Comentários de Citação sobre Êxodo 1:22

Kiddush is the first of the four cups of wine. The reason for the four cups of wine:
1. The four cups are for the four decrees, which Pharaoh made against the people of Israel.
2. The four promises of redemption in Exodus chapter 6:6-8.
3. There is a passage in Midrash Rabbah 26:1 that relates the four cups to the following verse: "I had no repose, no quiet, no rest and trouble came." (Job 3:26) "I had no repose," refers to Pharaoh's first decree, about which it says, "They embittered their lives." (Ex. 1:14) In response to Pharaoh's first decree, God appointed a redeemer - Miriam. She was named thus because of the bitterness which the Egyptians caused. "I had no quiet," refers to Pharaoh's second decree, "If it is a baby boy you shall kill him." (Ex. 1:16) God appointed a second redeemer - Aaron. He was thus named because he saved the women in pregnancy (herayon - similar to his name, Aharon). "I did not rest," is a reference to the third decree of Pharaoh: "Every baby boy who is born shall be cast into the river." (Ex. 1:22). God appointed third redeemer - Moses, who was thus named, "From the water I drew him out." (Ex. 2:10). "And trouble came," this refers to Amalek of whom it is say, And Amalek came…And Joshua overwhelmed the people of Amalek with the sword." (Ex. 17:8, 13)
Let me explain: The first two explanations are common reasons given for the four cups of wine: Pharaoh's four decrees and the four promises of redemption: "I will free you, I will deliver you, I will redeem you, and I will take you out." The third explanation is unique. The Midrash, based on Job 3, relates the four decrees against Israel to the four parts of the verse from Job. However, for each evil decree there was a redeemer. The four cups, then, were for the four redeemers who took Israel out of the land of Egypt and brought them to the promised land. The Midrash does not make a connection between the cups of wine and the four redeemers but Rabbi Bondi makes the connection by quoting this passage from Midrash Rabbah.

מרכבות פרעה וחילו, “Pharaoh’s chariots and his army.” The “chariots of Pharaoh” are the 600 chariots mentioned in 14,7. The word חילו, “his army,” refers to the שלישים who were manning these chariots. In view of this we would have expected the Torah to have written the following sequence: “He flung into the sea the chariots of Pharaoh and his army whereas his choicest captains drowned in it.” It is possible that the correct interpretation of the verse is: “seeing that the fate of Pharaoh’s chariots had already been determined in the celestial tribunal, they and their captains were bound to drown in the sea.”
Mechilta Beshalach 4 comments on our verse as follows: man is measured by the same yardstick he himself had applied to others. Seeing that Pharaoh had decreed that every Jewish male baby be thrown into the sea, his own chariots and his army were flung into the sea. He had instructed the midwives to look at the birthstool (Exodus 1,16) prior to male babies being born alive; in retaliation many of his soldiers went down in the sea like a stone (אבן).

Totally, etc. Since it is written afterwards, “the third generation will enter,” this implies that the second generation may not enter. Why then does it say, “Do not despise the Egyptian”? Rashi answers that this is what it means, “‘Do not despise,’ totally,” but you may despise a bit, as I explained above regarding “do not despise the Edomite.” Rashi says here, [do not despise them] totally, because it says (Shmos 1:22) [that Pharaoh ordered], “Every boy who is born must be thrown into the river, but every daughter shall be allowed to live.” Even though they cast your males into the river, do not despise them [totally]. “What is the reason? Because, etc.” Therefore Rashi says here [do not despise them] totally.

[5] No eye pitied you, etc. The eye of the wicked Pharaoh did not pity you to do you any favor, to lighten your bondage, [or] to have pity on you, and he decreed upon you a decree of annihilation, to cast your males into the river to destroy you at the time you were in Egypt.