| 37The children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot, the men, besides the young children. |
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לזוַיִּסְע֧וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל מֵֽרַעְמְסֵ֖ס סֻכֹּ֑תָה כְּשֵֽׁשׁ־מֵא֨וֹת אֶ֧לֶף רַגְלִ֛י הַגְּבָרִ֖ים לְבַד מִטָּֽף: |
| from Rameses to Succoth They were 120 “mil” [apart]. Yet they arrived there instantly, as it is said: “and I carried you on eagles’ wings.” -[from Mechilta] |
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מֵֽרַעְמְסֵס סֻכֹּתָה
מֵאָה וְעֶשְׂרִים מִיל הָיוּ, וּבָאוּ שָׁם לְפִי שָׁעָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וָאֶשָּׂא אֶתְכֶם עַל כַּנְפֵי נְשָׁרִים" (שמות י"ט):
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| the men from 20 years old and older. — [from Song Rabbah 3:6] |
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הַגְּבָרִים
מִבֶּן עֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה וָמַעְלָה (שה"ש רבה ג, ו):
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| 38And also, a great mixed multitude went up with them, and flocks and cattle, very much livestock. |
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לחוְגַם־עֵ֥רֶב רַ֖ב עָלָ֣ה אִתָּ֑ם וְצֹ֣אן וּבָקָ֔ר מִקְנֶ֖ה כָּבֵ֥ד מְאֹֽד: |
| a great mixed multitude A mixture of nations of proselytes. — [from Zohar, vol. 2, p. 45b] |
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עֵרֶב רַב
תַּעֲרֹבֶת אֻמּוֹת שֶׁל גֵּרִים:
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| 39They baked the dough that they had taken out of Egypt as unleavened cakes, for it had not leavened, for they were driven out of Egypt, and they could not tarry, and also, they had not made provisions for themselves. |
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לטוַיֹּאפ֨וּ אֶת־הַבָּצֵ֜ק אֲשֶׁ֨ר הוֹצִ֧יאוּ מִמִּצְרַ֛יִם עֻגֹ֥ת מַצּ֖וֹת כִּ֣י לֹ֣א חָמֵ֑ץ כִּי־גֹֽרְשׁ֣וּ מִמִּצְרַ֗יִם וְלֹ֤א יָֽכְלוּ֙ לְהִתְמַהְמֵ֔הַּ וְגַם־צֵדָ֖ה לֹֽא־עָשׂ֥וּ לָהֶֽם: |
| matzah cakes cakes of matzah. Dough which did not leaven is called matzah. |
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עֻגֹת מַצּוֹת
חֲרָרָה שֶׁל מַצָּה; בָּצֵק שֶׁלֹּא הֶחֱמִיץ קָרוּי מַצָּה:
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| and also, they had not made provisions for themselves for the trip. [This verse] tells [of] Israel’s praise, [namely] that they did not say, “How will we go out into the desert without provisions?” Instead they believed and left. This is what is stated explicitly in the Prophets: “I remember to you the loving kindness of your youth, the love of your nuptials, your following Me in the desert, in a land not sown” (Jer. 2:2). Now what was the [Israelites’] reward? It is explained afterward: “Israel is holy to the Lord, etc.” (Jer. 2:3). — [from Mechilta] |
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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'":
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| 40And the habitation of the children of Israel, that they dwelled in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years. |
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מוּמוֹשַׁב֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר יָֽשְׁב֖וּ בְּמִצְרָ֑יִם שְׁלשִׁ֣ים שָׁנָ֔ה וְאַרְבַּ֥ע מֵא֖וֹת שָׁנָֽה: |
| that they dwelled in Egypt after the other dwellings in which they dwelled as foreigners in a land that was not theirs. — [from Mechilta] |
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אֲשֶׁר יָֽשְׁבוּ בְּמִצְרָיִם
אַחַר שְׁאָר הַיְשִׁיבוֹת שֶׁיָּשְׁבוּ גֵּרִים בְּאֶרֶץ לֹא לָהֶם:
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| was four hundred and thirty years Altogether, from the time that Isaac was born, until now, were 400 years. From the time that Abraham had seed [i.e., had a child, the prophecy] “that your seed will be strangers” (Gen. 15:13) was fulfilled; and there were another 30 years from the decree “between the parts” (Gen 15:10) until Isaac was born. It is impossible, however, to say that [they spent 400 years] in Egypt alone, because Kehath [the grandfather of Moses] was [one] of those who came with Jacob. Go and figure all his years, all the years of his son Amram, and Moses’ 80 years; you will not find them [to be] that many, and perforce, Kehath lived many of his years before he descended to Egypt, and many of Amram’s years are included in the years of Kehath, and many of Moses’ years are included in Amram’s years. Hence, you will not find 400 years counting from their arrival in Egypt. You are compelled, perforce, to say that the other dwellings [which the Patriarchs settled] were also called being “sojournings” and even in Hebron, as it is said: “where Abraham and Isaac sojourned (גָּרוּ) ” (Gen. 35:27), and [Scripture] states also “the land of their sojournings in which they sojourned” (Exod. 6:4). Therefore, you must say that [the prophecy] “your seed will be strangers” [commences] when he [Abraham] had offspring. And only when you count 400 years from the time that Isaac was born, you will find 210 years from their entry into Egypt. This is one of the things that [the Sages] changed for King Ptolemy. — [from Mechilta, Meg. 9a] |
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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'):
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| 41It came to pass at the end of four hundred and thirty years, and it came to pass in that very day, that all the legions of the Lord went out of the land of Egypt. |
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מאוַיְהִ֗י מִקֵּץ֙ שְׁלשִׁ֣ים שָׁנָ֔ה וְאַרְבַּ֥ע מֵא֖וֹת שָׁנָ֑ה וַיְהִ֗י בְּעֶ֨צֶם֙ הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֔ה יָֽצְא֛וּ כָּל־צִבְא֥וֹת יְהֹוָ֖ה מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם: |
| It came to pass at the end of four hundred and thirty years, and it came to pass in that very day [This] tells [us] that as soon as the end [of this period] arrived, the Omnipresent did not keep them [even] as long as the blink of an eye. On the fifteenth of Nissan, the angels came to Abraham to bring him tidings. On the fifteenth of Nissan Isaac was born; on the fifteenth of Nissan the decree of “between the parts” was decreed. — [from Mechilta] |
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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:
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| 42It is a night of anticipation for the Lord, to take them out of the land of Egypt; this night is the Lord's, guarding all the children of Israel throughout their generations. |
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מבלֵ֣יל שִׁמֻּרִ֥ים הוּא֙ לַֽיהֹוָ֔ה לְהֽוֹצִיאָ֖ם מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם הֽוּא־הַלַּ֤יְלָה הַזֶּה֙ לַֽיהֹוָ֔ה שִׁמֻּרִ֛ים לְכָל־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לְדֹֽרֹתָֽם: |
| It is a night of anticipation for which the Holy One, blessed be He, was waiting and anticipating, [in order] to fulfill His promise to take them out of the land of Egypt. |
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לֵיל שִׁמֻּרִים
שֶׁהָיָה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא שׁוֹמֵר וּמְצַפֶּה לוֹ, לְקַיֵּם הַבְטָחָתוֹ להוציאם מארץ מצרים:
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| this night is the Lord’s This is the night concerning which He said to Abraham, “On this night I will redeem your children.” -[from Mechilta] |
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הוּא הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה לה'
הוּא הַלַּיְלָה שֶׁאָמַר לְאַבְרָהָם, בַּלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה אֲנִי גוֹאֵל אֶת בָּנֶיךָ (מכילתא):
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| guarding all the children of Israel throughout their generations from that time onward, it [the Israelites] is guarded from harmful spirits, like the matter that is stated: “and He will not permit the destroyer, etc.” (above verse 23). — [from Mechilta] |
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שִׁמֻּרִים לְכָל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְדֹֽרֹתָֽם
מְשֻׁמָּר וּבָא מִן הַמַּזִּיקִין, כָּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וְלֹא יִתֵּן הַמַּשְׁחִית וְגוֹ'" (פסחים ק"ט):
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