The Charge to Leave Idolatry and to Honor the Crown

Another interpretation: "And He charged them." He charged them to separate from idolatry. Rabbi Yehudah ben Beteira says: Behold it says, "And they did not listen to Moses because of shortness of spirit" (Exodus 6:9). Now, is there a man who is told good news and does not rejoice? A male child has been born to you, your master is setting you free, and he does not rejoice? If so, what does Scripture mean by "and they did not listen to Moses"? Rather, it was hard in their eyes to separate from idolatry. And so it says, "And I said to them, Cast away, every man, the detestable things of his eyes, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt; but they rebelled against Me and would not listen to Me. Yet I acted for My name's sake, that it should not be profaned" (Ezekiel 20:7-9). And so it says, "Draw out and take for yourselves" (Exodus 12:21): draw your hands away from idolatry and cling to the commandments. "And He charged them concerning the children of Israel and concerning Pharaoh king of Egypt": He charged them to show honor to the kingdom. And so, "And all these your servants shall come down to me" (Exodus 11:8); there is no need to say "these," except that it was Pharaoh himself who would in the end come down, but Moses showed honor to the kingdom. So too we find with Joseph, who showed honor to the kingdom, as it is said, "Without me, God will answer for the welfare of Pharaoh" (Genesis 41:16). So too we find with Jacob, who showed honor to the kingdom, "And Israel strengthened himself and sat upon the bed" (Genesis 48:2). So too we find with Elijah, who showed honor to the kingdom, as it is said, "And the hand of the LORD was upon Elijah, and he girded up his loins and ran before Ahab" (1 Kings 18:46). So too we find with Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, who showed honor to the kingdom, as it is said, "Then Nebuchadnezzar drew near to the door of the burning fiery furnace." So too we find with Daniel, who showed honor to the kingdom, as it is said, "And when he came to the den, he cried out to Daniel with a grieved voice" (Daniel 6:21); what does Daniel say? "Then Daniel spoke with the king, O king, live forever" (Daniel 6:22). Rabbi Akiva says: Every chapter that is adjacent to its neighbor learns from it, as it is said, "And Israel dwelt in Shittim" (Numbers 25:1). Rabbi says: Chapters are placed next to one another yet are as far from one another as east is from west. Similarly you say, "Behold, the children of Israel have not listened to me," yet the Omnipresent had said to him, "And they will listen to your voice" (Exodus 3:18). Similarly you say, "And the daughter of a priest, when she profanes herself by harlotry" (Leviticus 21:9), and "the priest who is highest among his brethren" (Leviticus 21:10); and what has this matter to do with that, is he too to be burned? A parable: to what is the matter like? To an officer who completed his years of service and did not fulfill his office but fled and went off. The king sent and brought him and sentenced him to have his head cut off. Before he went out to be executed, the king said: Fill a measure with gold dinars and carry it before him, and say, Had you done as your fathers did, you would have received a measure of gold dinars; now you have lost your life and lost your money. So with the daughter of a priest who committed harlotry: the High Priest goes out before her and says to her, Had you acted as your mother acted, you would have merited that a High Priest like me should come forth from you; now you have destroyed yourself and destroyed your honor. Similarly you say, "For you are not My people" (Hosea 1:9), and it says, "And the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea" (Hosea 2:1); and what has this to do with that? A parable: to a king who became angry with his wife and sent for his scribe to come and write her a bill of divorce; but before the scribe came, the king was reconciled to his wife. The king said: Is it possible that this scribe should go out from here empty-handed? Rather he said to him, Come, for I am doubling her marriage settlement. Similarly you say, "Samaria shall bear her guilt, for she has rebelled against her God" (Hosea 14:1), and it says, "Return, O Israel, to the LORD" and so forth; and what has this to do with that? A parable: to a province that rebelled against the king. He sent a commander to destroy it. That commander was experienced and level-headed. He said to them, Take for yourselves days to return to the king; and if not, behold I will do to you as I did to such-and-such a province and its neighbors, and to such-and-such a prefecture and its neighbors. Therefore it says, "Samaria shall bear her guilt; return, O Israel."