| 37The Israelites journeyed from Rameses to Sukot. They numbered about 600,000 men on foot, besides children. |
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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.” |
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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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| הַגְּבָרִים - Men - i.e., 20 years old and over. |
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הַגְּבָרִים.
מִבֶּן עֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה וָמַעְלָה (שה"ש רבה ג, ו):
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| 38Moreover, a mixed multitude went up with them, as well as flocks and cattle—a great deal of livestock. |
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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. |
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עֵרֶב רַב.
תַּעֲרֹבֶת אֻמּוֹת שֶׁל גֵּרִים:
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| 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. |
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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: |
| עֻגֹת מַצּוֹת - means “cakes of matzah.” Dough that has not risen is called matzah. |
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עֻגֹת מַצּוֹת.
חֲרָרָה שֶׁל מַצָּה; בָּצֵק שֶׁלֹּא הֶחֱמִיץ קָרוּי מַצָּה:
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| 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.” And what reward is stated there directly following? “Israel is holy to God…”. |
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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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| 40The length of time that the Israelites had lived in Egypt and other locales was 430 years. |
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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 – |
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אֲשֶׁר יָֽשְׁבוּ בְּמִצְרָיִם.
אַחַר שְׁאָר הַיְשִׁיבוֹת שֶׁיָּשְׁבוּ גֵּרִים בְּאֶרֶץ לֹא לָהֶם:
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| 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…”; 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)”; and it also says: “the land of their sojourning (מְגֻרֵיהֶם) in which they sojourned (גָּרוּ).” 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. |
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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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| 41And at the end of 430 years, on that very day, all the hosts of God left Egypt. |
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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. |
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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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| 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. |
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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.” |
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לֵיל שִׁמֻּרִים.
שֶׁהָיָה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא שׁוֹמֵר וּמְצַפֶּה לוֹ, לְקַיֵּם הַבְטָחָתוֹ להוציאם מארץ מצרים:
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| 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.” |
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הוּא הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה לה'.
הוּא הַלַּיְלָה שֶׁאָמַר לְאַבְרָהָם, בַּלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה אֲנִי גוֹאֵל אֶת בָּנֶיךָ (מכילתא):
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| 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.” |
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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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