“It was during those many days that the king of Egypt died and the children of Israel sighed due to the work, and they cried out. Their plea rose to God due to the work” (Exodus 2:23). “It was during those many days.” They were days of suffering; therefore, it calls them many.
Similarly, “and a woman, if her flow of blood shall flow many days” (Leviticus 15:25); because they are days of suffering, it calls them many. “The king of Egypt died.” He was afflicted with leprosy, and a leper is considered as dead, as it is stated: “Let her not be like a corpse” (Numbers 12:12),73Aaron said this when Miriam was afflicted with leprosy. and it says: “It was during the year of the death of King Uzziahu” (Isaiah 6:1).74King Uziahu was afflicted with leprosy.
“The children of Israel sighed [due to the work, and they cried out [vayizaku]].” Why did they sigh? It is because the magicians of Egypt said [to Pharaoh]: ‘Your only cure is to slaughter from among the Israelite young, one hundred and fifty in the evening and one hundred and fifty in the morning, and bathe in their blood twice a day.’ When Israel heard the harsh decree, they began groaning and lamenting.
Vayizaku is nothing other than a term denoting lamentation, as it is written: “Cry out [ze’ak] and lament, son of man” (Ezekiel 21:17). “Their plea [shavatam] rose to God.” It does not say “their outcry [tza’akatam],” but rather, their plea [shavatam], as it is stated: “And the souls of the dead plead [teshave’a]” (Job 24:12). “God heard their moaning and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob” (Exodus 2:24).
“God heard their moaning [na’akatam],” the moaning of the slain, as it is said: “He will moan [vena’ak] the moans of the slain” (Ezekiel 30:24), and as it is said: “They moan [yinaku] from a populated [metim]75The term metim is expounded as though it were vocalized with a tzerei, meaning “the dead,” instead of a sheva, which is how it is vocalized in the verse. When vocalized with a sheva, it means “populated.” city” (Job 24:12).
“God remembered His covenant.” Israel was not worthy of being saved, because they were wicked, but they were redeemed because of the merit of the patriarchs. That is what is written: “God remembered His covenant.” Our Rabbis, of blessed memory, say: A miracle was performed on their behalf and [Pharaoh] was cured from his leprosy.