Midras Keluaran 6:6: Ein Yaakov (Glick Edition), Midrash Tanchuma, Shir HaShirim Rabbah & Shemot Rabbah

Whence do we know that Sarah, Rachel and Hannah were visited on New Year's Day? R. Elazar said: We infer by comparing the expression, Zechiro, Zechiro (remember) and Pekidah Pekidah (visit) that appear in both places. Concerning the expression Zechira Zechira (remember), it is written of Rachel (Gen. 30, 32) And God remembered (Voyizkor) Rachel; and of Hannah, it is written (I Sam. 1, 19) And God remembered her (Voyizkor); this institutes an analogy between the word remember (Zechira) used in these passages and Zechiro, used in connection with New Year's Day, which is written (Lev. 23, 24) A remembrance (Zichrow) of blowing of cornets. Again, we make an inference from the analogy of Pekido Pekido (visit); it is written concerning Sarah (Gen. 21, 1) And the Lord visited (Pakad) Sarah as He said. Again, it is written concerning Hannah (I Sam. 2, 21) And truly the Lord visited (Pokad) Hannah. By the rule of analogy, all these events took place on the same [New Year's] day. Whence do we know that Joseph was released from prison on New Year's Day? It is written (Ps. 81, 4-5) Blow on the new moon the cornet at the appointed time on the day of our feast; for this is a statute for Israel. And again (Ib.) As a testimony in Joseph did he ordain it, when he went out over the land of Egypt. (Ib. b) On New Year's Day the bondage of our fathers in Egypt ceased. Whence do we know this? We infer it by rule of analogy of the word Sebila mentioned in two places. It is written (Ex. 6, 6) I will bring you out from under the burdens (Sibloth) of the Egyptians; and it is written (Ps. 81, 6) I removed his shoulder from the burden (Seibel); i.e., from the burden of Egypt on the day spoken of in the Psalm. In Nissan they were redeemed, as previously proven. In Tisari we shall again be redeemed. This he deduces by analogy from the word Shofor (cornet), found in the following passages. It is written (Ib.) Blow the cornet on the new moon (i.e., on New Year's Day); and it is written there (Isa. 27, 13) And on that day the great cornet (B'shofor), shall be blown [just as in the former case it means New Year's Day, so does it also in the latter]. R. Joshua says: "In Nissan they [our ancestors] were redeemed, and in Nissan we shall be redeemed in the future." Whence do we infer this? From the following passage (Ex. 12, 42), … this same night is a night of watching unto the Lord; i.e., a night specially designated from the first days of creation for the final redemption of Israel. (Ib.) … For all the children of Israel throughout their generations; i.e., a night looked forward to for the future redemption.

Therefore, say unto the children of Israel: “I am the Lord, and I will bring you out” (Exod. 6:6). The word therefore implies that an oath was involved, as it is said: Therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli (I Sam. 3:14). Moses went to them and told them what the Holy One, blessed be He, had said: And Moses spoke so unto the children of Israel; but they harkened not unto Moses for impatience of spirit and for cruel bondage (Exod. 6:9). Whereupon Moses turned to the Holy One, blessed be He, saying: Behold, the children of Israel have not harkened unto me (ibid., v. 12). And the Lord said to Moses: “Go in, say unto Pharaoh, king of Egypt, that he let the children of Israel go” (ibid., v. 11). A proverb states: “There is no benefit to be derived from acacia wood except when it is cut down.”⁴An old proverb indicating that one must wait until an episode is concluded to learn the result. “Don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched.”

Rabbi Eliezer interpreted the verse regarding the redemption from Egypt. Just as this lily, when it is situated among the thorns, is difficult for its owner to pluck it, so too, the redemption of Israel was difficult for the Holy One blessed be He. That is what is written: “Or has a god sought to come and take for himself a nation from the midst of a nation…?” (Deuteronomy 4:34). Rabbi Yehoshua said in the name of Rabbi Ḥanan: It is not written here: “A nation from the midst of a people,” or “a people from the midst of a nation,” but rather, “a nation from the midst of a nation,” as these were uncircumcised and those were uncircumcised, these grew their hairlocks and those grew their hairlocks,¹⁶The reference is a to a hairstyle that was common among gentiles, known as belorit, in which they would grow a long lock of hair from the backs of their heads. these wore garments of diverse kinds and those wore garments of diverse kinds.¹⁷The Israelites and Egyptians appeared quite similar to each other in appearance and in lifestyle. If so, the attribute of justice would never have allowed Israel to be redeemed from Egypt. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: Had the Holy One blessed be He not bound Himself with an oath, Israel would never have been redeemed from Egypt. That is what is written: “Therefore, say to the children of Israel: I am the Lord and I will take you out from under the burdens of Egypt” (Exodus 6:6). “Therefore” is nothing other than an oath, just as it says: “Therefore, I have taken an oath to the house of Eli” (I Samuel 3:14). Rabbi Berekhya said: “With Your arm, You redeemed Your people” (Psalms 77:16), by force.¹⁸You overcame the attribute of justice by force.
Rabbi Yudan said: From “to come and take for himself a nation” until “awesome deeds” (Deuteronomy 4:34) there are seventy-two letters.¹⁹In the Hebrew text. If a person will tell you seventy-five, say to him: Exclude from them the second [mention of the word] nation [goy], which is not included in the tally. Rabbi Avin said: He redeemed them with His name, as the name of the Holy One blessed be He consists of seventy-two letters. ²⁰The second nation is Egypt, which is not included in the name of God.