וְלֹא־יָכְלָ֣ה עוֹד֮ הַצְּפִינוֹ֒ וַתִּֽקַּֽח־לוֹ֙ תֵּ֣בַת גֹּ֔מֶא וַתַּחְמְרָ֥ה בַחֵמָ֖ר וּבַזָּ֑פֶת וַתָּ֤שֶׂם בָּהּ֙ אֶת־הַיֶּ֔לֶד וַתָּ֥שֶׂם בַּסּ֖וּף עַל־שְׂפַ֥ת הַיְאֹֽר׃
Ale nie mogła go dłużej ukrywać, i wzięła dlań czółenko z trzciny, i wylepiła je asfaltem i smołą, a włożywszy w nie dziecię, postawiła w sitowiu nad brzegiem rzeki.
Shemot Rabbah
“The woman conceived and bore a son; she saw that he was good and she hid him for three months” (Exodus 2:2).
“The woman conceived and bore a son” – Rabbi Yehuda said: Her birth is juxtaposed with her conception; just as her conception was painless, so too, her birth was painless. From here it is derived that righteous women were not included in the verdict of Eve. “She saw that he was good [tov].” It was taught that Rabbi Meir says: His name was Tov. Rabbi Yoshiya says: His name was Toviya. Rabbi Yehuda says: He was fit for prophecy. Others say: He was born circumcised. The Rabbis say: At the moment that Moses was born, the entire house was illuminated; here it is written: “She saw that he was good [tov].” There it is written: “God saw the light, that it was good [tov]” (Genesis 1:4).
“She hid him for three months” because the Egyptians counted only from the moment that he remarried her, but she had already been three months pregnant from the outset.
“She was no longer able to hide him, and she took for him a wicker basket and coated it with clay and with pitch; she placed the child in it and placed it among the reeds on the bank of the Nile” (Exodus 2:3).
“She was no longer able to hide him” (Exodus 2:3). Why? It is because the Egyptians were going into each and every house in which they thought that a baby had been born, and would take a small Egyptian baby there and would cause him to cry, so that the Israelite baby would hear his voice and cry with him. That is what is written: “Catch us foxes, little foxes [that ruin vineyards…]” (Song of Songs 2:15). 47The verse may also be translated: “The foxes held little foxes against us in order to ruin the vineyard,” and the midrash takes it in that sense. The Egyptians are compared to foxes because they are sly as foxes, and Israel is compared to a vineyard.
“The woman conceived and bore a son” – Rabbi Yehuda said: Her birth is juxtaposed with her conception; just as her conception was painless, so too, her birth was painless. From here it is derived that righteous women were not included in the verdict of Eve. “She saw that he was good [tov].” It was taught that Rabbi Meir says: His name was Tov. Rabbi Yoshiya says: His name was Toviya. Rabbi Yehuda says: He was fit for prophecy. Others say: He was born circumcised. The Rabbis say: At the moment that Moses was born, the entire house was illuminated; here it is written: “She saw that he was good [tov].” There it is written: “God saw the light, that it was good [tov]” (Genesis 1:4).
“She hid him for three months” because the Egyptians counted only from the moment that he remarried her, but she had already been three months pregnant from the outset.
“She was no longer able to hide him, and she took for him a wicker basket and coated it with clay and with pitch; she placed the child in it and placed it among the reeds on the bank of the Nile” (Exodus 2:3).
“She was no longer able to hide him” (Exodus 2:3). Why? It is because the Egyptians were going into each and every house in which they thought that a baby had been born, and would take a small Egyptian baby there and would cause him to cry, so that the Israelite baby would hear his voice and cry with him. That is what is written: “Catch us foxes, little foxes [that ruin vineyards…]” (Song of Songs 2:15). 47The verse may also be translated: “The foxes held little foxes against us in order to ruin the vineyard,” and the midrash takes it in that sense. The Egyptians are compared to foxes because they are sly as foxes, and Israel is compared to a vineyard.
Shemot Rabbah
“She took for him a wicker basket” – why wicker? Rabbi Elazar said: Because for the righteous, their property is dearer to them than their bodies. Why to that extent? It is because they do not extend their hands in robbery. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: It is a pliable material that can withstand both soft and hard items.
“And coated it with clay and with pitch” – clay inside and pitch outside, so that this righteous one would not smell a foul odor.
“She placed the child in it [and placed it among the reeds on the bank of the Nile].” Rabbi Elazar said: The Sea of Reeds, as the Sea of Reeds reaches as far as the Nile. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: A marsh, as it is stated: “Cane and reeds will wither” (Isaiah 19:6). 48Meaning, the reeds mentioned in the verse are not a reference to the Sea of Reeds, but to actual reeds that grow in the shallow waters of a lake or river. Why did she cast him into the Nile? So that the astrologers would think that he had already been cast into the water and they would no longer search for him.
“And coated it with clay and with pitch” – clay inside and pitch outside, so that this righteous one would not smell a foul odor.
“She placed the child in it [and placed it among the reeds on the bank of the Nile].” Rabbi Elazar said: The Sea of Reeds, as the Sea of Reeds reaches as far as the Nile. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: A marsh, as it is stated: “Cane and reeds will wither” (Isaiah 19:6). 48Meaning, the reeds mentioned in the verse are not a reference to the Sea of Reeds, but to actual reeds that grow in the shallow waters of a lake or river. Why did she cast him into the Nile? So that the astrologers would think that he had already been cast into the water and they would no longer search for him.
Ein Yaakov (Glick Edition)
(Ib., ib., ib.) She took for him a box of bulrushes. Why bulrushes? Said R. Elazar: "Infer from this, that wealth is as dear to the righteous as their own body. The reason therefore, is because they do not stretch their hands for things that do not belong to them." R. Simon b. Nachmeni said: "She made them out of bulrushes because it is soft, and could stand (and not be overthrown) by a soft or hard thing. And daubed it with slime and with pitch. We are taught: Slime was inside and pitch outside so that this righteous (Moses) shall not smell the bad odor. (Ib., ib., ib.) And she put the child therein and laid it (basuff) amidst the flags, by the brinks of the river. R. Elazar says: "She put him in the Red Sea." R. Simon R. Nachmeni, however, said: (Ib. b) "She put him in the reeds, as it is written (Is. 19, 6) Reeds (Suff) and flags shall wither."