Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Exodus 2/אבן עזרא על שמות ב׳
אוילך. בערים רבות היו ישראל יושבים, כי רבים היו וכלם יקראו ארץ רעמסס, אולי בעיר אחרת היתה זאת:
1AND THERE WENT. Because of their great number the Israelites lived in many cities. All of the latter were called the land of Rameses.1 Perhaps this woman was in another city.2 that is, he went from his city to another city and took a woman from there.
בבת לוי. בן ישראל, והיא אחות אביו, ולא דבר נכונה האומר כי תבואות השדה הנזרעת בשדה אחרת תצליח, רק באותו שדה עצמו לא תצליח כראוי, כי עיקר איסור ערוה להיות ישראל קדושים:
2A DAUGHTER OF LEVI. Son of Israel.3 She was the sister of his father.4The person who says that wheat sown in another field will succeed, while wheat planted in the same field will not,5 does not speak the truth.6 The main reason that close relatives are forbidden to have sexual relations with each other is to sanctify Israel.7
אותהר. אין ספק כמו שהזכרנו כי אהרן גדול בשנים ממשה וככה קבלו אבותינו שפועה היתה מרים וכתיב "ותתצב אחותו מרחוק" (למטה פ' ד) והנה ידענו כי תחלת קץ ד' מאות שנה היו מיום שנולד יצחק, כי הוא לבדו יקרא זרע, והנה בן ששים שנה הוליד את יעקב (ברא' כה כו), ויעקב הוליד את ראובן בן שמונים וחמש, והיה ברדתו אל מצרים בן מאה ושלשים שנה (שם מז ט), חברנו עליהם ששים של יצחק עלו ק"צ והנה נשארו ר"י, נוציא מהם ע' שנה שחיה יוסף אחרי כן והנה נשארו ק"מ, ושנות לוי ברדתו אל מצרים מ"ג והנה חיה כ"ב שנה אחרי יוסף והנה נשארו קי"ח כי כתוב הוא, וימת יוסף בן מאה ועשר שנים (שם נ כו) ומתי מלך המלך החדש, וכמה שנים בנו ערי מסכנות, והנה קרוב מלדת משה נגזר על הזכרים, ובן זוטא אמר כל המספר דבר מעשה לא ישא פנים לנכבד להזכירו תחלה, וכתוב ותלד לעמרם את אהרן ואת משה ואת מרים אחותם (במד' כו נט) והנה היא קטנה, והנה זה המוכה בסנורים שכח שם חם ויפת, וכתיב "ויולד נח" (ברא' ה לב), ויפת הוא הגדול, ועוד "שמה קברו את אברהם ואת שרה אשתו (שם מט לא)", והיא נקברה במערה קודם אברהם ל"ח שנה, ודע כי הנו"ן תמצא חסירה, או מובלעת בדגשות בתחלת המפעל, כנו"ן "גש הלאה" (ברא' יט ט) "ויגש אליו" (שם מד יח), ובאמצע, כמו וגם אף עלה בישראל (תה' עח כא) או ויחר אף (שם קו מ), והנה הנו"ן מובלעת באמצע, על כן נדגש פ"א "ויחר אפו" (ברא' לט יט) ישוב אַפְךָ (ישעי' יב א), וככה נו"ן נתן, במלת תִּתִּי (ברא' כט יט) כי הוא כמו תנתי, כי תי"ו האחרון איננו שרש, רק הוא כמו שבתי (תה' קלט ב) לכתי (מ"א ב ה) לדתי, גם בסוף, תת פחדך (דבר' ב כה), טוב תתי אותה לך (ברא' כט יט), וככה בשמות, כי בת היתה ראויה להיות לשון נקבה כמו מן בֵן בָנָה, והיא תתערב עם "אשר בנה בית" (דבר' כה) והנה החליפו הה"א בתי"ו, כמו גבירה גברת, עטרה עטרת, פעם סמוך ופעם איננו סמוך, כמו עטרת תפארת (משלי ד ט), והנה חסרו הנו"ן להקל על הלשון ויאמרו בת, ומלת רחל בתו (ברא' כט ו), כמלת אמת חסדו ואמתו, והנה התי"ו לשון נקבה, והנה הנו"ן מובלעת, ולשון רבות אמונות ולא אמתות ולא אמיתיות כמו בנות, ולא בתות ולא בתים:
1AND THE WOMAN CONCEIVED. There is no doubt that Aaron was older than Moses.8 38. The printed manuscripts read, “There is no doubt that what we noted (kemo she-hizkarnu) is correct. For Aaron was older than Moses.” This sentence is obviously difficult to unravel, for what bearing does the fact that Aaron was older than Moses have upon Amram marrying his aunt? Krinsky and Netter attempt to explain it and in my opinion fail to do so. The reading of the Vatican manuscript appears to be correct, and the words kemo she-hizkarnu are most likely a gloss by a scribe who thought that “there is no doubt” refers to what I.E. said earlier namely, that Amram married his aunt. Our sages similarly received a tradition that Puah9 and Miriam are one and the same person.10 11b. It is also written, And his sister stood afar off (v. 4).11Now we know that the four hundred-year period12 which ended in Israel’s redemption started with the day that Isaac was born, for Isaac alone is considered to be Abraham’s seed.13 Now Isaac was sixty years old when he begot Jacob,14 and Jacob was eighty-five years old when he begot Reuben,15 and one hundred and thirty years old when he descended into Egypt.16 If we add the sixty years of Isaac to the one hundred and thirty of Jacob we come up with a hundred and ninety years. We are thus left with two hundred and ten years.17 We then subtract the seventy years that Joseph lived afterwards18 and we are left with one hundred and forty years. Now Levi was forty-three years old when he came down to Egypt19 and he outlived Joseph by twenty-two years.20 Thus one hundred and eighteen years are left. For the verse states, So Joseph died, being a hundred and ten years old (Gen. 50:26).21 Now when did the new king reign? For how many years did the Israelites build the store-cities? Behold close to the birth of Moses it was decreed that all male children be put to death.22Ben Zuta23 says whoever relates a story will not out of respect mention the most honored first.24 Therefore when Scripture states, and she (Jochebed) bore unto Amram Aaron and Moses, and Miriam their sister (Num. 26:59), it indicates that Miriam was the youngest.25 Now the “blind one” (Ben Zuta) forgot Shem, Ham, and Japheth, concerning whom it is written, and Noah begot Shem, Ham and Japheth (Gen. 5:32). Now Japheth was the eldest of the three.26 Furthermore, Scripture states, There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife (Gen. 49:31) even though Sarah was buried in the cave of Machpelah thirty-eight years27 before Abraham was interred there. Note that the nun is often dropped or is swallowed by a dagesh when it is the first root letter of a verb, as in the case of the nun of gesh28. in gesh holah (stand back) (Gen. 19:9) and va-yiggash (came near)29. The dagesh in the gimel compensates for the missing nun. in Then Judah came near unto him (Gen. 44:18). The nun is also dropped when it serves as the middle letter of a root,30 as in the case of af (anger)31. in And anger also went up against Israel (Ps. 78:21). Observe, the middle nun is swallowed. Therefore the peh of appo (his wrath) in that his wrath was kindled (Gen. 39:19) and the peh of appekah (thine anger) in Thine anger is turned away (Is. 12:1) receive a dagesh. The same is true of the nun of the root nun, tav, nun in the word titti (that I give) (Gen. 29:19), for titti is like tinti32. If the final nun was not dropped, titti would have been written tinti. because its final tav33 comes from the root nun, tav, nun. It does not come from a root ending in a tav, for its last tav is a first person suffix. is not a root letter. It is rather like the tavs of shivti (my downsitting) (Ps. 139:2), lekhti (when I went) (I Kings 2:8), and lidti (I delivered) (I Kings 3:18).34 is a first person suffix. It is also so at the end of the word,35 of the root nun, tav, nun at times drop out but its final nun is also omitted at times. as in tet (to put) in to put the dread of thee (Deut. 2:25) and in titti (that I give) in that I give her to thee (Gen. 29:19). The same is true of nouns. The word for daughter (bat) should have been banah since the feminine of ben (son) is banah. However, in this case it would have been confused with the verb banah (hath built), as in that hath built (banah) a new house (Deut. 20:5). A tav was therefore substituted for the heh.36, not banah. I.E. will soon explain why the nun was dropped from banat, the Hebrew word for daughter being bat. It is similar to givirah (lady) and geveret (lady) as well as to atarah (crown) and ateret (crown) in which we find both the construct and the absolute forms used in the absolute.37 is usually in the absolute. However, its form is that of a word in the construct. We find the same thing with the word geveret. Givirah is in the absolute; geveret is in the construct. Nevertheless, the construct form is used in the absolute. Similarly atarah and ateret. So too, bat means both daughter and daughter of. Compare, ateret (crown of) in A crown of glory (Prov. 4:7). It should be noted that the nun was also dropped for the sake of easing the pronunciation of the word.38 of banah changed to a tav, but its nun was dropped. Thus banah became bat. Hence the word is enunciated bat (daughter). The word bitto (his daughter) in Rachel his daughter (Gen. 29:6) is similar to the word amitto (his truth) which is the word emet (truth) with the third person pronominal suffix.39 comes from the root bet, nun, heh. Emet comes from the root alef, mem, nun. In the words emet and amitto the nun is missing. Hence bitto is like amitto. Compare, chasdo va-amitto (His mercy and His truth) (Gen. 24:27). Thus the tav is the sign of the feminine and the nun is swallowed up.40 of bat takes the place of the heh of banah. Additionally, the nun is dropped, hence the word bat. The plural of truth is emunot, and not amitot or amitiyot.41 is alef, mem, nun. Similarly, the plural of daughters is banot, not batot or battim.42. The plural of banah is banot, whereas the plural of bat is batot or battim. I.E.’s intention here was to explain the form bat in verse 1.
בותהר. לא הזכיר הכתוב לידת מרים ואהרן, כי לא התחדש דבר בלדתם, ומלת טוב כאשר תמצא באיש מלא דעת יתכן היותו בנשמה כמו "טוב עם ד'" וטוב עם אנשים או טוב עין (משלי כב ט) או בגוף או בצורה טוב תואר או מראה בעבור שמצאנו בילד כי טוב הוא, אין לפרשו, כי אם בצורתו טוב מכל הילודים:
2AND THE WOMAN CONCEIVED. Scripture does not mention the birth of Miriam and Aaron because there was nothing special about their birth.43When the word tov (good)44) child,” hence I.E.’s comment. is used with reference to a mature man it probably refers to the soul, as in “good with the Lord and good with man.”45 (tov) both with the Lord and also with men. Or it may refer to the eye, as in a bountiful (tov) eye (Prov. 22:9).46 It may also refer to the body or its form, as in “of good form,47 and good to look upon.”48 However, because we find it used with regard to a child, viz., that he was a goodly (tov) child, we can only explain it as referring to the child’s form, that he was better than all who are born.49
גשלשה ירחים. י"א כי בחודש השביעי מתחלת ההריון נולד גם זה דרש כי לא יוכלו המצרים לדעת מתי הרתה האשה, ולפי דעתי כי הכתוב ספר החדשים שיכלה להצפינו, כי אין כח באדם לראות באשה מתי תלד, כי רחוק הוא שהוא נולד בחודש השביעי מתחלת ההריון כי הנולדים ככה הם קצרי קומה ויותר חיים ונכבדים הם הנולדים באחד עשר, כי רובי הנולדים הם סמוכים לתשעה חדשים, והיודע עת ההריון יכול לדעת עת הלידה, והיודע עת הלידה יכול לדעת עת ההריון, כי דבר מנוסה הוא לקדמונים, וחמשה פעמים נסיתיו גם אני, כי מקום מזל הלבנה ומעלתה ברגע ההריון, היא מעלת מזל הצומח ברגע הלידה גם מעלה הצומחת רגע ההריון, שם תהיה הלבנה רגע המולד והנה המעמד הקוצב הם רנ"ט ימים ושליש יום והאמצעי רע"ג והגדול שהוא הארוך רפ"ז, וחכמי המולדות יודו כן, ואין טענה מהשבטים, כי להיותם על הסדר איננה ראיה, כי הרבה כאלה בתורה, על כן יתכן שרחל נתנה שפחתה ליעקב בלדת שמעון, גם נולד יששכר קודם אשר, ודינה בבטן אחת נולדה עם זבלון, על כן מלת "ואחר ילדה בת" (ברא' ל כא) כמו ואחרי כן יצא אחיו (שם כה), שלא זכר ותהר לכל אחד, גם לתקפות הימים (ש"א א כ) שלש הי':
3THREE MONTHS. Some say that Moses was born in the seventh month following his conception.50 However, this interpretation like so many others is Midrashic,51 for the Egyptians had no way of determining when the woman52 conceived. In my opinion Scripture relates the months that she was able to hide the child53 since it is impossible for anyone to predict when a women will give birth.54 It is also far-fetched to say that Moses was born in the seventh month following conception because those so born are undersized.55 Those born in the eleventh month are healthier and live longer, as most children are born close to the ninth month.56 One who knows the time of conception is able to ascertain the time of birth, and one who knows the time of birth can ascertain the time of conception. This was established by the ancients. I myself have tried it five times.57 For the degree and place of the moon and its constellation at the moment of conception is also the degree of the constellation that flowers at the moment of begetting The degree which flowers at the moment of impregnation will also be the degree at which the moon will be found at the time of birth.58 Now the time set aside59, (the time set aside). However, since I.E. gives three time periods, what he must mean is the minimum time. Filwarg suggests reading ha-katan (the minimum) in place of ha-kotzev. for carrying a child is two hundred and fifty nine and a third days.60 The median time for pregnancy is two hundred and seventy-three days.61 The maximum time for being with child is two hundred and eighty-seven days.62 Those learned in astrology will admit this.63 rather than yodu. The birth of the tribes64 does not refute this,65 because the order of their listing is no proof that they were born prematurely.66 We find many such instances in the Torah.67 It is therefore possible that Rachel gave her handmaid to Jacob when Simeon was born, that Issachar was born before Asher,68 and that Dinah was Zebulun’s twin.69 (Gen. 30:21). Prima facie, it appears that Dinah was born some time after the birth of Zebulun. I.E. argues that this is not so. He suggests that afterwards means a few moments later, as it does in Gen. 30:21. Hence the phrase and afterwards in and afterwards she bore a daughter (Gen. 30:21) is similar to And after that came forth his brother (Gen. 25:26). For and she conceived is not mentioned for each one. Also, And it came to pass, when the seasons were come about (I Sam. 1:20) refers to three seasons.70 (tekufat) of days came to pass, and Hannah conceived and bore a son (I Sam. 20). Mar Zutra explains that tekufot (seasons) refers to six months (a tekufah, a season is three months) and days, to two days. Cf. Rosh Ha-Shanah 11a. I.E. disagrees. According to him, seasons refers to three seasons (nine months). Hence Samuel was not born prematurely.
אונדגש צדי"ק הצּפינו כדגשות קו"ף אם יִקְּרֵךְ עון (ש"א כח י) לדבר בם צחות ובעבור היות הצדי"ק בשו"א נע, נרפה הפ"א שהיה ראוי להדגש, והוא שם הפועל מהבנין הכבד הנוסף, ואין צורך לבקש למה לא צפנתהו עוד, אולי השכנות המצריות שמעו קולו כי לא היו לבדם דרים בארץ רעמסס, וכתב ושאלה אשה משכנתה (למטה ג כב):
1[HIDE HIM.] The tzadi of hatzefino (hide him), like the kof in the word yikkrekh (happen to thee) in there shall no punishment happen to thee (I Sam. 28:10), receives a dagesh so that these words may be clearly pronounced.71 in it is emphasized; i.e., the word is sounded hatzefino (dagesh in tzadi) rather than hatzpino (no dagesh in the tzadi). I.E. makes this point because there is no grammatical reason for a dagesh to be placed in hatzefino or yikkrekh. The peh in hatzefino should have received a dagesh. However, it does not because the tzadi is vocalized with a mobile sheva. Hatzefino is a hifil infinitive. There is no reason to speculate as to why Jochebed did not hide him for a longer period of time.72 Perhaps the Egyptian neighbors heard his voice,73 for the Hebrews were not the only inhabitants of the land of Rameses.74 For it is written, but every women shall ask of her neighbor (Ex. 3:22).75
בובאה מלת "תיבת גומא" מלעיל בעבור היות הניגון בתחלת מלת גומא:
2[AN ARK OF BULRUSHES.] The words tevat gome (an ark of bulrushes) are penultimately accented because the cantillical note is placed on the first syllable of the word gome (bulrushes).76 is penultimately accented; so is tevat. The problem presented by the latter is that tevah (tevat is tevah in the construct) is usually ultimately accented. I.E. explains that when two words are connected by cantillical notes and the second word is penultimately accented, so is the first word. This is so even though the word is ordinarily ultimately accented.
גותחמרה. נחה ה"א כה"א ויקרא לה נובח בשמו (במד' לב מב), וזאת המלה נגזרת מן בחמר והוא טיט אדום מדבק, ימצא בארץ ישראל, וכמהו, בארות בארות חמר (ברא' יד י) ובלשון ישמעאל יקרא אל חמר, ויוכבד עשתה כן כי אמרה אל אראה במות הילד, אולי אחותו נתנבאה לעשות כן, ומחשבות השם עמקו, ומי יוכל לעמוד בסודו, ולו לבד נתכנו עלילות, אולי סבב השם זה שיגדל משה בבית המלכות להיות נפשו על מדרגה העליונה בדרך הלימוד והרגילות ולא תהיה שפלה ורגילה להיות בבית עבדים, הלא תראה שהרג המצרי בעבור שהוא עשה חמס, והושיע בנות מדין מהרועים, בעבור שהיו עושים חמס להשקות צאנן מהמים שדלו ועוד דבר אחר כי אלו היה גדל בין אחיו ויכירוהו מנעוריו, לא היו יריאים ממנו, כי יחשבוהו כאחד מהם:
3AND DAUBED IT. The heh of va-tachmerah (and daubed it) is silent. It is like the heh of the word lah (it) in and called it (lah) Nobah, after his own name (Num. 32:42).77 which serves as a pronominal suffix is vocalized with a mappik and is thus sounded. However, this is not the case with the pronominal heh in va-tachmerah. I.E. thus points out that the mappik is occasionally omitted from the heh which serves as a pronominal suffix. The word va-tachmerah (and daubed it) is derived from the word ba-chemar (with slime).78 is a denominative of chemar. Chemar (slime) is a red sticky clay which is found in the Land of Israel. The word chemar (slime) in full of slime pits (Gen. 14:10) is similar. This substance is called al chamara in Arabic. Jochebed did this79 for she said, “Let me not look upon the death of the child.”80 Perhaps the sister81 of Moses prophesied that she do this.82 God’s thoughts are very deep. Who can know His secrets? By Him alone are actions weighed.83 Perhaps God arranged things so that Moses would grow up in a royal house and his spirit would thereby be exalted through learning and practice.84 He would thus not possess a base spirit habituated to being in the house of slaves. Do you not see that Moses killed an Egyptian because the latter committed an act of violence85 and that he saved the daughters of Midian from the shepherds because they were acting violently in trying to water their flocks with the water which the women had drawn?86 One more thing: had Moses grown up among his brothers and had they known him from his youth they would not have feared him because they would have considered him as one of themselves.87
דבסוף. כמו "קנה וסוף קמלו" (ישעי יט ו), והוא צמח מן היאור:
4IN THE FLAGS (BA-SUF). Compare, The reeds and flags (va-suf) shall wither (Is. 19:6). Suf refers to a plant that grows in the Nile.
אותתצב. מלה זרה, כי שמו נח נעלם בין שתי התוי"ן תחת היו"ד, אמר ר' משה הכהן כי תי"ו לרדת, ולגשת, נוסף בעבור חסרון הפ"א מן פעל וככה לדעת, כי בעבור אות הגרון נפתח, ועתה החליפו התי"ו לה"א במלה לדעה כמו אשר תנה הודך (תה' ה):
1AND HIS SISTER STOOD AFAR OFF. The word va-tetatzav (stood) is irregular because a missing silent letter88 of va-tetatzav is vocalized with a tzere. The tzere is sounded as if a yod, a silent letter, followed it, hence the phrase a “missing silent letter” for the tzere. has been substituted for a yod89 is yod, tzadi, bet, and that its tav prefix is vocalized with a tzere rather than with a chirik to compensate for the missing yod. between the two tavs.Rabbi Moses Ha-Kohen90 says that a tav is suffixed to the words laredet (to descend) and la-geshet (to approach) because the first root letter of these words is missing.91 is yod, resh, dalet. The stem of la-geshet is nun, gimel, shin. The yod is dropped in the infinitive and according to Rabbi Moses is compensated for by the tav. That is also the case with the word la-da’at (to know).92. This word is vocalized with a pattach because the ayin is a guttural.93 and not la-de’et. I.E. makes this point because he wants to show that la-da’at and la-geshet belong to the same form even though they are vocalized differently. Now in the word le-de’ah (to know)94, and is an infinitive. Prima facie, it should have been written la-da’at. the tav was changed to a heh,95 is a variant of la-da’at, and what I.E. said about the latter applies to the former as well. as in the case of the word tenah (rehearsed)96 is nun, tav, nun. The infinitive form is tet (or te-nat). In te-nah a heh has been substituted for the tav. Hence le-de’ah and la-da’at are similar to tet (te-nat) and te-nah. in Whose majesty is rehearsed above the heavens (Ps. 8:2).
אותרד. מארמונה:
1AND THE DAUGHTER OF PHARAOH CAME DOWN. From her palace.
בלרחוץ. מנהג המצריות היה והזכיר דבר נערותיה שהולכות על מקום היאור כמו ויד תהיה לך (דבר' כג יג) בעבור ששלחה אמתה, והיא אחת הנערות לקחת התיבה כי בת המלך לא תכנס אל מקום הסוף, כי במקום רחוק מן היבשה הושמה התיבה שלא יגיע אליה כל עובר, ועוד כי אין מדרך הדקדוק להיות זרועה, כי המ"ם רפה, ומ"ם אמה ארכו (למטה ל, ב) דגוש, ועוד כי אמה ארכו מדה לא זרוע:
2TO BATHE IN THE RIVER. As was the custom of Egyptian women. Scripture notes that her maidens walked by the riverside — the meaning of yad (side, place) here is the same as that of yad (place) in Thou shalt have a place (Deut. 23:13)97 means a hand. However, here as in Deut. 23:13 it means a place. Thus yad ha-ye’or means side of the river (place of the river), not hand of the river. — because it goes on to say that she sent her handmaid (Amatah), who was one of the maidens, to fetch the ark.98 (her handmaid) means her arm. For a princess would not go among the flags, and the ark was placed far from the shore so that no one passing by would touch it. Furthermore, from a grammatical point of view the word amah (handmaid) cannot mean an arm, because its mem does not have a dagesh while the mem of ammah (cubit) in A cubit shall be the length thereof (Gen. 30:2) does.99 (cubit) means an arm. Additionally, ammah (cubit) in A cubit shall be the length thereof refers to a measure and not to an arm.100 with ammah, ammah does not mean her arm. It means her cubit.
אותפתח ותראהו. אחר שאמר ותראהו, הוסיף לבאר כמו ובית דוד כאלהים כמלאך ד' (זכרי' יב ח):
1AND SHE OPENED IT, AND SAW IT. After stating, and saw it, Scripture goes on to elucidate further.101 appears redundant, for it is preceded by and saw it. I.E. explains that Scripture is trying to be especially clear. Hence the Pentateuch goes on to explains that it refers to the child. Our verse is thus similar to And the house of David shall be as a godlike being, As the angel of the Lord before them (Zech. 12:8).102 goes on to explain a godlike being.
בוהנה נער בוכה. היו איבריו גדולים כאילו הוא נער. וראתהו מהול, ובעבור יפיו חמלה עליו, וזה טעם "כי טוב הוא":
2AND BEHOLD A BOY THAT WEPT. Moses’ limbs were as large as if he were a fully developed boy.103 (a boy). However, he was a yonek (an infant), hence I.E.’s comment. Pharaoh’s daughter noticed that Moses was circumcised.104. She took pity on him because of his beauty.105 This is the meaning of that he was a goodly child.106
אותאמר. ותינק. בעלי היו"ד בראשונה יש מתחלף היו"ד, כי מן ידע בוי"ו תודיע, ויש שיושם נח נעלם בין האות המשרת והעי"ן תחת יו"ד, ופעם נכתב, ופעם לא נכתב וככה ותניק לך את הילד:
1THEN SAID…THAT SHE MAY NURSE. The first yod in roots whose first letter is a yod occasionally change,107 in peh yods are either occasionally dropped or changed to a yod. as evidenced in the word todi’a (you shall inform) which comes from the root yod, dalet, ayin and is spelled with a vav.108 the yod changes to a vav. In other cases a silent missing letter109. See note 88. which is at times written and at times omitted110 is followed by a yod the silent letter is visible. When the tzere is not followed by a yod the silent letter is missing. is substituted for the yod and placed between the prefix and the middle root letter. This is the case with the word ve-tenek (that she may nurse)111. The yod of the root is swallowed by the tzere. in that she may nurse the child for thee.
אותאמר לֵכִי. כמו שֵבִי, וילך, וישב,:
1AND PHARAOH’S DAUGHTER SAID TO HER: GO. Lekhi (go) is like shevi (sit).112 is vocalized with a tzere beneath the lamed. The usual way of vocalizing this form (the imperative) is with a sheva. I.E. points out that this is also the case with the word shevi. It is usually vocalized with a sheva. However, in Jer. 29:5 we find its plural form vocalized with a tzere. The reason for the change from sheva to tzere is that these words come at the end of a verse. These words are the imperative forms of va-yelekh (and he went) and va-yeshev (and he dwelt).
אהיליכי. כמו היניקי כי שנים שרשים הם, ילך, גם הלך, והטעם אחד, כי אין הה"א מאותיות המשך על כן ה"א אחרת כמוה ועוד כי האל"ף גם היו"ד הוי"ו ימצאו בתוך המלה, פעם נכתבים, ופעם נחים נמצאים במבטא לא במכתב, ופעם נעדרים והה"א לעולם באמצע היא נראית ומלת בלטיהם (למטה ז כב) איננה כמו בלהטיהם (שם שם יא) כאשר אפרש:
1TAKE. Helikhi (take) is like heniki (nurse)113 (and nurse it) is a combination of ve-heniki (and nurse) and oto (it). I.E. points out that both helikhi and heniki are one and the same form, that is, peh, yod, hifil imperatives. because the roots yod, lamed, kaf and heh, lamed, kaf are two roots with one meaning.114 (take) literally means go. I.E. maintains that there are two roots in Hebrew for the word go, heh, lamed, kaf, as in the word halakhti, and yod, lamed, kaf, as in the word va-yelekh. I.E. believes that the root of helikhi is yod, lamed, kaf, the heh being the heh of the hifil conjugation. See note 112. For the heh is not one of the implied vowel letters.115, and yod are implied in the vowels kamatz, cholam, and tzere; i.e., the words vocalized with these vowels are sounded as if followed by an alef, vav, or yod. Now when a letter is implied in a vowel it is occasionally omitted. If the heh was an implied letter then it is possible that the root of helikhi is heh, lamed, kaf with the heh implied. For the heh of helikhi is not a root letter. It is rather the heh of the hifil imperative. Therefore the other heh is also like it.116 of the root (the other heh) should have appeared in the word helikhi; i.e., if helikhi came from the root heh, lamed, kaf the word should have been spelled hehlikhi. Furthermore, the alef and likewise the yod and the vav are found in the middle of a word at times written and at times silent, that is, pronounced but unwritten,117 but the heh is always visible when in the middle of a word. The words be-latehem (with their secret arts) (Ex. 7:22) and be-lahatehem (with their secret arts) (Ex. 7:11) are not, as I will explain,118 one and the same word.119, the second one with a heh. Prima facie, they are the same word with the missing heh implied. I.E. says no. He believes them to be two distinctive words with roots of their own.
בותאמר. אמר הגאון כי היליכי הם שתי מלות ולא דבר נכונה, רק היא מלה אחת על משקל והיניקהו לי, כמו שאמרתי, והוא מהבנין הכבד הנוסף, גם אמר שהוא כמו "הא לך", והנה הא, כמו וגם אני הא (יחז' טז מג), ואנחנו לא מצאנו בכל המקרא לנקבה ליכי כ"א לך רק היא מלה אחת:
2AND PHARAOH’S DAUGHTER SAID. Saadiah Gaon says that helikhi (take) is a composite of two words.120 imperative from the root yod, lamed, kaf but rather a composite of the words he and lekhi. However, the Gaon spoke incorrectly. It is, as I have noted, one word following the paradigm of ve-henikehu (and nurse it) in and nurse it for me. The word is in the hifil. The Gaon also said that helikhi is a composite of the words he and lakh,121 means here is. Compare, he lakhem zera (lo, here is seed for you) (Gen. 47:2). Lakh (lekhi in the feminine) means to you. He lekhi thus means here is to you; i.e., take it. the meaning of he being the same as he (behold) in Behold (heh), I will also bring thy way upon thy head (Ezek. 16:43).122, etc. However, we do not find the form lekhi used in Scripture when a female is being addressed. The form employed by Scripture is lakh.123 is a composite then it must be made up of the words he (here is) and lekhi (to you). However, the word for “to you” in the feminine is lakh, not lekhi. Helikhi (take) is thus one word.
גותניקהו. מעלומי העי"ן מן הפעלים השניים הנראים, והנה בפ' אחד שנים שרשים והטעם אחד, וככה היטיבי נגן (ישעי' כג טז) צווי, כמו הליכי, אך הטיבו כל אשר דברו (דבר' ה כד) כמו "והם הביאו אליו" (שמות לו ג) מעלומי העי"ן:
3AND NURSED IT. Va-tenikehu comes from a root wherein the middle radical is dropped and the other two remain.124. Its root is nun, vav, kof. Observe, we have in our verse two roots with one meaning.125 (and nurse it) from the root yod, nun, kof, and va-tenikehu (and nursed it) from the root nun, vav, kof. It is the same case with the word hetivi (make good) in make good melody (Is. 23:16) which is an imperative following the paradigm of helikhi (take) and the word hetivu (they have well) in they have well said all that they have spoken (Deut. 15:25), which is like hevi’u (they brought) in And they brought yet unto him (Ex. 36:3), which is a word that drops its middle root letter.126 (make good) comes from the root yod, tet, bet. Hetivu (they have well) comes from the root tet, vav, bet.
אויהי לה לבן. כמו ואלה בני מיכל זרובבל בן שאלתיאל (עזרא ג ב, חגי א א) והוא בן פדיה אחי שאלתיאל ובעבור שגדלו נקרא בנו:
1AND HE BECAME HER SON. This is similar to And these are the sons of Michal,127 (II Sam. 21:8). I.E. quoted from memory. Cf. Weiser. and to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel (Ezra 3:2; Haggai 1:1). Zerubbabel was the son of Pedaiah the brother of Shealtiel (II Chron. 3:17-19). He is called the son of Shealtiel because Shealtiel raised him.
בשם משה מתורגם מלשון מצרים בלשון הקדש, ושמו בלשון מצרים היה מוניוס וכך כתוב בס' עבודת האדמה הנעתק מלשון מצרים אל לשון קדרים גם ככה בספרי חכמי יון, אולי למדה בת פרעה לשונינו או שאלה ואל תתמה בעבור שאיננו משוי כי השמות אינם נשמרים כמו הפעלים:
2[MOSES.] Moshe (Moses) is a Hebrew form of an Egyptian name. Moses was called Monyos in Egyptian. The name is so written in a book on agriculture which was translated from Egyptian into Arabic. This is also recorded in the books of the Greek scholars. Perhaps the daughter of Pharaoh learned our language, or she asked some one for its Hebrew version.128 Do not be perplexed as to why moshe was not called mashuy,129 means drawn. Since Moses was drawn from the water, he should have been called mashuy, not moshe. as nouns do not keep their forms as verbs do.130
אויצא אל אחיו. המצרים כי בארמון המלך היה, וטעם מאחיו, אחר הזכיר עברי ממשפחתו כמו אנשים אחים (ברא' יג):
1THAT HE WENT OUT UNTO HIS BRETHREN. The Egyptians,131 for he was in the king’s palace.132, because Moses went out of the palace (Krinsky). Or I.E. is explaining why Moses considered the Egyptians his brethren. He did so because he was brought up in the king’s palace. One of his brethren means one of his family, as in for we are brethren (Gen. 13:6).133 Our clause is to be so understood because Scripture has already noted that the man was a Hebrew.134. If one of his brethren means a Hebrew then the Bible is being redundant. I.E. thus explains that one of his brethren means a member of his family.
אנִצִּים. שם התאר מבנין נפעל והשלם ננצים כמו נראים:
1STRIVING. Nitzim (striving) is a nifal adjective.135 participle. I.E. refers to nifal participles as adjectives. The complete form is nintzim (striving).136 is nun, tzadi, heh. In nitzim the nun of the root is missing because the nun in nitzim is the nun of the nifal. If the word were written with the nun of the root present, it would be written nintzim. Compare, nirim (seen).137. In nirim the entire root is present.
בלרשע. העושה חמס:
2TO HIM THAT DID WRONG. To him that acted violently.
אהלהרגני אתה אומר. בלבך:
1SAYEST THOU TO KILL ME.138. Sayest thou in thy heart.139 (attah omer) means thinkest thou. The man was not accusing Moses of actually stating his intention of killing him.
באכן. כמו אם כן:
2SURELY. Akhen (surely) means if so.
אוישמע. ארץ מדין סרים היו אל משמעת פרעה, על כן הוצרך להיות רועה צאן שלא יעמוד בישוב אולי יכירוהו, וכאשר אמר לו השם שמת פרעה ועבדיו שברח מפניהם, ונולד לו בימים ההם בנו הקטן אז אמר ויצילני מחרב פרעה (למטה יח ד) כי כל ימי חייו היה ירא ממנו, ואחר שהזכיר וישב בארץ מדין שב לפרש למה ישב, כי בתחלה ישב לפני הבאר הידועה, כדרך "ויצא יעקב וגו' וילך" (ברא' כח י) ושב למר "ויפגע במקום" (שם פ' יא):
1HEARD. The land of Midian was subservient to Pharaoh; hence Moses had to herd sheep and not live among people and be recognized.140 It was at the time that his youngest son was born that God told Moses that Pharaoh and his servants from whom he had fled were dead. Upon hearing this Moses said, and (God) delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh (Ex. 18:4), as Moses feared Pharaoh as long as Pharaoh lived.141 (God) and ezer (help). Moses so named his son because, he said, For the God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh (Ex. 18:4). According to I.E., Moses gave this name to his son after learning that Pharaoh was dead and could no longer harm him. After noting and (Moses) dwelt in the land of Midian, Scripture goes back and explains why Moses dwelt in Midian.142 Moses first sat down before the specified well.143. J.P.S. renders, and he sat down by a well. It is like And Jacob went out from Beer-sheba and went to Haran (Gen. 28:10). After stating the aforementioned the Pentateuch backsteps and states, And he lighted upon the place, etc. (Gen. 28:11).144
אולכהן. הוא יתרו ולא רעואל וכל כהן שבמקרא משרת הוא לשם או לעכו"ם, והעד וכהנו לי (למטה כח מא) וכהני ד' (ישעי' סא ו) ויתרו היה כהן לשם כאשר אפרש עוד:
1NOW THE PRIEST OF MIDIAN. The reference is to Jethro and not Reuel.145 The term kohen (priest) in Scripture refers to one who ministers either to the Lord or before an idol. That they may minister unto Me in the priest’s office (Ex. 28:41)146. If a kohen referred only to one who serves the Lord it would not be necessary to add the word li (unto me), as it would be understood that the reference is to priests of God. However, since one can also be a priest of idols the Bible adds the word li. The same is true with the priest of the Lord. If priests only referred to priests of the Lord there would be no reason for the Bible to add of the Lord. and the priests of the Lord (Is. 61:6) are proof of this. Jethro, as I will explain, was a priest of the Lord.147
אויבאו. מ"ם ויגרשום כמו נו"ן שלא תתערב המלה עם הנו"ן הנוסף לעתיד, וככה צאנם במ"ם שלא להתחבר שני נונין:
1AND THE SHEPHERDS CAME. The mem of va-yegareshum (and drove them away) has the same meaning as a nun.148 in and drove them away refers to females, a nun should have been suffixed to va-yegareshu (and drove away) and the word read va-yegareshun rather than va-yegareshum. For the mem is a masculine suffix and the nun a feminine suffix. I.E. thus notes that although va-yegareshum is ordinarily masculine, here it is feminine. If va-yegareshum was spelled with a nun, the nun might be confused with a superfluous nun.149 (or a superfluous nun) is added to the plural imperfect. Thus in place of the usual yegareshu (they will drive away) we have yegareshun (they will drive away). Now if our word was written va-yegareshun we would not know whether the word was merely plural with a superfluous nun, meaning: and they drove away, or if it was a plural with a feminine suffix, meaning: and they drove them away. To avoid this problem Scripture employed the masculine form here. Similarly, the word tzonam (their flock) is spelled with a mem so as not to combine two nuns.150 is a feminine third person plural pronoun meaning their. Since our text speaks of flocks belonging to females we would expect to find tzonan, which has a feminine suffix, and not tzonam, which has a masculine suffix. I.E. explains that tzonam is used in place of tzonan because it is hard to pronounce two nuns in succession.
אותבאנה אל רעואל. אבי אביהן היה כי יתרו היה חותנו, והוא חובב, וכתיב מבני חובב חותן משה (שופ' ד יא) וכתיב לחובב בן רעואל המדיני (במד' י כט):
1AND WHEN THEY CAME TO REUEL THEIR FATHER. Reuel was their grandfather, while Jethro, who was also known as Hobab, was the father-in-law of Moses.151 This is evidenced in these verses: even from the children of Hobab the father-in-law of Moses (Judges 4:11); And Moses said unto Hobab, the son of Reuel the Midianite (Num. 10:29).
אותאמרנה. חן הוסיפו או לא הספיקו המים שדלו הם לצאן:
1AND THEY SAID. They embellished what Moses had actually done.152. Thus it was the daughters of the priest of Midian and not Moses who drew the water. Moses helped them and watered the flock (v. 17); however, he did not draw water for them. Or the water which they had drawn was insufficient for their flocks.153 (v. 17).
אויאמר אל בנותיו. אבי האב יקרא אב כמו אלהי אבי אברהם (ברא' לב י) גם נבוכדנצר אבוך (דניאל ה יה) ובן הבן יקרא בן, וככה הבנות בנותי והבנים בני (ברא' לא מג), "ואנת בְרֵה בלשצר" (דניאל ה כב):
1AND HE SAID UNTO HIS DAUGHTERS. A grandfather is often called a father. Examples of the aforementioned are: O God of my father Abraham (Gen. 32:9)154 and Nebuchadnezzar thy father (Daniel 5:18).155 Similarly, a grandson is called a son. Examples of the latter are: The daughters are my daughters, and the children are my children (Gen. 31:43)156 and And thou his son, O Belshazzar (Dan. 5:22).157
בויאמר, הנה תפס הכתוב דרך קצרה שלא הזכיר ותקראנה לו, כי ידוע הוא מדרך הסברא:
2AND HE SAID. Behold, Scripture is being brief. It does not mention that they called Moses,158. The next verse opens, And Moses was content to dwell with the man. Scripture thus omits that Reuel’s daughters called Moses and invited him to eat bread. for we may logically infer that they did so.
גקִרֶאן לו. מלה זרה בעבור שאין על משקלה:
3CALL HIM. Kiren (call) is irregular, as it does not follow its normal paradigm.159 is kirenah. Thus kiren is irregular.
אויואל. אולי לא היה שם יתרו בן רעואל, ע"כ לא הזכירו הכתוב:
1AND MOSES WAS CONTENT. Perhaps Jethro the son of Reuel was then absent and is therefore not mentioned by Scripture.160
אותלד. כי אמר, משה, וזאת צפורה היא האשה הכושית אשר אמר, ואשר כתוב בדברי הימים דמשה אל תאמין, וכלל אומר לך כל ספר שלא כתבוהו נביאים או חכמים מפי הקבלה אין לסמוך עליו, ואף כי יש בו דברים שמכחישים הדעת הנכונה וככה ספר זרובבל, וגם ס' אלדד הדני והדומה להם:
1AND SHE BORE A SON, AND HE CALLED HIS NAME GERSHOM; FOR HE SAID. He refers to Moses. Zipporah is the Cushite woman of whom Scripture later speaks.161 Do not believe what is written in the book called The History of Moses.162, chap. 8. I.E. makes this point here because it is recorded in The History of Moses that Moses was a king in the land of Cush and that there he married a Cushite queen. The latter contradicts I.E.’s opinion that Zipporah and the Cushite are one and the same person. I will give you a general rule: We should not rely on any book not written by prophets or by the sages who transcribed traditions passed on to them. We definitely should not rely on these books163 when they contradict reason. The same applies to The Book of Zeruhbabel, The Book of Eldad Ha-dani,164, chap. 8. and similar compositions.
אוימת מלך מצרים. עתה יוכל משה לשוב אל מצרים, וישראל עשו תשובה, כי יחזקאל הזכיר שהיו ישראל עובדים גלולי מצרים, על כן עִנָם השם, ותחת אשר לא עבדוהו עבדו אכזרים:
1THAT THE KING OF EGYPT DIED. Moses was now able to return to Egypt.165 The Israelites repented. Ezekiel notes that the Israelites worshipped the idols of Egypt.166 It was because of this that the Lord afflicted them. As a punishment for not serving God they served cruel masters.167 as: Israel realized that they were being punished with bondage for worshipping idols. They then repented and cried out unto the Lord.
אוישמע. טעם ויזכור שהגיע הקץ:
1AND GOD HEARD…[AND GOD REMEMBERED.] The meaning of and God remembered is that the time for their redemption had come.168
אוירא. החמס שהיו המצרים עושים בגלוי:
1AND GOD SAW. The violence which the Egyptians openly practiced.169
בוידע. העשוי בסתר:
2AND GOD TOOK COGNIZANCE. Of what was done in secret.170