וְשֵׁ֣ם ׀ אֵ֣שֶׁת עַמְרָ֗ם יוֹכֶ֙בֶד֙ בַּת־לֵוִ֔י אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָלְדָ֥ה אֹתָ֛הּ לְלֵוִ֖י בְּמִצְרָ֑יִם וַתֵּ֣לֶד לְעַמְרָ֗ם אֶֽת־אַהֲרֹן֙ וְאֶת־מֹשֶׁ֔ה וְאֵ֖ת מִרְיָ֥ם אֲחֹתָֽם׃
Nama istri Amram ialah Yokhebed, anak perempuan Lewi, yang dilahirkan bagi Lewi di Mesir. Ia melahirkan bagi Amram Harun, Musa, dan Miryam, saudara perempuan mereka.
Shemot Rabbah
“A man from the house of Levi went and he took a daughter of Levi” (Exodus 2:1).
“A man from the house of Levi [went].” Where did he go? Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Zevina said: He followed the counsel of his daughter. It is taught: Amram was the preeminent scholar of his generation, etc. (see above, Shemot Rabba 1:13). “And he took a daughter of Levi.” And he remarried is not written, but rather, “he took.” Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Zevina said: He performed an act of marriage and he seated her on a litter and Miriam and Aaron were dancing before them and the ministering angels were saying: “The mother of the sons is joyous” (Psalms 113:9).
“A daughter of Levi.” Is it possible that she was one hundred and thirty years old and she is called a “daughter”? Didn’t Rabbi Ḥama bar Ḥanina say: She was Yokheved, and she was conceived on the way and was born within the walls,46She was born as Jacob and his descendants arrived in Egypt. as it is stated: “Who was born to Levi in Egypt” (Numbers 26:59); her birth was in Egypt but not her conception. And [yet] she is called a “daughter”? Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Zevina said: Signs of young womanhood developed in her.
“A man from the house of Levi [went].” Where did he go? Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Zevina said: He followed the counsel of his daughter. It is taught: Amram was the preeminent scholar of his generation, etc. (see above, Shemot Rabba 1:13). “And he took a daughter of Levi.” And he remarried is not written, but rather, “he took.” Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Zevina said: He performed an act of marriage and he seated her on a litter and Miriam and Aaron were dancing before them and the ministering angels were saying: “The mother of the sons is joyous” (Psalms 113:9).
“A daughter of Levi.” Is it possible that she was one hundred and thirty years old and she is called a “daughter”? Didn’t Rabbi Ḥama bar Ḥanina say: She was Yokheved, and she was conceived on the way and was born within the walls,46She was born as Jacob and his descendants arrived in Egypt. as it is stated: “Who was born to Levi in Egypt” (Numbers 26:59); her birth was in Egypt but not her conception. And [yet] she is called a “daughter”? Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Zevina said: Signs of young womanhood developed in her.
Shemot Rabbah
“His sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter: Shall I go and call you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?” (Exodus 2:7).
“His sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, etc.” Why did Miriam say: “From the Hebrew women”? Was it prohibited for Moses to nurse from the milk of a gentile woman? That is not what we learned: A Jewish woman may not nurse the son of a gentile woman, but a gentile woman may nurse the son of a Jewish woman on [the Jewish woman’s] property (Avoda Zara 26a). Why did she say so? It is because [Pharaoh’s daughter] had passed Moses around to all the Egyptian women to nurse him, but he rejected them all. Why did he reject them? The Holy One blessed be He said: Shall the mouth that is destined to speak with Me imbibe an impure substance? That is what is written: “To whom will one teach knowledge, [and who can understand a lesson? Those weaned from milk, detached from breasts”] (Isaiah 28:9). To whom will [God] teach knowledge? To those weaned from milk, etc. Alternatively, why did he reject their breasts? The Holy One blessed be He said: This one is destined to speak with Me. Tomorrow the Egyptian women will say: ‘This one who is speaking with the Divine Spirit, I nursed him.’
“Pharaoh’s daughter said to her: Go. The girl went and called the mother of the child” (Exodus 2:8).
“The girl [alma] went.” Why did the verse call her alma? It is because she went with alacrity.57Alma typically refers to a young adult woman. Rabbi Shmuel said: It is because she was guarded in her words.58She did not tell Pharaoh’s daughter that she was the child’s sister and that she was calling child’s mother.
“Pharaoh’s daughter said to her: Take this child and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages. The woman took the child and she nursed him” (Exodus 2:9).
“Pharaoh’s daughter said to her: Take [heilikhi].” Rabbi Ḥama bar Rabbi Ḥanina said: She prophesied, but she did not know what she prophesied: Heilikhi, he is yours.59The term heilikhi is interpreted as though it was two words: Hei likhi, this is yours.
“And I will give you your wages.” Rabbi Ḥama bar Rabbi Ḥanina said: It is not enough for the righteous that their lost items are returned to them; they also receive a reward.
“The woman took the child and she nursed him.” At that moment, the Holy One blessed be He gave her a partial reward. She had sustained the children, and likewise, the Holy One blessed be He returned her son to her and gave her wages.
“His sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, etc.” Why did Miriam say: “From the Hebrew women”? Was it prohibited for Moses to nurse from the milk of a gentile woman? That is not what we learned: A Jewish woman may not nurse the son of a gentile woman, but a gentile woman may nurse the son of a Jewish woman on [the Jewish woman’s] property (Avoda Zara 26a). Why did she say so? It is because [Pharaoh’s daughter] had passed Moses around to all the Egyptian women to nurse him, but he rejected them all. Why did he reject them? The Holy One blessed be He said: Shall the mouth that is destined to speak with Me imbibe an impure substance? That is what is written: “To whom will one teach knowledge, [and who can understand a lesson? Those weaned from milk, detached from breasts”] (Isaiah 28:9). To whom will [God] teach knowledge? To those weaned from milk, etc. Alternatively, why did he reject their breasts? The Holy One blessed be He said: This one is destined to speak with Me. Tomorrow the Egyptian women will say: ‘This one who is speaking with the Divine Spirit, I nursed him.’
“Pharaoh’s daughter said to her: Go. The girl went and called the mother of the child” (Exodus 2:8).
“The girl [alma] went.” Why did the verse call her alma? It is because she went with alacrity.57Alma typically refers to a young adult woman. Rabbi Shmuel said: It is because she was guarded in her words.58She did not tell Pharaoh’s daughter that she was the child’s sister and that she was calling child’s mother.
“Pharaoh’s daughter said to her: Take this child and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages. The woman took the child and she nursed him” (Exodus 2:9).
“Pharaoh’s daughter said to her: Take [heilikhi].” Rabbi Ḥama bar Rabbi Ḥanina said: She prophesied, but she did not know what she prophesied: Heilikhi, he is yours.59The term heilikhi is interpreted as though it was two words: Hei likhi, this is yours.
“And I will give you your wages.” Rabbi Ḥama bar Rabbi Ḥanina said: It is not enough for the righteous that their lost items are returned to them; they also receive a reward.
“The woman took the child and she nursed him.” At that moment, the Holy One blessed be He gave her a partial reward. She had sustained the children, and likewise, the Holy One blessed be He returned her son to her and gave her wages.
Ein Yaakov (Glick Edition)
(Ib. 2, 1) And there went a man of the house of Levi and took a daughter of Levi. Where did he go? asked R. Chisda b. Zabina: "He went for the advice of his daughter." We are taught: Amran was considered the greatest man of his generation and as soon as Pharaoh decreed that every son who is born ye shall cast into the river, he said to himself: "In vain do we get married." He therefore divorced his wife. The rest of the people following his example did likewise. Thereupon his daughter said to him: "Father thy decree is even worse than Pharaoh's; for he issued a decree against sons, but thou hast issued a decree against both sons and daughters; Pharaoh's decree affects merely this world but thy decree will affect this world and the future world. As to the decree of Pharaoh, the wicked, whether it will endure or not [we do not know], but as to thine who art righteous the decree will surely endure, as it is said (Job. 22, 28) And if thou decree a thing it will be fulfilled unto thee." He immediately remarried his wife, whereupon the rest of the people also remarried their wives. If so then it should be written, he re-took instead of took? Said R. Juda b. Zabina: "This means that he made a real wedding ceremony, he made her sit under a canopy with Aaron and Miriam dancing before her while the ministering angels recited, (Ps. 113, 9) The joyful mother of children." The daughter of Levi refers to Jochebed who became pregnant on her way to Egypt and who gave birth between the walls of Egypt, as it is said (Num. 26, 59) Whom [her mother] bore to Levi in Egypt; i.e., her birth was in Egypt, but not her pregnancy." Hence why does the passage call her daughter? Said R. Juda b. Bizna: "At that time she became as young as a veritable girl."