Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael Reader

Variantly: "I am the L–rd your G–d": When the Holy One Blessed be He stood and said "I am the L–rd your G–d," the mountains shook and the hills quivered, and Tavor came from Be'er Elim and Carmel from Aspamia, as it is written (Jeremiah 46:18) "As I live, says the King — the L–rd of hosts is His name — that as Tavor among the mountains and as Carmel by the sea shall he come," each one saying "It is I who was called."

But once they heard from His mouth "who took you out of the land of Egypt," each remained in its place, saying "He intends only those whom He took out of Egypt."... Variantly: "I am the L–rd your G–d": When the Holy One Blessed be He arose and proclaimed "I am the L–rd your G–d," the earth took ill, as it is written (Judges 5:4) "O L–rd, when You came forth from Seir, when You strode from the field of Edom, the earth shook; the heavens, too, dripped," and (Ibid. 5) "Mountains dripped before the L–rd," and (Psalms 29:4) "The voice of the L–rd in strength; the voice of the L–rd in glory!" … (Ibid. 9) "And in His sanctuary all proclaim "'Glory!'" Until their houses were suffused with the splendor of the Shechinah…

"he shall be put to death": by strangulation. You say by strangulation, but perhaps by one of the (other) deaths mentioned in the Torah? Would you say that? This is a principle in the Torah: Any (unqualified) "death" mentioned in the Torah — you are not permitted to incline it to severity, but to lenity. These are the words of R. Yehoshiyah. R. Yonathan says: Not because it is of lesser severity, but because all "death" unqualified is strangulation.

(Exodus 23:19) "You shall not cook a kid in its mother's milk": R. Shimon says: Why is this written in three places? (here, (Exodus 34:26) and (Devarim 14:21). They correspond to the three covenants that the Holy One Blessed be He forged with Israel: one in Chorev, one Arvoth Moav, and one in Mount Gerizim and Mount Eival.

And whence is it derived that they did not change their language? From (Ibid. 45:12) "… for the mouth that speaks to you" (speaks in the holy tongue), and (Exodus 5:3) "The G–d of the Hebrews revealed Himself to us, etc." and (Genesis 14:13) "And the survivor came and he told Avram the Hebrew, etc."

(Exodus 14:21) "And Moses stretched his hand over the sea": and the sea resisted — whereupon Moses commanded it to split in the name of the Holy One Blessed be He; but it continued to resist. He showed him the staff, but it continued to resist. An analogy: A king had two gardens, one within the other. He sold the inner and the buyer came to take possession, but the watchman barred him.

The buyer said: "In the name of the king," but he still resisted. He showed him the (king's) signet, but he still resisted — until he conducted the king himself there — at which the watchman began to flee. At this, the buyer said: The whole day I told you "In the name of the king," and you did not accept that. Why are you fleeing now? — whereupon the watchman said: I am not fleeing you, but the king.

Thus, Moses stood at the sea and commanded it to split in the name of the Holy One Blessed be He, to no avail. He showed him the staff, to no avail — until the Holy One Blessed be He revealed Himself upon it in His full glory and strength — whereupon the sea fled, viz. (Psalms 114:3) "The sea saw and fled." Moses said to it: The whole day I said to you "In the name of the Holy One Blessed be He," and you resisted.

Why do you flee now? "What ails you, O sea, that you are fleeing?" (Ibid. 5) — at which the sea replied: I am not fleeing you, son of Amram, but (Ibid. 7-8) "Before the Master, quake, O earth, before the G–d of Israel, who turns the rock into a pool of water, the flint into a spring of water!"

Variantly: "as a stone": because their hearts were hard as stone. But Your goodness and Your many lovingkindnesses and Your mercies are upon us, and Your right hand is stretched out to all who enter the world, "Your right hand," being written twice (viz. 15:6). (Psalms 44:4) "… but Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your countenance — for You favored them," and (Isaiah 45:23) "By Myself I have sworn. From My mouth has gone forth righteousness, a word that will not turn back."

(Exodus 16:22) "And it was, on the sixth day they gathered, etc.": R. Yehoshua says: This is the "doubled" bread, two omers instead of one. "and all the princes of the congregation came, etc.": They said to Moses our teacher: Why is this day different from all the other days?

And it was for this reason that the nations of the world were solicited (to accept the Torah.) So as not to give them a pretext vis-à-vis the Shechinah — to say: Had we been solicited, we would have accepted it. They were solicited and did not accept it! As it is written (Devarim 33:2) "And he said: L–rd came from Sinai, etc."

Rebbi says: There is "death" at the hands of Heaven and "death" at the hands of man. Just as the first leaves no outward sign, so, the second.

R. Yoshiyah says: The first was stated first, and "firsts" are not expounded. Why is the second stated? A clean animal confers tumah (uncleanliness) by being carried, and an unclean animal confers tumah by being carried. If you have learned about a clean animal that it is forbidden to cook its flesh in its (mother's) milk, I might think that the same holds true for an unclean animal. It is, therefore, written "in the milk of its mother," and not in the milk of an unclean animal. The third: "in the milk of its mother," but not in human milk.

And why did the taking of the Pesach precede its slaughtering by four days? Because Israel was stepped in idolatry in Egypt, which countervails all of the mitzvoth, as it is written (Numbers 15:24) "And if from the eyes of the congregation it (idolatry) were done unwittingly, etc." Scripture singled out this (idolatry, as tantamount to transgression of all of the mitzvoth [viz. Ibid. 22]).

(Exodus 15:6) "Your right hand, O L–rd, is grand in power": ("nedari bakeach") Comely (na'eh) are You, and grand (adir [acronym of "nedari"]) in power. For You gave a grace period to the generation of the flood to repent. And they did not repent, as it is written (Genesis 6:3) "My spirit shall not contend (in Me) forever, etc." And You did not decree (destruction upon them) until they had consummated their evil before You.

He came and revealed Himself to the sons of the wicked Esav and asked them: Will you accept the Torah? They: What is written in it? He: "You shall not kill." They: But this is what we have inherited from our father, as it is written (Genesis 27:40) "By your sword shall you live!"

From here they ruled: The mitzvah of strangulation — They would stand him in foliage until his hips and they placed hard scarves in soft ones and twisted it around his neck. One pulled from one side, and the other, from the other, until his soul expired. This is "strangulation."

And thus you find that the L–rd exacted punishment of the men of the generation of the flood and of the men of Sodom with a strong east wind, viz. (Iyyov 4:9) "By the breath of G–d they go lost, and by the wind of His wrath they perish": "By the breath of G–d they go lost" — the generation of the flood; "and by the wind of His wrath they perish" — the generation of Sodom.

And thus do you find with the men of the tower (of Bavel), that You gave them a grace period for repentance and they did not repent. As it is written (Ibid. 11:6) "Behold, they are one people, and all of them have one language, and this is what they begin to do! And now, etc. "Now" connotes (an opening for) repentance, viz. (Devarim 10:12) "And now, O Israel, what does the L–rd your G–d ask of you" (but to repent). And You did not decree destruction upon them (the men of the tower) until they had consummated their evil before You.

"What you would bake, bake": R. Yehoshua says: One who wanted "baked," would have it baked for him (of itself), and one who wanted "cooked" would have it cooked for him. R. Elazar Hamodai says: One who wanted something baked would taste all the "bakings" in the world (that he desired), and one who wanted "cooked" would taste all the "cookings" in the world. R. Elazar says: "on what is baked, bake; and on what is cooked, cook."

How so? A festival that falls out on Friday, whence is it derived that it is forbidden to bake or to cook on it (for the Sabbath) unless he had made an eruv (tavshilin on Thursday for that purpose)? From "What you would bake, bake, etc." (i.e., bake on the strength of what you have already baked, and cook on the strength of what you have already cooked, so that the Friday baking or cooking is regarded as a continuation of that begun on Thursday and not as a preparation on the festival for the Sabbath).

He revealed Himself to the sons of Ammon and Moav and asked them: Will you accept the Torah? They: What is written in it? He: "You shall not commit adultery." They: But we are all the sons of incest, as it is written (Genesis 19:36) "And the two daughters of Lot conceived by their father." How, then, shall we accept it?

R. Yehudah b. Betheira says: It is written (Exodus 6:9) "And they would not hearken to Moses (as to G–d's delivering them), for shortness of spirit, etc." Now is there anyone who is given glad tidings and does not rejoice? (viz. Jeremiah 20:14) "A son has been born to you — Rejoice him!" His Master is freeing him from bondage and he does not rejoice? What, then, is the intent of "And they would not hearken to Moses, etc."? It was difficult for them to abandon their idolatry, viz. (Ezekiel 20:7) "And I said to them (in Egypt): Let every man cast away the detestations of his eyes and not defile himself with the idols of Egypt." This is the intent of (Exodus 6:13) "And the L–rd spoke to Moses and to Aaron, and He charged them to the children of Israel. He charged them to abandon idolatry.

And thus do you find with the generation of the tower of Bavel, that the L–rd exacted punishment of them with a strong east wind, viz. (Genesis 11:8) "And from there the L–rd scattered them on the face of all the earth," "scattering" connoting an east wind, viz. (Jeremiah 18:17) "With an east wind I will scatter them."

And thus do you find with the men of Sodom, that You gave them a grace period for repentance and they did not repent. As it is written (Genesis 18:20-21) "And the L–rd said: The outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah, because it has become great … I shall go down now and I shall see, etc." (Ibid. 19:24) "And the L–rd rained down upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire": If they repent — rain; if not, brimstone and fire.

It is written here "rain," and elsewhere (Psalms 11:6) "rain." Just as there (ab initio) "rain," so, here, (ab initio) "rain." — But perhaps, just as here, "brimstone and fire," there, too, brimstone and fire! — It is, therefore, (to negate this) written (Genesis, Ibid.) "from the L–rd, from heaven" (and evil does not descend [ab initio] from the L–rd.) And You did not decree (destruction) upon them until they had consummated their evil. And thus with Egypt.

He came and revealed Himself to the sons of Ishmael and asked them: Will you accept the Torah? They: What is written in it? He: "You shall not steal." They: But this is the blessing by which our father was blessed, as it is written (Genesis 16:12) "And he (Ishmael) shall be a brutish man, etc." And when He came to Israel (Devarim 32:2), "in His right hand, the fire of the Law for them," they all opened their mouths and cried (Exodus 24:7) "All that the L–rd says, we shall do and we shall hear!" And thus is it written (Habakkuk 3:6) "He stood and measured the land; He looked and dispersed the nations."

It follows a fortiori, viz.: If one who is commanded (by beth-din) to smite is exhorted not to smite (more), then one who is commanded not to smite (his father or mother) how much more so is he exhorted not to smite (ab initio).

"And it shall be to you for a keeping": What is the intent of this? It is written (Ibid. 12:21) "Draw forth and take for yourselves sheep, etc." Israel said to Moses (Ibid. 8:22) "Will we slaughter the abomination of Egypt before their eyes and they (the Egyptians) not kill us?" He said to them: From the miracle that He will perform for you in your drawing them forth (i.e., their not protesting), you can rest assured (that no ill will befall you) in slaughtering them.

And thus with Egypt, viz. (Exodus 10:15) "And the L–rd swept an east wind over the land." And thus do you find with the ten tribes, that the L–rd exacted punishment of them with an east wind, viz. (Hoshea 13:15) "For he (Ephraim) flourished among the reeds. (But now) an east wind will come, a wind from the L–rd, rising from the desert, and it will dry up his source and parch his spring. It will despoil the source of all his precious vessels."

You brought ten plagues upon Egypt, and You did not decree destruction upon them until they had consummated their evil.

R. Shimon b. Elazar said: If the sons of Noach could not abide by the seven mitzvoth commanded them, how much more so (could they not abide) by all the mitzvoth of the Torah! An analogy: A king appoints two caretakers, one over stores of grain, and one over stores of silver and gold. The first bridles at not having been appointed over the stores of silver and gold, and the second says to him: Empty one, if you were faithless with grain, how much more so with silver and gold!

If the sons of Noach could not abide by seven mitzvoth alone, how much more so (could they not abide by the six hundred and thirteen mitzvoth (of the Torah)! Why was the Torah not given in Eretz Yisrael? So as not to provide a pretext to the nations of the world, viz.: Because it was not given in our land, that is why we did not accept it. Variantly: So as not to rouse contention among the tribes, one saying, it was given in my land; the other: it was given in my land.

That is why it was given in the open desert. In three settings was the Torah given — desert, fire, and water. Just as these are free for all, so, Torah.

(Exodus 21:16) "And one who steals a man and sells him": What is the intent of this? From (Devarim 24:7) "If a man be found (by witnesses) to have stolen a soul of his brothers, etc." I know only of (the necessity for) witnesses to the stealing. Whence do I derive (the same for) witnesses to the selling? From "And one who steals a man and sells him."

"And it shall be to you for a keeping": Keep it until the fourteenth (of Nissan) and slaughter it on the fourteenth. You say this, but perhaps (the meaning is) keep it and slaughter it until the fourteenth? It is, therefore, written (Numbers 9:5) "And they offered the Pesach in the first (month [Nissan]) on the fourteenth day of the month."

Variantly: "Your right hand, O L–rd, is grand in power. Your right hand" — twice. When Israel do the will of the L–rd, they, as it were, convert the "left" to the "right." And when they do not do the will of the L–rd, they convert the "right" to the "left," viz. (Eichah 2:3) "He has turned back His right hand before the foe."

Because they were wont to go out in the morning (to gather the manna), they said to him: Moses, our teacher, shall we go out in the morning? Moses: "Eat it today." They: Since we did not go out in the morning, shall we go out at twilight? Moses: "for it is Sabbath today to the L–rd." And why did Moses say "Today you will not find it in the field"? They said: The hearts of our fathers failed at that time. They said: Since we did not find it today, perhaps we will not find it tomorrow? Moses, (therefore,) said to them: This day you will not find it, but you will find it tomorrow.

"who took you out from the land of Egypt": They were servants of kings. You say, they were servants of kings, but perhaps they were servants of servants. (Devarim 7:8) "And he redeemed you from the house of servants, from the hand of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt," makes it clear that they were servants of kings and not servants of servants. Variantly: ("from the house of servants":) from the house of the servants of idolatry.

"And one who steals a man": This tells me only of one who steals a man. Whence do I derive (the same for) one who steals a woman or a minor? From "If a man be found to have stolen a soul of his brothers" — to include his stealing a woman or a minor.

Scripture specified it (the fourteenth day) as mandatory. It is not the second assumption, then, that is to be accepted, but the first. "And it shall be to you for a keeping": Scripture hereby apprises us that it was inspected (for possible blemishes) for (a period of) four days before being slaughtered. From here you learn (the same for) the tamid (the daily offering), viz. "keeping" is stated here, and "keeping" is stated in respect to the tamid. Just as the Pesach is observed four days before slaughtering, so, the tamid. From here they ruled: There are not to be fewer than six inspected lambs in the "chamber of lambs" (in the Temple), enough to suffice for a Sabbath accompanied by two festival days of Rosh Hashanah; and they are constantly replenished (as needed).

When Israel do His will, there is no sleep before Him, viz. (Psalms 121:9) "He does not slumber and He does not sleep." And when they do not do His will, there is, as it were, "sleep" before Him, viz. (Ibid. 78:66) "Then the L–rd woke as a sleeper, as a warrior rousing himself from wine."

This ("If a man be found") tells me only of a man who stole. Whence do I derive (the same for) a woman who stole? From "And one who steals a man." This tells me only of a man or a woman who stole a man, and a man who stole a woman or a minor. Whence do I derive (the same for) a woman who stole her neighbor (woman) or a minor? From (Devarim, Ibid.) "Then that thief (man or woman) shall die."

Variantly: whether non-consecrated or consecrated (animals). Rebbi says: Because it is written (in the same context as meat and milk) "the first of the fruits of your land," I might think that only at the time that bikkurim obtain and only in the place that bikkurim obtain, only there does (the prohibition of) meat and milk obtain, but not otherwise; it is, therefore, written (Devarim 14:21) "You shall not eat all carrion (neveilah) … You shall not cook a kid in its mother's milk." Just as (the prohibition of) carrion obtains both in the land and outside the land, both before the Temple and not before the Temple, so (the prohibition of) meat and milk.

And when Israel do His will, there is no wrath before Him, viz. (Isaiah 27:4) "I have no wrath." And when they do not do His will, there is wrath before Him, viz. (Devarim 11:17) "and the wrath of the L–rd will burn against you."

"And Moses said: Eat it today. For it is Sabbath today. Today you shall not find it in the field": R. Zrika said: From here (we learn to eat) three meals on the Sabbath. "And Moses said: Eat it today, etc.": R. Yehoshua says: If you merit observing the Sabbath, the Holy One Blessed be He is destined to give you three festivals: Pesach, Atzereth (Shavuoth) and Succoth. Thus, "Eat it today, etc." ("Eat it today," followed by [26] "Six days shall you gather it":)

"And one who steals a man": This would exclude (from liability) his stealing a minor. Whence is it derived that he is liable for stealing a minor? From "If a man be found to have stolen a soul, etc." — to include a minor. This ("a soul") would imply that both a minor and an eight-month birth are included. It is, therefore, written "And one who steals a man." He is not liable unless he steals someone who is destined to live (to man's estate, [as opposed to an eight-month birth]). (Then) "one who steals a man" would also include a minor, (who is destined to live to man's estate)! It is, therefore, written "If a man be found to have stolen a soul of his brothers" (connoting "his peers") — to exclude a minor.