were wearied of their lives on account of the Egyptians. And in those days, in the one ‎hundred and second year of the Israelites’ going down to Egypt, Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, ‎died, and his son Melol reigned in his stead, and all the valiant men of Egypt, and all the ‎generation that knew Joseph and his brethren died in those days. And there rose up another ‎generation which had not known the sons of Jacob, and all the good which they had done unto ‎them, and how much they had added to the strength of Egypt. Therefore all Egypt began to ‎embitter the lives of the children of Jacob from that day on, and to afflict them with hard labor, ‎for they knew not their ancestors who had saved them in the days of the famine. And it was ‎from the Lord that this should befall the children of Israel in order to be benefited at the end, ‎and that all the children of Israel might know the Lord their God, and in order that they might ‎know the signs and fearful wonders which the Lord enacted in Egypt on account of Israel his ‎people, and in order that the children of Israel might fear the Lord, the God of their ‎forefathers, and that they might walk in all his ways, they and their seed after them forever. ‎

(Exod. 2:21:) THEN MOSES CONSENTED TO DWELL WITH THE MAN. R. Judah asks: What is the meaning of THEN <MOSES> CONSENTED (wayyo'el)? That he swore to him.⁵⁵Tanh., Exod. 1:12; Exod. R. 1:33. <This usage is in accord with> what is stated (in I Sam. 14:24): FOR SAUL MADE THE PEOPLE SWEAR (wayyo'el). He agreed to live with him. Thus CONSENTED (wayyo'el, rt.: Y'L) is actually a word of lodging, <in accord with> what is stated (in Jud. 19:6): SO NOW PLEASE CONSENT (rt.: Y'L) TO STAY THE NIGHT. (Exod. 2:21, cont.:) AND HE GAVE MOSES HIS DAUGHTER ZIPPORAH. When he took his daughter, he appointed him to tend his flock, as stated (in Exod. 3:1): NOW MOSES WAS TENDING (rt.: R'H) <THE FLOCK OF HIS FATHER-IN-LAW JETHRO >. What is the meaning of HE WAS TENDING <THE FLOCK>? R. Johanan said: In the case of everyone about whom it is stated: HE WAS, what HE WAS at his beginning, HE WAS at his end.⁵⁶Gen. R. 30:8; Esth. R. 6:3; cf. Tanh., Exod. 1:13; Exod. R. 2:4. He was worthy at his beginning and worthy at his end. The Rabbis say: Everyone⁵⁷The translation reads KL for KY in agreement with Tanh., Exod. 1:13. In this literature KY is rarely used without the prefix W apart from biblical quotations. See M. H. Segal, A Grammar of Mishnaic Hebrew (Oxford: Clarendon, 1956), section 302, n. 1. about whom it is stated: HE WAS nourished and sustained. They said to him: But look (at Gen. 3:1): NOW THE SERPENT WAS THE MORE SUBTLE. He said to them: He also was being prepared (by the word WAS) for divine punishment (in Gen. 3:14–15). They said to him: But here it is written (in Gen. 4:2): CAIN WAS A TILLER OF THE GROUND. He said to them: He also was being prepared for exile. They said to him: And here it is written (in Jer. 38:28): AND IT WAS WHEN JERUSALEM WAS CAPTURED. He said to them: It was a good omen⁵⁸Gk.: semeion. for it; because, if Jerusalem had not been captured, Israel⁵⁹The text here reads “the enemies of Israel,” but this expression is here a euphemism for Israel, as in Suk. 29a. So Jastrow, s.v., sone. would have been consumed. R. Levi has said: Everyone about whom it is stated: HE WAS, has seen a new age.⁶⁰According to Gen. R. 30:8, there were five such people: Noah, Joseph, Moses, Job, and Mordecai. Ergo (in Exod. 3:1): NOW MOSES WAS TENDING <THE FLOCK >.

“A locked garden is my sister, my bride; a locked fountainhead, a sealed spring. Your branches are an orchard of pomegranates, with delicious fruit, henna with nard” (Song of Songs 4:12–13).
“A locked garden is my sister, my bride” – Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi: [This is analogous] to a king who had two daughters, one older and one younger, and he did not devote attention to arranging their marriages. The king left them for many years and went overseas. The girls arose and asserted themselves and married themselves to men. Each of them would take her husband’s seal and his signet. Years later, the king returned from overseas and he heard the voices of the people slandering his daughters and saying that the king’s daughters had engaged in licentiousness. What did he do? He issued a proclamation and said: The entire people shall go out to the assembly hall. He came and sat in the vestibule. He said to them: ‘My daughters, is this what you have done; have you tainted yourselves?’ Immediately, each of them produced her husband’s seal and his signet. He called his son-in-law and said to him: ‘To whom are you a bridegroom?’ He said to him: ‘I am your first son-in-law, [married] to your older daughter.’ He said to him: ‘What is this?’ He said to him: ‘This is my seal and this is my signet,’ and likewise [occurred with] the second [son-in-law].
At that moment, the king said: My daughters are sheltered from immorality and you slander and demean them? By your lives, I will administer justice against you. So it is with the nations, because they would taunt Israel and say: “Egypt enslaved the children of Israel [with harshness]” (Exodus 1:13); if they compelled them to perform labor, all the more so [they must have dominated] their bodies and their wives. At that moment, the Holy One blessed be He said: My sister, My bride, a locked garden. What is a locked garden? The Holy One blessed be He said: My garden is locked and it is being condemned?¹³³This is a metaphor meaning: The women of Israel have not had relations with anyone other than their husbands, and yet they are being maligned? Rabbi Pinḥas said: At that moment the Holy One blessed be He called the angel appointed over pregnancy and said: Go and shape [the children] with all the features of their fathers. Who did the fathers themselves resemble? The paterfamilias of the families. That is what is written regarding Reuben: “The families of the Reubenites [haReuveni]” (Numbers 26:7). Rabbi Hoshaya said: Reuben, Reubenite [haReuveni], Simeon, Simeonite [haShimoni].¹³⁴See Numbers 26:14. The members of the tribes are referred to in this way in order to imply that they looked like Reuben and Simeon. This was proof that they were actually the descendants of their fathers. Rabbi Marinos ben Rabbi Hoshaya said: Like you say: Baronite, Savronite, Sivoyite.¹³⁵These were names common at the time of the writing of the midrash. Just as Baronite means a member of the Baron family, the same is true of Reubenite. Alternatively, Rabbi Marinos is disputing Rabbi Hoshaya’s point and saying that just as members of any family can be referred to in this manner, the term Reubenite does not mean anything special (Etz Yosef). Rabbi Huna in the name of Rabbi Idi: Heh at the beginning of the word and yod at the end; God [yod-heh] attests for them that they were indeed the sons of their fathers.
Rabbi Pinḥas said: “A locked garden” – these are the virgins. “A locked fountainhead” – these are the non-virgins.¹³⁶Although there is an opening – gal means door in Aramaic – it remains locked before men other than her husband. “A sealed spring” – these are the males.¹³⁷They did not engage in illicit sexual activity. It was taught in the name of Rabbi Natan: “A locked garden, a locked fountainhead” – why was it [written] twice? Rather, it connotes two acts of intercourse for the woman; one in the typical manner and one in the atypical manner.¹³⁸Vaginal intercourse and anal intercourse.
Rabbi Huna said in the name of bar Kappara: By virtue of four matters, Israel was redeemed from Egypt: That they did not change their name, they did not change their language, they did not speak slander, and not one of them was steeped in licentiousness. They did not change their name: Reuben and Simeon descended [to Egypt]; Reuben and Simeon ascended. They did not call Reuben Rufus, they did not call Simeon Luleyani, Joseph, Listis, or Benjamin, Alexandra.
They did not change their language. There, it is written: “The survivor came and told Abram the Hebrew” (Genesis 14:13), and here it is written: “The God of the Hebrews has called upon us” (Exodus 5:3), and it is written: “That it is my mouth speaking to you” (Genesis 45:12), in the sacred tongue.
They did not speak slander, as it is stated: “Speak now in the ears of the people, and let them ask each man from his neighbor” (Exodus 11:2). You find that this matter had been entrusted to them for twelve months, and not one of them was found to have informed on his counterpart.¹³⁹The Israelites knew twelve months before the Exodus that they would ask to borrow goods from the Egyptians and that they would then leave Egypt never to return. Nonetheless, none of them told the Egyptians about this plan.
Not one of them was steeped in licentiousness, as it is stated: “The son of an Israelite woman, [whose father was an Egyptian.…] the son of the Israelite woman blasphemed” (Leviticus 24:10–11), to apprise in praise of Israel that not one of them was found except for this one, and the verse publicized her.¹⁴⁰The verse specifies that this woman had conceived from an Egyptian man in order to emphasize that she was the exception; no other Israelite women had intercourse with Egyptian men.
Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: Sarah descended to Egypt¹⁴¹See Genesis 12:10–20. and sheltered herself from licentiousness, and all the [Israelite] women were sheltered by her merit. Joseph descended to Egypt and sheltered himself from licentiousness, and all the males were sheltered by his merit.
Rabbi Pinḥas in the name of Rabbi Ḥiyya: The sheltering from licentiousness was itself sufficient that by its merit Israel would have been redeemed from Egypt. What is the reason? “A locked garden is my sister, my bride.” What is written thereafter? “Your branches [shelaḥayikh]¹⁴²They merited to be sent [lehishalaḥ] from Egypt. are an orchard of pomegranates.”
Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai taught: [This is analogous] to one to whom an inheritance fell at the site of a garbage dump. The heir was indolent and he sold it at a minimal price. The purchaser went and industriously excavated there and found a treasure. He built a large palace. The purchaser began walking in the marketplace with servants following him [all due] to the treasure that he had purchased there. The seller saw and was sorrowful, saying: Woe is me over what I lost. So too, when Israel was in Egypt, they were enslaved in mortar and bricks and they were contemptible in the eyes of the Egyptians. When they saw their flags encamped at the sea in the array of a royal army, the Egyptians became sorrowful, saying: Woe are we, what did we send from our land? This is as it is stated: “It was [vayhi] when Pharaoh sent (Exodus 13:17).¹⁴³Pharaoh shouted woe [vay] is me.
Rabbi Yonatan said: [This is analogous] to one who had a field capable of producing a kor, and he went and sold it at a minimal price. The purchaser went and excavated springs and planted gardens and orchards there. The seller saw and was sorrowful, saying: Woe is me over what I lost. So too, when Israel was in Egypt, they were enslaved in mortar and bricks and they were contemptible in the eyes of the Egyptians. When they saw their flags encamped at the sea in the array of a royal army, the Egyptians became sorrowful, saying: Woe are we, what did we send from our land? This is as it is stated: “It was [vayhi] when Pharaoh sent” (Exodus 13:17).
Rabbi Yosei said: [This is analogous] to one who had chopped-down cedars, and he sold it at a minimal price. The purchaser went and crafted from them trunks, closets, chests, and wagons. The seller saw and was sorrowful, saying: Woe is me over what I lost. So too, when Israel was in Egypt, they were enslaved in mortar and bricks and they were contemptible in the eyes of the Egyptians. When they saw their flags encamped at the sea in the array of a royal army, the Egyptians became sorrowful, saying: Woe are we, what did we send from our land? This is as it is stated: “It was [vayhi] when Pharaoh sent” (Exodus 13:17).

(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.”

20 (Numb. 11:16) “Gather Me seventy men”: Did they not have elders in the past? 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).⁴⁴The 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.” This is to teach you that the Holy One, blessed be He equated them with Moses. [From here] you learn that whoever hands himself over for the sake of Israel merits dignity, greatness 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.”

(Numb. 11:16:) GATHER ME SEVENTY PEOPLE FROM THE ELDERS OF ISRAEL. Did they not have elders in the past?⁸⁶Tanh. Numb. 3:13; Numb. 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 said (in Numb. 11:16): GATHER ME …? <It was> to teach you that when Pharaoh had said (in Exod. 1:10): COME LET US ACT SHREWDLY, Pharaoh gathered all Israel. He 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). At first it was with with gentle speech (befeh rakh).⁸⁷The 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, and whoever [saw Pharaoh] taking basket and trowel and working with bricks worked too. Israel immediately went quickly, and vigorously applied their skill 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 were found <the bricks> 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 that the rest of the people may not be weakened. Therefore when the Holy One said to Moses (in Numb. 11:16): GATHER ME <SEVENTY PEOPLE FROM THE ELDERS OF ISRAEL>, Moses said: Sovereign of the Universe 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]. From here you learn that whoever hands himself over for the sake of Israel merits glory and dignity. It is therefore written (ibid.): WHOM YOU KNOW [TO BE ELDERS AND OFFICERS OF THE PEOPLE. Who are they? 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.

"So the Egyptians enslaved the children of Israel with back breaking labor [b'farech]" (Ex. 1:13). R. Elazar says, "B'pe rach—with a soft mouth." R. Shmuel says, "B'frichah—With rigor." "And they embittered their lives with hard work[, with clay and with bricks and with all kinds of labor in the fields...]" (Ex. 1:14). Rava said, "At first with mortar and bricks, and ultimately with all field work." "[...] all their work that they worked with them with was back breaking labor." To the one who says b'frichah—for they exchanged the work of the men with that of women, and the work of the women with that of men. To the one who says there b'pe rach—certainly that was [also] with rigor. At the time that he said (Ex. 1:10), "Get ready, let us be clever with it," Pharaoh gathered all Israel and said to them, "Please, let some of you work with me today for wages," which is as written, "b'farech—b'pe rach, with a soft mouth." He took a sack and a rake, and whoever saw Pharaoh taking a sack and a rake and working with bricks, would do [likewise]. Right away Israel went with alacrity and worked at the craft all day according to their strength (for they were strong and mighty). When it got dark, overseers were set over them, and they said to them, "Count the bricks." They right away stood and counted them, and he said to them, "Make me the same [amount] every day." He appointed Egyptian overseers over Jewish officers. The overseers would come and count the bricks and find a number missing, and the officers were beaten in place of the rest of the people, [for] they would not betray them to the overseers. They said, "Better that we should be beaten than that the rest of the people be hurt." Therefore, when the Omnipresent said (Num. 11:16), "Gather for Me seventy men," Moses said, "Master of the universe, I do not know who is worthy and who is unworthy." He said to him (ibid.), " '[...W]hom you know'–for these are the elders of the people and their officers who gave themselves up to be beaten in their place in Egypt. They should come and take this greatness." From this you may learn that anyone who gives themselves up for Israel merits honor and greatness. "And with all manner of labor in the field" (Ex. 1:14)—For is it possible that they worked in the field and not the city? Rather, they decreed upon them, that the men should lie in the field, and the women in the city, in order to reduce their fertility. The women would warm up heated food for them and bring to their husbands all kinds of food and drink and reassure them, saying, "They did not subjugate us. Ultimately the Holy One blessed be He will redeem us." From this, they had relations and were fruitful and multiplied. What was their reward? They merited the spoils of Egypt and the spoils of the Sea [of Reeds], as it says (Ps. 68:14), "If you lie between the borders—the feathers of a dove covered with silver...." And it is written (Song 4:12), "A locked garden"—these are the women, who were modest like a garden without a breach. "[A] locked up spring" (ibid.)—these are the men, who were laid like springs upon the field.