출애굽기 2:24의 미드라쉬

23. Another opinion. R' Elazar said: when Israel was redeemed from Egypt they were only redeemed from within these five things - suffering, repentance, the merit of the forefathers, mercy, and the end. From in the midst of suffering, as it is written "...and the children of Israel groaned..." (Exodus 2:23) From in the midst of repentance, as it is written "...and their cry rose up..." (ibid.) From in the midst of the merit of the forefathers, as it is written "And God remembered His covenant..." (Exodus 2:24) From in the midst of mercy, as it is written "And God saw the children of Israel..." (Exodus 2:25) From in the midst of the end, as it is written "...and God knew." (ibid.) And so too in the time to come they will only be redeemed from in the midst of these five things. From in the midst of suffering, as it is written "when you are in distress.." (Devarim 4:30) - behold, from in the midst of suffering. "...and you will return to the Lord your God..." (ibid.) Behold, from in the midst of repentance. "For the Lord your God is a compassionate God..." (Devarim 4:31) Behold, from in the midst of mercy. "He shall not forget the covenant which he made with your forefathers..." (Devarim 4:31) Behold, from in the midst of the merit of the forefathers. "...because all these things have befallen you in the end..." (Devarim 4:30) Behold, from in the midst of the end. And David explained them all. "When He saw that they were in distress..." (Psalms 106:44) Behold, from in the midst of suffering. "...when He heard their cry." (ibid.) Behold, from in the midst of repentance. "He recalled His covenant..." (Psalms 106:45) Behold, from in the midst of the merit of the forefathers. "And He made their captors kindly disposed toward them." (Psalms 106:46) Behold, from in the midst of mercy. "Deliver us, oh Lord God, and gather us from among the nations..." (Psalms 106:47) Behold, from in the midst of the end.

Reuben, Simeon, and all the other tribes were mentioned because of the future redemption of Israel. Reuben: I have surely seen the affliction of my people (Exod. 3:7). Simeon: And God heard their groaning (ibid. 2:24). Levi: Many nations will attach themselves to the Lord (Zech. 2:15). Judah: I will give thanks unto Thee, O Lord, for though Thou wast angry with me, Thine anger is turned away and Thou comfortest me (Isa. 12:1). Issachar: For thy ways shall be rewarded (Jer. 31:16). Zebulun: I have surely built thee a house of habitation (I Kings 8:13). Benjamin: The Lord hath sworn by His right hand (Isa. 62:18). Dan: And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge (Gen. 15:14). Naphtali: Thy lips, O my bride, drop honey (Song 4:11). Gad: Now the manna was like coriander seed (Num. 11:7). Asher: And all the nations shall call you happy (Mal. 3:12). Joseph: The Lord will set His hand again the second time (Isa. 11:1).

The Rock, His action is perfect: Yishaiyahu said, "Pursue the Lord in His being found" (Isaiah 55:6), and David said, "Pursue the Lord and His might, etc." (I Chronicles 16:11). Why did he [continue to] say, "seek His face always?" To teach you [that] the Holy One, blessed be He - may His name be blessed - sometimes appears and sometimes does not appear; sometimes hears and sometimes does not want to hear; sometimes answers and sometimes does not answer; sometimes is pursued and sometimes is not pursued; sometimes is found and sometimes is not found; sometimes is close and sometimes is not close. How is this? He appeared to Moshe, as it is stated (Exodus 33:11), "And the Lord spoke to Moshe." He went back and disappeared from him, when he said to Him, "Please show me Your glory" (Exodus 33:18). And so [too,] He appeared to Israel at Sinai, as it is stated (Exodus 24:10), "And they saw the God of Israel," and it states (Exodus 24:17), "And the appearance of the glory of the Lord." [But] He went back and disappeared from them, as it is stated (Deuteronomy 4:15), "since you did not see any picture," and it states (Deuteronomy 4:15), "the voice of words do you hear." And when Israel were in Egypt in torturous subjugation, "And God heard their moaning" (Exodus 2:24). [But] when they sinned, "The Lord did not hear your voice and did not listen to you" (Deuteronomy 1:45). He answered Shmuel at Mitspeh, as it is stated (I Samuel 7:9), "and Shmuel cried out to the Lord [...] and the Lord answered Shmuel." [But] He went back and did not answer Him, as it is stated (I Samuel 16:1), "And the Lord said to Shmuel, 'Until when are you mourning for Shaul.'" He answered David - and it stated (Psalms 34:5), "I have pursued the Lord and He answered me." [But] He went back and did not answer him, as it is stated (II Samuel 12:16), "and David fasted a fast, and he went in and laid down on the ground," and it is written (II Samuel 12:14), "also the child that is born to you will surely die." And at the time that Israel repents, He is found for them, as it is stated (Deuteronomy 4:29), "And from there, you will seek the Lord, your God [and you will find Him]." But if they do not repent, "They will go with their sheep and cattle to seek the Lord, but they will not find Him; He has cast them off" (Hosea 5:6). Sometimes He is close, as it is stated (Psalms 145:18), "Close is the Lord to all who call to Him"; [but] sometimes He is not close, as it is stated (Proverbs 15:29), "Far from evildoers is the Lord." And it is written (Numbers 6:26), "And the Lord shall lift His face"; but [another[ verse states (Deuteronomy 10:17), "Who does not lift the face." [Only] if [one] repents, He lifts His face to him. It is possible [that He does this] for all. [Hence] we learn to say "to you" (Numbers 6:26) - but not to another nation; as it is stated (Jeremiah 4:14), "Wash your heart from evil, Jerusalem, in order that you be saved" - if they repent. But if not, "Even if you wash with natron [... your iniquity is before Me]" (Jeremiah 2:22). Hence Yishaiyahu said, "Pursue the Lord in His being found; call to Him in His being close." [There is a relevant] parable: To what is the matter similar? To a king who said to his servants, "Go out and announce in all of my dominion that I am sitting and judging financial cases. Anyone who has an issue with his fellow - let him come in front of Me, and I will judge him favorably, [now] before I sit to judge capital cases." And so [too,] did the Holy One, blessed be He - may His name be blessed - say to Israel, "My sons, Know that I judge the world at these four periods: At Pesach about the grain; at [Shavouot] about the fruit of the trees; at Rosh HaShanah, all those that come to the world come in front of me like bnei Maron; and at [Sukkot] about the water. On three of these periods, I sit to judge financial cases, to make wealthy or make poor, to increase or to decrease. But on Rosh HaShanah, I judge capital cases, whether for death or life - as you say in the shofar blows of Rav, 'And upon it is said, about the provinces, etc.' But if you repent with a full heart, I will accept you and judge you favorably. As the gates of the Heavens are open and I will hear your prayers, since I 'observe from the windows, peer through the lattice,' [now] before I seal the judgement on Yom Kippur." Hence it is stated, "Pursue the Lord in His being found." Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani said, "[There is a relevant] parable: To what is the matter similar? To a king who resided in a province and the people of the province were angering him. The king got angry and went outside of it [a distance of] ten mil and he stayed there. A man saw him, [and] he said to the people of the province, 'Know that the king is angry with you and he is seeking to send his legions upon the city to destroy it. Go out and appease him and he will return to you, before he distances himself from you.' A clever man was there, [and] he said to them, 'Fools, While the king was with you, you did not seek to appease him. And now before he distances himself, go out to him. Maybe he will accept you.'" Hence it is stated, "Pursue the Lord in His being found" - these are the ten days of repentance, that he is found among you, as so did Yechezkel say, "a wall between Me and them" (Ezekiel 43:8). This is "call to Him in His being close. Let the evildoer leave his path and a man his thoughts of iniquity and return to the Lord and He will have mercy upon him" (Isaiah 55:6-7).

SIMEON (ShM'WN) (in Exod. 2:24): AND GOD HEARD (rt.: ShM') THEIR MOANING.

Another interpretation [(of Exod. 15:1): THEN (az) SANG MOSES….] This text is related (to Ps. 40:2 [1]): I WAITED PATIENTLY FOR THE LORD…. R. Pinhas ben Hama the Priest said: If you waited patiently and he did not come, continue to wait. David said (in Ps. 27:14): WAIT FOR THE LORD; [BE STRONG AND LET YOUR HEART TAKE COURAGE! O WAIT FOR THE LORD]. If he came, your expectation was right. If not, continue to WAIT FOR THE LORD. David said (in Ps. 40:2 [1]): I WAITED PATIENTLY FOR THE LORD. Because of the waiting, (ibid., cont.:) HE INCLINED TOWARD ME AND HEARD MY CRY. (Exod. 2:24:) AND GOD HEARD THEIR MOANING…. (Ps. 40:3 [2]:) AND HE RAISED ME UP FROM THE PIT OF DESOLATION, FROM THE MIRY CLAY…, <i.e.,> from the clay of bricks. (Ibid.:) AND HE SET MY FEET UPON A ROCK, in that he gave me the booty of Egypt and the booty of the sea. {(Ibid., cont.:) HE ESTABLISHED MY STEPS.} (Ps. 40:4 [3]:) AND HE HAS PUT A NEW SONG IN MY MOUTH. (Exod. 15:1) THEN (az) SANG MOSES. What is the meaning of (az)? With an az the Holy One made the dry land into sea for the generation of Enosh. It is so stated (in Gen. 4:26): THEN (az) THERE WAS PROFANATION IN CALLING <OTHER GODS> BY THE NAME OF THE LORD.³¹The verse is consistently understood in this sense throughout Rabbinic literature. Thus the wickedness resulting in the flood had its beginning in the generation of Enosh. But for us he made the sea into dry land. With az we praised him.³²The midrash is alluding here to Exod. 15:1: THEN (az) SANG MOSES…. See above, Gen. 1:32; below, Lev. 6:14.

Moses was keeping the flock. Though the time for their redemption was at hand, they had not as yet performed any meritorious deeds. Scripture declares this through the words of Ezekiel: I caused thee in increase even as the growth of the field … thy breasts were fattened, and thy hair was grown, yet thou wast naked and bare (Ezek. 16:7). Is it not so that the Holy One, blessed be He, would not have written breasts and hair except for the fact that breasts and hair allude to Moses and Aaron? Inasmuch as it is said concerning them: Thy two breasts are like two fawns, that are twins of a gazelle (Song 4:5). Thy hair was grown implies that the time for redemption had arrived, but naked and bare signify that Israel had not yet performed any good deeds. The verse For thy love is better than wine (ibid. 1:2) refers to the patriarchs, who are called beloved. And God heard their groaning, and remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God saw the children of Israel (Exod. 2:24). That is, though He saw that they had not yet performed any meritorious deeds, He redeemed them nevertheless, as is said: He saved them for His name’s sake (Ps. 106:8).

Rabbi Ḥanina began in this manner: “I struggle [mavligiti] to overcome sorrow; my heart aches within me” (Jeremiah 8:18). What is mavligiti? Due to the lack [mibeli] of people contemplating the Torah to fulfill mitzvot and good deeds, I turned My Temple into My winepress [giti]. Nevertheless, “My heart aches within Me” over the Temple. That is what is written: “For this our heart aches…” (Lamentations 5:17).
And it is written: “Behold the sound of the cry of [shavat] the daughter of My people from a distant land” (Jeremiah 8:19). Rabbi Yoḥanan said: This expression is used in three senses: Ze’aka, shava, and ne’aka.¹²⁶These are three similar terms for crying out. Ze’aka indicates crying out in a loud and extended manner. Ne’aka is a form of crying out that is not loud at all. Shava generally means crying out but not as loud or long as ze’aka. It can also refer to any of these types of cries. (Etz Yosef). Ze’aka, as it is written: “The children of Israel sighed due to the work and they cried out [vayizaku], and their plea [shavatam] rose [to God from the work]” (Exodus 2:23). Shava, as it is written: “Behold the sound of the cry of [shavat] the daughter of My people.” Ne’aka, as it is written: “God heard their moaning [naakatam]” (Exodus 2:24). Rabbi Huna the Great of Tzippori says: It is an expression of convulsing. That is what is written: “And groan [venaak] the groans of [naakot] the slain” (Ezekiel 30:24). And it is written: “The souls of the dead cry [teshave’a]” (Job 24:12). “Is the Lord not in Zion? Is its King not in it?” (Jeremiah 8:19). Had He been there, they would not have been exiled. When they sinned they were exiled. When they were exiled, Jeremiah began lamenting over them: “How does…sit solitary?” (Lamentations 1:1).

Rabbi 'Aḳiba said: The executioners of Pharaoh used to strangle the Israelites in the walls of the houses, || and the Holy One, blessed be He, heard their cry, as it is said, "And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob" (Ex. 2:24). Further, they burnt their children in the furnace of fire, as it is said, "But the Lord hath taken you, and brought you forth out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt" (Deut. 4:20).