Midrasz do Przysłów 19:25

What is written above on the matter (in Exod. 17:8–16)? The downfall of Amalek. Then afterwards (comes Exod. 18:1): NOW JETHRO <PRIEST OF MIDIAN, MOSES' FATHER-IN-LAW>, HEARD <ALL THAT GOD HAD DONE FOR MOSES….> This text is related (to Prov. 19:25): BEAT THE SCOFFER, AND THE SIMPLETON WILL BECOME CLEVER.⁸PRK 3, at the beginning (according to some texts, including S. Buber’s edition; but cf. Wm. G. Braude, who in his translation of Pesikta de-Rab Kahana, p. 39, n. 1, expresses some doubt over whether the passage, which he numbers 3:a-e, belongs to this Pesiqta). (Ibid.:) BEAT THE SCOFFER. This is Amalek. (Ibid., cont.:) AND THE SIMPLETON WILL BECOME CLEVER. This is Jethro. When Amalek fought with Israel, what is written (in Exod. 17:8)? THEN AMALEK CAME AND FOUGHT WITH ISRAEL AT REPHIDIM. What is the meaning of IN REPHIDIM (RPYDYM)? <It is so named> because their hands YDYM had let go (rt.: RPY)⁹In the Hebrew word order, the root rpy immediately precedes YDYM. of the commandments. And how had their hands let go? It is written (in vs. 7): AND THEY CALLED THE NAME OF THE PLACE MASSAH AND MERIBAH¹⁰MASSAH means “a testing,” and MERIBAH means “a contention.” < BECAUSE THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL WERE IN CONTENTION AND BECAUSE THEY TESTED THE LORD, SAYING: IS THE LORD PRESENT AMONG US OR NOT?>¹¹See Sanh. 106a; Bekh. 5b; cf. Mekhilta de Rabbi Ishmael, Wayassa‘, 7. He began to cry out: How long will you test me? How long will you contend with me? And Moses also cried out (in Exod. 17:2): WHY DO YOU CONTEND WITH ME? WHY DO YOU TEST THE LORD? And how did they test <him>? R. Judah and R. Nehemiah disagree.¹²Below, Deut. 6:15. R. Judah says: They murmured and said this: If he satisfies us with food [as a king who, when he enters a province where they praise him and honor him, satisfies them with food], we will serve him; but if not, we will not serve him. R. Nehemiah says: Israel said this: If he does what we need for us [as a king who, when he enters a province where they praise him and honor him, does for them everything they need], we will serve him; but if not, we will not serve him. And our masters have said this: They reflected and said: Here we are reflecting in our heart. If he knows what we are reflecting, we will serve him; but if not, we will not serve him. Thus it is stated [(in Exod. 17:7): <THEY TESTED THE LORD, SAYING: > IS THE LORD PRESENT AMONG US <OR NOT>?] R. Berekhyah said: They may have spoken in their heart, but the Holy One granted them their petition, as stated (in Ps. 78:18): THEY TESTED GOD IN THEIR HEART [BY ASKING FOOD FOR THEMSELVES.] What is written (in vs. 29): SO THEY ATE AND WERE VERY FULL. The Holy One said this: You reflected in your heart. By your life I am informing you: Here is Amalek before you, as stated (in Exod. 17:8): THEN AMALEK CAME.

Another explanation. You gave to the earliest generations only the fragrance of the commandments. To Adam you gave one commandment,³Not to eat of the tree of knowledge. and to Noah and his sons, six commandments,⁴In fact seven laws were given to Noah. These laws, regarded as obligatory upon all mankind (justice, idolatry, etc.), are collectively designated the Noahide laws. but when we reached Sinai, You poured upon us all the commandments, as men pour ointment from a barrel.⁵The 613 laws imposed upon Israel at Sinai. Thy name is an ointment (shemen) poured forth. R. Berechiah said: Oil (shemen) is a light to the one who occupies himself with the oil of the Torah.⁶The word oil is frequently applied to the Torah. Both are sources of light. R. Berechiah points out that the physical light provided by oil is of no avail without the light of Torah. Therefore do the maidens love thee alludes to the people of the world who come and convert. Who was one of these? It was Jethro. After he heard of the many miracles that had been performed for Israel, he came to them and converted. Now Jethro heard. What is written before this? It is the chapter describing the destruction of Amalek, and that is followed by Now Jethro heard. Scripture says elsewhere in allusion to this: When thou smitest a scorner, the simple will become prudent (Prov. 19:25). When thou smitest a scorner refers to Amalek, and the simple will become prudent alludes to Jethro.

(Exod. 17:13:) ALONG WITH (et) AMALEK, according to its <alternate> meaning.¹⁵Et, which usually indicates merely that the following word is a definite direct object, can also mean “with” of accompaniment. So ALONG WITH {AMALEK}. Those < along with him> were his wife and his children. (Exod. 17:13, cont.:) AND HIS PEOPLE ('M). {These were} troops¹⁶Gk.: ochloi, i.e., “multitudes.” who came with ('M) him. Therefore, when Jethro heard of the miracles which the Holy One did against Amalek, he immediately came and converted to Judaism. Ergo (in Prov. 19:25): BEAT THE SCOFFER. This is Amalek. (Ibid., cont.:) AND THE SIMPLETON WILL BECOME CLEVER. This is Jethro.