Midrash sur L’Exode 2:21

(Devarim 1:5) "Across the Jordan, in the land of Moav, Moses ho'il (began) to explain": "hoalah" is "beginning," as in (Judges 19:6) "Begin ("hoel") now and stay overnight so that you will be refreshed," and (I Chronicles 17:27) "and now you have begun ("hoalta") to bless the house of your servant to be before You forever." And the sages say: "hoalah" is "swearing," as in (Shemoth 2:21) "And Moses swore ("vayoel") to remain with the man," and (I Samuel 14:24) "And Saul beswore ("vayoel") the people, saying 'Cursed be the man who will eat bread until the evening when I will be avenged of my enemies.'"

You find that everything written in praise of Jethro is mentioned to the discredit of Esau. In reference to Esau it is written: They have ravished the women in Zion (Lam. 5:11), but about Jethro it says: And he gave Moses, Zipporah, his daughter (Exod. 2:21). Concerning Esau it is written: Who eat up My people as they eat bread (Ps. 14:4), while of Jethro it is said: Call him that he may eat bread (Exod. 2:20). It is written about Esau: And he feared not God (Deut. 25:18), but about Jethro it is written: And thou shalt provide out of all the people, able men, such as fear God (Exod. 18:21). It is stated about Esau that he abolished the sacrifices (when Rome destroyed the Second Temple), but of Jethro it is said: And Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took a burnt-offering and sacrifices (ibid., v. 12). Esau heard of their troubles and attacked them, as it is said: Because of the striving of the children of Israel, and because they tried the Lord (ibid. 17:7), and it is written elsewhere: And Amalek came. However, when Jethro heard about Israel’s goodness, he joined them, as it is said: Now Jethro heard.

(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 >.

And Moses was content to dwell (Exod. 2:21). The word content (vayo’el) is used with reference to an oath, as in the case of Saul: And he adjured (vayo’el) the people (I Sam. 14:24).

(Devarim 3:24) "O L-rd, G-d, You 'hachilotha'": You absolved me of my vow. When You said to me (Shemoth 3:10) "Go … and take My people the children of Israel out of Egypt," I said to you: I cannot, for I swore to Yithro that I would not leave him, as it is written (Ibid. 2:21) "Vayoel Mosheh to remain with the men," "ho'alah" being nothing other than an oath, as in (I Samuel 14:24) "And Saul beswore (vayoel) the people."

When Moses came to his house he went into the garden of Jethro's house, and saw the rod and read the letters which were upon it, and he put forth his hand and took it. Jethro watched || Moses, and said: This one in the future will redeem Israel from Egypt. Therefore he gave him Zipporah his daughter to wife, as it is said, "And Moses was content to dwell with the man; and he gave Moses Zipporah, his daughter" (Ex. 2:21).