Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael Reader

and that the manna, which was requested legitimately, was given with a "radiant countenance." "for the L–rd hears your cavilings, whereby you cavil against Him, etc." They said: If it were against us that you stood and railed, we would tolerate you. But you do so against the Living, eternal G–d!

"the father-in-law of Moses": In the beginning, Moses prided himself in his father-in-law, viz. (Exodus 4:18) "And Moses went and he returned to Yether, his father-in-law." Now, his father-in-law prided himself in him. When asked "Who are you?" he replied "I am Moses' father-in-law."

(Ibid. 13) "No hand shall touch it": not (i.e., this does not apply to) Shiloh, not the tent of meeting, and not the Temple. "for stoned shall he be stoned": Whence is it to be derived that he is to be pushed down (from a high place)? From "cast down." And whence is it derived that if he died by being pushed down this satisfies the commandment? From "stoned shall he be stoned or cast down shall he be cast down." And whence is it derived that all stoning is thus satisfied? From (the redundant) "stoned shall he be stoned or cast down shall he be cast down." "beast": This tells me only of a beast. Whence do I derive the same for an animal? From "whether beast." Whence do I derive the same for a woman? From "whether man." "he shall not live":

No, this may be true of a Hebrew maid-servant, who is not sold for her theft, wherefore she does not go out with mutilation of organ prominences, (as opposed to a man-servant, who is sold for his theft.) (Exodus 21:8) "If she be evil in the eyes of her master": "evil" here connotes her not finding favor in his eyes."

Variantly: "and a clean one and a righteous one you shall not kill": If one left beth-din incriminated, and afterwards some defense were found for him, I might think that he remains incriminated; it is, therefore, written "and a clean one and a righteous one do not kill."

And thus did Jeremiah say (Jeremiah 17:5) "Cursed is the man who trusts in man." And what is said of prayer? (Ibid. 7) "Blessed is the man who trusts in the L–rd, and the L–rd will be his trust" — when they pray to Him and he is close to them, viz. (Psalms 145:18) "Close is the L–rd to all who call upon Him."

R. Akiva says: "I shall speak of His beauty" — of the praise of the Holy One Blessed be He, who spoke and brought the world into being. The peoples of the world ask Israel (Song of Songs 5:9) "How is your Beloved (different) from the beloved (of all the other nations) that you have thus besworn us? (see Ibid. 8) that you thus die for Him and are thus murdered for Him, viz. (Ibid. 1:3) "alamoth have loved You" — they have loved You "al maveth" ("above death"), and (Psalms 44:23) "for over You we are slain all the day"? You are comely, you are strong. Come and join us.

(16:9) "And Moses said to Aaron: Say to the entire congregation of the children of Israel: Draw near before the L–rd": R. Yehoshua says: (The intent is) draw near to (the place of) G–d's revelation (i.e., to the place where the cloud will descend). R. Elazar says: (The intent is) draw near to render an accounting (for your complaints). (16:10) "And it was, as Aaron spoke, etc.": What is the intent of this? We are hereby apprised that at the very time Aaron spoke this, so it transpired.

(Ibid.) "then he and his neighbor next to his house shall take it": R. Akiva says: Whence is it derived that if one wishes to make his Pesach for himself he may do so? From "then he and his neighbor shall take." R. Yishmael says: Whence is it derived that if one wishes to appoint others for his lamb he may do so? From "then he and his neighbor, etc." ("neighbor":)

And thus did David say to Goliath (I Samuel 17:45) "You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin — but I come to you with the name of the L–rd of hosts, the G–d of Israel." And it is written (Psalms 20:8-10) "These with chariots and these with horses; but we, in the name of the L–rd our G–d will call. They knelt and they fell, but we rose and gained courage. O L–rd, save! The King will answer us on the day that we call."

"and they turned to the desert": R. Yehoshua says: They had no sooner turned than the Shechinah had appeared. R. Elazar says: They turned to the deeds of the forefathers (i.e., to repentance), it being written ("they turned to) 'the desert'" — Just as the desert is void of all, so the early fathers were void of all transgression and sin.

"that the L–rd had taken Israel out of Egypt": We are hereby apprised that the exodus from Egypt is over and against all the miracles and acts of might that the Holy One Blessed be He wrought for Israel.

"When the ram's horn sounds": (lit.,) when the ram's horn "draws out" its sound, you may ascend the mountain. R. Yossi says: It is not a man's place that honors him, but he that honors his place. As long as the Shechinah was on the mountain — "Whoever touches the mountain shall be put to death." Once the Shechinah has left the mountain, all are permitted to ascend it.

Variantly: "who did not designate her": If her master does not take her to wife, her father should redeem her. "who did not designate her": He should not designate two (as wives) at the same time. He (the father) should not sell her on condition that she be taken as a wife. These are the words of R. Yossi. R. Akiva says: He may sell her (on this condition). If he (the master) wishes to take her as a wife, he does so (and if not, the sale is annulled).

Variantly: If one left beth-din vindicated and afterwards some incrimination were found against him, I might think that he is returned for incrimination; it is, therefore, written "and a clean one you shall not kill."

(Does this mean he may appoint even) his neighbor in his roof (i.e., in another domain), or only his neighbor near him? It is, therefore, written "near his house" (but not necessarily in the same domain.)

And thus is it written (II Chronicles 14:10) "And Assa called to the L–rd his G–d and he said: 'O L–rd, there is none but You to help both the many and the powerless. Heed, O L–rd our G–d, for upon You did we rely and in Your name have we come against this great throng. O L–rd our G–d, let no man be throned with You.'"

When they hear this, they say to Israel: Let us go with you, viz. (Ibid. 6:1) "Where did your Beloved go, you loveliest among the women? Whither has your Beloved turned? Let us seek Him with you." And Israel says to them (Ibid. 2:16) "My Beloved is mine, and I am His," and (Ibid. 6:3) "I am my Beloved's, and my Beloved is mine, who grazes His flock among the lilies."

"and, behold, the glory of the L–rd appeared in the cloud": R. Yossi Haglili says: So long as Israel railed against Moses and Aaron, at once, "the glory of the L–rd appeared in the cloud." Elsewhere it is written (Numbers 14:10) "and the entire congregation sought to stone them (Yehoshua and Calev)." What is written (of this)? "The glory of the L–rd appeared in the tent of meeting," the Holy One Blessed be He saying here, (as it were,) "Better that the pillar of cloud be struck than that Moses and Aaron be stoned!"

"And Yithro, Moses' father-in-law, took Tzipporah, Moses' wife, after she had been sent": R. Yehoshua says: after she had parted from him with a divorce (a "get"). It is written here "sending," and elsewhere (Devarim 24:1) "sending." Just as there, with a get, so, here, with a get.

(Exodus 19:14) "And Moses went down from the mountain": We are hereby apprised that Moses did not turn to his affairs or go down to his house, but (directly) from the mountain to the people. I might think, only for this directive. Whence do I derive (the same for) all other directives? It is, therefore, written (Ibid. 20) "And the L–rd descended upon Mount Sinai, etc." Now this has already been stated.

Why need it be stated (Ibid. 25) "And Moses went down to the people"? To teach that Moses did not turn to his affairs or go down to his house, but (directly) from the mountain to the people. This tells me only of the directives of Mount Sinai. Whence do I derive (the same for) the directives of the tent of meeting?

From (Ibid. 34:34) "And he would go forth (from the tent of meeting) and speak to the children of Israel what he had been commanded." And whence is it derived that all of his ascents were in the morning? From (Ibid. 24) "And be ready in the morning … and let no man go up with you … And he hewed two stone tablets, etc." Let it not be written (4) "as the L–rd commanded him." It serves as a prototype, viz.: Whenever Moses ascended, it was in the morning.

(I might think that in such an instance) just as he left your beth-din vindicated, so, he will leave My beth-din (vindicated); it is, therefore, written (Ibid.) "for I will not vindicate the evildoer."

What is written of Moses? (Numbers 20:14-16) "And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom … And our fathers went down to Egypt … and He hearkened to our voice." He (the king of Edom) said to them (the messengers): You take pride in what your father Isaac bequeathed to you — (Genesis 27:22) "The voice is the voice of Jacob", (Numbers 21:3) "And the L–rd hearkened to the voice of Israel" — and we take pride in what our father Isaac bequeathed to us — (Genesis, Ibid.) "and the hands are the hands of Esav", (Ibid. 40) "and by your sword will you live."

As it is written (Numbers 20:18) "And Edom said to him: Do not pass through me, lest I go out against you with the sword," their trust being only in the sword. But Israel embraced the "trade" (prayer) of their fathers, the trade of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

R. Elazar says: after she parted from him with a ma'amar (i.e., by word of mouth). For when the L–rd said to Moses: Go and take My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt, viz. (Exodus 3:10) "Go and I will send you to Pharaoh, etc.", he took his wife and his two sons and brought them to Egypt, as it is written (Ibid. 4:20) "and Moses took his wife and his sons, and he rode them on the ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt."

At that time He said to Aaron: Go to meet Moses. He went out to meet him and embraced him and kissed him. Aaron: Moses, where were you all these years? Moses: In Midian.

Aaron: Who are these women and little ones with you? Moses: My wife and my sons. Aaron: Where are you taking them? Moses: To Egypt.

Aaron: We are afflicted with the first ones, and now shall we be afflicted with these, too? At that time he said to Tzipporah: Go to your father's house. At that time she went to her father's house, taking her two sons — wherefore, "after she had been sent."

"After he (the father) has been faithless ("bagdah") to her" (by selling her,) by degrading her and not treating her as a Jewish daughter, he, too, is not permitted to retain her (i.e., to sell her a second time). These are the words of R. Yonathan b. Avtalmos. "bagdah" here connotes deceit" as in (Malachi 2:11) "bagdah Yehudah" and (Jeremiah 5:11) "for the house of Israel bagod bagdu against Me."

Now does this not follow a fortiori, viz.: If re the (lesser) measure (of the Holy One), that of punishment, it is written "for I will not vindicate the evildoer," how much more so in (implementation of) the greater measure, that of good, (will He bestow it to its outermost limits!)

(Ibid.) "according to the michsah of souls": "michsah" connotes a count, i.e., it must be slaughtered for those counted for it. If he does not slaughter it with this intent, I might think that it is nevertheless kasher. It is, therefore, written (Ibid.) "Each according to his eating shall you count" — Scripture repeating this to indicate that it is not kasher otherwise....

(Exodus 14:11) "And they said to Moses: Is it for lack of graves in Egypt that you have taken us to die in the desert!" After they had placed "leavening in the dough" (i.e., after the evil inclination began to overcome them), they came to Moses and said (Ibid. 12) "Is not this the thing that we spoke to you in Egypt?" Now what did Israel say to Moses in Egypt? — (Ibid. 5:19-21) "And they met Moses and Aaron … and they said to them: May the L–rd reveal Himself to you and judge, etc." We were aggrieved over the subjugation of Egypt.

The death of our brothers in the (plague of) darkness was more grievous to us than our subjugation to Egypt. We were aggrieved over the death of our brothers in the darkness. "Our death in the desert" is more grievous to us than the death of our brothers in the darkness. For our brothers (who died in the darkness) were mourned and buried, whereas for us — our corpses will be cast to the heat of day and to the cold of night! —

An analogy: A king's son goes abroad — he goes after him and attends upon him. He goes to a different city — he goes after him and attends upon him. Thus with Israel. When they went down to Egypt, the Shechinah was with them, viz. (Genesis 46:4) "I shall go down with you to Egypt." When they went up, the Shechinah went up with them, viz. (Ibid.) "and I shall also bring you up." When they went down to the sea, the Shechinah was with them, viz. (Exodus 14:19) "And the angel of G–d, who went before the camp of Israel, etc." When they went out to the desert, the Shechinah was with them, viz. (Ibid. 13:21) "And the L–rd went before them by day, etc." — until they brought Him with them to His holy Temple,

(Ibid. 15) "And he said to the people: Be ready in three days": But we did not hear the L rd telling him (in Ibid. 11) that they should separate from their wives! — But "Be ready" — "Be ready" constitutes a gezeirah shavah (identity), viz.: Just as "Be ready" here is linked to separation, so, "Be ready" there.

What is the intent of "according to the count of souls"? From (Ibid.) "A man (according to his eating"), I might think only a man. Whence do I derive (the same for) a woman, a tumtum (one of indeterminate sex) and a hermaphrodite? It is, therefore, written "according to the count of souls." This would imply for inclusion even one who is sick and one who is old, who cannot eat an olive-size. It is, therefore, written "A man according to his eating," to exclude the above, in whose behalf the lamb is not slaughtered. ("Each according to his eating) tachosu (over) the lamb": Rebbi says: This ("tachosu") is Aramaic, as one would say to his neighbor "Kos (i.e., 'slaughter') this lamb for me." "over the lamb":

whereupon Moses said to them (Exodus 14:13) "Do not fear, etc." Moses inspirited them. We are hereby apprised of Moses' wisdom, Moses standing before them and appeasing all those thousands and ten thousands — who listened to him! Of him it is written in the tradition (Koheleth 7:19) "Wisdom strengthens the wise more than ten rulers who are in the city."

viz. (Song of Songs 3: "I had almost passed them (Moses and Aaron) by, when I found Him whom my soul loved. I held onto Him and did not let go of Him until I had brought Him to the house of my mother and the chamber of my conception." "my G–d" (Keli): With me He manifested the attribute of mercy, and with my fathers, the attribute of justice. And whence is it derived that "keli" connotes the attribute of mercy? From (Psalms 22:2) "Keli, Keli, why have You forsaken me?" and (Numbers 12:13) "Kel, I pray You, heal her, I pray You," and (Psalms 118:27) "The L–rd is 'Kel,' and He has lighted (the way) for us." And whence is it derived that "Elokim" (as in [Exodus, Ibid] "the G–d ['Elokei'] of my father") connotes justice? From (Devarim 1:17) "For the judgment is to 'Elokim.'"

R. Elazar Homadai says: in a land of foreign (gods, i.e., idolatry). Moses said: Since the whole world serves idolatry, I will serve Him who spoke and brought the (whole) world into being. For when Moses said to Yithro, Give me your daughter Tzipporah as a wife, Yithro answered, If you do what I ask of you, I will give her to you as a wife. Moses: What do you ask?

Yithro: Your first son must serve idolatry. Thenceforward, they may serve (G–d) in heaven. Moses accepted. Yithro: Swear.

And he swore, as it is written (Exodus 2:21) "Vayoel Moses, etc.", this being an expression for swearing, as in (I Samuel 14:24) "Vayoel Saul the people" (in context: "And Saul beswore the people.") And it is written (II Kings 5:3) "Hoel (in context: "Swear") and take two talents, etc." Therefore, the angel came forward to kill Moses (viz. Exodus 4:24), whereupon (Ibid. 25) "Tzipporah took a flint and cut off the foreskin of her son … (26) "And he (the angel) let go of him."

Rebbi says: It (that separation is implied) is derived from the verse itself, viz. (Ibid. 10) "Go to the people and make them ready today and tomorrow." If immersion itself is meant, let him immerse on the fifth day, so that he will be clean at sunset (for receiving the Torah on the sixth day.) It is, therefore, written "Go to the people (i.e., the married couples) to direct them to separate (for three days).

— in Torah. You say, the wise in Torah, but perhaps (the meaning is) "the wise," literally; it is, therefore, written "blinds pikchim" — the bright of mind, who rule clean or unclean by the power of their intellect. From here they said: Whoever takes money and perverts judgment does not leave the world until the light of his eyes dims. R. Nosson says: until one of these three things befalls him: failure of his mind in Torah, ruling clean what is unclean, or unclean what is clean; becoming beholden to men; dimming of the light of his eyes.

R. Yishmael says: We are hereby taught that the Paschal lamb can always be subscribed to or withdrawn from so long as it has not been slaughtered, as long as it is not left as is (i.e., without owners).

(Exodus, Ibid.) "Stand ready (hithyatzvu) to see the salvation of the L–rd": Moses said to them: Today the Shechinah will repose the Holy Spirit upon you; for "yetzivah" in all places refers to the Holy Spirit, viz. (Amos 9:1) "I saw the L–rd nitzav on the altar", and (I Samuel 3:10): "And the L–rd came vayithyatzev, and He called as before 'Samuel, Samuel'", and (Devarim 31:14) "Call Joshua vehithyatzvu in the tent of meeting and I will command him", and (Exodus 2:4) "Vatethatzav his sister from afar to know what would be done with him," the Holy Spirit reposing itself upon her.

"the G–d of my father, and I will exalt Him": I am a queen, the daughter of kings; a beloved one, the daughter of beloved ones; a holy one, the daughter of holy ones; a pure one, the daughter of pure ones. An analogy: A man goes to betroth a woman. Sometimes he is embarrassed in her; sometimes, in her kin. But I am not so, but a queen, the daughter of kings, etc.

R. Elazar b. Azaryah says: Repulsive is the foreskin, by which the wicked are demeaned, viz. (Jeremiah 9:25) "for all the nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel is uncircumcised of heart."