Midrasz do Wyjścia 1:6

"And Yosef and his brothers and their entire generation passed away," to teach you that as long as one of them was still alive from the original ones that came down to Egypt, the Egyptians did not enslave the Israelites. "And the children of Israel reproduced and spawned," even though Yosef and his brothers died, their God did not die, instead "the children of Israel reproduced and spawned." Another point: Each one gave birth to six children in one litter, as it says: "And the children of Israel reproduced and spawned ..." Some say: Twelve [children in each litter] as it is written: "reproduced" - two, "spawned" - two, "they were many" - two, "they were massive" - two, "very much" - two, "and the land was filled with them" - two, for a total of twelve. "They were massive," some say: six children in each litter. And don't be incredulous, since the scorpion is one of the crawling creatures, and it gives birth to seventy at a time. Rabbi Natan says, "And the land was filled with them," like a field of reeds. "A new king arose," since the Egyptians saw this, they enacted new decrees upon them. That which is written: "A new king arose," Rav and Shmuel [interpret it]. One says: literally new. The other says: his decrees were new, he established decrees and punishments on them. The rationale of the one that says it was literally a new king, as it is written: "new." The rationale of the one that says it is referring to new decrees, since it is not written: "and he died, and a king was anointed." "Who did not know Yosef" -- according to the one who said it was a new king, this makes sense. According to the one who said he established new decrees, how does he explain ["that did not know Yosef"]? That he was _like_ one who did not know Yosef at all. The Rabbis say: Why does it call him a "new king"? Wasn't this the same Pharaoh as before? But the Egyptians said to Pharaoh: "let us mix it up with this nation." He said to them: "You are crazy! Until now we have eaten only because of them; how can we mix it up with them?! Were it not for Yosef we would all be dead." When he didn't listen to them, they deposed him from the throne for three months, until he said to them: "Whatever you want to do I am with you," and they re-appointed him. That is why it says, "A new king arose." The Rabbis took their opening text from this verse (Hosea 5:7): "Against God they have rebelled since they have given birth to foreign children, now the new moon will consume their parts." To teach you that when Yosef died they stopped performing circumcision; they said: Let us be like the Egyptians. From this you learn that Moshe circumcised them on their leaving Egypt. And when they did this [stopped observing circumcision], God converted the love of the Egyptians for them into hatred, as it says (Psalms 105:25): "He changed their mind to hate his nation, to harass his servants", to fulfill the verse (Hosea 5:7): "Now the new moon will consume their parts" [translator's note: the word "new moon," "hodesh," is re-vocalized by the Midrash to the word "new," "hadash."]. "A new king," since he arose and enacted new decrees against them. "Who did not know Yosef," and did he really not know Yosef?! Rabbi Abin said: It is like a parable of one who stoned to death the king's friend. The king said, Cut off his head, for tomorrow he will do the same thing to me. therefore Scripture says of him [Pharaoh] - in other words: today, "he did know Yosef," tomorrow, he will say (Exod. 5:2): "I do not know Adonai."

And after the death of Joseph all the Egyptians began to rule over the children of Israel in ‎those days, and Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, who was reigning instead of his father, took upon ‎himself all the laws and government affairs of Egypt, and everything was under his control, and ‎he ruled securely over his people. And at the revolution of the year which was the seventy ‎second year of the children of Israel’s going down to Egypt, after the death of Joseph, Zepho ‎the son of Eliphaz son of Esau escaped from Egypt with his men, and they came to Danhabah, ‎to Augias, king of Africah, and Augias received them with great honors, and he made Zepho ‎the chief of his hosts. And Zepho found favor in the eyes of Augias and in the eyes of all his ‎people, and Zepho was chief of hosts unto Augias, king of Africah, for many days. And Zepho ‎enticed Augias, king of Africah, to assemble all his armies, and to go to war with the Egyptians ‎and with the sons of Jacob, and to avenge on them the cause of his brothers. But Augias was ‎not willing to listen unto Zepho to do this thing, for Augias knew the strength of the sons of ‎Jacob, and what they had done unto his armies in their war with the children of Esau. And in ‎those days Zepho was very great in the eyes of Augias and in the eyes of all his people, and he ‎always enticed Augias to fight with Egypt, but he would not. ‎

... The judgment of the wicked in Gehinnom lasts twelve months, as it says “And it shall be from new moon to new moon…” (Yeshayahu 66:23) R’ Yochanan ben Nuri says: from Pesach until Atzeret (Shavuot), as it says “…and from Sabbath to Sabbath…” (ibid.) After twelve months the souls of the sinners of Israel who transgressed the Torah and the commandments are consumed and their bodies are consumed and they are turned to dust. Gehinnom spits them out and the wind scatters them underneath the feet of the righteous, as it says “And you shall crush the wicked, for they will be as ash under the soles of your feet…” (Malachi 3:21) But those who separated from the ways of the community, like the Sadducees, and the betrayers and the hypocrites and the heretics, and those who ‘spread their terror in the land of the living,’ and those who denied the resurrection, and those who say Torah is not from heaven, and those who scoff at the words of the Sages – Gehinnom is locked before them and they are judged there forever, as it says “And they shall go out and see the corpses of the people who rebelled against Me…” (Yeshayahu 66:24) Not only this, but the netherworld will cease to be but they will not cease to be, as it says “…and their form will outlast the grave as his dwelling place (zevul).” (Tehillim 49:15) From His dwelling place He will wear out their form, and their form will wear out the netherworld. What caused this to happen to them? Because they stretched out their hands against the dwelling place, as it says ‘as his dwelling place,’ and there is no dwelling place other than the Holy Temple, as it says “I have surely built You a house to dwell in…” (Melachim I 8:13)

And Joseph died, and all his brethren (Exod. 1:6). Nevertheless, the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly (ibid., v. 7). R. Yannai declared: Each woman bore six children at one time, while (because each word in the biblical verse is in the plural form, thus implying a minimum of two) others say that each one bore twelve, for the word paru (“were fruitful”) indicates two; vayishresu (“and increased abundantly”), two; vayirbu (“and multiplied”), two; vaya’asmu (“and waxed”), two; bime’od me’od (“exceeding mighty”), two; and the land was filled with them (ibid.), two, totaling twelve in all. R. Jonathan said: The land was filled with them implies that they filled the land like reed branches. When the Egyptians observed this, they issued new decrees against them, as it is said: Now there arose a new king (Exod. 1:8). Was he in fact a new king? Rather, he fashioned new decrees against them. Another explanation of Now there arose a new king. Was it not Pharaoh? Rather, the Egyptians cried out: “Come, let us attack this nation.” “You fools,” he said to them, “we have survived only because of them, how dare we attack them now? Were it not for Joseph, we would not be alive.” When he refused to carry out their request, they removed him from his throne for three months until he promised them: “I am with you in all you do.” Then they restored him to his throne. That is why it is written: And now there arose a new king.

(Exod. 1:6:) THEN JOSEPH DIED, AND ALL HIS BROTHERS. Although they had died, (according to vs. 7) THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL WERE FRUITFUL AND PROLIFIC. R. Johanan said: Every woman of Israel bore sixty < children >.²⁸Cf. Tanh. 1:3; Exod. R. 1:8, which argue for six or twelve children per woman. It is so stated (ibid.): AND THE LAND WAS FILLED WITH THEM. R. Johanan said: They filled Egypt.

(Exod. 1:10:) COME, LET US (Egyptians) ACT SHREWDLY TOWARD THEM (literally: HIM.)³⁷In the context, the HIM refers to Israel, but the midrash interprets HIM as referring to God. <Thus> he blasphemed against the Most High.³⁸Tanh., Exod. 1:6; Exod. R. 1:9.

(Exod. 1:10, cont.:) AND IT WILL COME TO PASS THAT, WHEN A WAR OCCURS, THEY WILL BE ADDED TO OUR ENEMIES AND GO UP OUT OF THE LAND.³⁹The Masoretic Text here differs slightly in wording but not in meaning. David said (in Ps. 44:26 [25]): FOR OUR SOUL BOWS DOWN TO THE DUST. At that time <he said> (in vs. 27 [26]): ARISE, HELP US, AND REDEEM US FOR THE SAKE OF YOUR STEADFAST LOVE.⁴⁰Tanh., Exod. 1:6, explains the relation of Ps. 44:26 [25] to Exod. 1:10 as follows: “Every time that Israel is in the deepest degradation, they arise <out of it>.” Similarly, Exod. R. 1:9.

Jacob delivered to Joseph and his brethren the principle of intercalation, and they intercalated the year in the land of Egypt. (When) Joseph and his brethren died, the intercalations ceased from Israel in Egypt, as it is said, "And Joseph died, and all his brethren, and all that generation" (Ex. 1:6). Just as the intercalations were diminished from the Israelites in the land of Egypt, likewise in the future will the intercalations be diminished at the end of the fourth kingdom until Elijah, be he remembered for good, shall come. Just as the Holy One, blessed be He, was revealed to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, likewise in the future will He be revealed to them at the end of the fourth kingdom, as it is said, "And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt saying, This month shall be unto you the beginning of months" (Ex. 12:1, 2). What is the significance of the word "saying"? Say to them, Till now the principle of intercalation was with Me, henceforth it is your right to intercalate thereby the year.