וַיַּ֧רְא אֱלֹהִ֛ים אֶת־הָא֖וֹר כִּי־ט֑וֹב וַיַּבְדֵּ֣ל אֱלֹהִ֔ים בֵּ֥ין הָא֖וֹר וּבֵ֥ין הַחֹֽשֶׁךְ׃
Dieu considéra que la lumière était bonne, et il établit une distinction entre la lumière et les ténèbres.
Shemot Rabbah
“The woman conceived and bore a son; she saw that he was good and she hid him for three months” (Exodus 2:2).
“The woman conceived and bore a son” – Rabbi Yehuda said: Her birth is juxtaposed with her conception; just as her conception was painless, so too, her birth was painless. From here it is derived that righteous women were not included in the verdict of Eve. “She saw that he was good [tov].” It was taught that Rabbi Meir says: His name was Tov. Rabbi Yoshiya says: His name was Toviya. Rabbi Yehuda says: He was fit for prophecy. Others say: He was born circumcised. The Rabbis say: At the moment that Moses was born, the entire house was illuminated; here it is written: “She saw that he was good [tov].” There it is written: “God saw the light, that it was good [tov]” (Genesis 1:4).
“She hid him for three months” because the Egyptians counted only from the moment that he remarried her, but she had already been three months pregnant from the outset.
“She was no longer able to hide him, and she took for him a wicker basket and coated it with clay and with pitch; she placed the child in it and placed it among the reeds on the bank of the Nile” (Exodus 2:3).
“She was no longer able to hide him” (Exodus 2:3). Why? It is because the Egyptians were going into each and every house in which they thought that a baby had been born, and would take a small Egyptian baby there and would cause him to cry, so that the Israelite baby would hear his voice and cry with him. That is what is written: “Catch us foxes, little foxes [that ruin vineyards…]” (Song of Songs 2:15). 47The verse may also be translated: “The foxes held little foxes against us in order to ruin the vineyard,” and the midrash takes it in that sense. The Egyptians are compared to foxes because they are sly as foxes, and Israel is compared to a vineyard.
“The woman conceived and bore a son” – Rabbi Yehuda said: Her birth is juxtaposed with her conception; just as her conception was painless, so too, her birth was painless. From here it is derived that righteous women were not included in the verdict of Eve. “She saw that he was good [tov].” It was taught that Rabbi Meir says: His name was Tov. Rabbi Yoshiya says: His name was Toviya. Rabbi Yehuda says: He was fit for prophecy. Others say: He was born circumcised. The Rabbis say: At the moment that Moses was born, the entire house was illuminated; here it is written: “She saw that he was good [tov].” There it is written: “God saw the light, that it was good [tov]” (Genesis 1:4).
“She hid him for three months” because the Egyptians counted only from the moment that he remarried her, but she had already been three months pregnant from the outset.
“She was no longer able to hide him, and she took for him a wicker basket and coated it with clay and with pitch; she placed the child in it and placed it among the reeds on the bank of the Nile” (Exodus 2:3).
“She was no longer able to hide him” (Exodus 2:3). Why? It is because the Egyptians were going into each and every house in which they thought that a baby had been born, and would take a small Egyptian baby there and would cause him to cry, so that the Israelite baby would hear his voice and cry with him. That is what is written: “Catch us foxes, little foxes [that ruin vineyards…]” (Song of Songs 2:15). 47The verse may also be translated: “The foxes held little foxes against us in order to ruin the vineyard,” and the midrash takes it in that sense. The Egyptians are compared to foxes because they are sly as foxes, and Israel is compared to a vineyard.
Ein Yaakov (Glick Edition)
(Ex. 2, 2) And the woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw him that he was a goodly child. We are taught that R. Maier says: "His name was Tob [good]." R. Juda said: "Tubial was his name." R. Nachemia says: "Hagon (worthy to prophecy) was his name." Acherim says: "He was born circumsized." The sages, however, say [that his goodness was recognized] when Moses was born the house was filled with light; for it is written here And when she saw that he was tob (a goodly child) and it is also written (Gen. 1, 4) And God saw the light that it was Tob (good). (Ex. 2, 2) She hid him three months. [Why three months]? Because the Egyptians counted nine months from the time she was remarried, but Moses was born within less than seven months. (Ib., ib. 3) And when she could no longer hide him. Why was she not able to hide him any longer? Because whenever the Egyptians would hear that a woman was about to give birth, they would fetch another infant there and make it cry in order that the newly born child should hear it and cry with it, as it is written (Song of songs 2:15) Seize for us the foxes, the little foxes that injure the vineyards.
Bereshit Rabbah
Rabbi Abahu and Rabbi Ḥiyya the Great, Rabbi Abahu said: Right from the beginning of the creation of the world, the Holy One blessed be He foresaw the actions of the righteous and the actions of the wicked. That is what is written: “For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish” (Psalms 1:6).19See Bereshit Rabba 8:4. “The earth was emptiness and disorder” – these are the actions of the wicked. “God said: Let there be light” – these are the actions of the righteous. But I do not know which He desires, whether it is the actions of these, or the actions of those. When it is written: “God saw the light, that it was good” (Genesis 1:4) – this shows that He desires the actions of the righteous, and does not desire the actions of the wicked.
Rabbi Ḥiyya the Great said: Right from the beginning of the creation of the world, the Holy One blessed be He foresaw the Temple built, destroyed, and rebuilt. “In the beginning God created [the heavens and the earth]” – that indicates [the Temple] being built, as it says: “To plant the heavens and to lay the foundation of the earth and to say to Zion: You are My people” (Isaiah 51:16). “The earth was emptiness and disorder” – that indicates [the Temple] destroyed, just as it says: “I have seen the land, and behold, it is emptiness and disorder” (Jeremiah 4:23). “God said: Let there be light” – that indicates [the Temple] being built and perfected in the future, as it says: “Arise, shine, for your light has come” (Isaiah 60:1), and it is written: “For, behold, the darkness will cover the earth, and nations, a fog; but upon you the Lord will shine and His glory will be seen upon you” (Isaiah 60:2).
Rabbi Ḥiyya the Great said: Right from the beginning of the creation of the world, the Holy One blessed be He foresaw the Temple built, destroyed, and rebuilt. “In the beginning God created [the heavens and the earth]” – that indicates [the Temple] being built, as it says: “To plant the heavens and to lay the foundation of the earth and to say to Zion: You are My people” (Isaiah 51:16). “The earth was emptiness and disorder” – that indicates [the Temple] destroyed, just as it says: “I have seen the land, and behold, it is emptiness and disorder” (Jeremiah 4:23). “God said: Let there be light” – that indicates [the Temple] being built and perfected in the future, as it says: “Arise, shine, for your light has come” (Isaiah 60:1), and it is written: “For, behold, the darkness will cover the earth, and nations, a fog; but upon you the Lord will shine and His glory will be seen upon you” (Isaiah 60:2).