Мидраш к Шмот 2:6

(Ex. 2, 6) Who had been carried away into exile from Jerusalem. Raba said: "He had not been exiled, but came of his own free will. And he had brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther." He calls her Esther and' then Hadassah. What was her real name? We are taught in a Baraitha that R. Meier said: "Her real name was Esther, but she was called Hadassah, merely because all the upright are called thus, and so says the passage (Zech. 1, 8) He was standing among the myrtle-trees." R. Juda said: "Her real name was Hadassah, and why was she called Esther? Because she concealed her words and so says the passage (Ib. 10) Esther told nothing of her birth nor of her nationality." R. Nechemiah said: "Her real name was Hadassah, but why was she called Esther? Because the nations called her for her beauty 'Ist'har' (corresponding to Venus)." Ben Azzai said: "Esther was neither tall nor short, but of moderate size, like a myrtle." R. Joshua b. Karcha said: "Esther was of an olive complexion, but a chord of [divine] grace was strung upon her." For she had neither father nor mother. And when her father and mother were dead, Mordecai had taken her to himself as a daughter. Why this superfluous repetition? R. Acha said: "To tell us when the mother became pregnant her father died, and when she was born her mother died." (Ib.) Mordecai had taken her to himself as a daughter; we are taught in the name of R. Meier: "Do not read Bath (daughter) but Bayith (house) and so says the passage (II Sam. 12, 3) But the poor men had nothing, save one little ewe, etc., of his bread it used to eat, etc., and it was to him as a daughter. Because it ate of his bread therefore it became to him as a daughter? We must therefore read it, 'like a house' K'bayith. The same is also here 'for a house,' L'bayith." (Ib. 9) And the seven maidens who were selected to be given to her. Raba said: "We may infer from this that with them she counted the days to know the Sabbath [by giving each the name of a day]."

(Ex. 2, 6) And she opened it, and saw him [the child]. It should have been written Vatereh (and she saw) and not she saw him? Said R. Josi b. R. Chanina: "This intends to inform us that she saw the Shechina with him." (Ib., ib., ib.) And Behold, it was a weeping boy. In the beginning she calls him child and afterward she calls him boy. We are taught that he was indeed a child, but his voice sounded like that of a boy. Such is the opinion of R. Juda. Whereupon R. Nechemia said to him: "If so then you attribute a blemish to our teacher, Moses." Therefore said he: "From this we may infer that his mother made a canopy for him and deposited it in that box, remarking: 'Lest I will not be able to see his wedding I will [therefore make it now].'" (Ib.) And she had compassion on him, and said: 'This is one of the Hebrews' children.' Whence did she know this? Said R. Jose, the son of R. Chanina: "From this it might be inferred that she saw that he was circumcized." (Ib.) This. Said R. Jochanan: "Infer from this that she prophesied not knowing the meaning of it. 'This will fall in the river, but no one else.'" And this is meant by R. Elazar, who said: "What is meant by the passage (Is. 8, 19) And when they shall say unto you inquire of those that have familiar spirits, and of the wizards, that whisper, and that mutter: They see and do not know what they see, they whisper and do not know what they whisper. When they [the astrologers of Pharaoh] saw that the redeemer of Israel would be punished through water they issued a decree, 'Every son that is born, he shall be cast into the river.' As soon as Moses was thrown into the river they said: 'We see no more of that sign any more.' Hence they repealed the decree, but they did not know that the sign being punished by water refers to the Memeriba." This is the interpretation of R. Chani b. Chanina, who said: "What is the meaning of the following passage (Num. 20, 13) There are the waters of Meriba, where the children of Israel strove with the Lord, i.e., this is the water concerning which the astrologers of Pharaoh saw and erred thereby." And this was meant by Moses, when he said (Ib. 11, 21) Six hundred thousand men on foot are the people in the midst of whom I am; i.e., Moses said to Israel: "On account of me were you saved."

(Exod. 5:3): THE GOD OF THE HEBREWS. Moses and Aaron said: <These words were necessary> because (in vs. 1) we had altered the wording (of Exod. 3:18) which was difficult for us. <So> they repeated <themselves> and said: THE GOD OF THE HEBREWS.²⁵According to Exod. 3:18, the Holy One told Moses to say to Pharaoh: THE LORD, THE GOD OF THE HEBREWS, but in Exod. 5:1: Moses and Aaron had said: THE LORD, THE GOD OF ISRAEL. For that reason Moses and Aaron corrected their wording in Exod. 5:3. So Tanh., Exod. 2:6; Exod. R.5:15. R. Simeon ben Johay says: He began to gnash his teeth at them when he said (in Exod. 5:17): YOU ARE LAZY, LAZY!….²⁶Exod. R. 5:18.

R. Judah the Levite said: The tribe of Levi was exempt from the public service.²⁷Gk.: leitourgia. Pharaoh said to them: Because you are exempt, you come and say (in Exod. 5:3): LET US GO…, AND LET US SACRIFICE.²⁸Tanh., Exod. 2:6; Exod. R. 5:16. He said to them (in vs. 4): WHY DO YOU, MOSES AND AARON, DISTRACT THE PEOPLE FROM THEIR TASKS? What is the meaning of WHY (LMH)? You are nothing (LMH),²⁹LMH, voweled as lamah means “nothing.” It comes from the Aramaic, la’ ma, which literally means “no what,” i.e., “no thing.” and your words are nothing (LMH). (Ibid., cont.:) GO TO YOUR BURDENS.

(Exod. 5:9:) LET HEAVIER WORK BE LAID UPON THE PEOPLE SO THAT THEY WORK AT IT AND NOT PAY ATTENTION TO LYING WORDS. < What is the meaning of NOT PAY ATTENTION (rt.: Sh'H)?>³⁰This sentence is taken from the parallel account in Tanh., Exod. 2:6. Similarly Exod. R. 5:18. See also M. Pss. (Buber) 119:38. That they had scrolls with which they entertained themselves (rt.: Sh'Sh') from Sabbath to Sabbath by saying: The Holy One is redeeming us. Pharaoh said to them (ibid.): AND NOT PAY ATTENTION (rt.: Sh'H) TO LYING WORDS, nor rely (rt.: Sh'N) <on them>, nor entertain themselves (rt.: Sh'Sh') <with them>, nor be idle. Thus it is stated (in Exod. 5:6): ON THAT SAME DAY PHARAOH COMMANDED THE TASKMASTERS OVER THE PEOPLE AND THEIR OFFICERS, SAYING. He said to them (in vs. 7): YOU SHALL NO LONGER GIVE THE PEOPLE STRAW…. The Holy One said: Tomorrow I am bringing plagues upon them.³¹Exod. R. 5:19. They said: Pharaoh is sinning, and we are paying. When Israel goes out to bring stubble for them to make straw, the Egyptian smites them, when he sees them in the midst of his field. Therefore (in Exod. 5:12): THEN THE PEOPLE SCATTERED THROUGHOUT ALL THE LAND OF EGYPT <TO GATHER STUBBLE FOR STRAW >. (Exod. 5:15) THEN THE OFFICERS OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL CAME AND {SAID} [CRIED] UNTO PHARAOH, <SAYING: WHY HAVE YOU ACTED IN THIS WAY TOWARD YOUR SERVANTS? > What did he reply to them (in vs. 17)? YOU ARE LAZY, LAZY!

(Exod. 5:20): NOW THEY MET MOSES AND AARON STANDING IN THEIR PATH. These < officers > were Dathan and Abiram, of whom it is written (in Numb. 16:27): <THEY> CAME OUT STANDING.³²Exod. R. 5:20. (Exod. 5:21): AND THEY SAID UNTO THEM: MAY THE LORD LOOK UPON YOU AND JUDGE. R. Judah b. R. Shallum the Levite said: Israel said to him: To what were we comparable?³³Exod. R. 5:21. To a certain lamb when the wolf came and took it from the flock. When the shepherd went after it, what did the wolf do? He sought to tear the lamb to pieces. Because of the shepherd (rt.: R'H) the lamb came into danger.³⁴Cf. the parallel in Tanh., Exod. 2:6: “The wolf came to take it from the flock. The shepherd ran after it to rescue it from the wolf. Between the shepherd and the wolf the lamb was torn open.” Similarly Moses said to the Holy One: Between Pharaoh and you we are dying, as stated (in Exod. 5:21, cont.): BECAUSE YOU HAVE MADE OUR ODOR ABHORRENT <IN THE EYES OF PHARAOH >….

And she opened it, and saw it, even the child; and behold, a boy that wept (Exod. 2:6). The verse does not say “And behold, a child that wept” but rather a boy. This informs us that though he was a mere infant his voice sounded like that of a boy. In fact, it resembled that of a youth, as in the verse: And the youth Samuel ministered unto the Lord (I Sam 3:1).

(Numb. 10:1–2:) “Then the Lord spoke [unto Moses saying], ‘Make two silver trumpets (hatsotserot).’” This text is related (to Ps. 24:7), “O gates, lift up your heads, be lifted up, you everlasting doors, [that the King of glory may come in].” When Solomon was bringing the ark into the Temple,¹⁷Numb. R. 15:13; above Exod. 2:6 and the note there. he began to say, “O gates, lift up your heads...,” because the openings were [too] low. [Then] he said, “Be lifted up you everlasting doors, that the King of glory may come in.” The gates said to him (in vss. 8 and 10), “Who is this king of glory? The gates immediately wanted to break his head [and would have done so,] if he had not said (in vs. 10), “The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.” Again he said (in vs. 8), “The Lord strong and mighty [...].” He said to them, “Expand yourselves, for the King of glory is coming upon you. They immediately showed Him honor (kavod), and raised themselves up.¹⁸Lam. R. 2:9 (13). So the ark entered. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them, “You have shown Me honor. Upon your lives, when I destroy My house, no one will prevail against you.” You know that all the implements of the Temple went into exile in Babylon as stated (in Dan. 1:2), “Then the Lord gave King Jehoiakim of Judah into his hand, with some of the implements from the house of God; and he brought them to the land of Shinar.” But the Temple gates were hidden in their place, as stated (in Lam. 2:9), “Her gates have sunk into the ground.” [Another interpretation:] What is the meaning (of Ps. 24:10), “the Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah?” That He imparts some of His glory to those who fear Him.¹⁹Numb. R.15:13; see PRK 32:9 (= Suppl. 1:9); M. Pss. 90:1. How? He is called "God" (elohim, a term denoting a power), and he called Moses "elohim," as stated (in Exod. 7:1), “See I have set you as elohim to Pharaoh.” He (the Holy One, blessed be He,) causes the dead to live, and he imparted some of His glory to Elijah. Thus he (i.e., Elijah) caused the dead to live, as stated (in I Kings 17:23), “and Elijah said, ‘See your son is alive.’” Because the Holy One, blessed be He, imparts some of his glory to those who fear Him, He put His own clothing on the messianic king, as stated (in Ps. 21:6), “honor and majesty You shall lay upon him.” What is written about the Holy One, blessed be He, (in Ps. 47:6)? “God has ascended amid acclamation; the Lord with the sound of a horn (shofar).” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, “I have made you a king. It is so stated (in Deut. 33:5), ‘Then he became king in Jeshurun.’ Just as when the king goes forth, they sound trumpets before him, so also for you, (in Numb. 10:2:), ‘Make for yourself two silver trumpets.’ [This is] so that will they sound the trumpets before you when you take out and bring in Israel, as stated (Numb.10:3), ‘And they shall blow them and the whole community shall assemble before you.’” Hence (Numb. 10:2:), “Make for yourself two silver trumpets.” This text is related (to Prov. 24:21), “Fear the Lord, my child, and the king, and do not associate with those who would differ.” But what is the meaning of “and the king?” Simply [this, to] make Him (i.e., the Holy One, blessed be He,) king over you.²⁰Numb. R. 15:14 cont. Another interpretation (of Prov. 24:21), “and the king”: Be king over the evil drive, which is called a king, where it is stated (in Eccl. 9:14), “[There was a little city with few people in it,] and a great king came against it […].”²¹Cf. see above Gen. R. 11:1; 23:2; also Eccl. R. 4:13:1; 9:14:6, 9. Another interpretation (of Prov. 24:21), “and the king.” [More] than the king: Lest it be supposed that if the king says to you, “Worship an idol,” you should heed him;²²See above Gen. 2:15. the text reads (in Prov. 24:21), “Fear the Lord, my child, and the king.” Thus [when] Nebuchadnezzar told Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah to worship an idol, they did not heed him. Instead they said to him (in Dan. 3:18), “We will not serve your gods, nor will we pay homage to the image of gold which you have set up.” Nebuchadnezzar said to them (in Dan. 3:14), “’Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego?’ Did not the Holy One, blessed be He, say this to you that you should obey royalty in whatever it tells you, where it is stated (in Eccl. 8:2), ‘I [say], “Keep the king's command?”’” They said to him, “You are king over us for taxes and crop levies;²³Lat.: annona. but in regard to the service of idols, Nebuchadnezzar and a dog [have] equal [authority].” (Dan. 3:16-17:) “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to answer you in this [matter]. If our God [whom we serve is able to save us, He shall save us from the burning fiery furnace and from your hand O king].’” They said to him, “Whether He delivers us or whether He does not deliver us (in vs. 18), ‘be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods nor pay homage to the image of gold which you have set up.’” Ergo (in Prov. 24:21), “Fear the Lord, my child, and the king; and do not associate with those who would differ”; [i.e.,] in that Israel is called a third to all those that fear Him, but do not associate with those who say that there are two gods in the world, for the end of [such people] is to perish from the world. It is so stated (in Zech. 13:8), “And it shall come to pass throughout all the land, says the Lord, that two-thirds [in it] shall be cut off [and die], but one-third shall remain in it.” And who is the one-third? This is Israel as stated (in Is. 19:24), “And on that day Israel shall be a third [partner with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth].” Ergo (in Prov. 24:21), “Fear the Lord, my child, and the king.” Whoever is in fear of the Holy One, blessed be He, becomes a king. From whom did you learn [that]? From Abraham because he was in fear of the Holy One, blessed be He, and became a king. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 22:12), “for now I know that you fear God.” But where is it shown that he became a king? It is written (in Gen. 14:17), “[And the king of Sodom came out to meet him …] at the Valley of Shaveh, i.e., the valley of the king.” What is the meaning of the Valley of Shaveh (rt.: shwh?] That they all became equal (rt.: shwh). So taking counsel (or taking wood),²⁴‘Etsah. The word can mean either “counsel” or “wood.” they cut cedars, made a throne, and set him over them as king. And you should not say [this] only [in the case of] Abraham alone. In the case of Moses [as well did this happen], because he was in fear of the Holy One, blessed be He, as stated (in Exod. 3:6), “then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.” And where is it shown that he became a king?] Where it is stated (in Deut. 33:5), “Then he became king in Jeshurun.”²⁵Thus the king of whom Prov. 24:21 demands obedience, is a king who fears the Holy One like Abraham or Moses. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, “I have made you a king. As they blow trumpets before a king when he goes forth to war, so shall they blow trumpets before you when you go forth to war.” How is it shown? From that which they read about the matter (in Numb. 10:2), “Make two silver trumpets.”²⁶The context of the passage concerns the sounding of an alarm in time of war.

(Numb. 10:1–2:) THEN THE LORD SPOKE <UNTO MOSES SAYING>: MAKE TWO SILVER TRUMPETS (hatsotserot). This text is related (to Ps. 24:7): O GATES, LIFT UP YOUR HEADS, [BE LIFTED UP, YOU EVERLASTING DOORS,] <THAT THE KING OF GLORY MAY COME IN>. When Solomon was bringing the ark into the Temple,³⁹Tanh. Numb. 3:9; Numb. R. 15:13; above Exod. 2:6 and the note there. he began to say: O GATES, LIFT UP YOUR HEADS, because the openings were <too> low. [Then he said:] BE LIFTED UP YOU EVERLASTING DOORS, THAT THE KING OF GLORY MAY COME IN. The gates said to him (in vss. 8 and 10): WHO IS THIS KING OF GLORY? The gates immediately wanted to devour him <and would have done so,> if he had not said (in vs. 10): THE LORD OF HOSTS, HE IS THE KING OF GLORY. SELAH. Again he said (in vs. 8): THE LORD STRONG AND MIGHTY. He said to them: Expand yourselves, for the king of glory is coming upon you. They immediately paid him homage (kavod), raised up honor (kavod) for him, and raised themselves up.⁴⁰Lam. R. 2:9 (13). So the ark entered. The Holy One said to them: You have paid me homage. When I destroy my house, no one will prevail against you. You know that all the implements of the Temple went into exile in Babylon as stated (in Dan. 1:2): THEN THE LORD GAVE KING JEHOIAKIM OF JUDAH INTO HIS HAND, [WITH SOME OF THE IMPLEMENTS FROM THE HOUSE OF THE GOD; AND HE BROUGHT THEM TO THE LAND OF SHINAR]. But the temple gates were hidden in situ, as stated (in Lam. 2:9): HER GATES HAVE SUNK INTO THE GROUND.