“He turned this way and that and saw that there was no man; he smote the Egyptian and concealed him in the sand” (Exodus 2:12). “He saw that there was no man,” because he was deserving of death. Rabbi Yehuda says: There was no man who would be zealous on behalf of the Holy One blessed be He, and kill him. Rabbi Neḥemya says: He saw that there was no one who would invoke the name of God and kill him.
The Rabbis say: He saw that there was no expectation that righteous people would emerge from him or from his descendants until the end of all the generations. When Moses saw this, he consulted with the angels and said to them: ‘Is this one liable for execution?’ They said: ‘Yes.’ That is what is written: “He saw that there was no man” – who would speak in his favor.
“He smote the Egyptian.” With what did he kill him? Rabbi Evyatar said: He struck him with a fist. Some say: He took a mortar rake and removed his brain.
The Rabbis say: He invoked the name of God and killed him, as it is stated; “Do you propose [omer] to kill me [as you killed the Egyptian?]” (Exodus 2:14). “He concealed him in the sand” as there was no one there other than Israelites. He concealed him before Israel, who were likened to sand. He said to them: ‘You were likened to sand; just as sand, a person takes it from here and places it there and no sound is heard, so too, this matter will remain concealed among you and will not be heard.’
Indeed, you find that the matter was heard only by means of the Hebrews, as it is stated: “He went out on the second day and behold, two Hebrew men were fighting [nitzim]; [he said to the wicked one: why do you strike your counterpart?]” (Exodus 2:13). These are Datan and Aviram, and it called them nitzim after their end.64“They are Datan and Aviram…who agitated [hitzu] against Moses…when they agitated [behatzotam] against the Lord” (Numbers 26:9).
It was they who said this matter, it was they who left over some of the manna. It was they who said: “Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt” (Numbers 14:4). And it was they who agitated at the Red Sea. Alternatively, [they are called] nitzim because they intended to kill one another, as it is said: “If men fight together” (Deuteronomy 25:11), and Rabbi Elazar said: The verse is referring to a fight to the death.
“He said to the wicked one: Why do you strike your counterpart?” Why did you strike is not stated, but rather “why do you strike.” From here it is derived that from the moment that a person raises his hand against another, even if he does not strike him, he is called wicked. “Your counterpart,” who is wicked like you are; this teaches both of them were wicked.