Midrash sa Exodo 7:29: Shemot Rabbah, Ein Yaakov (Glick Edition) & Bamidbar Rabbah

“He said to his people: Behold, the nation of the children of Israel is more numerous and mighty than us” (Exodus 1:9).
“He said to his people” – he began with the counsel first; therefore, he was punished first. He began with the counsel first, as it is written: “He said to his people.” He was punished first, as it is written: “Upon you, upon your people, and upon all your servants, [the frogs will rise]” (Exodus 7:29).
“Let us be shrewd with it, lest it increase, and it shall be that if a war will occur, it too will join our enemies and wage war against us and it will ascend from the land” (Exodus 1:10).
“Let us be shrewd with it.” “With them” is not stated, but rather, “with it.” Rabbi Ḥama son of Rabbi Ḥanina said: He said: ‘Come let us be shrewd with the God of these. Shall we sentence them with the sword? It is already written: “And with His sword all flesh” (Isaiah 66:16). We will sentence them only with water, as the Holy One blessed be He took an oath that He will not bring a flood to the world, as it is stated: “As I took an oath that the waters of Noah would no longer pass over the earth” (Isaiah 54:9).’ But they did not know that He will not bring it over the entire world, but He will bring it on one nation. And He will not bring it [even] upon them, but they will come and fall into it, as it is stated: “They will be hurled [yagiruhu] to the sword [ḥarev]; they will be prey for the foxes [shualim]” (Psalms 63:11).¹⁹The midrash interprets this: He will entice [yegareh] them with dry land [ḥorev], into the waters of the sea [sha’al yam].
“As it was in the matter that they conspired [against them]” (Exodus 18:11) – in the pot in which they cooked, they were cooked.²⁰They sought to drown the Jewish boys in the river; they were drowned in the Red Sea.
Rabbi Ḥiyya said that Rabbi Simon said: There were three [involved] in that counsel: Bilam, Job, and Yitro. Bilam, who advised [Pharaoh to persecute Israel], was killed. Job, who was silent, was punished with suffering. Yitro, who fled, his descendants were privileged to sit in the Chamber of Hewn Stone, as it is stated: “The families of scribes who dwelled at Yabetz: The Tiratites, the Shime’atites, the Sukatites. These are the Kenites that came from Hamat, the father of the house of Rekhav” (I Chronicles 2:55). And it is written: “The children of the Kenite, Moses’ father-in-law, went up from the city of the date palms with the children of Judah” (Judges 1:16).

“…and it will ascend from the land” (Exodus 1:10). It does not say: And we will ascend, but rather: “It will ascend.” Rabbi Abba bar Kahana says: It is like a person who curses himself but ascribes his curse to another.²¹Although Pharaoh’s stated concern was that the Israelites would leave Egypt, his real concern was that they would overcome the Egyptians and banish them from Egypt.
Alternatively, “and it will ascend from the land,” any time that Israel reaches the ultimate depths, they ascend; see what is written: “And it will ascend from the land.” David said: “Our soul is bent to the dust; our belly cleaves to the earth.” (Psalms 44:26). At that moment: “Rise up, be our savior; redeem us for the sake of Your kindness” (Psalms 44:27).

(Ex. 1, 8) Now there rose up a new king over Egypt, who knew not Joseph. Rab and Samuel differ in the explanation of the meaning of this passage. One contends that it means a real new king, while the other says "his decrees were new." According to the one who says that it means a real new king, he infers it because it is written a new. The other one who contends that his decrees were new infers because it is not mentioned that the previous king had died and a new one had become king. But how will the latter explain who knew not Joseph? This means that he pretended not to know Joseph. (Ib., ib. 9) And he said unto his people, behold the people of the children of Israel are more numerous and mightier than we. We are taught that the king himself started to find ways of destroying Israel as it is said and he said unto his people; therefore was he also smitten first, as it is said (Ib. 7, 29) And upon thee, and upon thy people, and upon all thy servants shall all the frogs come up. (Ib. 1, 10) Come on, let us deal wisely with him. It should have been with them, [plural]. Said Chama b. R. Chanina: "This means that he said to them: 'Come on, let us deal wisely with the Redeemer of Israel. With what shall we punish them [so that He shall not be able to take retaliation]? Shall we punish them by fire. He will retaliate upon as it is said (Is. 66, 16) For by fire will the Lord judge. Shall we judge them with a sword? Upon this He will also retaliate as it is written (Ib.) And by His sword against all flesh. Let us therefore come and execute judgment through water; for long since He had already sworn not to bring a flood upon the world, as it is said (Ib. 54, 9) For as the waters of Noah is this unto He; as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more pass over the earth [hence there is no retaliation]. They [Pharaoh and his advisors] did not know, however, that this means only that He will not bring a flood upon the entire world but upon one Nation He may bring a flood, or He will not bring a flood upon the people, but that the people might go into the flood and thus be drowned. He could indeed act, and so also does the passage say (Gen. 14, 27) While the Egyptians were fleeing against it [the sea]: And the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea." This is also meant by R. Elazar, who said: "What is the meaning of the passage (Ib. 18, 11) For by the very thing wherein they sinned presumptuously was punishment brought upon them. This means that with the very pot which they prepared to cook others therein, they themselves were cooked." Whence do we know that the word Zadu [used in the above text] refers to a pot? It is written (Gen. 25, 29) And Jacob sad [yazed] pottage. R. Chiya b. Aba said in the name of R. Jochanan: "The following three Bil'am, Job and Jethro — were the advisers of Pharaoh, concerning his decree to throw in the river the children of Israel. Bil'am, who gave this advice, was killed; Job, who kept silence, was punished with chastisement; and Jethro, who ran away, was rewarded by having his decendants placed among the Sanhedrin, in the chamber of Temple, as it is said (I Chr. 2, 55) And the families of scribes who dwelt at Jabetz. the Tiratite, etc… . these are, the Kenites that come from Chamoth, the father of the house of Rechah. And again it is written (Jud. 1, 16) And the children of the Kenite, the father-in-law of Moses. (Ib., ib., 11) And they thereupon did set over him task-masters, it should have been over them and not over him. We are taught in a Baraitha in the name of R. Elazar, son of R. Simon: "From this it might be inferred that the Egyptians took a brick-mould, hung it upon the neck of Pharaoh, and if any Israelite said that he was delicate and could not work, the Egyptians said to him: 'Art thou more delicate than Pharaoh, the King?'" (Ib.) Task-masters, i.e., a person that forced Israel to make bricks (Ib., ib., ib.) To afflict him with their burdensome labors, it should have been them instead of him. This means to afflict Pharaoh himself through their burdensome-work [because of the brick he had to wear on his neck], (Ib.) And he built store cities for Pharaoh. Rab and Samuel differ in the explanation of the above passage. One contends, cities which caused danger to its owners, and the other explains it to mean, cities which caused poverty to its owners; for the Master said elsewhere: "Whoever occupies himself with buildings will at last become poor." (Ib) Pithom and Ra'amses. Rab and Samuel differ in the explanation of this passage, one contends that its real name was Pithom, and the reason it was called Ra'amses, was because one building after the other was crushed (fell in); and the other said that its real name was Ra'amses, and the reason it was called Pithom, was because one building after the other was swallowed in the depth. (Ib., ib. 12) But the more they afflicted him, the more he multiplied and the more he spread abroad. It should have been so they multiplied and so they spread abroad? Said R. Simon b. Lakish: "The Holy Spirit predicted to them, saying: "Thus [as it keeps on now] will they multiply and spread abroad." (Ib., ib., ib.) And they felt abhorance because of the children of Israel. From this it may be inferred that the Israelites were like thorns in the eyes of the Egyptians. (Ib., ib. 13) And the Egyptians caused the children of Israel to labor with (Ib. b) rigor. R. Elazar said: "The word b'fa-rech (rigor) means with soft words." R. Samuel b. Nachmeni said: This means rigorously." (Ib., ib. 14) And they made their lives bitter with hard labor in mortar and in bricks and in all manner of labor in the field. Said Raba: "This passage informs us that in the very beginning they started with mortar and in bricks but afterwards with all manner of labor in the field." Besides all their other service, they made them labor with rigor. Said R. Samuel b. Nachmeni in the name of R. Jonathan: "This means that they changed the work of men for women and the work of women for men, and even he who explained the foregoing b'fa-rech differently, will admit that the same word here means rigorously."

“The priest shall administer to the woman the oath of the curse, and the priest shall say to the woman: May the Lord render you as a curse and as an oath among your people, in the Lord causing your thigh to fall and your belly to distend” (Numbers 5:21).
“The priest shall administer to the woman the oath of the curse” – Rabbi Zeira said in the name of Rav: Why are two oaths stated regarding the sota? One is before the scroll is erased and one after the scroll is erased, because there is no absolute chronological order in the Torah. The Rabbis say: One is an oath accompanied by a curse, and one is an oath that is not accompanied by a curse. How is the oath accompanied by a curse? It is when he says to her: I administer an oath to you that you were not defiled, but if you were defiled, it [the water] will enter you.
“And the priest shall say to the woman” – to the exclusion of a deaf woman.
“May the Lord render you” – woe unto the wicked, who transform the attribute of mercy into cruelty. Every place that the Tetragrammaton is stated, it is the attribute of mercy, as it is stated: “The Lord, the Lord, God merciful and gracious” (Exodus 34:6), but here it is the attribute of cruelty.
“As a curse and as an oath” – could it be that the woman herself will be “as a curse and as an oath”? The verse states: “Among your people” (Numbers 5:27), saying that everyone will take oaths in your name and curse each other and say: ‘If you performed this evil act, your end will be like the end of so-and-so.’
“In the Lord causing your thigh to fall and your belly to distend” – it is taught: It says regarding the sota: “In the Lord causing your thigh to fall, and your belly to distend.” From the place that she began in the transgression, from there is the onset of the punishment. With the thigh she began in the transgression, and then the belly; therefore, the thigh is cursed initially, and then the belly. The rest of the body is not spared, as it is stated: “The woman shall become a curse among her people” (Numbers 5:27).
Likewise you find regarding the members of the generation of the Flood. Man began in the transgression initially, as it is stated: “The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth” (Genesis 6:5). They were stricken first, and the rest were not spared, as it is stated: “He obliterated all existence…[from man, to animal, to crawling creature, to birds of the heavens]” (Genesis 7:23).
The youth of Sodom began in the transgression initially: “The men of Sodom surrounded [the house, from young to old]” (Genesis 19:4). They too were stricken initially, and the rest were not spared, as it is stated: “And the men who were at the entrance of the house they smote with blindness, [from small to great]” (Genesis 19:11).
Pharaoh began in the transgression initially, as it is stated: “Pharaoh commanded all his people, [saying: Every son who is born, you shall cast him into the Nile]” (Exodus 1:22). “He said to his people.… Let us be [cunning with it]” (Exodus 1:9–10). He was stricken first, and the rest were not spared, as it is stated: “Upon you and upon your people…[the frogs will ascend]” (Exodus 7:29).
The scouts, they began in the transgression initially, as it is stated: “They spread an evil report of the land” (Numbers 13:32). They too were stricken first, and the rest were not spared, as it is stated: “The men, spreaders of the evil report of the land, died” (Numbers 14:37). And it says: “I am the Lord, I have spoken; surely, I will do this [to this entire evil congregation…in this wilderness they shall expire, and there they shall die]” (Numbers 14:35).
The neighbors of the land of Israel, they began in the transgression initially, as it is stated: “So said the Lord: About all My [evil] neighbors, [who touch the inheritance that I bequeathed to My people Israel]” (Jeremiah 12:14). They too were stricken first, as it is stated: “Behold, I am displacing them from upon their land” (Jeremiah 12:14).
The prophets of Israel, they began in the transgression initially, as it is stated: “As from the prophets of Jerusalem duplicity has spread to all the land (Jeremiah 23:15). They too were stricken first, and the rest were not spared, as it is stated: “A curse will be derived from them [by the entire exile of Judah]” (Jeremiah 29:22).