מדרש אויף שמות 8:23

"by way of the land of the Philistines, for it was near": Near (i.e., "close") is the thing of which the Holy One Blessed be He spoke to Moses (Exodus 2:12): "When you take the people out of Egypt, you will serve G–d on this mountain." Variantly: "for it was near": It afforded easy return to Egypt, viz. (Ibid. 5:3) "Let us go a three days' distance in the desert." Variantly: "for it was near": Close (in time) was the oath that Abraham had sworn to Avimelech, viz. (Genesis 21:23) "And now, swear to me here by G–d that you will not deal with me falsely (by trespassing on my land), or to my son or my grandson," and his grandson was still alive. Variantly: "for it was near": The first war (that with Egypt) was too close to the second (that with Canaan). Variantly: "for it was near": The Canaanites had only recently acquired the land, and (Genesis 15:16) "And they (the Israelites) shall return here in the fourth generation, for the sin of the Amorites is not yet complete."

(Lev. 17:3:) “If any single person from the House of Israel.” This text is related (to Ps. 51:20–21), “Make Zion prosper in Your good pleasure; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Then You shall delight in sacrifices of righteousness, burnt offerings, and whole offerings….” To what is the matter comparable? To a rich and noble man, who has no wife. His house was not [really] a house. Why? When the tenants came, he said to them, “Go rest in another place.” Why? Because he had neither house nor wife. He took a wife. He said to them, “Whatever you bring me, from now on bring them up to the house.” Thus all the days before Moses erected the tent of meeting, they offered sacrifices [in] any place, as stated (in Exod. 24:5), “Then he sent youths of the Children of Israel, and they offered burnt offerings….” And so it says (in Exod. 8:23), “Let us go a distance of three days into the wilderness and sacrifice to the Lord our God.” When the tabernacle was raised, the [Holy One, blessed be He,] said to Moses, “From now on you are only permitted to offer sacrifice in the tent of meeting”; and there they offered up the [gift]⁶⁷Gk.: doron. to the Holy One, blessed be He. It is so stated (in Deut. 12:13-14), “Take heed that you do not offer up your burnt offerings in any place that you see. But only in the place that the Lord will choose.” And where did the Holy One, blessed be He, choose? Jerusalem, as stated (in Ps. 132:13), “For the Lord has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling.” Moses therefore warns Israel, saying (in Lev. 17:3-4), “If any single person from the House of Israel [slaughters an ox, a lamb, or a goat in the camp]…. And does not bring it unto the entrance of the tent of meeting to offer it as a sacrifice… [bloodguilt shall be imputed to that person].“ The Holy One, blessed be He, foresaw that the Temple was going to be destroyed; so the Holy One, blessed be He, said, “As long as the Temple exists, you shall sacrifice within it, [and] there will be atonement for you; but when the Temple does not exist, how will there be atonement for you? Occupy yourselves with the words of Torah, because they are comparable with offerings, and they will atone for you.” Thus it is stated (ibid.), “This is the thing (literally: word).” So also the prophet says (in Hos. 14:3), “Take words with you, and return unto the Lord.” The words of Torah resemble all the offerings. One offers wine as a libation upon the altar, as stated (in Numb. 15:5), “And a quarter hin of wine for a libation”; and Torah resembles wine, as stated (in Prov. 9:5, where wisdom says), “and drink of the wine I have mixed.” One offers bread upon the altar, as stated (in Numb. 28:2), “My offering, My bread for My fire offering; and so it says (in Exod. 25:30), “And you shall set the [show]bread upon the table before Me always”; and Torah resembles bread, as stated (in Prov. 9:5, where wisdom says), “Come and eat of my bread.” One offers oil upon the altar, as stated (in Lev. 2:5), “fine flour mixed with oil”; and Torah resembles oil, as stated (in Eccl. 9:8), “Always let your clothes be white, and let there be no lack of oil upon your head.”⁶⁸Cf. Eccl. R. 9:8:1, which also understands this verse as referring to Torah.

“The Lord did so; and heavy swarms came into the house of Pharaoh, and into the house of his servants; and throughout the land of Egypt the land was ruined due to the swarms” (Exodus 8:20).
“The Lord did so; and heavy swarms came into the house of Pharaoh” – he was afflicted first, as he began with the wicked counsel first, as it is stated: “Pharaoh commanded…” (Exodus 1:22), and then, “the house of his servants.”
“Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said: Go sacrifice to your God in the land. Moses said: It is not proper to do so, as we will sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians to the Lord our God; behold, were we to sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, would they not stone us?” (Exodus 8:21–22).
“Pharaoh called.… Moses said: It is not proper to do so” – because the Egyptians prostrate themselves to these animals as a god.
“We will go on a three-day journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to the Lord our God, as He will command us” (Exodus 8:23).
“We will go on a three-day journey into the wilderness” – in order to mislead them.
“Pharaoh said: I will let you go, and you will sacrifice to the Lord your God in the wilderness; just do not go very far; entreat for me. Moses said: Behold, I am leaving you, and I will entreat the Lord, and the swarms will depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people, tomorrow; only let Pharaoh not continue to be deceitful by not letting the people go to sacrifice to the Lord” (Exodus 8:24–25).
“Pharaoh said: I will let you go.… Moses said: Behold, I am leaving you” – what is “behold”? The prayer will be immediate, so that the swarm will depart from you tomorrow. That is what is written: “The swarms will depart…[tomorrow].”
“Moses left Pharaoh, and entreated the Lord. The Lord did according to the word of Moses; and He removed the swarms from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; not one remained” (Exodus 8:26–27).
“Moses left.… The Lord did according to the word of Moses; and He removed the swarms” – why did He bring swarms upon them? It is because they would say to Israel: ‘Go out and bring us bears, lions, and leopards,’ in order to torment them; therefore, He brought upon them swarms of beasts; this is the statement of Rabbi Yehuda. Rabbi Neḥemya said: [They were] species of hornets and mosquitoes. The statement of Rabbi Yehuda appears correct, as regarding the frogs it is written: "The frogs died” (Exodus 8:9), because there was no benefit from their skins; however, regarding the swarms there was [potential] benefit from their hides; therefore, “not one remained.” Had they been hornets or mosquitoes they could have been left to reek.