Get out as fast as possible! But (Exodus 13:17) tells us, "It was when Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them via the land of the Philistines, although it was near, as God said: Lest the people reconsider when they see war and return to Egypt.”
But the Rabbis, never content with the surface meaning, dig deeper. Shemot Rabbah, a classic collection of Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), sees in those words a reflection of past events, a cosmic pattern of divine intervention and human stubbornness. It all starts with a seemingly unrelated verse from Proverbs: “A whip for the horse, and a bridle for the donkey, and a staff for the back of fools” (Proverbs 26:3). What does that have to do with the Exodus?
Well, the Midrash interprets each phrase as a veiled reference to key figures who challenged Abraham and his descendants. “A whip for the horse” becomes a stand-in for the first Pharaoh, the one who took Sarah, Abraham’s wife. Remember that story from Genesis 12? According to Shemot Rabbah, this Pharaoh was punished for his actions: “The Lord afflicted Pharaoh…over the matter of Sarai, Abram’s wife” (Genesis 12:17). The Midrash even emphasizes "Abram's wife," noting that "two are better than one" (Ecclesiastes 4:9), suggesting the Pharaoh was struck down because of the combined merit of both Abraham and Sarah.
Then comes the "bridle for the donkey," which represents Avimelekh. Remember him? He also tried to take Sarah! The Midrash references (Genesis 20:18): “As the Lord had closed all the wombs of the house of Avimelekh.” Avimelekh, in his arrogance, claimed innocence, saying, “In the innocence of my heart and the cleanliness of my hands I did this” (Genesis 20:5). But God sets him straight: “I withheld you from sinning against Me” (Genesis 20:6).
The Midrash cleverly uses a parable to illustrate this point: A donkey is walking down the street and jumps over a baby, avoiding harm. People praise the donkey, but the owner says, "Were it not for me who pulled [it away with] the bridle in its mouth, it would have harmed it!" The Holy One, blessed be He, is like that owner, preventing Avimelekh from doing wrong, even if Avimelekh wants to take credit. The Midrash even quotes (Psalms 140:9): “Lord, do not grant the desires of the wicked.”
And what about "a staff for the back of fools"? That, according to the Midrash, is none other than Pharaoh of the Exodus and his Egyptian minions. They were devastated by the plagues, yet they stubbornly refused to let Israel go until the very last minute. Shemot Rabbah sees their eventual, begrudging release of the Israelites as a direct result of divine punishment, not a change of heart.
To further illustrate this, the Midrash tells another parable, this time of a herdsman who steals a sheep. The king, who owns the sheep, tries everything to get it back, each time being rebuffed by the herdsman. Only when the king takes the herdsman's son does he finally relent. This, says the Midrash, is like Pharaoh holding onto Israel, despite all the plagues, until God takes his firstborn.
The Midrash emphasizes the futility of Pharaoh's resistance. Even after releasing the Israelites, he pursues them, leading to his ultimate demise at the Red Sea. The text connects the "staff" to the plague of boils, referencing (Job 9:34), where Job cries out, "Let Him remove His staff from upon me." Only when afflicted with boils did the Egyptians realize the severity of their situation.
So, what's the takeaway? The Midrash in Shemot Rabbah isn't just rehashing Bible stories. It's showing us how history rhymes. It suggests that these encounters with Abraham, Sarah, Avimelekh, and Pharaoh are not isolated incidents but part of a larger pattern of divine intervention and human resistance. Even the name "Vayhi," usually translated as "it was," is reinterpreted as "Woe, woe!" echoing Pharaoh's despair as he finally lets the people go. It’s a reminder that even when we think we're in control, there might be a greater force at play, guiding us – sometimes kicking and screaming – towards a destiny we can't fully comprehend. Powerful, isn't it?
“It was when Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them via the land of the Philistines, although is was near, as God said: Lest the people reconsider when they see war and return to Egypt” (Exodus 13:17). “It was when Pharaoh let the people go” – that is what the verse says: “A whip for the horse, and a bridle for the donkey” (Proverbs 26:3). “A whip for the horse,” this is the first Pharaoh, as it is stated: “The Lord afflicted Pharaoh…over the matter of Sarai, Abram’s wife” (Genesis 12:17). Why does the verse state: “Abram’s wife”? “Two are better than one” (Ecclesiastes 4:9),1Pharaoh was struck due to the merit of both Abraham and Sarah. and it says: “He was good to Abram for her sake” (Genesis 12:16).2This demonstrates that the miracle was due to Abraham’s merit as well as Sarah’s merit. “A bridle for the donkey,” this was Avimelekh. When? “As the Lord had closed all the wombs of the house of Avimelekh” (Genesis 20:18). He began praising himself and saying: “In the innocence of my heart and the cleanliness of my hands I did this” (Genesis 20:5). [God responded:] “I withheld you from sinning against Me” (Genesis 20:6). To what is this matter comparable? It is comparable to a donkey upon which a person was riding, which saw a baby in the street. He jumped over it and did not harm it. They began praising the donkey that jumped over the baby and did not harm it. Its owner said to them: ‘By your lives, were it not for me who pulled [it away with] the bridle in its mouth, it would have harmed it.’ Similarly, they said: ‘Avimelekh was upright that he did not draw near to Sarah.’ The Holy One blessed be He said to them: ‘He sought to do so, but I did not allow him to do so, and it was I who pulled him [away], as it is stated: “Lord, do not grant the desires of the wicked” (Psalms 140:9). That is why it says: “A bridle for the donkey.” “A staff for the back of fools” (Proverbs 26:3) – this is Pharaoh and the Egyptians. Since they were devastated with the plagues, they freed Israel against their will, as it is stated: “It was when Pharaoh let [the people] go.” [The story of] Avimelekh, to what is it comparable? It is to one who entered the king’s palace and took his treasure chest in the dark. He went out and was apprehended. The king said to him: ‘What is in your hand?’ He was afraid. He said to him: ‘Why are you afraid? Did you take something from the palace?’ He said: ‘No.’ ‘What is this treasure chest? Who gave it to you?’ So, Avimelekh said before God: “Will you also kill a righteous nation?” (Genesis 20:4). [Avimelekh] said to Him: ‘You know that I did not touch her.’ [God] said to him: ‘And what is a man’s wife doing with you? Now send her away, as she is a married woman.’ “Behold, you will die, because of the woman whom you have taken…return the man's wife, as he is a prophet, and he will pray for you (Genesis 20:3,7). What is “and he will pray for you”? It is analogous to a head of state who sent his slave to the judge [so the judge would] flog him. He began pleading to the judge. The judge said to him: ‘You did nothing to me, let your master say so and I will let you alone.’ So, God said: ‘Abraham entrusted his grievance to Me last night, and I dictated that I “execute justice for the oppressed” (Psalms 146:7) and you oppressed him. If he prays for you I will leave you alone,’ as it is stated: “And he will pray for you and you will live” (Genesis 20:7). “And a bridle for the donkey” – [the story of] Pharaoh, to what is it comparable? It is [comparable] to a certain herdsman who would herd pigs. He found one sheep and took it among them. Its owner [who was the king,] sent to him and said: ‘Give me my sheep.’ He said to him: ‘You have no sheep with me.’ The owner said [to his servants]: ‘Inform me from where he waters his animals.’ They went and informed him, and he sealed the springs. He said to him: ‘Send me my sheep.’ He said to him: ‘You have no sheep with me.’ The owner said: ‘Inform me where he rests his animals.’ They went and informed him, and he destroyed the pens. He said to him: ‘Send me my sheep.’ He said to him: ‘You have no sheep with me.’ The owner said: ‘Inform me where he grazes [his animals].’ They went and informed him, and he burned all the grass that he had. He said to him: ‘Send me my sheep.’ He said to him: ‘You have no sheep with me.’ He said: ‘Inform me where his son goes to school.’ He went and abducted his son. He said to him: ‘Send me my sheep.’ He said to him: ‘Here is your sheep.’ He was herding [his pigs] and then [the king] incarcerated him with his son. He said to him: ‘Now your sheep is no longer with me, why are you incarcerating me? What else do I have of yours?’ He said to him: ‘I demand of you everything to which it gave birth, and its shearings all the days that it was in your possession.’ He began screaming and saying: ‘If only I had not given it to you, and people would say [about me:] He stood by his word and did not send it to him, and it was [the king] who sought to kill him.’ So, the king [in the parable] is the King of kings, the Holy One blessed be He, the sheep is Israel, the pig herdsman is Pharaoh. Israel descended to Egypt and [Pharaoh] imposed taxes upon them, as it is stated: “They imposed upon them taskmasters” (Exodus 1:11), and it says: “Every son that is born [you shall cast him into the river]” (Exodus 1:22). The Holy One blessed be He began saying to Moses, to say to Pharaoh: “Let My people go, and they will serve Me” (Exodus 7:16). He went and said it to him. [Pharaoh] began saying: “Who is the Lord that I should heed His voice?” (Exodus 5:2). Moses began and said to the Holy One blessed be He: ‘He is saying “who is the Lord” and does not wish to let them go.’ [God] said to him: ‘Where does Egypt drink?’ He said to Him: ‘From the Nile.’ He said to him: ‘Transform it into blood.’ He said: ‘I cannot transform it. Is there a person who drinks from a well who throws a stone into it?’ He said to him: ‘Let Aaron go and turn it [into blood].’ Aaron went and struck it and it turned into blood. Why did Moses not strike it? He said: ‘I was thrown into it and it did not harm me.’ That is why Aaron struck it. The Egyptians began seeking [water] to drink but were unable to find any. He again said: ‘Let My people go,’ but [Pharaoh] did not wish to do it. [God] said to [Moses]: ‘Where do his animals graze?’ [Moses responded:] ‘In the wilderness.’ He sent hail upon them and broke every tree of theirs and burned everything, as it is stated: “There was hail, and fire flaming…” (Exodus 9:24). Then he sent locusts against them, which ate all the vegetation on the trees, and he took his staff and burned all the animals, as it is stated: “Behold, the hand of the Lord [is upon your livestock… a very severe pestilence]” (Exodus 9:3). He brought upon him all the plagues, but he did not want to let them go. Then He took his son and incarcerated him, as it is stated: “The Lord smote every firstborn” (Exodus 12:29). At that moment, he said: “Arise and depart” (Exodus 12:31). [Pharaoh] pursued them, and [God] seized him and incarcerated him alongside his son, as it is stated: “He tossed Pharaoh and his army into the sea” (Psalms 136:15). Pharaoh began saying: ‘If only I had not let them go, and [people] would say: See, a man who stood by his word, [for now even though I have] let them go, He is killing me; that is: “A staff for the back of fools.” Why does it say “staff” in their regard? It is because all the first plagues did not affect them until He brought the boils upon them. Once they were afflicted [by boils], they said to each other: ‘This is a harsh plague.’ The expression “staff” means nothing other than boils, as Job says: “Let Him remove His staff from upon me” (Job 9:34).3Job had been struck by boils – see Job 2:7. That is why it is stated: “A staff for the back of fools.” Pharaoh said: ‘My people were stricken and He killed my son and his children are departing.’ Once he let them go, he began crying: ‘Woe, woe [vai vai]’– that is: “It was [vayhi] when Pharaoh let the people go.”
