Esodo 2:21 Midrash: Sifrei Devarim, Midrash Tanchuma, Midrash Tanchuma Buber & Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer

(Devarim 1:5) "Across the Jordan, in the land of Moav, Moses ho'il (began) to explain": "hoalah" is "beginning," as in (Judges 19:6) "Begin ("hoel") now and stay overnight so that you will be refreshed," and (I Chronicles 17:27) "and now you have begun ("hoalta") to bless the house of your servant to be before You forever." And the sages say: "hoalah" is "swearing," as in (Shemoth 2:21) "And Moses swore ("vayoel") to remain with the man," and (I Samuel 14:24) "And Saul beswore ("vayoel") the people, saying 'Cursed be the man who will eat bread until the evening when I will be avenged of my enemies.'"

You find that everything written in praise of Jethro is mentioned to the discredit of Esau. In reference to Esau it is written: They have ravished the women in Zion (Lam. 5:11), but about Jethro it says: And he gave Moses, Zipporah, his daughter (Exod. 2:21). Concerning Esau it is written: Who eat up My people as they eat bread (Ps. 14:4), while of Jethro it is said: Call him that he may eat bread (Exod. 2:20). It is written about Esau: And he feared not God (Deut. 25:18), but about Jethro it is written: And thou shalt provide out of all the people, able men, such as fear God (Exod. 18:21). It is stated about Esau that he abolished the sacrifices (when Rome destroyed the Second Temple), but of Jethro it is said: And Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took a burnt-offering and sacrifices (ibid., v. 12). Esau heard of their troubles and attacked them, as it is said: Because of the striving of the children of Israel, and because they tried the Lord (ibid. 17:7), and it is written elsewhere: And Amalek came. However, when Jethro heard about Israel’s goodness, he joined them, as it is said: Now Jethro heard.

(Exod. 2:21:) THEN MOSES CONSENTED TO DWELL WITH THE MAN. R. Judah asks: What is the meaning of THEN <MOSES> CONSENTED (wayyo'el)? That he swore to him.⁵⁵Tanh., Exod. 1:12; Exod. R. 1:33. <This usage is in accord with> what is stated (in I Sam. 14:24): FOR SAUL MADE THE PEOPLE SWEAR (wayyo'el). He agreed to live with him. Thus CONSENTED (wayyo'el, rt.: Y'L) is actually a word of lodging, <in accord with> what is stated (in Jud. 19:6): SO NOW PLEASE CONSENT (rt.: Y'L) TO STAY THE NIGHT. (Exod. 2:21, cont.:) AND HE GAVE MOSES HIS DAUGHTER ZIPPORAH. When he took his daughter, he appointed him to tend his flock, as stated (in Exod. 3:1): NOW MOSES WAS TENDING (rt.: R'H) <THE FLOCK OF HIS FATHER-IN-LAW JETHRO >. What is the meaning of HE WAS TENDING <THE FLOCK>? R. Johanan said: In the case of everyone about whom it is stated: HE WAS, what HE WAS at his beginning, HE WAS at his end.⁵⁶Gen. R. 30:8; Esth. R. 6:3; cf. Tanh., Exod. 1:13; Exod. R. 2:4. He was worthy at his beginning and worthy at his end. The Rabbis say: Everyone⁵⁷The translation reads KL for KY in agreement with Tanh., Exod. 1:13. In this literature KY is rarely used without the prefix W apart from biblical quotations. See M. H. Segal, A Grammar of Mishnaic Hebrew (Oxford: Clarendon, 1956), section 302, n. 1. about whom it is stated: HE WAS nourished and sustained. They said to him: But look (at Gen. 3:1): NOW THE SERPENT WAS THE MORE SUBTLE. He said to them: He also was being prepared (by the word WAS) for divine punishment (in Gen. 3:14–15). They said to him: But here it is written (in Gen. 4:2): CAIN WAS A TILLER OF THE GROUND. He said to them: He also was being prepared for exile. They said to him: And here it is written (in Jer. 38:28): AND IT WAS WHEN JERUSALEM WAS CAPTURED. He said to them: It was a good omen⁵⁸Gk.: semeion. for it; because, if Jerusalem had not been captured, Israel⁵⁹The text here reads “the enemies of Israel,” but this expression is here a euphemism for Israel, as in Suk. 29a. So Jastrow, s.v., sone. would have been consumed. R. Levi has said: Everyone about whom it is stated: HE WAS, has seen a new age.⁶⁰According to Gen. R. 30:8, there were five such people: Noah, Joseph, Moses, Job, and Mordecai. Ergo (in Exod. 3:1): NOW MOSES WAS TENDING <THE FLOCK >.