Midras Yesaya 54:9: Aggadat Bereshit, Shemot Rabbah, Ein Yaakov (Glick Edition) & Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael

Chapter 1 of the Torah [1] "And the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth" (Genesis 6:5). Scriptures say: "For there is a time for every experience, including the doom; for a man’s calamity [ Still another term for death; cf. “the time of calamity” for “the hour of death,” 9.12. ] overwhelms him. "(Ecclesiastes 8:6). Because the wicked man angered the Lord, saying, "The Lord swore that He would not bring a flood upon the world again, so we can do whatever we want." And how do we know that the Lord swore not to bring a flood upon the world? It is said, "For this is like the waters of Noah to me; for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah shall no more go over the earth" (Isaiah 54:9). And it is as if He sees the wicked who angers Him and wonders why He swore, saying, "What have I done to swear that I will not bring a flood upon the world?" And so Isaiah says, "And truth is lacking, and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey" (Isaiah 59:15), and "And the Lord saw" (Isaiah 59:15), for there is no righteous man in the world who prays before Him to appease Him because of them. And it is evil in His eyes that there is no justice (Isaiah 59:15), to judge their deeds. The Lord said to the wicked, "You say that I swore not to bring a flood upon the world again. Punishments are in store for scoffers And blows for the backs of dullards." (Proverbs 19:29), blows that are tumultuous and tumultuous, for if I swore not to bring a flood of water, I will bring a flood of fire and brimstone and stones, as it is said, "And the Lord caused to rain upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire" (Genesis 19:24). And when the Amorites came upon Joshua, He brought upon them a flood of stones, as it is said, "And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, and were in the going down to Beth-horon, that the Lord cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died" (Joshua 10:11). Pharaoh, the wicked one, consulted with his advisors and said, "We can find nothing that God has sworn to except a flood of water, in which we can sink them and they will die, as it says 'Every son that is born you shall cast into the river' (Exodus 1:22)." God replied, "You should know that I have the power to judge you in this way, as it is written, 'Then Pharaoh and his army were destroyed in the Red Sea' (Psalm 136:15)." When Sisera came to attack Israel, they judged him only with fire and water, as it says, "From heaven the stars fought, from their courses they fought against Sisera" (Judges 5:20) and "The river Kishon swept them away" (Judges 5:21). Similarly, when Sennacherib came to Jerusalem, God judged him only with a fiery flood, as it says, "Then the angel of the Lord went forth and smote in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred and eighty-five thousand" (2 Kings 19:35). Moreover, all generations, if a person sins, they judge him in a manner similar to his sin. If he deserves stoning, he falls from a rooftop, a wall, a tree, an animal, or he is hit by a falling object. If he deserves burning, he falls into fire or boiling water. If he deserves killing, God sends someone to kill him, or he falls upon a knife or a sword, or the knife or sword falls upon him. If he deserves strangulation, he falls into a sea, a river, or a pit. Therefore, Solomon said, "To every purpose there is a time and a judgment" (Ecclesiastes 8:6), for what caused all these judgments is that the evil of man is great upon him.

“He said to his people: Behold, the nation of the children of Israel is more numerous and mighty than us” (Exodus 1:9).
“He said to his people” – he began with the counsel first; therefore, he was punished first. He began with the counsel first, as it is written: “He said to his people.” He was punished first, as it is written: “Upon you, upon your people, and upon all your servants, [the frogs will rise]” (Exodus 7:29).
“Let us be shrewd with it, lest it increase, and it shall be that if a war will occur, it too will join our enemies and wage war against us and it will ascend from the land” (Exodus 1:10).
“Let us be shrewd with it.” “With them” is not stated, but rather, “with it.” Rabbi Ḥama son of Rabbi Ḥanina said: He said: ‘Come let us be shrewd with the God of these. Shall we sentence them with the sword? It is already written: “And with His sword all flesh” (Isaiah 66:16). We will sentence them only with water, as the Holy One blessed be He took an oath that He will not bring a flood to the world, as it is stated: “As I took an oath that the waters of Noah would no longer pass over the earth” (Isaiah 54:9).’ But they did not know that He will not bring it over the entire world, but He will bring it on one nation. And He will not bring it [even] upon them, but they will come and fall into it, as it is stated: “They will be hurled [yagiruhu] to the sword [ḥarev]; they will be prey for the foxes [shualim]” (Psalms 63:11).¹⁹The midrash interprets this: He will entice [yegareh] them with dry land [ḥorev], into the waters of the sea [sha’al yam].
“As it was in the matter that they conspired [against them]” (Exodus 18:11) – in the pot in which they cooked, they were cooked.²⁰They sought to drown the Jewish boys in the river; they were drowned in the Red Sea.
Rabbi Ḥiyya said that Rabbi Simon said: There were three [involved] in that counsel: Bilam, Job, and Yitro. Bilam, who advised [Pharaoh to persecute Israel], was killed. Job, who was silent, was punished with suffering. Yitro, who fled, his descendants were privileged to sit in the Chamber of Hewn Stone, as it is stated: “The families of scribes who dwelled at Yabetz: The Tiratites, the Shime’atites, the Sukatites. These are the Kenites that came from Hamat, the father of the house of Rekhav” (I Chronicles 2:55). And it is written: “The children of the Kenite, Moses’ father-in-law, went up from the city of the date palms with the children of Judah” (Judges 1:16).

“…and it will ascend from the land” (Exodus 1:10). It does not say: And we will ascend, but rather: “It will ascend.” Rabbi Abba bar Kahana says: It is like a person who curses himself but ascribes his curse to another.²¹Although Pharaoh’s stated concern was that the Israelites would leave Egypt, his real concern was that they would overcome the Egyptians and banish them from Egypt.
Alternatively, “and it will ascend from the land,” any time that Israel reaches the ultimate depths, they ascend; see what is written: “And it will ascend from the land.” David said: “Our soul is bent to the dust; our belly cleaves to the earth.” (Psalms 44:26). At that moment: “Rise up, be our savior; redeem us for the sake of Your kindness” (Psalms 44:27).

(Ex. 1, 8) Now there rose up a new king over Egypt, who knew not Joseph. Rab and Samuel differ in the explanation of the meaning of this passage. One contends that it means a real new king, while the other says "his decrees were new." According to the one who says that it means a real new king, he infers it because it is written a new. The other one who contends that his decrees were new infers because it is not mentioned that the previous king had died and a new one had become king. But how will the latter explain who knew not Joseph? This means that he pretended not to know Joseph. (Ib., ib. 9) And he said unto his people, behold the people of the children of Israel are more numerous and mightier than we. We are taught that the king himself started to find ways of destroying Israel as it is said and he said unto his people; therefore was he also smitten first, as it is said (Ib. 7, 29) And upon thee, and upon thy people, and upon all thy servants shall all the frogs come up. (Ib. 1, 10) Come on, let us deal wisely with him. It should have been with them, [plural]. Said Chama b. R. Chanina: "This means that he said to them: 'Come on, let us deal wisely with the Redeemer of Israel. With what shall we punish them [so that He shall not be able to take retaliation]? Shall we punish them by fire. He will retaliate upon as it is said (Is. 66, 16) For by fire will the Lord judge. Shall we judge them with a sword? Upon this He will also retaliate as it is written (Ib.) And by His sword against all flesh. Let us therefore come and execute judgment through water; for long since He had already sworn not to bring a flood upon the world, as it is said (Ib. 54, 9) For as the waters of Noah is this unto He; as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more pass over the earth [hence there is no retaliation]. They [Pharaoh and his advisors] did not know, however, that this means only that He will not bring a flood upon the entire world but upon one Nation He may bring a flood, or He will not bring a flood upon the people, but that the people might go into the flood and thus be drowned. He could indeed act, and so also does the passage say (Gen. 14, 27) While the Egyptians were fleeing against it [the sea]: And the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea." This is also meant by R. Elazar, who said: "What is the meaning of the passage (Ib. 18, 11) For by the very thing wherein they sinned presumptuously was punishment brought upon them. This means that with the very pot which they prepared to cook others therein, they themselves were cooked." Whence do we know that the word Zadu [used in the above text] refers to a pot? It is written (Gen. 25, 29) And Jacob sad [yazed] pottage. R. Chiya b. Aba said in the name of R. Jochanan: "The following three Bil'am, Job and Jethro — were the advisers of Pharaoh, concerning his decree to throw in the river the children of Israel. Bil'am, who gave this advice, was killed; Job, who kept silence, was punished with chastisement; and Jethro, who ran away, was rewarded by having his decendants placed among the Sanhedrin, in the chamber of Temple, as it is said (I Chr. 2, 55) And the families of scribes who dwelt at Jabetz. the Tiratite, etc… . these are, the Kenites that come from Chamoth, the father of the house of Rechah. And again it is written (Jud. 1, 16) And the children of the Kenite, the father-in-law of Moses. (Ib., ib., 11) And they thereupon did set over him task-masters, it should have been over them and not over him. We are taught in a Baraitha in the name of R. Elazar, son of R. Simon: "From this it might be inferred that the Egyptians took a brick-mould, hung it upon the neck of Pharaoh, and if any Israelite said that he was delicate and could not work, the Egyptians said to him: 'Art thou more delicate than Pharaoh, the King?'" (Ib.) Task-masters, i.e., a person that forced Israel to make bricks (Ib., ib., ib.) To afflict him with their burdensome labors, it should have been them instead of him. This means to afflict Pharaoh himself through their burdensome-work [because of the brick he had to wear on his neck], (Ib.) And he built store cities for Pharaoh. Rab and Samuel differ in the explanation of the above passage. One contends, cities which caused danger to its owners, and the other explains it to mean, cities which caused poverty to its owners; for the Master said elsewhere: "Whoever occupies himself with buildings will at last become poor." (Ib) Pithom and Ra'amses. Rab and Samuel differ in the explanation of this passage, one contends that its real name was Pithom, and the reason it was called Ra'amses, was because one building after the other was crushed (fell in); and the other said that its real name was Ra'amses, and the reason it was called Pithom, was because one building after the other was swallowed in the depth. (Ib., ib. 12) But the more they afflicted him, the more he multiplied and the more he spread abroad. It should have been so they multiplied and so they spread abroad? Said R. Simon b. Lakish: "The Holy Spirit predicted to them, saying: "Thus [as it keeps on now] will they multiply and spread abroad." (Ib., ib., ib.) And they felt abhorance because of the children of Israel. From this it may be inferred that the Israelites were like thorns in the eyes of the Egyptians. (Ib., ib. 13) And the Egyptians caused the children of Israel to labor with (Ib. b) rigor. R. Elazar said: "The word b'fa-rech (rigor) means with soft words." R. Samuel b. Nachmeni said: This means rigorously." (Ib., ib. 14) And they made their lives bitter with hard labor in mortar and in bricks and in all manner of labor in the field. Said Raba: "This passage informs us that in the very beginning they started with mortar and in bricks but afterwards with all manner of labor in the field." Besides all their other service, they made them labor with rigor. Said R. Samuel b. Nachmeni in the name of R. Jonathan: "This means that they changed the work of men for women and the work of women for men, and even he who explained the foregoing b'fa-rech differently, will admit that the same word here means rigorously."