Comentários de Citação sobre Êxodo 2:17

Another explanation as to why it says “from among the children of Israel”: According to the explanation that prophecy only rests upon the prophets of Israel through the merit of Israel, as Rashi explains in Parashat Devarim on the verse And the Lord spoke to me (Deuteronomy 2:17). This comes to tell us that even though Aaron should have been distanced [from serving as High Priest], nevertheless God brought him near for two reasons: First, because of Moses, as he is his brother, and Aaron’s honor is Moses’s honor. And second, through the merit of the children of Israel who needed a priest like this who makes peace. Therefore both phrases are stated: And you bring near to yourself and from among the children of Israel.

They may also have wanted to underline the good relations they had with Laban by pointing out that Laban was not afraid to send a young girl to the well with them. This is in contrast with Yitro, who was not at peace with the local shepherds; the Torah had reported that his seven grown up daughters watered the sheep and even their number did not protect them from being abused by the local shepherds.

And to the priest... (Shemot 2:16). It's appropriate to pay attention to why it tells us that "they came and drew water and filled" - and why was the word "they drew water" included? It's included in the word "and they filled"! And immediately it says "their father's flock" and after that it says "their flock" (Shemot 2:17), and after that "the flock" (Shemot 2:19), without qualification. And further, it says "And [the shepherds] drove them away [ויגרשום]" (Shemot 2:16) and doesn't say ויגרשון, with a nun [i.e. with the appropriate fem. pl. object of the verb]. And further, it's appropriate to pay attention to the verse, for first it says they filled the troughs to water the flock, and after that they testified that the Egyptian man it was who drew water and watered the flock. (c.f. Shemot 2:19)