Commentaire de citation sur L’Exode 1:18

Then Israel sang this song. Since it does not say “Then Moses and the children of Israel sang,” and furthermore they did not sing this song at the beginning of the forty years in the wilderness, we can deduce that the children of Israel sang this song about Moses, because the well returned in his merit after it had ceased with Miriam’s death. For this reason, Miriam is not mentioned in this song, but Moses is mentioned, as it says, A well dug by princes, carved out by nobles of the people, with the lawgiver. And lawgiver refers only to Moses, as it says For there the portion of the lawgiver is hidden (Deuteronomy 33:21), and in Tractate Ta’anit (9a), it concludes that the well returned in Moses’ merit. Because initially, the manna came in Moses’ merit, as he received the Torah, for the Torah was given only to those who ate the manna (Tanchuma, Beshalach 20), as it says so that I may test them, whether they will follow My law [Torati] or not (Exodus 16:4). And the well, which supplied all their needs, was in Miriam’s merit, as she embodied the trait of loving-kindness, as it says and they kept the boys alive (Exodus 1:18), for they supplied them with food, etc. And the clouds of glory, in which the Shechina’s glory dwelled, were in Aaron’s merit, as he caused the Divine Presence to rest among the people through the sacrifices. And in the merit of the Torah, all three — the manna, the well, and the clouds — returned. That is why it says, A well dug by the nobles of the people, who embodied the trait of loving-kindness, and in their merit the well existed from the beginning. Now it returned with the lawgiver, in Moses’ merit and in the merit of the Torah, which is alluded to in the verses, and from the wilderness to Mattanah, and from Mattanah to Nahaliel, as our Sages explained (in Eruvin 54a). Otherwise, it would be difficult to understand why they chose to interpret these verses as referring to the Torah, and what connection the praise of the Torah has to the song of the well. Rather, it is because the well returned in the merit of the Torah that Moses received. And this is a correct and clear interpretation.

ותחיין את הילדים This may mean THEY MAINTAINED THE CHILDREN IN LIFE — they provided them with food (Sotah 11b). The Targum renders ותחיין the first time it occurs (i. e. in this verse) by וקימא (which means, “and they — the women — preserved the babes”). and the second time (Exodus 1:18) by וקימתן (which means, “and ye women have preserved etc.”) The Targum is able to distinguish between the two meanings of this word, but this cannot be done in Hebrew because in the Hebrew language in the case of fem. plur. this word and similar forms (ending in נָה or ןָ) are used in the sense of “they did something” (3rd person) and in the sense of “ye did something” (2nd person). For example: (Exodus 2:19) “And they (the daughters of Jethro) said, (וַתֹּאמַרְןָ) “An Egyptian man etc.”, which is the past tense (the Rashi text must read here לשון עָבַר) (imperf. with Vau conv.), just as one would use וַיֹאמְרוּ if one were speaking of men; (Jeremiah 54:25) “Ye women have spoken (ותדברנה) with your mouths”, having the same meaning as דברתן, and corresponding to ותדברו when used of men; (Ezekiel 13:19) “And ye (women) have profaned Me (ותחללנה) among My people” which is a past tense, the same as חללתן corresponding to ותחללו when used of men.