Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 4

18Moses left and returned to Jether his father-in-law and said to him, “I would like to leave and return to my brethren in Egypt, to see if they are still alive.” Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.”   יחוַיֵּ֨לֶךְ משֶׁ֜ה וַיָּ֣שָׁב | אֶל־יֶ֣תֶר חֹֽתְנ֗וֹ וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לוֹ֙ אֵ֣לֲכָה נָּ֗א וְאָשׁ֨וּבָה֙ אֶל־אַחַ֣י אֲשֶׁר־בְּמִצְרַ֔יִם וְאֶרְאֶ֖ה הַֽעוֹדָ֣ם חַיִּ֑ים וַיֹּ֧אמֶר יִתְר֛וֹ לְמשֶׁ֖ה לֵ֥ךְ לְשָׁלֽוֹם:
וַיָּשָׁב אֶל־יֶתֶר חֹֽתְנוֹ - And returned to Jether his father-in-law - to receive his permission to leave, for he had sworn to him that he would not move from Midian except with his permission. Jether had seven names: Re’u’el, Jether, Jethro, Keini, Chovav, Chever, and Puti’el.   וַיָּשָׁב אֶל־יֶתֶר חֹֽתְנוֹ.  לִטֹּל רְשׁוּת, שֶׁהֲרֵי נִשְׁבַּע לוֹ (נדרים ס"ה). וְז' שֵׁמוֹת הָיוּ לוֹ, רְעוּאֵל, יֶתֶר, יִתְרוֹ, קֵינִי, חוֹבָב, חֶבֶר, פּוּטִיאֵל:
19God said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, for all the men who seek your life have died.”   יטוַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהֹוָ֤ה אֶל־משֶׁה֙ בְּמִדְיָ֔ן לֵ֖ךְ שֻׁ֣ב מִצְרָ֑יִם כִּי־מֵ֨תוּ֙ כָּל־הָ֣אֲנָשִׁ֔ים הַֽמְבַקְשִׁ֖ים אֶת־נַפְשֶֽׁךָ:
כִּי־מֵתוּ כָּל־הָאֲנָשִׁים - For all the men [who seek your life] have died. Who were they? Dathan and Aviram. They were in fact still alive, but they had lost their possessions, and a poor man is considered dead.   כִּי־מֵתוּ כָּל־הָאֲנָשִׁים.  מִי הֵם? דָּתָן וַאֲבִירָם; חַיִּים הָיוּ, אֶלָּא שֶׁיָּרְדוּ מִנִּכְסֵיהֶם וְהֶעָנִי חָשׁוּב כַּמֵּת:
20Moses took his wife and sons and mounted them on the donkey. He prepared to return to Egypt; and Moses took the staff of God in his hand.   כוַיִּקַּ֨ח משֶׁ֜ה אֶת־אִשְׁתּ֣וֹ וְאֶת־בָּנָ֗יו וַיַּרְכִּבֵם֙ עַל־הַֽחֲמֹ֔ר וַיָּ֖שָׁב אַ֣רְצָה מִצְרָ֑יִם וַיִּקַּ֥ח משֶׁ֛ה אֶת־מַטֵּ֥ה הָֽאֱלֹהִ֖ים בְּיָדֽוֹ:
עַל־הַֽחֲמֹר - On the donkey - i.e., the special donkey; this was the donkey that Abraham saddled for traveling to carry out the binding of Isaac, and it is the one on which the Messianic King will ride when he is revealed, as it says: “Behold, your king will come to you…a humble man, riding on a donkey.” 1   עַל־הַֽחֲמֹר.  חֲמוֹר הַמְיֻחָד, הוּא הַחֲמוֹר שֶׁחָבַשׁ אַבְרָהָם לַעֲקֵדַת יִצְחָק, וְהוּא שֶׁעָתִיד מֶלֶךְ הַמָּשִׁיחַ לְהִגָּלוֹת עָלָיו, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "עָנִי וְרֹכֵב עַל חֲמוֹר" (זכריה ט') (פרקי דרבי אליעזר ל"א):
וַיָּשָׁב אַרְצָה מִצְרָיִם וַיִּקַּח משֶׁה אֶת־מַטֵּה - He returned to Egypt, and Moses took the staff… There is no precise chronological order in Scripture.   וַיָּשָׁב אַרְצָה מִצְרָיִם וַיִּקַּח משֶׁה אֶת־מַטֵּה.  אֵין מֻקְדָּם וּמְאֻחָר מְדֻקְדָּקִים בַּמִּקְרָא:
21God said to Moses, “When you return to Egypt, be aware of all the marvels that I will have placed in your hand, and perform them before Pharaoh. However, I will make him stubborn and he will not send the people forth.   כאוַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְהֹוָה֘ אֶל־משֶׁה֒ בְּלֶכְתְּךָ֙ לָשׁ֣וּב מִצְרַ֔יְמָה רְאֵ֗ה כָּל־הַמֹּֽפְתִים֙ אֲשֶׁר־שַׂ֣מְתִּי בְיָדֶ֔ךָ וַֽעֲשִׂיתָ֖ם לִפְנֵ֣י פַרְעֹ֑ה וַֽאֲנִי֙ אֲחַזֵּ֣ק אֶת־לִבּ֔וֹ וְלֹ֥א יְשַׁלַּ֖ח אֶת־הָעָֽם:
בְּלֶכְתְּךָ לָשׁוּב מִצְרַיְמָה וגו' - When you return to Egypt…. know that you must go with this purpose in mind: that you be valiant in carrying out My mission to perform all My marvels before Pharaoh, and that you not be afraid of him.   בְּלֶכְתְּךָ לָשׁוּב מִצְרַיְמָה וגו'.  דַּע שֶׁעַל מְנָת כֵּן תֵּלֵךְ שֶׁתְּהֵא גִּבּוֹר בִּשְׁלִיחוּתִי לַעֲשׂוֹת כָּל מוֹפְתַי לִפְנֵי פַרְעֹה וְלֹא תִירָא מִמֶּנּוּ:
אֲשֶׁר־שַׂמְתִּי בְיָדֶךָ - (lit.) That I have placed in your hand. This is not referring to the three signs that were mentioned above, for God did not command Moses to perform them before Pharaoh, but only before the Israelites so that they believe him, nor do we find that he in fact performed them before Pharaoh. Rather, this is what God was saying: The marvels that I am going to place in your hand in Egypt, such as: “When Pharaoh speaks to you and says, ‘Produce a marvel….’” 2 Do not wonder, though, at the fact that it is written “that I have placed” in the past tense, for this is its meaning: “When you speak to him, I will have already placed them in your hand.”   אֲשֶׁר־שַׂמְתִּי בְיָדֶךָ.  לֹא עַל שָׁלוֹשׁ אוֹתוֹת הָאֲמוּרוֹת לְמַעְלָה, שֶׁהֲרֵי לֹא לִפְנֵי פַרְעֹה צִוָּה לַעֲשׂוֹתָם אֶלָּא לִפְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁיַּאֲמִינוּ לוֹ, וְלֹא מָצִינוּ שֶׁעֲשָׂאָם לְפָנָיו, אֶלָּא מוֹפְתִים שֶׁאֲנִי עָתִיד לָשׂוּם בְּיָדְךָ בְּמִצְרַיִם, כְּמוֹ "כִּי יְדַבֵּר אֲלֵיכֶם פַּרְעֹה וְגוֹ'" (שמות ז'); וְאַל תִתְמַהּ עַל אֲשֶׁר כְּתִיב "אֲשֶׁר שַׂמְתִּי", שֶׁכֵּן מַשְׁמָעוֹ, כְּשֶׁתְּדַבֵּר עִמּוֹ כְּבָר שַׂמְתִּים בְּיָדְךָ:
22You must say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus has God said: “Israel is My preeminent son.”   כבוְאָֽמַרְתָּ֖ אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֑ה כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר יְהֹוָ֔ה בְּנִ֥י בְכֹרִ֖י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל:
וְאָֽמַרְתָּ אֶל־פַּרְעֹה - You must say to Pharaoh - i.e., not immediately, but when you hear that his resolve is strong and he refuses to send forth the Israelites, say this to him: –   וְאָֽמַרְתָּ אֶל־פַּרְעֹה.  כְּשֶׁתִּשְׁמַע שֶׁלִּבּוֹ חָזָק וִימָאֵן לִשְׁלֹחַ אֱמֹר לוֹ כֵּן:
בְּנִי בְכֹרִי - My preeminent son. The word בְּכוֹר (lit. “firstborn”) here connotes eminence, as in: “I, too, will make him a great person (בְּכוֹר)”; 3 this is its straightforward meaning. But its Midrashic explanation is: Here the Holy One, blessed be He, sealed His approval on the sale of the birthright that Jacob purchased from Esau.   בְּנִי בְכֹרִי.  לְשׁוֹן גְּדֻלָּה; כְּמוֹ: "אַף אֲנִי בְּכוֹר אֶתְּנֵהוּ" (תהלים פ"ט), זֶהוּ פְּשׁוּטוֹ. וּמִדְרָשׁוֹ: כָּאן חָתַם הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עַל מְכִירַת הַבְּכוֹרָה שֶׁלָּקַח יַעֲקֹב מֵעֵשָׂו (בראשית רבה ס"ג):
23I am therefore telling you in God’s Name, “Send forth My son so that he may serve Me. Yet I know that you will refuse to send him forth, so know now that I will kill your firstborn son.” ’”   כגוָֽאֹמַ֣ר אֵלֶ֗יךָ שַׁלַּ֤ח אֶת־בְּנִי֙ וְיַ֣עַבְדֵ֔נִי וַתְּמָאֵ֖ן לְשַׁלְּח֑וֹ הִנֵּה֙ אָֽנֹכִ֣י הֹרֵ֔ג אֶת־בִּנְךָ֖ בְּכֹרֶֽךָ:
וָֽאֹמַר אֵלֶיךָ - I am telling you – as a messenger of the Omnipresent: “ - Send forth my son….”   וָֽאֹמַר אֵלֶיךָ.  בִּשְׁלִיחוּתוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם שלח את בני:
הִנֵּה אָֽנֹכִי הֹרֵג וגו' - I will kill… This was the final plague, yet God warned him about it first, since it was the most severe. This is the meaning of what it says in Job: 4 “Since God’s power is supreme,” therefore, “who can discipline like Him” – i.e., a human being wishing to take revenge against his fellow hides his intentions so that his fellow not seek ways to escape; but the Holy One, blessed be He, is supreme in His power and there is no possibility of escaping His punishing hand except by returning to Him – therefore, He guides the sinner and warns him of his punishment so that he repent.   הִנֵּה אָֽנֹכִי הֹרֵג וגו'.  הִיא מַכָּה אַחֲרוֹנָה, וּבָהּ הִתְרָהוּ תְּחִלָּה מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהִיא קָשָׁה; וְזֶה הוּא שֶׁאָמַר "הֶן אֵל יַשְׂגִּיב בְּכֹחוֹ" – לְפִיכָךְ "מִי כָמֹהוּ מוֹרֶה" (איוב ל"ו); בָּשָׂר וָדָם הַמְבַקֵּשׁ לְהִנָּקֵם מֵחֲבֵרוֹ, מַעֲלִים אֶת דְּבָרָיו, שֶׁלֹּא יְבַקֵּשׁ הַצָּלָה, אֲבָל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא יַשְׂגִּיב בְּכֹחוֹ וְאֵין יְכֹלֶת לְהִמָּלֵט מִיָּדוֹ כִּי אִם בְּשׁוּבוֹ אֵלָיו, לְפִיכָךְ הוּא מוֹרֵהוּ וּמַתְרֶה בוֹ לָשׁוּב:
24When Moses was at his lodgings on the way, God confronted Moses and sought to put him to death.   כדוַיְהִ֥י בַדֶּ֖רֶךְ בַּמָּל֑וֹן וַיִּפְגְּשֵׁ֣הוּ יְהֹוָ֔ה וַיְבַקֵּ֖שׁ הֲמִיתֽוֹ:
וַיְהִי - (lit.) When he - i.e., Moses –   וַיְהִי.  משה בדרך במלון:
וַיְבַקֵּשׁ הֲמִיתֽוֹ - Was at his lodgings on the way, he sought to put him to death - i.e., the angel wished to kill Moses, since he did not circumcise his son Eliezer – and because he was negligent in this, he was to be punished with death. It was taught in a baraita: Rabbi Yosei said: God forbid that this was so; he was not negligent. Rather, he said to himself: If I circumcise him and then set out on a journey – until three days after the circumcision it is dangerous for the infant. Should I circumcise him and delay three days – the Holy One, blessed be He, has commanded me: “Go, return to Egypt.” 5 Why, then, was he to be punished? Because once he already could have circumcised Eliezer, he arranged lodgings first. This is stated in Tractate Nedarim. 6 The angel assumed the form of a snake that swallowed Moses from his head down to his thighs, spit him out, and then swallowed him again from his feet up to his procreative organ. Zipporah thus understood that it was happening because of the delay in Eliezer’s circumcision.   וַיְבַקֵּשׁ הֲמִיתֽוֹ.  (המלאך ל)מֹשֶׁה: לְפִי שֶׁלֹּא מָל אֶת אֱלִיעֶזֶר בְּנוֹ, וְעַל שֶׁנִּתְרַשֵּׁל נֶעֱנַשׁ מִיתָה. תַּנְיָא אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי: חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, לֹא נִתְרַשֵּׁל אֶלָּא אָמַר, אָמוּל וְאֵצֵא לַדֶּרֶךְ, סַכָּנָה הִיא לַתִּינוֹק עַד שְׁלוֹשֶׁת יָמִים, אָמוּל וְאֶשְׁהֶה ג' יָמִים, הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא צִוַּנִי לֵךְ שֻׁב מִצְרָיִם וּמִפְּנֵי מָה נֶעֱנַשׁ? לְפִי שֶׁנִּתְעַסֵּק בַּמָּלוֹן תְּחִלָּה (מכילתא). בְּמַסֶּכֶת נְדָרִים: וְהָיָה הַמַּלְאָךְ נַעֲשֶׂה כְּמִין נָחָשׁ וּבוֹלְעוֹ מֵרֹאשׁוֹ וְעַד יְרֵכָיו וְחוֹזֵר וּבוֹלְעוֹ מֵרַגְלָיו וְעַד אוֹתוֹ מָקוֹם, הֵבִינָה צִפּוֹרָה שֶׁבִּשְׁבִיל הַמִּילָה הוּא (נדרים ל"ב):
25Zipporah took a sharp stone and cut off her son’s foreskin and threw it down at Moses’ feet. She said to the baby, “You almost caused my bridegroom’s bloodshed!”   כהוַתִּקַּ֨ח צִפֹּרָ֜ה צֹ֗ר וַתִּכְרֹת֙ אֶת־עָרְלַ֣ת בְּנָ֔הּ וַתַּגַּ֖ע לְרַגְלָ֑יו וַתֹּ֕אמֶר כִּ֧י חֲתַן־דָּמִ֛ים אַתָּ֖ה לִֽי:
וַתַּגַּע לְרַגְלָיו - means: She threw it before Moses’ feet.   וַתַּגַּע לְרַגְלָיו.  הִשְׁלִיכַתּוּ לִפְנֵי רַגְלָיו שֶׁל מֹשֶׁה:
וַתֹּאמֶר - She said - about her son.   וַתֹּאמֶר.  עַל בְּנָהּ:
כִּי חֲתַן־דָּמִים אַתָּה לִֽי - means: you would have caused my bridegroom to be killed because of you – i.e., you are for me the killer of my husband.   כִּי חֲתַן־דָּמִים אַתָּה לִֽי.  אַתָּה הָיִיתָה גּוֹרֵם לִהְיוֹת הֶחָתָן שֶׁלִּי נִרְצָח עָלֶיךָ – הוֹרֵג אִישִׁי אַתָּה לִי:
26God’s angel released Moses, and Zipporah said, “My bridegroom’s bloodshed was almost occasioned by circumcision.”   כווַיִּ֖רֶף מִמֶּ֑נּוּ אָ֚ז אָֽמְרָ֔ה חֲתַ֥ן דָּמִ֖ים לַמּוּלֹֽת:
וַיִּרֶף - (lit.) He released his hold - i.e., the angel – “from him.” (lit.) Then she understood that the angel had come to kill him because of the delay in the circumcision.   וַיִּרֶף.  הַמַּלְאָךְ ממנו, אז הֵבִינָה שֶׁעַל הַמִּילָה בָּא לְהָרְגוֹ:
אָֽמְרָה חֲתַן דָּמִים לַמּוּלֹֽת - She said, “My bridegroom’s bloodshed [was almost occasioned] by circumcision” - i.e., my bridegroom would have been killed on account of the circumcision.   אָֽמְרָה חֲתַן דָּמִים לַמּוּלֹֽת.  חֲתָנִי הָיָה נִרְצָח עַל דְּבַר הַמִּילָה:
לַמּוּלֹֽת - means: On account of the matter of circumcision. מּוּלֹת is a noun, and the ל prefix is used in the sense of עַל “about,” as in: “Pharaoh will say about the Israelites (לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל).” 7 But Onkelos translated the word דָּמִים “blood” as referring to the blood of the circumcision, not to Moses’ blood.   לַמּוּלֹֽת.  עַל דְּבַר הַמּוּלוֹת. שֵׁם דָּבָר הוּא, וְהַלָּמֶ"ד מְשַׁמֶּשֶׁת בִּלְשׁוֹן עַל, כְּמוֹ "וְאָמַר פַּרְעֹה לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל" (שמות י"ד), וְאֻנְקְלוֹס תִּרְגֵּם דָּמִים עַל דַּם הַמִּילָה:
27God said to Aaron in Egypt, “Go into the desert to meet Moses.” He went and met him at the mountain of God and kissed him.   כזוַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהֹוָה֙ אֶל־אַֽהֲרֹ֔ן לֵ֛ךְ לִקְרַ֥את משֶׁ֖ה הַמִּדְבָּ֑רָה וַיֵּ֗לֶךְ וַיִּפְגְּשֵׁ֛הוּ בְּהַ֥ר הָֽאֱלֹהִ֖ים וַיִּשַּׁק־לֽוֹ:
28Moses related to Aaron all the words of God, who had dispatched him, as well as all the miraculous signs about which He had instructed him.   כחוַיַּגֵּ֤ד משֶׁה֙ לְאַ֣הֲרֹ֔ן אֵ֛ת כָּל־דִּבְרֵ֥י יְהֹוָ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר שְׁלָח֑וֹ וְאֵ֥ת כָּל־הָֽאֹתֹ֖ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוָּֽהוּ:
29So Moses and Aaron went to Egypt, and they gathered all the elders of the Israelites.   כטוַיֵּ֥לֶךְ משֶׁ֖ה וְאַֽהֲרֹ֑ן וַיַּ֣אַסְפ֔וּ אֶת־כָּל־זִקְנֵ֖י בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל:
30Aaron related all the words that God had told Moses, and performed the miraculous signs in front of the people.   לוַיְדַבֵּ֣ר אַֽהֲרֹ֔ן אֵ֚ת כָּל־הַדְּבָרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶל־משֶׁ֑ה וַיַּ֥עַשׂ הָֽאֹתֹ֖ת לְעֵינֵ֥י הָעָֽם:
31The people believed, and when they heard that God had taken note of the Israelites and that He had observed their misery, they bowed down and prostrated themselves in thanks.   לאוַיַּֽאֲמֵ֖ן הָעָ֑ם וַיִּשְׁמְע֡וּ כִּֽי־פָקַ֨ד יְהֹוָ֜ה אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל וְכִ֤י רָאָה֙ אֶת־עָנְיָ֔ם וַיִּקְּד֖וּ וַיִּשְׁתַּֽחֲוֽוּ: