וּמִצְרַ֤יִם אָדָם֙ וְֽלֹא־אֵ֔ל וְסוּסֵיהֶ֥ם בָּשָׂ֖ר וְלֹא־ר֑וּחַ וַֽיהוָ֞ה יַטֶּ֣ה יָד֗וֹ וְכָשַׁ֤ל עוֹזֵר֙ וְנָפַ֣ל עָזֻ֔ר וְיַחְדָּ֖ו כֻּלָּ֥ם יִכְלָיֽוּן׃ (ס)
Ang mga Egipcio ay tao at hindi Diyos, at ang kanilang mga kabayo ay laman at hindi espiritu; kapag iniunat ng Walang-Hanggan ang Kanyang kamay, matitisod ang tumutulong at mabubuwal ang tinutulungan, at sama-sama silang lahat na mapapahamak.
Esther Rabbah
“The Lord will return you to Egypt in ships [baoniyyot], by the route of which I said to you: You will never see it again; and you will offer yourselves for sale there to your enemies, as slaves and as maidservants, and there will be no buyer” (Deuteronomy 28:68).
Rabbi Yitzḥak said: “In ships” [baoniyyot] – in poverty [baaniyyut] of good deeds. Why to Egypt? Because a slave experiences humiliation and mistreatment when he returns to his original master. Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai said: In three places, the Holy One blessed be He cautions Israel not to return to Egypt. The first, as it is stated: “For as you saw Egypt [today, you shall not see them ever again]” (Exodus 14:13). The second, it is written: “The Lord said to you: You shall not return again on that way anymore” (Deuteronomy 17:16). This is the third, as it is written: “The Lord will return you to Egypt in ships” (Deuteronomy 28:68).
They [Israel] contravened all three of them and were punished for all three of them. The first, during the reign of Sanḥeriv, as it is stated: “Woe! Those who descend to Egypt for aid” (Isaiah 31:1), and what is written thereafter: “Egypt is man, not god […and all of them will perish together]” (Isaiah 31:3). Second, during the days of Yoḥanan ben Kare’aḥ, as it is stated: “It shall be that the sword which you fear [will overtake you there in the land of Egypt]” (Jeremiah 42:16). The third, during the reign of Trajan, may his bones be crushed: His wife gave birth on the Ninth of Av when all Israel was mourning. The baby died on Hanukkah. Israel said: Shall we light [Hanukkah lamps], or not light? They said: We shall light, and anything that he seeks to inflict upon us, let him inflict. They lit. They went and slandered them to Trajan’s wife: Those Jews,4The reference is possibly to the Jews of Egypt who participated in the Kitos War (115-117), a rebellion against the Romans during Trajan’s reign. when you gave birth, they were mourning, when the baby died, they lit lamps. She sent a missive to her husband: Before you conquer the barbarians, come and conquer these Jews who have rebelled against you. He boarded the ship and expected to arrive in ten days, and the wind brought him in five days. He arrived and found them engaged in this verse: “The Lord will bring a nation against you from afar, from the end of the earth, as the eagle will swoop” (Deuteronomy 28:49). He said to them: I am the eagle, as I expected to arrive in ten days and the wind brought me in five days. His legions surrounded them and killed them.
“And there is no buyer [koneh]” (Deuteronomy 28:68). Why is there no buyer? Rav said: It is because you did not impart the words of the covenant, as there is no one among you who is a buyer [koneh] of [i.e., one who learns] the five books of the Torah, the numerical value of koneh.5The word koneh – kof, vav, nun, heh – can be read as koneh heh, i.e. ‘buyer of heh.’ The numerical equivalent of heh is five. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani said: Because I went around to all the nations of the world and there was no one acquiring [no buyer of] the words of the Torah like you [Israel] did. Rabbi Shmuel bar Yitzhak said: You have acquisition of [members of] the nations of the world [i.e. the ability to buy them as slaves], as it is stated: “Also from the children of the resident aliens who reside with you, from them you shall acquire” (Leviticus 25:45); but the nations have no acquisition of you. Why do you have acquisition of the nations of the world? It is because you imparted: “These are the words of the covenant” (Deuteronomy 28:69). Why don’t the nations of the world have acquisition in you? It is because they did not acquire: “These are the words of the covenant.”
Rabbi Yonatan said: You have patrons, and what are they? They are the words of the covenant. Rabbi Yuda said: You are property of the crown; Isn’t the life of one who takes a slave from the property of the crown forfeit? And so Aḥashverosh said to his wife: “Behold, I gave the house of Haman to Esther [and they hanged him on the gibbet]” (Esther 8:7), and Rabbi Yuda bar Rabbi Simon said: It is because he extended his hand to harm the property of the crown, so it befell him.
Rabbi Yitzḥak said: There was an incident in Protzefya involving a certain woman who would redeem captives. One captive woman came, and she redeemed her. A second, and she redeemed her. When her means failed her and she was unable to redeem any more, soldiers immediately surrounded her and killed her. Why did they go to that extreme? In order to motivate future captors.6The local soldiers killed her in order to motivate future captors to kill their prisoners rather than hold them for ransom.
Rabbi Levi and Rabbi Yitzḥak. Rabbi Levi said: Who acquires a friend, and the next day he is executed? Who acquires a wife, and the next day she is executed? Rabbi Yitzḥak said: You will not be acquired as slaves and maidservants, but you will be acquired to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be eliminated, as Esther said to Aḥashverosh: “For we have been sold, my people and I, to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be eliminated; had we been sold as slaves and as maidservants, I would have been silent” (Esther 7:4). And so Moses wrote about us in the Torah: “And you will sell yourselves there to your enemies as slaves and as maidservants, and there will be no buyer” (Deuteronomy 28:68); perhaps to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be eliminated? When everyone saw, they began screaming: ‘Woe!’ “It was [vayhi],” woe [vai] for what transpired during the reign of Aḥashverosh.7The first verse of Esther begins Va-yhi bi-mei Aḥashverosh, “It was during the days of Aḥashverosh.”
Rabbi Yitzḥak said: “In ships” [baoniyyot] – in poverty [baaniyyut] of good deeds. Why to Egypt? Because a slave experiences humiliation and mistreatment when he returns to his original master. Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai said: In three places, the Holy One blessed be He cautions Israel not to return to Egypt. The first, as it is stated: “For as you saw Egypt [today, you shall not see them ever again]” (Exodus 14:13). The second, it is written: “The Lord said to you: You shall not return again on that way anymore” (Deuteronomy 17:16). This is the third, as it is written: “The Lord will return you to Egypt in ships” (Deuteronomy 28:68).
They [Israel] contravened all three of them and were punished for all three of them. The first, during the reign of Sanḥeriv, as it is stated: “Woe! Those who descend to Egypt for aid” (Isaiah 31:1), and what is written thereafter: “Egypt is man, not god […and all of them will perish together]” (Isaiah 31:3). Second, during the days of Yoḥanan ben Kare’aḥ, as it is stated: “It shall be that the sword which you fear [will overtake you there in the land of Egypt]” (Jeremiah 42:16). The third, during the reign of Trajan, may his bones be crushed: His wife gave birth on the Ninth of Av when all Israel was mourning. The baby died on Hanukkah. Israel said: Shall we light [Hanukkah lamps], or not light? They said: We shall light, and anything that he seeks to inflict upon us, let him inflict. They lit. They went and slandered them to Trajan’s wife: Those Jews,4The reference is possibly to the Jews of Egypt who participated in the Kitos War (115-117), a rebellion against the Romans during Trajan’s reign. when you gave birth, they were mourning, when the baby died, they lit lamps. She sent a missive to her husband: Before you conquer the barbarians, come and conquer these Jews who have rebelled against you. He boarded the ship and expected to arrive in ten days, and the wind brought him in five days. He arrived and found them engaged in this verse: “The Lord will bring a nation against you from afar, from the end of the earth, as the eagle will swoop” (Deuteronomy 28:49). He said to them: I am the eagle, as I expected to arrive in ten days and the wind brought me in five days. His legions surrounded them and killed them.
“And there is no buyer [koneh]” (Deuteronomy 28:68). Why is there no buyer? Rav said: It is because you did not impart the words of the covenant, as there is no one among you who is a buyer [koneh] of [i.e., one who learns] the five books of the Torah, the numerical value of koneh.5The word koneh – kof, vav, nun, heh – can be read as koneh heh, i.e. ‘buyer of heh.’ The numerical equivalent of heh is five. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani said: Because I went around to all the nations of the world and there was no one acquiring [no buyer of] the words of the Torah like you [Israel] did. Rabbi Shmuel bar Yitzhak said: You have acquisition of [members of] the nations of the world [i.e. the ability to buy them as slaves], as it is stated: “Also from the children of the resident aliens who reside with you, from them you shall acquire” (Leviticus 25:45); but the nations have no acquisition of you. Why do you have acquisition of the nations of the world? It is because you imparted: “These are the words of the covenant” (Deuteronomy 28:69). Why don’t the nations of the world have acquisition in you? It is because they did not acquire: “These are the words of the covenant.”
Rabbi Yonatan said: You have patrons, and what are they? They are the words of the covenant. Rabbi Yuda said: You are property of the crown; Isn’t the life of one who takes a slave from the property of the crown forfeit? And so Aḥashverosh said to his wife: “Behold, I gave the house of Haman to Esther [and they hanged him on the gibbet]” (Esther 8:7), and Rabbi Yuda bar Rabbi Simon said: It is because he extended his hand to harm the property of the crown, so it befell him.
Rabbi Yitzḥak said: There was an incident in Protzefya involving a certain woman who would redeem captives. One captive woman came, and she redeemed her. A second, and she redeemed her. When her means failed her and she was unable to redeem any more, soldiers immediately surrounded her and killed her. Why did they go to that extreme? In order to motivate future captors.6The local soldiers killed her in order to motivate future captors to kill their prisoners rather than hold them for ransom.
Rabbi Levi and Rabbi Yitzḥak. Rabbi Levi said: Who acquires a friend, and the next day he is executed? Who acquires a wife, and the next day she is executed? Rabbi Yitzḥak said: You will not be acquired as slaves and maidservants, but you will be acquired to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be eliminated, as Esther said to Aḥashverosh: “For we have been sold, my people and I, to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be eliminated; had we been sold as slaves and as maidservants, I would have been silent” (Esther 7:4). And so Moses wrote about us in the Torah: “And you will sell yourselves there to your enemies as slaves and as maidservants, and there will be no buyer” (Deuteronomy 28:68); perhaps to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be eliminated? When everyone saw, they began screaming: ‘Woe!’ “It was [vayhi],” woe [vai] for what transpired during the reign of Aḥashverosh.7The first verse of Esther begins Va-yhi bi-mei Aḥashverosh, “It was during the days of Aḥashverosh.”
Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael
An analogy: eggs in a man's hand. He inclines his hand a little and they all fall and break, viz. (Isaiah 31:3) "and the L–rd will incline His hand, and the helper will stumble and the helped will fall, etc."
Midrash Tehillim
Another thing regarding the exodus of Israel from Egypt. See what is written (Deuteronomy 4:34): "Or has God ever tried to go and take a nation for Himself from the midst of another nation?" Rabbi Chiya said in the name of Rabbi Yirmiya: This can be compared to a warrior who goes out to battle, either to conquer or to be victorious. Therefore it is said (in the same verse): "in battles." Rabbi Abba Bar Acha said in the name of Rabbi Chanin: What is "a nation from the midst of another nation"? It is like a person who removes a fetus from the belly of an animal. Similarly, the Holy One, blessed be He, took Israel out of Egypt, as it is said: "a nation from the midst of another nation." This is similar to what is said (Leviticus 1:3): "And he shall bring it close," and (Exodus 7:5): "And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord." We learn from here the difficulty of being cast off. How do we know that they were cast off? As it is said (Deuteronomy 4:20): "He took you out of the iron crucible." It is like a person who takes gold from a furnace without tongs or a scoop. So it was with Israel. Rabbi Avin said in the name of Rabbi Simon: What is meant by "from the midst of another nation"? They were absorbed within their bellies, as it is said (Psalm 124:3): "They would have swallowed us alive." And if a person wishes to darken the matter and not mention Egypt in that context, behold, it says (Psalm 124:2): "If the Lord had not been for us when men rose up against us." And "men" refer to none other than Egypt, as it is said (Isaiah 31:3): "And Egypt is man and not God." And the Holy One, blessed be He, performed ten miracles for them at the sea. One is that He made walls upon walls, and there was not a wall that did not have a tower, and there was not a tower that did not have a guard, and the ministering angels guarded Israel so that they would not be harmed. Moses said to them, "Come and cross." They said to him, "How can we cross between these walls, as it is said (Exodus 14:22-29), 'And the waters were a wall unto them?'" The sea froze and rose up, filling all its depths. Just as a person floats with both arms, one up and one down, so too did God freeze the heart of the sea and fill all its depths. Then they made the water into the form of arched bricks, as it is said (Habakkuk 3:14), "You pierced with his own arrows the head of his warriors." Moses said to them, "Come and cross." They said, "When the waters were two below and one above, we could not cross, and now that they are two above and one below, how much less can we cross?" Then they made the water into the form of flat bricks, as it is said (Zechariah 2:8), "For he that touches you touches the apple of his eye." And there is no "apple" but bricks, as it is said (Zechariah 2:9), "And I will shake my hand over them, and they shall be a spoil to their servants." Then they took sweet water out of the salty water and drank it, as it is said (Psalm 78:16), "And he brought streams also out of the rock." Then they made the water into the form of clay, as it is said (Habakkuk 3:15), "Thou didst walk through the sea with thy horses, through the heap of great waters." Then they made the water into the form of columns, as it is said (Exodus 15:8), "The floods stood upright as a heap." Like a heap of straw between two piles. Then they made the water into the form of separate drops, as it is said (Psalm 74:13), "Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength." Then they made the water into the form of valleys and caused grass to grow, and Israel grazed therein, as it is said (Isaiah 33:9), "The land mourneth and languisheth: Lebanon is ashamed and hewn down: Sharon is like a wilderness; and Bashan and Carmel shake off their fruits."