אַךְ־מְרִ֥י יְבַקֶּשׁ־רָ֑ע וּמַלְאָ֥ךְ אַ֝כְזָרִ֗י יְשֻׁלַּח־בּֽוֹ׃
L’esprit de rébellion ne recherche que le mal, et c’est un ange cruel qui est déchaîné par lui.
Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael
An analogy: A dove, fleeing a hawk, enters a king's palace, whereupon the king opens the eastern window for her, whence she escapes. The hawk, following, the king closes all the windows and begins shooting arrows at it. Similarly, when the last of the Israelites ascended from the sea, the first of the Egyptians entered it, whereupon the ministering angels began shooting arrows at them, and hailstones, fire, and sulphur, as it is written (Ezekiel 38:22) "And I will punish him (Gog) with pestilence and with blood, and with torrential rain, and hailstones, fire, and sulphur will I rain upon him and upon his wings, and upon the many peoples that are with him." "And the L–rd shook out Egypt": as one shakes out a pot, its bottom ascending, and its top, descending. Variantly: "Vayenaer the L–rd, Egypt, etc.": The L–rd "invigorated" Egypt in order to (be able to) receive the punishment. Variantly: "Vayenaer the L–rd, Egypt, etc.": He delivered them into the hands of "young," cruel angels, viz. (Mishlei 17:11) "And a cruel messenger will be sent against him," and (Iyyov 36:14) "Their souls will expire by youth" ("noar").
Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer
The cruel angels say: Since he would not hearken to the first (angels), let us cause his spirit to depart, as it is said, "Let his spirit go forth, let him return to his earth" (Ps. 146:4). And concerning them (the Scripture) says: "Upon the third and upon the fourth generation of them that hate me" (Ex. 20:5); and another verse says: "Lo, all these things doth God work, twice, yea thrice, with a man" (Job 33:29). And thus He calls to Eliezer.
Bereshit Rabbah
“Joseph, seventeen years old…” – and you say he was a lad?24The term lad, used here in connection with Joseph, generally indicates someone younger than seventeen. It is because he would perform the actions of a lad – he would groom his eyes, lift his heels, and curl his hair.
“Was herding…Joseph brought evil report of them to their father” – what did he say? Rabbi Meir, Rabbi Yehuda, and Rabbi Shimon: Rabbi Meir says: Your sons are suspected of eating the limb of a living animal. Rabbi Shimon says: They are directing their glances at the girls of the land. Rabbi Yehuda says: They are demeaning the sons of the maidservants and calling them slaves. Rabbi Yehuda bar Simon said: He was punished for all three of them. “Balance and scales of justice are the Lord’s” (Proverbs 16:11) – the Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘You said: Your sons are suspected of eating the limb of a living animal; as you live, even at their time of corruption, they will slaughter and only then will they eat’ – “and slaughtered a goat” (Genesis 37:31).25After the sale of Joseph, they slaughtered a goat and dipped Joseph’s tunic in its blood. The verse emphasizes that they first slaughtered the goat. ‘You said: They are demeaning the sons of the maidservants and calling them slaves’ – “Joseph was sold as a slave” (Psalms 105:17). ‘You said: They are directing their glances at the girls of the land; as you live, I will incite the bear against you’ – “His master’s wife cast her eyes [upon Joseph, and she said: Lie with me]” (Genesis 39:7).
“Was herding…Joseph brought evil report of them to their father” – what did he say? Rabbi Meir, Rabbi Yehuda, and Rabbi Shimon: Rabbi Meir says: Your sons are suspected of eating the limb of a living animal. Rabbi Shimon says: They are directing their glances at the girls of the land. Rabbi Yehuda says: They are demeaning the sons of the maidservants and calling them slaves. Rabbi Yehuda bar Simon said: He was punished for all three of them. “Balance and scales of justice are the Lord’s” (Proverbs 16:11) – the Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘You said: Your sons are suspected of eating the limb of a living animal; as you live, even at their time of corruption, they will slaughter and only then will they eat’ – “and slaughtered a goat” (Genesis 37:31).25After the sale of Joseph, they slaughtered a goat and dipped Joseph’s tunic in its blood. The verse emphasizes that they first slaughtered the goat. ‘You said: They are demeaning the sons of the maidservants and calling them slaves’ – “Joseph was sold as a slave” (Psalms 105:17). ‘You said: They are directing their glances at the girls of the land; as you live, I will incite the bear against you’ – “His master’s wife cast her eyes [upon Joseph, and she said: Lie with me]” (Genesis 39:7).