| 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. |
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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.” |
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וה'.
כָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וַה'" הוּא וּבֵית דִּינוֹ, שֶׁהַוָּי"ו לְשׁוֹן תּוֹסֶפֶת הוּא, כְּמוֹ פְּלוֹנִי וּפְלוֹנִי:
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| הִכָּה כָל־בְּכוֹר - Struck down every firstborn - even of another nation, but who was then in Egypt. |
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הִכָּה כָל־בְּכוֹר.
אַף שֶׁל אֻמָּה אַחֶרֶת וְהוּא בְמִצְרַיִם (מכילתא):
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| 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” – i.e., at the Sea of Reeds. |
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מִבְּכֹר פַּרְעֹה.
אַף פַּרְעֹה בְּכוֹר הָיָה, וְנִשְׁתַּיֵּר מִן הַבְּכוֹרוֹת, וְעָלָיו הוּא אוֹמֵר "בַּעֲבוּר הַרְאוֹתְךָ אֶת כֹּחִי" (שמות ט') – בְּיַם סוּף (מכילתא):
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| 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. |
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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:
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| 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. |
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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. |
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וַיָּקָם פַּרְעֹה.
מִמִּטָּתוֹ:
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| לַיְלָה - In the night - and not, as is the way of kings, at three hours of the day. |
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לַיְלָה.
וְלֹא כְּדֶרֶךְ הַמְּלָכִים בְּשָׁלוֹשׁ שָׁעוֹת בַּיּוֹם (שם):
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| הוּא - He - first, and afterwards his courtiers. This teaches us that he himself went around to his courtiers’ homes and made them get up. |
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הוּא.
תְּחִלָּה, וְאַחַר כָּךְ עבדיו, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהָיָה הוּא מְחַזֵּר עַל בָּתֵּי עֲבָדָיו וּמַעֲמִידָן (שם):
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| 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).” 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. |
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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:
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| 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! |
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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?” |
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וַיִּקְרָא לְמשֶׁה וּלְאַֽהֲרֹן לַיְלָה.
מַגִּיד שֶׁהָיָה מְחַזֵּר עַל פִּתְחֵי הָעִיר וְצוֹעֵק, הֵיכָן מֹשֶׁה שָׁרוּי? הֵיכָן אַהֲרֹן שָׁרוּי? (מכילתא):
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| גַּם־אַתֶּם - (lit.) You too - i.e., the adult men. |
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גַּם־אַתֶּם.
הַגְּבָרִים:
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| גַּם־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל - And the children of Israel, too - i.e., the small children. |
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גַּם־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל.
הַטַּף:
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| 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”; void is what I asked: “Exactly who will be going?”; and void is what I said: “only your flocks and cattle must remain behind.” |
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וּלְכוּ עִבְדוּ אֶת־ה' כְּדַבֶּרְכֶֽם.
הַכֹּל כְּמוֹ שֶׁאֲמַרְתֶּם וְלֹא כְּשֶׁאָמַרְתִּי אֲנִי; בָּטֵל "לֹא אֲשַׁלֵּחַ", בָּטֵל "מִי וָמִי הַהוֹלְכִים", בָּטֵל "רַק צֹאנְכֶם וּבְקָרְכֶם יֻצָּג":
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| 32Take both your flocks and your cattle, just as you stipulated, and go! And bless me too!” |
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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”; i.e., take even my animals, as you have said. |
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גַּם־צֹֽאנְכֶם גַּם־בְּקַרְכֶם קְחוּ.
וּמַהוּ כאשר דברתם? "גַּם אַתָּה תִּתֵּן בְּיָדֵנוּ זְבָחִים וְעֹלֹת" (שמות י'), קְחוּ כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתֶּם:
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| 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. |
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וּבֵֽרַכְתֶּם גַּם־אֹתִֽי.
הִתְפַּלְּלוּ עָלַי שֶׁלֹּא אָמוּת, שֶׁאֲנִי בְּכוֹר:
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| 33The Egyptians also urged the people on, hurrying them out of the land, for they said, “We are all dying!” |
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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,” but here even the ordinary (i.e., non-firstborn) sons are dying, sometimes five or ten in the same house! |
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כֻּלָּנוּ מֵתִֽים.
אָמְרוּ לֹא כִגְזֵרַת מֹשֶׁה הוּא, שֶׁהֲרֵי אָמַר "וּמֵת כָּל בְּכוֹר", וְכָאן אַף הַפְּשׁוּטִים מֵתִים, חֲמִשָּׁה אוֹ עֲשָׂרָה בְּבַיִת אֶחָד:
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| 34The people took their dough, before it had leavened, with their leftover food wrapped in their clothes on their shoulders. |
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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. |
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טֶרֶם יֶחְמָץ.
הַמִּצְרִים לֹא הִנִּיחוּם לִשְׁהוֹת כְּדֵי חִמּוּץ:
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| מִשְׁאֲרֹתָם - Their leftover food - i.e., the leftovers of the matzah and bitter herbs from last night’s meal. |
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מִשְׁאֲרֹתָם.
שְׁיָרֵי מַצָּה וּמָרוֹר.
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| 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. |
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עַל־שִׁכְמָֽם.
אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁבְּהֵמוֹת הַרְבֵּה הוֹלִיכוּ עִמָּהֶם, מְחַבְּבִים הָיוּ אֶת הַמִּצְוָה:
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| 35The Israelites did as Moses had said, and requested silver and gold utensils and clothing from the Egyptians. |
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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.” |
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כִּדְבַר משֶׁה.
שֶׁאָמַר לָהֶם בְּמִצְרַיִם, "וְיִשְׁאֲלוּ אִישׁ מֵאֵת רֵעֵהוּ":
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| 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. |
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וּשְׂמָלֹֽת.
אַף הֵן הָיוּ חֲשׁוּבוֹת לָהֶם מִן הַכֶּסֶף וּמִן הַזָּהָב, וְהַמְאֻחָר בַּפָּסוּק חָשׁוּב:
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| 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. |
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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!” |
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וַיַּשְׁאִלוּם.
אַף מַה שֶּׁלֹּא הָיוּ שׁוֹאֲלִים מֵהֶם הָיוּ נוֹתְנִים לָהֶם, אַתָּה אוֹמֵר אֶחָד? טֹל שְׁנַיִם וָלֵךְ.
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| וַיְנַצְּלוּ - Its meaning is as Onkelos translates it: וְרוֹקִינוּ “they emptied out.” |
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וַיְנַצְּלוּ.
וְרוֹקִינוּ:
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