וְאִ֗ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֤ר יִנְאַף֙ אֶת־אֵ֣שֶׁת אִ֔ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִנְאַ֖ף אֶת־אֵ֣שֶׁת רֵעֵ֑הוּ מֽוֹת־יוּמַ֥ת הַנֹּאֵ֖ף וְהַנֹּאָֽפֶת׃
И человек, который совершает прелюбодеяние с другим человеком'жена, даже тот, кто совершает прелюбодеяние со своим соседом'жена, как прелюбодей, так и прелюбодейка, непременно должны быть преданы смерти.
Devarim Rabbah
Another matter: “These are the words [hadevarim]” – Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘My children were led in the world like bees [kadevorim] by the righteous and by prophets.’12Bees follow in a swarm after the queen, and so too Israel follows their righteous individuals and prophets.
Another matter: “these are the words [hadevarim]” – just as the bee [hadevora], its honey is sweet and its sting is bitter, so are matters of Torah. Anyone who violates them receives a punishment, as it is stated: “The adulterer and the adulteress shall be put to death” (Leviticus 20:10); “its desecrators shall be put to death” (Exodus 31:14). But anyone who fulfills them merits life, as it is stated: “So that your days will be extended” (Exodus 20:12).
Another matter, “these are the words [hadevarim]” – just as the bee [hadevora], its honey goes to its owner and its sting to others, so are matters of Torah. They are an elixir of life for Israel and a lethal drug for the idolaters.
Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon said in the name of Rabbi Levi: Just as the bee, everything that it amasses, it amasses for its owner, so, too, all the mitzvot and good deeds that Israel amass, they amass for their Father in Heaven.
Another matter: “these are the words [hadevarim]” – just as the bee [hadevora], its honey is sweet and its sting is bitter, so are matters of Torah. Anyone who violates them receives a punishment, as it is stated: “The adulterer and the adulteress shall be put to death” (Leviticus 20:10); “its desecrators shall be put to death” (Exodus 31:14). But anyone who fulfills them merits life, as it is stated: “So that your days will be extended” (Exodus 20:12).
Another matter, “these are the words [hadevarim]” – just as the bee [hadevora], its honey goes to its owner and its sting to others, so are matters of Torah. They are an elixir of life for Israel and a lethal drug for the idolaters.
Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon said in the name of Rabbi Levi: Just as the bee, everything that it amasses, it amasses for its owner, so, too, all the mitzvot and good deeds that Israel amass, they amass for their Father in Heaven.
Bamidbar Rabbah
Another matter: “The Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai” – it was called six names: The mountain of God, Mount Bashan, Mount Gavnunim, Mount Moriah11From the continuation of the midrash it is clear that Mount Ḥamad should appear in the text rather than Mount Moriah., Mount Ḥorev, Mount Sinai. The mountain of God, because God sat there in judgment, as it is stated: “These are the ordinances [mishpatim]” (Exodus 21:1).12Mishpat can also mean judgment. Mount Bashan, as the Holy One blessed be He came there [ba sham]. Mount Gavnunim, the mountain that disqualified all the mountains, just as it says: “Or a hunchback [giben] or a dwarf [.… shall not approach to sacrifice the offerings of the Lord]” (Leviticus 21:20–21). Mount Ḥamad, because the Holy One blessed be He desired [ḥamad] to abide there, as it is stated: “The mountain that God desired for His abode” (Psalms 68:17). Mount Ḥorev, because a sword [ḥerev] was wielded upon it, as it is stated: “The adulterer and the adulteress shall be put to death” (Leviticus 20:10); the murderer shall be put to death” (Numbers 35:16).13Verses 17–18 contain this command as well. Mount Sinai, where the nations of the world became hated [nisne’u] to the Holy One blessed be He, and he issued a death sentence against them, as it is stated: “The nations will be entirely destroyed [ḥarov yeḥeravu]” (Isaiah 60:12). Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan: The nations will be destroyed from Ḥorev, as they received their death sentence.
Shemot Rabbah
Alternatively, “he saw their burdens,” – he saw that they had no respite. He went and said to Pharaoh: ‘One who has a slave, if he does not rest one day a week, he will die. These are your slaves. If you do not allow them to rest one day a week they will die.’ He said to him: ‘Go and do with them whatever you say.’ Moses went and instituted the day of Shabbat for rest.
“He saw an Egyptian man.” What did he see? Rav Huna said in the name of bar Kapara: Because of four matters, Israel was redeemed from Egypt: One, because they did not change their names.62The continuation of this list is found in Vayikra Rabba 32:5: They did not change their names or language, they did not speak slander, and none of them informed the Egyptians that they were not intending to return the vessels they borrowed before leaving Egypt.
From where is it derived that they were not suspected of licentiousness? The fact is that there was one woman63Only one woman engaged in licentiousness. and the verse publicized her, as it is stated: “[The son of an Israelite woman and he was the son of an Egyptian man]…and the name of his mother was Shelomit bat Divri….” (Leviticus 24: 10–11).
Our Sages, of blessed memory, say: The taskmasters were Egyptian and the foremen were Israelite; one taskmaster was appointed over ten foremen, and one foreman was appointed over ten Israelites. The taskmasters would go to the homes of the foremen early in the morning to get them out to work with the crowing of the rooster. Once, an Egyptian taskmaster went to an Israelite foreman and directed his glance to his wife, who was beautiful and flawless. He arrived there at the time of the crowing of the rooster and got him out of the house. The Egyptian returned and consorted with his wife, as she thought it was her husband, and she was impregnated. Her husband returned and saw the Egyptian emerging from his home. He asked her: ‘Did he touch you?’ She said: ‘Yes, and I thought he was you.’
Once the taskmaster realized that [the Israelite] had sensed what he had done, he returned him to hard labor, and was beating him, seeking to kill him. Moses was looking at him and watching him, and he saw by means of the Divine Spirit what he had done at his home and saw what he was going to do to him in the field. He said: ‘This one is certainly liable for execution, as it is written: “One who strikes a person shall be put to death” (Leviticus 24:21). Moreover, he consorted with Datan’s wife and for that he is liable for execution, as it is stated: “The adulterer and the adulteress shall be put to death”’ (Leviticus 20:10). That is what is written: “He turned this way and that [and saw that there was no man; he smote the Egyptian and concealed him in the sand]” (Exodus 2:12) – he saw what he had done to him in the house and what he had done to him in the field.
“He saw an Egyptian man.” What did he see? Rav Huna said in the name of bar Kapara: Because of four matters, Israel was redeemed from Egypt: One, because they did not change their names.62The continuation of this list is found in Vayikra Rabba 32:5: They did not change their names or language, they did not speak slander, and none of them informed the Egyptians that they were not intending to return the vessels they borrowed before leaving Egypt.
From where is it derived that they were not suspected of licentiousness? The fact is that there was one woman63Only one woman engaged in licentiousness. and the verse publicized her, as it is stated: “[The son of an Israelite woman and he was the son of an Egyptian man]…and the name of his mother was Shelomit bat Divri….” (Leviticus 24: 10–11).
Our Sages, of blessed memory, say: The taskmasters were Egyptian and the foremen were Israelite; one taskmaster was appointed over ten foremen, and one foreman was appointed over ten Israelites. The taskmasters would go to the homes of the foremen early in the morning to get them out to work with the crowing of the rooster. Once, an Egyptian taskmaster went to an Israelite foreman and directed his glance to his wife, who was beautiful and flawless. He arrived there at the time of the crowing of the rooster and got him out of the house. The Egyptian returned and consorted with his wife, as she thought it was her husband, and she was impregnated. Her husband returned and saw the Egyptian emerging from his home. He asked her: ‘Did he touch you?’ She said: ‘Yes, and I thought he was you.’
Once the taskmaster realized that [the Israelite] had sensed what he had done, he returned him to hard labor, and was beating him, seeking to kill him. Moses was looking at him and watching him, and he saw by means of the Divine Spirit what he had done at his home and saw what he was going to do to him in the field. He said: ‘This one is certainly liable for execution, as it is written: “One who strikes a person shall be put to death” (Leviticus 24:21). Moreover, he consorted with Datan’s wife and for that he is liable for execution, as it is stated: “The adulterer and the adulteress shall be put to death”’ (Leviticus 20:10). That is what is written: “He turned this way and that [and saw that there was no man; he smote the Egyptian and concealed him in the sand]” (Exodus 2:12) – he saw what he had done to him in the house and what he had done to him in the field.