Midrasz do Wyjścia 9:27

(Ps. 66:3, cont.:) AT YOUR GREAT STRENGTH <YOUR ENEMIES> SHALL DWINDLE AWAY (or BE DECEITFUL) (yekhahashu, rt. KHSh)²The Hebrew verb can have either meaning. BEFORE YOU. R. Berekhyah and R. Judah b. R. Shallum the Levite differed. One said: THEY DWINDLE AWAY (yekhahashu) BEFORE YOU, <i.e.,> they shall be broken, just as it is stated (in Deut. 33:29): YOUR ENEMIES SHALL DWINDLE AWAY (yekhahashu) BEFORE YOU. But the other said: THEY ARE DECEITFUL (rt.: KHSh) BEFORE YOU, <i.e.,> your enemies shall lie and act deceitfully (rt.: KHSh). Nebuchadnezzar said (in Dan. 3:28): BLESSED BE THE GOD OF SHADRACH, MESHACH, AND ABED-NEGO, <WHO SENT HIS ANGEL TO DELIVER HIS SERVANTS THAT TRUSTED IN HIM AND FLOUTED THE KING'S DECREE>…. Ergo (in Ps. 66:3): <YOUR ENEMIES> SHALL BE DECEITFUL BEFORE YOU. Sennacherib said (in II Kings 18:35): WHO AMONG ALL THE GODS OF <THOSE> LANDS <HAVE DELIVERED THEIR LAND FROM MY HAND>…? He did not move from there until he had dwindled away, as stated (in II Chron. 32:21): <THEN THE LORD SENT AN ANGEL, WHO DESTROYED EVERY MIGHTY WARRIOR, COMMANDER, AND OFFICER IN THE CAMP OF THE KING OF ASSYRIA. > SO HE RETURNED SHAME [FACED TO HIS OWN LAND]. Pharaoh said (in Exod. 5:2): I DO NOT KNOW THE LORD, <AND MOREOVER I WILL NOT LET ISRAEL GO>. <That statement> became a lie (KHSh) for them, when <Pharaoh> said (in Exod. 9:27): THE LORD IS RIGHT, AND I AND MY PEOPLE ARE IN THE WRONG. So he himself sent them away, as stated (in Exod. 13:17): NOW IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN PHARAOH HAD LET < THE PEOPLE > GO….

Another interpretation (of Exod. 5:2): WHO IS THE LORD? The Holy One said to him: You have said: Who (MY)? By your life, through <the letters> MY you shall be punished (in Exod. 14:26–15:21). MY (who) is YM (sea) in reverse order. Through the sea (YM) you shall know who (MY) I am, because you said (in Exod. 5:2): I DO NOT KNOW THE LORD.²²So Mekhilta de Rabbi Ishmael, Shirata 1, with reference to Exod. 15:4. By your life, some day soon²³Literally: “tomorrow.” you shall say (in Exod. 9:27): THE LORD IS IN THE RIGHT, AND I AND MY PEOPLE ARE IN THE WRONG.²⁴Mekhilta de Rabbi Ishmael, Beshallah 1. You said (in Exod. 5:2): AND MOREOVER I WILL NOT LET ISRAEL GO. By your life, some day soon you shall take each and every one of them by the hand to send them away. It is therefore stated (in Exod. 13:17): [NOW IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN PHARAOH HAD LET THE PEOPLE GO.]

(Exod. 38:21:) THESE ARE THE RECORDS OF THE TABERNACLE. Whatever Moses did he did through others, as stated (ibid.): <THESE ARE THE RECORDS OF THE TABERNACLE, THE TABERNACLE OF THE TESTIMONY, WHICH WERE DRAWN UP AT MOSES' BIDDING,> THE WORK OF THE LEVITES BY MEANS OF ITHAMAR <BEN AARON >.¹⁴Exod. R. 51:6. He only did <the accounting > after the work on the Tabernacle was finished. He said to them: Come and let me make an accounting before you. All Israel gathered while he sat and made calculations. He forgot one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five shekels, of which he had made hooks for the pillars.¹⁵Tanh., Exod. 11:7. He said to them (in vs. 28): AND OF THE ONE THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-FIVE < SHEKELS > [HE (Ithamar) MADE HOOKS FOR THE PILLARS]. At that time Israel was mollified¹⁶A form of piyyes, which may come from the Gk. aorist, peisai (“to persuade”). over the building of the Tabernacle. And who brought it about for him? <It was> because he < himself> sat down and mollified them. (Exod. 38:21:) THESE ARE THE RECORDS OF THE TABERNACLE. But why did he make an accounting with them when the Holy One trusted him? It is so stated (in Numb. 12:7): NOT SO WITH MY SERVANT MOSES; [HE IS TRUSTED IN ALL MY HOUSE]. Yet Moses said: Come and make an accounting with me. It was simply that Moses had heard Israel speaking behind his back, as stated {in Exod. 33:9): AND IT CAME TO PASS THAT WHEN MOSES WOULD GO [TO THE TENT], THE PILLAR OF CLOUD WOULD DESCEND…, AND THE LORD WOULD SPEAK WITH MOSES.} [(in Exod. 33:8): AND IT CAME TO PASS THAT WHEN MOSES WOULD GO OUT UNTO THE TENT, <ALL THE PEOPLE WOULD RISE>… AND STARE AFTER MOSES.] And what were they saying?¹⁷Cf. yBik. 3:3 (65c); ySheq. 5:3 (49a), which in what follows omit the attributions to named authorities; also Tanh., Exod. 9:27, which reverses the views of R. Isaac and R. Hama. Exod. R. 51:6 reads R. Johanan instead of R. Isaac. R. Isaac says: They were saying in his favor: Blessed is she who bore this man. All his days the Holy One speaks with him; all his days he genuinely belongs to the Holy One. (Exod. 33:8:) <ALL THE PEOPLE WOULD RISE …> AND STARE AFTER MOSES. But R. Hama said: They were saying to his shame: Look at the <fat> neck; look at the <fat> thighs. Moses is eating from what belongs to Jews and drinking from what belongs to Jews, for everything he possesses comes from the Jews. Then an associate of his would reply: Would you not want a person in charge of the work on the Tabernacle to be wealthy? As soon as Moses heard that, he said to them: By your life, after the Tabernacle is finished, I am making an accounting with you. Thus it is stated (in Exod. 38:21:) THESE ARE THE RECORDS OF THE TABERNACLE….

Your flocks: "Your flocks come also from mine!" Your herds: "Your herds come also from my ministers!" Take [them], as you said, and begone!: Your prediction has been fulfilled! "Moses said, “You yourself must provide us with sacrifices and burnt offerings to offer up to the LORD our God" (Exodus 10:25) And may you bring a blessing upon me also!: Even women and children. Another interpretation: "And may you bring a blessing upon me also." (Exodus 12:32) From here you say that Pharaoh knew that he was lacking in prayer, and God does not forgive someone until he has persuaded his neighbor [to forgive him as well]. What reward did he take for this? -- "In that day, there shall be an altar to the LORD inside the land of Egypt" (Isaiah 19:19) The mouth that said, "Who is the LORD that I should heed Him [and let Israel go]?" (Exodus 5:2) is [also] the mouth that said, "The LORD is in the right [and I and my people are in the wrong.]" (Exodus 9:27) What reward did he take for this? -- "You shall not abhor an Egyptian, for you were a stranger in his land." (Deuteronomy 23:8) The mouth that said, "I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil," (Exodus 15:9) is [also] the mouth that said, "Let us flee from the Israelites, [for the LORD is fighting for them against Egypt.]" (Exodus 14:25) What reward did he take for this? -- "You put out Your right hand, The earth swallowed them." (Exodus 15:12) They merited to be buried, that beast and birds would not eat them.

(Exod. 33:21:) AND THE LORD SAID: SEE, THERE IS A PLACE WITH ME,…. R. Jose bar Halafta said: "See I am in this place," is not written here, but SEE, THERE IS A PLACE WITH ME.⁷¹Tanh., Exod. 9:27; Exod. R. 45:6; cf. Gen. R. 68:9. My place is secondary to me; so would I be secondary to my place? Exod. 33:19:) AND HE SAID: I WILL MAKE ALL MY GOODNESS PASS < BEFORE YOU>. Goodness, ALL MY GOODNESS, <also implies > the attribute of punishment.⁷²I.e., the one who has power to reward the good must also have the power to punish the wicked. (Ibid., cont.:) I WILL BE GRACIOUS TO WHOM I WILL BE GRACIOUS. At that time the Holy One showed him all the treasuries with the rewards which are prepared for the righteous. He said to him: Sovereign of the World, To whom does this treasury belong? He said to him: To those who act with righteousness. To whom does this one belong? To those who support orphans. And it was so for each and every treasury, until he saw a certain huge treasury. He said to him: To whom does this one belong? He said to him: To the one who has < merit >, to him I give what belongs to him out of <this one>; but to the one who has not, for him I do it gratis, <and give it to him from here>.⁷³These bracketed words appear in both Tanh., Exod. 9:27, and Exod. R. 45:6. Thus it is stated (in Exod. 33:19): I WILL BE GRACIOUS TO WHOM I WILL BE GRACIOUS. {"Who is prepared"} ["To whom we will be gracious"] is not written here, but TO WHOM I WILL BE GRACIOUS.

(Exod. 9:18:) BEHOLD, AT THIS TIME TOMORROW I WILL RAIN DOWN <VERY HEAVY HAIL>…. However (in Exod. 9:19 it says): NOW SEND <AND> BRING UNDER SHELTER YOUR LIVESTOCK <AND EVERYTHING YOU HAVE>…. Our masters have said: during all the plagues, Pharaoh never said: THE LORD IS IN THE RIGHT, except in the plague of the hail alone (in Exod. 9:27). Why? When someone wants to fight with his companion and overcome him, he comes upon him suddenly, kills him, and takes everything he has. But the Holy One said to Pharaoh (in Exod. 9:19): NOW SEND <AND> BRING UNDER SHELTER YOUR LIVESTOCK <AND EVERYTHING YOU HAVE>…. <It was> at that time <that> Pharaoh said: THE LORD IS IN THE RIGHT.

It is written (in Exod. 9:32): BUT THE WHEAT AND THE SPELT WERE NOT HURT BECAUSE THEY RIPEN LATE. R. Pinhas bar Hama the Priest and R. Judah bar Shallum differ.¹¹⁷Tanh., Exod. 2:16; Exod. R. 12:6. R. Pinhas says: What is the meaning of BECAUSE THEY RIPEN LATE (rt.: 'PL)? The Holy One performed miracles (rt.: PL') through them. But R. Judah says: They were late crops. R. Pinhas said to him: But look, it is written (in Exod. 9:25): THE HAIL SMOTE EVERY HERB OF THE FIELD; yet you say: Because they were tiny they were not smitten. Rather the Holy One performed miracles through them. At that time, when Pharaoh saw this, he said to Moses: Pray for me. He said to him: {(Exod. 8:5 [9]:) YOU MAY HAVE THIS TRIUMPH OVER ME; so I will let them go.} In the first plague you said to me: Pray for me and I will let them go. Then I prayed, but you did not let them go. {(Exod. 8:5 [9], cont.:) FOR WHAT TIME SHALL I MAKE SUPPLICATION FOR YOU…?} Pharaoh said to him (in Exod. 9:27): [THIS TIME] I HAVE SINNED {AGAINST THE LORD YOUR GOD AND AGAINST YOU.} Now I will let them go. As soon as Moses heard this, what is written (in vs. 33)? SO LEAVING PHARAOH, MOSES WENT OUT OF THE CITY AND SPREAD OUT HIS HANDS UNTO THE LORD. <THEN THE THUNDER AND THE HAIL CEASED>… See how dear the righteous are to the Holy One! For whatever they decide to do, the Holy One does <for them>. Our masters have said (in Ta'an. 3:8):¹¹⁸See also yTa‘an. 3:8–12 (66d-67a); Ta’an. 23a. Once upon a time Honi the Circle-Drawer prayed for rain to fall. He drew a circle and stood within it. He said to him: Sovereign of the World, your children have set their faces upon me, for here I am like a house child (i.e., a close friend) before you. I swear by your great name that I will not move from here until you have compassion upon your children. Immediately the rains came down. Now if Honi the Circle-Drawer, who was from the children of the children of Moses < could do> this, how much the more so in the case of Moses himself. Ergo (ibid.): THEN THE THUNDER AND THE HAIL CEASED, [AND NO RAIN CAME POURING DOWN TO EARTH]. And where is it to be found? Our masters have said: It is suspended in the air¹¹⁹Gk.: aer. until Gog and Magog come.¹²⁰Exod. R. 12:7; cf. Ber. 54b. It is so stated (concerning Gog in Ezek. 38:22): AND I WILL POUR TORRENTIAL RAIN, HAILSTONES, <FIRE, AND BRIMSTONE UPON HIM AND HIS HOSTS AND THE MANY PEOPLES THAT ARE WITH HIM>.¹²¹On Gog and Magog, see above, note 68. Immediately (after Exod. 9:33 it says in vs. 34): BUT WHEN PHARAOH SAW THAT THE RAIN AND THE HAIL <AND THE THUNDER> HAD CEASED, HE REVERTED TO SINNING.¹²²Tanh., Exod. 2:17. So it is with the wicked. When they see that trouble has come upon them, they humble themselves; but as soon as the trouble passes and one feels relief, they return to their evil deeds. When Nebuchadnezzar saw trouble come upon him, he began giving praise to the Holy One. (Dan. 4:34 [37]:) SO NOW I, NEBUCHADNEZZAR, PRAISE, EXALT, AND HONOR THE KING OF HEAVEN…. R. Berekhyah the Priest said in the name of R. Helbo, <who spoke> in the name of R. Samuel bar Nahman: Were it not for the fact that the Holy One judges the hearts and thoughts, would Nebuchadnezzar have given praise with one verse, just as David gave praise in his whole book? When Nebuchadnezzar saw himself <to have> greatness, he began to boast (in Dan. 4:1 [4] and 27 [30]): I <AM> NEBUCHADNEZZAR,… IS NOT THIS BABYLON THE GREAT < WHICH I HAVE BUILT >…? The Holy One said to him: You wicked man, what are you boasting about? (Vs. 28 [31]:) THE WORDS WERE STILL ON THE KING'S LIPS, <WHEN A VOICE FELL FROM HEAVEN…: THE KINGDOM HAS PASSED FROM YOU>…. As long as the wicked see trouble coming upon them they are humble. When they see that it is going <away>, they return to their wickedness. Thus it is stated (in Exod. 9:34): BUT WHEN PHARAOH SAW THAT <THE RAIN AND THE HAIL AND THE THUNDER> HAD CEASED, <HE REVERTED TO SINNING>. The nations of the world continue to sin, but as for Israel (according to Lam. 4:22): YOUR INIQUITY IS ENDED, O DAUGHTER OF ZION. When? When he attends to the iniquity of the house of Edom, as stated (ibid., cont.): HE HAS ATTENDED TO YOUR INIQUITY, O DAUGHTER OF EDOM. From now on Israel shall never go into exile.¹²³Heb. golim. The word also connotes being exposed or uncovered. Rather the Holy One shall gather them to Jerusalem, as stated (in Ps. 107:2–3): LET THE REDEEMED OF THE LORD SAY SO, THOSE WHOM HE HAS REDEEMED FROM THE HAND OF ADVERSITY; FOR HE HAS GATHERED THEM FROM THE LANDS, FROM THE EAST AND FROM THE WEST, FROM THE NORTH AND FROM THE SEA.

Rabbi Eliezer said: In the hour of the death of Jacob he called to his son Joseph, and said to him: O my son! Swear to me by the covenant of circumcision that thou wilt take me up to the burial-place of my fathers in the land of Canaan to the Cave of Machpelah. The ancients used to swear by the covenant of circumcision prior to the giving of the Torah, as it is said, "Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh" (Gen. 47:29), and "he sware unto him" (Gen. 47:31). He kept (the oath) and did (accordingly), as it is said, "And he said, Swear unto me" (ibid.). And all the mighty men of the kingdom went up with him to bury him, and to show loving-kindness to Jacob his father, as it is said, "And Joseph went up to bury his father" (Gen. 50:7). The camp of Israel numbered 5040 (people). All the (people of the) land were bringing food on account of the famine to the camp of Joseph. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them: Ye have shown loving-kindness to Jacob, My servant, I also will give you your reward, and also unto your children in this world. When the Egyptians died in the Reed Sea they did not die in the water, but they were deemed worthy to be buried in the earth. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them: Ye have submitted yourselves to the divine punishment; I also will give you a place of burial, as it is said, "Thou stretchedst forth thy right hand, the earth swallowed them" (Ex. 15:12).