וַתֹּ֧אמֶר לָ֣הּ בַּת־פַּרְעֹ֗ה הֵילִ֜יכִי אֶת־הַיֶּ֤לֶד הַזֶּה֙ וְהֵינִקִ֣הוּ לִ֔י וַאֲנִ֖י אֶתֵּ֣ן אֶת־שְׂכָרֵ֑ךְ וַתִּקַּ֧ח הָאִשָּׁ֛ה הַיֶּ֖לֶד וַתְּנִיקֵֽהוּ׃
Putri Firaun berkata kepadanya, “Bawalah anak ini dan susuilah dia bagiku, dan aku akan memberikan upahmu.” Lalu perempuan itu mengambil anak itu dan menyusuinya.
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)
(Gen. 2, 7) Then said his sister to Pharaoh's daughter: "Shall I go and call thee a nurse of the Hebrew women that she may nurse the child for thee? Why did she emphasize a Hebrew nurse? From this it may be inferred that Moses was given to be nursed by many Egyptian women, but he refused to be nursed; the Holy One, praised be He, said: Shall an unclean thing nurse the mouth that is destined to speak with Me?" And this is the nearing of the passage (Is. 23, 9) Whom shall he teach knowledge? And whom shall he give to understand doctrine? Those that are weaned from the milk, those that are taken from the breasts; i.e., unto whom did the Lord teach knowledge? and to whom did He grant the understanding of doctrines? To him that weaned from the milk and that was taken from the breasts [from the Egyptians]. And Pharaoh's daughter said unto her, 'Go;' and the maiden went. Said R. Elazar: "From this it may be inferred that she went quickly as a maiden." R. Samuel b. Nachmeni said: "This means that she concealed her words by not telling [Pharaoh's daughter] that she was his sister and that she was going to call her mother." (Ib., ib. 9) And Pharaoh's daughter said unto her, 'Take this child away.' Said R. Chama b. Chanina: "She prophesied but did know what she was prophesising. Helichi means take what belongs to thee." (Ib.) And I will give thee thy wages. Said R. Chama b. R. Chanina: "It is not sufficient for the righteous that their lost things are returned to them, but they are even paid for them, as it is said. And I will give thee thy wages."
Midrash Tanchuma Buber
(Exod. 32:16, cont.:) INSCRIBED ON THE TABLETS.] What is the meaning of INSCRIBED (HRWT)? R. Judah, R. Nehemiah, and our masters disagree. R. Judah says: Freedom (HYRWT) from the empires;38See above, Exod. 2:9, and the note there. R. Nehemiah says: Freedom from the angel of death; but our masters have said: Freedom from tribulations.