“The Lord said to Moses: Extend your hand over the sea, and the waters will return upon Egypt, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen” (Exodus 14:26). “The Lord said to Moses: Extend your hand over the sea, and the waters will return…” – that is what is written: “Catch for us foxes [shualim], little foxes, [that spoil the vineyards, for our vineyards are in blossom]” (Song of Songs 2:15). When He analogizes the kingdoms, He likens them only to beasts, as it is stated: “Four great beasts arose from the sea” (Daniel 7:3).1The subsequent verses continue the description of Daniel’s vision of the beasts and state that these beasts represent four kingdoms.
When He analogizes Egypt, He likens them only to foxes. Just as this fox is smaller than the four beasts, so, Egypt is smaller than the kingdoms, as it is stated: “It will be the lowliest of the kingdoms” (Ezekiel 29:15). Rabbi Elazar son of Rabbi Shimon said: The Egyptians were sly; that is why He likens them to foxes. Just as a fox walks and looks behind him, so the Egyptians were walking and looking behind them.
What did they say? “Let us be cunning with it” (Exodus 1:10). They said: ‘Come and let us act against them wisely and consider how we can enslave them in such a manner that their God will not be able to bring upon us [a punishment] in a parallel manner. If we judge them by sword, He could bring a sword upon us.
If by fire, He could bring fire upon us. We know that He took an oath that He would not bring a flood upon the world. Let us judge them with water, as He is unable to bring it upon us.’ The Holy One blessed be He said to them: ‘Wicked ones, I already took an oath that I will not bring a flood upon the world.
But what will I do to you? I will bring you to the flood, and I will drag each and every one of you to his flood.’ That is what David said: “They will be hurled [yagiruhu] to the sword [ḥarev]; they will be prey for the foxes” (Psalms 63:11); these are the wicked Egyptians whom the Holy One blessed be He dragged [garar] to the dry land [leḥarbo] of the sea. What is: “They will be prey for the foxes”?
The Holy One blessed be He said: This plague will be designated for the foxes, whom the Holy One blessed be He preserved and did not bring [death] upon them [during] the ten plagues, and they died there. Rabbi Berekhya said: The first shualim is with a vav and the second without a vav; sho’alyam is written, in the sense of the hollow of [sho’olo] the sea [yam].2Based on Isaiah 40:12. Rabbi Yoḥanan of Tzippori said: What would the upright and modest Israelite women do?
They would take their sons and conceal them in underground chambers. The wicked Egyptians would bring little ones and take them into the Israelite houses and would pinch them and they would cry. The [Israelite] baby would hear the voice of the other baby who was crying and would cry with him. [The Egyptians] would take the [Israelite] baby and cast him into the Nile. That is why it is stated: “Catch for us foxes, little foxes…” – until our vineyard came into blossom.3This parallels the end of the verse in Song of Songs (2:15).
In context, the midrash interprets this to mean that all that were left were undeveloped grapes; all the ripe ones, representing the babies already born, were cast into the Nile. That is why it is stated: “The waters will return upon Egypt,” as the punishment fits their crime. So Yitro said: “Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods, as in the matter [that they conspired against them]” (Exodus 18:11).
He said: I knew Him in the past, and more so now, as with the [very] strategy with which they thought to judge Israel, the Holy One blessed be He judged them, as it is stated: “As in the matter that they conspired against them.”