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Ramban on Exodus 12:31/רמב"ן על שמות י״ב:ל״א

אוַיִּקְרָא לְמֹשֶׁה וּלְאַהֲרֹן לַיְלָה מַגִּיד שֶׁהָיָה מְחַזֵּר עַל פִּתְחֵי הָעִיר וְצוֹעֵק הֵיכָן מֹשֶׁה שָׁרוּי, הֵיכָן אַהֲרֹן שָׁרוּי. לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על שמות י"ב:ל"א). וְהָיָה זֶה כִּי מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן לָנוּ בְּמִצְרַיִם בַּלַּיְלָה הַהוּא, לְקַיֵּם דְּבָרָיו שֶׁאָמַר (שמות י"א:ח') "וְיָרְדוּ כָל עֲבָדֶיךָ אֵלֶּה אֵלַי וְהִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לִי לֵאמֹר". וּבְבֹא פַּרְעֹה אֲלֵיהֶם שָׁלְחוּ מַלְאָכִים אֶל אֶרֶץ גֹּשֶׁן אֲשֶׁר שָׁם בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לָתֵת לָהֶם רְשׁוּת לָצֵאת, וְנֶאֶסְפוּ כֻּלָּם בְּרַעְמְסֵס, וְהָיָה יוֹם גָּדוֹל, וּמִשָּׁם נָסְעוּ בְּיָד רָמָה וּמֹשֶׁה בְּרֹאשָׁם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר לג ג) "וַיִּסְעוּ מֵרַעְמְסֵס בַּחֹדֶשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן בַּחֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר יוֹם לַחֹדֶשׁ מִמָּחֳרַת הַפֶּסַח יָצְאוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּיָד רָמָה לְעֵינֵי כָּל מִצְרָיִם". וְהַכָּתוּב שֶׁאָמַר (דברים טז א) "הוֹצִיאֲךָ ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ מִמִּצְרַיִם לָיְלָה", כִּי מֵעֵת שֶׁפְּטָרָם פַּרְעֹה יִקָּרְאוּ יוֹצְאִים:
וְכָךְ אָמְרוּ בְּסִפְרֵי (ראה קכח) וַהֲלֹא לֹא יָצְאוּ אֶלָּא בַּיּוֹם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר לג ג) "מִמָּחֳרַת הַפֶּסַח יָצְאוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל", אֶלָּא מְלַמֵּד שֶׁנִּגְאֲלוּ מִבַּלַּיְלָה. וּבַגְּמָרָא בְּמַסֶּכֶת בְּרָכוֹת (ט.), הַכֹּל מוֹדִים כְּשֶׁנִּגְאֲלוּ לֹא נִגְאֲלוּ אֶלָּא בַּלַּיְלָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים טז א) "הוֹצִיאֲךָ ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ מִמִּצְרַיִם לָיְלָה", וּכְשֶׁיָּצְאוּ לֹא יָצְאוּ אֶלָּא בַּיּוֹם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "מִמָּחֳרַת הַפֶּסַח יָצְאוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּיָד רָמָה לְעֵינֵי כָּל מִצְרָיִם". וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים שֶׁיָּצְאוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם בַּלַּיְלָה, וּמֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם שֶׁהִיא רַעְמְסֵס בַּיּוֹם, כִּי רַבִּים מֵהֶם יוֹשְׁבִים בְּעִיר מִצְרַיִם, וְיָצְאוּ בַּלַּיְלָה וְנֶאֶסְפוּ עִם אֲחֵיהֶם בְּרַעְמְסֵס, וְאֵינוֹ נָכוֹן, כִּי הַכָּתוּב אָמַר (שמות י"ב:כ"ב) "וְאַתֶּם לֹא תֵצְאוּ אִישׁ מִפֶּתַח בֵּיתוֹ עַד בֹּקֶר", שֶׁהָיוּ אֲסוּרִים לָצֵאת כְּלָל מִן הַבָּתִּים בַּלַּיְלָה, וְכָךְ אָמְרוּ בַּמְּכִילְתָּא (פסחא יג) "וַיִּקְרָא לְמֹשֶׁה וּלְאַהֲרֹן לַיְלָה וַיֹּאמֶר קוּמוּ צְּאוּ", אָמַר לוֹ מֹשֶׁה כָּךְ נִצְטַוִּינוּ "וְאַתֶּם לֹא תֵצְאוּ אִישׁ מִפֶּתַח בֵּיתוֹ עַד בֹּקֶר", וְכִי גַּנָּבִים אֲנַחְנוּ שֶׁנֵּצֵא בַּלַּיְלָה, לֹא נֵצֵא אֶלָּא בְּיָד רָמָה לְעֵינֵי כָּל מִצְרָיִם. וְאוּנְקְלוֹס פֵּרֵשׁ כִּי הַנִּסִּים שֶׁנַּעֲשׂוּ לָהֶם בַּלַּיְלָה יִקָּרֵא "הוֹצִיאֲךָ", כִּי בַּעֲבוּרָם יָצְאוּ:

1AND HE CALLED FOR MOSES AND AARON BY NIGHT. “This teaches us that Pharaoh went round to the entrances leading into the city, crying out, ‘Where does Moses dwell? Where does Aaron dwell?’” Thus the language of Rashi. Now this happened because Moses and Aaron lodged [close to the vicinity of the palace] that night, [the city of] Egypt, so that Moses’ words would be fulfilled, as he said, And all these thy servants shall come down unto me, and bow down unto me, saying: Get thee out.²⁸¹ And when Pharaoh came to them, they sent messengers to the land of Goshen where the children of Israel dwelled, giving them permission to leave, and they all assembled in Rameses.²⁸² By that time, it was already well into the day. From there they journeyed with a high hand, with Moses at their lead, as it is said, And they journeyed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the morrow after the Passover the children of Israel went out with a high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians.²⁸³ The verse stating, The Eternal thy G-d brought thee forth out of Egypt by night²⁸⁴ [is no contradiction], since from the time Pharaoh gave them permission to go — [which was at night] — they are already deemed as “going forth” from Egypt.And thus the Rabbis have said in the Sifre:²⁸⁵, 128. See above, Note 209, on the word “Sifre.” “Had they not gone forth out of Egypt only at daytime, as it is said, On the morrow after the Passover the children of Israel went out?²⁸³ [How then does Scripture say that we were brought forth out of Egypt by night?]²⁸⁴ Simply, this teaches us that the redemption [from bondage] took place at night [although the actual exodus took place during the day].” And in the Gemara of Tractate Berachoth we read:²⁸⁶ “All Rabbis agree that the redemption took place at night, as it is said, The Eternal thy G-d brought thee forth out of Egypt by night,²⁸⁴ but the actual going forth took place only at daytime, as it is said, On the morrow after the Passover the children of Israel went with a high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians.”²⁸³And some scholars say²⁸⁷ that they went out from [the city of] Egypt at night, and at daytime they went out from the land of Egypt, which is Rameses, for many of them dwelled in the city of Egypt, and they left at night and joined their brothers in Rameses. But this is not correct, since Scripture says, And none of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning.²⁸⁸ Thus they were forbidden to go out of their homes at all at night. And similarly the Rabbis have said in the Mechilta:²⁸⁹ “And he called to Moses, and Aaron by night, and said: Rise up, get you forth. But Moses said to Pharaoh: ‘Thus we have been commanded: And none of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning.²⁸⁸ Are we thieves that we should go forth at night? We shall go forth only with a high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians.’”Now Onkelos explained²⁹⁰, was translated by Onkelos thus: “The Eternal thy G-d brought thee forth out of Egypt and did miracles for you at night.” that the miracles which were done for the Israelites on that night make it proper to say that on that night G-d “brought thee forth,” because on account of these miracles, they went forth from Egypt.

בוְטַעַם קוּמוּ צְּאוּ מִתּוֹךְ עַמִּי מִצְוַת מֶלֶךְ שֶׁיֵּצְאוּ מִיָּד, כִּי לֹא אֶתֵּן לָכֶם רְשׁוּת לַעֲמֹד בְּתוֹךְ עַמִּי כְּלָל, כִּי הֵם נֶהֱרָגִים עֲלֵיכֶם:

2RISE UP, GET YOU FORTH FROM AMONG MY PEOPLE. The intent thereof is that it was a royal command that they go forth at once, “for I will not give you permission to tarry among my people at all, since they are being killed on account of you.”

גגַּם אַתֶּם הַמַּכִּים: גַּם בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כֻּלָּם תֵּצְאוּ וְלֹא תִּתְעַכְּבוּ בְּכָאן בְּשׁוּם פָּנִים, וְזֶה לְקַיֵּם "גָּרֵשׁ יְגָרֵשׁ אֶתְכֶם מִזֶּה" (שמות י"א:א'):

3BOTH YE — [i.e., Moses and Aaron], who do the smiting²⁹¹, the men; and the children of Israel, the little ones.” — AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. “All of you go out, and do not tarry here under any circumstance.” This was to fulfill what G-d had said to Moses, He shall surely thrust you hence.²⁹²

דוְאָמַר לְכוּ עִבְדוּ אֶת ה' כְּדַבֶּרְכֶם פִּיּוּס, שֶׁיִּרְצוּ לָצֵאת וְיִשְׁמְעוּ אֵלָיו, כִּי אַתֶּם חֲפֵצִים לָלֶכֶת לַמִּדְבָּר לַעֲבֹד אֶת ה':

4AND GO SERVE THE ETERNAL, AS YE HAVE SAID. Pharaoh said this by way of conciliation so that they would be willing to go forth and listen to him, “since you have been wanting to go to the desert to serve the Eternal.”