Gentle Words to the Women and Carried on Eagles' Wings

Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 276:4

Another interpretation: "Thus you shall say"—speak the main points in a gentle tongue to the women; "and tell the children of Israel"—and be exacting with them. "You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt" (Exodus 19:4)—I do not tell you this by tradition, I do not send you documents, nor do I set up witnesses concerning it, but "you yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt." See how much they were liable to Me for idolatry, for forbidden relations, and for bloodshed in the past, and yet I exacted punishment from them only on your account. "And I bore you on eagles' wings"—Rabbi Eliezer says: this is the day of Raamses, for they all gathered and came to Raamses in a short while. "And I brought you to Myself"—before Mount Sinai. Rabbi Akiva says: this is the giving of the Torah, for Israel recoiled backward twelve mil and returned forward twelve mil, twenty-four mil at every single utterance. "And I brought you to Myself"—to the House of Choice [the Temple].

Themes