ויהי בשׁלח פרעה את העם ולא נחם א-להים וכו’ י And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines Exodus 13:17 The Midrash Rabbah deduces that “ויהי” (and it came to pass) is an expression of lament (לשון צער),…

 בא אל פרעה Go unto Pharaoh Exodus 9:1 Rashi comments: “והתרה בו” (and warn him). Apparently, he warned him about the plague of locusts, but then why did the Eternal say “כי אני הכבדתי את לבו” (for I have hardened his heart)? Was it because God had hardened Pharaoh’s heart that He told Moses to…

ותאמר מילדי העברים זה . . . ותקרא שמו משה ותאמר כי מן המים משיתיהו   And she said: “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.”. . . And she named him Moses, for she said, “Because I drew him out of the water.” Exodus 2:6, 10 Many have asked why the daughter of Pharoah…

ועשית עמדי חסד ואמת אל נא תקברני במצרים and deal kindly and truly with me; bury me not, I beg you, in Egypt Genesis 47:29 The Midrash (Genesis Rabbah) understands Jacob’s request of Joseph to mean that he did not want the Egyptians to use him as a medium of redemption, for it is written…

הבא נבא אני ואמך ואחיך להשתחות לך ארצה Are we to come, I and your mother and your brothers, to bow low to you to the ground? Genesis 37:10 Rashi explains: He did not grasp that the reference was to Bilhah who had brought up Joseph as though she were his mother. But our Rabbis…

עם לבן גרתי ואחר עד עתה I have sojourned with Laban, and been delayed until now Genesis 32:5 Rashi comments on this passage: “I have fulfilled the 613 (תרי”ג) commandments.” Many have questioned this comment, inasmuch as Jacob did not fulfill the commandment of honoring his father and mother during his sojourn with Laban, and,…

וידבר א-להים אל משה   And God spoke to Moses Exodus 6:2 The Midrash ילקוט שמעוני (Exodus 176) writes concerning this verse: This refers to the verse (Psalms 50:7): “שמע עמי ואדברה ישראל ואעידה בך א-להים א-להיך אנכי” (Hear, O, My people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify against you: God,…

כי תקנה עבד עברי When you buy a Hebrew slave Exodus 21:2 Rashi comments: [This means] a slave who is a Hebrew. Or [perhaps] not, but the slave of a Hebrew, i.e., a Canaanite servant whom you have bought from an Israelite? It is concerning him that the Scripture states “ששת שנים יעבד”) he shall…

ויגש אליו יהודה Then Judah came near to him Genesis 44:18 It is written in the Midrash Rabbah (93:7): This refers to the verse (Ecclesiastes 7:19): “החכמה תעוז לחכם יותר מעשרה שליטים אשר הוו בעיר” (Wisdom strengthens the wise more than ten rulers who are in the city). Upon seeing Judah’s anger, Joseph kicked his…