Midrash su Esodo 2:13

And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown up (Exodus 2:11). Moses was 20 years old at the time, and some say 40 years old.
"When Moses was grown up" - and does not everyone grow up? Rather, this tells you that he grew up [in a manner] unlike the whole world.
"He went out unto his brethren." This righteous man went out twice, and the Holy One Blessed is He wrote them one after another. "And he went out the second day" (Exodus 2:13)--this is two.
"And [he] looked on their burdens." What is, "And [he] looked?" For he would look upon their burdens and cry and say, "Woe is me unto you, who will provide my death instead of yours, for there is not more difficult labor than the labor of the mortar." And he would give of his shoulders [i.e. use his shoulders to] assist each one of them. Rabbi Eliezer the son of Rabbi Yose the Galilean said: [If] he saw a large burden on a small person and a small burden on a large person, or a man's burden on a woman and a woman's burden on a man, or an elderly man's burden on a young man and a young man's burden on an elderly man, he would leave aside his rank and go and right their burdens, and act as though he were assisting Pharaoh. The Holy One Blessed is He said: You left aside your business and went to see the sorrow of Israel, and acted toward them as brothers act. I will leave aside the upper and the lower [i.e. ignore the distinction between Heaven and Earth] and talk to you. Such is it written, " And when the LORD saw that [Moses] turned aside to see" (Exodus 3:4). The Holy One Blessed is He saw Moses, who left aside his business to see their burdens. Therefore, "God called unto him out of the midst of the bush" (ibid.).

Now all the plagues which the Holy One brought upon the Egyptians, he is going to bring upon Edom (i.e., Rome). It is so stated (in Is. 23:5): <AS AT THE REPORT CONCERNING EGYPT, > THEY SHALL TREMBLE AT THE REPORT OF TYRE (TsR).²⁴Although the Buber text reads TsWR, the midrashic interpretation here requires TsR, which is the reading of the Masoretic text. R. Eleazar has said: When Tyre is written with a vowel letter (i.e., TsWR), what is written is speaking about the region of Tyre. But in every place in which it is written as TsR without the W, what is written is speaking about this wicked Roman Empire, because it is oppressing Israel (rt.: TsRR).²⁵Tanh. (Buber), Exod. 2:15; Tanh., Exod. 2:13; 3:4; Exod. R. 9:13; PRK 7:11; PR 17:8. In Egypt he brought the plague of blood upon them. So also shall it be in Edom (i.e., Rome), as stated (in Joel 3:3–4 [2:30–31]): THEN I WILLSET PORTENTS IN THE HEAVENS AND ON THE EARTH: BLOOD, FIRE, <AND PILLARS OF SMOKE; THE SUN SHALL BE TURNED INTO DARKNESS > AND THE MOON INTO BLOOD. In Egypt he brought frogs upon them because their voice (qol) was strong. So also shall it be in Edom, as stated (in Is. 66:6): A SOUND (qol) OF TUMULT FROM THE CITY, <A NOISE (qol) FROM THE TEMPLE! THE THUNDER (qol) OF THE LORD IS REPAYING RETRIBUTION TO HIS ENEMIES>. In Egypt he brought gnats upon them. [So] also shall it be in Edom, [as stated] (in Is. 34:9): ITS²⁶The pronoun refers to Edom. STREAMS SHALL BE TURNED TO PITCH AND ITS DUST TO BRIMSTONE DUST can only mean gnats, just as it says (in Exod. 8:12 [16]): <HOLD OUT YOUR ROD> AND STRIKE THE DUST OF THE EARTH, AND IT SHALL BECOME GNATS < THROUGHOUT THE LAND OF EGYPT > …. In Egypt he brought swarms of flies ('RWB, rt.: 'RB) upon them. So also shall it be in Edom, as stated (in Is. 34:11): BUT THE PELICAN AND THE BITTERN SHALL POSSESS IT (i.e., Edom), [EVEN THE OWL AND THE RAVEN ('WRB, rt.: 'RB) SHALL DWELL IN IT.] In Egypt he brought pestilence upon them. So also shall it be in Edom, as stated (in Ezek. 38:22): I WILL ENTER INTO JUDGMENT AGAINST HIM WITH PESTILENCE. In Egypt he brought boils upon them. So also shall it be in Edom, as stated (in Zech. 14:12): AND THIS SHALL BE THE PLAGUE…: THEIR FLESH SHALL ROT AWAY. In Egypt he brought hail upon them. So also shall it be in Edom, as stated (in Ezek. 38:22): AND I WILL POUR TORRENTIAL RAIN, HAILSTONES <… UPON HIM…>. In Egypt he brought locusts upon them. So also shall it be in Edom, as stated (in Ezek. 39:17): SON OF MAN,[… ] SAY TO EVERY WINGED BIRD < AND TO EVERY LIVING CREATURE OF THE FIELD: ASSEMBLE, COME AND GATHER>…. In Egypt he brought darkness. So also shall it be in Edom (in Is. 34:11, cont.): AND HE SHALL STRETCH OVER IT THE MEASURING LINE OF THE EMPTINESS <AND WEIGHTS OF NOTHINGNESS>.²⁷The Hebrew words for EMPTINESS and NOTHINGNESS echo the VOID AND WITHOUT FORM in Gen. 1:2. In Egypt he smote their first-born. So also shall it be in Edom, as stated (in Ezek. 32:30): THERE ARE ALL THE PRINCES OF THE NORTH <AND THE ALL THE SIDONIANS WHO HAVE GONE DOWN WITH THE SLAIN…>. R. Meir says (citing Is. 34:7, which refers to Edom): AND THE WILD OXEN SHALL COME DOWN WITH THEM….²⁸Cf. Codex Vaticanus Ebr. 34 which adds the interpretation that these WILD OXEN (re’emim) are the Romans. Just as in Egypt, when he had exacted retribution from their gods, he afterwards exacted retribution from them; in Edom (rt.: 'DM) also, when he has exacted retribution from their prince, he shall afterwards exact retribution from them. It is so stated (in Is. 24:21): AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS IN THAT DAY THAT THE LORD SHALL PUNISH THE HOST OF HEAVEN IN HEAVEN AND THE KINGS OF THE EARTH (rt.: 'DM) {IN} [ON] THE EARTH (rt.: 'DM).

(Fol. 58b) Resh Lakish said: "He who raises his hand [with the intention of striking his neighbor], although he has not as yet struck him, is called wicked, as it is said (Ex. 2, 13) And he said to the tvicked one, wherefore smitest thou thy fellow? It does not read, why hast thou smitten, but why smitest thou. Hence he is called wicked even if he merely raises his hand to strike." Z'iri said in the name of R. Chanina: "He is called sinner, as it is said (I Sam. 2, 16) If not, I will take it by force. And immediately after this is written. The sin of the young men was very great." R. Huna said: "[If one has the habit of raising his hand against man], his arm may be cut off, as it is said (Job 38, 15) And the high-raised arm should be broken." (And R. Huna acted according to his theory). R. Elazar said: "There is no remedy for such a man but burial, as it is said (Ib. 22, 8) But as for the man of a strong arm, for him is the land." R. Elazar said again: "Only one who has a strong arm may obtain land, as it is said: But as for the man of a strong arm, for him is the land." Resh Lakish said again: "What is the meaning of the passage (Prov. 12, 11) He who tilleth his ground will be satisfied with bread? When one enslaves himself to the earth, he may be satisfied with bread but not otherwise."

(Numb. 16:23–24:) “And the Lord spoke […], ‘Speak unto the congregation, saying, “Get away from about [the dwellings of Korah, Dathan and Abiram].”’” Although Moses heard it from the mouth of the Almighty,³⁷Numb. R. 18:12. he did not tell them to get away until he had gone and warned them, as stated (in vs. 25), “Then Moses arose and went unto Dathan and Abiram.” [This serves] to make their wickedness known, for although Moses went to them on foot, the[se] wicked ones were too stubborn to make amends. What did they do? They were unwilling to come out of their tents to face him. When Moses saw this, he said, “This much [only] it was incumbent upon me to do.” Immediately (in Numb. 16:26) “And he spoke to the congregation, ‘Please move away from [the tents of these wicked people.]’” Our masters have taught: Four [types of people] are called wicked:³⁸Numb. R. 18:12, cont.; cf. PRK 30 (p.190b in Buber text; “Additional Piska” 28:2 in Braude’s translation). The one who extends his hand against his companion to strike him. Even though he did not [actually] strike him, he is called wicked, as stated (in Exod. 2:13), “so he said to the wicked one, ‘Why would you strike³⁹The midrash understands the verb in accord with post-biblical usage and is stressing the fact that the tense is future. So also Sanh. 58b; Rashi on Exod.2:13. your comrade?’” "Did you strike," is not stated here, but “would you strike.” The one who borrows and does not repay, as stated (in Ps. 37:21), “The wicked person borrows but does not repay.”⁴⁰Avot 2:9. The one who has an insolent face but does not feel shame from someone greater than himself, as stated (Prov. 21:29), “A wicked person puts on a brazen face.” And the one who is the author of dissension, as stated (in Numb. 16:26), “Please move away from the tents of these wicked men.”
Now two [of these traits] were in Dathan and Abiram, [i.e.,] an insolent face and dissension (mhlqt). Mhlqt ("dissension") is interpreted through its letters. M is for marah ("bitter"); h is for haron ("anger"); l is for lokin ("lash"); q is for qelalah ("curse"); and t is for to'evah ("abomination"). But some say [that t stands for] takhlit ("end"), [since dissension] brings annihilation to the world. (Numb. 16:27:) “So they got away from the dwellings of Korah, Dathan and Abiram.” When they saw this, how Israel had moved away from round about them, they came out cursing and blaspheming, as stated (ibid., cont.), “[they] came out standing (rt.: ntsb).” Now [it is stated] elsewhere (in I Sam. 17:16), “Then the Philistine drew near at dawn and in the evening; and he took his stand (rt.: ytsb) for forty days.”⁴¹On Goliath reviling Israel, see I Sam. 17:8-10. Moses began by saying, as it is written (in Numb. 16:28-29), “And Moses said, ‘By this you may know that the Lord has sent me…. If these die like the death of every man.” A parable: To what is the matter comparable? To the shoshbin⁴²I.e., the bridal agent who guarded her interests at the consummation of the marriage. of a king's daughter in whose hands lay the testimonials of her [virginity]. When one of the banqueters stood up before him and cursed the shoshbin and said, “The king's daughter has no virginity”; the shoshbin arose in the presence of the king and said to him, “If you do not have this person brought out in order to execute him in everyone's presence, I shall say, ‘Of course the king's daughter has no virginity.’” Immediately the king said, “It is better for me to kill this person, so that the shoshbin will not give out a bad name concerning my daughter.” Similarly Korah contended with Moses and said, “It was in his own heart and on his own that Moses had said all these things.” He began by saying (in Numb. 16:28-29), “’By this you may know that the Lord has sent me […]. If these die like the death of every man,’ then I also am saying (ibid., cont.), ‘the Lord did not send me,’ and I have spoken from my own heart.”

And he went out on the second day, and behold, two men of the Hebrews were striving together (Exod. 2:13). Who were these men? They were Dathan and Abiram, who later said: Let us make a captain, and let us return to Egypt (Num. 14:4). They were the ones who rebelled at the Red Sea and kept some of the manna (as “leftovers,” not believing that God would supply them with more the next day), as it is written: But some of them left of it until the morning (Exod. 16:20). Likewise, they were the ones who went out to gather it up (on the Sabbath, which was forbidden), but were unable to find any (as Moses had warned). They were also the ones who participated in his (Moses’) conflict with Korah. Hence it is said: It was Dathan and Abiram. They were involved in wickedness from beginning to end. He said to him that did wrong: “Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow?” (Exod. 2:13), that is to say: “Why do you strike one who is just as wicked as you are?” And they retorted: Who made thee a man, ruler and judge over us? This implied: “You are not yet a man, indeed you are only a lad, and yet you try to act as though you are a ruler and a judge over us.”

Similarly, because Moses yearned for the Torah, it is called by his name. Whence do we know that he yearned for the Torah? It is said: And Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights (Exod. 24:18). Where do we find that it is called by his name? It is written: Remember ye the law of Moses My servant (Mal. 3:22). Because he offered to sacrifice his life for Israel, Yet now if thou wilt forgive their sin (Exod. 32:33), they were called by his name: And his people remembered the days of old, the days of Moses (Isa. 63:11). And it is also written: Go, get thee down; for thy people have dealt corruptly (Exod. 32:7). Since He risked his life for the sake of justice, as it is written: Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow? (Exod. 2:13), he fled because of justice and returned because of justice. He executed righteousness, Lord, and his ordinances with Israel (Deut. 33:21). Does not justice, however, belong to God? Indeed! But since he devoted his life to justice, it is called by his name.

(Exod. 7:14, cont.:) HE REFUSES TO LET <THE PEOPLE> GO (shillah). The Holy One said: You are refusing to let them go. By your life, you yourself will take each and every one of them by the hand and send them away (shillah). The Holy One said to Moses: Go and bring the plague of blood upon them. Then you shall say unto them (in Exod. 7:17): BY THIS YOU SHALL KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD…. Why did he bring upon them the plague of blood first?⁷⁷Tanh., Exod. 2:13 Exod. R. 9:9. Because Pharaoh and the Egyptians were worshiping the Nile. The Holy One had said to Moses: Go and smite their gods in their presence. A common⁷⁸Gk. idotes. (Aramaic) proverb says: Blot out the god and the idol-priests are confounded {i.e., smite the idol and the idol-priests are confounded}. Ergo (in Exod. 7:17, cont.:) SEE, I AM SMITING < THE WATER WHICH IS IN THE NILE WITH THE ROD THAT IS IN MY HAND>…. See what is written (in vs. 19): <TAKE YOUR ROD AND STRETCH OUT YOUR HAND OVER THE WATERS OF EGYPT: > OVER ITS RIVERS, <OVER ITS CANALS, OVER ITS PONDS, AND OVER EVERY BODY OF ITS WATER SO THAT THEY BECOME BLOOD>.⁷⁹I.e., not simply OVER THE WATERS OF EGYPT. What is the meaning of OVER ITS RIVERS? In every place where they were, the water became blood. What is the meaning of OVER EVERY BODY OF ITS WATER? Even what was in the cup⁸⁰Gk.: kothon. became blood, and even what an Egyptian was spitting out of his mouth became blood.⁸¹Exod. R.9:10. Thus it is stated (in ibid., cont.): AND THERE SHALL BE BLOOD IN THE WHOLE LAND OF EGYPT. R. Abbin the Levite said: Israel became rich from the plague of blood.⁸²M. Ps. 78:10. How? When an Egyptian and an Israelite were in the same house, the tank was full of water; but when the Egyptian went to fill a cup from it, it became blood. So when the Israelite went and drank water from it, the Egyptian would say: Give me a little of the water in your hand; but when he gave it to him, it turned out to be blood in the Egyptian's hand. Then he would say to him: Come, you and I, and let us drink from the <same> bowl. But the Israelite was < still > drinking water; and the Egyptian, blood. When, however, an Egyptian took water from an Israelite for a price, he would drink water. For that reason Israel became rich from the plague of blood. And how long did the plague stay with them? R. Judah and R. Nehemiah differed.⁸³Exod. R. 9:12. The one said: <The Holy One> warned them for twenty-four days, while the < actual > plague functioned against them for seven days. But the other said: He warned them for seven days, while the < actual > plague functioned against them for twenty-four days.

R. Eleazar ben Pedat says: Just as the Holy One brought <the plague> upon the Egyptians, he is going to bring <it> upon this nation (i.e., Rome).⁸⁴Tanh. (Buber), Exod. 3:6; Tanh., Exod. 2:13; 3:4; Exod. R. 9:13; PRK 7:11; PR 17:8. It is so stated (in Is. 23:5): AS AT THE REPORT CONCERNING EGYPT, THEY SHALL TREMBLE AT THE REPORT OF TYRE. R. Eleazar said: Every TYRE which is spelled {with} [without] the vowel letter is speaking about this evil nation (i.e., Rome). Just as Egypt was afflicted with blood, <so> also shall it be with this evil nation. (Thus according to Is. 34:9) ITS⁸⁵The pronoun refers to Edom, which was later understood to be Rome. STREAMS SHALL BE TURNED TO PITCH…. R. Tanhuma said: These are the Tiber⁸⁶Lat.: Tiberis. and the Ticino,⁸⁷Lat.: Ticinus. which are situated on the edge of Rome.⁸⁸Actually the Ticino is considerably to the north and flows from Switzerland into the Po. It is also written (in Is. 34:10): NIGHT AND DAY IT SHALL NOT BE QUENCHED. And why? Because they kept Israel from the Torah, in which they labored day and night, the fire which I bring upon them shall never be quenched. Rather (according to ibid., cont.:) ITS SMOKE SHALL RISE UP FOREVER, because they burned my house and the smoke rose up from it. They also say (in Is. 66:6): A SOUND OF TUMULT FROM THE CITY. The Holy One said to them (ibid., cont.): A NOISE FROM THE TEMPLE. Then he says: Remember what you did to the temple; (i.e., in ibid., cont.) THE THUNDER OF THE LORD IS REPAYING RETRIBUTION TO HIS ENEMIES, in the world to come, when he redeems Israel. Thus it is stated (in Is. 35:4): WITH THE RECOMPENSE OF THE LORD GOD HE WILL COME AND SAVE YOU.

(Exod. 2:13:) WHEN HE WENT OUT ON THE SECOND DAY, HERE THERE WERE TWO HEBREW MEN FIGHTING (NTsYM). R. Abbahu said that they were emitting sparks (NYTsWTsYN) from their heels.⁹⁷Thus R. Abbahu understands the verse to read: HERE THERE WERE TWO HEBREW MEN SPARKING. (Ibid., cont.:) SO HE SAID TO THE WICKED ONE: WHY ARE YOU STRIKING YOUR NEIGHBOR? R. Isaac said: You learn from here that whoever raises his hand against his comrade is called wicked, since it is stated (ibid.): SO HE SAID TO THE WICKED ONE.⁹⁸Cf. Sanh. 58b. He said to him (in Exod. 2:14): WHO APPOINTED YOU <A PRINCE AND A JUDGE OVER US>? R. Judah b. R. Shallum the Levite said: Moses said to the Holy One: Sovereign of the World, why is this people enslaved? There are seventy nations in the world and none of them are enslaved except this nation alone. Surely this sin is known, even as written (in Exod. 2:14, cont.): SURELY THE MATTER IS KNOWN, since you were not were enslaved for nothing. What did Moses do (in Exod. 2:15)? BUT MOSES FLED FROM BEFORE PHARAOH and went into Midian <to be> with Jethro. (Prov. 22:29:) SOMEONE DILIGENT AT HIS WORK. This is Moses. (Ibid., cont.:) HE SHALL STAND BEFORE KINGS. This refers to Pharaoh. (Ibid., cont.:) HE SHALL NOT STAND BEFORE THE OBSCURE. This refers to Jethro. Thus the Holy One said to him (i.e., Moses, in Exod. 4:19): <THEN THE LORD SAID UNTO MOSES IN MIDIAN: > GO BACK TO EGYPT. Then he said to him (in Exod. 9:13): GO EARLY IN THE MORNING <TO PRESENT YOURSELF BEFORE PHARAOH>. R. Nehemiah said: See, you have made the holy profane and the profane holy. (Prov. 22:29:) HE SHALL STAND BEFORE KINGS, <i.e.,> before the Holy One; (ibid., cont.:) HE SHALL NOT STAND BEFORE THE OBSCURE (rt.: HShK). This refers to Pharaoh, as stated (in Ezek. 30:18): IN TEHAPHNEHES⁹⁹Heb.: THPNHS. Cf. Jer. 43:9, according to which Pharaoh’s house was located at THPNHS. THE DAY SHALL BE DARKENED (rt.: HShK) < WHEN I BREAK THERE THE YOKES OF EGYPT>.

12 (Numb. 16:23–24) “And the Lord spoke to Moses saying, [...] ‘Get away from about the dwellings of Korah’”: Although Moses heard it from the mouth of the Almighty, he did not tell them to get away until he had gone and warned them, as stated (in vs. 25), “Then Moses arose and went unto Dathan and Abiram.” [This serves] to make their wickedness known, for although Moses went to them on foot, the[se] wicked ones were too stubborn to make amends. What did they do? They were unwilling to come out of their tents (different text: on their own) to face him. When Moses saw this, he said, “This much [only] it was incumbent upon me to do.” [So] (in Numb. 16:26) “And he spoke to the congregation, ‘Please move away from the tents of [these] wicked people.’” Our masters have taught: Four [types of people] are called wicked:²⁵Cf. PRK 30 (p.190b in Buber text; “Additional Piska” 28:2 in Braude’s translation). The one who extends his hand against his companion to strike him. Even though he did not [actually] strike him, he is called wicked, as stated (in Exod. 2:13), “so he said to the wicked one, ‘Why would you strike²⁶The midrash understands the verb in accord with post-biblical usage and is stressing the fact that the tense is future. So also Sanh. 58b; Rashi on Exod.2:13. your comrade?’” "Did you strike," is not stated here, but “would you strike.” The one who borrows and does not repay, as stated (in Ps. 37:21), “The wicked person borrows but does not repay […].”²⁷Avot 2:9. The one who has an insolent face and does not feel shame from someone greater than himself, as stated (Prov. 21:29), “A wicked person puts on a brazen face […].” And the one who is the author of dissension, as stated (in Numb. 16:26), “Please move away from the tents of these wicked men.” Now two [of these traits] were in Dathan and Abiram, [i.e.,] an insolent face and dissension (mhlqt). Mhlqt ("dissension") [is interpreted through its letters.] M is for marah ("bitter"); h is for haron ("anger"); l is for lokin ("lash"); q is for qelalah ("curse"); and t is for to'evah ("abomination"). But some say [that t stands for] takhlit ("end"), [since dissension] brings annihilation to the world. (Numb. 16:27) “So they got away from the dwellings of Korah, Dathan and Abiram”: When they saw this, how Israel had moved away from round about them, they came out cursing and blaspheming, as stated (ibid., cont.), “[they] came out standing (rt.: ntsb).” Now [it is stated] elsewhere (in I Sam. 17:16), “Then the Philistine drew near at dawn and in the evening; and he took his stand (rt.: ytsb) for forty days.”²⁸On Goliath reviling Israel, see I Sam. 17:8-10. (Numb. 16:28-29), “And Moses said, ‘By this you may know that the Lord has sent me…. If these die like the death of every man”: A parable: To what is the matter comparable? To the shoshbin²⁹I.e., the bridal agent who guarded her interests at the consummation of the marriage. of a king's daughter in whose hands lay the testimonials of her [virginity]. When one of the banqueters stood up before him and cursed the shoshbin and said, “The king's daughter has no virginity”; the shoshbin arose in the presence of the king and said to him, “If you do not have this person brought out in order to execute him in everyone's presence, I shall say, ‘Of course the king's daughter has no virginity.’” Immediately the king said, “It is better for me to kill this person, so that the shoshbin will not give out a bad name concerning my daughter.” Similarly Korah contended with Moses and said, “It was in his own heart and on his own that Moses had said all these things.” Moses began by saying in front of the Holy One, blessed be He then I also am saying (ibid., cont.), “If these die upon their beds in the way that people die, and physicians come and examine them the way all sick people are examined, then I will also deny [my mission] and say, ‘the Lord did not send me,’ and I have spoken from my own heart.” This is one of three prophets who spoke in this way: Elijah, Micah, and Moses.³⁰ySahn. 10:1 (28a). Elijah said (in I Kings 18:36–37), "O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known today that You are God in Israel, that I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your bidding. Answer me o Lord, answer me, so that this people may know that You, o Lord, are God; for You have turned their hearts backward” - [meaning,] if you do not answer me, I will say (ibid.), “You have turned their hearts backward.” So also Micah (identified here with Micaiah) said to Ahab (in I Kings 22:28), “If you return in peace,” then I too will say (ibid. cont.), “the Lord has not spoken through me.” And Moses also said (in Numb. 16:29), “If these die a natural death....” The Holy One said to him: “Moses, what do you want?” Moses said to Him, “Sovereign of the World, (in Numb. 16:30), ‘But if the Lord creates’; if You have created a mouth to the earth [from the beginning], well and good; but if not, ‘let the Lord create’ - He should create a mouth to it now.” The Holy One said to him (in Job 22:28), “When you decree something, it shall come to pass for you; and light shall shine upon your ways.”

The one who extends his hand against his companion to strike him. Even though he did not <actually> strike him, he is called wicked, as stated (in Exod. 2:13): SO HE SAID TO THE WICKED ONE: WHY WOULD YOU STRIKE⁴⁶The midrash understands the verb in accord with post-biblical usage and is stressing the fact that the tense is future. So also Sanh. 58b; Rashi on Exod.2:13. YOUR COMRADE? "<Why> did you strike?" is not stated here but WHY WOULD YOU STRIKE?
The one who borrows and does not repay, as stated (in Ps. 37:21): THE WICKED PERSON BORROWS BUT DOES NOT REPAY.⁴⁷Avot 2:9.
[Also the one who has an insolent face but does not feel shame from someone greater than himself, as stated (Prov. 21:29): A WICKED PERSON PUTS ON A BRAZEN FACE.]
And the one who is the author of dissension, as stated (in Numb. 16:26): PLEASE MOVE AWAY FROM THE TENTS OF THESE WICKED [PEOPLE].

He went forth on the second day, and saw two Hebrew men striving. Who were they? || Dathan and Abiram, as it is said, "And he said to him that did the wrong, Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow?" (Ex. 2:18). Dathan said to him: What! Dost thou wish to kill me with the sword of thy mouth as thou didst kill the Egyptian yesterday, as it is said, "Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? Speakest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian?" (Ex. 2:14). "Seekest thou to kill me" is not written (in the Scripture) here, but "Speakest thou to kill me."