Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael Reader

Whence is (the same derived for cooking) the milk of goats with sheep? It follows a fortiori, viz.: If in reviah (mating of animals) where the Torah permitted "fruit" with mother (in cooking) it forbade "fruit" with (milk of) mother, then here where in reviah it forbade "fruit with fruit" (i.e., mating goat and sheep), how much more so does it forbid (in cooking) "fruit" with (milk of) mother!

"You shall not cook a goat in its mother's milk": It is only meat and milk that you are forbidden to cook together and not other forbidden things. For it would follow (otherwise), viz.: If it is forbidden to cook together meat and milk, each of which, in itself, is permitted, how much more so the other forbidden things in the Torah, each of which, in itself, is forbidden! It is, therefore, written (to indicate otherwise) "You shall not cook a kid in its mother's milk" (—that, specifically).

This tells me only of non-consecrated food (as being thus forbidden). Whence do I derive (the same for) consecrated food? How can you ask? If it is forbidden with non-consecrated food, would it not (certainly) be forbidden with consecrated food? — No, it may be so with non-consecrated food, where melikah (pinching a bird's neck to slaughter it) is forbidden, as opposed to consecrated food, where melikah is not forbidden. It is, therefore, written ([in juxtaposition] Exodus 34:26) "… the house of the L–rd your G–d. You shall not cook a kid in its mother's milk." Thus far the section of judgments.

(Exodus 12:7) "And they shall take from the blood": I might think either by hand or by vessel; it is, therefore, written (Ibid. 22) "And you shall dip it in the blood which is in the saf," whereby we are apprised that he digs out a trough in the lintel and slaughters (the lamb, [the blood dripping]) into it, "saf" signifying a lintel, as in (Ezekiel 43:8) "When they placed their threshold ('sipam') next to My threshold," and (Isaiah 6:4) "And the posts of the threshold ('sippim') shook." These are the words of R. Yishmael.

(Exodus 14:22) "And the children of Israel came in the midst of the sea on the dry land": R. Meir perceives it one way; R. Yehudah, another. R. Meir: When the tribes were standing at the sea, each said: I will go first. In the midst of the hue and cry, Benjamin sprang first into the sea, as it is written (Psalms 68:28-29) "There, Benjamin, the young (i.e., the youngest of the tribes) rodem, the princes of Judah rigmatham, the princes of Zevulun, and princes of Naftali. Your G–d has commanded your strength. Be strong, O G–d, — this (strength which) You have wrought for us!" Read it not "rodem," but "rad yam" ("went down into the sea") — whereupon Judah began to stone them ("rigmatham"), viz. "the princes of Judah rigmatham."

(Exodus 15:7) "And in the greatness of Your grandeur You break those who rise up against You": You have magnified Your grandeur against those who rise up against You. And who are those? Those who rise up against Your children.

(Exodus 16:28) "And the L–rd said to Moses: How long will you refuse to keep, etc.": R. Yehoshua says: The Holy One Blessed be He said to Moses: Moses, say to Israel: I took you out of Egypt and I split the sea for you, and I brought down the manna for you, and I brought up the well, and I swept in the quail for you, and I fought the war with Amalek for you, and I wrought miracles and mighty acts for you — "How long will you refuse to keep My mitzvoth and My laws?"

Lest you say that I have imposed too many mitzvoth upon you, this Sabbath (alone) did I charge you with at Marah to keep it, and you have not kept it! Lest you say: What reward is received by the keeper of the Sabbath? It is written (Isaiah 56:2) "Happy is the man who does this, and the son of man who holds fast to it — who keeps Sabbath not to profane it — He keeps his hand from doing all evil." We are hereby apprised that one who keeps the Sabbath is kept far from transgression.

(Exodus 21:18) "And if men quarrel": What is the intent of this section? It is written (Ibid. 21:24) "an eye for an eye," but sheveth (work-disability payment) and ripui (medical expenses) are not mentioned. It is, therefore, written (Ibid. 19) "If he arise, etc." Scripture comes to teach of (other payments) that are due him.

An analogy: A king has two sons. He enters the younger son's room at night and says: Wake me at sunrise — and to the older: Wake me in the third hour (of the day). The younger son comes to wake him at sunrise and is prevented from doing so by the older son, saying: He told me: at the third hour — to which the younger counters: He told me at sunrise. Their altercation awakes their father, who says: My sons, both of you acted for my honor — I will not withhold your reward for this.

It is not written "those who rise up against us," but "those who rise up against You," whereby we are apprised that all who rise up against Israel are rising up, as it were, against the Holy One Blessed be He. Similarly, (Psalms 74:23) "Do not forget the vice of Your foes, the roar of those who rise against You always." Why? (Ibid. 83:4) "They have been subtle in counsel against Your people, etc." (Ibid. 139:21) "Will I not hate Your haters, O L–rd, and battle with those who rise up against You?" Why? (Ibid. 22) (For) "I have hated them to the heights of hatred. I have deemed them my (own) enemies." Similarly, (Zechariah 2:12) "for whoever touches you touches the pupil of His eye."

An analogy: A king of flesh and blood enters a province and his servants say to him: Make decrees for them. He: When they accept my rule, I will make decrees for them. For if they do not accept my rule, they will not accept my decrees.

"And if men quarrel": This tells me only of men. Whence do I derive (the same for) women? R. Yishmael says: Since all of the injuries in the Torah are unqualified (as to women) and Scripture specified one as pertaining to women as well as to men (viz. Exodus 21:29), so, I specify all injuries in the Torah as applying to women as well as to men.

(Exodus 12:7) "And they shall place it on the two side posts and on the lintel": on the inside. You say on the inside, but perhaps on the outside (is meant)? It is, therefore, written (Ibid. 13) "And I will see the blood" — blood which is seen by Me and not by others. These are the words of R. Yishmael.

Thus said the Holy One Blessed be He: What reward will accrue to the sons of Benjamin, who went down first into the sea? The reposing of the Shechinah in his portion (i.e., the Temple), as it is written (Genesis 49:27) "Benjamin tears (first), as a wolf," and (Devarim 33:12) "Of Benjamin he said: 'Beloved of the L–rd; He will repose securely upon him, etc.'" And what reward accrued to the tribe of Judah, who stoned him?

They attained to kingdom, as it is written "The princes of Judah rigmatham," "rigmah" connoting kingdom, as in (Daniel 5:29) "And at Belshazzar's command, they clothed Daniel in purple ('argevana,' like 'rigmah'), placed a golden chain on his neck, and proclaimed that he should rule as one of three in the kingdom." "the princes of Zevulun and the princes of Naftali": Just as the Holy One Blessed be He wrought miracles for the tribe of Judah and Benjamin at the sea, so He wrought miracles for Zevulun and Naftali, through Devorah and Barak, as it is written (Judges 4:6-7) "And she summoned Barak the son of Avinoam of Kedesh Naftali, and said to him: The L–rd, the G–d of Israel has commanded: Go, ascend Mount Tavor, and take with you ten thousand men of Naftali and Zevulun.

And I will draw to you Sisra the commander-in-chief of Yavin, etc." And it is written (Ibid. 5:18) "Zevulun is a people that bared its soul to death, and Naftali on the heights of the field."

R. Yehudah says: It is not written "the pupil of the eye, but "the pupil of His eye" — the "eye" of the Holy One, as it were. Similarly, (Malachi 1:13) "And you say (of an offering) 'What a burden it is!' and you (thereby) sully it." It is actually written "Him," but Scripture here is euphemistic. Similarly, (I Samuel 3:13) "because of his knowing that his sons were blaspheming them and his not censuring them" — a euphemism (for "Me").

Similarly, (Iyyov 7:20) "Why did You make me a target for Yourself and a burden to myself" — a euphemism (for "You"). Similarly (Habakkuk 1:12) "Are You not of yore, O L–rd my G–d, my Holy one — we shall not die" — a euphemism (for "You"). Similarly, (Jeremiah 2:11) "Has a nation ever exchanged (its) god though they be no god? Yet My people has exchanged its glory" — a euphemism (for "My").

Similarly, (Psalms 106:20) "And they exchanged their glory for the image of an ox, etc." — a euphemism (for "Your"). (Numbers 11:15) "and let me not see my misfortune" — a euphemism (for "their"). Similarly, (II Samuel 20:1) "We have no portion in David … Each man to his tent ("ohalav"), O Israel" — a euphemism (for "god" ["elohav"]). (Ezekiel 8:17) "And, behold, they thrust the branch to their nostrils" — a euphemism (for "My"). (Numbers 12:13) "who leaves his mother's womb" — a euphemism (for "our"). Here, (Zechariah 2:12) likewise, "One who touches him (a Jew) touches the pupil of his eye"

Thus did the L–rd say to Israel: "I am the L–rd your G–d. There shall not be unto you, etc.": Am I He whose rule you have accepted? They: Yes. He: Just as you have accepted My rule, accept My decrees —

R. Yoshiyah says: (If men and women are equated,) let neither a man or a woman be stated (in 21:29). "Because it is written (Ibid. 33) "If a man open a pit," this tells me only of a man, whence do I derive (the same for) a woman? From (29) "a man or a woman," to equate a woman with a man for all of the injuries of the Torah.

R. Nathan says: On the inside. You say on the inside, but perhaps on the outside? It is, therefore, written (Ibid.) "and the blood will be for you as a sign" — for you and not for others. R. Yitzchak says: On the outside — so that the Egyptians see (their gods being slaughtered), and their insides be "ripped apart!"

R. Yehudah perceives it thus: "And the children of Israel came in the midst of the sea": When the tribes were standing at the sea, each of them said: I will not go down first into the sea, viz. (Hoshea 12:1-3) "Ephraim surrounds Me with deceit, and the house of Israel with guile. Because they stood and deliberated, Nachshon the son of Aminadav leaped into the sea. Of him Scripture writes (Psalms 69:2-3) "Save me, O G–d, for the waters have reached my soul.

I am sinking in the slimy depths and I find no foothold. I have come into the watery depths, and the flood sweeps me away." (Ibid. 16) "Let the floodwaters not sweep me away, and let the deep not swallow me, and let the mouth of the pit not close over me." At that time Moses waxed long in prayer — whereupon the L–rd said to him: My loved ones are drowning in the sea, and the sea is raging, and the foe is pursuing, and you stand and wax long in prayer?

To which Moses replied: L–rd of the universe, what can I do? And He said to him (Exodus 14:16) "And you, raise your staff, etc." And what did Moses and Israel say at the sea? (Ibid. 15:18) "The L–rd will reign for ever and ever" — to which He responded: He who made Me "King" at the sea, (i.e., the tribe of Judah) him will I make king over Israel."

"Let each man sit in his place": four cubits. "Let a man not go out of his place": two thousand cubits. And whence do we know that they heard this and accepted it? From (Ibid. 30) "And the people rested on the seventh day."

There shall not be unto you any other gods before My presence. R. Shimon b. Yochai says: As stated elsewhere (Leviticus 18:2) "Am I the L–rd (whose rule you accepted on Sinai)? They: Yes. He: You accepted My rule? Accept My decrees —

R. Yonathan says: This (derivation) is not needed. Is it not already written (Ibid. 34) "The owner (whether man or woman) shall pay", (Ibid. 22:5) "Pay shall pay the lighter (whether man or woman) of the fire." Why, then, is it written (29) "a man or a woman"? For its learning (i.e., to equate a woman with a man in all other instances where "a man" is written.)

"And they shall place it on the two side posts and on the lintel": I might think that if he placed (the blood on) one before the other, he has not fulfilled his obligation. It is, therefore, written (Ibid. 22) "and you shall touch the lintel and the two doorposts," (to teach that even) if he reversed the order, he has fulfilled his obligation. We hereby learn that our forefathers in Egypt had three altars — the lintel and two door-posts. R. Shimon says: Four: the saf, the lintel, and two door-posts.

R. Tarfon and the elders were once sitting in the shade of the grove of Yavneh when this question was once asked before them: Why need it be written (Genesis 37:25) "and their camels laden with spices, balm, and myrrh"? (He answered:) To apprise us of the extent to which the merit of the righteous comes to their aid. For if this "loved one" (Joseph) had gone down with (the usual wares of) the Arabs, would he not have died of the stench of the camels and the itran (a kind of resin)?

But the Holy One Blessed be He "arranged" for him (a transport of) sacks full of spices and all goodly fragrances so that he not perish of their stench. (At this,) they said to him: You have taught us, our master, that this transpired in the merit of Joseph. They asked him: Our master, what is the blessing for one who drinks water to slake his thirst? He answered: "Who creates manifold beings and (supplies) their wants. (We thank you for) all that You have created — Life of the worlds!"

They: You have taught us, our master, the blessing for one who drinks water to slake his thirst. Our master, in what merit did Judah attain to kingdom? R. Tarfon: You say. They: In the merit of his saying (Genesis, Ibid. 26) "What profit is it if we kill our brother, etc." by which he saved him from death. R. Tarfon: It suffices that this saving atone for his counsel to sell Joseph and not return him to his father.

And all who help Israel, help, as it were, the Holy One Blessed be He, viz. (Judges 5:23) "Curse Meroz, said the angel of the L–rd. Curse bitterly its dwellers. For they came not to the aid of the L–rd, to the aid of the L–rd among the warriors." He who rises up against Your children rises up against You.

And who were they (who rose up against Him?) (Genesis 14:9) "Kedarlaomer and Tidal king of Goyim, etc." (Ibid. 15) "And he (Avram) deployed against them at night, he and his servants, and he smote them." And thus is it written (Isaiah 41:2-3) "Who roused (the exemplar of) righteousness, (i.e., Avram) from the east, summoned him to His service? … He pursues them. He passes on, unscathed." And thus is it written (Psalms 110:1-5) "This is the word of the L–rd to my master (David).

Sit at My right hand until I make your foes your footstool. The sceptre of your strength will the L–rd send from Zion. Your people will offer themselves on the day of (the gathering of) your army. The L–rd has sworn and He will not retract … The L–rd is at your right hand, etc." You magnified Yourself greatly against Pharaoh and his army, viz. (Exodus 14:7) "And he (Pharaoh) took six hundred choice chariots, etc." — (Ibid. 15:4) "The chariots of Pharaoh and his host He cast into the sea."

R. Yehoshua says: He said to Israel: If you keep this Sabbath the Holy One Blessed be He is destined to give you three festivals: the festival of Nissan (Pesach), the festival of Sivan (Shavuoth), and the festival of Tishrei (Succoth). When they heard this, they accepted it and rested. R. Eliezer Hamodai says: The L–rd said to them: If you keep this Sabbath, I am destined to give you six goodly "measures": Eretz Yisrael, etc. (see above). R. Elazar says: If you keep this Sabbath, you will be saved from three dire punishments: the pangs of (the advent of) the Messiah, the day of Gog and Magog, and the day of the great judgment. And when they heard this, they accepted it and rested.

(Ibid. 3) "As the deeds of the land of Egypt in which you dwelt you shall not do, etc." And so here: Am I the L–rd your G–d who took you out of the land of Egypt, whose rule you accepted? — Accept My decrees.

("and on the lintel) of the houses in which they eat it": This tells me only of the latter. Whence do I derive (the same for) the houses which they slept in? From (Ibid. 13) "upon the houses where you are" — in any event.

And thus Sisra and all his chariots, viz. (Judges 4:13) "And Sisra called up all his chariots" — (Ibid. 5:20) "From the heavens they warred" (against Sisra).

"There shall not be unto you": What is the intent of this? (Ibid. 4) "You shall not make for yourself a graven image or the likeness, etc." would imply only that it is forbidden to make it. Whence do we derive that you may not keep what is already made? It is, therefore, written "There shall not be unto you."

They: If so, in the merit of his saying (Ibid. 44:33) "Let your servant remain instead of the youth." R. Tarfon: In all places we find that the guarantor pays, (so this would not account for his meriting kingship.)

Sancheriv and all of his ranks, viz. (Isaiah 37:24) "Through your servants you have blasphemed my L–rd, etc.) — (II Chronicles 32:21) "and the L–rd sent an angel who annihilated every warrior, etc."

(Exodus 16:31) "And it was like coriander seed, white ('gad')": I do not know (from this) what it was like. R. Yehoshua says: It was like coriander seed. (But then I would think:) Just as coriander seed is red, so, this. It is, therefore, written "white."

"with stone or fist": I might think that he is liable (only if he strikes) with these, but otherwise he is not liable; it is, therefore, written (Numbers 35:17) "And if with a hand-stone (i.e., a stone the size of a full hand) (whereby he can die he strike him"). He is not liable until he strikes him with something that has the potential to kill and in a locus which is critical to life.

"on this night": I might think, the entire night; it is, therefore, written (Ibid. 10) "You shall not leave over anything of it until morning, and what is left over of it until morning, in fire shall you burn." What is the intent of (the seemingly superfluous) "until morning"? To set a bound for "the morning of morning." And which is that?

The (rising of the) morning star. From here they ruled: The eating of the Paschal lamb and the eating of (other) sacrifices, and the burning of fats and limbs — their mitzvah is until the rising of the morning star. All that is to be eaten in one day — their mitzvah is until the rising of the morning star. And why did they rule ("only) until midnight"?

To distance a man from transgression and to make a fence for the Torah and to fulfill the words of the men of the Great Assembly, who said: "Be deliberate in judgment, and set up many disciples, and make a fence for the Torah." R. Eliezer b. Azaryah says: It is written here "on this night," and elsewhere (Ibid. 12) "And I shall pass through the land of Egypt in this night." Just as there, until midnight, so, here, until midnight.

They: Master, you tell us. In what merit did he attain to kingship? R. Tarfon: When the tribes were at the sea, each one said: I will not go down first, viz. (Hoshea 12:1) "Ephraim has surrounded me with deceit, etc." Because they tarried in deliberation, Nachshon the son of Aminadav and his tribe after him leapt into the waves of the sea — wherefore he merited kingship.

Nevuchadnezzar and all his hosts," viz. (Isaiah 14:83) "You said in your hearts: I will climb to the heavens, etc." Nevuchadnezzar said: I will make myself a little cloud and I will live within it, viz. (Ibid. 14) "I will mount the heights of a cloud, etc." The Holy One Blessed be He said: You wished to separate yourself from men. In the end, they will separate themselves from you, viz. (Daniel 4:25-30) "All this befell King Nevuchadnezzar, etc."

R. Eliezer says: It was like "haggadah" (from "gad"), which "pulls" a person's heart. Others say: It testifies ("maggid," from "gad") about itself that it is manna, for it falls neither on Sabbath, or festival, or Yom Kippur.

Variantly: "elohim acherim"? They "delay" ("me'achorim") good from entering the world. Variantly: "elohim acherim": They are "others" (i.e., indifferent) to those who serve them. And thus is it written (Ibid. 46:7) "He cries out to it, but it does not answer; it does not save him from his affliction."

As it is written (Psalms 114:1) "When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from the people of a foreign tongue, Judah was His holy one, Israel, His ruler," the Holy One Blessed be He hereby saying: "Let him who sanctified My name at the sea come and rule Israel." And the elders acknowledged to R. Tarfon (the truth of his derivation.)