ב"ה

Torah Reading for Bo

Parshat Bo
Shabbat, 3 Shevat, 5785
1 February, 2025
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Complete: (Exodus 10:1 - 13:16; Jeremiah 46:13-28)
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First Portion

Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 10

1God said to Moses, “Come to Pharaoh, for I have made him and his courtiers obstinate, so that I may demonstrate these miraculous signs of Mine in his midst,   אוַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהֹוָה֙ אֶל־משֶׁ֔ה בֹּ֖א אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֑ה כִּֽי־אֲנִ֞י הִכְבַּ֤דְתִּי אֶת־לִבּוֹ֙ וְאֶת־לֵ֣ב עֲבָדָ֔יו לְמַ֗עַן שִׁתִ֛י אֹֽתֹתַ֥י אֵ֖לֶּה בְּקִרְבּֽוֹ:
וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל־משֶׁה בֹּא אֶל־פַּרְעֹה - God said to Moses, “Come to Pharaoh - and warn him about the forthcoming plague.”   וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל־משֶׁה בֹּא אֶל־פַּרְעֹה.  וְהַתְרֵה בוֹ:
שיתי - has the same meaning as שִׂימִי – “that I may (lit.) place.”   שיתי.  שׂוּמִי – שֶׁאָשִׁית אֲנִי:
2and so that you may recount to your children and grandchildren how I made a mockery of the Egyptians and how I performed My miraculous signs among them. You will then realize that I am God.”   בוּלְמַ֡עַן תְּסַפֵּר֩ בְּאָזְנֵ֨י בִנְךָ֜ וּבֶן־בִּנְךָ֗ אֵ֣ת אֲשֶׁ֤ר הִתְעַלַּ֨לְתִּי֙ בְּמִצְרַ֔יִם וְאֶת־אֹֽתֹתַ֖י אֲשֶׁר־שַׂ֣מְתִּי בָ֑ם וִֽידַעְתֶּ֖ם כִּֽי־אֲנִ֥י יְהֹוָֽה:
הִתְעַלַּלְתִּי - means “I mocked,”. as in “because you (lit.) ridiculed (הִתְעַלַּלְתְּ) me,” 1 and “will it not be that just as He mocked (הִתְעַלֵּל) them…”, 2 which is stated in reference to Egypt. It is not an expression of action and deeds (מַעֲלָלִים), for if so, Scripture should have written עוֹלַלְתִּי, as in: וְעוֹלֵל לָמוֹ כַּאֲשֶׁר עוֹלַלְתָּ לִי “and act against them just as You acted against me”; 3 and: אֲשֶׁר עוֹלַל לִי “which befell me.” 4   הִתְעַלַּלְתִּי.  שָׂחַקְתִּי, כְּמוֹ "כִּי הִתְעַלַּלְתְּ בִּי" (במדבר כ"ב), "הֲלֹא כַּאֲשֶׁר הִתְעוֹלֵל בָּהֶם" (שמואל א' ו'), הָאָמוּר בְּמִצְרַיִם, וְאֵינוֹ לְשׁוֹן פּוֹעֵל וּמַעֲלָלִים, שֶׁאִם כֵּן הָיָה לוֹ לִכְתֹּב עוֹלַלְתִּי, כְּמוֹ "וְעוֹלֵל לָמוֹ כַּאֲשֶׁר עוֹלַלְתָּ לִי" (איכה א'), "אֲשֶׁר עוֹלַל לִי" (שם):
3So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him, “This is what God, God of the Hebrews, has said: ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Send forth My people, so they may serve Me!   גוַיָּבֹ֨א משֶׁ֣ה וְאַֽהֲרֹן֘ אֶל־פַּרְעֹה֒ וַיֹּֽאמְר֣וּ אֵלָ֗יו כֹּֽה־אָמַ֤ר יְהֹוָה֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י הָֽעִבְרִ֔ים עַד־מָתַ֣י מֵאַ֔נְתָּ לֵֽעָנֹ֖ת מִפָּנָ֑י שַׁלַּ֥ח עַמִּ֖י וְיַֽעַבְדֻֽנִי:
לֵֽעָנֹת - Its meaning is as Onkelos translates it: לְאִתְכְּנָעָא – to be humbled. It is of the same root as עָנִי “poor,” and as if the verse were saying: “you refuse to be poor and lowly before Me.”   לֵֽעָנֹת.  כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ, "לְאִתְכְּנָעָא", וְהוּא מִגִּזְרַת עָנִי – מֵאַנְתָּ לִהְיוֹת עָנִי וְשָׁפָל מִפָּנַי:
4For if you refuse to send forth My people, I will bring locusts into your territory tomorrow.   דכִּ֛י אִם־מָאֵ֥ן אַתָּ֖ה לְשַׁלֵּ֣חַ אֶת־עַמִּ֑י הִֽנְנִ֨י מֵבִ֥יא מָחָ֛ר אַרְבֶּ֖ה בִּגְבֻלֶֽךָ:
5They will cover the surface of the land, so that no one will be able to see the ground. They will consume the surviving remnant of vegetation that was left for you after the hail, and they will eat away all your trees that grow in the field.   הוְכִסָּה֙ אֶת־עֵ֣ין הָאָ֔רֶץ וְלֹ֥א יוּכַ֖ל לִרְאֹ֣ת אֶת־הָאָ֑רֶץ וְאָכַ֣ל | אֶת־יֶ֣תֶר הַפְּלֵטָ֗ה הַנִּשְׁאֶ֤רֶת לָכֶם֙ מִן־הַבָּרָ֔ד וְאָכַל֙ אֶת־כָּל־הָעֵ֔ץ הַצֹּמֵ֥חַ לָכֶ֖ם מִן־הַשָּׂדֶֽה:
אֶת־עֵין הָאָרֶץ - means: the appearance of the land.   אֶת־עֵין הָאָרֶץ.  אֶת מַרְאֵה הָאָרֶץ:
וְלֹא יוּכַל - (lit.) He will be unable - i.e., one who looks – “to see the land.” The verse speaks in an abbreviated form.   וְלֹא יוּכַל.  הָרוֹאֶה לראת את הארץ, וְלָשׁוֹן קְצָרָה דִּבֵּר:
6Your houses and all your courtiers’ houses and the houses of all the Egyptians will be filled with them—something that your fathers and your fathers’ fathers have never seen from the day they appeared on earth until this day.’” And with that they turned and left Pharaoh’s presence.   ווּמָֽלְא֨וּ בָתֶּ֜יךָ וּבָתֵּ֣י כָל־עֲבָדֶ֘יךָ֘ וּבָתֵּ֣י כָל־מִצְרַ֒יִם֒ אֲשֶׁ֨ר לֹֽא־רָא֤וּ אֲבֹתֶ֨יךָ֙ וַֽאֲב֣וֹת אֲבֹתֶ֔יךָ מִיּ֗וֹם הֱיוֹתָם֙ עַל־הָֽאֲדָמָ֔ה עַ֖ד הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה וַיִּ֥פֶן וַיֵּצֵ֖א מֵעִ֥ם פַּרְעֹֽה:
7Pharaoh’s courtiers said to him, “How long will this person continue to be a snare for us? Send the men forth and let them serve God, their God! Do you not yet realize that Egypt is ruined?”   זוַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֩ עַבְדֵ֨י פַרְעֹ֜ה אֵלָ֗יו עַד־מָתַי֙ יִֽהְיֶ֨ה זֶ֥ה לָ֨נוּ֙ לְמוֹקֵ֔שׁ שַׁלַּח֙ אֶת־הָֽאֲנָשִׁ֔ים וְיַֽעַבְד֖וּ אֶת־יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹֽהֵיהֶ֑ם הֲטֶ֣רֶם תֵּדַ֔ע כִּ֥י אָֽבְדָ֖ה מִצְרָֽיִם:
הֲטֶרֶם תֵּדַע - means: do you not yet know that Egypt is ruined?!   הֲטֶרֶם תֵּדַע.  הַעוֹד לֹא יָדַעְתָּ כִּי אָבְדָה מִצְרַיִם:
8So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh and he said to them, “Go and serve God, your God. Exactly who will be going?”   חוַיּוּשַׁ֞ב אֶת־משֶׁ֤ה וְאֶת־אַֽהֲרֹן֙ אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֔ה וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֔ם לְכ֥וּ עִבְד֖וּ אֶת־יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֑ם מִ֥י וָמִ֖י הַהֹֽלְכִֽים:
וַיּוּשַׁב - Were brought back - i.e., Moses and Aaron were brought back by a messenger; Pharaoh’s servants sent messengers after them and they brought them back to Pharaoh.   וַיּוּשַׁב.  הוּשְׁבוּ עַל יְדֵי שְׁלִיחַ, שֶׁשָּׁלְחוּ אַחֲרֵיהֶם וֶהֱשִׁיבוּם אֶל פַּרְעֹה:
9Moses replied, “We will go with our young people and with our elders; we will go with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and our cattle, for it is a festival of God for us.”   טוַיֹּ֣אמֶר משֶׁ֔ה בִּנְעָרֵ֥ינוּ וּבִזְקֵנֵ֖ינוּ נֵלֵ֑ךְ בְּבָנֵ֨ינוּ וּבִבְנוֹתֵ֜נוּ בְּצֹאנֵ֤נוּ וּבִבְקָרֵ֨נוּ֙ נֵלֵ֔ךְ כִּ֥י חַג־יְהֹוָ֖ה לָֽנוּ:
10Pharaoh said to them sarcastically, “Yes, of course! May God be with you when I send you forth with your children! But watch out! Your evil intent will backfire!   יוַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֗ם יְהִ֨י כֵ֤ן יְהֹוָה֙ עִמָּכֶ֔ם כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֛ר אֲשַׁלַּ֥ח אֶתְכֶ֖ם וְאֶת־טַפְּכֶ֑ם רְא֕וּ כִּ֥י רָעָ֖ה נֶ֥גֶד פְּנֵיכֶֽם:
כַּֽאֲשֶׁר אֲשַׁלַּח אֶתְכֶם וְאֶת־טַפְּכֶם - When I send you forth with your children - and even were I to let the sheep and cattle also go as you have said –   כַּֽאֲשֶׁר אֲשַׁלַּח אֶתְכֶם וְאֶת־טַפְּכֶם.  אַף כִּי אֲשַׁלַּח גַּם אֶת הַצֹּאן וְאֶת הַבָּקָר כַּאֲשֶׁר אֲמַרְתֶּם:
רְאוּ כִּי רָעָה נֶגֶד פְּנֵיכֶֽם - Its meaning is as Onkelos translates it: “Be aware that the evil you intend to do will turn against you. But I have heard an aggadic explanation: There is a certain star which is named Ra’ah (רָעָה – evil), and this is what Pharaoh said to them: “With my art of astrology, I see that star Ra’ah rising towards you in the desert where you are going, signifying bloodshed and slaughter.” And when the Israelites sinned with the Golden Calf and the Holy One, blessed be He, wished to kill them, Moses said in his prayer: “Why should the Egyptians say, ‘He took them out with Ra’ah (בְּרָעָה)?’” 5i.e., this is what Pharaoh had said to them then: “See that Ra’ah (רָעָה) is before you.” Immediately, “God relented concerning the Ra’ah star (הָרָעָה),” 6 and He turned the blood indicated by the star into the blood of circumcision, that Joshua had them circumcised. And this is what is meant when it says: “Today I have rolled the disgrace of Egypt off of you,” 7 for they were saying to you: “We foresee blood upon you in the desert.”   רְאוּ כִּי רָעָה נֶגֶד פְּנֵיכֶֽם.  כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ. וּמִדְרָשׁ אַגָדָה שָׁמַעְתִּי, כּוֹכָב אֶחָד יֵשׁ שֶׁשְּׁמוֹ רָעָה, אָמַר לָהֶם פַּרְעֹה, רוֹאֶה אֲנִי בָּאִצְטַגְנִינוּת שֶׁלִּי אוֹתוֹ כוֹכָב עוֹלֶה לִקְרַאתְכֶם בַּמִּדְבָּר, וְהוּא סִימַן דָּם וַהֲרִיגָה; וּכְשֶׁחָטְאוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּעֵגֶל וּבִקֵּשׁ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְהָרְגָם, אָמַר מֹשֶׁה בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ, לָמָּה יֹאמְרוּ מִצְרַיִם לֵאמֹר "בְּרָעָה" הוֹצִיאָם (שמות ל"ב), זוֹ הִיא שֶׁאָמַר לָהֶם, רְאוּ כִּי רָעָה נֶגֶד פְּנֵיכֶם; מִיָּד וַיִּנָּחֶם ה' עַל הָרָעָה וְהָפַךְ אֶת הַדָּם לְדַם מִילָה, שֶׁמָּל יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אוֹתָם, וְזֶהוּ שֶׁנֶּ' "הַיּוֹם גַּלּוֹתִי אֶת חֶרְפַּת מִצְרַיִם מֵעֲלֵיכֶם" (יהושע ה'), שֶׁהָיוּ אוֹמְרִים לָכֶם, דָּם אָנוּ רוֹאִין עֲלֵיכֶם בַּמִּדְבָּר:
11It is not at all as you say! You menfolk go and serve God, for that is what you are asking for!” And they were expelled from Pharaoh’s presence.   יאלֹ֣א כֵ֗ן לְכ֙וּ נָ֤א הַגְּבָרִים֙ וְעִבְד֣וּ אֶת־יְהֹוָ֔ה כִּ֥י אֹתָ֖הּ אַתֶּ֣ם מְבַקְשִׁ֑ים וַיְגָ֣רֶשׁ אֹתָ֔ם מֵאֵ֖ת פְּנֵ֥י פַרְעֹֽה:
לֹא כֵן - (lit.) It is not so - as you have said, to take the children with you, but only “you menfolk shall now go and serve God” –   לֹא כֵן.  כַּאֲשֶׁר אֲמַרְתֶּם לְהוֹלִיךְ הַטַּף עִמָּכֶם, אֶלָּא לכו הגברים ועבדו את ה':
כִּי אֹתָהּ אַתֶּם מְבַקְשִׁים - For that is what you are asking for - i.e., that is what you have requested until now – “Let us sacrifice to our God,” 8 and it is not the way of small children to bring sacrifices.   כִּי אֹתָהּ אַתֶּם מְבַקְשִׁים.  כִּי אוֹתָהּ בִּקַּשְׁתֶּם עַד הֵנָּה – נִזְבְּחָה לֵאלֹהֵינוּ, וְאֵין דֶּרֶךְ הַטַּף לִזְבֹּחַ:
וַיְגָרֶשׁ אותם - (lit.) He expelled them. This is an abbreviated phrase, for it does not state explicitly who was the one expelling.   וַיְגָרֶשׁ אותם.  הֲרֵי זֶה לָשׁוֹן קָצָר וְלֹא פֵּרֵשׁ מִי הַמְגָרֵשׁ:

Second Portion

Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 10

12God said to Moses, “Raise your arm over Egypt for the locusts, so that they will ascend over Egypt. They will eat all the vegetation in the land, whatever the hail left over.”   יבוַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהֹוָ֜ה אֶל־משֶׁ֗ה נְטֵ֨ה יָֽדְךָ֜ עַל־אֶ֤רֶץ מִצְרַ֨יִם֙ בָּֽאַרְבֶּ֔ה וְיַ֖עַל עַל־אֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם וְיֹאכַל֙ אֶת־כָּל־עֵ֣שֶׂב הָאָ֔רֶץ אֵ֛ת כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֥ר הִשְׁאִ֖יר הַבָּרָֽד:
בָּֽאַרְבֶּה - means: For the purpose of the plague of locusts.   בָּֽאַרְבֶּה.  בִּשְׁבִיל מַכַּת הָאַרְבֶּה:
13Moses raised his staff over Egypt, and all that day and night God directed an east wind over the land. When morning came, the east wind had carried the locusts into the country.   יגוַיֵּ֨ט משֶׁ֣ה אֶת־מַטֵּ֘הוּ֘ עַל־אֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֒יִם֒ וַֽיהֹוָ֗ה נִהַ֤ג רֽוּחַ־קָדִים֙ בָּאָ֔רֶץ כָּל־הַיּ֥וֹם הַה֖וּא וְכָל־הַלָּ֑יְלָה הַבֹּ֣קֶר הָיָ֔ה וְר֨וּחַ֙ הַקָּדִ֔ים נָשָׂ֖א אֶת־הָֽאַרְבֶּֽה:
וְרוּחַ הַקָּדִים - The east wind. It was an east wind that carried the locusts, because it blew from the Land of Israel towards Egypt, since Egypt was to the southwest of the Land of Israel, as is explained elsewhere.   וְרוּחַ הַקָּדִים.  רוּחַ מִזְרָחִית נָשָׂא אֶת הָאַרְבֶּה, לְפִי שֶׁבָּא כְּנֶגְדוֹ, שֶׁמִּצְרַיִם בִּדְרוֹמִית מַעֲרָבִית הָיְתָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁמְּפֹרָשׁ בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר:
14The locusts ascended all over Egypt and landed on all the territory of Egypt as a very severe plague; never before had there been such a plague of locusts, and never again will there be anything like it.   ידוַיַּ֣עַל הָֽאַרְבֶּ֗ה עַ֚ל כָּל־אֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם וַיָּ֕נַח בְּכֹ֖ל גְּב֣וּל מִצְרָ֑יִם כָּבֵ֣ד מְאֹ֔ד לְ֠פָנָ֠יו לֹא־הָ֨יָה כֵ֤ן אַרְבֶּה֙ כָּמֹ֔הוּ וְאַֽחֲרָ֖יו לֹ֥א יִֽהְיֶה־כֵּֽן:
וְאַֽחֲרָיו לֹא־יִֽהְיֶה־כֵן - Never again will there be anything like it. And that plague of locusts that was in the days of Joel, of which it says: “There has never been anything like it” 1from which we can learn that it was more severe than that of the days of Moses – it is so because that plague that was in the days of Joel was made up of many different kinds of locusts, for there were together the arbeh, yelek, chasil, and gazam species, but that of the days of Moses was mainly of only one kind, which caused such devastation the like of which had never been and will never be through only one species.   וְאַֽחֲרָיו לֹא־יִֽהְיֶה־כֵן.  וְאוֹתוֹ שֶׁהָיָה בִימֵי יוֹאֵל שֶׁנֶּ' "כָּמוֹהוּ לֹא נִהְיָה מִן הָעוֹלָם" (יואל ב'), לָמַדְנוּ שֶׁהָיָה כָּבֵד מִשֶּׁל מֹשֶׁה. (אוֹתוֹ שֶׁל יוֹאֵל הָיָה) עַל יְדֵי מִינִין הַרְבֵּה, שֶׁהָיוּ יַחַד אַרְבֶּה, יֶלֶק, חָסִיל, גָּזָם, אֲבָל שֶׁל מֹשֶׁה לֹא הָיָה אֶלָּא מִין אֶחָד, וְכָמוֹהוּ לֹא הָיָה וְלֹא יִהְיֶה:
15They covered the entire surface of the land so that the land became dark. They ate up all the vegetation of the land and all the fruit of the trees that the hail had left over; no foliage was left on the trees or among the vegetation of the field all throughout Egypt.   טווַיְכַ֞ס אֶת־עֵ֣ין כָּל־הָאָ֘רֶץ֘ וַתֶּחְשַׁ֣ךְ הָאָ֒רֶץ֒ וַיֹּ֜אכַל אֶת־כָּל־עֵ֣שֶׂב הָאָ֗רֶץ וְאֵת֙ כָּל־פְּרִ֣י הָעֵ֔ץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר הוֹתִ֖יר הַבָּרָ֑ד וְלֹֽא־נוֹתַ֨ר כָּל־יֶ֧רֶק בָּעֵ֛ץ וּבְעֵ֥שֶׂב הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה בְּכָל־אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם:
כָּל־יֶרֶק - means: green leaf; “verdure” in Old French (“greenery”).   כָּל־יֶרֶק.  עָלֶה יָרֹק, וירדו"רא בְּלַעַז:
16Pharaoh hastily summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “I have sinned against God, your God, and against you.   טזוַיְמַהֵ֣ר פַּרְעֹ֔ה לִקְרֹ֖א לְמשֶׁ֣ה וּלְאַֽהֲרֹ֑ן וַיֹּ֗אמֶר חָטָ֛אתִי לַֽיהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֖ם וְלָכֶֽם:
17So now, please forgive my offense just this once, and entreat God, your God, just to remove this death from me!”   יזוְעַתָּ֗ה שָׂ֣א נָ֤א חַטָּאתִי֙ אַ֣ךְ הַפַּ֔עַם וְהַעְתִּ֖ירוּ לַֽיהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֑ם וְיָסֵר֙ מֵֽעָלַ֔י רַ֖ק אֶת־הַמָּ֥וֶת הַזֶּֽה:
18Moses and Aaron left Pharaoh’s presence and Moses pleaded with God.   יחוַיֵּצֵ֖א מֵעִ֣ם פַּרְעֹ֑ה וַיֶּעְתַּ֖ר אֶל־יְהֹוָֽה:
19God thereupon reversed the wind direction, causing a very strong west wind to blow, and it carried away the locusts and plunged them into the Sea of Reeds. Not a single locust remained within all Egypt’s borders.   יטוַיַּֽהֲפֹ֨ךְ יְהֹוָ֤ה רֽוּחַ־יָם֙ חָזָ֣ק מְאֹ֔ד וַיִּשָּׂא֙ אֶת־הָ֣אַרְבֶּ֔ה וַיִּתְקָעֵ֖הוּ יָ֣מָּה סּ֑וּף לֹ֤א נִשְׁאַר֙ אַרְבֶּ֣ה אֶחָ֔ד בְּכֹ֖ל גְּב֥וּל מִצְרָֽיִם:
רֽוּחַ־יָם - means: A west wind   רֽוּחַ־יָם.  רוּחַ מַעֲרָבִי:
יָמָּה סּוּף - Into the Sea of Reeds. I am of the opinion that the Sea of Reeds was partially to the west, along the entire southern side, and also to the east of the Land of Israel. Thus the west wind plunged the locusts into the Sea of Reeds opposite the land of Egypt to the east. And so too we find regarding the borders of the Land of Israel, that the Sea of Reeds turns towards the eastern side of the Land, as it says: “from the Sea of Reeds to the Philistine Sea,” 2 i.e., from the east to west, for the Philistine Sea was to the west, as it says about the Philistines: “inhabitants of the sea coast, the nation of Kerethites.” 3   יָמָּה סּוּף.  אוֹמֵר אֲנִי שֶׁיַּם סוּף הָיָה מִקְצָתוֹ בַּמַּעֲרָב, כְּנֶגֶד כָּל רוּחַ דְּרוֹמִית, וְגַם בְּמִזְרָחָה שֶׁל אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, לְפִיכָךְ רוּחַ יָם תְּקָעוֹ לָאַרְבֶּה בְּיָמָּה סוּף כְּנֶגְדּוֹ. וְכֵן מָצִינוּ לְעִנְיַן תְּחוּמִין שֶׁהוּא פּוֹנֶה לְצַד מִזְרָח, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "מִיַּם סוּף וְעַד יָם פְּלִשְׁתִּים" (לקמן כג לא) מִמִּזְרָח לְמַעֲרָב, שֶׁיָּם פְּלִשְׁתִּים בַּמַּעֲרָב הָיָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בַּפְּלִשְׁתִּים "יוֹשְׁבֵי חֶבֶל הַיָּם גּוֹי כְּרֵתִים" (צפניה ב'):
לֹא נִשְׁאַר אַרְבֶּה אֶחָד - Not a single locust remained - not even those that were salted, i.e., those of them that the Egyptians had salted.   לֹא נִשְׁאַר אַרְבֶּה אֶחָד.  אַף הַמְּלוּחִים שֶׁמָּלְחוּ מֵהֶם:
20God made Pharaoh stubborn, and he did not send forth the Israelites.   כוַיְחַזֵּ֥ק יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶת־לֵ֣ב פַּרְעֹ֑ה וְלֹ֥א שִׁלַּ֖ח אֶת־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל:
21God said to Moses, “Raise your hand toward the sky so that there will be darkness by day upon Egypt, and the darkness at night will be darker still. Later, the darkness will become palpable.”   כאוַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהֹוָ֜ה אֶל־משֶׁ֗ה נְטֵ֤ה יָֽדְךָ֙ עַל־הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וִ֥יהִי ח֖שֶׁךְ עַל־אֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם וְיָמֵ֖שׁ חֽשֶׁךְ:
וְיָמֵשׁ חשֶׁךְ - means: “darkness shall become darker for them more than the darkness of night,” i.e., the darkness of night shall become deeper and darker.   וְיָמֵשׁ חשֶׁךְ.  וְיַחֲשִׁיךְ עֲלֵיהֶם חֹשֶׁךְ יוֹתֵר מֵחֶשְׁכּוֹ שֶׁל לַיְלָה, חֹשֶׁךְ שֶׁל לַיְלָה יַאֲמִישׁ וְיַחֲשִׁיךְ עוֹד:
וְיָמֵשׁ - is the equivalent of וְיַאֲמֵשׁ “it shall become dark.” We find many words in which an א is omitted, for since the sound of the א is not so pronounced, Scripture is not particular about omitting it; for instance: וְלֹא יַהֵל שָׁם עֲרָבִי, 4 where לֹא יַהֵל is the same as לֹא יַאֲהֵל, meaning: “he will not set up his tent”; and similarly: וַתַּזְרֵנִי חַיִל “You girded me with strength,” 5 where וַתַּזְרֵנִי is the same as וַתְּאַזְּרֵנִי. But Onkelos translated וְיָמֵשׁ in the sense of “removing,” similar to לֹא יָמִישׁ “He did not remove” 6בָּתַר דְּיֶעְדֵּי קְבַל לֵילְיָא “after the darkness of night has departed,” i.e., when it is nearly daybreak. However, according to his translation, the statement does not fit in with the ו of וְיָמֵשׁ, since it is written after “there will be darkness.” And the aggadic explanation interprets וְיָמֵשׁ in the sense of מְמַשֵּׁשׁ בַּצָּהֳרַיִם “groping at midday,” 7 i.e., the darkness was double and redoubled, and so thick that it was palpable (מַמָּשׁ).   וְיָמֵשׁ.  כְּמוֹ וְיַאֲמֵשׁ; יֵשׁ לָנוּ תֵבוֹת הַרְבֵּה חֲסֵרוֹת אָלֶ"ף, לְפִי שֶׁאֵין הֲבָרַת הָאָלֶ"ף נִכֶּרֶת כָּל כָּךְ, אֵין הַכָּתוּב מַקְפִּיד עַל חֶסְרוֹנָהּ, כְּגוֹן "וְלֹא יַהֵל שָׁם עֲרָבִי" (ישעיהו י"ג), כְּמוֹ לֹא יַאֲהֵל – לֹא יַטֶּה אָהֳלוֹ, וְכֵן "וַתַּזְרֵנִי חַיִל" (שמואל ב' כ"ב), כְּמוֹ וַתְּאַזְּרֵנִי; וְאֻנְקְלוֹס תִּרְגֵּם לְשׁוֹן הֲסָרָה, כְּמוֹ לֹא יָמוּשׁ; "בָּתַר דְּיֶעְדֵּי קְבַל לֵילְיָא" – כְּשֶׁיַּגִּיעַ סָמוּךְ לְאוֹר הַיּוֹם; אֲבָל אֵין הַדִּבּוּר מְיֻשָּׁב עַל הַוָּי"ו שֶׁל וְיָמֵשׁ, לְפִי שֶׁהוּא כָתוּב אַחַר וִיהִי חֹשֶׁךְ. וּמִקְרָא אַחֵר פּוֹתְרוֹ לְשׁוֹן "מְמַשֵּׁשׁ בַּצָּהֳרַיִם" (דברים כ"ח), שֶׁהָיָה כָפוּל וּמְכֻפָּל וְעָב עַד שֶׁהָיָה בוֹ מַמָּשׁ:
22So Moses raised his hand toward the sky. There was an opaque darkness in all Egypt for three days.   כבוַיֵּ֥ט משֶׁ֛ה אֶת־יָד֖וֹ עַל־הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם וַיְהִ֧י חֽשֶׁךְ־אֲפֵלָ֛ה בְּכָל־אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרַ֖יִם שְׁל֥שֶׁת יָמִֽים:
שְׁלשֶׁת יָמִֽים - There was an opaque darkness…for three days…. i.e., חֹשֶׁךְ שֶׁל אֹפֶל (lit. “darkness of intense darkness”), that “no man could see his brother” for those three days, and a further three days of darkness with a greater intensity, that “no one could rise from his place” – he who was sitting could not stand up, and he who was standing could not sit down. And why did God bring darkness upon the Egyptians? For there were in that generation wicked people among Israel who did not want to leave Egypt, and they died in the three days of thick darkness so that the Egyptians not see their downfall and say: “They are also being smitten like us.” Another reason is that the Israelites searched the Egyptians’ houses during the darkness and saw all their utensils; and when the Israelites left Egypt and asked the Egyptians for utensils and they replied, “We have nothing,” the Israelite would respond, “I have seen it in your house, and it is in such and such a place.”   וַיְהִי חֽשֶׁךְ־אפלה: שְׁלשֶׁת יָמִֽים.  חֹשֶׁךְ שֶׁל אֹפֶל, שֶׁלֹּא רָאוּ אִישׁ אֶת אָחִיו אוֹתָן ג' יָמִים. וְעוֹד שְׁלוֹשֶׁת יָמִים אֲחֵרִים חֹשֶׁךְ מֻכְפָּל עַל זֶה, שֶׁלֹּא קָמוּ אִישׁ מִתַּחְתָּיו – יוֹשֵׁב אֵין יָכוֹל לַעֲמֹד, וְעוֹמֵד אֵין יָכוֹל לֵישֵׁב; וְלָמָּה הֵבִיא עֲלֵיהֶם חֹשֶׁךְ? שֶׁהָיוּ בְיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּאוֹתוֹ הַדּוֹר רְשָׁעִים וְלֹא הָיוּ רוֹצִים לָצֵאת, וּמֵתוּ בִשְׁלוֹשֶׁת יְמֵי אֲפֵלָה, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יִרְאוּ מִצְרִיִּים בְּמַפַּלְתָּם וְיֹאמְרוּ, אַף הֵם לוֹקִים כָּמוֹנוּ. וְעוֹד, שֶׁחִפְּשׂוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל וְרָאוּ אֶת כְּלֵיהֶם, וּכְשֶׁיָּצְאוּ וְהָיוּ שׁוֹאֲלִים מֵהֶן וְהָיוּ אוֹמְרִים אֵין בְּיָדֵנוּ כְלוּם, אוֹמֵר לוֹ, אֲנִי רְאִיתִיו בְּבֵיתְךָ, וּבְמָקוֹם פְּלוֹנִי הוּא (שמות רבה):
וַיְהִי חֽשֶׁךְ־אפלה: שְׁלשֶׁת יָמִֽים - means “a group of three days”; “terzeyne” in Old French. And similarly wherever it says שִׁבְעַת יָמִים its meaning is: a “seteyne” (group of seven) of days.   שְׁלשֶׁת יָמִֽים.  שִׁלּוּשׁ שֶׁל יָמִים, טרציינ"א בְּלַעַז, וְכֵן שִׁבְעַת יָמִים בְּכָל מָקוֹם שטיי"נא שֶׁל יָמִים:
23No Egyptian man could see his brother. For the next three days, no Egyptian could rise from his place. There was light for all the Israelites in their dwellings.   כגלֹֽא־רָא֞וּ אִ֣ישׁ אֶת־אָחִ֗יו וְלֹא־קָ֛מוּ אִ֥ישׁ מִתַּחְתָּ֖יו שְׁל֣שֶׁת יָמִ֑ים וּלְכָל־בְּנֵ֧י יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל הָ֥יָה א֖וֹר בְּמֽוֹשְׁבֹתָֽם:

Third Portion

Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 10

24Pharaoh called for Moses and said, “Go, serve God—only your flocks and cattle must remain behind. Even your children may go with you.”   כדוַיִּקְרָ֨א פַרְעֹ֜ה אֶל־משֶׁ֗ה וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ לְכוּ֙ עִבְד֣וּ אֶת־יְהֹוָ֔ה רַ֛ק צֹֽאנְכֶ֥ם וּבְקַרְכֶ֖ם יֻצָּ֑ג גַּם־טַפְּכֶ֖ם יֵלֵ֥ךְ עִמָּכֶֽם:
יֻצָּג - means “will remain positioned in its place.”   יֻצָּג.  יְהֵא מֻצָּג בִּמְקוֹמוֹ:
25Moses replied, “You will even provide us with animals for feast-offerings and ascent-offerings so that we may offer them up to God, our God.   כהוַיֹּ֣אמֶר משֶׁ֔ה גַּם־אַתָּ֛ה תִּתֵּ֥ן בְּיָדֵ֖נוּ זְבָחִ֣ים וְעֹלֹ֑ת וְעָשִׂ֖ינוּ לַֽיהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ:
גַּם־אַתָּה תִּתֵּן - You will even provide - i.e., it will not be enough for you that our livestock will go with us, but you will also give us some of yours.   גַּם־אַתָּה תִּתֵּן.  לֹא דַּיְּךָ שֶׁמִּקְנֵנוּ יֵלֵךְ עִמָּנוּ אֶלָּא גַּם מִשֶּׁלְּךָ תִּתֵּן:
26Our livestock will also go along with us: not a hoof will remain. For we will take from them to serve God, our God, and we will not know with what we will serve God until we arrive there.”   כווְגַם־מִקְנֵ֜נוּ יֵלֵ֣ךְ עִמָּ֗נוּ לֹ֤א תִשָּׁאֵר֙ פַּרְסָ֔ה כִּ֚י מִמֶּ֣נּוּ נִקַּ֔ח לַֽעֲבֹ֖ד אֶת־יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ וַֽאֲנַ֣חְנוּ לֹֽא־נֵדַ֗ע מַה־נַּֽעֲבֹד֙ אֶת־יְהֹוָ֔ה עַד־בֹּאֵ֖נוּ שָֽׁמָּה:
פַּרְסָה - is the sole of the foot; “plante” in Old French.   פַּרְסָה.  פַּרְסַת רֶגֶל, פלנ"טא בְּלַעַז:
לֹא נֵדַע מַה־נַּֽעֲבֹד - We will not know (lit.) what we will serve - i.e., how heavy the required service will be; perhaps God will ask of us to offer more sacrifices than the amount of animals we have with us.   לֹא נֵדַע מַה־נַּֽעֲבֹד.  כַּמָּה תִּכְבַּד הָעֲבוֹדָה, שֶׁמָּא יִשְׁאַל יוֹתֵר מִמַּה שֶּׁיֵּשׁ בְּיָדֵנוּ:
27Yet God made Pharaoh stubborn, and he was not willing to send forth the people.   כזוַיְחַזֵּ֥ק יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶת־לֵ֣ב פַּרְעֹ֑ה וְלֹ֥א אָבָ֖ה לְשַׁלְּחָֽם:
28Pharaoh then said to him, “Leave my presence! Take care never to see my face again, for the day you see my face you will die!”   כחוַיֹּֽאמֶר־ל֥וֹ פַרְעֹ֖ה לֵ֣ךְ מֵֽעָלָ֑י הִשָּׁ֣מֶר לְךָ֗ אַל־תֹּ֨סֶף֙ רְא֣וֹת פָּנַ֔י כִּ֗י בְּי֛וֹם רְאֹֽתְךָ֥ פָנַ֖י תָּמֽוּת:
29Moses replied, “You have spoken rightly; I will never see your face again.”   כטוַיֹּ֥אמֶר משֶׁ֖ה כֵּ֣ן דִּבַּ֑רְתָּ לֹֽא־אֹסִ֥ף ע֖וֹד רְא֥וֹת פָּנֶֽיךָ:
כֵּן דִּבַּרְתָּ - You have spoken rightly - i.e., you have spoken well and have spoken at the right time; it is true that I will not appear before you again.   כֵּן דִּבַּרְתָּ.  יָפֶה דִּבַּרְתָּ וּבִזְמַנּוֹ דִּבַּרְתָּ. אֱמֶת שֶׁלֹּא אוֹסִיף עוֹד רְאוֹת פָּנֶיךָ (מכילתא ושמות רבה):

Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 11

1God said to Moses, “I will send one more plague upon Pharaoh and Egypt. After that, he will send you forth from this place. And when he sends you forth, he will drive you all out of here.   אוַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהֹוָ֜ה אֶל־משֶׁ֗ה ע֣וֹד נֶ֤גַע אֶחָד֙ אָבִ֤יא עַל־פַּרְעֹה֙ וְעַל־מִצְרַ֔יִם אַֽחֲרֵי־כֵ֕ן יְשַׁלַּ֥ח אֶתְכֶ֖ם מִזֶּ֑ה כְּשַׁ֨לְּח֔וֹ כָּלָ֕ה גָּרֵ֛שׁ יְגָרֵ֥שׁ אֶתְכֶ֖ם מִזֶּֽה:
כָּלָה - Its meaning is as Onkelos translates it: גְּמֵירָא – completely; i.e., he will release all of you.   כָּלָה.  גְּמֵירָא; כָּלִיל, כֻּלְּכֶם יְשַׁלַּח:
2Please speak to the people and let them ask to borrow—each man from his friend and every woman from her friend—items of silver and gold.”   בדַּבֶּר־נָ֖א בְּאָזְנֵ֣י הָעָ֑ם וְיִשְׁאֲל֞וּ אִ֣ישׁ | מֵאֵ֣ת רֵעֵ֗הוּ וְאִשָּׁה֙ מֵאֵ֣ת רְעוּתָ֔הּ כְּלֵי־כֶ֖סֶף וּכְלֵ֥י זָהָֽב:
דַּבֶּר־נָא - Please speak. The word נָא is none other than an expression of request: I request of you to charge them with this so that the righteous man, Abraham, not say: God’s promise “and they will enslave them and oppress them” 1 He fulfilled for them, but His promise “and after that they will leave with great wealth” 2 He did not fulfill for them!   דַּבֶּר־נָא.  אֵין נָא אֶלָּא לְשׁוֹן בַּקָּשָׁה, בְּבַקָּשָׁה מִמְּךָ הַזְהִירֵם עַל כָּךְ, שֶׁלֹּא יֹאמַר אוֹתוֹ צַדִּיק אַבְרָהָם "וַעֲבָדוּם וְעִנּוּ אוֹתָם" (בראשית ט"ו), קִיֵּם בָּהֶם, "וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן יֵצְאוּ בִּרְכֻשׁ גָּדוֹל" (שם), לֹא קִיֵּם בָּהֶם:
3God made the Egyptians regard the people favorably. Moreover, by this time, Moses himself was highly esteemed in Egypt, both by Pharaoh’s courtiers and by the people.   גוַיִּתֵּ֧ן יְהֹוָ֛ה אֶת־חֵ֥ן הָעָ֖ם בְּעֵינֵ֣י מִצְרָ֑יִם גַּ֣ם | הָאִ֣ישׁ משֶׁ֗ה גָּד֤וֹל מְאֹד֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם בְּעֵינֵ֥י עַבְדֵֽי־פַרְעֹ֖ה וּבְעֵינֵ֥י הָעָֽם:

Fourth Portion

Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 11

4Moses said to Pharaoh, “This is what God has said: ‘Exactly at midnight, I will go forth in the midst of Egypt.   דוַיֹּ֣אמֶר משֶׁ֔ה כֹּ֖ה אָמַ֣ר יְהֹוָ֑ה כַּֽחֲצֹ֣ת הַלַּ֔יְלָה אֲנִ֥י יוֹצֵ֖א בְּת֥וֹךְ מִצְרָֽיִם:
וַיֹּאמֶר משֶׁה כֹּה אָמַר ה' - Moses said, “This is what God has said.”. This prophecy was said to Moses when he was still standing before Pharaoh after the plague of darkness, for once he had left Pharaoh’s presence, he did not appear before him again.   וַיֹּאמֶר משֶׁה כֹּה אָמַר ה'.  בְּעָמְדוֹ לִפְנֵי פַרְעֹה נֶאֶמְרָה לוֹ נְבוּאָה זוֹ, שֶׁהֲרֵי מִשֶּׁיָּצָא מִלְּפָנָיו לֹא הוֹסִיף רְאוֹת פָּנָיו:
כַּֽחֲצֹת הַלַּיְלָה - means: at the exact point when the night is divided. כַּחֲצֹת is a grammatical form similar to כַּעֲלוֹת “as it rose,” 1 and בַּחֲרוֹת אַפָּם בָּנוּ “when their anger is kindled against us.” 2 This is its straightforward meaning, to explain it according to its plain sense that חֲצוֹת is not a noun meaning “half.” Our rabbis, 3 however, did explain it as being the same as כַּחֲצִי הַלַּיְלָה “at about half the night,” and they said that Moses said to Pharaoh: כַּחֲצוֹת “at about midnight,” implying close to it, either before or after, and he did not say: בַּחֲצוֹת “at midnight,” in case Pharaoh’s astrologers would miscalculate the precise moment of midnight and as a result say: “Moses is a liar.” But the Holy One, blessed be He, who knows His times and moments, said “at midnight.”   כַּֽחֲצֹת הַלַּיְלָה.  כְּהֵחָלֵק הַלַּיְלָה, כַּֽחֲצֹת כְּמוֹ "בַּעֲלוֹת" (מלכים א י"ח), "בַּחֲרוֹת אַפָּם בָּנוּ" (תהילים קכ"ד), זֶהוּ פְּשׁוּטוֹ לְיַשְּׁבוֹ עַל אָפְנָיו, שֶׁאֵין חֲצוֹת שֵׁם דָּבָר שֶׁל חֲצִי. וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ דְרָשׁוּהוּ כְּמוֹ כַּחֲצִי הַלַּיְלָה, וְאָמְרוּ שֶׁאָמַר מֹשֶׁה "כַּחֲצוֹת", שֶׁמַּשְׁמַע סָמוּךְ לוֹ, אוֹ לְפָנָיו אוֹ לְאַחֲרָיו, וְלֹא אָמַר "בַּחֲצוֹת", שֶׁמָּא יִטְעוּ אִצְטַגְנִינֵי פַרְעֹה וְיֹאמְרוּ מֹשֶׁה בַּדַּאי הוּא (ברכות ד'):
5Every firstborn in Egypt will die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh sitting on his throne to the firstborn of the maidservant behind the millstones, as well as every firstborn animal.   הוּמֵ֣ת כָּל־בְּכוֹר֘ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֒יִם֒ מִבְּכ֤וֹר פַּרְעֹה֙ הַיּשֵׁ֣ב עַל־כִּסְא֔וֹ עַ֚ד בְּכ֣וֹר הַשִּׁפְחָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֖ר אַחַ֣ר הָֽרֵחָ֑יִם וְכֹ֖ל בְּכ֥וֹר בְּהֵמָֽה:
עַד בְּכוֹר השבי - To the firstborn of the prisoner. Why were the prisoners smitten, since they had not enslaved Israel? In order that they not say that their deity claimed retribution for their humiliation and brought punishment upon the Egyptians.   עַד בְּכוֹר השבי.  לָמָּה לָקוּ הַשְּׁבוּיִים? כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יֹאמְרוּ, יִרְאָתָם תָּבְעָה עֶלְבּוֹנָם וְהֵבִיאָה פֻּרְעָנוּת עַל מִצְרַיִם:
מִבְּכוֹר פַּרְעֹה עַד בְּכוֹר הַשִּׁפְחָה - From Pharaoh’s firstborn…to the firstborn of the maidservant. This means that all those who were of lesser status than Pharaoh’s firstborn and of higher status than the maidservant’s firstborn were included. And why were the maidservants’ children punished? Because they, too, mistreated the Israelites and rejoiced at their suffering.   מִבְּכוֹר פַּרְעֹה עַד בְּכוֹר הַשִּׁפְחָה.  כָּל הַפְּחוּתִים מִבְּכוֹר פַּרְעֹה וַחֲשׁוּבִים מִבְּכוֹר הַשִּׁפְחָה הָיוּ בִּכְלָל; וְלָמָּה לָקוּ בְּנֵי הַשְּׁפָחוֹת? שֶׁאַף הֵם הָיוּ מְשַׁעְבְּדִים בָּהֶם וּשְׂמֵחִים בְּצָרָתָם:
וְכֹל בְּכוֹר בְּהֵמָֽה - And every firstborn animal. They died because the Egyptians worshiped them, and when the Holy One, blessed be He, punishes a nation, He punishes its deities at the same time.   וְכֹל בְּכוֹר בְּהֵמָֽה.  לְפִי שֶׁהָיוּ עוֹבְדִין לָהּ. כְּשֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא נִפְרָע מִן הָאֻמָּה, נִפְרָע מֵאֱלֹהֶיהָ:
6There will be a great outcry throughout all Egypt, such as never has been and never will be again.   ווְהָֽיְתָ֛ה צְעָקָ֥ה גְדֹלָ֖ה בְּכָל־אֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם אֲשֶׁ֤ר כָּמֹ֨הוּ֙ לֹ֣א נִֽהְיָ֔תָה וְכָמֹ֖הוּ לֹ֥א תֹסִֽף:
7But among the Israelites, no dog will whet its tongue against any person or any beast, in order that you may know that God is differentiating between the Egyptians and the Israelites.’   זוּלְכֹ֣ל | בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל לֹ֤א יֶֽחֱרַץ־כֶּ֨לֶב֙ לְשֹׁנ֔וֹ לְמֵאִ֖ישׁ וְעַד־בְּהֵמָ֑ה לְמַ֨עַן֙ תֵּֽדְע֔וּן אֲשֶׁר֙ יַפְלֶ֣ה יְהֹוָ֔ה בֵּ֥ין מִצְרַ֖יִם וּבֵ֥ין יִשְׂרָאֵֽל:
לֹא יֶֽחֱרַץ־כֶּלֶב לשונו - I am of the opinion that the word יֶחֱרַץ has the connotation of sharpening, i.e., לֹא יֶחֱרַץ means: “it will not whet its tongue.” And similarly we find לֹא חָרַץ לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְאִישׁ אֶת לְשֹׁנוֹ, 4 meaning “no one whetted his tongue against any man of the Israelites,” and אָז תֶּחֱרַץthen you will yell” 5 means “emit a sharp sound,” and לְמוֹרַג חָרוּץ 6 means “a sharp threshing disk,” and “the thoughts of a חָרוּץ7 meansof a clever and sharp man,” and “the hand of חֲרוּצִים makes them rich” 8 meansof sharp ones,” i.e., astute merchants.   לֹא יֶֽחֱרַץ־כֶּלֶב לשונו.  אוֹמֵר אֲנִי שֶׁהוּא לְשׁוֹן שִׁנּוּן – לֹא יְשַׁנֵּן, וְכֵן "לֹא חָרַץ לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְאִישׁ אֶת לְשׁוֹנוֹ" (יהושע י') – לֹא שִׁנֵּן, "אָז תֶּחֱרַץ" (שמואל ב ה׳:כ״ד) – תִּשְׁתַּנֵּן, "לְמוֹרַג חָרוּץ" (ישעיהו מ"א) – שָׁנוּן, "מַחְשְׁבוֹת חָרוּץ" (משלי כ"א) – אָדָם חָרִיף וְשָׁנוּן, "וְיַד חֲרוּצִים תַּעֲשִׁיר" (שם י') – חֲרִיפִים, סוֹחֲרִים שְׁנוּנִים:
אֲשֶׁר יַפְלֶה - meansthat He will differentiate.”   אֲשֶׁר יַפְלֶה.  יַבְדִּיל:
8All these courtiers of yours will then come down and prostrate themselves before me and say, ‘Leave, you and all the people who follow your counsel!’ After that I will leave with all my people.” He left Pharaoh’s presence indignantly.   חוְיָֽרְד֣וּ כָל־עֲבָדֶ֩יךָ֩ אֵ֨לֶּה אֵלַ֜י וְהִשְׁתַּֽחֲווּ־לִ֣י לֵאמֹ֗ר צֵ֤א אַתָּה֙ וְכָל־הָעָ֣ם אֲשֶׁר־בְּרַגְלֶ֔יךָ וְאַֽחֲרֵי־כֵ֖ן אֵצֵ֑א וַיֵּצֵ֥א מֵֽעִם־פַּרְעֹ֖ה בָּֽחֳרִי־אָֽף:
וְיָֽרְדוּ כָל־עֲבָדֶיךָ - All these courtiers of yours will then come down. Moses showed respect for royalty, for ultimately Pharaoh himself came down to him at night “and said, ‘Get up and get out from among my people,’” 9 yet Moses did not say to him beforehand, “You will then come to me and prostrate yourself before me.”   וְיָֽרְדוּ כָל־עֲבָדֶיךָ.  חָלַק כָּבוֹד לַמַּלְכוּת, שֶׁהֲרֵי בַּסּוֹף יָרַד פַּרְעֹה בְּעַצְמוֹ אֵלָיו בַּלַּיְלָה "וַיֹּאמֶר קוּמוּ צְּאוּ מִתּוֹךְ עַמִּי" (שמות י"ב), וְלֹא אָמַר לוֹ מֹשֶׁה מִתְּחִלָּה וְיָרַדְתָּ אֵלַי וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוִיתָ לִי:
אֲשֶׁר־בְּרַגְלֶיךָ - (lit., “who are at your feet”). means “who follow your advice and ways.”   אֲשֶׁר־בְּרַגְלֶיךָ.  הַהוֹלְכִים אַחַר עֲצָתְךָ וְהִלּוּכְךָ:
וְאַֽחֲרֵי־כֵן אֵצֵא - And after that I will leave - with the entire people, from your land.   וְאַֽחֲרֵי־כֵן אֵצֵא.  עִם כָּל הָעָם מֵאַרְצְךָ:
וַיֵּצֵא מֵֽעִם־פַּרְעֹה - He left Pharaoh’s presence - i.e., when he had finished his words, he left Pharaoh’s presence.   וַיֵּצֵא מֵֽעִם־פַּרְעֹה.  כְּשֶׁגָּמַר דְּבָרָיו, יָצָא מִלְּפָנָיו:
בָּֽחֳרִי־אָֽף - Indignantly - regarding that which Pharaoh had said to him, “Never see my face again.” 10   בָּֽחֳרִי־אָֽף.  עַל שֶׁאָמַר לוֹ "אַל תֹּסֶף רְאוֹת פָּנַי" (שמות י'):
9God then said to Moses, “Pharaoh will not listen to you, in order that My marvels may be multiplied in Egypt.”   טוַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהֹוָה֙ אֶל־משֶׁ֔ה לֹֽא־יִשְׁמַ֥ע אֲלֵיכֶ֖ם פַּרְעֹ֑ה לְמַ֛עַן רְב֥וֹת מֽוֹפְתַ֖י בְּאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם:
לְמַעַן רְבוֹת מֽוֹפְתַי - In order that My marvels may be multiplied. “My marvels” in the plural indicates a minimum of two, and “multiply” indicates an additional one, making three. This refers to the plague of the firstborn, the splitting of the Sea of Reeds, and the tossing about of the Egyptians in it.   לְמַעַן רְבוֹת מֽוֹפְתַי.  מַכַּת בְּכוֹרוֹת וּקְרִיעַת יַם סוּף וּלְנַעֵר אֶת מִצְרַיִם:
10Moses and Aaron had performed all these marvels before Pharaoh, but God made Pharaoh stubborn, so he did not send forth the Israelites from his land.   יוּמשֶׁ֣ה וְאַֽהֲרֹ֗ן עָשׂ֛וּ אֶת־כָּל־הַמֹּֽפְתִ֥ים הָאֵ֖לֶּה לִפְנֵ֣י פַרְעֹ֑ה וַיְחַזֵּ֤ק יְהֹוָה֙ אֶת־לֵ֣ב פַּרְעֹ֔ה וְלֹֽא־שִׁלַּ֥ח אֶת־בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מֵֽאַרְצֽוֹ:
משה וְאַֽהֲרֹן עָשׂוּ וגו' - Moses and Aaron had performed… The Torah already wrote this in the description of all the preceding marvels, and it only repeats it here in order to juxtapose it with the following passage.   משה וְאַֽהֲרֹן עָשׂוּ וגו'.  כְּבָר כָּתַב לָנוּ זֹאת בְּכָל הַמּוֹפְתִים, וְלֹא שְׁנָאָהּ כָּאן אֶלָּא בִּשְׁבִיל לְסָמְכָהּ לַפָּרָשָׁה שֶׁלְּאַחֲרֶיהָ:

Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 12

1God said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, showing them the new moon:   אוַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהֹוָה֙ אֶל־משֶׁ֣ה וְאֶל־אַֽהֲרֹ֔ן בְּאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרַ֖יִם לֵאמֹֽר:
וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל־משֶׁה וְאֶל־אַֽהֲרֹן - God said to Moses and Aaron. Since Aaron had acted and exerted himself in performing the marvels like Moses, God accorded him this honor in the first commandment given to Israel as a people by including him with Moses in the statement of this commandment.   וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל־משֶׁה וְאֶל־אַֽהֲרֹן.  בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁאַהֲרֹן עָשָׂה וְטָרַח בַּמּוֹפְתִים כְּמֹשֶׁה, חָלַק לוֹ כָּבוֹד זֶה בְּמִצְוָה רִאשׁוֹנָה, שֶׁכְּלָלוֹ עִם מֹשֶׁה בַּדִּבּוּר:
בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם - In Egypt - outside the city. Or perhaps you might think that it was indeed inside the city? Scripture states elsewhere: “When I go out of the city, I will spread out my hands in prayer to God.” 11 Now, if a prayer, which is of relatively minor importance, Moses did not pray inside the city, a Divine utterance, which is more significant, was all the more so not spoken inside the city. And why indeed did God not communicate with Moses inside the city? Because it was full of idols.   בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם.  חוּץ לַכְּרַךְ, אוֹ אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא בְּתוֹךְ הַכְּרַךְ? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמָר (לעיל ט כט) "כְּצֵאתִי אֶת הָעִיר וְגוֹ'", וּמַה תְּפִלָּה קַלָּה לֹא הִתְפַּלֵּל בְּתוֹךְ הַכְּרַךְ, דִּבּוּר חָמוּר לֹא כָּל שֶׁכֵּן. וּמִפְּנֵי מָה לֹא נִדְבַּר עִמּוֹ בְּתוֹךְ הַכְּרַךְ? לְפִי שֶׁהָיְתָה מְלֵאָה גִלּוּלִים:
2“This stage of the moon’s monthly renewal will signal the beginning of every new month. This month, Nisan, must be for you the beginning of the months; it must be for you the first of the months of the year.   בהַחֹ֧דֶשׁ הַזֶּ֛ה לָכֶ֖ם רֹ֣אשׁ חֳדָשִׁ֑ים רִאשׁ֥וֹן הוּא֙ לָכֶ֔ם לְחָדְשֵׁ֖י הַשָּׁנָֽה:
הַחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה - This month. God showed Moses the moon in its renewal (בְּחִדּוּשָׁהּ) and said to him, “When the moon renews itself (מִתְחַדֵּשׁ) like this, it will be for you the beginning of the month.” Additionally, Scripture does not depart from its straightforward meaning: Concerning the month of Nisan God said to Moses, “This month must begin the sequence of numbering the months, that the following month, Iyar, will be called the second, and the next month, Sivan, the third.”   הַחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה.  הֶרְאָהוּ לְבָנָה בְּחִדּוּשָׁהּ וְאָמַר לוֹ כְּשֶׁהַיָּרֵחַ מִתְחַדֵּשׁ יִהְיֶה לְךָ רֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ (מכילתא). וְאֵין מִקְרָא יוֹצֵא מִידֵי פְשׁוּטוֹ, עַל חֹדֶשׁ נִיסָן אָמַר לוֹ, זֶה יִהְיֶה רֹאשׁ לְסֵדֶר מִנְיַן הֶחֳדָשִׁים, שֶׁיְּהֵא אִיָּר קָרוּי שֵׁנִי, סִיוָן שְׁלִישִׁי:
הַזֶּה - This. Moses had difficulty regarding the reappearance of the moon, as to how much of the moon should be visible in order that it be fit to be consecrated as the new moon of the new month, so God showed him with His finger the moon in the sky and told him “See it like this and consecrate it.” But how could He show him? Did He not speak with him only by day, as it says: “on the day that God spoke to Moses,” 12 “on the day He commanded,” 13 and: “from the day on which God commanded you and from then on”? 14 The answer is, however, that this passage was told to Moses shortly before sunset, and God showed him the moon at dusk.   הַזֶּה.  נִתְקַשָּׁה מֹשֶׁה עַל מוֹלַד הַלְּבָנָה, בְּאֵיזוֹ שִׁעוּר תֵּרָאֶה וְתִהְיֶה רְאוּיָה לְקַדֵּשׁ, וְהֶרְאָה לוֹ בְּאֶצְבַּע אֶת הַלְּבָנָה בָּרָקִיעַ וְאָמַר לוֹ כָּזֶה רְאֵה וְקַדֵּשׁ (שם). וְכֵיצַד הֶרְאָהוּ? וַהֲלֹא לֹא הָיָה נִדְבָּר עִמּוֹ אֶלָּא בַּיּוֹם? שֶׁנֶּ' "וַיְהִי בְּיוֹם דִּבֶּר ה'" (שמות ו'), "בְּיוֹם צַוֹּתוֹ" (ויקרא ז'), "מִן הַיּוֹם אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה ה' וָהָלְאָה" (במדבר ט"ו)? אֶלָּא סָמוּךְ לִשְׁקִיעַת הַחַמָּה נֶאֶמְרָה לוֹ פָרָשָׁה זוֹ וְהֶרְאָהוּ עִם חֲשֵׁכָה:
3Speak together to the entire community of Israel, saying: On the 10th of this month, each man among them who heads an extended family-unit must take for himself a lamb or kid for his extended family, unless the extended family is so big that not everyone will be able to eat a kezayit of it, in which case, they should take a lamb or kid for each nuclear family.   גדַּבְּר֗וּ אֶל־כָּל־עֲדַ֤ת יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר בֶּֽעָשׂ֖ר לַחֹ֣דֶשׁ הַזֶּ֑ה וְיִקְח֣וּ לָהֶ֗ם אִ֛ישׁ שֶׂ֥ה לְבֵֽית־אָבֹ֖ת שֶׂ֥ה לַבָּֽיִת:
דַּבְּרוּ אֶל־כָּל־עֲדַת - Speak to the entire community. But was Aaron to speak? Does it not already say regarding Moses: “You must speak”? 15 The answer is, however, that Moses and Aaron accorded each other respect and said to each other, “Teach me what to say,” and thus the Divine word issued from both of them as if they were both speaking.   דַּבְּרוּ אֶל־כָּל־עֲדַת.  וְכִי אַהֲרֹן מְדַבֵּר? וַהֲלֹא כְּבָר נֶאֱמַר אַתָּה תְדַבֵּר? אֶלָּא חוֹלְקִין כָּבוֹד זֶה לָזֶה, וְאוֹמְרִים זֶה לָזֶה לַמְּדֵנִי, וְהַדִּבּוּר יוֹצֵא מִבֵּין שְׁנֵיהֶם כְּאִלּוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם מְדַבְּרִים (מכילתא):
דַּבְּרוּ אֶל־כָּל־עֲדַת יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר בֶּֽעָשׂר לַחֹדֶשׁ - Speak to the entire community of Israel, saying: on the 10th of [this] month - i.e., speak to them today, on the first day of the month, telling them that they must take the lamb on the tenth of the month.   דַּבְּרוּ אֶל־כָּל־עֲדַת יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר בֶּֽעָשׂר לַחֹדֶשׁ.  דַּבְּרוּ הַיּוֹם, בְּרֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ שֶׁיִּקָּחוּהוּ בֶּעָשֹׂר לַחֹדֶשׁ:
הַזֶּה - This. This teaches us that the Passover offering brought in Egypt was to be taken on the tenth of Nisan, but not the Passover offering of future generations.   הַזֶּה.  פֶּסַח מִצְרַיִם מִקְחוֹ בֶעָשׂוֹר, וְלֹא פֶּסַח דּוֹרוֹת (פסחים צ"ו):
שֶׂה לְבֵֽית־אָבֹת - (lit.) A lamb or kid per paternal house - i.e., for one family. Now, I might think that even if the family were many, they would still only require one lamb for all of them. Scripture therefore states: שֶׂה לַבָּיִת “a lamb (lit.) per household.”   שֶׂה לְבֵֽית־אָבֹת.  לְמִשְׁפָּחָה אַחַת; הֲרֵי שֶׁהָיוּ מְרֻבִּין, יָכוֹל שֶׂה אֶחָד לְכֻלָּן? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמָר "שֶׂה לַבָּיִת" (מכילתא):
4If the nuclear family is too small to require a lamb or kid, then the family-head and a neighbor near his home must take one together, according to the number of people. You must be counted for the lamb or kid according to what each individual eats.   דוְאִם־יִמְעַ֣ט הַבַּ֘יִת֘ מִֽהְי֣וֹת מִשֶּׂה֒ וְלָקַ֣ח ה֗וּא וּשְׁכֵנ֛וֹ הַקָּרֹ֥ב אֶל־בֵּית֖וֹ בְּמִכְסַ֣ת נְפָשֹׁ֑ת אִ֚ישׁ לְפִ֣י אָכְל֔וֹ תָּכֹ֖סּוּ עַל־הַשֶֽׂה:
וְאִם־יִמְעַט הַבַּיִת מִֽהְיוֹת מִשֶּׂה - means: “if the members of the household are too few to be sufficient for one lamb,” that they cannot eat all of it and some of it will thus be left over, “he and his neighbor…must take one together.” This is its meaning according to the straightforward explanation. But there is also another, halachic exposition: The verse teaches us that after the members of the household have been registered as a group for eating the lamb, they may reduce their number by some of them withdrawing from the group assigned to eat it and registering for another lamb. However, if they wish to withdraw from the group and reduce their number, it has to be מִהְיוֹת מִשֶּׂה, i.e., they may reduce their number while the lamb still exists, – i.e., when it is alive, and not after it has already been slaughtered.   וְאִם־יִמְעַט הַבַּיִת מִֽהְיוֹת מִשֶּׂה.  וְאִם יִהְיוּ מוּעָטִים מִהְיוֹת מִשֶּׂה אֶחָד, שֶׁאֵין יְכוֹלִין לְאָכְלוֹ וְיָבֹא לִידֵי נוֹתָר, וְלָקַח הוּא וּשְׁכֵנוֹ וגו' זֶהוּ מַשְׁמָעוֹ לְפִי פְשׁוּטוֹ. וְעוֹד יֵשׁ בּוֹ מִדְרָשׁ: לְלַמֵּד, שֶׁאַחַר שֶׁנִּמְנוּ עָלָיו, יְכוֹלִין לְהִתְמַעֵט וְלִמְשֹׁךְ יְדֵיהֶם הֵימֶנּוּ וּלְהִמָּנוֹת עַל שֶׂה אַחֵר; אַךְ אִם בָּאוּ לִמְשֹׁךְ יְדֵיהֶם וּלְהִתְמַעֵט, מהיות משה, יִתְמַעֲטוּ בְּעוֹד הַשֶּׂה קַיָּם, בִּהְיוֹתוֹ בַחַיִּים וְלֹא מִשֶּׁנִּשְׁחַט (פסחים פ"ט):
בְּמִכְסַת - means “according to the number.” Similarly we find מִכְסַת הָעֶרְכְּךָ “the amount of the field’s value.” 16   בְּמִכְסַת.  חֶשְׁבּוֹן, וְכֵן "מִכְסַת הָעֶרְכְּךָ" (ויקרא כ"ז):
לְפִי אָכְלוֹ - (lit.) According to his eating - implies that only one who is able to eat of the lamb can be counted for it. This excludes the sick or elderly who cannot eat a kezayit.   לְפִי אָכְלוֹ.  הָרָאוּי לַאֲכִילָה, פְּרָט לְחוֹלֶה וּלְזָקֵן שֶׁאֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לֶאֱכֹל כַּזַּיִת (מכילתא):
תָּכֹסּוּ - Its meaning is as Onkelos translates it: תִּתְמְנוּן – you must be counted.   תָּכֹסּוּ.  "תִּתְמְנוּן":
5You must use a flawless young male animal in its first year for this offering; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats.   השֶׂ֧ה תָמִ֛ים זָכָ֥ר בֶּן־שָׁנָ֖ה יִֽהְיֶ֣ה לָכֶ֑ם מִן־הַכְּבָשִׂ֥ים וּמִן־הָֽעִזִּ֖ים תִּקָּֽחוּ:
תָמִים - Perfect - i.e., without a blemish.   תָמִים.  בְּלֹא מוּם:
בֶּן־שָׁנָה - (lit.) Of one year. Its entire first year it is called בֶּן שָׁנָה; meaning that it was born in that year.   בֶּן־שָׁנָה.  כָּל שְׁנָתוֹ קָרוּי בֶּן שָׁנָה, כְּלוֹמַר שֶׁנּוֹלַד בְּשָׁנָה זוֹ:
מִן־הַכְּבָשִׂים וּמִן־הָֽעִזִּים - From the sheep (lit.) and from the goats - i.e., either from one or the other, for a goat is also called שֶׂה, as it says: וְשֵׂה עִזִּים “and goat-kids.” 17   מִן־הַכְּבָשִׂים וּמִן־הָֽעִזִּים.  אוֹ מִזֶּה אוֹ מִזֶּה, שֶׁאַף עֵז קָרוּי שֶׂה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וְשֵׂה עִזִּים" (דברים י"ד):
6You must keep watch over it until the 14th day of this month. The entire assembled community of Israel must slaughter their sacrifices in the afternoon of the 14th.   ווְהָיָ֤ה לָכֶם֙ לְמִשְׁמֶ֔רֶת עַ֣ד אַרְבָּעָ֥ה עָשָׂ֛ר י֖וֹם לַחֹ֣דֶשׁ הַזֶּ֑ה וְשָֽׁחֲט֣וּ אֹת֗וֹ כֹּ֛ל קְהַ֥ל עֲדַת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בֵּ֥ין הָֽעַרְבָּֽיִם:
וְהָיָה לָכֶם לְמִשְׁמֶרֶת - You must keep watch over it. This denotes examination, indicating that the animal needs to be checked for blemishes for four days prior to slaughter. And why did God require here that the animal be taken four days before its slaughter, which is something that He did not command regarding the Passover offering of future generations? Rabbi Matya ben Charash would say: It says: “And I passed over you and saw you, and look, your time was the time of love” 18i.e., the time had arrived for the fulfillment of the oath that I swore to Abraham, namely, that I would redeem his children, but they had no commandments with which to occupy themselves in order to merit to be redeemed, as it says: “and you were naked and bare.” 19 So God gave them two commandments: the blood of the Passover offering and the blood of circumcision – for they circumcised themselves on that night – as it says: “and I saw you wallowing in your bloods,” 20 i.e., in two kinds of blood; and it also says: “You, too, through the blood of your covenant of circumcision I released your imprisoned ones from a pit that had no water.” 21 And because they were steeped in idolatry, He said to them: מִשְׁכוּ וּקְחוּ לָכֶם “Draw and take for yourselves” 22i.e., withdraw (מִשְׁכוּ) yourselves from idolatry and take for yourselves the sheep for fulfilling the commandment. By holding the animal for four days and not slaughtering it immediately they demonstrated that their withdrawal was a conscious decision and not impulsive.   וְהָיָה לָכֶם לְמִשְׁמֶרֶת.  זֶהוּ לְשׁוֹן בִּקּוּר, שֶׁטָּעוּן בִּקּוּר מִמּוּם אַרְבָּעָה יָמִים קֹדֶם שְׁחִיטָה (פסחים צ"ו). וּמִפְּנֵי מָה הִקְדִּים לְקִיחָתוֹ לִשְׁחִיטָתוֹ אַרְבָּעָה יָמִים, מַה שֶּׁלֹּא צִוָּה כֵן בְּפֶסַח דּוֹרוֹת? הָיָה רַ' מַתְיָא בֶּן חָרָשׁ אוֹמֵר, הֲרֵי הוּא אוֹמֵר "וָאֶעֱבֹר עָלַיִךְ וָאֶרְאֵךְ וְהִנֵּה עִתֵּךְ עֵת דּוֹדִים" (יחזקאל ט"ז) – הִגִּיעָה שְׁבוּעָה שֶׁנִּשְׁבַּעְתִּי לְאַבְרָהָם שֶׁאֶגְאַל אֶת בָּנָיו, וְלֹא הָיוּ בְיָדָם מִצְווֹת לְהִתְעַסֵּק בָּהֶם כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּגָּאֲלוּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וְאַתְּ עֵרוֹם וְעֶרְיָה" (שם), וְנָתַן לָהֶם שְׁתֵּי מִצְווֹת, דַּם פֶּסַח וְדַם מִילָה, שֶׁמָּלוּ בְאוֹתוֹ הַלַּיְלָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "מִתְבּוֹסֶסֶת בְּדָמָיִךְ" (שם) – בִּשְׁנֵי דָּמִים, וְאוֹמֵר "גַּם אַתְּ בְּדַם בְּרִיתֵךְ שִׁלַּחְתִּי אֲסִירַיִךְ מִבּוֹר אֵין מַיִם בּוֹ" (זכריה ט'); וּלְפִי שֶׁהָיוּ שְׁטוּפִין בֶּאֱלִילִים אָמַר לָהֶם משכו וקחו לכם, מִשְׁכוּ יְדֵיכֶם מֵאֱלִילִים, וּקְחוּ לָכֶם צֹאן שֶׁל מִצְוָה (מכילתא):
וְשָֽׁחֲטוּ אֹתוֹ וגו' - And…must slaughter it…. But did all of them slaughter the lamb? Rather, from here we learn that a person’s agent is like himself.   וְשָֽׁחֲטוּ אֹתוֹ וגו'.  וְכִי כֻּלָּן שׁוֹחֲטִין? אֶלָּא מִכָּאן שֶׁשְּׁלוּחוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם כְּמוֹתוֹ (קידושין מלכים א):
קְהַל עֲדַת־יִשְׂרָאֵל - The assembled community of Israel. There are three expressions used here: קָהָל “assembly,” עֵדָה “community,” and יִשְׂרָאֵל “Israel.” From here our rabbis said: The community Passover offerings were slaughtered in three shifts, one after another. The first shift entered the Courtyard of the Temple and the doors of the Courtyard were then locked…; as is stated in Tractate Pesachim. 23   קְהַל עֲדַת־יִשְׂרָאֵל.  קָהָל וְעֵדָה וְיִשְׂרָאֵל; מִכָּאן אָמְרוּ, פִּסְחֵי צִבּוּר נִשְׁחָטִין בְּשָׁלוֹשׁ כִּתּוֹת זוֹ אַחַר זוֹ, נִכְנְסָה כַת רִאשׁוֹנָה נִנְעֲלוּ דַּלְתוֹת הָעֲזָרָה וְכוּ'. כִּדְאִיתָא בִּפְסָחִים (דף ס"ד):
בֵּין הָֽעַרְבָּֽיִם - In the afternoon. From the end of six hours of the day onwards is called בֵּין הָעַרְבַּיִם, when the sun leans towards its place of setting to begin evening. The expression בֵּין הָעַרְבַּיִם appears to me to denote those hours that are between the darkening (עֲרִיבַת) of the day and the darkening (עֲרִיבַת) of the night – the darkening of the day starts from the beginning of the seventh hour of the day, when the shadows of evening begin to fall, and the darkening of the night is at the beginning of the night. The word עֶרֶב is an expression of twilight and darkness, as in עָרְבָה כָּל שִׂמְחָה “all joy has turned dark.” 24   בֵּין הָֽעַרְבָּֽיִם.  מִשֵּׁשׁ שָׁעוֹת וּלְמַעְלָה קָרוּי בֵּין הָעַרְבַּיִם, שֶׁהַשֶּׁמֶשׁ נוֹטֶה לְבֵית מְבוֹאוֹ לַעֲרֹב; וּלְשׁוֹן בין הערבים נִרְאֶה בְעֵינַי אוֹתָן שָׁעוֹת שֶׁבֵּין עֲרִיבַת הַיּוֹם לַעֲרִיבַת הַלַּיְלָה, עֲרִיבַת הַיּוֹם בִּתְחִלַּת ז' שָׁעוֹת מִכִּי יִנָּטוּ צִלְלֵי עֶרֶב, וַעֲרִיבַת הַלַּיְלָה בִּתְחִלַּת הַלַּיְלָה. ערב לְשׁוֹן נֶשֶׁף וְחֹשֶׁךְ, כְּמוֹ "עָרְבָה כָּל שִׂמְחָה" (ישעיהו כ"ד):
7They must take some of the blood and place it on the two doorposts and on the lintel inside the houses in which they will eat the sacrifice.   זוְלָֽקְחוּ֙ מִן־הַדָּ֔ם וְנָֽתְנ֛וּ עַל־שְׁתֵּ֥י הַמְּזוּזֹ֖ת וְעַל־הַמַּשְׁק֑וֹף עַ֚ל הַבָּ֣תִּ֔ים אֲשֶׁר־יֹֽאכְל֥וּ אֹת֖וֹ בָּהֶֽם:
וְלָֽקְחוּ מִן־הַדָּם - They must take some of the blood. This refers to the ritual receiving of the blood. One might have thought that it was accepted in the hand, so Scripture states: “the blood that is in the basin.” 25   וְלָֽקְחוּ מִן־הַדָּם.  זוֹ קַבָּלַת הַדָּם, יָכוֹל בַּיָּד? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמָר אשר בסף (מכילתא):
הַמְּזוּזֹת - Doorposts - These are the uprights of the doorframe, one on one side of the entrance and one on the other.   הַמְּזוּזֹת.  הֵם הַזְּקוּפוֹת אַחַת מִכָּאן לַפֶּתַח וְאַחַת מִכָּאן:
הַמַּשְׁקוֹף - The lintel - This is the upper beam, upon which the door strikes when one closes it; “lintel” in Old French (“lintel”). The term שְׁקִיפָה connotes beating, as in קוֹל עָלֶה נִדָּף “the sound of a rustling leaf,” 26 which is translated by Onkelos as קָל טַרְפָּא דְשָׁקִיף, and חַבּוּרָה “bruise” 27 is translated as מַשְׁקוֹפֵי.   הַמַּשְׁקוֹף.  הָעֶלְיוֹן שֶׁהַדֶּלֶת שׁוֹקֵף עָלָיו כְּשֶׁסּוֹגְרִין אוֹתוֹ, לינטי"ל בְּלַעַז; וּלְשׁוֹן שְׁקִיפָה חֲבָטָה, כְּמוֹ "קוֹל עָלֶה נִדָּף" (ויקרא כ"ו) – דְשָׁקִיף, חַבּוּרָה – מַשְׁקוֹפֵי:
עַל־הַבָּתִּים אֲשֶׁר־יֹֽאכְלוּ אֹתוֹ בָּהֶֽם - Inside the houses in which they will eat it - and not upon the lintel and doorposts of the doors in a barn for straw or in a cattle shed, in which people do not live and eat.   עַל־הַבָּתִּים אֲשֶׁר־יֹֽאכְלוּ אֹתוֹ בָּהֶֽם.  וְלֹא עַל מַשְׁקוֹף וּמְזוּזוֹת שֶׁבְּבֵית הַתֶּבֶן וּבֵית הַבָּקָר, שֶׁאֵין דָּרִין בְּתוֹכוֹ (ע' מכילתא):
8They must eat all the meat on that night. They must eat it roasted over fire, with matzah, and together with bitter herbs.   חוְאָֽכְל֥וּ אֶת־הַבָּשָׂ֖ר בַּלַּ֣יְלָה הַזֶּ֑ה צְלִי־אֵ֣שׁ וּמַצּ֔וֹת עַל־מְרֹרִ֖ים יֹאכְלֻֽהוּ:
אֶת־הַבָּשָׂר - The meat - but not the sinews and bones.   אֶת־הַבָּשָׂר.  וְלֹא גִּידִים וַעֲצָמוֹת (שם):
וּמַצּוֹת עַל־מְרֹרִים - Together with bitter herbs (). Any bitter herb is called מָרוֹר. God commanded them to eat bitter herbs as a reminder of: “They embittered their lives.” 28   וּמַצּוֹת עַל־מְרֹרִים.  כָּל עֵשֶׂב מַר נִקְרָא מָרוֹר; וְצִוָּם לֶאֱכֹל מַר זֵכֶר לְ"וַיְמָרְרוּ אֶת חַיֵּיהֶם" (שמות א'):
9Tell them: ‘Do not eat any of it partially roasted or cooked in water or any other liquid, but only fully roasted over fire whole, together with its head, its legs, and its internal organs.   טאַל־תֹּֽאכְל֤וּ מִמֶּ֨נּוּ֙ נָ֔א וּבָשֵׁ֥ל מְבֻשָּׁ֖ל בַּמָּ֑יִם כִּ֣י אִם־צְלִי־אֵ֔שׁ רֹאשׁ֥וֹ עַל־כְּרָעָ֖יו וְעַל־קִרְבּֽוֹ:
אַל־תֹּֽאכְלוּ מִמֶּנּוּ נָא - Do not eat any of it partially roasted (). Meat which is not fully roasted is called נא in Arabic.   אַל־תֹּֽאכְלוּ מִמֶּנּוּ נָא.  שֶׁאֵינוֹ צָלוּי כָּל צָרְכּוֹ קוֹרְאוֹ נָא בְלָשׁוֹן עֲרָבִי:
וּבָשֵׁל מְבֻשָּׁל - (lit.) Or cooked in any way. All this is part of the prohibition of “do not eat.”   וּבָשֵׁל מְבֻשָּׁל.  כָּל זֶה בְּאַזְהָרַת אל תאכלו:
בַּמָּיִם - In water. And from where do we know that this prohibition applies also to other liquids? Scripture states: וּבָשֵׁל מְבֻשָּׁל, the repeated verb implying: under any circumstances.   בַּמָּיִם.  מִנַּיִן לִשְׁאָר מַשְׁקִין? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמָר וּבָשֵׁל מְבֻשָּׁל, מִכָּל מָקוֹם (פסחים מ"א):
כִּי אִם־צְלִי־אֵשׁ - But only roasted. Above, 29 where it also states that the sacrifice was to be eaten roasted, Scripture ordained it in the form of a positive commandment, but here Scripture added to it a negative commandment: “do not eat any of it…but only roasted.”   כִּי אִם־צְלִי־אֵשׁ.  לְמַעְלָה גָּזַר עָלָיו בְּמִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה, וְכָאן הוֹסִיף עָלָיו לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה, אל תאכלו ממנו … כי אם צלי אש:
רֹאשׁוֹ עַל־כְּרָעָיו - (lit.) Its head upon its legs - i.e., roast all of it together as one, with its head, its legs, and its internal organs; and also its intestines he put inside it after they have been rinsed. The expression עַל כְּרָעָיו וְעַל קִרְבּוֹ is similar to the expression עַל צִבְאוֹתָם, 30 which is the same in meaning as בְּצִבְאוֹתָם “by their hosts” – i.e., all of them as they are. This, too, means: as it is – its entire flesh whole.   רֹאשׁוֹ עַל־כְּרָעָיו.  צוֹלֵהוּ כֻּלּוֹ כְאֶחָד עִם רֹאשׁוֹ וְעִם כְּרָעָיו וְעִם קִרְבּוֹ, וּבְנֵי מֵעָיו נוֹתֵן לְתוֹכוֹ אַחַר הֲדָחָתָן (שם ע"ד); וּלְשׁוֹן על קרבו כִּלְשׁוֹן "עַל צִבְאוֹתָם" (שמות ו'), כְּמוֹ בְּצִבְאוֹתָם – כְּמוֹת שֶׁהֵן, אַף זֶה כְּמוֹת שֶׁהוּא – כָּל בְּשָׂרוֹ מִשָּׁלֵם:
10You must not leave any of it over until morning. Any of it that is left over until morning, you must burn in fire.   יוְלֹֽא־תוֹתִ֥ירוּ מִמֶּ֖נּוּ עַד־בֹּ֑קֶר וְהַנֹּתָ֥ר מִמֶּ֛נּוּ עַד־בֹּ֖קֶר בָּאֵ֥שׁ תִּשְׂרֹֽפוּ:
וְהַנֹּתָר מִמֶּנּוּ עַד־בֹּקֶר - Any of it that is left over until morning. Why does Scripture state “until morning” a second time? That one is to add an earlier stage of morning to the stage of morning already mentioned – for “morning” usually means “beginning at sunrise,” so by repeating the word Scripture brings the time forward, implying that it is forbidden to eat it already from dawn. This is according to its straightforward explanation. But there is also another exposition: The repetition teaches us that whatever of the Passover offering is left over is not burned on the festival itself but only on the next day, and this is how you are to explain the verse: and whatever is left over on the first morning, you must wait “until the second morning,” and only then burn it.   וְהַנֹּתָר מִמֶּנּוּ עַד־בֹּקֶר.  מַה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמָר עד בקר פַּעַם שְׁנִיָּה? לִתֵּן בֹּקֶר עַל בֹּקֶר, שֶׁהַבֹּקֶר מַשְׁמָעוֹ מִשְּׁעַת הָנֵץ הַחַמָּה, וּבָא הַכָּתוּב לְהַקְדִּים שֶׁאָסוּר בַּאֲכִילָה מֵעֲלוֹת הַשַּׁחַר, זֶהוּ לְפִי מַשְׁמָעוֹ. וְעוֹד מִדְרָשׁ אַחֵר, לִמֵּד שֶׁאֵינוֹ נִשְׂרָף בְּיוֹם טוֹב אֶלָּא מִמָּחֳרָת, וְכָךְ תִּדְרְשֶׁנּוּ: וְהַנּוֹתָר מִמֶּנּוּ בְּבֹקֶר רִאשׁוֹן, עַד בֹּקֶר שֵׁנִי תַעֲמֹד וְתִשְׂרְפֶנּוּ (מכילתא):
11And this is how you must eat it: with your waist belted, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand. You must eat it in haste. This offering will be known as “the Passover offering to God, because I will pass over any Israelite firstborn.   יאוְכָ֘כָה֘ תֹּֽאכְל֣וּ אֹתוֹ֒ מָתְנֵיכֶ֣ם חֲגֻרִ֔ים נַֽעֲלֵיכֶם֙ בְּרַגְלֵיכֶ֔ם וּמַקֶּלְכֶ֖ם בְּיֶדְכֶ֑ם וַֽאֲכַלְתֶּ֤ם אֹתוֹ֙ בְּחִפָּז֔וֹן פֶּ֥סַח ה֖וּא לַיהֹוָֽה:
מָתְנֵיכֶם חֲגֻרִים - Your waist belted - act prepared for travel.   מָתְנֵיכֶם חֲגֻרִים.  מְזֻמָּנִים לַדֶּרֶךְ:
בְּחִפָּזוֹן - This is an expression of haste and speed, as in “and David was in a hurry (נֶחְפָּז) to leave,” 31 and “that the Arameans had cast off in their haste (בְּחָפְזָם) to flee.” 32   בְּחִפָּזוֹן.  לְשׁוֹן בֶּהָלָה וּמְהִירוּת, כְּמוֹ "וַיְהִי דָּוִד נֶחְפָּז לָלֶכֶת" (שמואל א' כ"ג), "אֲשֶׁר הִשְׁלִיכוּ אֲרָם בְּחָפְזָם" (מלכים ב' ז'):
פֶּסַח הוּא לה' - It is the Passover offering to God. The offering is called Passover (פֶּסַח) because of the skipping and passing over (פְּסִיחָה), for the Holy One, blessed be He, skipped over the houses of the Israelites that were among the houses of the Egyptians, and He jumped from Egyptian to Egyptian while an Israelite in the middle was spared harm. So you, too, perform each component of the Passover offering service in honor of God, like one “springing and jumping,” as a reminder of its name that it is called פֶּסַח “the Passover offering.” And also “pasche,the Old French word for the Passover festival, means “stepping over.”   פֶּסַח הוּא לה'.  הַקָּרְבָּן קָרוּי פסח עַל שֵׁם הַדִּלּוּג וְהַפְּסִיחָה, שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא הָיָה מְדַלֵּג בָּתֵּי יִשְׂרָאֵל מִבֵּין בָּתֵּי מִצְרַיִם וְקוֹפֵץ מִמִּצְרִי לְמִצְרִי וְיִשְׂרָאֵל אֶמְצָעִי נִמְלָט; וְאַתֶּם עֲשׂוּ כָל עֲבוֹדוֹתָיו לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם, דֶּרֶךְ דִּלּוּג וּקְפִיצָה, זֵכֶר לִשְׁמוֹ שֶׁקָּרוּי פסח; וְגַם פשק"א לְשׁוֹן פְּסִיעָה:
12I will pass through Egypt on that night and I will strike down every firstborn in Egypt, whether man or beast. Upon all the gods of Egypt I will mete out chastisements. I, God, will do this.   יבוְעָֽבַרְתִּ֣י בְאֶֽרֶץ־מִצְרַ֘יִם֘ בַּלַּ֣יְלָה הַזֶּה֒ וְהִכֵּיתִ֤י כָל־בְּכוֹר֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם מֵֽאָדָ֖ם וְעַד־בְּהֵמָ֑ה וּבְכָל־אֱלֹהֵ֥י מִצְרַ֛יִם אֶֽעֱשֶׂ֥ה שְׁפָטִ֖ים אֲנִ֥י יְהֹוָֽה:
וְעָֽבַרְתִּי - I will pass - like a king passing from place to place to redeem the Israelites, and in the course of this one passing and in one moment all the firstborn will be smitten.   וְעָֽבַרְתִּי.  כְּמֶלֶךְ הָעוֹבֵר מִמָּקוֹם לְמָקוֹם (מכילתא), וּבְהַעֲבָרָה אַחַת וּבְרֶגַע אֶחָד כֻּלָּן לוֹקִים:
כָל־בְּכוֹר בְאֶֽרֶץ־מִצְרַיִם - Every firstborn in Egypt - even the firstborn of other nations who were then in Egypt. And from where do we know that also the Egyptian firstborn who were in other places were smitten? Scripture states: “To the One who smote the Egyptians through their firstborn.” 33   כָל־בְּכוֹר בְאֶֽרֶץ־מִצְרַיִם.  אַף בְּכוֹרוֹת אֲחֵרִים וְהֵם בְּמִצְרַיִם. וּמִנַּיִן אַף בְּכוֹרֵי מִצְרַיִם שֶׁבִּמְקוֹמוֹת אֲחֵרִים? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמָר "לְמַכֵּה מִצְרַיִם בִּבְכוֹרֵיהֶם" (תהלים קל"ו):
מֵֽאָדָם וְעַד־בְּהֵמָה - (lit.) From man to beast. With the one who started the sin began the punishment.   מֵֽאָדָם וְעַד־בְּהֵמָה.  מִי שֶׁהִתְחִיל בַּעֲבֵרָה מִמֶּנּוּ מַתְחֶלֶת הַפֻּרְעָנוּת (מכילתא):
וּבְכָל־אֱלֹהֵי מִצְרַיִם - Upon all the gods of Egypt. Those of wood rotted, and those of metal dissolved and melted onto the ground.   וּבְכָל־אֱלֹהֵי מִצְרַיִם.  שֶׁל עֵץ נִרְקֶבֶת וְשֶׁל מַתֶּכֶת נִמְסֵת וְנִתֶּכֶת לָאָרֶץ (שם):
אֶֽעֱשֶׂה שְׁפָטִים אֲנִי ה' - I will mete out chastisements; I, God - i.e., I Myself, and not through an emissary.   אֶֽעֱשֶׂה שְׁפָטִים אֲנִי ה'.  אֲנִי בְעַצְמִי, וְלֹא עַל יְדֵי שָׁלִיחַ:
13The blood will serve you as a sign on the houses in which you are: I will see the blood and I will mercifully pass over you, and there will be no destructive plague among you when I strike Egypt.   יגוְהָיָה֩ הַדָּ֨ם לָכֶ֜ם לְאֹ֗ת עַ֤ל הַבָּתִּים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אַתֶּ֣ם שָׁ֔ם וְרָאִ֨יתִי֙ אֶת־הַדָּ֔ם וּפָֽסַחְתִּ֖י עֲלֵכֶ֑ם וְלֹא־יִֽהְיֶ֨ה בָכֶ֥ם נֶ֨גֶף֙ לְמַשְׁחִ֔ית בְּהַכֹּתִ֖י בְּאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם:
וְהָיָה הַדָּם לָכֶם לְאֹת - The blood will serve you as a sign. It will act as a sign for you, but not as a sign for others. From here we may infer that the Israelites placed the blood only on the inside of the doorposts.   וְהָיָה הַדָּם לָכֶם לְאֹת.  לָכֶם לְאוֹת וְלֹא לַאֲחֵרִים לְאוֹת (שם). מִכָּאן שֶׁלֹּא נָתְנוּ הַדָּם אֶלָּא מִבִּפְנִים:
וְרָאִיתִי אֶת־הַדָּם - I will see the blood. Everything is revealed to Him, so why does the Torah imply that He needed to look at the blood? Rather, this is what the Holy One, blessed be He, said: I will turn My attention to observe that you are occupied with My command, and then I will pass over you.   וְרָאִיתִי אֶת־הַדָּם.  הַכֹּל גָּלוּי לְפָנָיו, אֶלָּא אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, נוֹתֵן אֲנִי אֶת עֵינַי לִרְאוֹת שֶׁאַתֶּם עֲסוּקִים בְּמִצְווֹתַי, וּפוֹסֵחַ אֲנִי עֲלֵיכֶם (שם):
וּפָֽסַחְתִּי - Some say that its meaning is: “I will have pity,” and a similar example of this verb in this sense is: פָּסוֹחַ וְהִמְלִיט “having pity and delivering.” 34 But I say that every form of פְּסִיחָה means “skipping over and leaping.” Thus וּפָסַחְתִּי denotes that God was skipping from the Israelite houses to the Egyptian houses, for they were dwelling amongst one another. Similarly פֹּסְחִים עַל שְׁתֵּי הַסְּעִפִּים(lit.) leaping upon (i.e., vacillating between) the two opinions,” 35 and likewise all פִּסְחִים (lame people) are so called because they walk as if they are springing; and similarly פָּסוֹחַ וְהִמְלִיט means “He skips over him and lets him escape amidst those being slain.”   וּפָֽסַחְתִּי.  וְחָמַלְתִּי, וְדוֹמֶה לוֹ "פָּסֹחַ וְהִמְלִיט" (ישעיהו ל"א). וַאֲנִי אוֹמֵר, כָּל פְּסִיחָה לְשׁוֹן דִּלּוּג וּקְפִיצָה. ופסחתי, מְדַלֵּג הָיָה מִבָּתֵּי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְבָתֵּי מִצְרִיִּים, שֶׁהָיוּ שְׁרוּיִים זֶה בְּתוֹךְ זֶה, וְכֵן "פּוֹסְחִים עַל שְׁתֵּי הַסְּעִפִּים" (מלכים א י"ח), וְכֵן כָּל הַפִּסְּחִים – הוֹלְכִים כְּקוֹפְצִים, וְכֵן "פָּסֹחַ וְהִמְלִיט" – מְדַלְּגוֹ וּמְמַלְּטוֹ מִבֵּין הַמּוּמָתִים:
וְלֹא־יִֽהְיֶה בָכֶם נֶגֶף - And there will be no destructive plague among you - but there will be among the Egyptians. Now if an Egyptian were in the house of an Israelite, I might have thought he would be saved. Scripture therefore states: “there will be no destructive plague among you,” but there will be with an Egyptian who is in your house. And if an Israelite were in the house of a Egyptian, I may have understood that he would be smitten like the Egyptian, so Scripture states: “there will be no destructive plague among you” wherever you may be.   וְלֹא־יִֽהְיֶה בָכֶם נֶגֶף.  אֲבָל הוֶֹה הוּא בַּמִּצְרִים. הֲרֵי שֶׁהָיָה מִצְרִי בְּבֵיתוֹ שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל, יָכוֹל יִמָּלֵט? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמָר "וְלֹא יִהְיֶה בָכֶם נֶגֶף", אֲבָל הֹוֶה בַּמִּצְרִים שֶׁבְּבָתֵּיכֶם. הֲרֵי שֶׁהָיָה יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּבֵיתוֹ שֶׁל מִצְרִי, שׁוֹמֵעַ אֲנִי יִלְקֶה כְמוֹתוֹ, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמָר "וְלֹא יִהְיֶה בָכֶם נֶגֶף" (מכילתא):
14This day, 15 Nisan, will become a day of remembrance for you, and you must celebrate it as a festival to God; once you enter the Promised Land you must celebrate it as an everlasting statute throughout all your generations, as follows:   ידוְהָיָה֩ הַיּ֨וֹם הַזֶּ֤ה לָכֶם֙ לְזִכָּר֔וֹן וְחַגֹּתֶ֥ם אֹת֖וֹ חַ֣ג לַֽיהֹוָ֑ה לְדֹרֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם חֻקַּ֥ת עוֹלָ֖ם תְּחָגֻּֽהוּ:
לְזִכָּרוֹן - A remembrance - for future generations.   לְזִכָּרוֹן.  לְדוֹרוֹת:
וְחַגֹּתֶם אֹתוֹ - And you must celebrate it - i.e., that day which will be for you as a remembrance, you must celebrate. But we have not yet heard which day is the day of remembrance. Scripture therefore states: “Remember this day, on which you went out of Egypt.” 36 This teaches us that the day of their leaving Egypt is to be the day of remembrance. And on which day did they leave? Scripture states: “On the day following the Passover sacrifice the Israelites left.” 37 We may thus say that the 15th of Nisan is to be a festival day, for on the night of the 15th they ate the Passover offering, and the following morning, the day of the 15th, they left Egypt.   וְחַגֹּתֶם אֹתוֹ.  יוֹם שֶׁהוּא לְךָ לְזִכָּרוֹן אַתָּה חוֹגְגוֹ. וַעֲדַיִן לֹא שָׁמַעְנוּ אֵיזֶהוּ יוֹם הַזִּכָּרוֹן, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמָר "זָכוֹר אֶת הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר יְצָאתֶם" (שמות י"ג), לִמְּדָנוּ, שֶׁיּוֹם הַיְצִיאָה הוּא יוֹם שֶׁל זִכָּרוֹן. וְאֵי זֶה יוֹם יָצְאוּ? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמָר "מִמָּחֳרַת הַפֶּסַח יָצְאוּ" (במדבר ל"ג), הֱוֵי אוֹמֵר יוֹם חֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר בְּנִיסָן הוּא שֶׁל יוֹם טוֹב, שֶׁהֲרֵי לֵיל חֲמִשָּׁה עָשָֹר אָכְלוּ אֶת הַפֶּסַח וְלַבֹּקֶר יָצְאוּ (מכילתא):
לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶם וגו' - Throughout your generations. From this word alone I may have understood that it means only a minimum number of generations, i.e., two. Scripture therefore states: “You must celebrate it as an everlasting rule.”   לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶם וגו'.  שׁוֹמֵעַ אֲנִי מִעוּט דּוֹרוֹת שְׁנַיִם, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמָר "חֻקַּת עוֹלָם תְּחָגֻּהוּ" (שם):
15For seven days you must eat matzos. But on the previous day, you must clear your houses of leavening agents, for the soul of anyone who eats leavened food from the first day until the seventh day will be cut off from Israel—he will die prematurely and childless.   טושִׁבְעַ֤ת יָמִים֙ מַצּ֣וֹת תֹּאכֵ֔לוּ אַ֚ךְ בַּיּ֣וֹם הָֽרִאשׁ֔וֹן תַּשְׁבִּ֥יתוּ שְּׂאֹ֖ר מִבָּֽתֵּיכֶ֑ם כִּ֣י | כָּל־אֹכֵ֣ל חָמֵ֗ץ וְנִכְרְתָ֞ה הַנֶּ֤פֶשׁ הַהִוא֙ מִיִּשְׂרָאֵ֔ל מִיּ֥וֹם הָֽרִאשֹׁ֖ן עַד־י֥וֹם הַשְּׁבִעִֽי:
שִׁבְעַת יָמִים - means: a “seteyne” (group of seven) of days.   שִׁבְעַת יָמִים.  שטיינ"א שֶׁל יָמִים:
שִׁבְעַת יָמִים מַצּוֹת תֹּאכֵלוּ - For seven days you must eat matzos - but in another place it says: “for six days you must eat matzos.” 38 This teaches us about the seventh day of Passover that there is no obligation to eat matzah on that day, as long as one does not eat chametz. And from where do we know that eating matzah on the other six days is also voluntary? Scripture states: “for six days” – for this is a rule by which the Torah is expounded: Something that was included in a general law, and was then singled out from the general law to teach us something about this singled out item, was not singled out to teach us that thing only about itself, but was singled out to teach us that thing regarding the entire general law. Thus, just as we have ascertained that on the seventh day eating matzah is voluntary, so too, eating matzah on the other six days is voluntary. I might now think that eating matzah on the first night is also voluntary. Scripture therefore states: “on the night following the 14th day of the month you must eat matzos.” 39 Scripture thus established it as an obligation to eat matzah on that night.   שִׁבְעַת יָמִים מַצּוֹת תֹּאכֵלוּ.  וּבְמָקוֹם אַחֵר הוּא אוֹמֵר "שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים תֹּאכַל מַצּוֹת" (דברים ט"ז) לִמֵּד עַל שְׁבִיעִי שֶׁל פֶּסַח שֶׁאֵינוֹ חוֹבָה לֶאֱכֹל מַצָּה, וּבִלְבַד שֶׁלֹּא יֹאכַל חָמֵץ; מִנַּיִן אַף שִׁשָּׁה רְשׁוּת? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמָר "שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים". זוֹ מִדָּה בַתּוֹרָה, דָּבָר שֶׁהָיָה בִּכְלָל וְיָצָא מִן הַכְּלָל לְלַמֵּד, לֹא לְלַמֵּד עַל עַצְמוֹ בִּלְבַד יָצָא, אֶלָּא לְלַמֵּד עַל הַכְּלָל כֻּלּוֹ יָצָא, מַה שְּׁבִיעִי רְשׁוּת אַף שִׁשָּׁה רְשׁוּת; יָכוֹל אַף הַלַּיְלָה הָרִאשׁוֹן רְשׁוּת, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמָר "בָּעֶרֶב תֹּאכְלוּ מַצֹּת" – הַכָּתוּב קְבָעוֹ חוֹבָה (פסחים ק"כ):
אַךְ בַּיּוֹם הָֽרִאשׁוֹן תַּשְׁבִּיתוּ שאור - But on (lit.) the first day you must clear…leavening agents. i.e., on the day before the festival. It is called רִאשׁוֹן because it comes directly before the seven days of the festival, and we find that something preceding another thing is termed רִאשׁוֹן relative to it, as in הֲרִאשׁוֹן אָדָם תִּוָּלֵד, 40 which means “were you born before Adam?” Or perhaps it means none other than the first of the seven days? Scripture states in another place: “You must not slaughter My Passover blood-sacrifice (lit.) upon chametz,” 41 i.e., you must not slaughter the Passover sacrifice while chametz of yours is still in existence.   אַךְ בַּיּוֹם הָֽרִאשׁוֹן תַּשְׁבִּיתוּ שאור.  מֵעֶרֶב יוֹם טוֹב, וְקָרוּי רִאשׁוֹן לְפִי שֶׁהוּא לִפְנֵי הַשִּׁבְעָה; וּמָצִינוּ מֻקְדָּם קָרוּי רִאשׁוֹן, "הֲרִאישׁוֹן אָדָם תִּוָּלֵד" (איוב ט"ו) – הֲלִפְנֵי אָדָם נוֹלַדְתָּ; אוֹ אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא רִאשׁוֹן שֶׁל שִׁבְעָה? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמָר "לֹא תִשְׁחַט עַל חָמֵץ וְגוֹ'" (שמות ל"ד) – לֹא תִשְׁחַט הַפֶּסַח וַעֲדַיִן חָמֵץ קַיָּם (פסחים ה'):
הַנֶּפֶשׁ הַהִוא - (lit.) That soul - i.e., when the soul that eats chametz is in its full state of being and mind. It thus excludes one who was coerced into eating it.   הַנֶּפֶשׁ הַהִוא.  כְּשֶׁהִיא בְנַפְשָׁהּ וּבְדַעְתָּהּ – פְּרָט לְאָנוּס (מכילתא):
מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל - From Israel. From this verse alone, I might understand that the person who eats chametz will be cut off only from Israel, but he may go and join another nation. Scripture therefore states in another place: “that person will be cut off from before Me42 – in every place that is My domain.   מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל.  שׁוֹמֵעַ אֲנִי תִּכָּרֵת מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל וְתֵלֶךְ לָהּ לְעַם אַחֵר, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמָר בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר "מִלְּפָנַי" (ויקרא כ"ב) – בְּכָל מָקוֹם שֶׁהוּא רְשׁוּתִי:
16You must celebrate the first day of these seven as a holy occasion and the seventh day as a holy occasion, on which no work may be done. The only exception to this is work that is required to be done to prepare any person or animal’s food—that alone may be done for you.   טזוּבַיּ֤וֹם הָֽרִאשׁוֹן֙ מִקְרָא־קֹ֔דֶשׁ וּבַיּוֹם֙ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י מִקְרָא־קֹ֖דֶשׁ יִֽהְיֶ֣ה לָכֶ֑ם כָּל־מְלָאכָה֙ לֹא־יֵֽעָשֶׂ֣ה בָהֶ֔ם אַ֚ךְ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יֵֽאָכֵ֣ל לְכָל־נֶ֔פֶשׁ ה֥וּא לְבַדּ֖וֹ יֵֽעָשֶׂ֥ה לָכֶֽם:
מִקְרָא־קֹדֶשׁ - (lit.) A proclamation of holiness. The word מִקְרָא is a noun; i.e., proclaim it as a day of holiness for distinctive eating, drinking, and clothing.   מִקְרָא־קֹדֶשׁ.  מקרא שֵׁם דָּבָר; קְרָא אוֹתוֹ קדש לַאֲכִילָה וּשְׁתִיָּה וּכְסוּת (מכילתא):
לֹא־יֵֽעָשֶׂה בָהֶם - On which no [work] may be done - even by others.   לֹא־יֵֽעָשֶׂה בָהֶם.  אֲפִלּוּ עַל יְדֵי אֲחֵרִים (שם):
הוּא לְבַדּוֹ - That alone - i.e., only that which is required to prepare food may be done, but not any food preparations that could effectively be done on the day before the festival.   הוּא לְבַדּוֹ.  "הוּא" וְלֹא מַכְשִׁירָיו שֶׁאֶפְשָׁר לַעֲשׂוֹתָן מֵעֶרֶב יוֹם טוֹב (ביצה כ"ח):
לְכָל־נֶפֶשׁ - (lit.) For any soul - even for an animal. I might have thought that one may also prepare food for non-Jews. Scripture therefore states: “for you” (another reading: “only,” denoting a limitation).   לְכָל־נֶפֶשׁ.  אֲפִלּוּ לִבְהֵמָה; יָכוֹל אַף לַגּוֹיִם, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר לָכֶם (מכילתא):
17You must be vigilant regarding the matzos that they not rise. For on this very day I will have brought your hosts out of Egypt. You must observe this day throughout all your generations as an everlasting rule.   יזוּשְׁמַרְתֶּם֘ אֶת־הַמַּצּוֹת֒ כִּ֗י בְּעֶ֨צֶם֙ הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֔ה הוֹצֵ֥אתִי אֶת־צִבְאֽוֹתֵיכֶ֖ם מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֞ם אֶת־הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּ֛ה לְדֹרֹֽתֵיכֶ֖ם חֻקַּ֥ת עוֹלָֽם:
וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם אֶת־הַמַּצּוֹת - You must be vigilant regarding the matzos - so that they do not rise. From here our rabbis said: If the dough began to swell, it should be smoothed over with cold water to halt its leavening. Rabbi Yoshiyah says: Do not read the words of the verse as אֶת הַמַּצּוֹת “the matzos,” but as אֶת הַמִּצְוֹת “the commandments”; just as one may not let the matzah rise by leaving the dough unattended, so may one not let a mitzvah “go sour” by delaying it. Rather, if a mitzvah presents itself to you, perform it right away.   וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם אֶת־הַמַּצּוֹת.  שֶׁלֹּא יָבֹאוּ לִידֵי חִמּוּץ; מִכָּאן אָמְרוּ תָּפַח תִּלְטֹשׁ בְּצוֹנֵן, רַבִּי יֹאשִׁיָּה אוֹמֵר אַל תְּהִי קוֹרֵא אֶת הַמַּצּוֹת, אֶלָּא אֶת הַמִּצְווֹת – כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁאֵין מַחֲמִיצִין אֶת הַמַּצָּה, כָּךְ אֵין מַחֲמִיצִין אֶת הַמִּצְוָה, אֶלָּא אִם בָּאָה לְיָדְךָ, עֲשֵׂה אוֹתָהּ מִיָּד (שם):
וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם אֶת־הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה - You must observe this day - by desisting from work –   וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם אֶת־הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה.  מִמְּלָאכָה:
לְדֹרֹֽתֵיכֶם חֻקַּת עוֹלָֽם - Throughout your generations as an everlasting rule. Since the wordsfor your generations” and “as an everlasting rule” mentioned previously 43 were not referring to the restriction against work but only to the celebration of the festival, Scripture repeats them again here, so that you not say that the prohibition of “no work may be done on these days44 was not said for all generations but only for that generation.   לְדֹרֹֽתֵיכֶם חֻקַּת עוֹלָֽם.  לְפִי שֶׁלֹּא נֶאֱמַר דורות וְחקת עולם עַל הַמְּלָאכָה אֶלָּא עַל הַחֲגִיגָה, לְכָךְ חָזַר וּשְׁנָאוֹ כָּאן, שֶׁלֹּא תֹאמַר אַזְהָרַת כל מלאכה לא יעשה לֹא לְדוֹרוֹת נֶאֶמְרָה אֶלָּא לְאוֹתוֹ הַדּוֹר:
18In the first month, on the night following the 14th day of the month, you must eat matzos, until the night of the 21st day of the month.   יחבָּֽרִאשֹׁ֡ן בְּאַרְבָּעָה֩ עָשָׂ֨ר י֤וֹם לַחֹ֨דֶשׁ֙ בָּעֶ֔רֶב תֹּֽאכְל֖וּ מַצֹּ֑ת עַ֠ד י֣וֹם הָֽאֶחָ֧ד וְעֶשְׂרִ֛ים לַחֹ֖דֶשׁ בָּעָֽרֶב:
עַד יוֹם הָֽאֶחָד וְעֶשְׂרִים - Until the 21st day. Why is this stated? Does it not already say: “For seven days you must eat matzos”? 45 The answer is: Since there it says: “days,” from where do I know that nights are also included? Scripture therefore states: “until the 21st day….”   עַד יוֹם הָֽאֶחָד וְעֶשְׂרִים.  לָמָּה נֶאֱמַר? וַהֲלֹא כְּבָר נֶאֱמַר "שִׁבְעַת יָמִים"? לְפִי שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר יָמִים, לֵילוֹת מִנַּיִן? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמָר עד יום האחד ועשרים וגו' (מכילתא):
19For seven days no leavening agents may be found in your homes, for the soul of anyone who eats leavening agents will be cut off from the community of Israel—he will die prematurely and childless—whether he be a convert or a native citizen.   יטשִׁבְעַ֣ת יָמִ֔ים שְׂאֹ֕ר לֹ֥א יִמָּצֵ֖א בְּבָֽתֵּיכֶ֑ם כִּ֣י | כָּל־אֹכֵ֣ל מַחְמֶ֗צֶת וְנִכְרְתָ֞ה הַנֶּ֤פֶשׁ הַהִוא֙ מֵֽעֲדַ֣ת יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בַּגֵּ֖ר וּבְאֶזְרַ֥ח הָאָֽרֶץ:
לֹא יִמָּצֵא בְּבָֽתֵּיכֶם - No [leavening agents] may be found in your homes. And from where do I know that this applies also to other areas of one’s domain? Scripture therefore states: “throughout your domain.” 46 If so, why does Scripture state “in your homes”? In order to tell us that just as your home is under your authority, so, too, “your domain” denotes only that which is under your authority. Thus excluded is the chametz of a non-Jew that was deposited with an Israelite but for which the Israelite accepted no responsibility.   לֹא יִמָּצֵא בְּבָֽתֵּיכֶם.  מִנַּיִן לַגְּבוּלִין? תַּלְמוּד לֹוֹמַר "בְּכָל גְּבוּלֶךָ" (שמות י"ג); מַה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמָר בְּבָתֵּיכֶם? מַה בֵּיתְךָ בִּרְשׁוּתְךָ, אַף גְּבוּלְךָ שֶׁבִּרְשׁוּתְךָ, יָצָא חֲמֵצוֹ שֶׁל נָכְרִי שֶׁהוּא אֵצֶל יִשְׂרָאֵל וְלֹא קִבֵּל עָלָיו אַחֲרָיוּת (מכילתא):
כִּי כָּל־אֹכֵל מַחְמֶצֶת - For anyone who eats leavening agents. This statement is written to impose the punishment of excision for eating sourdough, a form of leaven. But did Scripture not already specify this punishment for eating chametz? Rather, the Torah repeats it here so that you not say: Regarding chametz, which is fit to eat, the Torah imposed this punishment for eating it, but for eating sourdough, which is not fit to eat, punishment is not imposed. And if, conversely, Scripture had specified the punishment for eating sourdough but not specified the punishment for eating chametz, I might say: The Torah imposed this punishment for eating sourdough because it leavens other foods, but for eating chametz, which does not leaven other foods, punishment is not imposed. Therefore, both are stated explicitly.   כִּי כָּל־אֹכֵל מַחְמֶצֶת.  לַעֲנֹשׁ כָּרֵת עַל הַשְּׂאוֹר, וַהֲלֹא כְבָר עָנַשׁ עַל הֶחָמֵץ? אֶלָּא שֶׁלֹּא תֹאמַר חָמֵץ שֶׁרָאוּי לַאֲכִילָה עָנַשׁ עָלָיו, שְׂאוֹר שֶׁאֵינוֹ רָאוּי לַאֲכִילָה לֹא יֵעָנֵשׁ עָלָיו; וְאִם עָנַשׁ עַל הַשְּׂאוֹר וְלֹא עָנַשׁ עַל הֶחָמֵץ, הָיִיתִי אוֹמֵר, שְׂאוֹר שֶׁהוּא מְחַמֵּץ אֲחֵרִים עָנַשׁ עָלָיו, חָמֵץ שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְחַמֵּץ אֲחֵרִים לֹא יֵעָנשׁ עָלָיו, לְכָךְ נֶאֶמְרוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם (מכילתא):
בַּגֵּר וּבְאֶזְרַח הָאָֽרֶץ - Whether he be a convert or a native of the land. Since the miracle of the Exodus happened to the Israelites, it was necessary to specifically include converts in this prohibition.   בַּגֵּר וּבְאֶזְרַח הָאָֽרֶץ.  לְפִי שֶׁהַנֵּס נַעֲשָׂה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, הֻצְרַךְ לְרַבּוֹת אֶת הַגֵּרִים (שם):
20You must not eat any leavening agent; you must eat matzos wherever you live.’”   ככָּל־מַחְמֶ֖צֶת לֹ֣א תֹאכֵ֑לוּ בְּכֹל֙ מֽוֹשְׁבֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם תֹּֽאכְל֖וּ מַצּֽוֹת:
מַחְמֶצֶת לֹא תֹאכֵלוּ - You must not eat any leavening agent. This is the prohibition of eating sourdough.   מַחְמֶצֶת לֹא תֹאכֵלוּ.  אַזְהָרָה עַל אֲכִילַת שְׂאוֹר:
כָּל־מַחְמֶצֶת - Any leavening agent. The word “any” is added to include eating a mixture of leaven with other food.   כָּל־מַחְמֶצֶת.  לְהָבִיא אֶת תַּעֲרָבְתּוֹ:
בְּכֹל מֽוֹשְׁבֹתֵיכֶם תֹאכֵלוּ מַצּֽוֹת - You must eat matzos wherever you live. This comes to teach us that the matzos one is obligated to eat must be fit to be eaten “wherever you live.” It thus excludes matzos made from the second tithe and the matzah loaves of the thanksgiving-offering, which may be eaten only in Jerusalem.   בְּכֹל מֽוֹשְׁבֹתֵיכֶם תֹאכֵלוּ מַצּֽוֹת.  זֶה בָא לְלַמֵּד שֶׁתְּהֵא רְאוּיָה לְהֵאָכֵל בְּכָל מוֹשְׁבֹתֵיכֶם, פְּרָט לְמַעֲשֵׂר שֵׁנִי וְחַלּוֹת תּוֹדָה (מכילתא):

Fifth Portion

Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 12

21Moses summoned all the elders of Israel, and told them to instruct the Israelites as follows: “Draw yourselves away from idolatry: get for your families lambs or kids from your flocks or acquire them for yourselves in the market. On 14 Nisan, slaughter the Passover offering.   כאוַיִּקְרָ֥א משֶׁ֛ה לְכָל־זִקְנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֑ם מִֽשְׁכ֗וּ וּקְח֨וּ לָכֶ֥ם צֹ֛אן לְמִשְׁפְּחֹֽתֵיכֶ֖ם וְשַֽׁחֲט֥וּ הַפָּֽסַח:
מִֽשְׁכוּ - (lit.) Draw. One who already has flocks should draw one of his own.   מִֽשְׁכוּ.  מִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ צֹאן יִמְשֹׁךְ מִשֶּׁלּוֹ:
וּקְחוּ - Or (lit.) take. One who does not have flocks should acquire (יִקַּח) an animal from the market.   וּקְחוּ.  מִי שֶׁאֵין לוֹ יִקַּח מִן הַשּׁוּק (שם):
לְמִשְׁפְּחֹֽתֵיכֶם - For your families - i.e., “a lamb per paternal house.” 1   לְמִשְׁפְּחֹֽתֵיכֶם.  שֶׂה לְבֵית אָבוֹת:
22You must take a bundle of three stalks of hyssop and dip it in the blood that is collected in the basin, and use it to apply some of the blood in the basin to the lintel and the two doorposts. None of you may go out of the entrance of his house until morning.   כבוּלְקַחְתֶּ֞ם אֲגֻדַּ֣ת אֵז֗וֹב וּטְבַלְתֶּם֘ בַּדָּ֣ם אֲשֶׁר־בַּסַּף֒ וְהִגַּעְתֶּ֤ם אֶל־הַמַּשְׁקוֹף֙ וְאֶל־שְׁתֵּ֣י הַמְּזוּזֹ֔ת מִן־הַדָּ֖ם אֲשֶׁ֣ר בַּסָּ֑ף וְאַתֶּ֗ם לֹ֥א תֵֽצְא֛וּ אִ֥ישׁ מִפֶּֽתַח־בֵּית֖וֹ עַד־בֹּֽקֶר:
אֵזוֹב - Hyssop. A type of herb that has thin stalks.   אֵזוֹב.  מִין יָרָק שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ גִּבְעוֹלִין:
אֲגֻדַּת אֵזוֹב - A bundle of hyssop. Three root-clusters are called a “bundle.”   אֲגֻדַּת אֵזוֹב.  שְׁלוֹשָׁה קְלָחִין קְרוּיִין אֲגֻדָּה (שבת ק"ט):
אֲשֶׁר־בַּסַּף - means “that is in the vessel,” as in סִפּוֹת כֶּסֶף “silver pitchers.” 2   אֲשֶׁר־בַּסַּף.  בַּכְּלִי, כְּמוֹ סִפּוֹת כֶּסֶף:
מִן־הַדָּם אֲשֶׁר־בַּסַּף - Some of the blood in the basin. Why does it repeat the words “in the basin”? So that you not say that a single dipping of the hyssop in the blood suffices for all three applications of the blood – on the lintel and the two doorposts; it therefore says again “in the basin,” implying that each application must be directly from the blood in the basin, i.e., for each application there must be its own dipping.   מִן־הַדָּם אֲשֶׁר־בַּסַּף.  לָמָּה חָזַר וּשְׁנָאוֹ? שֶׁלֹּא תֹאמַר טְבִילָה אַחַת לִשְׁלוֹשׁ הַמַּתָּנוֹת, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר עוֹד אֲשֶׁר בַּסַּף, וְשֶׁתְּהֵא כָל נְתִינָה וּנְתִינָה מִן הַדָּם אֲשֶׁר בַּסַּף, עַל כָּל הַגָּעָה טְבִילָה (מכילתא):
וְאַתֶּם לֹא תֵֽצְאוּ וגו' - None of you may go out… This tells us that once the destroying angel is given permission to harm, it does not distinguish between the righteous and the wicked; and nighttime is when the destructive forces have free reign, as it says: “then all the wild beasts of the forest roam.” 3   וְאַתֶּם לֹא תֵֽצְאוּ וגו'.  מַגִּיד, שֶׁמֵּאַחַר שֶׁנִּתְּנָה רְשׁוּת לַמַּשְׁחִית לְחַבֵּל, אֵינוֹ מַבְחִין בֵּין צַדִּיק לְרָשָׁע (שם); וְלַיְלָה רְשׁוּת לַמְחַבְּלִים הוּא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "בּוֹ תִרְמֹשׂ כָּל חַיְתוֹ יָעַר" (תהלים ק"ד):
23God will pass through Egypt to strike the firstborn of Egypt. He will see the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts. God will mercifully pass over the entrance to your houses, and not allow the destructive plague to enter your houses to strike you.   כגוְעָבַ֣ר יְהֹוָה֘ לִנְגֹּ֣ף אֶת־מִצְרַ֒יִם֒ וְרָאָ֤ה אֶת־הַדָּם֙ עַל־הַמַּשְׁק֔וֹף וְעַ֖ל שְׁתֵּ֣י הַמְּזוּזֹ֑ת וּפָסַ֤ח יְהֹוָה֙ עַל־הַפֶּ֔תַח וְלֹ֤א יִתֵּן֙ הַמַּשְׁחִ֔ית לָבֹ֥א אֶל־בָּֽתֵּיכֶ֖ם לִנְגֹּֽף:
וּפָסַח - means: “He will have pity”; and one may say it means: He will skip over.   וּפָסַח.  וְחָמַל, וְיֵשׁ לוֹמַר וְדִלֵּג:
וְלֹא יִתֵּן הַמַּשְׁחִית - (lit.) And He will not give the destroying angel - means: “He will not give it the ability to enter your houses.” Similarly we find this meaning of the verb נתן in וְלֹא נְתָנוֹ אֱלֹהִים לְהָרַע עִמָּדִי “but God did not let him harm me.” 4   וְלֹא יִתֵּן הַמַּשְׁחִית.  וְלֹא יִתֵּן לוֹ יְכֹלֶת לָבֹא, כְּמוֹ "וְלֹא נְתָנוֹ אֱלֹהִים לְהָרַע עִמָּדִי" (בראשית ל"א):
24You must observe the practices of Passover as a rule for you and your children forever.   כדוּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֖ם אֶת־הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֑ה לְחָק־לְךָ֥ וּלְבָנֶ֖יךָ עַד־עוֹלָֽם:
25You must maintain this service only once you have come into the land that God will give you, as He has spoken.   כהוְהָיָ֞ה כִּֽי־תָבֹ֣אוּ אֶל־הָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יִתֵּ֧ן יְהֹוָ֛ה לָכֶ֖ם כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֣ר דִּבֵּ֑ר וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֖ם אֶת־הָֽעֲבֹדָ֥ה הַזֹּֽאת:
וְהָיָה כִּֽי־תָבֹאוּ אֶל־הָאָרֶץ - Once you have come into the land. Scripture makes the observance of this commandment contingent on their entering the Land of Israel, but in the desert they were not obligated in it, except for only one Passover service that they performed in the second year after the Exodus by explicit Divine order.   וְהָיָה כִּֽי־תָבֹאוּ אֶל־הָאָרֶץ.  תָּלָה הַכָּתוּב עֲבוֹדָה זוֹ בְּבִיאָתָם לָאָרֶץ, וְלֹא נִתְחַיְּבוּ בַמִּדְבָּר אֶלָּא פֶּסַח אֶחָד שֶׁעָשׂוּ בַשָּׁנָה הַשֵּׁנִית עַל פִּי הַדִּבּוּר:
כַּֽאֲשֶׁר דִּבֵּר - As he has spoken. And where did He say this? “I will bring you to the land…”. 5   כַּֽאֲשֶׁר דִּבֵּר.  וְהֵיכָן דִּבֵּר? "וְהֵבֵאתִי אֶתְכֶם אֶל הָאָרֶץ וְגוֹ'" (שמות ו'):
26When your children ask you, ‘What is this service of yours?’   כווְהָיָ֕ה כִּי־יֹֽאמְר֥וּ אֲלֵיכֶ֖ם בְּנֵיכֶ֑ם מָ֛ה הָֽעֲבֹדָ֥ה הַזֹּ֖את לָכֶֽם:
27You must answer, ‘It is the Passover offering to God, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt when He plagued the Egyptians, and spared our homes.’” The people bowed down and prostrated themselves.   כזוַֽאֲמַרְתֶּ֡ם זֶֽבַח־פֶּ֨סַח ה֜וּא לַֽיהֹוָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר פָּ֠סַ֠ח עַל־בָּתֵּ֤י בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ בְּמִצְרַ֔יִם בְּנָגְפּ֥וֹ אֶת־מִצְרַ֖יִם וְאֶת־בָּתֵּ֣ינוּ הִצִּ֑יל וַיִּקֹּ֥ד הָעָ֖ם וַיִּשְׁתַּֽחֲוֽוּ:
וַיִּקֹּד הָעָם - The people bowed down - in thanksgiving for the news of the impending redemption and their entering the Land of Israel, and for the news that they would have children.   וַיִּקֹּד הָעָם.  עַל בְּשׂוֹרַת הַגְּאֻלָּה וּבִיאַת הָאָרֶץ וּבְשׂוֹרַת הַבָּנִים שֶׁיִּהְיוּ לָהֶם:
28The Israelites went and did so, just as God had instructed Moses and Aaron. Moses and Aaron did so as well.   כחוַיֵּֽלְכ֥וּ וַיַּֽעֲשׂ֖וּ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֨ר צִוָּ֧ה יְהֹוָ֛ה אֶת־משֶׁ֥ה וְאַֽהֲרֹ֖ן כֵּ֥ן עָשֽׂוּ:
וַיֵּֽלְכוּ וַיַּֽעֲשׂוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל - The Israelites went and did so. But did they do so already at this point? Was not all this said to them at the beginning of the month and they were to carry it out only on the 10th and 14th of the month? Rather, since they accepted upon themselves to do it, Scripture considers it as if they had already done it.   וַיֵּֽלְכוּ וַיַּֽעֲשׂוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל.  וְכִי כְּבָר עָשׂוּ, וַהֲלֹא מֵרֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ נֶאֱמַר לָהֶם? אֶלָּא מִכֵּיוָן שֶׁקִּבְּלוּ עֲלֵיהֶם מַעֲלֶה עֲלֵיהֶם הַכָּתוּב כְּאִלּוּ עָשׂוּ (מכילתא):
וַיֵּֽלְכוּ וַיַּֽעֲשׂוּ - Went and did so. The verse also reckons their going, to give them reward for going and reward for doing.   וַיֵּֽלְכוּ וַיַּֽעֲשׂוּ.  אַף הַהֲלִיכָה מָנָה הַכָּתוּב, לִתֵּן שָׂכָר לַהֲלִיכָה וְשָׂכָר לַעֲשִׂיָּה (שם):
כַּֽאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה ה' אֶת־משֶׁה וְאַֽהֲרֹן - Just as God had instructed Moses and Aaron. This is written to tell us the praise of the Israelites, that they did not omit any detail of all the instructions of Moses and Aaron. And what is the meaning of the additional words כֵּן עָשׂוּ “they did so”? Moses and Aaron themselves also did so.   כַּֽאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה ה' אֶת־משֶׁה וְאַֽהֲרֹן.  לְהַגִּיד שִׁבְחָן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁלֹּא הִפִּילוּ דָּבָר מִכָּל מִצְווֹת מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן, וּמַהוּ כן עשו? אַף מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן כֵּן עָשׂוּ (שם):

Sixth Portion

Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 12

29It was at midnight that God struck down every firstborn in Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh sitting on his throne to the firstborn of the prisoner in the dungeon, as well as every firstborn animal.   כטוַיְהִ֣י | בַּֽחֲצִ֣י הַלַּ֗יְלָה וַֽיהֹוָה֘ הִכָּ֣ה כָל־בְּכוֹר֘ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֒יִם֒ מִבְּכֹ֤ר פַּרְעֹה֙ הַיּשֵׁ֣ב עַל־כִּסְא֔וֹ עַ֚ד בְּכ֣וֹר הַשְּׁבִ֔י אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּבֵ֣ית הַבּ֑וֹר וְכֹ֖ל בְּכ֥וֹר בְּהֵמָֽה:
וה' - (lit.) And God. Wherever it says: וַה׳and God,” it refers to Him and His heavenly court, for the prefix ו connotes an addition to the word to which it is prefixed, as in פְּלוֹנִי וּפְלוֹנִי “so-and-so and so-and-so.”   וה'.  כָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וַה'" הוּא וּבֵית דִּינוֹ, שֶׁהַוָּי"ו לְשׁוֹן תּוֹסֶפֶת הוּא, כְּמוֹ פְּלוֹנִי וּפְלוֹנִי:
הִכָּה כָל־בְּכוֹר - Struck down every firstborn - even of another nation, but who was then in Egypt.   הִכָּה כָל־בְּכוֹר.  אַף שֶׁל אֻמָּה אַחֶרֶת וְהוּא בְמִצְרַיִם (מכילתא):
מִבְּכֹר פַּרְעֹה - From the firstborn of Pharaoh. Pharaoh, too, was a firstborn, but he alone remained alive out of all the firstborn, and about him the verse says: “Nevertheless, I have spared you for this purpose, in order to show you My power” 1i.e., at the Sea of Reeds.   מִבְּכֹר פַּרְעֹה.  אַף פַּרְעֹה בְּכוֹר הָיָה, וְנִשְׁתַּיֵּר מִן הַבְּכוֹרוֹת, וְעָלָיו הוּא אוֹמֵר "בַּעֲבוּר הַרְאוֹתְךָ אֶת כֹּחִי" (שמות ט') – בְּיַם סוּף (מכילתא):
עַד בְּכוֹר הַשְּׁבִי - To the firstborn of the prisoner. They were killed because they rejoiced at Israel’s misfortune, and also so that they not say: It was our deity who brought this punishment upon the Egyptians for imprisoning us. The maidservant’s firstborn was also included in this description, for it enumerates them from the greatest in stature of all to the smallest, and the maidservant’s firstborn was of greater stature than the firstborn of the prisoner.   עַד בְּכוֹר הַשְּׁבִי.  שֶׁהָיוּ שְׂמֵחִין לְאֵידָם שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל; וְעוֹד, שֶׁלֹּא יֹאמְרוּ יִרְאָתֵנוּ הֵבִיאָה הַפֻּרְעָנוּת; וּבְכוֹר הַשִּׁפְחָה בִּכְלָל הָיָה, שֶׁהֲרֵי מָנָה מִן הֶחָשׁוּב שֶׁבְּכֻלָּן עַד הַפָּחוּת, וּבְכוֹר הַשִּׁפְחָה חָשׁוּב מִבְּכוֹר הַשְּׁבִי:
30Pharaoh rose in the night: he, all his courtiers, and all the Egyptians, and there was a great outcry in Egypt, for there was no house where there was not someone dead.   לוַיָּ֨קָם פַּרְעֹ֜ה לַ֗יְלָה ה֤וּא וְכָל־עֲבָדָיו֙ וְכָל־מִצְרַ֔יִם וַתְּהִ֛י צְעָקָ֥ה גְדֹלָ֖ה בְּמִצְרָ֑יִם כִּי־אֵ֣ין בַּ֔יִת אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֵֽין־שָׁ֖ם מֵֽת:
וַיָּקָם פַּרְעֹה - Pharaoh rose - from his bed.   וַיָּקָם פַּרְעֹה.  מִמִּטָּתוֹ:
לַיְלָה - In the night - and not, as is the way of kings, at three hours of the day.   לַיְלָה.  וְלֹא כְּדֶרֶךְ הַמְּלָכִים בְּשָׁלוֹשׁ שָׁעוֹת בַּיּוֹם (שם):
הוּא - He - first, and afterwards his courtiers. This teaches us that he himself went around to his courtiers’ homes and made them get up.   הוּא.  תְּחִלָּה, וְאַחַר כָּךְ עבדיו, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהָיָה הוּא מְחַזֵּר עַל בָּתֵּי עֲבָדָיו וּמַעֲמִידָן (שם):
כִּי־אֵין בַּיִת אֲשֶׁר אֵין שָׁם מֵֽת - For there was no house where there was not someone dead. If there was a firstborn there, he died. If there was no firstborn there, the head of the household died, for he is also called בְּכוֹר, as it says: “I, too, for My part, will make him a great person (בְּכוֹר).” 2 Another explanation: The Egyptian women were unfaithful to their husbands and they bore children from other unmarried men, and thus they had many firstborns, sometimes even five for one woman, each one being a firstborn to his father.   כִּי־אֵין בַּיִת אֲשֶׁר אֵין שָׁם מֵֽת.  יֵשׁ שָׁם בְּכוֹר, מֵת, אֵין שָׁם בְּכוֹר, גָּדוֹל שֶׁבַּבַּיִת קָרוּי בְּכוֹר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "אַף אֲנִי בְּכוֹר אֶתְּנֵהוּ" (תהילים פ"ט). דָּבָר אַחֵר, מִצְרִיּוֹת מְזַנּוֹת תַּחַת בַּעְלֵיהֶן וְיוֹלְדוֹת מֵרַוָּקִים פְּנוּיִים, וְהָיוּ לָהֶם בְּכוֹרוֹת הַרְבֵּה, פְּעָמִים חֲמִשָּׁה לְאִשָּׁה אַחַת, כָּל אֶחָד בְּכוֹר לְאָבִיו:
31He called out for Moses and Aaron in the night, and said, “Get up and get out from among my people, you and the children of Israel, too, and go and serve God as you said!   לאוַיִּקְרָא֩ לְמשֶׁ֨ה וּלְאַֽהֲרֹ֜ן לַ֗יְלָה וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ ק֤וּמוּ צּאוּ֙ מִתּ֣וֹךְ עַמִּ֔י גַּם־אַתֶּ֖ם גַּם־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וּלְכ֛וּ עִבְד֥וּ אֶת־יְהֹוָ֖ה כְּדַבֶּרְכֶֽם:
וַיִּקְרָא לְמשֶׁה וּלְאַֽהֲרֹן לַיְלָה - He called out for Moses and Aaron in the night. This tells us that he made the rounds of the entrances in the city, crying out: “Where is Moses located? Where is Aaron located?”   וַיִּקְרָא לְמשֶׁה וּלְאַֽהֲרֹן לַיְלָה.  מַגִּיד שֶׁהָיָה מְחַזֵּר עַל פִּתְחֵי הָעִיר וְצוֹעֵק, הֵיכָן מֹשֶׁה שָׁרוּי? הֵיכָן אַהֲרֹן שָׁרוּי? (מכילתא):
גַּם־אַתֶּם - (lit.) You too - i.e., the adult men.   גַּם־אַתֶּם.  הַגְּבָרִים:
גַּם־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל - And the children of Israel, too - i.e., the small children.   גַּם־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל.  הַטַּף:
וּלְכוּ עִבְדוּ אֶת־ה' כְּדַבֶּרְכֶֽם - And go and serve God as you said - i.e., everything as you have said and not as I have said. Void is what I said: “I will not send Israel forth”; 3 void is what I asked: “Exactly who will be going?”; 4 and void is what I said: “only your flocks and cattle must remain behind.” 5   וּלְכוּ עִבְדוּ אֶת־ה' כְּדַבֶּרְכֶֽם.  הַכֹּל כְּמוֹ שֶׁאֲמַרְתֶּם וְלֹא כְּשֶׁאָמַרְתִּי אֲנִי; בָּטֵל "לֹא אֲשַׁלֵּחַ", בָּטֵל "מִי וָמִי הַהוֹלְכִים", בָּטֵל "רַק צֹאנְכֶם וּבְקָרְכֶם יֻצָּג":
32Take both your flocks and your cattle, just as you stipulated, and go! And bless me too!”   לבגַּם־צֹֽאנְכֶ֨ם גַּם־בְּקַרְכֶ֥ם קְח֛וּ כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבַּרְתֶּ֖ם וָלֵ֑כוּ וּבֵֽרַכְתֶּ֖ם גַּם־אֹתִֽי:
גַּם־צֹֽאנְכֶם גַּם־בְּקַרְכֶם קְחוּ - Take both your flocks and your cattle. What then did Pharaoh add by saying “just as you stipulated”? He was alluding to what Moses had said: “You will even provide us with feast-offerings and ascent-offerings”; 6 i.e., take even my animals, as you have said.   גַּם־צֹֽאנְכֶם גַּם־בְּקַרְכֶם קְחוּ.  וּמַהוּ כאשר דברתם? "גַּם אַתָּה תִּתֵּן בְּיָדֵנוּ זְבָחִים וְעֹלֹת" (שמות י'), קְחוּ כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתֶּם:
וּבֵֽרַכְתֶּם גַּם־אֹתִֽי - And bless me too - i.e., pray for me that I not die now in this plague, for I am also a firstborn.   וּבֵֽרַכְתֶּם גַּם־אֹתִֽי.  הִתְפַּלְּלוּ עָלַי שֶׁלֹּא אָמוּת, שֶׁאֲנִי בְּכוֹר:
33The Egyptians also urged the people on, hurrying them out of the land, for they said, “We are all dying!”   לגוַתֶּֽחֱזַ֤ק מִצְרַ֨יִם֙ עַל־הָעָ֔ם לְמַהֵ֖ר לְשַׁלְּחָ֣ם מִן־הָאָ֑רֶץ כִּ֥י אָֽמְר֖וּ כֻּלָּ֥נוּ מֵתִֽים:
כֻּלָּנוּ מֵתִֽים - We are all dying! They said: What is happening is not according to Moses’ decree but worse, for he said: “Every firstborn…will die,” 7 but here even the ordinary (i.e., non-firstborn) sons are dying, sometimes five or ten in the same house!   כֻּלָּנוּ מֵתִֽים.  אָמְרוּ לֹא כִגְזֵרַת מֹשֶׁה הוּא, שֶׁהֲרֵי אָמַר "וּמֵת כָּל בְּכוֹר", וְכָאן אַף הַפְּשׁוּטִים מֵתִים, חֲמִשָּׁה אוֹ עֲשָׂרָה בְּבַיִת אֶחָד:
34The people took their dough, before it had leavened, with their leftover food wrapped in their clothes on their shoulders.   לדוַיִּשָּׂ֥א הָעָ֛ם אֶת־בְּצֵק֖וֹ טֶ֣רֶם יֶחְמָ֑ץ מִשְׁאֲרֹתָ֛ם צְרֻרֹ֥ת בְּשִׂמְלֹתָ֖ם עַל־שִׁכְמָֽם:
טֶרֶם יֶחְמָץ - Before it had leavened - because the Egyptians did not let them stay long enough for it to rise.   טֶרֶם יֶחְמָץ.  הַמִּצְרִים לֹא הִנִּיחוּם לִשְׁהוֹת כְּדֵי חִמּוּץ:
מִשְׁאֲרֹתָם - Their leftover food - i.e., the leftovers of the matzah and bitter herbs from last night’s meal.   מִשְׁאֲרֹתָם.  שְׁיָרֵי מַצָּה וּמָרוֹר.
עַל־שִׁכְמָֽם - On their shoulders. Even though they took many animals with them, they preferred to carry these leftovers themselves because they cherished the objects used for God’s commandment.   עַל־שִׁכְמָֽם.  אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁבְּהֵמוֹת הַרְבֵּה הוֹלִיכוּ עִמָּהֶם, מְחַבְּבִים הָיוּ אֶת הַמִּצְוָה:
35The Israelites did as Moses had said, and requested silver and gold utensils and clothing from the Egyptians.   להוּבְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֥ל עָשׂ֖וּ כִּדְבַ֣ר משֶׁ֑ה וַיִּשְׁאֲלוּ֙ מִמִּצְרַ֔יִם כְּלֵי־כֶ֛סֶף וּכְלֵ֥י זָהָ֖ב וּשְׂמָלֹֽת:
כִּדְבַר משֶׁה - As Moses had said - for he had said to them in Egypt: “let them ask to borrow, each man from his friend.” 8   כִּדְבַר משֶׁה.  שֶׁאָמַר לָהֶם בְּמִצְרַיִם, "וְיִשְׁאֲלוּ אִישׁ מֵאֵת רֵעֵהוּ":
וּשְׂמָלֹֽת - And clothing. This was even more valuable to them than the silver and gold, for whatever is mentioned later in the verse is more important.   וּשְׂמָלֹֽת.  אַף הֵן הָיוּ חֲשׁוּבוֹת לָהֶם מִן הַכֶּסֶף וּמִן הַזָּהָב, וְהַמְאֻחָר בַּפָּסוּק חָשׁוּב:
36God granted the people favor in the eyes of the Egyptians so that they loaned them these items, giving them more than they asked for. They thus drained Egypt of its wealth.   לווַֽיהֹוָ֞ה נָתַ֨ן אֶת־חֵ֥ן הָעָ֛ם בְּעֵינֵ֥י מִצְרַ֖יִם וַיַּשְׁאִל֑וּם וַיְנַצְּל֖וּ אֶת־מִצְרָֽיִם:
וַיַּשְׁאִלוּם - They loaned them. Even what they were not asking of them they would give them – “You are asking for one; take two and go!”   וַיַּשְׁאִלוּם.  אַף מַה שֶּׁלֹּא הָיוּ שׁוֹאֲלִים מֵהֶם הָיוּ נוֹתְנִים לָהֶם, אַתָּה אוֹמֵר אֶחָד? טֹל שְׁנַיִם וָלֵךְ.
וַיְנַצְּלוּ - Its meaning is as Onkelos translates it: וְרוֹקִינוּ “they emptied out.”   וַיְנַצְּלוּ.  וְרוֹקִינוּ:
37The Israelites journeyed from Rameses to Sukot. They numbered about 600,000 men on foot, besides children.   לזוַיִּסְע֧וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל מֵֽרַעְמְסֵ֖ס סֻכֹּ֑תָה כְּשֵֽׁשׁ־מֵא֨וֹת אֶ֧לֶף רַגְלִ֛י הַגְּבָרִ֖ים לְבַד מִטָּֽף:
מֵֽרַעְמְסֵס סֻכֹּתָה - From Rameses to Sukot. This was a distance of 120 mil, but they reached there in just a short while, as it says: “I carried you on the wings of griffon vultures.” 9   מֵֽרַעְמְסֵס סֻכֹּתָה.  מֵאָה וְעֶשְׂרִים מִיל הָיוּ, וּבָאוּ שָׁם לְפִי שָׁעָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וָאֶשָּׂא אֶתְכֶם עַל כַּנְפֵי נְשָׁרִים" (שמות י"ט):
הַגְּבָרִים - Men - i.e., 20 years old and over.   הַגְּבָרִים.  מִבֶּן עֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה וָמַעְלָה (שה"ש רבה ג, ו):
38Moreover, a mixed multitude went up with them, as well as flocks and cattle—a great deal of livestock.   לחוְגַם־עֵ֥רֶב רַ֖ב עָלָ֣ה אִתָּ֑ם וְצֹ֣אן וּבָקָ֔ר מִקְנֶ֖ה כָּבֵ֥ד מְאֹֽד:
עֵרֶב רַב - A mixed multitude - i.e., a mixture of people from other nations who had become converts.   עֵרֶב רַב.  תַּעֲרֹבֶת אֻמּוֹת שֶׁל גֵּרִים:
39The Israelites baked the dough that they had brought out of Egypt into cakes of matzah, since it had not leavened, for they had been driven out of Egypt and could not delay, nor had they prepared any other provisions for themselves.   לטוַיֹּאפ֨וּ אֶת־הַבָּצֵ֜ק אֲשֶׁ֨ר הוֹצִ֧יאוּ מִמִּצְרַ֛יִם עֻגֹ֥ת מַצּ֖וֹת כִּ֣י לֹ֣א חָמֵ֑ץ כִּי־גֹֽרְשׁ֣וּ מִמִּצְרַ֗יִם וְלֹ֤א יָֽכְלוּ֙ לְהִתְמַהְמֵ֔הַּ וְגַם־צֵדָ֖ה לֹֽא־עָשׂ֥וּ לָהֶֽם:
עֻגֹת מַצּוֹת - means “cakes of matzah.” Dough that has not risen is called matzah.   עֻגֹת מַצּוֹת.  חֲרָרָה שֶׁל מַצָּה; בָּצֵק שֶׁלֹּא הֶחֱמִיץ קָרוּי מַצָּה:
וְגַם־צֵדָה לֹא עָשׂוּ לָהֶֽם - Nor had they prepared any provisions for themselves - for the journey. This tells us the praise of Israel, that they did not say, “How can we go out into the desert without provisions?” but had faith in God and set out. This idea is stated explicitly in the prophets: “I remember about you the loving-kindness of your youth, the love of your nuptials, your following Me into the desert, into a land not sown.” 10 And what reward is stated there directly following? “Israel is holy to God…”. 11   וְגַם־צֵדָה לֹא עָשׂוּ לָהֶֽם.  לַדֶּרֶךְ. מַגִּיד שִׁבְחָן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁלֹּא אָמְרוּ הֵיאַךְ נֵצֵא לַמִּדְבָּר בְּלֹא צֵידָה? אֶלָּא הֶאֱמִינוּ וְהָלְכוּ; הוּא שֶׁמְּפֹרָשׁ בַּקַּבָּלָה, "זָכַרְתִּי לָךְ חֶסֶד נְעוּרַיִךְ אַהֲבַת כְּלוּלֹתָיִךְ לֶכְתֵּךְ אַחֲרַי בַּמִּדְבָּר בְּאֶרֶץ לֹא זְרוּעָה" (ירמיהו ב'), מַה שָּׂכָר מְפֹרָשׁ אַחֲרָיו? "קֹדֶשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל לַה' וְגוֹ'":
40The length of time that the Israelites had lived in Egypt and other locales was 430 years.   מוּמוֹשַׁב֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר יָֽשְׁב֖וּ בְּמִצְרָ֑יִם שְׁלשִׁ֣ים שָׁנָ֔ה וְאַרְבַּ֥ע מֵא֖וֹת שָׁנָֽה:
אֲשֶׁר יָֽשְׁבוּ בְּמִצְרָיִם - That they had lived in Egypt - after their other dwellings that they had dwelt as strangers in a land that was not theirs –   אֲשֶׁר יָֽשְׁבוּ בְּמִצְרָיִם.  אַחַר שְׁאָר הַיְשִׁיבוֹת שֶׁיָּשְׁבוּ גֵּרִים בְּאֶרֶץ לֹא לָהֶם:
שְׁלשִׁים שָׁנָה וְאַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה - 430 years - altogether. From the time Isaac was born until now was 400 years, for from the time Abraham had offspring from Sarah began the fulfillment of the prophecy: כִּי גֵר יִהְיֶה זַרְעֲךָ “that your descendants will be foreigners…”; 12 and there were 30 years from when the decree was pronounced “between the Pieces” until Isaac was born. It is impossible to say that these 430 years were only in the land of Egypt, for Kehat was among those who came to Egypt with Jacob; go and add all the years of his life, all the years of his son Amram, and 80 years, the age of Moses at this point, and you do not find that they add up to that much; and besides, you must concede that Kehat lived several years before he went down to Egypt, and many of Amram’s years overlap with the years of Kehat, and many of Moses’ 80 years overlap with the years of Amram. Thus you do not find a total of 400 years since they entered Egypt, and you are forced to say that the patriarchs’ other dwellings in the land of Canaan prior to their coming to Egypt were also considered “sojourning (גֵּרוּת) in a foreign land,” and even in Hebron, as it says: “where Abraham and Isaac had sojourned (גָּר)”; 13 and it also says: “the land of their sojourning (מְגֻרֵיהֶם) in which they sojourned (גָּרוּ).” 14 Therefore you must say that the prophecy “that your descendants will be foreigners (גֵר)” began to be fulfilled immediately from the time that Abraham had offspring, and if you count 400 years from when Isaac was born, you will find that from their arrival in Egypt until their departure was 210 years; and this was one of the things which the sages changed for King Ptolemy.   שְׁלשִׁים שָׁנָה וְאַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה.  בֵּין הַכֹּל, מִשֶּׁנּוֹלַד יִצְחָק עַד עַכְשָׁו, הָיוּ אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת, מִשֶּׁהָיָה לוֹ זֶרַע לְאַבְרָהָם נִתְקַיֵּם כִּי גֵר יִהְיֶה זַרְעֲךָ, וּשְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה הָיוּ מִשֶׁנִּגְזְרָה גְזֵרַת בֵּין הַבְּתָרִים עַד שֶׁנּוֹלַד יִצְחָק; וְאִי אֶפְשָׁר לוֹמַר בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם לְבַדָּהּ, שֶׁהֲרֵי קְהָת מִן הַבָּאִים עִם יַעֲקֹב הָיָה, צֵא וַחֲשֹׁב כָּל שְׁנוֹתָיו וְכָל שְׁנוֹת עַמְרָם בְּנוֹ וּשְׁמוֹנִים שֶׁל מֹשֶׁה, לֹא תִמְצָאֵם כָּל כָּךְ, וְעַל כָּרְחֲךָ הַרְבֵּה שָׁנִים הָיוּ לִקְהָת עַד שֶׁלֹּא יָרַד לְמִצְרַיִם, וְהַרְבֵּה מִשְּׁנוֹת עַמְרָם נִבְלָעִים בִּשְׁנוֹת קְהָת, וְהַרְבֵּה מִשְּׁמוֹנִים שֶׁל מֹשֶׁה נִבְלָעִים בִּשְׁנוֹת עַמְרָם, הֲרֵי שֶׁלֹּא תִמְצָא אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת לְבִיאַת מִצְרַיִם, וְהֻזְקַקְתָּה לוֹמַר עַל כָּרְחֲךָ, שֶׁאַף שְׁאָר הַיְשִׁיבוֹת נִקְרְאוּ גֵּרוּת וַאֲפִלּוּ בְחֶבְרוֹן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "אֲשֶׁר גָּר שָׁם אַבְרָהָם וְיִצְחָק" (בראשית ל"ה), וְאוֹמֵר "אֶת אֶרֶץ מְגֻרֵיהֶם אֲשֶׁר גָּרוּ בָהּ" (שמות ו'), לְפִיכָךְ אַתָּה צָרִיךְ לוֹמַר "כִּי גֵר יִהְיֶה זַרְעֲךָ" מִשֶּׁהָיָה לוֹ זֶרַע, וּכְשֶׁתִּמְנֶה ת' שָׁנָה מִשֶּׁנּוֹלַד יִצְחָק, תִּמְצָא מִבִּיאָתָן לְמִצְרַיִם עַד יְצִיאָתָן ר"י, וְזֶה אֶחָד מִן הַדְּבָרִים שֶׁשִּׁנּוּ לְתַלְמַי הַמֶּלֶךְ (מגילה ט'):
41And at the end of 430 years, on that very day, all the hosts of God left Egypt.   מאוַיְהִ֗י מִקֵּץ֙ שְׁלשִׁ֣ים שָׁנָ֔ה וְאַרְבַּ֥ע מֵא֖וֹת שָׁנָ֑ה וַיְהִ֗י בְּעֶ֨צֶם֙ הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֔ה יָֽצְא֛וּ כָּל־צִבְא֥וֹת יְהֹוָ֖ה מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם:
וַיְהִי מִקֵּץ שְׁלשִׁים שָׁנָה וגו' וַיְהִי בְּעֶצֶם הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה - And at the end of 430 years, on that very day. This tells us that once the predetermined end of the exile had arrived, the Omnipresent did not detain them for even as much as a blinking of an eye: on the 15th of Nisan the ministering angels visited Abraham to inform him that Sarah would bear him a son, on the 15th of Nisan Isaac was born, and on the 15th of Nisan the decree “between the Pieces” was pronounced.   וַיְהִי מִקֵּץ שְׁלשִׁים שָׁנָה וגו' וַיְהִי בְּעֶצֶם הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה.  מַגִּיד, שֶׁכֵּיוָן שֶׁהִגִּיעַ הַקֵּץ לֹא עִכְּבָן הַמָּקוֹם כְּהֶרֶף עַיִן – בְּט"ו בְנִיסָן בָּאוּ מַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת אֵצֶל אַבְרָהָם לְבַשְּׂרוֹ, וּבְט"ו בְּנִיסָן נוֹלַד יִצְחָק, וּבְט"ו בְּנִיסָן נִגְזְרָה גְּזֵרַת בֵּין הַבְּתָרִים:
42The night preceding this day was a night of expectation for God to take them out of Egypt. This was the night that God referred to when He said, “On this night I will redeem your descendants.This night remains an annual time of protection for all the Israelites throughout their generations.   מבלֵ֣יל שִׁמֻּרִ֥ים הוּא֙ לַֽיהֹוָ֔ה לְהֽוֹצִיאָ֖ם מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם הֽוּא־הַלַּ֤יְלָה הַזֶּה֙ לַֽיהֹוָ֔ה שִׁמֻּרִ֛ים לְכָל־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לְדֹֽרֹתָֽם:
לֵיל שִׁמֻּרִים - A night of expectation () - for which the Holy One, blessed be He, was waiting (שׁוֹמֵר) and looking forward, to fulfill His promise “to take them out of Egypt.”   לֵיל שִׁמֻּרִים.  שֶׁהָיָה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא שׁוֹמֵר וּמְצַפֶּה לוֹ, לְקַיֵּם הַבְטָחָתוֹ להוציאם מארץ מצרים:
הוּא הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה לה' - (lit.) It is this night for God - i.e., it is the night about which God had said to Abraham: “On this night I will redeem your descendants.”   הוּא הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה לה'.  הוּא הַלַּיְלָה שֶׁאָמַר לְאַבְרָהָם, בַּלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה אֲנִי גוֹאֵל אֶת בָּנֶיךָ (מכילתא):
שִׁמֻּרִים לְכָל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְדֹֽרֹתָֽם - Protection for all the Israelites throughout their generations - i.e., from then onwards, it is continuously protected from all destructive forces, as it says: “and He will not allow the destructive plague to enter your houses.” 15   שִׁמֻּרִים לְכָל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְדֹֽרֹתָֽם.  מְשֻׁמָּר וּבָא מִן הַמַּזִּיקִין, כָּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וְלֹא יִתֵּן הַמַּשְׁחִית וְגוֹ'" (פסחים ק"ט):
43God said to Moses and Aaron, “This is the law of the Passover sacrifice: No stranger to God may eat of it.   מגוַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהֹוָה֙ אֶל־משֶׁ֣ה וְאַֽהֲרֹ֔ן זֹ֖את חֻקַּ֣ת הַפָּ֑סַח כָּל־בֶּן־נֵכָ֖ר לֹא־יֹ֥אכַל בּֽוֹ:
זֹאת חֻקַּת הַפָּסַח - This is the law of the Passover sacrifice. This passage was said to them on the 14th of Nisan.   זֹאת חֻקַּת הַפָּסַח.  בְּי"ד בְּנִיסָן נֶאֶמְרָה לָהֶם פָּרָשָׁה זוֹ:
כָּל־בֶּן־נֵכָר - (lit.) Any stranger - means: one whose acts are alien to his Father in Heaven, and this implies both a non-Jew and an apostate Israelite.   כָּל־בֶּן־נֵכָר.  שֶׁנִּתְנַכְּרוּ מַעֲשָׂיו לְאָבִיו שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם, וְאֶחָד הַגּוֹי וְאֶחָד יִשְׂרָאֵל מְשֻׁמָּד בְּמַשְׁמָע (מכילתא):
44If there be a non-Jewish bondman whom a Jewish man buys for money, you must circumcise him, and then he may eat of it.   מדוְכָל־עֶ֥בֶד אִ֖ישׁ מִקְנַת־כָּ֑סֶף וּמַלְתָּ֣ה אֹת֔וֹ אָ֖ז יֹ֥אכַל בּֽוֹ:
וּמַלְתָּה אֹתוֹ אָז יֹאכַל בּֽוֹ - You must circumcise him, and then he may eat of it - i.e., his master may then eat from it. This tells us that failure to perform circumcision of one’s bondmen prevents one from eating the Passover sacrifice. This is the opinion of Rabbi Yehoshua. But Rabbi Eliezer said: Failure to perform circumcision of one’s bondmen does not prevent one from eating the Passover sacrifice. If so, what is meant by what Scripture states: “then he may eat of it”? That only then may the bondman himself eat from it.   וּמַלְתָּה אֹתוֹ אָז יֹאכַל בּֽוֹ.  רַבּוֹ, מַגִּיד שֶׁמִּילַת עֲבָדָיו מְעַכַּבְתּוֹ מִלֶּאֱכֹל בַּפֶּסַח, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר, אֵין מִילַת עֲבָדָיו מְעַכַּבְתּוֹ מִלֶּאֱכֹל בַּפֶּסַח, אִם כֵּן מַה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמָר אז יאכל בו? הָעֶבֶד:
45Neither a resident alien nor a non-Jewish hired laborer may eat of it.   מהתּוֹשָׁ֥ב וְשָׂכִ֖יר לֹא־יֹ֥אכַל בּֽוֹ:
תּוֹשָׁב - A resident. This refers to a foreigner, i.e., a non-Jew who has undertaken not to serve idols, and is therefore granted residence in the Land of Israel.   תּוֹשָׁב.  זֶה גֵּר תּוֹשָׁב:
וְשָׂכִיר - Nor a hired laborer. This refers to a non-Jew. And why does Scripture need to say this? Are not the resident alien and the non-Jew both uncircumcised, and it says: “No uncircumcised man may eat of it”? 16 Rather, it is referring, for example, to a circumcised Arab or a circumcised Gibeonite who is a resident alien or a hired laborer.   וְשָׂכִיר.  זֶה גּוֹי, וּמַה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמָר, וַהֲלֹא עֲרֵלִים הֵם, וְנֶאֱמַר וכל ערל לא יאכל בו? אֶלָּא כְּגוֹן עֲרָבִי מָהוּל וְגִבְעוֹנִי מָהוּל וְהוּא תּוֹשָׁב אוֹ שָׂכִיר (שם):
46It must be eaten by a single group. You must not take any of the meat out of the group, nor break any of its bones.   מובְּבַ֤יִת אֶחָד֙ יֵֽאָכֵ֔ל לֹֽא־תוֹצִ֧יא מִן־הַבַּ֛יִת מִן־הַבָּשָׂ֖ר ח֑וּצָה וְעֶ֖צֶם לֹ֥א תִשְׁבְּרוּ־בֽוֹ:
בְּבַיִת אֶחָד יֵֽאָכֵל - It must be eaten (lit.) in one house - i.e., in one group, meaning that those who are designated to form one group for eating it should not later become two groups and divide it. You say that בְּבַיִת אֶחָד means “one group,” but perhaps the meaning is none other than one house, in the plain sense, and it comes to teach us that if the group began by eating the Passover sacrifice in the yard of the house and it started raining, they may not enter the house and continue eating there? Scripture therefore states: “the houses where they will eat the sacrifice,” 17 from which we may deduce that those who eat the sacrifice may eat it in two places.   בְּבַיִת אֶחָד יֵֽאָכֵל.  בַּחֲבוּרָה אַחַת, שֶׁלֹּא יֵעָשׂוּ הַנִּמְנִין עָלָיו שְׁתֵּי חֲבוּרוֹת וִיחַלְּקוּהוּ. אַתָּה אוֹמֵר בַּחֲבוּרָה אַחַת אוֹ אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא בְּבַיִת אֶחָד כְּמַשְׁמָעוֹ, וּלְלַמֵּד שֶׁאִם הִתְחִילוּ וְהָיוּ אוֹכְלִים בֶּחָצֵר וְיָרְדוּ גְּשָׁמִים שֶׁלֹּא יִכָּנְסוּ לַבַּיִת? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר, "עַל הַבָּתִּים אֲשֶׁר יֹאכְלוּ אֹתוֹ בָּהֶם", מִכָּאן שֶׁהָאוֹכֵל אוֹכֵל בִּשְׁנֵי מְקוֹמוֹת:
לֹֽא־תוֹצִיא מִן־הַבַּיִת - You must not take [any of the meat] (lit.) out of the house - i.e., out of the group.   לֹֽא־תוֹצִיא מִן־הַבַּיִת.  מִן הַחֲבוּרָה:
וְעֶצֶם לֹֽא־תִשְׁבְּרוּ־בֽוֹ - Nor break any of its bones. This refers to a bone that is fit to be eaten, such as one that has a kezayit or more of flesh on it; only to it does the prohibition of breaking a bone apply, but to a bone that does not have a kezayit of flesh on it the prohibition of breaking a bone does not apply.   וְעֶצֶם לֹֽא־תִשְׁבְּרוּ־בֽוֹ.  הָרָאוּי לַאֲכִילָה, כְּגוֹן שֶׁיֵּשׁ עָלָיו כַּזַּיִת בָּשָׂר, יֵשׁ בּוֹ מִשּׁוּם שְׁבִירַת עֶצֶם, אֵין עָלָיו כַּזַּיִת בָּשָׂר אֵין בּוֹ מִשּׁוּם שְׁבִירַת עֶצֶם:
47The entire community of Israel will offer it up.   מזכָּל־עֲדַ֥ת יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל יַֽעֲשׂ֥וּ אֹתֽוֹ:
כָּל־עֲדַת יִשְׂרָאֵל יַֽעֲשׂוּ אֹתֽוֹ - The entire community of Israel will offer it up. Why is this stated? Since regarding the Passover sacrifice offered up in Egypt it says: “a lamb per paternal house,” 18 meaning that they registered for eating it only by family groups, I might think that the Passover sacrifice offered up in future generations must also be so. Scripture therefore states: “The entire community of Israel will offer it up.”   כָּל־עֲדַת יִשְׂרָאֵל יַֽעֲשׂוּ אֹתֽוֹ.  לָמָּה נֶאֱמַר, לְפִי שֶׁהוּא אוֹמֵר בְּפֶסַח מִצְרַיִם "שֶׂה לְבֵית אָבוֹת", שֶׁנִּמְנוּ עָלָיו לַמִּשְׁפָּחוֹת, יָכוֹל אַף פֶּסַח דּוֹרוֹת כֵּן? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמָר כל עדת ישראל יעשו אתו:
48When a convert living among you offers up the Passover sacrifice to God, all the males in his household must first be circumcised and only then may he draw near to offer it up. He will be just like a native citizen. No uncircumcised man may eat of it.   מחוְכִֽי־יָג֨וּר אִתְּךָ֜ גֵּ֗ר וְעָ֣שָׂה פֶ֘סַח֘ לַֽיהֹוָה֒ הִמּ֧וֹל ל֣וֹ כָל־זָכָ֗ר וְאָז֙ יִקְרַ֣ב לַֽעֲשׂת֔וֹ וְהָיָ֖ה כְּאֶזְרַ֣ח הָאָ֑רֶץ וְכָל־עָרֵ֖ל לֹא־יֹ֥אכַל בּֽוֹ:
וְעָשָׂה פֶסַח - (lit.) And he will offer up the Passover sacrifice. From these words alone I might have thought that whoever converts must offer up a Passover sacrifice immediately upon converting. Scripture therefore states: “he will be like a native of the land” – just as a native offers up the Passover sacrifice only on the 14th of Nisan, so, too, a convert offers it up only on the 14th.   וְעָשָׂה פֶסַח.  יָכוֹל כָּל הַמִּתְגַּיֵּר יַעֲשֶׂה פֶּסַח מִיָּד, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר והיה כאזרח הארץ, מָה אֶזְרָח בְּאַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר אַף גֵּר בְּאַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר (שם):
וְכָל־עָרֵל לֹא־יֹאכַל בּֽוֹ - No uncircumcised man may eat of it. This prohibition is written to include one whose older brothers died as a result of undergoing circumcision, who is therefore not considered an apostate by virtue of being uncircumcised and therefore this law cannot be derived from: “No stranger may eat of it.” 19   וְכָל־עָרֵל לֹא־יֹאכַל בּֽוֹ.  לְהָבִיא אֶת שֶׁמֵּתוּ אֶחָיו מֵחֲמַת מִילָה, שֶׁאֵינוֹ מוּמָר לַעֲרֵלוּת וְאֵינוֹ לָמֵד מִ"בֶּן נֵכָר לֹא יֹאכַל בּוֹ" (שם):
49There must be one law for the native Israelite and for the convert who lives among you.”   מטתּוֹרָ֣ה אַחַ֔ת יִֽהְיֶ֖ה לָֽאֶזְרָ֑ח וְלַגֵּ֖ר הַגָּ֥ר בְּתֽוֹכְכֶֽם:
תּוֹרָה אַחַת וגו' - [There must be] one law… This verse is added to equate a convert with a native Jew regarding all the other commandments in the Torah, as well.   תּוֹרָה אַחַת וגו'.  לְהַשְׁווֹת גֵּר לָאֶזְרָח אַף לִשְׁאָר מִצְווֹת שֶׁבַּתּוֹרָה (שם):
50All the Israelites did as God had instructed Moses and Aaron, and Moses and Aaron did so, also.   נוַיַּֽעֲשׂ֖וּ כָּל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֨ר צִוָּ֧ה יְהֹוָ֛ה אֶת־משֶׁ֥ה וְאֶת־אַֽהֲרֹ֖ן כֵּ֥ן עָשֽׂוּ:
51It was on that very same day that God took the Israelites out of Egypt with all their hosts.   נאוַיְהִ֕י בְּעֶ֖צֶם הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה הוֹצִ֨יא יְהֹוָ֜ה אֶת־בְּנֵ֧י יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרַ֖יִם עַל־צִבְאֹתָֽם:

Seventh Portion

Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 13

1God spoke to Moses, saying,   אוַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶל־משֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר:
2“Consecrate to Me, from among the Israelites, every firstborn of man or beast—the first issue of every womb; it is Mine.”   בקַדֶּשׁ־לִ֨י כָל־בְּכ֜וֹר פֶּ֤טֶר כָּל־רֶ֨חֶם֙ בִּבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בָּֽאָדָ֖ם וּבַבְּהֵמָ֑ה לִ֖י הֽוּא:
פֶּטֶר כָל־רֶחֶם - means: The one that first opened the womb. The root פֶּטֶר connotes “opening,” as in: “like one who makes an opening for water to gush forth (פּוֹטֵר), so is the beginning of strife”; 1 and similarly: יַפְטִירוּ בְשָׂפָה, 2 which means: “they will open their mouths with their lips.”   פֶּטֶר כָל־רֶחֶם.  שֶׁפָּתַח הָרֶחֶם תְּחִלָּה, כְּמוֹ: "פּוֹטֵר מַיִם רֵאשִׁית מָדוֹן" (משלי י"ז), וְכֵן "יַפְטִירוּ בְשָׂפָה" (תהלים כ"ב) – יִפְתְּחוּ שְׂפָתַיִם:
לִי הֽוּא - It is Mine. I acquired them for Myself by virtue of My smiting the Egyptian firstborn.   לִי הֽוּא.  לְעַצְמִי קָנִיתִי, עַל יְדֵי שֶׁהִכֵּיתִי בְכוֹרֵי מִצְרַיִם:
3Moses said to the people, “Remember this day on which you went out of Egypt, the house of bondage, for with a mighty hand God brought you out of here. No leavened food may be eaten on Passover.   גוַיֹּ֨אמֶר משֶׁ֜ה אֶל־הָעָ֗ם זָכ֞וֹר אֶת־הַיּ֤וֹם הַזֶּה֙ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יְצָאתֶ֤ם מִמִּצְרַ֨יִם֙ מִבֵּ֣ית עֲבָדִ֔ים כִּ֚י בְּחֹ֣זֶק יָ֔ד הוֹצִ֧יא יְהֹוָ֛ה אֶתְכֶ֖ם מִזֶּ֑ה וְלֹ֥א יֵֽאָכֵ֖ל חָמֵֽץ:
זָכוֹר אֶת־הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה - Remember this day. The expression “this day” teaches that one must mention the Exodus from Egypt every day.   זָכוֹר אֶת־הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה.  לִמֵּד, שֶׁמַּזְכִּירִין יְצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם בְּכָל יוֹם:
4This day, on which you are going out, is in the month of the beginning of the grain-ripening.   דהַיּ֖וֹם אַתֶּ֣ם יֹֽצְאִ֑ים בְּחֹ֖דֶשׁ הָֽאָבִֽיב:
בְּחֹדֶשׁ הָֽאָבִֽיב - In the month of ripening. Now, did they not know in which month they were leaving Egypt? Rather, this is what he was saying to them: See how kindly God treated you, that He took you out of Egypt in a month that is suited for departure – not hot, not cold, and not rainy; and so it says: “Who took out the prisoners בַּכּוֹשָׁרוֹת,” 3 i.e., in a month that was fitting (כָּשֵׁר) for them to depart.   בְּחֹדֶשׁ הָֽאָבִֽיב.  וְכִי לֹא הָיִינוּ יוֹדְעִין בְּאֵיזֶה חֹדֶשׁ? אֶלָּא כָּךְ אָמַר לָהֶם, רְאוּ חֶסֶד שֶׁגְּמַלְכֶם, שֶׁהוֹצִיא אֶתְכֶם בְּחֹדֶשׁ שֶׁהוּא כָשֵׁר לָצֵאת, לֹא חַמָּה וְלֹא צִנָּה וְלֹא גְּשָׁמִים, וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר, "מוֹצִיא אֲסִירִים בַּכּוֹשָׁרוֹת" (תהלים ס"ח) – חֹדֶשׁ שֶׁהוּא כָשֵׁר לָצֵאת (מכילתא):
5When God will bring you to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which He swore to your forefathers to give you, a land flowing with goats’ milk and date- and fig-honey, then you must perform this service in this month.   הוְהָיָ֣ה כִֽי־יְבִֽיאֲךָ֣ יְהֹוָ֡ה אֶל־אֶ֣רֶץ הַ֠כְּנַֽעֲנִ֠י וְהַֽחִתִּ֨י וְהָֽאֱמֹרִ֜י וְהַֽחִוִּ֣י וְהַיְבוּסִ֗י אֲשֶׁ֨ר נִשְׁבַּ֤ע לַֽאֲבֹתֶ֨יךָ֙ לָ֣תֶת לָ֔ךְ אֶ֛רֶץ זָבַ֥ת חָלָ֖ב וּדְבָ֑שׁ וְעָֽבַדְתָּ֛ אֶת־הָֽעֲבֹדָ֥ה הַזֹּ֖את בַּחֹ֥דֶשׁ הַזֶּֽה:
אֶל־אֶרֶץ הַכְּנַֽעֲנִי וגו' - To the land of the Canaanites… Even though it enumerates here only five peoples, all seven nations of the land of Canaan are included, for all of them are included in the generic name Canaanite. It is just that one of the family clans of Canaan was not called by any specific name other than Canaanite.   אֶל־אֶרֶץ הַכְּנַֽעֲנִי וגו'.  וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁלֹּא מָנָה אֶלָּא חֲמִשָּׁה עֲמָמִין, כָּל ז' גּוֹיִם בְּמַשְׁמָע, שֶׁכֻּלָּן בִּכְלַל כְּנַעֲנִי הֵם וְאַחַת מִמִּשְׁפְּחוֹת כְּנַעַן הָיְתָה שֶׁלֹּא נִקְרָא לָהּ שֵׁם אֶלָּא כְּנַעֲנִי:
נִשְׁבַּע לַֽאֲבֹתֶיךָ - He swore to your forefathers… With Abraham it says: “On that day God made a covenant with Abram, saying, ‘To your descendants I have given this land…’”; 4 and with Isaac it says: “Sojourn in this land…for I will give all these lands to you and your descendants, and I will fulfill the oath that I made to your father Abraham”; 5 and with Jacob it says: “The land upon which you are lying I will give to you and your descendants.” 6   נִשְׁבַּע לַֽאֲבֹתֶיךָ.  בְּאַבְרָהָם הוּא אוֹמֵר "בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא כָּרַת ה' אֶת אַבְרָם וְגוֹ'" (בראשית ט"ו), וּבְיִצְחָק הוּא אוֹמֵר "גּוּר בָּאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת" (שם כ"ו), וּבְיַעֲקֹב הוּא אוֹמֵר "הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה שׁוֹכֵב עָלֶיהָ" (שם כ"ח):
זָבַת חָלָב וּדְבָשׁ - Flowing with milk and honey - milk that flows from the goats, and honey that flows from dates and figs.   זָבַת חָלָב וּדְבָשׁ.  חָלָב זָב מִן הָעִזִּים, וְהַדְּבַשׁ זָב מִן הַתְּמָרִים וּמִן הַתְּאֵנִים:
אֶת־הָֽעֲבֹדָה הַזֹּאת - This service - of the Passover sacrifice. Now, was this command not already stated above: “Once you have come into the land…you must maintain this service”? 7 Why does the Torah repeat it here? On account of something new that is introduced here: In the earlier passage, it says: “When your children ask you, ‘What is this service of yours?’” 8 This passage of Scripture is speaking about a wicked child, who has disassociated himself from the community obligated in the service, i.e., the Jewish people. Here, however, it says: “you must tell your child,” 9 referring to a child who does not yet know how to ask, and Scripture teaches you that you must begin the discussion about the Exodus for him with aggadic matters that will arouse his interest.   אֶת־הָֽעֲבֹדָה הַזֹּאת.  שֶׁל פֶּסַח; וַהֲלֹא כְּבָר נֶאֱמַר לְמַעְלָה "וְהָיָה כִּי תָבֹאוּ אֶל הָאָרֶץ וְגוֹ'", וְלָמָּה חָזַר וּשְׁנָאָהּ? בִּשְׁבִיל דָּבָר שֶׁנִּתְחַדֵּשׁ בָּהּ, בְּפָרָשָׁה רִאשׁוֹנָה נֶאֱמַר "וְהָיָה כִּי יֹאמְרוּ אֲלֵיכֶם בְּנֵיכֶם מָה הָעֲבֹדָה הַזֹּאת לָכֶם" — בְּבֵן רָשָׁע הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר שֶׁהוֹצִיא אֶת עַצְמוֹ מִן הַכְּלָל, וְכָאן "וְהִגַּדְתָּ לְבִנְךָ" — בְּבֵן שֶׁאֵינוֹ יוֹדֵעַ לִשְׁאֹל, וְהַכָּתוּב מְלַמֶּדְךָ, שֶׁתִּפְתַּח לוֹ אַתָּה בְּדִבְרֵי אַגָּדָה הַמּוֹשְׁכִין אֶת הַלֵּב (מכילתא):
6For seven days you must eat matzos, and on the seventh day there must be a festival to God.   ושִׁבְעַ֥ת יָמִ֖ים תֹּאכַ֣ל מַצֹּ֑ת וּבַיּוֹם֙ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י חַ֖ג לַיהֹוָֽה:
7During the seven days, matzos must be eaten. Nothing leavened of yours nor any leavening agent of yours may be seen throughout your domain.   זמַצּוֹת֙ יֵֽאָכֵ֔ל אֵ֖ת שִׁבְעַ֣ת הַיָּמִ֑ים וְלֹא־יֵֽרָאֶ֨ה לְךָ֜ חָמֵ֗ץ וְלֹא־יֵֽרָאֶ֥ה לְךָ֛ שְׂאֹ֖ר בְּכָל־גְּבֻלֶֽךָ:
8You must tell your child on that day saying, ‘It is for the sake of fulfilling His commandments, like these, that God acted on my behalf when I came out of Egypt.’   חוְהִגַּדְתָּ֣ לְבִנְךָ֔ בַּיּ֥וֹם הַה֖וּא לֵאמֹ֑ר בַּֽעֲב֣וּר זֶ֗ה עָשָׂ֤ה יְהֹוָה֙ לִ֔י בְּצֵאתִ֖י מִמִּצְרָֽיִם:
בַּֽעֲבוּר זֶה - It is for the sake of this - i.e., so that I fulfill God’s commandments, such as these before me: the Passover offering, matzos, and bitter herbs.   בַּֽעֲבוּר זֶה.  בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁאֲקַיֵּם מִצְווֹתָיו, כְּגוֹן פֶּסַח מַצָּה וּמָרוֹר הַלָּלוּ:
עָשָׂה ה' לִי - That God acted on my behalf. Here Scripture alludes to the answer one is to give to the wicked child, by saying: “God acted for me but not for you, for if you had been there in Egypt, although you would have been redeemed, you would not have been worthy of being redeemed.”   עָשָׂה ה' לִי.  רָמַז תְּשׁוּבָה לְבֵן רָשָׁע, לוֹמַר עָשָׂה ה' לִי, וְלֹא לְךָ, שֶׁאִלּוּ הָיִיתָ שָׁם לֹא הָיִיתָ כְדַאי לִגָּאֵל (מכילתא):
9The Exodus will be a sign for you when you wear tefilin on your arm, and a reminder when you wear tefilin on your forehead between your eyes, so that God’s Torah will be on your lips, for with a mighty hand God brought you out of Egypt.   טוְהָיָה֩ לְךָ֨ לְא֜וֹת עַל־יָֽדְךָ֗ וּלְזִכָּרוֹן֙ בֵּ֣ין עֵינֶ֔יךָ לְמַ֗עַן תִּֽהְיֶ֛ה תּוֹרַ֥ת יְהֹוָ֖ה בְּפִ֑יךָ כִּ֚י בְּיָ֣ד חֲזָקָ֔ה הוֹצִֽאֲךָ֥ יְהֹוָ֖ה מִמִּצְרָֽיִם:
וְהָיָה לְךָ לְאוֹת - (lit.) It will be for you a sign - i.e., the Exodus from Egypt must be for you a sign.   וְהָיָה לְךָ לְאוֹת.  יְצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם תִּהְיֶה לְךָ לאות:
עַל־יָֽדְךָ וּלְזִכָּרוֹן בית עֵינֶיךָ - On your arm and a reminder between your eyes - meaning to say that you write down these passages describing the Exodus on scrolls and bind them as tefilin on the head and arm.   עַל־יָֽדְךָ וּלְזִכָּרוֹן בֵּין עֵינֶיךָ.  שֶׁתִּכְתֹּב הַפָּרָשִׁיּוֹת הַלָּלוּ וְתִקְשְׁרֵם בָּרֹאשׁ וּבַזְּרוֹעַ:
עַל־יָֽדְךָ - On your arm - i.e., the left arm. For this reason the word יָדְכָה in the second passage 10 is written in full, including the letter ה, to be expounded as “the hand (יָד) that is weak (כֵּהָה).”   עַל־יָֽדְךָ.  עַל יַד שְׂמֹאל, לְפִיכָךְ יָדְכָה מָלֵא בְּפָרָשָׁה שְׁנִיָּה, לִדְרֹשׁ בָּהּ יָד שֶׁהִיא כֵהָה (מנחות ל"ו):
10You must observe this ordinance at its appointed time from year to year.   יוְשָֽׁמַרְתָּ֛ אֶת־הַֽחֻקָּ֥ה הַזֹּ֖את לְמֽוֹעֲדָ֑הּ מִיָּמִ֖ים יָמִֽימָה:
מִיָּמִים יָמִֽימָה - means: From year to year.   מִיָּמִים יָמִֽימָה.  מִשָּׁנָה לְשָׁנָה (שם):
11When God brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as He swore that He would to you and your ancestors, and gives it to you,   יאוְהָיָ֞ה כִּֽי־יְבִֽאֲךָ֤ יְהֹוָה֙ אֶל־אֶ֣רֶץ הַכְּנַֽעֲנִ֔י כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֛ר נִשְׁבַּ֥ע לְךָ֖ וְלַֽאֲבֹתֶ֑יךָ וּנְתָנָ֖הּ לָֽךְ:
וְהָיָה כִּֽי־יְבִֽאֲךָ - (lit.) It will be, when [God] brings you. Some of our rabbis deduced from here that the firstborn born in the desert were not sanctified. And the one who says that they were sanctified explains this mention of entering the land as follows: If you observe this commandment in the desert, you will merit to enter the Land of Israel and perform it there.   וְהָיָה כִּֽי־יְבִֽאֲךָ.  יֵשׁ מֵרַבּוֹתֵינוּ שֶׁלָּמְדוּ מִכָּאן שֶׁלֹּא קָדְשׁוּ בְּכוֹרוֹת הַנּוֹלָדִים בַּמִּדְבָּר, וְהָאוֹמֵר קָדְשׁוּ, מְפָרֵשׁ בִּיאָה זוֹ אִם תְּקַיְּמוּהוּ בַמִּדְבָּר תִּזְכּוּ לִכָּנֵס לָאָרֶץ וּתְקַיְּמוּהוּ שָׁם):
נִשְׁבַּע לְךָ - He swore to you. And where did He swear this to you? “I will bring you to the land regarding which I raised My hand to swear that I would give it to Abraham….11   נִשְׁבַּע לְךָ.  וְהֵיכָן נִשְׁבַּע לְךָ? "וְהֵבֵאתִי אֶתְכֶם אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר נָשָׂאתִי וְגוֹ'" (שמות ו'):
וּנְתָנָהּ לְךָ - And gives it to you - i.e., you must continually regard it as if He gave the land to you that very day, and not regard it as merely inherited from the forefathers.   וּנְתָנָהּ לְךָ.  תְּהֵא בְעֵינֶיךָ כְּאִלּוּ נִתְּנָה לְךָ בּוֹ בַּיּוֹם, וְאַל תְּהִי בְעֵינֶיךָ כִּירֻשַּׁת אָבוֹת:
12you must set apart for God every first issue of the womb. Even all male firstling miscarriages of your cattle and flocks must be considered God’s.   יבוְהַֽעֲבַרְתָּ֥ כָל־פֶּֽטֶר־רֶ֖חֶם לַֽיהֹוָ֑ה וְכָל־פֶּ֣טֶר | שֶׁ֣גֶר בְּהֵמָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר יִֽהְיֶ֥ה לְךָ֛ הַזְּכָרִ֖ים לַיהֹוָֽה:
וְהַֽעֲבַרְתָּ - You must set apart. The word וְהַעֲבַרְתָּ is none other than an expression of separation, and similarly we find that it says: “you must transfer (וְהַעֲבַרְתֶּם) his inheritance to his daughter.” 12   וְהַֽעֲבַרְתָּ.  אֵין וְהַעֲבַרְתָּ אֶלָּא לְשׁוֹן הַפְרָשָׁה, וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר "וְהַעֲבַרְתָּ אֶת נַחֲלָתוֹ לְבִתּוֹ" (במדבר כ"ז) (מכילתא):
שֶׁגֶר בְּהֵמָה - (lit.) A cast-off of an animal - is a firstling miscarriage, which its mother expelled (שִׁגְּרַתּוּ) and released from the womb prematurely. Scripture hereby teaches you that it receives the holy firstborn status in so far as that it exempts the animal born after it from being treated as a firstborn. Even an animal that is not a miscarriage may be called שֶׁגֶר, as in שְׁגַר אֲלָפֶיךָ “the offspring of your cattle,” 13 but this instance of the word can only come to teach us about a miscarriage, for the Torah has already written: “every first issue of the womb.” And if you wish to say that the extra phrase comes to imply that even the firstborn of a animal that renders you spiritually defiled if you eat it is sanctified, I answer that Scripture states explicitly in another place: “Every firstborn male that is born of your herd or flock.” 14 Another way the verse may be explained is that the earlier phrase “you must set apart every first issue of the womb” refers to the firstborn of people, in which case the latter phrase may refer to livestock in general and not specifically miscarriages.   שֶׁגֶר בְּהֵמָה.  נֵפֶל שֶׁשִּׁגְּרַתּוּ אִמּוֹ וְשִׁלְּחַתּוּ בְּלֹא עִתּוֹ; וְלִמֶּדְךָ הַכָּתוּב שֶׁהוּא קָדוֹשׁ בִּבְכוֹרָה לִפְטֹר אֶת הַבָּא אַחֲרָיו וְאַף שֶׁאֵין נֵפֶל קָרוּי שֶׁגֶר, כְּמוֹ "שְׁגַר אֲלָפֶיךָ" (דברים ז'), אֲבָל זֶה לֹא בָא אֶלָּא לְלַמֵּד עַל הַנֵּפֶל שֶׁהֲרֵי כְבָר כָּתַב כָּל פֶּטֶר רֶחֶם. וְאִם תֹּאמַר אַף בְּכוֹר בְּהֵמָה טְמֵאָה בְּמַשְׁמָע, בָּא וּפֵרֵשׁ בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר "בִּבְקָרְךָ וּבְצֹאנְךָ" (דברים ט"ו). לָשׁוֹן אַחֵר יֵשׁ לְפָרֵשׁ, "וְהַעֲבַרְתָּ כָל פֶּטֶר רֶחֶם" — בִּבְכוֹר אָדָם הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר:
13You must redeem every firstling donkey by giving a lamb or kid to a priest in its stead. If you do not redeem the donkey, you must break its neck. You must redeem every firstborn child among your sons.   יגוְכָל־פֶּ֤טֶר חֲמֹר֙ תִּפְדֶּ֣ה בְשֶׂ֔ה וְאִם־לֹ֥א תִפְדֶּ֖ה וַֽעֲרַפְתּ֑וֹ וְכֹ֨ל בְּכ֥וֹר אָדָ֛ם בְּבָנֶ֖יךָ תִּפְדֶּֽה:
פֶּטֶר חמור - Firstling donkey - but not the firstling of any other animal whose consumption renders you spiritually defiled. It is a special decree of the Torah that this law apply just to the firstborn of donkeys, because the firstborn of the Egyptians are compared to donkeys; and furthermore, donkeys helped Israel when they went out of Egypt, for there was not one of Israel who did not take with him many donkeys laden with Egyptian silver and gold.   פֶּטֶר חמור.  וְלֹא פֶּטֶר שְׁאָר בְּהֵמָה טְמֵאָה; וּגְזֵרַת הַכָּתוּב הִיא לְפִי שֶׁנִּמְשְׁלוּ בְּכוֹרֵי מִצְרַיִם לַחֲמוֹרִים; וְעוֹד, שֶׁסִּיְּעוּ אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּיצִיאָתָן, שֶׁאֵין לְךָ אֶחָד מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁלֹּא נָטַל הַרְבֵּה חֲמוֹרִים מִמִּצְרַיִם טְעוּנִים מִכַּסְפָּם וּמִזְּהָבָם שֶׁל מִצְרִים:
תִּפְדֶּה בְשֶׂה - You must redeem with a lamb - i.e., one gives a lamb to the priest and then it is permissible to derive benefit from the firstborn donkey, and the lamb also maintains its ordinary unsanctified status in the priest’s possession.   תִּפְדֶּה בְשֶׂה.  נוֹתֵן שֶׂה לַכֹּהֵן וּפֶטֶר חֲמוֹר מֻתָּר בַּהֲנָאָה וְהַשֶּׂה חֻלִּין בְּיַד כֹּהֵן (בכורות ט'):
וַֽעֲרַפְתּוֹ - You must break its neck - i.e., one breaks its neck from behind with a hatchet, killing it. The owner of the donkey gained nothing by not redeeming the donkey, so by refusing to do so he cruelly and needlessly deprived the priest of his rightful possession, so he must also damage his property, killing the donkey in a cruel manner to experience his own cruelty.   וַֽעֲרַפְתּוֹ.  עוֹרְפוֹ בְּקוֹפִיץ מֵאֲחוֹרָיו וְהוֹרְגוֹ; הוּא הִפְסִיד מָמוֹנוֹ שֶׁל כֹּהֵן, לְפִיכָךְ יַפְסִיד מָמוֹנוֹ (שם י'):
וְכָל־בְּכוֹר אָדָם בְּבָנֶיךָ תִּפְדֶּה - You must redeem every firstborn child among your sons. His redemption is set at five sela’im by Scripture in another place. 15   וְכָל־בְּכוֹר אָדָם בְּבָנֶיךָ תִּפְדֶּה.  חָמֵשׁ סְלָעִים פִּדְיוֹנוֹ קָצוּב בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר (במדבר י"ח):
14If, in time to come, your child asks you, saying, ‘What is this?’ you must say to him, ‘God brought us out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, with a mighty hand.   ידוְהָיָ֞ה כִּֽי־יִשְׁאָֽלְךָ֥ בִנְךָ֛ מָחָ֖ר לֵאמֹ֣ר מַה־זֹּ֑את וְאָֽמַרְתָּ֣ אֵלָ֔יו בְּחֹ֣זֶק יָ֗ד הֽוֹצִיאָ֧נוּ יְהֹוָ֛ה מִמִּצְרַ֖יִם מִבֵּ֥ית עֲבָדִֽים:
כִּֽי־יִשְׁאָֽלְךָ בִנְךָ מָחָר - (lit.) When your son asks you tomorrow. The meaning of “tomorrow” varies according to when the current situation ends: sometimes “tomorrow” can apply even to the present, and sometimes “tomorrow” can apply to a much later time, such as here, when it refers to after the generation of the Exodus has passed, and such as: “Tomorrow your descendants will say to our descendants” 16 in the account regarding the descendants of Gad and the descendants of Reuben.   כִּֽי־יִשְׁאָֽלְךָ בִנְךָ מָחָר.  יֵשׁ מָחָר שֶׁהוּא עַכְשָׁיו וְיֵשׁ מָחָר שֶׁהוּא לְאַחַר זְמַן, כְּגוֹן זֶה, וּכְגוֹן "וְלֹא יֹאמְרוּ בְנֵיכֶם מָחָר לְבָנֵינוּ" (יהושע כ"ב), דִּבְנֵי גָד וְדִבְנֵי רְאוּבֵן:
מַה־זֹּאת - What is this?. This is the question of a foolish child, who is unable to delve into the details of his question but asks in vague terms, “What is this?” Elsewhere, it says that a child may ask, “What is the basis for the testimonies, rules, and ordinances…?” 17 this being the question of an intelligent child. Thus, the Torah communicates how to react to four types of children: a simpleton, a wicked one, one who does not know to ask, and one who asks intelligently, instructing us to tailor our explanations of all God’s commandments to each one’s disposition and mental capacity.   מַה־זֹּאת.  זֶה תִּינוֹק טִפֵּשׁ שֶׁאֵינוֹ יוֹדֵעַ לְהַעֲמִיק שְׁאֵלָתוֹ וְסוֹתֵם וְשׁוֹאֵל "מַה זֹּאת?", וּבְמָקוֹם אַחֵר הוּא אוֹמֵר "מָה הָעֵדֹת וְהַחֻקִּים וְהַמִּשְׁפָּטִים וְגוֹ'" (דברים ו'), הֲרֵי זֹאת שְׁאֵלַת בֵּן חָכָם; דִּבְּרָה תוֹרָה כְּנֶגֶד אַרְבָּעָה בָנִים — רָשָׁע, וְשֶׁאֵינוֹ יוֹדֵעַ לִשְׁאֹל, וְהַשּׁוֹאֵל דֶּרֶךְ סְתוּמָה, וְהַשּׁוֹאֵל דֶּרֶךְ חָכְמָה (מכילתא):
15When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us leave, God slew every firstborn in Egypt, the firstborn of both man and beast. I therefore sacrifice to God every male animal that is the first issue of the womb, and redeem every firstborn among my sons.’   טווַיְהִ֗י כִּֽי־הִקְשָׁ֣ה פַרְעֹה֘ לְשַׁלְּחֵ֒נוּ֒ וַיַּֽהֲרֹ֨ג יְהֹוָ֤ה כָּל־בְּכוֹר֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם מִבְּכֹ֥ר אָדָ֖ם וְעַד־בְּכ֣וֹר בְּהֵמָ֑ה עַל־כֵּן֩ אֲנִ֨י זֹבֵ֜חַ לַֽיהֹוָ֗ה כָּל־פֶּ֤טֶר רֶ֨חֶם֙ הַזְּכָרִ֔ים וְכָל־בְּכ֥וֹר בָּנַ֖י אֶפְדֶּֽה:
16The Exodus, which is described in this passage, will be a further sign on your arm and reminder between your eyes that God brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand.”   טזוְהָיָ֤ה לְאוֹת֙ עַל־יָ֣דְכָ֔ה וּלְטֽוֹטָפֹ֖ת בֵּ֣ין עֵינֶ֑יךָ כִּ֚י בְּחֹ֣זֶק יָ֔ד הֽוֹצִיאָ֥נוּ יְהֹוָ֖ה מִמִּצְרָֽיִם:
וּלְטֽוֹטָפֹת - And reminder - i.e., tefilin, and on account of the fact that they have four compartments they are called טוֹטָפֹתfor טָט in Coptic means two, and פַּת in Phrygian means two. But Menachem ben Saruk classified the word טוֹטָפֹת together with וְהַטֵּף אֶל דָּרוֹם “and address the south”; 18 and אַל תַּטִּפוּ “do not preach”; 19 i.e., it has the connotation of “speech,” expressing the same idea as “and as a reminder between your eyes” in the earlier passage, 20 for whoever sees the tefilin bound between the eyes will remember the miracle of the Exodus and speak about it. End of Parashat Bo   וּלְטֽוֹטָפֹת.  תְּפִלִּין; וְעַל שֵׁם שֶׁהֵם אַרְבָעָה בָתִּים קְרוּיִין טטפת – "טט" בְּכַתְפִּי שְׁתַּיִם, "פת" בְּאַפְרִיקִי שְׁתַּיִם (סנהדרין ד'). וּמְנַחֵם חִבְּרוֹ עִם "וְהַטֵּף אֶל דָּרוֹם" (יחזקאל כ"א), "אַל תַּטִּיפוּ" (מיכה ב'), לְשׁוֹן דִּבּוּר, כְּמוֹ וּלְזִכָּרוֹן, שֶׁהָרוֹאֶה אוֹתָם קָשׁוּר בֵּין הָעֵינַיִם, יִזְכֹּר הַנֵּס וִידַבֵּר בּוֹ:

Maftir Portion

Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 13

14If, in time to come, your child asks you, saying, ‘What is this?’ you must say to him, ‘God brought us out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, with a mighty hand.   ידוְהָיָ֞ה כִּֽי־יִשְׁאָֽלְךָ֥ בִנְךָ֛ מָחָ֖ר לֵאמֹ֣ר מַה־זֹּ֑את וְאָֽמַרְתָּ֣ אֵלָ֔יו בְּחֹ֣זֶק יָ֗ד הֽוֹצִיאָ֧נוּ יְהֹוָ֛ה מִמִּצְרַ֖יִם מִבֵּ֥ית עֲבָדִֽים:
כִּֽי־יִשְׁאָֽלְךָ בִנְךָ מָחָר - (lit.) When your son asks you tomorrow. The meaning of “tomorrow” varies according to when the current situation ends: sometimes “tomorrow” can apply even to the present, and sometimes “tomorrow” can apply to a much later time, such as here, when it refers to after the generation of the Exodus has passed, and such as: “Tomorrow your descendants will say to our descendants” 1 in the account regarding the descendants of Gad and the descendants of Reuben.   כִּֽי־יִשְׁאָֽלְךָ בִנְךָ מָחָר.  יֵשׁ מָחָר שֶׁהוּא עַכְשָׁיו וְיֵשׁ מָחָר שֶׁהוּא לְאַחַר זְמַן, כְּגוֹן זֶה, וּכְגוֹן "וְלֹא יֹאמְרוּ בְנֵיכֶם מָחָר לְבָנֵינוּ" (יהושע כ"ב), דִּבְנֵי גָד וְדִבְנֵי רְאוּבֵן:
מַה־זֹּאת - What is this?. This is the question of a foolish child, who is unable to delve into the details of his question but asks in vague terms, “What is this?” Elsewhere, it says that a child may ask, “What is the basis for the testimonies, rules, and ordinances…?” 2 this being the question of an intelligent child. Thus, the Torah communicates how to react to four types of children: a simpleton, a wicked one, one who does not know to ask, and one who asks intelligently, instructing us to tailor our explanations of all God’s commandments to each one’s disposition and mental capacity.   מַה־זֹּאת.  זֶה תִּינוֹק טִפֵּשׁ שֶׁאֵינוֹ יוֹדֵעַ לְהַעֲמִיק שְׁאֵלָתוֹ וְסוֹתֵם וְשׁוֹאֵל "מַה זֹּאת?", וּבְמָקוֹם אַחֵר הוּא אוֹמֵר "מָה הָעֵדֹת וְהַחֻקִּים וְהַמִּשְׁפָּטִים וְגוֹ'" (דברים ו'), הֲרֵי זֹאת שְׁאֵלַת בֵּן חָכָם; דִּבְּרָה תוֹרָה כְּנֶגֶד אַרְבָּעָה בָנִים — רָשָׁע, וְשֶׁאֵינוֹ יוֹדֵעַ לִשְׁאֹל, וְהַשּׁוֹאֵל דֶּרֶךְ סְתוּמָה, וְהַשּׁוֹאֵל דֶּרֶךְ חָכְמָה (מכילתא):
15When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us leave, God slew every firstborn in Egypt, the firstborn of both man and beast. I therefore sacrifice to God every male animal that is the first issue of the womb, and redeem every firstborn among my sons.’   טווַיְהִ֗י כִּֽי־הִקְשָׁ֣ה פַרְעֹה֘ לְשַׁלְּחֵ֒נוּ֒ וַיַּֽהֲרֹ֨ג יְהֹוָ֤ה כָּל־בְּכוֹר֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם מִבְּכֹ֥ר אָדָ֖ם וְעַד־בְּכ֣וֹר בְּהֵמָ֑ה עַל־כֵּן֩ אֲנִ֨י זֹבֵ֜חַ לַֽיהֹוָ֗ה כָּל־פֶּ֤טֶר רֶ֨חֶם֙ הַזְּכָרִ֔ים וְכָל־בְּכ֥וֹר בָּנַ֖י אֶפְדֶּֽה:
16The Exodus, which is described in this passage, will be a further sign on your arm and reminder between your eyes that God brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand.”   טזוְהָיָ֤ה לְאוֹת֙ עַל־יָ֣דְכָ֔ה וּלְטֽוֹטָפֹ֖ת בֵּ֣ין עֵינֶ֑יךָ כִּ֚י בְּחֹ֣זֶק יָ֔ד הֽוֹצִיאָ֥נוּ יְהֹוָ֖ה מִמִּצְרָֽיִם:
וּלְטֽוֹטָפֹת - And reminder - i.e., tefilin, and on account of the fact that they have four compartments they are called טוֹטָפֹתfor טָט in Coptic means two, and פַּת in Phrygian means two. But Menachem ben Saruk classified the word טוֹטָפֹת together with וְהַטֵּף אֶל דָּרוֹם “and address the south”; 3 and אַל תַּטִּפוּ “do not preach”; 4 i.e., it has the connotation of “speech,” expressing the same idea as “and as a reminder between your eyes” in the earlier passage, 5 for whoever sees the tefilin bound between the eyes will remember the miracle of the Exodus and speak about it. End of Parashat Bo   וּלְטֽוֹטָפֹת.  תְּפִלִּין; וְעַל שֵׁם שֶׁהֵם אַרְבָעָה בָתִּים קְרוּיִין טטפת – "טט" בְּכַתְפִּי שְׁתַּיִם, "פת" בְּאַפְרִיקִי שְׁתַּיִם (סנהדרין ד'). וּמְנַחֵם חִבְּרוֹ עִם "וְהַטֵּף אֶל דָּרוֹם" (יחזקאל כ"א), "אַל תַּטִּיפוּ" (מיכה ב'), לְשׁוֹן דִּבּוּר, כְּמוֹ וּלְזִכָּרוֹן, שֶׁהָרוֹאֶה אוֹתָם קָשׁוּר בֵּין הָעֵינַיִם, יִזְכֹּר הַנֵּס וִידַבֵּר בּוֹ:

Haftarah

Yirmiyahu (Jeremiah) Chapter 46

13The word that the Lord spoke to Jeremiah the prophet, concerning the coming of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon to smite the land of Egypt.   יגהַדָּבָר֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר דִּבֶּ֣ר יְהֹוָ֔ה אֶל־יִרְמְיָ֖הוּ הַנָּבִ֑יא לָב֗וֹא נְבֽוּכַדְרֶאצַּר֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ בָּבֶ֔ל לְהַכּ֖וֹת אֶת־אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם:
concerning the coming of Nebuchadnezzar. This was a second blow, [viz.] that Nebuchadnezzar laid Egypt waste in the twenty-seventh year of his reign (Ezek. 29:17), as we learned in Seder Olam (ch. 26).   לבא נבוכדראצר.  זו מכה שניי' שהחריב נבוכדנצר את מצרים בשנת עשרים ושבע למלכו (יחזקאל כ״ט:י״ד) כמו ששנינו בסדר עולם:
14Proclaim it in Egypt and let it be heard in Migdol, and let it be heard in Noph and in Tahpanhes, say, "Stand fast and prepare yourself, for the sword has devoured round about you."   ידהַגִּ֚ידוּ בְמִצְרַ֙יִם֙ וְהַשְׁמִ֣יעוּ בְמִגְדּ֔וֹל וְהַשְׁמִ֥יעוּ בְנֹ֖ף וּבְתַחְפַּנְחֵ֑ס אִמְר֗וּ הִתְיַצֵּב֙ וְהָכֵ֣ן לָ֔ךְ כִּֽי־אָֽכְלָ֥ה חֶ֖רֶב סְבִיבֶֽיךָ:
“Stand fast and prepare yourself”. for the war. והכן means “and prepare.”   התיצב והכן לך.  כנגד המלחמה, והכן ואתקין:
15Why have your mighty men been swept away? None of them stood, for the Lord pushed him down.   טומַדּ֖וּעַ נִסְחַ֣ף אַבִּירֶ֑יךָ לֹ֣א עָמַ֔ד כִּ֥י יְהֹוָ֖ה הֲדָפֽוֹ:
been swept away?. Heb. נסחף. Your mighty men have been swept away and have slid. Cf. “sweeping (סֹחֵף) rain” (Prov. 28:3); “His field has been inundated (נסתחפה)” (Kethuboth 1:6). Menahem (Machbereth p. 126) classified it as an expression of complete destruction, and so did he classify סחף מטר. Dunash, however, interprets מטר סחף like מטר סועף, cutting rain. Cf. “Lops off (מְסָעֵף) the branches with a saw” (Isa. 10:33).   נסחף.  נשטפו והחליקו גבוריך כמו מטר סוחף (משלי כ״ח:ג׳) נסתחפה שדהו בלשון משנה ומנחם חברו לשון כליון וכן חבר מטר סוחף ודונש פתר מטר סוחף כמו מטר סועף כמו מסעף פארה במערצה (ישעיהו י׳:ל״ג):
16He made many stumbling blocks, yea, they joined one another, and they said, "Arise, and let us return to our own people and to the land of our birth, before the oppressing sword."   טזהִרְבָּ֖ה כּוֹשֵׁ֑ל גַּם־נָפַ֞ל אִ֣ישׁ אֶל־רֵעֵ֗הוּ וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ ק֣וּמָה | וְנָשֻׁ֣בָה אֶל־עַמֵּ֗נוּ וְאֶל־אֶ֙רֶץ֙ מֽוֹלַדְתֵּ֔נוּ מִפְּנֵ֖י חֶ֥רֶב הַיּוֹנָֽה:
He made many stumbling blocks. The Holy One, blessed be He, Who pushed him down, made many stumbling blocks for him.   הרבה כושל.  הקב"ה שהדפו והרבה לו מכשול:
yea, they joined. Heb. נפל [lit. fell]. They joined one another, saying, Arise and let us go back to our own people, whence we came to wage war.   גם נפל.  נתקבצו איש אל רעהו לאמר נקומה ונשובה אל עמנו ממקום שיצאנו משם להלחם:
the oppressing sword. Heb. חרב. Jonathan renders: The sword of the enemy, which is like intoxicating wine. היונה. An expression of wine (יין). Another interpretation: It is an expression of oppression (אונאה).   חרב היונה.  חרבא דסנאה דהיא כחמר מרויא, היונה לשון יין ל"א לשון אונאה:
17There they called out, "Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made a lot of noise, has allowed the appointed time to pass by!"   יזקָֽרְא֖וּ שָׁ֑ם פַּרְעֹ֚ה מֶֽלֶךְ־מִצְרַ֙יִם֙ שָׁא֔וֹן הֶֽעֱבִ֖יר הַמּוֹעֵֽד:
There they called out. In the battle, they proclaimed publicly a reproachful byword.   קראו שם.  במלחמה הכריזו משל של חרפה:
“Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made a lot of noise”. Who would raise the sound of his noise, the noises to boast with his armies.   פרעה מלך מצרים שאון.  שהיה מגביה קול שאונו תשואות להתהלל בחיילותיו:
has allowed the appointed time to pass by. For he had appointed a set time to go forth and wage war, and he did not go forth, and the day of the appointed time passed by.   העביר המועד.  שייעד היום מלחמה קבוע לצאת ולהלחם ולא יצא ועבר יום זמן המועד:
18As long as I live, says the King, Whose name is the Lord of Hosts, that as sure as Tabor is among the mountains, and Carmel is by the sea, it shall come about.   יחחַי־אָ֙נִי֙ נְאֻם־הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ יְהֹוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת שְׁמ֑וֹ כִּי כְּתָב֣וֹר בֶּֽהָרִ֔ים וּכְכַרְמֶ֖ל בַּיָּ֥ם יָבֽוֹא:
that as sure as Tabor is among the mountains. Just as it is a true fact that Tabor is fast among the mountains and Mount Carmel is by the sea, so is it true that this thing shall come upon Egypt.   כי כתבור בהרים.  כי כאשר דבר אמת הוא שתבור קבוע בהרים והר הכרמל על הים כן באמת יבא הדבר הזה על מצרים:
19O you daughter who lives in Egypt, make for yourself equipment for exile, for Noph shall become waste and desolate without an inhabitant.   יטכְּלֵ֚י גוֹלָה֙ עֲשִׂ֣י לָ֔ךְ יוֹשֶׁ֖בֶת בַּת־מִצְרָ֑יִם כִּֽי־נֹף֙ לְשַׁמָּ֣ה תִֽהְיֶ֔ה וְנִצְּתָ֖ה מֵאֵ֥ין יוֹשֵֽׁב:
equipment for exile. When a person embarks on a journey, he prepares for himself a flask and an earthenware cup with which to drink.   כלי גולה.  אדם יוצא לדרך מתקן לו חמת ומקדה של חרס לשתות בה:
desolate. Heb. ונצחה, an expression of desolation (ציה).   ונצתה.  לשון ציה:
20Egypt was a fair heifer; destruction from the north is coming, yea it is coming!   כעֶגְלָ֥ה יְפֵֽה־פִיָּ֖ה מִצְרָ֑יִם קֶ֥רֶץ מִצָּפ֖וֹן בָּ֥א בָֽא:
a fair heifer. A beautiful kingdom.   עגלה יפהפיה.  מלכותא יאייא:
destruction. peoples that kill [acc. to Jonathan]. קֶרֶץ is an expression of cutting. Cf. “I… was cut (קֹרצתי) out of clay” (Job 33:6).   קרץ.  עממין קטולין קרץ לשון חתוך וכן מחומר קרצתי (איוב לג):
from the north. From Babylon.   מצפון.  מבבל:
21Also her princes who are in her midst are like fattened calves, for they too turn around and flee together, they do not hold their ground, for the day of their calamity has come upon them, the time of their visitation.   כאגַּם־שְׂכִרֶ֚יהָ בְקִרְבָּהּ֙ כְּעֶגְלֵ֣י מַרְבֵּ֔ק כִּֽי־גַם־הֵ֧מָּה הִפְנ֛וּ נָ֥סוּ יַחְדָּ֖יו לֹ֣א עָמָ֑דוּ כִּ֣י י֥וֹם אֵידָ֛ם בָּ֥א עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם עֵ֥ת פְּקֻדָּתָֽם:
Also her princes. Heb. שְׂכִרֶיהָ, her princes. Cf. “with the great razor (הַשְׂכִירָה)” (Isa. 7:20).   שכיריה.  שריה כמו בתער השכירה (ישעיה ז):
fattened. (kopla in O.F., couple in modern French).   מרבק.  קופל"א בלעז:
turn around. Turned their back to seek to flee.   הפנו.  פנו עורף לבקש לנוס:
22Its voice shall go like [that of] the snake, for they will march with an army and will come against her with axes as if they were hewers of wood.   כבקוֹלָ֖הּ כַּנָּחָ֣שׁ יֵלֵ֑ךְ כִּֽי־בְחַ֣יִל יֵלֵ֔כוּ וּבְקַרְדֻּמּוֹת֙ בָּ֣אוּ לָ֔הּ כְּחֹֽטְבֵ֖י עֵצִֽים:
Its voice shall go like [that of] the snake. The “snake” comes to teach us about Egypt but ends by learning. For we learn from here that when the Holy One, blessed be He, said to the serpent, “You shall walk on your belly” (Gen. 3:14), He severed his feet, and his voice went to the end of the world. So we learned in the ‘Thirty-two Methods of Rabbi Eliezer the son of Rabbi Jose the Galilean’ (Method 12).   קולה כנחש ילך.  הרי הנחש בא ללמד על מצרים ונמצא למד למדנו מכאן שכשאמר הקב"ה לנחש על גחונך תלך (בראשית ג) וקיטע את רגליו והלך קולו בסוף העולם כך שנוייה בל"ב מדות דרבי אליעזר בנו של רבי יוסי הגלילי:
for they will march with an army. against her.   כי בחיל ילכו.  אליה:
23They will cut down her forest, says the Lord, for they are innumerable, for they are more numerous than locusts and they are uncountable.   כגכָּֽרְת֚וּ יַעְרָהּ֙ נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֔ה כִּ֖י לֹ֣א יֵֽחָקֵ֑ר כִּ֚י רַבּוּ֙ מֵֽאַרְבֶּ֔ה וְאֵ֥ין לָהֶ֖ם מִסְפָּֽר:
They will cut down her forest. They have power to cut down her forest.   כרתו יערה.  כח יש בהן לכרות כל יערה:
for they are innumerable. [lit. it shall not be fathomed, i.e.,] the number of their host.   כי לא יחקר.  מספר צבאם:
24The daughter of Egypt has been put to shame; she has been delivered into the hand[s] of the people of the north.   כדהֹבִ֖ישָׁה בַּת־מִצְרָ֑יִם נִתְּנָ֖ה בְּיַ֥ד עַם־צָפֽוֹן:
25The Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel has said: Lo I will visit upon Amon of No and upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt, and upon their gods and upon their kings, both upon Pharaoh and upon those who put their trust in him.   כהאָמַר֩ יְהֹוָ֨ה צְבָא֜וֹת אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל הִנְנִ֚י פוֹקֵד֙ אֶל־אָמ֣וֹן מִנֹּ֔א וְעַל־פַּרְעֹה֙ וְעַל־מִצְרַ֔יִם וְעַל־אֱלֹהֶ֖יהָ וְעַל־מְלָכֶ֑יהָ וְעַ֨ל־פַּרְעֹ֔ה וְעַ֥ל הַבֹּֽטְחִ֖ים בּֽוֹ:
upon Amon. Heb. אל אמון, [lit. to Amon,] upon Amon, upon the prince Amon. There are some that are an expression of greatness. Cf. “Are you greater than the greatness of No (מִנֹא אָמוֹן)?” (Nahum 3:8).   אל אמון.  על אמון, על השר אמון יש שהוא לשון גדולה כמו התטבי מנא אמון (נחום ג׳:ח׳):
of No. The great Alexandria (les seigneurs d’Alexandria in O.F.).   מנא.  אלכסנדרי' רבת' לאשיניוריא"ה דלישנדר"א בלע"ז:
26And I will deliver them into the hand[s] of those who seek their lives and into the hand[s] of Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, and into the hand[s] of his servants-and after that it will be inhabited again as in the days of old, says the Lord.   כווּנְתַתִּ֗ים בְּיַד֙ מְבַקְשֵׁ֣י נַפְשָׁ֔ם וּבְיַ֛ד נְבֽוּכַדְרֶאצַּ֥ר מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֖ל וּבְיַד־עֲבָדָ֑יו וְאַֽחֲרֵי־כֵ֛ן תִּשְׁכֹּ֥ן כִּֽימֵי־קֶ֖דֶם נְאֻם־יְהֹוָֽה:
and after that. At the end of forty years, as Ezekiel stated (29:1 3ff.).   ואחרי כן.  מקץ ארבעים שנה כמו שאמר (יחזקאל כ״ט:י״ג):
27You fear not, O Jacob My servant, and be not dismayed, O Israel! for behold, I will redeem you from afar and your children from the land of their captivity, and Jacob shall return and be quiet and at ease, and there shall be none who disturb his rest.   כזוְ֠אַתָּה אַל־תִּירָ֞א עַבְדִּ֚י יַֽעֲקֹב֙ וְאַל־תֵּחַ֣ת יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל כִּ֠י הִֽנְנִ֚י מֽוֹשִֽׁעֲךָ֙ מֵֽרָח֔וֹק וְאֶת־זַרְעֲךָ֖ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ שִׁבְיָ֑ם וְשָׁ֧ב יַעֲק֛וֹב וְשָׁקַ֥ט וְשַֽׁאֲנַ֖ן וְאֵ֥ין מַֽחֲרִֽיד:
You fear not. The righteous men who were in Egypt, who were exiled there against their will.   ואתה אל תירא.  צדיקים שבתוך מצרים שגלו שם על כרחם:
28You fear not, My servant Jacob, says the Lord, for I am with you, for I will make a full end of all the nations where I have driven you, but of you I will not make a full end, but I will chastise you justly, and I will not completely destroy you.   כחאַ֠תָּה אַל־תִּירָ֞א עַבְדִּ֚י יַֽעֲקֹב֙ נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֔ה כִּ֥י אִתְּךָ֖ אָ֑נִי כִּי֩ אֶֽעֱשֶׂ֨ה כָלָ֜ה בְּכָל־הַגּוֹיִ֣ם | אֲשֶׁ֧ר הִדַּחְתִּ֣יךָ שָׁ֗מָּה וְאֹֽתְךָ֙ לֹֽא־אֶֽעֱשֶׂ֣ה כָלָ֔ה וְיִסַּרְתִּ֙יךָ֙ לַמִּשְׁפָּ֔ט וְנַקֵּ֖ה לֹ֥א אֲנַקֶּֽךָּ:
justly. With sparing justice, little by little.   למשפט.  בדין חסוך מעט מעט:
completely destroy. Heb. ונקה [lit. clean,] an expression of sweeping and destroying, and Jonathan too rendered it an expression of destroying.   ונקה.  לשון טיאוט והשמד וכן תירגמו יונתן לשון כלייה:
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