בַּח֖וּץ תַּעֲמֹ֑ד וְהָאִ֗ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֤ר אַתָּה֙ נֹשֶׁ֣ה ב֔וֹ יוֹצִ֥יא אֵלֶ֛יךָ אֶֽת־הַעֲב֖וֹט הַחֽוּצָה׃
Tu dois attendre dehors, et celui dont tu es le créancier t’apportera le gage hors de chez lui.
Shemot Rabbah
“The Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying” (Exodus 12:1).
“In the land of Egypt” – why does it not say: “In Egypt”? Rabbi Ḥanina said: The Holy One blessed be He said: It is written in the Torah: “You shall stand outside” (Deuteronomy 24:11).14The debt collector must stand outside and cannot enter the debtor’s house to seize his property. I, too, will do so – “in the land of Egypt,” but not in Egypt.15I.e., within the borders but not in the population centers. Likewise, Moses said: “As I leave the city” (Exodus 9:29).
Rabbi Shimon said: Great is the love for Israel, as the Holy One blessed be He revealed Himself in a place of idol worship, a place of filth, and a place of impurity in order to redeem them. This is analogous to a priest whose teruma fell into a cemetery. He says: What shall I do? To impurify myself is impossible, and to leave my teruma there is impossible. It is preferable that I render myself impure one time and then purify myself, and [thus] I will not lose my teruma. So, our ancestors were the teruma of the Holy One blessed be He, as it is stated: “Israel is holy to the Lord, [the first of His crop]” (Jeremiah 2:3).16Teruma is also described as the first of a crop (see Deuteronomy 18:4). They were among the graves, as it is stated: “As there was no house in which there were none dead” (Exodus 12:30), and it says: “And Egypt was burying [those whom the Lord had smote]” (Numbers 33:4). The Holy One blessed be He said: How do I redeem them? To leave them there is impossible. It is preferable to come down and redeem them, as it is stated: “I came down to deliver them from the hand of Egypt” (Exodus 3:8). When He took them out, He summoned Aaron, and he purified Him, as it is stated: “He shall atone for the Holy of Holies [mikdash hakodesh]” (Leviticus 16:33), “He shall atone for the Sanctuary [hakodesh]” (Leviticus 16:16).17Hakodesh is homiletically understood to refer to the Source of sanctity.
“In the land of Egypt” – why does it not say: “In Egypt”? Rabbi Ḥanina said: The Holy One blessed be He said: It is written in the Torah: “You shall stand outside” (Deuteronomy 24:11).14The debt collector must stand outside and cannot enter the debtor’s house to seize his property. I, too, will do so – “in the land of Egypt,” but not in Egypt.15I.e., within the borders but not in the population centers. Likewise, Moses said: “As I leave the city” (Exodus 9:29).
Rabbi Shimon said: Great is the love for Israel, as the Holy One blessed be He revealed Himself in a place of idol worship, a place of filth, and a place of impurity in order to redeem them. This is analogous to a priest whose teruma fell into a cemetery. He says: What shall I do? To impurify myself is impossible, and to leave my teruma there is impossible. It is preferable that I render myself impure one time and then purify myself, and [thus] I will not lose my teruma. So, our ancestors were the teruma of the Holy One blessed be He, as it is stated: “Israel is holy to the Lord, [the first of His crop]” (Jeremiah 2:3).16Teruma is also described as the first of a crop (see Deuteronomy 18:4). They were among the graves, as it is stated: “As there was no house in which there were none dead” (Exodus 12:30), and it says: “And Egypt was burying [those whom the Lord had smote]” (Numbers 33:4). The Holy One blessed be He said: How do I redeem them? To leave them there is impossible. It is preferable to come down and redeem them, as it is stated: “I came down to deliver them from the hand of Egypt” (Exodus 3:8). When He took them out, He summoned Aaron, and he purified Him, as it is stated: “He shall atone for the Holy of Holies [mikdash hakodesh]” (Leviticus 16:33), “He shall atone for the Sanctuary [hakodesh]” (Leviticus 16:16).17Hakodesh is homiletically understood to refer to the Source of sanctity.
Sifrei Devarim
"Outside shall you stand and the man" includes the messenger of beth-din.