וַתִּירֶ֤אןָ הַֽמְיַלְּדֹת֙ אֶת־הָ֣אֱלֹהִ֔ים וְלֹ֣א עָשׂ֔וּ כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר דִּבֶּ֥ר אֲלֵיהֶ֖ן מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרָ֑יִם וַתְּחַיֶּ֖יןָ אֶת־הַיְלָדִֽים׃
Namun para bidan itu takut akan Allah; mereka tidak melakukan seperti yang dikatakan raja Mesir kepada mereka, tetapi memelihara bayi-bayi itu tetap hidup.
Shemot Rabbah
The midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt had spoken to them, and they kept the boys alive” (Exodus 1:17).
“The midwives feared God.” About them it is stated: “A God-fearing woman, she will be praised” (Proverbs 31:30).
“And did not do as the king of Egypt had spoken to them [aleihen].” Lahen is not written, but rather aleihen.31A formulation used elsewhere in the Bible in the sense of sexual relations, e.g., Genesis 29:23. Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥanina says: It teaches that he demanded that they have relations with him, but they did not accept his proposition.
“They kept the boys alive.” Since they “did not do as the king of Egypt had spoken to them,” do we not know that they kept the boys alive? Why did the verse need to state: “They kept the boys alive”? There is praise within praise. Not only did they not fulfill his command, but they went beyond that and performed good deeds for their benefit. Some of them were poor women, and the midwives would go and collect water and food from the homes of wealthy women and would come and give it to the poor women, thereby sustaining their sons. That is what is written: “They kept the boys alive.”
Alternatively, “they kept the boys alive” – some had a condition that would result in their emerging crippled, blind, deformed, or needing to have a limb amputated in order to emerge safely. What would they do? They would stand in prayer and say before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘You know that we did not fulfill Pharaoh’s command. It is Your words that we seek to fulfill. Lord of the universe, may this child emerge in peace, so Israel will not find a pretext to slander us, saying: Look, they emerged deformed because they sought to kill them.’ Immediately, the Holy One blessed be He would heed their voice, and [the babies] would emerge intact.
Rabbi Levi said: You stated the less severe scenarios; state the severe scenarios. Some of them had a condition that would cause them to die as they emerged, or endanger their mother so she would die after they emerged. They would stand in prayer and say to the Holy One blessed be He: ‘Master of the universe, suspend their sentence now and give them life, so that Israel will not say: They killed them.’ The Holy One blessed be He would fulfill their prayer. Therefore, “they kept the boys alive [vateḥayena et hayeladim]” – vateḥayena, these are the mothers, hayeladim, these are the actual children.
Alternatively, “the midwives feared,” – they adorned themselves with the action of their ancestor, that is Abraham. Just as the Holy One blessed be He attests in his regard: “For now I know that you are God-fearing” (Genesis 22:12), they said: ‘Abraham our patriarch, of blessed memory, opened an inn and would feed all the passersby, uncircumcised people, and we, not only do we not have enough to feed them, but to kill them? We will keep them alive.’ When Pharaoh saw that they did not implement his decree, he sent and called for them; that is what is written: “The king of Egypt called for the midwives [and said to them: Why have you done this thing, and have kept the boys alive?”] (Exodus 1:18).
“The midwives feared God.” About them it is stated: “A God-fearing woman, she will be praised” (Proverbs 31:30).
“And did not do as the king of Egypt had spoken to them [aleihen].” Lahen is not written, but rather aleihen.31A formulation used elsewhere in the Bible in the sense of sexual relations, e.g., Genesis 29:23. Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥanina says: It teaches that he demanded that they have relations with him, but they did not accept his proposition.
“They kept the boys alive.” Since they “did not do as the king of Egypt had spoken to them,” do we not know that they kept the boys alive? Why did the verse need to state: “They kept the boys alive”? There is praise within praise. Not only did they not fulfill his command, but they went beyond that and performed good deeds for their benefit. Some of them were poor women, and the midwives would go and collect water and food from the homes of wealthy women and would come and give it to the poor women, thereby sustaining their sons. That is what is written: “They kept the boys alive.”
Alternatively, “they kept the boys alive” – some had a condition that would result in their emerging crippled, blind, deformed, or needing to have a limb amputated in order to emerge safely. What would they do? They would stand in prayer and say before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘You know that we did not fulfill Pharaoh’s command. It is Your words that we seek to fulfill. Lord of the universe, may this child emerge in peace, so Israel will not find a pretext to slander us, saying: Look, they emerged deformed because they sought to kill them.’ Immediately, the Holy One blessed be He would heed their voice, and [the babies] would emerge intact.
Rabbi Levi said: You stated the less severe scenarios; state the severe scenarios. Some of them had a condition that would cause them to die as they emerged, or endanger their mother so she would die after they emerged. They would stand in prayer and say to the Holy One blessed be He: ‘Master of the universe, suspend their sentence now and give them life, so that Israel will not say: They killed them.’ The Holy One blessed be He would fulfill their prayer. Therefore, “they kept the boys alive [vateḥayena et hayeladim]” – vateḥayena, these are the mothers, hayeladim, these are the actual children.
Alternatively, “the midwives feared,” – they adorned themselves with the action of their ancestor, that is Abraham. Just as the Holy One blessed be He attests in his regard: “For now I know that you are God-fearing” (Genesis 22:12), they said: ‘Abraham our patriarch, of blessed memory, opened an inn and would feed all the passersby, uncircumcised people, and we, not only do we not have enough to feed them, but to kill them? We will keep them alive.’ When Pharaoh saw that they did not implement his decree, he sent and called for them; that is what is written: “The king of Egypt called for the midwives [and said to them: Why have you done this thing, and have kept the boys alive?”] (Exodus 1:18).
Midrash Tanchuma
Because the midwives feared God (ibid., v. 21).11See Sotah 11b. Tradition tells us that the two mid-wives, Shipra and Puah, were really Miriam and Jochebed. See Exodus Rabbah 1:13. How did the Holy One, blessed be He, reward them? He gave them houses. What houses did he give them? The house of priesthood and the house of kingship. Jochebed received priesthood and kingship, since Aaron became the high priest and Moses became a king: There was a king in Jerusalem (Deut. 33:5). What reward did Miriam receive for herself? Wisdom, as is said: The fear of the Lord is wisdom (Job 28:28), and it is written about Bezalel: And He hath filled him with the spirit of God, for he descended from her.
Midrash Tanchuma Buber
Now from where did all this glory come?18Tanh., Exod. 10:4; Exod. R. 48:4. From the tribe of Judah, since it is stated (in Exod. 35:30): <BEZALEL BEN URI BEN HUR> OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH. This text is related (to Job 28:27–28): THEN HE SAW AND DECLARED IT; HE ESTABLISHED IT AND ALSO PROBED IT; AND HE SAID TO THE MAN (i.e., to Moses): SEE, THE FEAR OF THE LORD IS WISDOM; AND TO DEPART FROM EVIL IS UNDERSTANDING. R. Aha and our masters differ.19Gen. R. 24:5. Our masters say: Two times he uttered the oracle privately to himself. Then after that he spoke to Israel. Thus it is stated (in Job. 28:27): THEN HE SAW AND DECLARED IT. That was one <time>. (Ibid., cont.:) HE ESTABLISHED IT AND ALSO PROBED IT. That was the second <time>. Then after that he said (in vs. 28): AND HE SAID TO THE MAN (Moses). But R. Aha said: Four times, as stated (in vs. 27): THEN HE SAW AND DECLARED IT; HE ESTABLISHED IT AND ALSO PROBED IT.20Exod. R.40:1. Ergo: Four times.21R. Aha understands each verb as referring to a separate revision of the oracle. From whom do you learn it? From Jochebed22Moses’ mother. and Miriam. What is written (in Exod. 1:15)? THEN THE KING OF EGYPT {PROCLAIMED} [SAID] TO THE <HEBREW> MIDWIVES.23The midrash assumes that the midwives were Jochebed and Miriam, even though Exod. 1:15 names them Shiphrah and Puah. On the identification of Jochebed and Miriam with Shiphrah and Puah, see Sot. 11b; Sifre to Numb. 10:29–36 (78); Exod. R. 1:16. What did he say to them (in vs. 16)? LOOK AT THE BIRTHSTOOL. Why did he do so? Because the astrologers24Gk.; astrologoi. had said to them: On this day the redeemer of Israel shall be born, but we do not know whether he is an Egyptian or not. At that time he assembled all the Egyptians and said to them: Lend me your sons for one day, since it is stated (in Exod. 1:22): EVERY SON BORN <YOU SHALL THROW INTO THE NILE>. "< Every son> of Israel" is not written here, but EVERY SON, whether Israelite or Egyptian. (Exod. 1:17:) BUT THE MIDWIVES FEARED <GOD>. So how did the Holy One repay them? (Vs. 3:) HE ESTABLISHED HOUSEHOLDS FOR THEM: Priestly households, Levitical households, and kingship. Jochebed received priesthood and kingship as her reward < through her sons>, Moses25According to Deut. 33:5, HE (Moses) BECAME KING IN JESHURUN. See Tanh., Exod. 10:4; Exod. R. 48:4. and Aaron. What did Miriam receive as her reward? Wisdom, for it is stated (in Job 28:28): SEE, THE FEAR OF THE LORD IS WISDOM. From her he brought forth Bezalel, who was wise, as stated (in Exod. 31:3): AND I HAVE FILLED HIM WITH THE DIVINE SPIRIT <IN WISDOM, UNDERSTANDING, AND KNOWLEDGE >.