Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 1

1These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt; each man and his household came with Jacob:   אוְאֵ֗לֶּה שְׁמוֹת֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל הַבָּאִ֖ים מִצְרָ֑יְמָה אֵ֣ת יַֽעֲקֹ֔ב אִ֥ישׁ וּבֵית֖וֹ בָּֽאוּ:
וְאֵלֶּה שְׁמוֹת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל - These are the names of the sons of Israel. Even though the Torah already enumerated the tribes by name during their lifetime when they went down to Egypt, it enumerated them again by name upon their death, to show us how dear they are to God, which is manifest by the fact that they are compared to the stars, which God also takes out and brings in by number as well as by name, indicating their collective quality as well as each one’s particular value, as it says: “He brings out their host by number; He calls all of them by name.” 1   וְאֵלֶּה שְׁמוֹת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל.  אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁמְּנָאָן בְּחַיֵּיהֶם בִּשְׁמוֹתָם, חָזַר וּמְנָאָם בְּמִיתָתָם, לְהוֹדִיעַ חִבָּתָם, שֶׁנִּמְשְׁלוּ לְכוֹכָבִים, שֶׁמּוֹצִיאָם וּמַכְנִיסָם בְּמִסְפַּר וּבִשְׁמוֹתָם (שמות רבה), שֶׁנֶּ' "הַמּוֹצִיא בְמִסְפָּר צְבָאָם לְכֻלָּם בְּשֵׁם יִקְרָא" (ישעיהו מ'):
2Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,   ברְאוּבֵ֣ן שִׁמְע֔וֹן לֵוִ֖י וִֽיהוּדָֽה:
3Issachar, Zebulun and Benjamin,   גיִשָּׂשכָ֥ר זְבוּלֻ֖ן וּבִנְיָמִֽן:
4Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.   דדָּ֥ן וְנַפְתָּלִ֖י גָּ֥ד וְאָשֵֽׁר:
5All of Jacob’s descendants then numbered 70, including Joseph, who was living in Egypt.   הוַיְהִ֗י כָּל־נֶ֛פֶשׁ יֹֽצְאֵ֥י יֶֽרֶךְ־יַֽעֲקֹ֖ב שִׁבְעִ֣ים נָ֑פֶשׁ וְיוֹסֵ֖ף הָיָ֥ה בְמִצְרָֽיִם:
וְיוֹסֵף הָיָה בְמִצְרָֽיִם - Joseph, who was living in Egypt. But were not Joseph and his sons included in the 70 people enumerated as Jacob’s descendants, so what does this statement come to teach us? Do we not already know that he was in Egypt? It comes, however, to tell you of Joseph’s righteousness: He was the Joseph who tended his father’s flock, and he was the same Joseph who was in Egypt and became ruler there, remaining firm in his righteousness.   וְיוֹסֵף הָיָה בְמִצְרָֽיִם.  וַהֲלֹא הוּא וּבָנָיו הָיוּ בִּכְלַל שִׁבְעִים, וּמַה בָּא לְלַמְּדֵנוּ? וְכִי לֹא הָיִינוּ יוֹדְעִים שֶׁהוּא הָיָה בְּמִצְרַיִם? אֶלָּא לְהוֹדִיעֲךָ צִדְקָתוֹ שֶׁל יוֹסֵף, הוּא יוֹסֵף הָרוֹעֶה אֶת צֹאן אָבִיו, הוּא יוֹסֵף שֶׁהָיָה בְּמִצְרַיִם, וְנַעֲשָׂה מֶלֶךְ, וְעוֹמֵד בְּצִדְקוֹ (שמות רבה):
6Joseph and all his brothers died, as did all of that generation.   ווַיָּ֤מָת יוֹסֵף֙ וְכָל־אֶחָ֔יו וְכֹ֖ל הַדּ֥וֹר הַהֽוּא:
7The Israelites were fertile and prolific; they increased and became exceedingly strong. Before long, the land was filled with them.   זוּבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל פָּר֧וּ וַיִּשְׁרְצ֛וּ וַיִּרְבּ֥וּ וַיַּֽעַצְמ֖וּ בִּמְאֹ֣ד מְאֹ֑ד וַתִּמָּלֵ֥א הָאָ֖רֶץ אֹתָֽם:
פָּרוּ - Were fertile. This means that their women did not miscarry, and that their children did not die when they were young.   פרו.  שלא הפילו נשותיהם ולא מתו כשהם קטנים:
וַיִּשְׁרְצוּ - Prolific (or “swarmed”). They gave birth to six children from a single pregnancy.   וַיִּשְׁרְצוּ.  שֶׁהָיוּ יוֹלְדוֹת שִׁשָּׁה בְּכָרֵס אֶחָד (שם):
8A new king, who did not know Joseph, arose over Egypt.   חוַיָּ֥קָם מֶֽלֶךְ־חָדָ֖שׁ עַל־מִצְרָ֑יִם אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־יָדַ֖ע אֶת־יוֹסֵֽף:
וַיָּקָם מֶֽלֶךְ־חָדָשׁ - A new king arose. Rav and Shemuel differed in their interpretation of these words: One said that he was in fact a new king; and the other said that he was the same king, but that he issued new edicts.   וַיָּקָם מֶֽלֶךְ־חָדָשׁ.  רַב וּשְׁמוּאֵל, חַד אָמַר חָדָשׁ מַמָּשׁ, וְחַד אָמַר שֶׁנִּתְחַדְּשׁוּ גְּזֵרוֹתָיו:
אֲשֶׁר לֹֽא־יָדַע - Who did not know [Joseph] - according to the second opinion above, this means that he acted as if he had never known Joseph.   וַאֲשֶׁר (נ"א אשר) לֹֽא־יָדַע.  עָשָׂה עַצְמוֹ כְּאִלּוּ לֹא יְדָעוֹ (סוטה י"א):
9He said to his people, “Look: the people, the Israelites, are becoming more numerous and stronger than us.   טוַיֹּ֖אמֶר אֶל־עַמּ֑וֹ הִנֵּ֗ה עַ֚ם בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל רַ֥ב וְעָצ֖וּם מִמֶּֽנּוּ:
10Let us deal cleverly with them lest they increase and, in the event of war, join our enemies, fight us, and go up out of the land.”   יהָ֥בָה נִתְחַכְּמָ֖ה ל֑וֹ פֶּן־יִרְבֶּ֗ה וְהָיָ֞ה כִּֽי־תִקְרֶ֤אנָה מִלְחָמָה֙ וְנוֹסַ֤ף גַּם־הוּא֙ עַל־שׂ֣נְאֵ֔ינוּ וְנִלְחַם־בָּ֖נוּ וְעָלָ֥ה מִן־הָאָֽרֶץ:
הָבָה נִתְחַכְּמָה - Wherever the word הָבָה is used, it is an expression of preparing oneself and making oneself ready to do something. In other words: “get yourselves ready for this.”   הָבָה נִתְחַכְּמָה.  כָּל הָבָה לְשׁוֹן הֲכָנָה וְהַזְמָנָה לְדָבָר הוּא, כְּלוֹמַר, הַזְמִינוּ עַצְמְכֶם לְכָךְ:
נִתְחַכְּמָה לוֹ - Let us deal cleverly (lit.) with him - i.e., with the nation; let us consider wisely what to do with it. But our rabbis explained “him” as referring to God, and that the verse means: “Let us outwit God, the Savior of Israel, by sentencing them to death by water, for He has already sworn that He will never bring another flood upon the world.” However, they did not realize that upon the whole world He would not bring a flood, but He would bring one upon a single nation.   נִתְחַכְּמָה לוֹ.  לָעָם; נִתְחַכְּמָה מַה לַּעֲשׂוֹת לוֹ. וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ דָרְשׁוּ נִתְחַכֵּם לְמוֹשִׁיעָן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל לְדוּנָם בַּמַּיִם, שֶׁכְּבָר נִשְׁבַּע שֶׁלֹּא יָבִיא מַבּוּל לָעוֹלָם (שם):
וְעָלָה מִן־הָאָֽרֶץ - And go up out of the land - against our will. But our rabbis explained this expression as being like one who curses himself but assigns his curse to others to avoid explicitly mentioning it regarding himself, and it is as if the verse had been written: “and we will be forced to leave the land” and they will take possession of it.   וְעָלָה מִן־הָאָֽרֶץ.  עַל כָּרְחֵנוּ. וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ דָרְשׁוּ כְּאָדָם שֶׁמְּקַלֵּל עַצְמוֹ וְתוֹלֶה קִלְלָתוֹ בַּאֲחֵרִים (שם), וַהֲרֵי הוּא כְּאִלּוּ כָתַב וְעָלִינוּ מִן הָאָרֶץ – וְהֵם יִירָשׁוּהָ:
11They appointed draft officers over them in order to afflict them with chores. The Israelites built up the cities of Pitom and Ra’amses, making them storage cities for Pharaoh.   יאוַיָּשִׂ֤ימוּ עָלָיו֙ שָׂרֵ֣י מִסִּ֔ים לְמַ֥עַן עַנֹּת֖וֹ בְּסִבְלֹתָ֑ם וַיִּ֜בֶן עָרֵ֤י מִסְכְּנוֹת֙ לְפַרְעֹ֔ה אֶת־פִּתֹ֖ם וְאֶת־רַֽעַמְסֵֽס:
עָלָיו - (lit.) Over him - i.e., over the nation.   עָלָיו.  עַל הָעָם:
מִסִּים - is from the word מַס “tax.” Thus שָֹרֵי מִסִּים are officers who collected the tax from the people. And what was the tax? That “they built storage cities for Pharaoh.”   מִסִּים.  לְשׁוֹן מַס, שָׂרִים שֶׁגּוֹבִין מֵהֶם הַמַּס, וּמַהוּ הַמַּס? שֶׁיִּבְנוּ עָרֵי מִסְכְּנוֹת לְפַרְעֹה:
לְמַעַן עַנֹּתוֹ בְּסִבְלֹתָם - (lit.) In order to afflict him with their chores - i.e., those that the Egyptians laid on the people.   לְמַעַן עַנֹּתוֹ בְּסִבְלֹתָם.  ‬ שֶׁל מִצְרַיִם:
עָרֵי מִסְכְּנוֹת - Its meaning is as Onkelos translates it: קָרְוֵי בֵית אוֹצָרָא “cities of storehouses.” Similarly we find the root סכן in this sense: “Go and approach הַסֹּכֵן הַזֶּה” 2 – i.e., the treasurer appointed over the storehouses.   עָרֵי מִסְכְּנוֹת.  כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ, וְכֵן "לֶךְ בֹּא אֶל הַסּוֹכֵן הַזֶּה" (ישעיהו כ"ב) – גִּזְבָּר הַמְמֻנֶּה עַל הָאוֹצָרוֹת:
אֶת־פִּתֹם וְאֶת־רַֽעַמְסֵֽס - Pitom and Ra’amses. These cities already existed, but were not originally suited for this purpose, and now they strengthened them and equipped them to serve as storage-cities.   אֶת־פִּתֹם וְאֶת־רַֽעַמְסֵֽס.  שֶׁלֹּא הָיוּ רְאוּיוֹת מִתְּחִלָּה לְכָךְ, וַעֲשָׂאוּם חֲזָקוֹת וּבְצוּרוֹת לְאוֹצָר:
12But the more the Egyptians afflicted them, the more they increased and spread, and the Egyptians were disgusted over the Israelites.   יבוְכַֽאֲשֶׁר֙ יְעַנּ֣וּ אֹת֔וֹ כֵּ֥ן יִרְבֶּ֖ה וְכֵ֣ן יִפְרֹ֑ץ וַיָּקֻ֕צוּ מִפְּנֵ֖י בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל:
וְכַֽאֲשֶׁר יְעַנּוּ אֹתוֹ - But the more [the Egyptians] afflicted them - i.e., as much as the Egyptians set their hearts on afflicting them and thus containing their growth, so the heart of the Holy One, Blessed be He, was set on making them increase and spread.   וְכַֽאֲשֶׁר יְעַנּוּ אֹתוֹ.  בְּכָל מַה שֶּׁהֵם נוֹתְנִין לֵב לְעַנּוֹת, כֵּן לֵב הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְהַרְבּוֹת וּלְהַפְרִיץ:
כֵּן יִרְבֶּה - means here “so they increased,” and similarly וְכֵן יִפְרֹץ means “and so they spread.” But its Midrashic explanation is: The Holy Spirit of God was saying this: “You the Egyptians say פֶּן יִרְבֶּה ‘lest they increase,’ but I say כֵּן יִרְבֶּה ‘indeed they will increase.’”   כֵּן יִרְבֶּה.  כֵּן רָבָה וְכֵן פָּרַץ. וּמִדְרָשׁוֹ, רוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ אוֹמֶרֶת כֵּן, אַתֶּם אוֹמְרִים פֶּן יִרְבֶּה וַאֲנִי אוֹמֵר כֵּן יִרְבֶּה (סוטה י"א):
וַיָּקֻצוּ - [The Egyptians] were disgusted - means “they became disgusted with their lives.” But our rabbis explained it as meaning: the Israelites were like thorns (קוֹצִים) in their eyes.   וַיָּקֻצוּ.  קָצוּ בְחַיֵּיהֶם. וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ דָרְשׁוּ כְּקוֹצִים הָיוּ בְּעֵינֵיהֶם (שם):
13The Egyptians enslaved the Israelites with backbreaking labor.   יגוַיַּֽעֲבִ֧דוּ מִצְרַ֛יִם אֶת־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בְּפָֽרֶךְ:
בְּפָֽרֶךְ - means: with hard labor that crushes (מְפָרֶכֶת) the body and breaks it.   בְּפָֽרֶךְ.  בַּעֲבוֹדָה קָשָׁה, הַמְפָרֶכֶת אֶת הַגּוּף וּמְשַׁבַּרְתּוֹ (שם):
14They embittered their lives with hard labor—making them work with mortar and bricks—as well as with all kinds of work in the field. All the work they subjected them to was imposed with crushing harshness.   ידוַיְמָֽרֲר֨וּ אֶת־חַיֵּיהֶ֜ם בַּֽעֲבֹדָ֣ה קָשָׁ֗ה בְּחֹ֨מֶר֙ וּבִלְבֵנִ֔ים וּבְכָל־עֲבֹדָ֖ה בַּשָּׂדֶ֑ה אֵ֚ת כָּל־עֲבֹ֣דָתָ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־עָֽבְד֥וּ בָהֶ֖ם בְּפָֽרֶךְ:
15The king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was called Shifrah and the other was called Pu’ah.   טווַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרַ֔יִם לַֽמְיַלְּדֹ֖ת הָֽעִבְרִיֹּ֑ת אֲשֶׁ֨ר שֵׁ֤ם הָֽאַחַת֙ שִׁפְרָ֔ה וְשֵׁ֥ם הַשֵּׁנִ֖ית פּוּעָֽה:
לַֽמְיַלְּדֹת - To the midwives. This is an equivalent expression to מוֹלִידוֹת (hif’il form), except that there are both “light” (kal) and “intensive” (pi’el) conjugations, such as שׁוֹבֵר (kal) and מְשַׁבֵּר (pi’el), both connoting “breaking,” דּוֹבֵר (kal) and מְדַבֵּר (pi’el), both connoting “speaking.” Similarly here, there is מוֹלִיד (hif’il – a “light” causative) or מְיַלֵּד (pi’el).   לַֽמְיַלְּדֹת.  הוּא לְשׁוֹן מוֹלִידוֹת, אֶלָּא שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָ' קַל וְיֵשׁ לָ' כָּבֵד, כְּמוֹ שׁוֹבֵר וּמְשַׁבֵּר, דּוֹבֵר וּמְדַבֵּר, כָּךְ מוֹלִיד וּמְיַלֵּד:
שִׁפְרָה - Shifrah. This was Yocheved, known as שִׁפְרָה because she would improve (מְשַׁפֶּרֶת) the physical condition of the newborn by the care she provided.   שִׁפְרָה.  יוֹכֶבֶד, עַל שֵׁם שֶׁמְּשַׁפֶּרֶת אֶת הַוָּלָד (שם):
פּוּעָֽה - Pu’ah. This was Miriam, known as פּוּעָה because she used to call out (פּוֹעָה), speak, and croon to the newborn in the way women soothe crying babies. פּוּעָה is an expression of crying out, as in: “Like a woman in labor I will cry out (אֶפְעֶה).” 3   פּוּעָֽה.  זוֹ מִרְיָם, שֶׁפּוֹעָה וּמְדַבֶּרֶת וְהוֹגָה לַוָּלָד (שם), כְּדֶרֶךְ הַנָּשִׁים הַמְפַיְּסוֹת תִּינוֹק הַבּוֹכֶה פּוּעָֽה לְשׁוֹן צְעָקָה, כְּמוֹ "כַּיּוֹלֵדָה אֶפְעֶה" (ישעיה מ"ב).
16He said to them, “When you deliver the Hebrew women, look at the birthstool. If it is a boy, kill him; if it is a girl, let her live.”   טזוַיֹּ֗אמֶר בְּיַלֶּדְכֶן֙ אֶת־הָ֣עִבְרִיּ֔וֹת וּרְאִיתֶ֖ן עַל־הָֽאָבְנָ֑יִם אִם־בֵּ֥ן הוּא֙ וַֽהֲמִתֶּ֣ן אֹת֔וֹ וְאִם־בַּ֥ת הִ֖וא וָחָֽיָה:
בְּיַלֶּדְכֶן - When you deliver. This pi’el form is of similar meaning to בְּהוֹלִידְכֶן (hif’il form), connoting “assisting to give birth.”   בְּיַלֶּדְכֶן.  כְּמוֹ בְּהוֹלִידְכֶן:
עַל־הָֽאָבְנָיִם - אָבְנָיִם is the special seat for a woman giving birth. In another place Scripture calls it מַשְׁבֵּר. 4 A similar example of this word is: “he was doing work on the אָבְנָיִם” 5 – the place of a potter’s utensils.   עַל־הָֽאָבְנָיִם.  מוֹשַׁב הָאִשָּׁה הַיּוֹלֶדֶת, בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר (ישעיהו ל"ז), קוֹרְאוֹ מַשְׁבֵּר; וְכָמוֹהוּ "עוֹשֶׂה מְלָאכָה עַל הָאָבְנָיִם" (ירמיהו י"ח), – מוֹשַׁב כְּלִי אֻמָּנוּת יוֹצֵר חֶרֶשׂ:
אִם־בֵּן הוּא וגו' - If it is a boy… Pharaoh was concerned only about the male children, for his astrologers had told him that a boy was destined to be born who would save the Israelites.   אִם־בֵּן הוּא וגו'.  לֹא הָיָה מַקְפִּיד אֶלָּא עַל הַזְּכָרִים, שֶׁאָמְרוּ לוֹ אִצְטַגְנִינָיו שֶׁעָתִיד לְהִוָּלֵד בֵּן הַמּוֹשִׁיעַ אוֹתָם:
וָחָֽיָה - means “she may live.”   וָחָֽיָה.  וְתִחְיֶה:
17But the midwives feared God, and they did not do as the king of Egypt had told them; they helped the boys live.   יזוַתִּירֶ֤אןָ הַֽמְיַלְּדֹת֙ אֶת־הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים וְלֹ֣א עָשׂ֔וּ כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֛ר דִּבֶּ֥ר אֲלֵיהֶ֖ן מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרָ֑יִם וַתְּחַיֶּ֖יןָ אֶת־הַיְלָדִֽים:
וַתְּחַיֶּיןָ אֶת־הַיְלָדִֽים - They helped the boys live - i.e., they provided them with water and food. Onkelos translates the first וַתְּחַיֶּיןָ, in this verse, as וְקַיָּמָא “and they kept alive” (third person feminine plural), and the second וַתְּחַיֶּיןָ, in the next verse, as וְקַיֵּמְתִּין “and you kept alive” (second person feminine plural). This is because in Hebrew, in the feminine plural, this word and other similar forms ending with נָה or ןָ are used to express both a third person plural verb פָּעֲלוּ (“they did”) and a second person plural verb פְּעַלְתֶּן (“you did”); e.g., “They said (וַתֹּאמַרְןָ – third person feminine plural), ‘An Egyptian man…,’” 6 which is a past-tense form equivalent to וַיֹּאמְרוּ in the masculine form; and “You spoke (וַתְּדַבֵּרְנָה) with your mouths,” 7 which is the same as דִּבַּרְתֶּן “you spoke” (second person feminine plural) and equivalent to וַתְּדַבְּרוּ in the masculine form; and similarly “You have profaned Me (וַתְּחַלֶּלְנָה) among My people,” 8 which is a past-tense form, the same as חִלַּלְתֶּם “you profaned” (second person feminine plural) and equivalent to וַתְּחַלְּלוּ in the masculine form.   וַתְּחַיֶּיןָ אֶת־הַיְלָדִֽים.  מְסַפְּקוֹת לָהֶם מַיִם וּמָזוֹן. תַּרְגּוּם הָרִאשׁוֹן וְקַיָּמָא, וְהַשֵּׁנִי וְקַיֵּמְתֻּן, לְפִי שֶׁלְּשׁוֹן עָבָר לִנְקֵבוֹת רַבּוֹת תֵּבָה זוֹ וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָהּ מְשַׁמֶּשֶׁת לְשׁוֹן פָּעֲלוּ וּלְשׁוֹן פְּעַלְתֶּם, כְּגוֹן "וַתֹּאמַרְןָ אִישׁ מִצְרִי" (שמות ב'), (לְשׁוֹן עָבָר) כְּמוֹ וַיֹּאמְרוּ לִזְכָרִים, "וַתְּדַבֵּרְנָה בְּפִיכֶם" (ירמיהו מ"ד), לְשׁוֹן דִּבַּרְתֶּן, כְּמוֹ וַתְּדַבְּרוּ לִזְכָרִים, וְכֵן "וַתְּחַלְּלֶנָה אֹתִי אֶל עַמִּי" (יחזקאל י"ג), לְשׁוֹן עָבָר חִלַּלְתֶּן, כְּמוֹ וַתְּחַלְּלוּ לִזְכָרִים: