וַאֲנִ֣י יָדַ֔עְתִּי כִּ֠י לֹֽא־יִתֵּ֥ן אֶתְכֶ֛ם מֶ֥לֶךְ מִצְרַ֖יִם לַהֲלֹ֑ךְ וְלֹ֖א בְּיָ֥ד חֲזָקָֽה׃
At batid Ko na hindi kayo pahihintulutang umalis ng hari ng Egipto, malibang sa pamamagitan ng isang makapangyarihang kamay.
Shemot Rabbah
“And I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go, except by a mighty hand” (Exodus 3:19).
“And I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go.” The Holy One blessed be He saw what the wicked Pharaoh is destined to do; [that he will] increase the workload of the people from the moment that he [Moses] goes [to Pharaoh] as His emissary. And so that he [Moses] would not be misled by this thing, the Holy One blessed be He made known to him that Pharaoh is destined to do such and such when you go on My mission so that he would not reproach Heaven. 26In order that Moses would not complain to God that his mission was a failure, as he in fact did in Exodus 5:22-23. Nevertheless, he reproached Heaven, and about him it is stated: “For oppression turns a wise man into a fool” (Ecclesiastes 7:7).
“And I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go.” The Holy One blessed be He saw what the wicked Pharaoh is destined to do; [that he will] increase the workload of the people from the moment that he [Moses] goes [to Pharaoh] as His emissary. And so that he [Moses] would not be misled by this thing, the Holy One blessed be He made known to him that Pharaoh is destined to do such and such when you go on My mission so that he would not reproach Heaven. 26In order that Moses would not complain to God that his mission was a failure, as he in fact did in Exodus 5:22-23. Nevertheless, he reproached Heaven, and about him it is stated: “For oppression turns a wise man into a fool” (Ecclesiastes 7:7).
Shemot Rabbah
“God spoke to Moses and said to him: I am the Lord. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by My name the Lord I did not make Myself known to them” (Exodus 6:2–3).
“God spoke to Moses and said to him: I am the Lord. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac...” That is what is written: “I turned myself to behold wisdom and madness and folly; for who is the man who comes after the king to do what he already has done?” (Ecclesiastes 2:12). This verse is referring to Solomon and to Moses. How to Solomon? When the Holy One blessed be He gave the Torah to Israel, he gave positive mitzvot and prohibitions, and gave the king a few mitzvot, as it is stated: “Only he shall not accumulate horses for himself…and he shall not accumulate wives for himself, and his heart will not stray, and silver and gold he shall not greatly accumulate for himself” (Deuteronomy 17:16–17). Solomon rose and thought to outsmart the decree of the Holy One blessed be He. “He shall not accumulate [yarbe] wives for himself,” isn’t that so “his heart will not stray?” I will accumulate and my heart will not stray. At that moment, the yod that is in yarbe1The letter yod in this form indicates the future tense. Solomon was confident that he would not stray, and thus thought the future “so that his heart will not stray” did not apply to him. went up and prostrated itself before the Holy One blessed be He and said: ‘Master of the universe, didn’t You say that there will never be a letter negated from the Torah? Behold, Solomon is revoking me. Perhaps today he will negate one and tomorrow another, until the entire Torah is negated.’ The Holy One blessed be He said to it: ‘Solomon and one thousand like him will be negated, and not one calligraphical embellishment will I negate.’ From where He negated it [the letter yod] from the Torah, and it returned to the Torah? It is as it is stated: “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her by the name Sarai, as Sarah2Sarai is spelled sin, resh, yod. God replaced the letter yod at the end of her name with the letter heh, rendering it Sarah. is her name” (Genesis 17:15). Where did it [the letter yod] return? “Moses called Hoshea bin Nun, Joshua” (Numbers 13:16).3The change from Hoshea to Joshua is made with the addition of the letter yod at the beginning of the name, so that it is spelled yod, heh, vav, shin, ayin.
Solomon, who considered negating a letter from the Torah, what is written about him? “The words of Agur ben Yakeh”4The book of Proverbs is attributed to Solomon. (Proverbs 30:1) – who collected [iger] matters of Torah and expelled them [hekian]. “The utterance of the man to Itiel” (Proverbs 30:1), this matter that the Holy One blessed be He said: “He shall not accumulate wives,” He said only so “his heart will not stray.” “To Itiel” – who said: God is with me [iti El] and I will prevail.5My numerous wives will not cause my heart to stray. What is written about him? “It was when Solomon grew old, his wives led his heart astray” (I Kings 11:4).
Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai said: It would have been preferable for Solomon to have been a sewer cleaner than to have this verse written about him. That is why Solomon said about himself: “I turned myself to behold wisdom and madness and folly” (Ecclesiastes 2:12). Solomon said: ‘That which I [thought that I] have grown wise in matters of the Torah, and have shown myself that I know the wisdom of the Torah; that understanding and that knowledge were actually of madness and folly. Why? “For who is the man who comes after the king to do what he already has done?” (Ibid.). Who is it who has license to question the ways and the decrees of the King of kings, the Holy One blessed be He? Matters are shaped before Him; for everything that emerges from before Him, He has already consulted with the heavenly entourage, and has informed them of the matter, so that they all will know and attest that His ruling is a ruling of truth and His decrees are truth and everything of His is done wisely. Thus it says: “Every word of God is refined” (Proverbs 30:5); and it says: “This matter is by the decree of the watchers, [and the sentence by the word of the holy ones; to the extent that the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whoever He will, and raises over it the lowest of men]”6The heavenly entourage (the watchers and the holy ones) are informed by God of His decrees concerning the kingdom of men. (Daniel 4:14). Because I questioned His actions, I failed.’
How is it [the verse in Ecclesiastes 2:12] stated about Moses? The Holy One blessed be He had already informed Moses that Pharaoh would not allow them to go, as it is stated: “I know that the king of Egypt will not allow you to go” (Exodus 3:19), “and I will harden his heart” (Exodus 4:21). Moses did not keep this matter in mind, and thought to outsmart the decree of the Holy One blessed be He, and began saying: “Why have You harmed this people?” (Exodus 5:22); he began arguing before Him. About this it is stated that this wisdom and knowledge of Moses was of madness and folly, “For who is the man who comes after the king,” – how could he question the ways of the Holy One blessed be He “to do what he already has done?” – after He had already revealed to him that He is destined to harden his [Pharaoh’s] heart in order to punish him for his enslaving them with hard labor? For this thing, the attribute of justice sought to harm Moses. That is what is written: “God [Elohim]7Elohim is the divine name that represents the attribute of justice. spoke to Moses” (Exodus 6:2). Because the Holy One blessed be He observed that it was due to the suffering of Israel that he spoke in that manner, He reconsidered and treated him with the attribute of mercy. That is what is written: “He said to him: I am the Lord [Y-H-V-H] (Exodus 6:2).”8Y-H-V-H, pronounced Adonai, is the divine name that represents the attribute of mercy.
“God spoke to Moses and said to him: I am the Lord. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac...” That is what is written: “I turned myself to behold wisdom and madness and folly; for who is the man who comes after the king to do what he already has done?” (Ecclesiastes 2:12). This verse is referring to Solomon and to Moses. How to Solomon? When the Holy One blessed be He gave the Torah to Israel, he gave positive mitzvot and prohibitions, and gave the king a few mitzvot, as it is stated: “Only he shall not accumulate horses for himself…and he shall not accumulate wives for himself, and his heart will not stray, and silver and gold he shall not greatly accumulate for himself” (Deuteronomy 17:16–17). Solomon rose and thought to outsmart the decree of the Holy One blessed be He. “He shall not accumulate [yarbe] wives for himself,” isn’t that so “his heart will not stray?” I will accumulate and my heart will not stray. At that moment, the yod that is in yarbe1The letter yod in this form indicates the future tense. Solomon was confident that he would not stray, and thus thought the future “so that his heart will not stray” did not apply to him. went up and prostrated itself before the Holy One blessed be He and said: ‘Master of the universe, didn’t You say that there will never be a letter negated from the Torah? Behold, Solomon is revoking me. Perhaps today he will negate one and tomorrow another, until the entire Torah is negated.’ The Holy One blessed be He said to it: ‘Solomon and one thousand like him will be negated, and not one calligraphical embellishment will I negate.’ From where He negated it [the letter yod] from the Torah, and it returned to the Torah? It is as it is stated: “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her by the name Sarai, as Sarah2Sarai is spelled sin, resh, yod. God replaced the letter yod at the end of her name with the letter heh, rendering it Sarah. is her name” (Genesis 17:15). Where did it [the letter yod] return? “Moses called Hoshea bin Nun, Joshua” (Numbers 13:16).3The change from Hoshea to Joshua is made with the addition of the letter yod at the beginning of the name, so that it is spelled yod, heh, vav, shin, ayin.
Solomon, who considered negating a letter from the Torah, what is written about him? “The words of Agur ben Yakeh”4The book of Proverbs is attributed to Solomon. (Proverbs 30:1) – who collected [iger] matters of Torah and expelled them [hekian]. “The utterance of the man to Itiel” (Proverbs 30:1), this matter that the Holy One blessed be He said: “He shall not accumulate wives,” He said only so “his heart will not stray.” “To Itiel” – who said: God is with me [iti El] and I will prevail.5My numerous wives will not cause my heart to stray. What is written about him? “It was when Solomon grew old, his wives led his heart astray” (I Kings 11:4).
Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai said: It would have been preferable for Solomon to have been a sewer cleaner than to have this verse written about him. That is why Solomon said about himself: “I turned myself to behold wisdom and madness and folly” (Ecclesiastes 2:12). Solomon said: ‘That which I [thought that I] have grown wise in matters of the Torah, and have shown myself that I know the wisdom of the Torah; that understanding and that knowledge were actually of madness and folly. Why? “For who is the man who comes after the king to do what he already has done?” (Ibid.). Who is it who has license to question the ways and the decrees of the King of kings, the Holy One blessed be He? Matters are shaped before Him; for everything that emerges from before Him, He has already consulted with the heavenly entourage, and has informed them of the matter, so that they all will know and attest that His ruling is a ruling of truth and His decrees are truth and everything of His is done wisely. Thus it says: “Every word of God is refined” (Proverbs 30:5); and it says: “This matter is by the decree of the watchers, [and the sentence by the word of the holy ones; to the extent that the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whoever He will, and raises over it the lowest of men]”6The heavenly entourage (the watchers and the holy ones) are informed by God of His decrees concerning the kingdom of men. (Daniel 4:14). Because I questioned His actions, I failed.’
How is it [the verse in Ecclesiastes 2:12] stated about Moses? The Holy One blessed be He had already informed Moses that Pharaoh would not allow them to go, as it is stated: “I know that the king of Egypt will not allow you to go” (Exodus 3:19), “and I will harden his heart” (Exodus 4:21). Moses did not keep this matter in mind, and thought to outsmart the decree of the Holy One blessed be He, and began saying: “Why have You harmed this people?” (Exodus 5:22); he began arguing before Him
Shemot Rabbah
“Moses and Aaron emerged from Pharaoh; and Moses cried to the Lord regarding the frogs that He had brought upon Pharaoh” (Exodus 8:8).
“Moses…emerged…and…cried to the Lord regarding the frogs” – our Rabbis, of blessed memory, said: It was not just the destruction that the frogs caused the Egyptians, but the sound of the frogs was harsher for them than the physical damage, as they would enter their bodies and scream inside them, as it is stated: “Regarding [al devar] the frogs that He had brought upon Pharaoh” – regarding the speech [al dibur] of the frogs.
“The Lord did according to the word of Moses; and the frogs died from the houses, from the courts, and from the fields” (Exodus 8:9).
“The Lord did according to the word of Moses; and the frogs died” – it is because [the Egyptians] could derive no benefit from their carcasses or their skin; that is why they died.14This is in contrast to the wild animals and the locusts, which departed from Egypt (see Exodus 8:27 and 10:19) so that the Egyptians would not benefit from the hides of the animals or be able to eat the locusts.
“They gathered them in heaps; and the land stank” (Exodus 8:10).
“They gathered them in heaps” – this teaches that each and every one of them made four piles, and the land reeked. Because Israel reeked from the blows administered by the Egyptians, it is measure for measure.
“Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and did not heed them; as the Lord had spoken” (Exodus 8:11).
“Pharaoh saw that there was respite” – this is the way of the wicked; when they are in trouble they scream, but when there is respite they return to their evil ways. “As the Lord had spoken” – where did He speak? “I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go” (Exodus 3:19).
“Moses…emerged…and…cried to the Lord regarding the frogs” – our Rabbis, of blessed memory, said: It was not just the destruction that the frogs caused the Egyptians, but the sound of the frogs was harsher for them than the physical damage, as they would enter their bodies and scream inside them, as it is stated: “Regarding [al devar] the frogs that He had brought upon Pharaoh” – regarding the speech [al dibur] of the frogs.
“The Lord did according to the word of Moses; and the frogs died from the houses, from the courts, and from the fields” (Exodus 8:9).
“The Lord did according to the word of Moses; and the frogs died” – it is because [the Egyptians] could derive no benefit from their carcasses or their skin; that is why they died.14This is in contrast to the wild animals and the locusts, which departed from Egypt (see Exodus 8:27 and 10:19) so that the Egyptians would not benefit from the hides of the animals or be able to eat the locusts.
“They gathered them in heaps; and the land stank” (Exodus 8:10).
“They gathered them in heaps” – this teaches that each and every one of them made four piles, and the land reeked. Because Israel reeked from the blows administered by the Egyptians, it is measure for measure.
“Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and did not heed them; as the Lord had spoken” (Exodus 8:11).
“Pharaoh saw that there was respite” – this is the way of the wicked; when they are in trouble they scream, but when there is respite they return to their evil ways. “As the Lord had spoken” – where did He speak? “I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go” (Exodus 3:19).