Chumashחומש

וישב אל יתר חתנו. לִטֹּל רְשׁוּת, שֶׁהֲרֵי נִשְׁבַּע לוֹ (נדרים ס"ה). וְז' שֵׁמוֹת הָיוּ לוֹ, רְעוּאֵל, יֶתֶר, יִתְרוֹ, קֵינִי, חוֹבָב, חֶבֶר, פּוּטִיאֵל:

וישב אל יתר חתנו AND HE RETURNED TO JETHRO HIS FATHER-IN-LAW, to obtain his permission to go to Egypt, for he had sworn to him that he would not leave Midian except by his permission (Nedarim 65a). He is here called יתר and he had seven names: Reuel, Jether, Jethro, Keni, Hobab, Cheber and Putiel (cf. Mekhilta)

כי מתו כל האנשים. מִי הֵם? דָּתָן וַאֲבִירָם; חַיִּים הָיוּ, אֶלָּא שֶׁיָּרְדוּ מִנִּכְסֵיהֶם וְהֶעָנִי חָשׁוּב כַּמֵּת:

FOR ALL THE MEN ARE DEAD — Who were these men? Dathan and Abiram: Really they were still alive, but they had come down in the world, having lost their property, and a poverty-stricken man may well be regarded as dead (Nedarim 64b).

על החמר. חֲמוֹר הַמְיֻחָד, הוּא הַחֲמוֹר שֶׁחָבַשׁ אַבְרָהָם לַעֲקֵדַת יִצְחָק, וְהוּא שֶׁעָתִיד מֶלֶךְ הַמָּשִׁיחַ לְהִגָּלוֹת עָלָיו, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "עָנִי וְרֹכֵב עַל חֲמוֹר" (זכריה ט') (פרקי דרבי אליעזר ל"א):

על החמור UPON “THE” ASS — the ass designated for this purpose: this was the ass which Abraham had saddled for the purpose of travelling to bind Isaac on Mount Moriah, and this, too, is the ass upon which King Messiah will once show himself in public, as it is said, (Zechariah 9:9) “[Behold, thy king cometh unto thee, …] lowly and riding upon an ass” (Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 31).

וישב ארצה מצרים, ויקח משה את מטה. אֵין מֻקְדָּם וּמְאֻחָר מְדֻקְדָּקִים בַּמִּקְרָא:

וישב ארצה מצרים ויקח משה את מטה AND HE RETURNED TO THE LAND OF EGYPT: AND MOSES TOOK THE STAFF [OF GOD] — “Earlier and later” are not strictly observed in the Scriptures (i. e. incidents are not necessarily related in the exact order in which they occur. Here it should state: He took the staff etc. and returned to Egypt; cf. v. 17).

בלכתך לשוב מצרימה וגו'. דַּע שֶׁעַל מְנָת כֵּן תֵּלֵךְ שֶׁתְּהֵא גִּבּוֹר בִּשְׁלִיחוּתִי לַעֲשׂוֹת כָּל מוֹפְתַי לִפְנֵי פַרְעֹה וְלֹא תִירָא מִמֶּנּוּ:

בלכתך לשוב מצרימה וגו׳ WHEN THOU GOEST TO RETURN TO EGYPT, [SEE THAT THOU DO etc.] — Understand that you should go thither with this purpose in mind: that you should be vigorous in carrying out my mission — to do all my wonders before Pharaoh and that you should not be afraid of him.

אשר שמתי בידך. לֹא עַל שָׁלוֹשׁ אוֹתוֹת הָאֲמוּרוֹת לְמַעְלָה, שֶׁהֲרֵי לֹא לִפְנֵי פַרְעֹה צִוָּה לַעֲשׂוֹתָם אֶלָּא לִפְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁיַּאֲמִינוּ לוֹ, וְלֹא מָצִינוּ שֶׁעֲשָׂאָם לְפָנָיו, אֶלָּא מוֹפְתִים שֶׁאֲנִי עָתִיד לָשׂוּם בְּיָדְךָ בְּמִצְרַיִם, כְּמוֹ "כִּי יְדַבֵּר אֲלֵיכֶם פַּרְעֹה וְגוֹ'" (שמות ז'); וְאַל תִתְמַהּ עַל אֲשֶׁר כְּתִיב "אֲשֶׁר שַׂמְתִּי", שֶׁכֵּן מַשְׁמָעוֹ, כְּשֶׁתְּדַבֵּר עִמּוֹ כְּבָר שַׂמְתִּים בְּיָדְךָ:

אשר שמתי בידך [THE WONDERS] WHICH I HAVE PUT IN THY HAND — Not in reference to the three signs mentioned above was God speaking, for he had not commanded him to do these before Pharaoh, but before Israel in order that they might believe in him, nor do we find that he did them before him. But God meant: those wonders which I shall in future place in thy hand in Egypt — such as (Exodus 7:9) “When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, [saying, show a wonder (מופת) for yourselves]”. Do not be puzzled because it is written אשר שמתי (a past tense), for the following is what it means: when you will be speaking with him I shall already have put them into thy hand.

ואמרת אל פרעה. כְּשֶׁתִּשְׁמַע שֶׁלִּבּוֹ חָזָק וִימָאֵן לִשְׁלֹחַ אֱמֹר לוֹ כֵּן:

ואמרת אל פרעה AND THOU SHALT SAY UNTO PHARAOH — When you perceive that his heart is stubborn and that he refuses to let them go speak to him thus:

בני בכרי. לְשׁוֹן גְּדֻלָּה; כְּמוֹ: "אַף אֲנִי בְּכוֹר אֶתְּנֵהוּ" (תהלים פ"ט), זֶהוּ פְּשׁוּטוֹ. וּמִדְרָשׁוֹ: כָּאן חָתַם הַקָּבָּ"ה עַל מְכִירַת הַבְּכוֹרָה שֶׁלָּקַח יַעֲקֹב מֵעֵשָׂו (בראשית רבה ס"ג):

בני בכרי [ISRAEL IS] MY SON, MY FIRSTBORN — The term בכור “firstborn” denotes high dignity as, (Psalms 89:28) “I also will appoint him a בכור” (which is explained by the following words, “the highest of the kings of the earth”). This is the literal meaning; a Midrashic comment is: Here (in these words) the Holy One, blessed be He, set His seal to the sale of the birthright which Jacob had purchased from Esau (Genesis Rabbah 63:14).

ואמר אליך. בִּשְׁלִיחוּתוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם שלח את בני:

ואמר אליך AND I HAVE SAID UNTO THEE, as a messenger of the Omnipresent God, שלח את בני LET MY SON GO,

הנה אנכי הרג וגו'. הִיא מַכָּה אַחֲרוֹנָה, וּבָהּ הִתְרָהוּ תְּחִלָּה מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהִיא קָשָׁה; וְזֶה הוּא שֶׁאָמַר "הֶן אֵל יַשְׂגִּיב בְּכֹחוֹ" – לְפִיכָךְ "מִי כָמֹהוּ מוֹרֶה" (איוב ל"ו); בָּשָׂר וָדָם הַמְבַקֵּשׁ לְהִנָּקֵם מֵחֲבֵרוֹ, מַעֲלִים אֶת דְּבָרָיו, שֶׁלֹּא יְבַקֵּשׁ הַצָּלָה, אֲבָל הַקָּבָּ"ה יַשְׂגִּיב בְּכֹחוֹ וְאֵין יְכֹלֶת לְהִמָּלֵט מִיָּדוֹ כִּי אִם בְּשׁוּבוֹ אֵלָיו, לְפִיכָךְ הוּא מוֹרֵהוּ וּמַתְרֶה בוֹ לָשׁוּב:

הנה אנכי הרג וגו׳ BEHOLD I WILL SLAY etc. — This, it is true, was the last of the plagues, but it was by mention of it that God gave him the first warning regarding the plagues that would come upon him, because this was the severest of them all. This is what Scripture means by, (Job 36:22) “Behold God is mighty in His power”, therefore “Who is a teacher like unto Him?” — This signifies: A human being who intends to avenge himself upon his fellow keeps his plans secret in order that he may not seek means of escape. But the Holy One, blessed be He, is so mighty in His power that there is no possibility of escape from His hand except by returning to Him in penitence. Just on this account He teaches him (informs him what punishment will befall him) and so warns him to return to Him (Exodus Rabbah 9:9).

ויהי משה בדרך במלון:

ויהי AND HE WAS — Moses was — DURING THE JOURNEY IN THE LODGING PLACE.

ויבקש המיתו. (המלאך ל)מֹשֶׁה: לְפִי שֶׁלֹּא מָל אֶת אֱלִיעֶזֶר בְּנוֹ, וְעַל שֶׁנִּתְרַשֵּׁל נֶעֱנַשׁ מִיתָה. תַּנְיָא אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי: חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, לֹא נִתְרַשֵּׁל אֶלָּא אָמַר, אָמוּל וְאֵצֵא לַדֶּרֶךְ, סַכָּנָה הִיא לַתִּינוֹק עַד שְׁלוֹשֶׁת יָמִים, אָמוּל וְאֶשְׁהֶה ג' יָמִים, הַקָּבָּ"ה צִוַּנִי לֵךְ שֻׁב מִצְרָיִם וּמִפְּנֵי מָה נֶעֱנַשׁ? לְפִי שֶׁנִּתְעַסֵּק בַּמָּלוֹן תְּחִלָּה (מכילתא). בְּמַסֶּכֶת נְדָרִים: וְהָיָה הַמַּלְאָךְ נַעֲשֶׂה כְּמִין נָחָשׁ וּבוֹלְעוֹ מֵרֹאשׁוֹ וְעַד יְרֵכָיו וְחוֹזֵר וּבוֹלְעוֹ מֵרַגְלָיו וְעַד אוֹתוֹ מָקוֹם, הֵבִינָה צִפּוֹרָה שֶׁבִּשְׁבִיל הַמִּילָה הוּא (נדרים ל"ב):

ויבקש המיתו AND HE SOUGHT TO PUT HIM TO DEATH — the angel sought etc., because he had not circumcised his son Eliezer; and because he had showed himself remiss in this, he brought upon himself the punishment of death. It has been taught in a Boraitha (Nedarim 31b): Rabbi José said: God forbid that this was so; Moses had not been remiss in this duty; but he thought, “If I circumcise him and immediately proceed on the journey, the child’s life will be in danger for three days. If, on the other hand, I circumcise him and wait three days — the Holy One, blessed be He, has commanded me, “Go return to Egypt!” Consequently, he obeyed His command, intending to circumcise the child as soon as the opportunity presented itself. There was therefore no remissness on his part; why, then, was he threatened with punishment? Because he busied himself with the affairs of the lodging place first, (i. e. because when he arrived at the inn he troubled himself first about eating and drinking. He should first have circumcised his son. Being now so much nearer Egypt, the danger that follows upon the circumcision was not so great, since the interval of time between the operation and his arrival in Egypt was now shorter than if he had circumcised him before he set out on the journey). See this in Treatise Nedarim. — The angel became a kind of serpent and swallowed him (Moses) from his head to his thigh, spued him forth, and then again swallowed him from his legs to that place (the membrum). Zipporah thus understood that this had happened on account of the delay in the circumcision of her son (Nedarim 32a; cf. Exodus Rabbah 5:8).

ותגע לרגליו. הִשְׁלִיכַתּוּ לִפְנֵי רַגְלָיו שֶׁל מֹשֶׁה:

ותגע לרגליו AND CAST IT AT HIS FEET — i. e. she cast it before Moses’ feet (Talmud Yerushalmi Nedarim 3:9).

ותאמר. עַל בְּנָהּ:

ותאמר AND SHE SAID, referring to her son:

כי חתן דמים אתה לי. אַתָּה הָיִיתָה גּוֹרֵם לִהְיוֹת הֶחָתָן שֶׁלִּי נִרְצָח עָלֶיךָ – הוֹרֵג אִישִׁי אַתָּה לִי:

כי חתן דמים אתה לי which means, thou hast brought it about that my bridegroom (Moses) was on the point of being killed because of thee: thou hast been to me my husband’s murderer.

וירף. הַמַּלְאָךְ ממנו, אז הֵבִינָה שֶׁעַל הַמִּילָה בָּא לְהָרְגוֹ:

וירף SO HE LOOSENED HIS HOLD — the angel loosened his hold ממנו FROM HIM; (cf. Exodus Rabbah 5:8). אז THEN she understood that he had come to kill him because of the delay in the circumcision,

אמרה חתן דמים למולת. חֲתָנִי הָיָה נִרְצָח עַל דְּבַר הַמִּילָה:

אמרה חתן דמים למלות SHE SAID “BRIDEGROOM OF BLOOD BECAUSE OF THE CIRCUMCISION” — my bridegroom was on the point of being killed on account of the circumcision.

למולת. עַל דְּבַר הַמּוּלוֹת. שֵׁם דָּבָר הוּא, וְהַלָּמֶ"ד מְשַׁמֶּשֶׁת בִּלְשׁוֹן עַל, כְּמוֹ "וְאָמַר פַּרְעֹה לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל" (שמות י"ד), וְאֻנְקְלוֹס תִּרְגֵּם דָּמִים עַל דַּם הַמִּילָה:

למלות means on account of (ל) the circumcision (מולות). The word מולות it a noun, and the ל prefixed it used in the tense of על, “on account of”, just as in (Exodus 14:3) “And Pharaoh will say regarding the children (לבני) of Israel”. Onkelos, however, translated the word דמים as having reference to the blood of the circumcision (whilst, according to Rashi, it refers to the blood of Moses which was about to be shed).