Another interpretation, “draw, and take for yourselves lambs” – that is what is written: “A just balance and scales are the Lord's” (Proverbs 16:11), and likewise we find that Moses and Samuel are equal, and it is stated: “Moses and Aaron among His priests, and Samuel among those who call His name” (Psalms 99:6). Come and see how many differences there are between Moses and Samuel. Moses would enter before the Holy One blessed be He to hear the [divine] speech, while with Samuel, the Holy One blessed be He would come [to him], as it is stated: “The Lord came and stood” (I Samuel 3:10).
Why was it so? The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘With justice and righteousness I interact with the person.’ Moses would sit, and anyone who had a case would come before him and be judged, as it is stated: “It was on the next day that Moses sat to judge the people” (Exodus 18:13). But Samuel would take the trouble to go to each and every province and judge, so they would not need to inconvenience themselves to come to him, as it is stated: “He would go each and every year […and he judged Israel in all those places]” (I Samuel 7:16).
The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘Moses, who would sit in one place and judge Israel, will come to Me to the Tent of Meeting to hear the [divine] speech. But Samuel, who would go to Israel in the towns and judge them, I will go and speak to him, to fulfill what is stated: “A just balance and scales are the Lord's.”’ Likewise, we found regarding Judah; because he saved three lives, Tamar and her two sons, from the fire, the Holy One blessed be He saved three of his descendants from the fire.
Who were they? Ḥananya, Mishael, and Azarya. That is, “a just balance and scales are the Lord's.” Likewise in Egypt, Israel was enslaved for eighty years.3This is referring to the harshest period of enslavement, beginning from the decree to kill the baby boys, which was issued shortly before the birth of Moses. Moses was eighty when Israel was redeemed from Egypt (Midrash HaMevoar).
An Egyptian would go into the wilderness, catch a deer or gazelle and slaughter it, place the pot on the fire, cook and eat, and Israel would see and would not taste it, as it is stated: “When we sat by the fleshpot, when we ate bread to satiation” (Exodus 16:3). It does not say: When we ate from the fleshpot, but rather, “when we sat [by the fleshpot],” as they would eat their bread without meat.
The Holy One blessed be He said to them [the Egyptians]: ‘You caused My children to drool [from hunger] with the meat that you would eat, and you would not give them any; I, too, will arrange for My children to slaughter the lambs to which you prostrate yourselves. They will eat and you will be envious. Why? Because I am the true judge.’ That is: “A just balance and scales are the Lord's.” That is why it is stated: “Draw, and take for yourselves lambs.”