וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֗ם יְהִ֨י כֵ֤ן יְהוָה֙ עִמָּכֶ֔ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר אֲשַׁלַּ֥ח אֶתְכֶ֖ם וְאֶֽת־טַפְּכֶ֑ם רְא֕וּ כִּ֥י רָעָ֖ה נֶ֥גֶד פְּנֵיכֶֽם׃
Firaun berkata kepada mereka, “Biarlah Yang Mahakekal menyertai kamu, sebagaimana aku akan membiarkan kamu pergi beserta anak-anakmu! Lihatlah, niat jahat ada di hadapanmu!
Shemot Rabbah
“He said to them: So let the Lord be with you, when I will let you and your children go; see that evil is facing you” (Exodus 10:10).
“Pharaoh's servants said.… Moses and Aaron were returned.… Moses said: We will go with our young and with our old.… He said to them: So let the Lord be with you…” (Exodus 10:7–10) – what is “evil facing you”? He said to them: ‘It is the way of youths and elders to sacrifice, but the young and the children? One who says this, his intention is only to flee, not as you are saying: “A three-day journey” (Exodus 5:3, 8:23). Therefore, see that what you are thinking, that you intend to flee, will return against you, so you will not depart from here.’
“Not so; let the men go now and serve the Lord; for that is what you seek. He drove them out from Pharaoh's presence” (Exodus 10:11).
That is what is written: “Let the men go now” – he said to him: ‘If you say: Our intent is not to flee, prove your assertion: “Let the men go now.” Since the children are not fit to serve, why do you need them? Rather, “for that is what you seek” – you are seeking to perform evil, you wish to flee. Therefore, I will not listen to you at all.’ Immediately, he issued a command and drove them from there; that is what is written: “He drove them out from Pharaoh's presence.”
“Pharaoh's servants said.… Moses and Aaron were returned.… Moses said: We will go with our young and with our old.… He said to them: So let the Lord be with you…” (Exodus 10:7–10) – what is “evil facing you”? He said to them: ‘It is the way of youths and elders to sacrifice, but the young and the children? One who says this, his intention is only to flee, not as you are saying: “A three-day journey” (Exodus 5:3, 8:23). Therefore, see that what you are thinking, that you intend to flee, will return against you, so you will not depart from here.’
“Not so; let the men go now and serve the Lord; for that is what you seek. He drove them out from Pharaoh's presence” (Exodus 10:11).
That is what is written: “Let the men go now” – he said to him: ‘If you say: Our intent is not to flee, prove your assertion: “Let the men go now.” Since the children are not fit to serve, why do you need them? Rather, “for that is what you seek” – you are seeking to perform evil, you wish to flee. Therefore, I will not listen to you at all.’ Immediately, he issued a command and drove them from there; that is what is written: “He drove them out from Pharaoh's presence.”
Shemot Rabbah
“The Lord said to Moses: Extend your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, and they will ascend on the land of Egypt, and eat every grass of the land, everything that the hail left” (Exodus 10:12).
“The Lord said to Moses: Extend your hand” – why did He bring locusts upon them? It is because they tasked Israel to be sowers of wheat and barley; therefore, he brought locusts upon them, and they ate everything that the Israelites had sown.
“Moses extended his staff over the land of Egypt, and the Lord brought an east wind upon the land all that day, and all the night; it was morning, and the east wind brought the locusts” (Exodus 10:13).
“Moses extended his staff” – why would the Holy One blessed be He give a time for the plagues, “tomorrow” (Exodus 10:4), and not bring them upon them immediately? It was so they would relent and repent.
Pharaoh hastened to call Moses and Aaron, and he said: I have sinned against the Lord your God, and against you (Exodus 10:16).
“The locusts ascended…they covered the surface of the entire land… Pharaoh hastened to call Moses and Aaron…” (Exodus 10:14–16) – what is “I have sinned against the Lord your God, and against you”? “I have sinned against the Lord your God,” in that I did not let Israel go, “and against you,” in that I drove you out from before me and I thought to curse you, as I said: “So let the Lord be with you” (Exodus 10:10). “Now, please, forgive my sin [just this once, and entreat the Lord your God, and He will remove this death only from me].… He exited from Pharaoh” (Exodus 10:17–18).
“The Lord said to Moses: Extend your hand” – why did He bring locusts upon them? It is because they tasked Israel to be sowers of wheat and barley; therefore, he brought locusts upon them, and they ate everything that the Israelites had sown.
“Moses extended his staff over the land of Egypt, and the Lord brought an east wind upon the land all that day, and all the night; it was morning, and the east wind brought the locusts” (Exodus 10:13).
“Moses extended his staff” – why would the Holy One blessed be He give a time for the plagues, “tomorrow” (Exodus 10:4), and not bring them upon them immediately? It was so they would relent and repent.
Pharaoh hastened to call Moses and Aaron, and he said: I have sinned against the Lord your God, and against you (Exodus 10:16).
“The locusts ascended…they covered the surface of the entire land… Pharaoh hastened to call Moses and Aaron…” (Exodus 10:14–16) – what is “I have sinned against the Lord your God, and against you”? “I have sinned against the Lord your God,” in that I did not let Israel go, “and against you,” in that I drove you out from before me and I thought to curse you, as I said: “So let the Lord be with you” (Exodus 10:10). “Now, please, forgive my sin [just this once, and entreat the Lord your God, and He will remove this death only from me].… He exited from Pharaoh” (Exodus 10:17–18).
Bereshit Rabbah
“And I will take a piece of bread, and you will sustain your heart, then depart, inasmuch as you have passed by your servant. They said: Do so, as you have said” (Genesis 18:5).
“And I will take a piece of bread, and you will sustain your heart, then depart” – Rabbi Yitzḥak said: In the Torah, in the Prophets, and in the Writings, we have found that bread is the sustenance of the heart. In the Torah, from where is it derived? “And I will take a piece of bread, and you will sustain your heart.” In the Prophets – “Sustain your heart with a piece of bread” (Judges 19:5). In the writings – “And bread sustains man’s heart” (Psalms 104:15).
Rav Aḥa said: “Sustain your heart [levavkhem]” is not written here, but rather, “sustain your heart [libekhem].” This teaches that the evil inclination has no authority over angels.25The word “heart” can be spelled with one bet (lev) or two (levav). When it is spelled with two bets it means to include both man’s good inclination and his evil inclination (Mishna Berachot 9:5). Here it is spelled with just one bet, indicating that angels have no evil inclination. That is in accordance to the opinion of Rabbi Ḥiyya, as Rabbi Ḥiyya said: “Direct your heart [levavkhem] to its rampart” is not written here, but rather, “libekhem” (Psalms 48:14). That is what is said: the evil inclination will have no authority in the future.26As that verse is speaking of Messianic times.
“Inasmuch as [al ken] you have passed by your servant” – Rabbi Yehoshua said: [Abraham said:] ‘From the day that the Holy One blessed be He created His world, you were foreordained to come to me,’ “inasmuch [al ken] as you have passed.”27The word ken appears numerous times in the account of creation: Vayehi khen, “and it was so.” This is as it says [in Pharaoh’s response to Moses]: “So [khen], may the Lord be with you” (Exodus 10:10).28There, too, Pharaoh meant: If it is preordained that your people should leave Egypt, so be it. He, of course, believed that it was not so.
“They said: Do [ta’aseh] so, as you have said” – they [the angels] said: ‘Eating and drinking do not apply to us, but you, for whom eating and drinking do apply, you shall do [ta’aseh] so for yourself; may it be His will that you should merit to prepare another feast for your male offspring that will be born to you.’29As recorded in Genesis 21:8.
“And I will take a piece of bread, and you will sustain your heart, then depart” – Rabbi Yitzḥak said: In the Torah, in the Prophets, and in the Writings, we have found that bread is the sustenance of the heart. In the Torah, from where is it derived? “And I will take a piece of bread, and you will sustain your heart.” In the Prophets – “Sustain your heart with a piece of bread” (Judges 19:5). In the writings – “And bread sustains man’s heart” (Psalms 104:15).
Rav Aḥa said: “Sustain your heart [levavkhem]” is not written here, but rather, “sustain your heart [libekhem].” This teaches that the evil inclination has no authority over angels.25The word “heart” can be spelled with one bet (lev) or two (levav). When it is spelled with two bets it means to include both man’s good inclination and his evil inclination (Mishna Berachot 9:5). Here it is spelled with just one bet, indicating that angels have no evil inclination. That is in accordance to the opinion of Rabbi Ḥiyya, as Rabbi Ḥiyya said: “Direct your heart [levavkhem] to its rampart” is not written here, but rather, “libekhem” (Psalms 48:14). That is what is said: the evil inclination will have no authority in the future.26As that verse is speaking of Messianic times.
“Inasmuch as [al ken] you have passed by your servant” – Rabbi Yehoshua said: [Abraham said:] ‘From the day that the Holy One blessed be He created His world, you were foreordained to come to me,’ “inasmuch [al ken] as you have passed.”27The word ken appears numerous times in the account of creation: Vayehi khen, “and it was so.” This is as it says [in Pharaoh’s response to Moses]: “So [khen], may the Lord be with you” (Exodus 10:10).28There, too, Pharaoh meant: If it is preordained that your people should leave Egypt, so be it. He, of course, believed that it was not so.
“They said: Do [ta’aseh] so, as you have said” – they [the angels] said: ‘Eating and drinking do not apply to us, but you, for whom eating and drinking do apply, you shall do [ta’aseh] so for yourself; may it be His will that you should merit to prepare another feast for your male offspring that will be born to you.’29As recorded in Genesis 21:8.