וְכַאֲשֶׁר֙ יְעַנּ֣וּ אֹת֔וֹ כֵּ֥ן יִרְבֶּ֖ה וְכֵ֣ן יִפְרֹ֑ץ וַיָּקֻ֕צוּ מִפְּנֵ֖י בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
Ale im bardziej go udręczali, tém bardziej się rozmnażał, i tém bardziej się rozrastał: i zatrwożyli się wobec synów Israela.
Shemot Rabbah
“But the more they would afflict it, the more it would increase and the more it would proliferate; they were disgusted by the children of Israel” (Exodus 1:12).
“But the more they would afflict it, the more it would increase and the more it would proliferate.” “The more they increased and the more they proliferated is not stated, but rather, “it would increase and it would proliferate.” Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: The Divine Spirit is heralding to them: Each of them “will increase and will proliferate.”25It is written in future tense and in the singular and not in past tense plural.
“They were disgusted [vayakutzu] by the children of Israel,” teaching that Israel was like thorns [kotzim] in their eyes.
“The Egyptians enslaved the children of Israel ruthlessly [befarekh]” (Exodus 1:13).
Rabbi Elazar said: With gentle persuasion [befeh rakh]. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman says: With crushing cruelty [bifrikha]. This is what they did to each person of Israel: They imposed a decree upon them that each and every day they should produce the equivalent of the number of bricks that they produced on the first day.
“They embittered their lives with hard labor, with mortar and with bricks, and with all kinds of work in the fields; all the work with which they worked them ruthlessly” (Exodus 1:14).
“They embittered their lives with hard labor, etc.” – initially, “with mortar and with bricks,” and later “with all kinds of work in the field,” and ultimately, “all the work.” What is: “All the work with which they worked them ruthlessly”? Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said that Rabbi Yonatan [said]: It teaches that they would exchange the labor of men for women and the labor of women for men. Rabbi Avya said: Rabbi Elazar concedes that this is [work imposed] with crushing cruelty.26Although Rabbi Elazar interpreted the word befarekh in verse 13 to mean with gentle persuasion, he concedes that the word befarekh at the end of verse 14 means with crushing cruelty. Thus, the beginning of the servitude was conducted with gentle persuasion, but eventually it was with crushing cruelty.
“But the more they would afflict it, the more it would increase and the more it would proliferate.” “The more they increased and the more they proliferated is not stated, but rather, “it would increase and it would proliferate.” Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: The Divine Spirit is heralding to them: Each of them “will increase and will proliferate.”25It is written in future tense and in the singular and not in past tense plural.
“They were disgusted [vayakutzu] by the children of Israel,” teaching that Israel was like thorns [kotzim] in their eyes.
“The Egyptians enslaved the children of Israel ruthlessly [befarekh]” (Exodus 1:13).
Rabbi Elazar said: With gentle persuasion [befeh rakh]. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman says: With crushing cruelty [bifrikha]. This is what they did to each person of Israel: They imposed a decree upon them that each and every day they should produce the equivalent of the number of bricks that they produced on the first day.
“They embittered their lives with hard labor, with mortar and with bricks, and with all kinds of work in the fields; all the work with which they worked them ruthlessly” (Exodus 1:14).
“They embittered their lives with hard labor, etc.” – initially, “with mortar and with bricks,” and later “with all kinds of work in the field,” and ultimately, “all the work.” What is: “All the work with which they worked them ruthlessly”? Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said that Rabbi Yonatan [said]: It teaches that they would exchange the labor of men for women and the labor of women for men. Rabbi Avya said: Rabbi Elazar concedes that this is [work imposed] with crushing cruelty.26Although Rabbi Elazar interpreted the word befarekh in verse 13 to mean with gentle persuasion, he concedes that the word befarekh at the end of verse 14 means with crushing cruelty. Thus, the beginning of the servitude was conducted with gentle persuasion, but eventually it was with crushing cruelty.
Shemot Rabbah
Pharaoh issued four decrees against them. Initially, he decreed and commanded the taskmasters to pressure them so that they would produce their quota and they would not sleep at home. He thought to diminish their procreation. He said: If they do not sleep at home they will not have children. The taskmasters said to them: ‘If you go to sleep in your homes, by the time we send to gather you in the morning, an hour or two of the day will have passed, and you will not meet your quota,’ as it is stated: “The taskmasters pressured them saying, [fulfill your work, your daily task]” (Exodus 5:13).
They would sleep on the ground. God said to them [the Egyptians]: ‘I said to their forefather Abraham that I will multiply his descendants like the stars, as it is stated: “For I will bless you, and I will multiply, etc.” (Genesis 22:17), and you are outsmarting them so they will not multiply? We will see whose matter prevails, Mine or yours.’ Immediately, “but the more they would afflict them, the more they would increase…” (Exodus 1:12).
Rabbi Akiva expounded: On account of the righteous women who were in that generation, Israel was redeemed from Egypt. What did they do? When they would go to draw water, the Holy One blessed be He would arrange for them small fish in their jugs, and they would draw half water and half fish. They would take it to their husbands and would place two pots on the fire [veshoftot], one with hot water and one with fish. They would feed them, bathe them, anoint them with oil, and give them to drink, and they would consort with them between the pots [shefatayim], as it is stated: “Now you may lie within the sheepfolds [shefatayim], wings of the dove covered with silver” (Psalms 68:14). In reward for having lain between the pots, Israel merited the loot of Egypt, as it is stated: “wings of the dove covered with silver.”
When they would conceive, they would come to their homes. When the time of their birth arrived, they would go and give birth in the fields, under apple trees, as it is stated: “Under the apple tree I roused you [there your mother was in childbirth]” (Song of Songs 8:5). The Holy One blessed be He would send an angel from the heavens above who would clean them and tend to them like the beast that tends to its young, as it is stated: “As for your birth, on the day you were born [your umbilical cord was not cut, and you were not washed in water for cleansing…and you were not swaddled]” (Ezekiel 16:4).27In this chapter, addressing the exile in Egypt, there was no midwife to perform these tasks; rather, God saw to them, as it is written: “I bathed you in water, rinsed your blood from upon you, and anointed you with oil. I dressed you in embroidered garments…I wrapped you, etc. (Ezekiel 16:9–10). They would take two round vessels of earth, one containing oil and one containing honey, as it is stated: “He suckled them honey from a boulder [and oil from a flinty rock]” (Deuteronomy 32:13).
Once the Egyptians became aware of them [the babies], they sought to kill them. A miracle was performed for them and they were enveloped in the ground. They [the Egyptians] brought oxen and they plowed [the land] above them, as it is stated: “Upon my back plowers plowed” (Psalms 129:3). After [the Egyptians] would leave, they would sprout and emerge like the grass of the field, as it is stated: “I caused you to increase like the growth of the field” (Ezekiel 16:7). Once they grew, they would come in herds [adarim] to their homes, as it is stated: “You came to have great beauty [ba’adi adayim]” (ibid.) – do not read it ba’adi adayim but rather be’edrei adarim. When the Holy One blessed be He revealed Himself on the sea, they recognized Him first, as it is stated: “This is my God and I will glorify Him” (Exodus 15:2). 28This is because they remembered Him from the miracles He performed for them in Egypt.
They would sleep on the ground. God said to them [the Egyptians]: ‘I said to their forefather Abraham that I will multiply his descendants like the stars, as it is stated: “For I will bless you, and I will multiply, etc.” (Genesis 22:17), and you are outsmarting them so they will not multiply? We will see whose matter prevails, Mine or yours.’ Immediately, “but the more they would afflict them, the more they would increase…” (Exodus 1:12).
Rabbi Akiva expounded: On account of the righteous women who were in that generation, Israel was redeemed from Egypt. What did they do? When they would go to draw water, the Holy One blessed be He would arrange for them small fish in their jugs, and they would draw half water and half fish. They would take it to their husbands and would place two pots on the fire [veshoftot], one with hot water and one with fish. They would feed them, bathe them, anoint them with oil, and give them to drink, and they would consort with them between the pots [shefatayim], as it is stated: “Now you may lie within the sheepfolds [shefatayim], wings of the dove covered with silver” (Psalms 68:14). In reward for having lain between the pots, Israel merited the loot of Egypt, as it is stated: “wings of the dove covered with silver.”
When they would conceive, they would come to their homes. When the time of their birth arrived, they would go and give birth in the fields, under apple trees, as it is stated: “Under the apple tree I roused you [there your mother was in childbirth]” (Song of Songs 8:5). The Holy One blessed be He would send an angel from the heavens above who would clean them and tend to them like the beast that tends to its young, as it is stated: “As for your birth, on the day you were born [your umbilical cord was not cut, and you were not washed in water for cleansing…and you were not swaddled]” (Ezekiel 16:4).27In this chapter, addressing the exile in Egypt, there was no midwife to perform these tasks; rather, God saw to them, as it is written: “I bathed you in water, rinsed your blood from upon you, and anointed you with oil. I dressed you in embroidered garments…I wrapped you, etc. (Ezekiel 16:9–10). They would take two round vessels of earth, one containing oil and one containing honey, as it is stated: “He suckled them honey from a boulder [and oil from a flinty rock]” (Deuteronomy 32:13).
Once the Egyptians became aware of them [the babies], they sought to kill them. A miracle was performed for them and they were enveloped in the ground. They [the Egyptians] brought oxen and they plowed [the land] above them, as it is stated: “Upon my back plowers plowed” (Psalms 129:3). After [the Egyptians] would leave, they would sprout and emerge like the grass of the field, as it is stated: “I caused you to increase like the growth of the field” (Ezekiel 16:7). Once they grew, they would come in herds [adarim] to their homes, as it is stated: “You came to have great beauty [ba’adi adayim]” (ibid.) – do not read it ba’adi adayim but rather be’edrei adarim. When the Holy One blessed be He revealed Himself on the sea, they recognized Him first, as it is stated: “This is my God and I will glorify Him” (Exodus 15:2). 28This is because they remembered Him from the miracles He performed for them in Egypt.
Midrash Tanchuma
And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying: “Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river” (Exod. 1:22). Thereupon, the Holy Spirit exclaimed: Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not? (Lam. 3:37). Pharaoh decreed that the firstborn children should be cast into the river, but the Holy One, blessed be He, did not ordain that. On the contrary, The more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied, and the more they spread abroad (Exod. 1:12).