Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael Reader

Rebbi says: I can read "Eat of it only roasted in fire." Why "raw and vashel mevushal"? For I might then think that it is only when he is commanded to eat it roasted (i.e., at night) that he is forbidden to eat it raw or cooked. Whence would I derive (the same for) the daytime? It is, therefore, written "uvashel mevushal" (connoting "whenever it is cooked").

"And Egypt said: 'I shall flee from before Israel'": The wicked and the fools among them said: "Shall we flee these toils and tempests?" The sober among them said: "I shall flee from before Israel, for the L–rd wars for them against the Egyptians." They realized that He who wrought miracles for them in Egypt was doing so at the sea.

(Ibid.) "They stood up like a flask": Just as a bound flask neither emits nor admits, so, the spirits of the Egyptians were bound up within them, neither emitting nor admitting — while Israel ate and drank and rejoiced. Sweet water issued forth for them from salted water, viz. (Psalms 78:160) "and He brought forth nozlim from the rock," "nozlim" being living waters, as in (Song of Songs 4:15) "a garden spring, a well of living waters," and (Mishlei 5:15) "Drink water from your pit and nozlim from your well."

(Exodus 16:35) "And the children of Israel ate the manna for forty years": R. Yehoshua says: for forty days they ate the manna after the death of Moses. How so? Moses died on the seventh of Adar (when the manna ceased falling), and they ate of it (i.e., of what was left in their vessels) twenty-four days of the first Adar and sixteen of Nissan, making forty. As it is written (Joshua 5:12) "And the manna ceased (from their vessels) on the morrow" (of the first day of Pesach), and (Ibid. 11) "And they ate of the old corn of the land on the morrow of the Pesach, matzoth and parched corn."

Variantly: What is the intent of "You shall now bow down"? (Exodus 22:19) "He who slaughters to a god shall be put to death — only to the L–rd alone" tells us of the punishment. Whence (do we derive) the exhortation? From "You shall not bow down."

But perhaps just as there is no distinction in ripui (between the wound itself and outgrowths of the wound), so, there should be no distinction in sheveth (between healing of the wound itself and long-term results of the wound)? It is, therefore, written "but his sheveth shall he give" — There is (such) distinction in sheveth.

"uvashel": "bashel" (here refers to flesh that was) roasted (before, the understanding being that it is forbidden to cook it even if it had been roasted previously), as in (Devarim 16:7) "And you shall cook (i.e., roast) it and you shall eat it," and (II Chronicles 35:13) "And they cooked (i.e., roasted) the Pesach in fire as prescribed; and the holy (offerings) they cooked in pots, cauldrons, and pans, and they dispatched them to all the people." From here R.Yoshiyah said: If one takes a vow not to eat "mevushal," roasted (flesh) is (also) forbidden to him. "but roasted in fire": What is the intent of this? I might say: What is (more) fit for roasting should be roasted. It is, therefore, written "but (i.e., exclusively) roasted in fire,"

R. Yossi says: Whence do you derive that with the plagues that these were plagued at the sea, the others were plagued in Egypt and that they saw each other (at the time)? From "And Egypt said: "I (at the sea) shall flee from before Israel; for the L–rd is warring for them in Egypt (too)!"

Variantly: Just as a bound flask stands, neither emitting nor admitting, so, the spirits of the Egyptians were bound up within them, neither emitting nor admitting, faint from the smell of the sea, viz. (Job 41:23) "He bubbles up the sea like a pot, etc." And to Israel, the sea was like a bed of spices, viz. (Ibid.) "He makes the sea like a spice-bed." (Song of Songs 4:16) "Awake, O north wind, and come, O south, blow over my garden that its spices may flow."

R. Eliezer Hamodai says: They ate the manna for seventy days after the death of Moses. How so? Moses died on the seventh of Adar, and they ate of it (i.e., of what was left in their vessels) twenty-four days of the first Adar and thirty of the second Adar, that year being intercalated, and sixteen of Nissan, making seventy days, viz. "And the manna ceased (from their vessels) on the morrow."

"and heal shall he heal": (Whence do I derive that if) he were healed once, and then healed again, even four or five times, he is liable (if necessary) to keep on healing him? If growths sprouted because of the wound around the wound, he is liable to heal him. If not because of the wound, he is not liable. The Torah states: "but his sheveth shall he give, and heal shall he heal." Just as sheveth, because of the wound, so, ripui, because of the wound.

And (this obtains) not with Egypt alone, but with all who afflict Israel throughout the generations. As it is written (Psalms 78:66) "And He beat back His foes. Eternal disgrace did He inflict upon them, viz. (Psalms 81:15-16) "In a moment I would humble their foes … and their time (of punishment) will be eternal", and (Isaiah 14:25) "to break Ashur in My land, etc." And thus, throughout the generations, viz. (Ibid. 26) "this is the counsel for all of the earth, and this is the hand stretched forth against all the nations" (that afflict Israel).

Why so? (Ibid. 27) "For the L–rd of hosts has counseled, and who will annul it? And His hand is stretched forth, and who will turn it back?" Not Egypt ("Mitzrayim") alone, then, (is intended), but all who afflict ("meitzarim") them, throughout the generations. Thus — "for the L–rd wars for them against Mitzrayim (- "meitzarim").

(Exodus, Ibid.) "The depths were congealed ("kafu") in the heart of the sea, etc." He made them like a kippah (a dome) in the midst of the sea. How so? A man's heart consists of two chambers and its arch. Thus did He arch the sea over them.

R. Yossi says: Israel ate the manna for fifty-four years, forty years in the lifetime of Moses and fourteen years after his death, it being written "And the children of Israel ate the manna for forty years until they came to an inhabited land." Let this not be written, for it is already written (Ibid.) "until they came to the edge of the land of Canaan." — The reference is to the fourteen years that they ate it after the death of Moses — the seven years of conquest and the seven years of apportionment.

(Exodus 12:10) "And you shall not leave over anything of it until the morning, and what is left over of it until the morning, in fire shall you burn it." What is the intent of (the seemingly redundant) "until the morning"? To set a bound for the morning of morning (i.e., that he may eat it (only) until the rising of the morning star, and not until sunrise). Variantly: What is the intent of "until morning"? To teach that it is not burned until the eve of the sixteenth (of Nissan).

The sea has no heart, and He gave it a heart. A terebinth has no heart, and He gave it a heart, viz. (II Samuel 18:4) "He (Avshalom) was yet alive in the heart of the terebinth." The heavens have no heart, and He gave them a heart, viz. (Devarim 4:11) "And the mountain (Sinai) burned with fire until the heart of heaven." Let the sea come, which had no heart and was given a heart, and exact payment of the Egyptians, who had a heart and subjugated Israel with all kinds of ("heartless") torments, viz. (Exodus 1:13) "And Egypt subjected the children of Israel to grueling toil."

Let the terebinth come, which had no heart and was given a heart and exact punishment of Avshalom, who had a heart and "stole" three hearts — the heart of his father, the heart of beth-din, and the heart of Israel, viz. (II Samuel 15:6) ("And Avshalom did this) … and Avshalom stole the heart of the men of Israel." Let the heavens come, which have no heart and were given a heart, and drop manna like dew upon Israel, who had a heart and accepted the Torah and served the L–rd with all their hearts and all their souls, viz. (Devarim 6:3) "And you shall love the L–rd your G–d with all of your heart and all of your soul, etc."

A certain philosopher asked R. Gamliel: It is written in your Torah "for the L–rd your G–d is a wrathful G–d." Now is there power in idolatry to arouse wrath (in G–d)? One here is envious of another; one sage is envious of another, one man of wealth is envious of another. But is there power in idolatry to arouse wrath (in G–d)?

He answered: If a son called a dog by his father's name, and when he bowed, he did so "by the life of this dog" ("father'), against whom will the father's wrath be aroused? Against the son or the father? He (the philosopher) then said to him: Do you call it (idolatry) "a dog"? Is there not a need for some of it?

He answered: What did you see (that makes you think so)? He answered: A fire once consumed a certain province except for their house of idolatry. Is it not that it (the idolatry) stood up for itself? R/ Gamliel: I will give you an analogy.

A king of flesh and blood, when he goes out to war, with whom does he fight? With the living or with the dead? The philosopher: With the living. The philosopher (asks further): If He does not need some of it (i.e., those things which are the object of idolatry), why does He not destroy them?

R. Gamliel: Do you serve only one thing? You serve the sun, the moon, the stars, the constellations, the mountains, the hills, the water courses, the ravines, and even men! Shall His world go lost because of the fools?

R. Yishmael says: This is not necessary, for it is written (Ibid. 16) "No labor shall be done in them" (the festival days), and burning is in the category of "labor." What, then, is the intent of "until morning"? If the eve of the sixteenth occurred on Shabbat, it is not burned until the seventeenth.

And not the heavens alone rejoiced in the redemption of Israel, but also the mountains and all of the hills, the fruit trees and all of the cedars, viz. (Isaiah 44:23) "Sing, O heavens, for the L–rd has wrought! Shout, O depths of the earth. Mountains, break out in song, forest and all that is in it. For the L–rd has redeemed Yaakov", and (Ibid. 49:13) "Sing, O heavens and rejoice, O earth — Break out in song! For the L–rd has consoled His people, etc."

R. Yehoshua says: When Miriam died, the well was removed, and it was restored in the merit of Moses and Aaron. When Aaron died, the pillar of cloud was removed, and both (the well and the pillar) were restored in the merit of Moses. When Moses died, all were removed and were not restored. And the tzirah (the hornet swarm, viz. (Exodus 23:28) did not cross the Jordan with them, (it having obtained in the merit of Moses).

(Ibid.) "He visits the sins of the fathers upon the children (for the third and the fourth generations"): when they (the generations) are consecutive. How so? An evildoer, the son of an evildoer, the son of an evildoer; a renegade, the son of a renegade, the son of a renegade. When Moses heard this, he bowed to the ground and prostrated himself, saying, G–d forbid, there is no evildoer, the son of an evildoer, the son of an evildoer in Israel! If G–d's measure for punishment is four generations, is his measure for good also four generations? It is, therefore, written (6) "for thousands." From "thousands" I would understand the minimum of "thousands" — two. It is, therefore, written (Devarim 7:9) "for a thousand generation" — without limit and without number.

R. Yonathan says: This is not necessary, if where all ochel nefesh overrides the festival — the burning of the left-overs of the Pesach does not override the festival, then, where partial ochel nefesh does not override the Sabbath, how much more so should the burning of the left-overs of the Pesach not override the Sabbath! What, then, is the intent of "until morning"? To set a bound for the morning or morning (see above).

R. Yitzchak says: (A verse) is not necessary (to tell us that left-overs of the Pesach may not be burned on the festival). For if the burning of chametz, which is interdicted in being seen or being found, does not override the festival, how much more so should the burning of the left-overs of the Pesach not override the festival. What, then, is the intent of "until morning"? As stated above.

(Exodus 12:11) "And thus shall you eat it": as those going on a journey. R. Yossi Haglili says: Scripture is hereby teaching proper deportment to those going on a journey — that they do things with despatch.

(Exodus 14:26) "And the L–rd said to Moses: Stretch forth your hand over the sea": It will not stand against you and it will not deviate from your command. "and the waters will turn back upon Egypt, upon its chariots, and upon its riders": The "wheel" will turn back upon them. For with the counsel that they thought to destroy Israel, I will destroy them. They thought to destroy Israel by water, and it is by water that I will exact punishment of them, viz. (Psalms 7:16) "He has dug a pit and he has deepened it, and he will fill in the pit he has wrought", (Koheleth 105:8-10) "He who digs a hole will fall in it; he who breaches a fence will be bitten by a snake.

He who quarries stones will be saddened by them; he who splits timbers will be imperiled by them", (Mishlei 26:27) "The digger of a pit will fall in it, etc." And thus Solomon says (Ibid. 12:14) "From the fruit of a man's mouth, he will be sated with good, and the payment of a man's hands will revert to him." And thus, Isaiah the prophet (Isaiah 59:18) "As with reward (for good), so will He return wrath to His enemies, payment to His foes — to (distant) isles will He bring retribution." And it is written (Ibid. 65:7) "And I will measure out (retribution for) their deeds, etc."

(Exodus 15:9) "The foe said: I shall pursue, etc.": This appertains (chronologically) to the beginning of the parshah. Why is it written here? For "there is no before and after in the Torah." Similarly, (Isaiah 6:1) "In the year of the death of King Uzziahu, etc." This appertains to the beginning of the parshah.

Why is it written here? For "there is no before and after in the Torah." Similarly, (Ezekiel 2:1) "Son of man, stand on your feet" (Some say [Ibid. 17:1] "Son of man, propose a riddle.") This appertains to the beginning of the parshah.

Why is it written here? For "there is no before and after in the Torah." Similarly, (Jeremiah 2:2) "Go and call out in the ears of Jerusalem." This belongs in the beginning of the parshah.

Why is it written here? For "there is no before and after in the Torah." Similarly, (Hoshea 10:1) "Israel is (like) a vine that has shed, etc." This appertains to the beginning of the parshah. Why is it written here?

For "there is no before and after in the Torah." Similarly, (Koheleth 1:12) "I, Koheleth, was king over Israel in Jerusalem." This appertains to the beginning of the parshah. Why is it written here? For "there is no before and after in the Torah."

(Exodus 17:1) "And the entire congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the desert of Sin … and they encamped in Refidim": (homiletically,) "rafu yadam" ("their hands weakened") in words of Torah. And because Israel grew lax in Torah, Amalek attacked them (viz. 17:8), for the foe comes only as the result of sin and transgression.

(Ibid. 7) "You shall not take the name of the L–rd your G–d in vain": A vain oath, too, was included in (Leviticus 19:12) "You shall not swear falsely in My name," and Scripture removed it from its class to exempt it from an oath, viz. (Leviticus 5:4) "Or if a soul swear in uttering with his lips, etc.", Scripture being more stringent with it (a vain oath) and exempting it from an offering — I would think that just as it is exempt from an offering, it is exempt from stripes. It is, therefore, written "You shall not take the name of the L–rd your G–d in vain" — It was exempt from an offering, but not from stripes.

(Exodus 21:20) "And if a man strike his man-servant or his maid-servant": His man-servant and his maid-servant were also included in (Ibid. 29) "it killed a man or a woman," Scripture singling it out for special mention of (Ibid. 21) "But if one day or two days, etc." for lenity towards the master (as opposed to one who is not his master who kills him), wherefore this section is stated.

"and you shall eat it in haste": This is the haste of the Egyptians (to make them leave). You say this. But perhaps it is the haste of the Jews (to leave)? (Devarim 16:3) "for in haste you left Egypt" already speaks of the haste of the Jews. How, then, am I to understand "and you shall eat it in haste"? As referring to the haste of Egypt.

And thus did Jeremiah the prophet say (Jeremiah 32:19) "Wondrous in counsel and mighty in deed, whose eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of man, to give each man according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds." And thus is it written (Ibid. 50) "Summon many against Bavel, all who draw the bow. Encamp against her roundabout. Let there be no escape for her. Repay her according to her deeds. According to all that she has done, do to her. For she has acted insultingly against the L–rd, against the Holy One of Israel."

"The foe said, etc.": How did Israel know what Pharaoh thought of them in Egypt? The Holy Spirit reposed upon them and they knew it. Pharaoh said: It really does not befit us to pursue Israel, but the silver and gold that they took warrants it. When some of the people saw that (only) a small part of their possessions had been taken, they said: What will we gain by pursuing them? When Pharaoh saw this, he said: We will all share equally in the spoils, viz. (Ibid.) "I shall divide the spoils." And, what is more, I shall open up the treasure stores — silver, gold, precious stones and jewels — and I will distribute them to you.

(17:2) "And the people quarreled with Moses": They transcended the norm. The "norm" (in such a situation) is for a man to grumble in his house for the "benefit" of his younger son, but here, they vented their anger at the highest. Thus, "And the people quarreled (with Moses"). They transcended the norm.

You shall not take": What is the intent of this? (Leviticus 19:12) "You shall not swear falsely in My name" speaks only of swearing. Whence is it derived that it is also forbidden to take it upon oneself to swear? From "You shall not take the name of the L–rd your G–d in vain." So long as you do not take it upon yourself to swear I am your G–d, (tempering justice with mercy.)

Once you take it upon yourself to swear, I am your "Judge" (connoting absolute justice). For it is written (Exodus 34:7) "and cleanse He will not cleanse." It cannot be said that he will not be cleansed (at all), for it is written "and cleanse," and it cannot be said that he will be (entirely) cleansed for it is written "He will not cleanse." The meaning must perforce be that He cleanses those who repent, and He does not cleanse those who do not repent.

I might think that here, too, (in the instance of a vain oath) the same obtains. It is, therefore, written (Ibid. 20:7) "for the L–rd will not cleanse, etc."

"And if a man strike": This tells me only of a man (who kills). Whence do I derive the same for a woman? R. Yishmael says: Since all the injuries in the Torah are unqualified, etc. (see above on 21:18).

R. Yehoshua says: "and you shall eat in haste": This is the haste of Israel. You say this. But perhaps it is the haste of the Egyptians? (Exodus 12:39) already speaks of the haste of the Egyptians. How, then, am I to understand "in haste"? As referring to the haste of the Jews.

And thus did Yithro say to Moses (Exodus 18:11) "Now I know that greater is the L–rd than all the gods." I recognized Him in the past, and now, even more so, His name having been magnified in the world. (Ibid.) "For (they were destroyed) by the (very) thing (water) whereby they devised evil against them."

"The foe (Pharaoh) said": And he did not know what he was saying, viz. (Mishlei 16:1) "To a man are the musings of his heart, but to the L–rd is the meaning of the tongue." (He said:) "I shall pursue, I shall overtake, I shall divide," (but what he "meant" was) I shall be pursued by them, I shall be overtaken by them, my spoils and my wealth shall be divided by them. It is not written "My soul shall be filled with them," but "My soul shall fill them" — They shall fill themselves with it. It is not written "torishem" ("My hand shall inherit them"), but "torishemo" — I shall bequeath my wealth and glory to them.

"And Moses said to them: Why would you quarrel with me?" He said to them: When you quarrel with me, you are trying the L–rd, viz. (Ibid.) "Why would you try the L–rd?" Variantly: Whenever you wrangle with me, the Holy One Blessed be He performs miracles and wonders for you and His name is exalted in the world!