Midrash su Proverbi 17:11

The cruel angels say: Since he would not hearken to the first (angels), let us cause his spirit to depart, as it is said, "Let his spirit go forth, let him return to his earth" (Ps. 146:4). And concerning them (the Scripture) says: "Upon the third and upon the fourth generation of them that hate me" (Ex. 20:5); and another verse says: "Lo, all these things doth God work, twice, yea thrice, with a man" (Job 33:29). And thus He calls to Eliezer.

(Exodus 14:27) "And Moses stretched forth his hand upon the sea, and the sea returned towards morning to eithano. "eithano" signifies "His strength" as in (Numbers 24:21) "Eithan is your dwelling." R. Nathan says: "Eithan" signifies "hardness," as in (Jeremiah 5:15) "Behold, I am bringing against you a nation from afar, house of Israel, says the L rd, a nation that is eithan, an enduring nation." "And Egypt fled towards it": to apprise you that wherever Egypt fled, the sea pursued it. An analogy: A dove, fleeing a hawk, enters a king's palace, whereupon the king opens the eastern window for her, whence she escapes. The hawk, following, the king closes all the windows and begins shooting arrows at it. Similarly, when the last of the Israelites ascended from the sea, the first of the Egyptians entered it, whereupon the ministering angels began shooting arrows at them, and hailstones, fire, and sulphur, as it is written (Ezekiel 38:22) "And I will punish him (Gog) with pestilence and with blood, and with torrential rain, and hailstones, fire, and sulphur will I rain upon him and upon his wings, and upon the many peoples that are with him." "And the L rd shook out Egypt": as one shakes out a pot, its bottom ascending, and its top, descending. Variantly: "Vayenaer the L rd, Egypt, etc.": The L rd "invigorated" Egypt in order to (be able to) receive the punishment. Variantly: "Vayenaer the L rd, Egypt, etc.": He delivered them into the hands of "young," cruel angels, viz. (Mishlei 17:11) "And a cruel messenger will be sent against him," and (Iyyov 36:14) "Their souls will expire by youth" ("noar").

"Joseph was seventeen years of age, etc" (Genesis 37:2), and it further says "He was a youth" (ibid.), rather that he did youthful things. He touched up his eyes, he picked up his heels, he fixed his hair. "He was a shepherd... he brought negative reports [of his brothers, to his father]" (ibid.). What did he say? Rabbi Meir and Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Shimon [offered explanations]. Rabbi Meir said, [he said to his father Ya'akov] "Your sons are suspect regarding [the consumption of] a limb of a living animal". Rabbi Shimon said "They cast their eyes on the daughters of the land". Rabbi Yehuda said "They scorn the sons of the maidservants and call them slaves". Rabbi Yehuda son of Simon said, on his words [??] he was struck -- "honest scales and balances are the LORD's" (Proverbs 16:11). The Holy Blessed One said to him, "You said "Your sons are suspect regarding a limb of a living animal" -- by your life, even in a time of corruption they never did anything but slaughtered and [then] ate, (Genesis 37:31) "They slaughtered a kid"! You said they scorned the sons of the maidservants and called them slaves -- (Psalms 105:17) "Yosef, sold into slavery". You said they cast their eyes on the daughters of the land -- by your life, that I will stimulate in you the bear [??], (Genesis 39:7) "And his master's wife cast [her eyes upon Yosef]".