Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Sforno · Torah
Sforno on Exodus 1:19/ספורנו על שמות א׳:י״ט
אכִּי חָיוֹת הֵנָּה. בְּקִיאוֹת בִּמְלֶאכֶת הַמְיַלֶּדֶת, וְאִם נֶחְפֹּץ לַעֲשׂוֹת דָּבָר אוֹ לְדַבֵּר שֶׁלֹּא כַהֹגֶן, תִּהְיֶינָה מַרְגִּישׁוֹת בַּדָּבָר וְלֹא תִקְרֶאנָה עוֹד אוֹתָנוּ לְיַלֵּד, וְלַמֶּלֶךְ אֵין שָׁוֶה לְהָמִית אֶחָד אוֹ שְׁנַיִם בִּלְבָד.
1כי חיות הנה, they themselves are expert in the art of midwifery. If we were to attempt to do anything contrary to accepted practice or even to speak to them in a suspicious manner they would notice this immediately and would not ask any of us again to assist when they were due to give birth. They argued that it is not worth the king’s while to have only a few babies killed.