Read Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael in source order, passage by passage, with the close English translation where available and the original source text for checking.
"As the husband of the woman imposes (payment) upon him": Scripture hereby apprises us that payment for injury to the woman reverts to the husband, and payment for the fetuses reverts to the husband, and all who are liable to the death penalty are exempt from (monetary) payment.
R. Yehudah b. Betheira said: Do you think that you are being stringent with him (by having him burn it)? You are being lenient with him. For if he does not find fire, he will sit and not burn it! Rather, express it thus: Before the arrival of the time for eliminating it (by Torah mandate, i.e., the entire sixth hour), the mitzvah of eliminating it is by burning. Once that time has arrived, the mitzvah of eliminating it is in any manner.
The measure of flesh and blood — First he builds the lower; then the higher. But the Holy One Blessed be He — First He builds the higher; then the lower, viz. (Genesis 1:1) "In the beginning G–d created the heavens, (and then) the earth."
viz.: Three mitzvoth are stated in this context, two ("You shall not kill" and "You shall not commit adultery") and one ("You shall not steal") ambiguous. Just as the explicit are mitzvoth punishable by judicial death penalty, so, the ambiguous must be a mitzvah punishable by judicial death penalty. You cannot understand it, then, as per the second option (i.e., You shall not steal money), but as per the first (i.e., You shall not kidnap.) This, (our verse, then, must be an exhortation against stealing a soul, and the other, an exhortation against stealing money.
The measure of flesh and blood — he roofs (his chambers) with wood, earth, and stones. But the Holy One Blessed be He roofs His world with water, viz. (Psalms 104:3) "He roofs His upper (chambers) with water, etc."
(Ibid.) "You shall not testify against your neighbor false testimony." (Devarim 19:19) "And you shall do to him as he (a scheming witness) schemed to do against his brother, etc." tells us of the punishment. Whence the exhortation? "You shall not testify against your neighbor, etc."
Variantly: "As the husband of the woman imposes (payment) upon him": I might think, as much as he likes! It is, therefore, "and he shall give it by pelilim," whereby we are taught he pays by word of judges, "pelilim" being judges, as in (Devarim 32:31) "And (now) our foes judge us" ("veoivenu pelilim"), and (I Samuel 2:25) "If a man sins against a man, then a judge judges ('pilel') him."
The measure of flesh and blood — he cannot make a form from water. But the Holy One Blessed be He does make a form from water, viz. (Genesis 1:20) "Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, etc."
How were the Ten Commandments given? Five on one tablet and five on the other. "I am the L–rd your G–d," and opposite it "You shall not kill," whereby Scripture apprises us that spilling blood is tantamount to "diminishing" the likeness of the King.
The measure of flesh and blood — he cannot make a form from earth. But the Holy One Blessed be He does make a form from earth, viz. (Psalms 139:15) "I was wrought in secrecy, knit together in the recesses of the earth, etc."
An analogy: A king of flesh and blood enters a province, sets up statues of himself, makes images of himself, and mints coins in his likeness. After some time, they upset his statues, break his images, devalue his coins — and "diminish" the likeness of the king. Likewise, Scripture equates spilling blood to "diminishing" the likeness of the King, as it is written (Genesis 9:6) "One who spills the blood of man … (For in the image of G–d did He make man.")
The measure of flesh and blood — When he comes to make a figure, he begins from the head or from one of the limbs, and then completes it. But the Holy One Blessed be He forms all as one, viz. (Jeremiah 10:16) "For He is the former of all." And it is written (I Samuel 2:2) "There is no rock ("tzur") like our G–d" — There is no artist ("tzayar") like our G–d.
It is written "There shall not be unto you any other gods in My presence," and, opposite it, "You shall not commit adultery," whereby Scripture apprises us that idolatry is tantamount to adultery. As it is written (Ezekiel 16:32) "You are the (very essence of the) adulterous woman, who (though) living with her husband, (still) takes strangers," and (Hoshea 3:1) "And the L–rd said again to me: "Go and love a woman beloved by her husband, and playing the harlot under him — just as the L–rd loves the children of Israel, while they turn to other gods…"
"from Israel": I might think that it is cut off from Israel but may annex itself to a different nation; it is, therefore, written (Leviticus 22:3) "and that soul shall be cut off from before Me; I am the L–rd" — All places are My domain.
The measure of flesh and blood — he goes to an artisan and tells him: Make me a figure of my father, and he says: Let your father come and pose for me or bring me a likeness of him and I will do so. Not so, the Holy One Blessed be He. He gives a man a son from a drop of water — and it is like the likeness of his father!
It is written "You shall not take the name of the L–rd your G–d in vain," and, opposite it, "You shall not steal," whereby we are apprised that one who steals, in the end comes to swear in vain, as it is written (Jeremiah 7:9) "Shall one steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely (… and go after the gods of others, etc.?" And it is written (Hoshea 4:2) "swearing, lying, murdering, stealing, (committing) adultery…"
Rebbi says; "nefesh for nefesh": Money is intended. You say "money," but perhaps "life" (literally) is intended? It follows inductively, viz.: "imposed" ("yashith") is written here (Ibid. 23) and "imposed" ("yushath") is written elsewhere (Ibid. 30). Just as there monetary payment (is indicated); here, too, monetary payment (is intended).
"from the first day until the seventh day": Its punishment is for seven days; the exhortation against it obtains always. For it would follow (otherwise), viz.: Since (eating chametz is punishable by kareth, and (eating) forbidden fats is punishable by kareth, then if we have learned about forbidden fats that its punishment is equivalent (in time) to its exhortation, then the same applies to chametz. It is, therefore, written "from the first day until the seventh day" — Its punishment is seven days, but its exhortation obtains always. We have heard its punishment, but we have not heard its exhortation. It is, therefore, written (Devarim 16:3) "Do not eat chametz upon it."
(Exodus, Ibid.) "working wonders": It is not written "worked wonders," but "working wonders" — in time to come, viz. (Jeremiah 16:14) "Therefore, behold, days are coming, says the L–rd, when it will no more be said 'As the L–rd lives, who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt,' but etc."
It is written "Remember the Sabbath day to sanctify it," and, opposite it, "You shall not testify (falsely)," whereby Scripture apprises us that one who desecrates the Sabbath thereby testifies before Him who spoke and brought the world into being that He did not create His world in six days and did not rest on the seventh day, and that one who keeps the Sabbath thereby testifies before Him who spoke and brought the world into being that He created His world in six days and rested on the seventh day, as it is written (Isaiah 43:10) "You are My witnesses, says the L–rd … that I am He. Before Me no god was created and there will be none after Me."
"an eye for an eye" money. You say "money," but perhaps an eye (literally) is intended? R. Elazar was wont to say (Leviticus 24:21) "One who strikes a beast shall pay for it, and one who strikes a man shall be put to death." Scripture likens the injuries of a man to the injuries of a beast, and the injuries of a beast to the injuries of a man. And just as the injuries of a beast are subject to monetary payment, so, the injuries of a man.
Variantly: "working wonders": He wrought wonders for us and He does so in each generation, viz. (Psalms 139:14) "I shall thank You, for I have been wondrously wrought," and (Ibid. 40:6) "Many things) have You done — You, O L–rd, my G–d, etc."
It is written "Honor your father and your mother," and, opposite it, "You shall not covet," whereby Scripture apprises us that whoever covets, in the end comes to beget a son who curses his father and honors one who is not his father. This is why the Ten Commandments were given, five on one tablet and five on the other. These are the words of R. Chanina b. Gamliel.
R. Eliezer says: It is written (Exodus 21:30) "When kofer ('atonement payment') is imposed upon him, he shall give the redemption of his soul." Now does this not follow a fortiori, viz.: If where Scripture makes him liable for death, he only pays money, then here (re an eye), where Scripture does not make him liable for death, how much more so does he pay only money!
Variantly: "working wonders" with the fathers, and destined to work them with the sons, viz. (Michah 7:15) "As in the days when you went forth from the land of Egypt, I shall show him wonders." I will show him what I did not show the fathers. The miracles and the mighty acts that I am destined to perform for the sons are greater than those which I wrought for the fathers. And thus is it written (Psalms 22:18) "He works wonders" (as opposed to the singular "wonder" here), and (I Chronicles 16:36) "Blessed is the L–rd, the G–d of Israel, from world to world."
The sages say: (They were given) ten on one tablet and ten on the other. As it is written (Devarim 5:19) "These things (the ten commandments) the L–rd spoke … And He wrote them on two tablets of stone." And (Song of Songs 4:5) "Your two breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle." And (Ibid. 5:14) ("The tablets of) His hands are wheels of gold, set with emeralds."...
R. Yitzchak says: "an eye for an eye": I understand this to mean that whether or not he intends (to blind him), he pays only money. And, indeed, Scripture limits one who intends to cause a blemish to monetary payment, as it is written (Leviticus 24:19) "And a man if he maims his neighbor" — general; "an eye for an eye" — particular. general-particular. (The rule is:) The general subsumes only what exists in the particular.
Then, in (20) "as he maims a man," there is a reversion to the general. Perhaps the first general is generalized (i.e., all maimings are to be included.) Would you say that? We have here an instance of general-particular-general, where (the rule is that) you judge in accordance with the particular, viz.: Just as the particular specifies permanent maimings, external organ prominences, and intended (injuries) as paying only money (and not being punishable by death) (so, all such maimings are included.) Thus, "as he maims a man" — when he intends to maim him.
"You shall not covet": Rebbi says: One verse states "You shall not covet," and, another, (Devarim 5:18) "You shall not desire." How are these two verses to be reconciled? As positing liability for desiring in itself and for coveting in itself, and as teaching that if one desires, in the end he will covet, i.e., "Do not desire and you will not covet." And if he does covet, in the end, he will use force and steal, as it is written (Micah 2:2) "and they will covet fields and steal (them)."
(Exodus 21:25) "A burn for a burn": If you say (the meaning is that he burned him and spilled his blood, this is already subsumed in "a wound for a wound." If you say that he made a welt, this is already subsumed in "a welt for a welt." How, then, is "a burn for a burn" to be understood? As his burning him on his nail or on the sole of his foot without leaving an impression, lading him with stones and causing him suffering thereby, placing snow on his head and making him cold — in which instances he compensates him for his suffering. But if he were frail, indulged, and pampered, how much more so is his "suffering" allotment to be doubled. This is the (type of) suffering intended in "a burn for a burn."
"You shall not covet your neighbor's house" — general. "and his man-servant, and his maid-servant, and his ox, and his ass — particular. general-particular (The rule is:) There exists in the general only what exists in the particular. "and all that belongs to your neighbor" — reversion to the general. (This leaves us with) general-particular-general (The rule is:) You deduce only what is in accordance with the particular, viz.: Just as the particular is something which is acquired and bestowed, so, all that is acquired and bestowed (comes under "You shall not covet," [and not coveting another's learning]).
But then, why not say: Just as the particular speaks of movable property, which does not serve as surety, so, all such property ([and not land] comes under "You shall not covet")? Since it is written (in this context) in the second Decalogue (Devarim 5:18) "his field," (we must revert to) "Just as the particular is something which is acquired, etc.") Or, just as the particular does not enter your domain except with the acquiescence of the owner, so all such things (are subsumed in "You shall not covet') to exclude one's coveting another's daughter for your son or his son for your daughter.
I might think that (if one covets) in speech, (he is in transgression of "You shall not covet; it is, therefore, written (Devarim 7:25) "You shall not covet the silver and gold upon them and take, etc." Just as there, he is not (in transgression of "You shall not covet") until he performs an act, so, here.
(Exodus 12:16) "On the first day, a calling of holiness, etc.": Sanctify it with food and drink and with clean clothing. This tells me only that the first and last day of the festival are "callings of holiness." Whence do I derive the same for chol hamoed (the intermediate days)? From (Leviticus 23:38) "These (intermediate days) are the festivals of the L–rd, which you shall call callings of holiness."
(Exodus 15:12) "You inclined Your right hand — the earth swallowed them up.": We are hereby apprised that all of the souls are contained in the hand of the Holy One Blessed be He, viz. (Iyyov 12:10) "In His hand is the soul of every living thing", and (Psalms 31:6) "Into Your hand do I commend my spirit."
(Ibid. 20:15) "And all the people saw the sounds and the lightnings": They saw what was visible and heard what was audible. These are the words of R. Yishmael. R. Akiva says: They saw and heard what was audible. There was nothing that left the mouth of the Omnipotent which was not inscribed on the tablets, as it is written (Psalms 29:7) "The voice of the L–rd hews (with) flames of fire."
(Exodus 21:26) "And if a man strike the eye of his (Canaanite) man-servant": What is the intent of this? From (Leviticus 25:26) "Forever shall you have them serve you," I might think, even if he knocked out his tooth or blinded his eye; it is, therefore, written "And if a man strike the eye of his man-servant or the tooth of his maid-servant, etc." Scripture took his Canaanite man-servant out of his class (of serving forever) to the end of leniency, (a Hebrew man-servant not going free in this manner.)
"All labor shall not be done in them": This tells me that labor is forbidden only on the first and last days. Whence do I derive (the same for) chol hamoed? From (Exodus 23;15) "The festival of matzoth shall you keep seven days" — in any event. These are the words of R. Yoshiyah.
In what merit were they (the Egyptians) granted burial? In the merit of his saying (Exodus 9:27) "The L–rd is the righteous one (and I and my people are the wicked ones"), the Holy One Blessed be He said: If you have vindicated the L–rd's judgment of You, I shall not withhold your reward and I will give you a place of burial, viz. "You inclined Your right hand — the earth swallowed them up."
"And all the people saw": the sounds of sounds and the flames of flames. How many sounds were there and how many flames were there? The intent is that each heard according to his power (to absorb what he experienced), viz. (Psalms 29:4) "the voice of the L–rd in power, the voice of the L–rd in majesty."
R. Yonathan says: This (derivation) is not necessary. If labor is forbidden on the first and last days, which are neither preceded nor followed by holiness, then how much more so chol hamoed, which is both preceded and followed by holiness! — (No,) this is refuted by the six days of creation, on which labor is not forbidden, though they are preceded and followed by holiness (i.e., Sabbath)! — No, this may be true of the six days of creation, on which there is no mussaf offering, as opposed to chol hamoed, on which there is a mussaf offering, wherefore labor is forbidden upon them. (No,) this is refuted by the New Moons, where labor is permitted, even though there is a mussaf offering upon them. (No,) this may be true of New Moons, which are not called "callings of holiness," as opposed to chol hamoed, which is called "a calling of holiness," wherefore labor should be forbidden upon them. We hereby derive that labor is forbidden on chol hamoed.
Variantly: "You inclined Your right hand": We are hereby apprised that He cast them to the dry land, and the dry land cast them to the sea, saying: If for only accepting the blood of Hevel, one man, it was said to me (Genesis 4:11) "Cursed are you, etc.", how will I be able to accept the blood of all of these hordes!" — until the Holy One Blessed be He said to it: (I swear that) I will not hold you responsible, as it is written "You inclined Your right hand — the earth swallowed them up," "Your right hand" connoting an oath, viz. (Isaiah 62:8) "The L–rd has sworn by His right hand."
Variantly: "And all the people saw": to apprise us of the exalted state of Israel. When they all stood at Mount Sinai to receive the Torah, as soon as they heard the pronouncement, they assimilated it. As it is written (Devarim 32:10) "He encircled him; he invested him (with understanding). As soon as they heard the pronouncement, they assimilated it.
