א׳
א׳וְאֵ֗לֶּה שְׁמוֹת֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל הַבָּאִ֖ים מִצְרָ֑יְמָה אֵ֣ת יַעֲקֹ֔ב אִ֥ישׁ וּבֵית֖וֹ בָּֽאוּ׃
1These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob, each coming with his household:
ואלה שמות בני ישראל. אַעַ"פִּ שֶׁמְּנָאָן בְּחַיֵּיהֶם בִּשְׁמוֹתָם, חָזַר וּמְנָאָם בְּמִיתָתָם, לְהוֹדִיעַ חִבָּתָם, שֶׁנִּמְשְׁלוּ לְכוֹכָבִים, שֶׁמּוֹצִיאָם וּמַכְנִיסָם בְּמִסְפַּר וּבִשְׁמוֹתָם (שמות רבה), שֶׁנֶּ' "הַמּוֹצִיא בְמִסְפָּר צְבָאָם לְכֻלָּם בְּשֵׁם יִקְרָא" (ישעיהו מ'):
ואלה שמות בני ישראל NOW THESE ARE THE NAMES OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL — Although scripture has already enumerated them by name whilst they were living, when they went down into Egypt (Genesis 46:8-27), it again enumerates them when it tells us of their death, thus showing how dear they were to God — that they are compared to the stars which also God brings out and brings in by number and name when they cease to shine, as it is said, (Isaiah 40:26) “He bringeth out their host by number, He calleth them all by name” (Exodus Rabbah 1:3; Tanchuma Yashan 1:1:2).
ב׳רְאוּבֵ֣ן שִׁמְע֔וֹן לֵוִ֖י וִיהוּדָֽה׃
2Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah;
ג׳יִשָּׂשכָ֥ר זְבוּלֻ֖ן וּבִנְיָמִֽן׃
3Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin;
ד׳דָּ֥ן וְנַפְתָּלִ֖י גָּ֥ד וְאָשֵֽׁר׃
4Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.
ה׳וַֽיְהִ֗י כׇּל־נֶ֛פֶשׁ יֹצְאֵ֥י יֶֽרֶךְ־יַעֲקֹ֖ב שִׁבְעִ֣ים נָ֑פֶשׁ וְיוֹסֵ֖ף הָיָ֥ה בְמִצְרָֽיִם׃
5The total number of persons that were of Jacob’s issue came to seventy, Joseph being already in Egypt.
ויוסף היה במצרים. וַהֲלֹא הוּא וּבָנָיו הָיוּ בִּכְלַל שִׁבְעִים, וּמַה בָּא לְלַמְּדֵנוּ? וְכִי לֹא הָיִינוּ יוֹדְעִים שֶׁהוּא הָיָה בְּמִצְרַיִם? אֶלָּא לְהוֹדִיעֲךָ צִדְקָתוֹ שֶׁל יוֹסֵף, הוּא יוֹסֵף הָרוֹעֶה אֶת צֹאן אָבִיו, הוּא יוֹסֵף שֶׁהָיָה בְּמִצְרַיִם, וְנַעֲשָׂה מֶלֶךְ, וְעוֹמֵד בְּצִדְקוֹ (שמות רבה):
ויוסף היה במצרים lit., AND JOSEPH WAS IN EGYPT — But were not he and his sons included in the seventy? What, then, is this statement intended to tell us? Do we not know that he was in Egypt? But its purpose is to inform you of Joseph’s righteousness: this is the same Joseph who tended his father’s sheep; this is the same Joseph who was in Egypt and became king there, and yet he remained steadfast in his righteousness, and the change from a humble position to exalted rank in Egypt caused no deterioration in his character (cf. Sifrei האזינו; Exodus Rabbah 1:7).
ו׳וַיָּ֤מׇת יוֹסֵף֙ וְכׇל־אֶחָ֔יו וְכֹ֖ל הַדּ֥וֹר הַהֽוּא׃
6Joseph died, and all his brothers, and all that generation.
ז׳וּבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל פָּר֧וּ וַֽיִּשְׁרְצ֛וּ וַיִּרְבּ֥וּ וַיַּֽעַצְמ֖וּ בִּמְאֹ֣ד מְאֹ֑ד וַתִּמָּלֵ֥א הָאָ֖רֶץ אֹתָֽם׃ {פ}
7But the Israelites were fertile and prolific; they multiplied and increased very greatly, so that the land was filled with them.
פרו. שלא הפילו נשותיהם ולא מתו כשהם קטנים:
That there women did not miscarry and did not die when they were young.
וישרצו. שֶׁהָיוּ יוֹלְדוֹת שִׁשָּׁה בְּכָרֵס אֶחָד (שם):
וישרצו AND THEY INCREASED ABUNDANTLY (more lit., they swarmed, a word used of the prolificness of reptiles) — they bore six children at one birth (the six words from פרו to מאד suggest or imply the number six) (Midrash Tanchuma, Shemot 5).
ח׳וַיָּ֥קׇם מֶֽלֶךְ־חָדָ֖שׁ עַל־מִצְרָ֑יִם אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־יָדַ֖ע אֶת־יוֹסֵֽף׃
8A new king arose over Egypt who did not know Joseph.
ויקם מלך חדש. רַב וּשְׁמוּאֵל, חַד אָמַר חָדָשׁ מַמָּשׁ, וְחַד אָמַר שֶׁנִּתְחַדְּשׁוּ גְּזֵרוֹתָיו:
ויקם מלך חדש NOW THERE AROSE A NEW KING — Rab and Samuel (two Amoraim or Talmudical teachers) differed in their interpretation of these words. One said that he was really a new king; the other said that it was the same king but he made new edicts (Sotah 11a).
אשר לא ידע. עָשָׂה עַצְמוֹ כְּאִלּוּ לֹא יְדָעוֹ (סוטה י"א):
אשר לא ידע WHO KNEW NOT [JOSEPH] — he comported himself as though he did not know him (Sotah 11a).
ט׳וַיֹּ֖אמֶר אֶל־עַמּ֑וֹ הִנֵּ֗ה עַ֚ם בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל רַ֥ב וְעָצ֖וּם מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃
9And he said to his people, “Look, the Israelite people are much too numerous for us.
י׳הָ֥בָה נִֽתְחַכְּמָ֖ה ל֑וֹ פֶּן־יִרְבֶּ֗ה וְהָיָ֞ה כִּֽי־תִקְרֶ֤אנָה מִלְחָמָה֙ וְנוֹסַ֤ף גַּם־הוּא֙ עַל־שֹׂ֣נְאֵ֔ינוּ וְנִלְחַם־בָּ֖נוּ וְעָלָ֥ה מִן־הָאָֽרֶץ׃
10Let us deal shrewdly with them, so that they may not increase; otherwise in the event of war they may join our enemies in fighting against us and rise from the ground.”arise from the ground Meaning, perhaps, from their wretched condition, cf. Hos. 2.2; or “gain ascendancy over the country.” In contrast to others “get them up out of the land.”
הבה נתחכמה. כָּל הָבָה לְשׁוֹן הֲכָנָה וְהַזְמָנָה לְדָבָר הוּא, כְּלוֹמַר, הַזְמִינוּ עַצְמְכֶם לְכָךְ:
הבה נתחכמה COME ON, LET US DEAL WISELY — Wherever הבה is used it has the meaning of preparing oneself and making oneself ready to do a particular matter; it signifies as much as: get yourself ready for this (cf. Rashi on Genesis 11:4 and Rashi on Genesis 38:16).
נתחכמה לו. לָעָם; נִתְחַכְּמָה מַה לַּעֲשׂוֹת לוֹ. וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ דָרְשׁוּ נִתְחַכֵּם לְמוֹשִׁיעָן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל לְדוּנָם בַּמַּיִם, שֶׁכְּבָר נִשְׁבַּע שֶׁלֹּא יָבִיא מַבּוּל לָעוֹלָם (שם):
נתחכמה לו LET US DEAL WISELY WITH THEM (לו more lit., with him) — i. e. with the people (the word לו, which is singular, refers to עם used in the preceding verse in the phrase עם בני ישראל): let us consider wisely what to do to them. Our Rabbis, however, explained that the singular לו refers to God, and that the words mean: “let us use our wisdom against Him who would show Himself Israel’s deliverer, by sentencing them to death by water, since He has already sworn that He will not bring another flood upon the world, and He will therefore be unable to punish us ‘measure for measure’, as is His way.”)
ועלה מן הארץ. עַל כָּרְחֵנוּ. וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ דָרְשׁוּ כְּאָדָם שֶׁמְּקַלֵּל עַצְמוֹ וְתוֹלֶה קִלְלָתוֹ בַּאֲחֵרִים (שם), וַהֲרֵי הוּא כְּאִלּוּ כָתַב וְעָלִינוּ מִן הָאָרֶץ – וְהֵם יִירָשׁוּהָ:
ועלה מן הארץ AND HE WILL GO UP OUT OF THE LAND, against our will. Our Rabbis explained that they spoke like a person who is pronouncing a curse against himself but attaches the curse to others (because he does not wish to use an ominous expression of himself), so that it is as though Scripture wrote “and we shall have to go up out of the land” and they will take possession of it (Sotah 11a).
י״אוַיָּשִׂ֤ימוּ עָלָיו֙ שָׂרֵ֣י מִסִּ֔ים לְמַ֥עַן עַנֹּת֖וֹ בְּסִבְלֹתָ֑ם וַיִּ֜בֶן עָרֵ֤י מִסְכְּנוֹת֙ לְפַרְעֹ֔ה אֶת־פִּתֹ֖ם וְאֶת־רַעַמְסֵֽס׃
11So they set taskmasters over them to oppress them with forced labor; and they built garrison cities for Pharaoh: Pithom and Raamses.
עליו. עַל הָעָם:
עליו [THEREFORE THEY DID SET] OVER THEM (עליו over him) i. e. over the people.
מסים. לְשׁוֹן מַס, שָׂרִים שֶׁגּוֹבִין מֵהֶם הַמַּס, וּמַהוּ הַמַּס? שֶׁיִּבְנוּ עָרֵי מִסְכְּנוֹת לְפַרְעֹה:
מסים has the meaning of tribute (מס), a forced levy of labour, so that שרי מסים are the officers who exact the tribute of labour from them. And what was this tribute? That they should build store-cities for Pharaoh.
למען ענתו בסבלתם. שֶׁל מִצְרַיִם:
למען ענותו בסבלותם TO AFFLICT THEM WITH THEIR BURDENS — i. e. the burdens of the Egyptians.
ערי מסכנות. כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ, וְכֵן "לֶךְ בֹּא אֶל הַסּוֹכֵן הַזֶּה" (ישעיהו כ"ב) – גִּזְבָּר הַמְמֻנֶּה עַל הָאוֹצָרוֹת:
ערי מסכנות — Translate this as the Targum does: CITIES WHICH ARE PLACES FOR TREASURES; similarly we have, (Isaiah 22:15) “Go, get thes unto this steward (הסוכן)” — the treasurer appointed over the stores (Exodus Rabbah 2:1).
את פתם ואת רעמסס. שֶׁלֹּא הָיוּ רְאוּיוֹת מִתְּחִלָּה לְכָךְ, וַעֲשָׂאוּם חֲזָקוֹת וּבְצוּרוֹת לְאוֹצָר:
את פתם ואת רעמסס PITHOM AND RAMESES — These cities already existed but were not adapted originally for this purpose; now they strengthened them and fortified them to serve as store-cities.
י״בוְכַאֲשֶׁר֙ יְעַנּ֣וּ אֹת֔וֹ כֵּ֥ן יִרְבֶּ֖ה וְכֵ֣ן יִפְרֹ֑ץ וַיָּקֻ֕צוּ מִפְּנֵ֖י בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
12But the more they were oppressed, the more they increased and spread out, so that the [Egyptians] came to dread the Israelites.
וכאשר יענו אתו. בְּכָל מַה שֶּׁהֵם נוֹתְנִין לֵב לְעַנּוֹת, כֵּן לֵב הַקָּבָּ"ה לְהַרְבּוֹת וּלְהַפְרִיץ:
וכאשר יענו אתו AND AS THEY AFFLICTED THEM — In whatsoever matter it was that they set their hearts upon afflicting them so was the heart of the Holy One, blessed be He, set upon multiplying them and making them grow apace.
כן ירבה. כֵּן רָבָה וְכֵן פָּרַץ. וּמִדְרָשׁוֹ, רוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ אוֹמֶרֶת כֵּן, אַתֶּם אוֹמְרִים פֶּן יִרְבֶּה וַאֲנִי אוֹמֵר כֵּן יִרְבֶּה (סוטה י"א):
כן ירבה signifies: so they multiplied and so they grew apace (i. e. God’s determination was carried out, the imperfect tenses of the verbs denoting the continuance of the increase and growth). This is the real meaning; but there is a Midrashic explanation of these imperfect tenses: The Holy spirit (God) said this: You say פן ירבה, “lest they increase”, but “I” say כן ירבה, “thus will they assuredly increase” (Sotah 11a).
ויקצו. קָצוּ בְחַיֵּיהֶם. וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ דָרְשׁוּ כְּקוֹצִים הָיוּ בְּעֵינֵיהֶם (שם):
ויקצו the word means, THEY WERE WEARY OF THEIR LIVES. Our Rabbis explained that it means that they were as thorns (קוצים) in their eyes (cf. Sotah 11a).
י״גוַיַּעֲבִ֧דוּ מִצְרַ֛יִם אֶת־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בְּפָֽרֶךְ׃
13The Egyptians ruthlessly imposed upon the Israelites
בפרך. בַּעֲבוֹדָה קָשָׁה, הַמְפָרֶכֶת אֶת הַגּוּף וּמְשַׁבַּרְתּוֹ (שם):
בפרך means with hard service which crushes (מפרכת) the body and shatters it (cf. Sotah 11b).
י״דוַיְמָרְר֨וּ אֶת־חַיֵּיהֶ֜ם בַּעֲבֹדָ֣ה קָשָׁ֗ה בְּחֹ֙מֶר֙ וּבִלְבֵנִ֔ים וּבְכׇל־עֲבֹדָ֖ה בַּשָּׂדֶ֑ה אֵ֚ת כׇּל־עֲבֹ֣דָתָ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־עָבְד֥וּ בָהֶ֖ם בְּפָֽרֶךְ׃
14the various labors that they made them perform. Ruthlesslybthe various labors that they made them perform. Ruthlessly Moved up from the end of the verse for clarity. they made life bitter for them with harsh labor at mortar and bricks and with all sorts of tasks in the field.
ט״ווַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרַ֔יִם לַֽמְיַלְּדֹ֖ת הָֽעִבְרִיֹּ֑ת אֲשֶׁ֨ר שֵׁ֤ם הָֽאַחַת֙ שִׁפְרָ֔ה וְשֵׁ֥ם הַשֵּׁנִ֖ית פּוּעָֽה׃
15The king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah,
למילדת. הוּא לְשׁוֹן מוֹלִידוֹת, אֶלָּא שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָ' קַל וְיֵשׁ לָ' כָּבֵד, כְּמוֹ שׁוֹבֵר וּמְשַׁבֵּר, דּוֹבֵר וּמְדַבֵּר, כָּךְ מוֹלִיד וּמְיַלֵּד:
למילדת (the Piel participle) — This is synonymous with מולידות (the Hiphil participle, and both denote the women who assist the mother in bringing the child to birth). But some verbs are used in forms of a light conjugation (i. e. one which has no strong Dagesh as a characteristic) or in forms of a strong conjugation (one that has such a Dagesh), as e. g., שׁוֹבֵר (Kal) and מְשַׁבֵּר (Piel); דּוֹבֵר (Kal) and מְדַבֵּר (Piel). both having the same meaning; similarly here we may have מוליד (the Hiphil — without a strong Dagesh) or מְיַלֵּד (the Piel), both signifying one who helps to bring to birth.
שפרה. יוֹכֶבֶד, עַל שֵׁם שֶׁמְּשַׁפֶּרֶת אֶת הַוָּלָד (שם):
שפרה SHIPHRAH — This was Jochebed; she bore this additional name because she used to put the babe after its birth into good physical condition (משפרת) by the care she bestowed upon it (Sotah 11b).
פועה. זוֹ מִרְיָם, שֶׁפּוֹעָה וּמְדַבֶּרֶת וְהוֹגָה לַוָּלָד (שם), כְּדֶרֶךְ הַנָּשִׁים הַמְפַיְּסוֹת תִּינוֹק הַבּוֹכֶה.
פועה PUAH — This was Miriam, and she bore this additional name because she used to Call aloud and speak and croon to the babe just as women do who soothe a child when it is crying (Sotah 11b).
פועה. לְשׁוֹן צְעָקָה, כְּמוֹ "כַּיּוֹלֵדָה אֶפְעֶה" (ישעיה מ"ב):
פועה has the meaning of crying aloud, as (Isaiah 42:14) “I will cry (אפעה) like a travailing woman”.
ט״זוַיֹּ֗אמֶר בְּיַלֶּדְכֶן֙ אֶת־הָֽעִבְרִיּ֔וֹת וּרְאִיתֶ֖ן עַל־הָאׇבְנָ֑יִם אִם־בֵּ֥ן הוּא֙ וַהֲמִתֶּ֣ן אֹת֔וֹ וְאִם־בַּ֥ת הִ֖וא וָחָֽיָה׃
16saying, “When you deliver the Hebrew women, look at the birthstool:cbirthstool More precisely, the brick or stone supports used by Egyptian women during childbirth. if it is a boy, kill him; if it is a girl, let her live.”
בילדכן. כְּמוֹ בְּהוֹלִידְכֶן:
בילדכן WHEN YE DO THE OFFICE OF A MIDWIFE — This word (the Piel) has the same force as בהולידכן (the Hiphil): when you assist them to give birth.
על האבנים. מוֹשַׁב הָאִשָּׁה הַיּוֹלֶדֶת, בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר (ישעיהו ל"ז), קוֹרְאוֹ מַשְׁבֵּר; וְכָמוֹהוּ "עוֹשֶׂה מְלָאכָה עַל הָאָבְנָיִם" (ירמיהו י"ח), – מוֹשַׁב כְּלִי אֻמָּנוּת יוֹצֵר חֶרֶשׂ:
על האבנים UPON THE STOOLS — the seat for the woman in the act of childbirth; in another passage (Isaiah 37:3) Scripture terms it מַשְׁבֵּר. Similar is, (Jeremiah 18:3) “He was at work on the אבנים" — the place of the vessels of (being produced by) the craftsmanship of the potter.
אם בן הוא וגו'. לֹא הָיָה מַקְפִּיד אֶלָּא עַל הַזְּכָרִים, שֶׁאָמְרוּ לוֹ אִצְטַגְנִינָיו שֶׁעָתִיד לְהִוָּלֵד בֵּן הַמּוֹשִׁיעַ אוֹתָם:
אם בן הוא וגו IF IT BE A SON etc. — He was particular only about the male children because his astrologers had told him that there was to be born to a Hebrew woman a son who would become their deliverer (Exodus Rabbah 1:18).
וחיה. וְתִחְיֶה:
וחיה has the same meaning as ותחיה THEN SHE SHALL LIVE.
י״זוַתִּירֶ֤אןָ הַֽמְיַלְּדֹת֙ אֶת־הָ֣אֱלֹהִ֔ים וְלֹ֣א עָשׂ֔וּ כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר דִּבֶּ֥ר אֲלֵיהֶ֖ן מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרָ֑יִם וַתְּחַיֶּ֖יןָ אֶת־הַיְלָדִֽים׃
17The midwives, fearing God, did not do as the king of Egypt had told them; they let the boys live.
ותחיין את הילדים. מְסַפְּקוֹת לָהֶם מַיִם וּמָזוֹן. תַּרְגּוּם הָרִאשׁוֹן וְקַיָּמָא, וְהַשֵּׁנִי וְקַיֵּמְתֻּן, לְפִי שֶׁלְּשׁוֹן עָבָר לִנְקֵבוֹת רַבּוֹת תֵּבָה זוֹ וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָהּ מְשַׁמֶּשֶׁת לְשׁוֹן פָּעֲלוּ וּלְשׁוֹן פְּעַלְתֶּם, כְּגוֹן "וַתֹּאמַרְןָ אִישׁ מִצְרִי" (שמות ב'), (לְשׁוֹן עָבָר) כְּמוֹ וַיֹּאמְרוּ לִזְכָרִים, "וַתְּדַבֵּרְנָה בְּפִיכֶם" (ירמיהו מ"ד), לְשׁוֹן דִּבַּרְתֶּן, כְּמוֹ וַתְּדַבְּרוּ לִזְכָרִים, וְכֵן "וַתְּחַלְּלֶנָה אֹתִי אֶל עַמִּי" (יחזקאל י"ג), לְשׁוֹן עָבָר חִלַּלְתֶּן, כְּמוֹ וַתְּחַלְּלוּ לִזְכָרִים:
ותחיין את הילדים This may mean THEY MAINTAINED THE CHILDREN IN LIFE — they provided them with food (Sotah 11b). The Targum renders ותחיין the first time it occurs (i. e. in this verse) by וקימא (which means, “and they — the women — preserved the babes”). and the second time (Exodus 1:18) by וקימתן (which means, “and ye women have preserved etc.”) The Targum is able to distinguish between the two meanings of this word, but this cannot be done in Hebrew because in the Hebrew language in the case of fem. plur. this word and similar forms (ending in נָה or ןָ) are used in the sense of “they did something” (3rd person) and in the sense of “ye did something” (2nd person). For example: (Exodus 2:19) “And they (the daughters of Jethro) said, (וַתֹּאמַרְןָ) “An Egyptian man etc.”, which is the past tense (the Rashi text must read here לשון עָבַר) (imperf. with Vau conv.), just as one would use וַיֹאמְרוּ if one were speaking of men; (Jeremiah 54:25) “Ye women have spoken (ותדברנה) with your mouths”, having the same meaning as דברתן, and corresponding to ותדברו when used of men; (Ezekiel 13:19) “And ye (women) have profaned Me (ותחללנה) among My people” which is a past tense, the same as חללתן corresponding to ותחללו when used of men.