Avodah Zarah Mishnah 16 - As Good as Dead

Shiurei Midrash Aggada on Ein Yaakov - שיעורי מדרש אגדה על עין יעקב

דאמר מר ארבעה חשובים כמתים אלו הן עני סומא ומצורע ומי שאין לו בנים עני דכתיב (שמות ד, יט) כי מתו כל האנשים ומאן נינהו דתן ואבירם ומי מתו מיהוי הוו אלא שירדו מנכסיהם סומא דכתיב (איכה ג, ו) במחשכים הושיבני כמתי עולם מצורע דכתיב (במדבר יב, יב) אל נא תהי כמת ומי שאין לו בנים דכתיב (בראשית ל, א) הבה לי בנים ואם אין מתה אנכי:

Avodah Zarah 5a

This serves to say to you that if an individual has sinned, one says to him: Go to that famous individual who sinned, King David, and learn from him that one can repent. And if the community sinned, one says to them: Go to the community that sinned, i.e., the Jewish people at the time of the Golden Calf. The Gemara notes: And it is necessary to learn about repentance both in the case of an individual and in the case of a community. The reason is that if we had learned this idea only with regard to an individual, one might have thought that he has the option to repent only because his sin is not publicized. But in the case of a community, whose sin is publicized, one might say that the community cannot repent. And likewise, if we had learned this idea only with regard to a community, one might have said that their repentance is accepted because their prayers are more numerous than those of an individual, and they are heard before God. But in the case of an individual, whose merit is not as strong, one might say that he is not able to repent. Therefore, it is necessary to teach both cases. And this is similar to that which Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani says that Rabbi Yonatan says: What is the meaning of that which is written: “The saying of David, son of Yishai, and the saying of the man raised on high [al]” (II Samuel 23:1)? This is the meaning of the verse: The saying of David, son of Yishai, who raised and lightened the yoke [ullah] of repentance, as he taught the power of repentance through his own example. And Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani further says that Rabbi Yonatan says: With regard to anyone who performs one mitzva in this world, the mitzva will precede him and walk before him in the World-to-Come, as it is stated: “And your righteousness shall go before you, the glory of the Lord shall be your reward” (Isaiah 58:8). And with regard to anyone who commits one transgression, that transgression will shroud him and lead him on the Day of Judgment, as it is stated: “The paths of their way do wind, they go up into the waste, and are lost” (Job 6:18). Rabbi Elazar says: The transgression is tied to him like a dog and does not leave him, as it is stated with regard to Joseph and Potiphar’s wife: “And he did not listen to her, to lie by her, or to be with her” (Genesis 39:10). This teaches that Joseph refused “to lie by her” in this world, which would have meant that he would have had “to be with her” in the World-to-Come. § The Gemara further discusses the sin of the Golden Calf. Reish Lakish says: Come and let us be grateful to our ancestors who sinned with the Golden Calf, as had they not sinned we would not have come into the world. Reish Lakish explains: As it is stated about the Jewish people after the revelation at Sinai: “I said: You are godlike beings, and all of you sons of the Most High” (Psalms 82:6), which indicates that they had become like angels and would not have propagated offspring. Then, God states: After you ruined your deeds: “Yet you shall die like a man, and fall like one of the princes” (Psalms 82:7). The Gemara asks: Is this to say that if they had not sinned with the Golden Calf they would not have sired children? But isn’t it written that Noah and his children were instructed: “And you, be fruitful, and multiply” (Genesis 9:7)? The Gemara answers: This instruction was issued only until the revelation at Sinai, but the Jewish people would have become like angels there, had they not sinned. The Gemara asks: Isn’t it also written about the Jewish people who were at the revelation at Sinai: “Go say to them: Return to your tents” (Deuteronomy 5:27), which means that they were instructed to resume marital relations? The Gemara answers: That verse is referring to the enjoyment of conjugal rights, not to procreation. The Gemara further asks: But isn’t it written: “That it might be good for them, and with their children forever” (Deuteronomy 5:26), which indicates that they would continue to bear children? The Gemara answers: This verse is referring to those children who stood with them at Mount Sinai, not to future generations. The Gemara raises a further difficulty: But doesn’t Reish Lakish say: What is the meaning of that which is written: “This is the book of the generations of Adam, in the day that God created man” (Genesis 5:1)? Did Adam the first man have a book? Rather, the verse teaches that the Holy One, Blessed be He, showed Adam, the first man, every generation and its expositors, every generation and its Sages, and every generation and its leaders. When Adam arrived at the generation of Rabbi Akiva, he rejoiced in his Torah and was saddened by his death, as Rabbi Akiva was tortured and murdered. Adam said: “How weighty also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them” (Psalms 139:17). It is evident from here that the Jews were destined to bear future generations from the beginning of time. And similarly, Rabbi Yosei says: The Messiah, son of David, will not come until all the souls of the body have been finished, i.e., until all souls that are destined to inhabit physical bodies will do so. As it is stated: “For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth; for the spirit that enwraps itself is from Me, and the souls that I have made” (Isaiah 57:16). According to Rabbi Yosei, in order for the Messiah to come in the end of days, it is necessary for the future generations to be born. The Gemara answers: Do not say that if our ancestors had not sinned we would not have come into the world, as we still would have been born; rather, it would have been as though we had not come into the world. We would have been of no importance, due to the previous generations that would have still been alive. The Gemara asks: Is this to say that if the Jewish people had not sinned with the Golden Calf then they would not have died? But isn’t the chapter that addresses widows whose husbands die childless (Deuteronomy 25:5–10) written in the Torah, and the chapter that addresses the inheritance a deceased father bequeaths to his sons (Numbers 27:8–11) is also written? The Gemara answers: These passages were written conditionally, i.e., if the Jewish people were to sin and not become like angels, those halakhot would take effect. The Gemara asks: And are verses written conditionally in this manner? The Gemara answers: Yes, as this is what Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish says: What is the meaning of that which is written: “And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day” (Genesis 1:31)? This teaches that the Holy One, Blessed be He, established a condition with the acts of Creation, and He said: If the Jewish people accept the Torah at the revelation at Sinai, all is well and the world will continue to exist. But if they do not accept it, I will return you to the primordial state of chaos and disorder. The Gemara raises an objection from a baraita to the new formulation of Reish Lakish’s statement, according to which the Jewish people would have become immortal had they not sinned with the Golden Calf. The verse states about the Jewish people after the revelation at Sinai: “Who would give that they had such a heart as this always, to fear Me, and keep all My commandments, that it might be good for them, and with their children forever” (Deuteronomy 5:26). The baraita states that although they had reached such an elevated state, it was not possible to nullify the power of the Angel of Death over them, as the decree of death was already issued from the time of creation. Rather, the baraita explains that the Jewish people accepted the Torah only in order that no nation or tongue would rule over them, as it is stated in the same verse: “That it might be good for them, and with their children forever.” This indicates that had the Jewish people not sinned they would not have achieved immortality, which contradicts Reish Lakish’s statement. The Gemara answers: Reish Lakish said his statement in accordance with the opinion of that tanna. As it is taught in a baraita that Rabbi Yosei says: The Jewish people accepted the Torah only in order that the Angel of Death would not rule over them, as it is stated: “I said: You are godlike beings, and all of you sons of the Most High” (Psalms 82:6), i.e., they had become immortal like angels. Then, God states: After you ruined your deeds, “yet you shall die like a man, and fall like one of the princes” (Psalms 82:7). The Gemara asks: And also, according to Rabbi Yosei, isn’t it written: “That it might be good for them, and with their children forever,” from which it may be inferred that although it will be good for them if they remain in this elevated state, there will still be death? The Gemara answers: Rabbi Yosei could have said to you: Since there is no death, there is no greater good than this, i.e., the promise of the verse is immortality. The Gemara inquires: And according to the first tanna as well, isn’t it written: “Yet you shall die like a man,” which indicates that their mortality was decreed only due to the sin of the Golden Calf? The Gemara answers: What is meant by death? It means poverty. As the Master said: Four are considered as though they were dead: These are a pauper, a blind person, a leper, and one who has no children. A pauper is considered as though dead, as it is written that God said to Moses: “Go, return to Egypt; for all the men that sought your life are dead” (Exodus 4:19). And who were these men? They were Dathan and Abiram. But did they really die? They were still alive, as they participated in the rebellion of Korah, which took place years later. Rather, the verse does not mean that they had died, but that they had lost their property and become impoverished. This demonstrates that a pauper is considered as though he were dead. A blind person is considered as though he were dead, as it is written: “He has made me to dwell in dark places, as those that have been long dead” (Lamentations 3:6). A leper is considered as though he were dead, as it is written that Aaron said to Moses when Miriam was struck with leprosy: “Let her not, I pray, be as one dead” (Numbers 12:12). And one who has no children is considered as though he were dead, as it is written that Rachel said to Jacob: “Give me children, or else I am dead” (Genesis 30:1). The Sages taught with regard to the verse: “If you walk in My statutes” (Leviticus 26:3): In this context, “if” is a term that means nothing other than supplication, i.e., God is hoping that the Jewish people will observe the Torah. And similarly, it is stated: “Oh that My people would hearken to Me, that Israel would walk in My ways, I would soon subdue their enemies” (Psalms 81:14–15). And it states: “Oh that you would hearken to My commandments! Then your peace would be as a river, and your righteousness as the waves of the sea. Your seed also would be as the sand, and the offspring of your body like its grains” (Isaiah 48:18–19). § The Gemara returns to a verse cited above. The Sages taught with regard to the verse: “Who would give that they had such a heart as this always, to fear Me, and keep all My commandments, that it might be good for them, and with their children forever” (Deuteronomy 5:26). At a later stage, Moses said to the Jewish people: Ingrates, children of ingrates! When the Holy One, Blessed be He, said to the Jewish people: “Who would give that they had such a heart as this always,” they should have said: You should give us a heart to fear You. The Gemara explains that Moses calls the Jewish people ingrates, as it is written that the Jewish people spoke disparagingly of the manna: “And our soul loathes

נדרים ס״ד ב

וְהָא אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן מִשּׁוּם רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחַי כׇּל מָקוֹם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר נִצִּים וְנִצָּבִים אֵינָן אֶלָּא דָּתָן וַאֲבִירָם אֶלָּא אָמַר רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ שֶׁיָּרְדוּ מִנִּכְסֵיהֶן אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי כׇּל אָדָם שֶׁאֵין לוֹ בָּנִים חָשׁוּב כְּמֵת שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר הָבָה לִּי בָנִים וְאִם אַיִן מֵתָה אָנֹכִי וְתַנְיָא אַרְבָּעָה חֲשׁוּבִין מֵת עָנִי וּמְצוֹרָע וְסוֹמֵא וּמִי שֶׁאֵין לוֹ בָּנִים עָנִי דִּכְתִיב כִּי מֵתוּ כׇּל הָאֲנָשִׁים מְצוֹרָע דִּכְתִיב אַל נָא תְהִי כַּמֵּת וְסוֹמֵא דִּכְתִיב בְּמַחֲשַׁכִּים הוֹשִׁיבַנִי כְּמֵתֵי עוֹלָם וּמִי שֶׁאֵין לוֹ בָּנִים דִּכְתִיב הָבָה לִּי בָנִים וְאִם אַיִן מֵתָה אָנֹכִי:

Nedarim 64b

And Rava said: It means: If so, there are no requests for the dissolution of vows to a halakhic authority. Since this type of extenuation applies to all vows, people will therefore assume that their vows are automatically dissolved, and will not take the required steps to dissolve them. The Gemara analyzes the dispute between Abaye and Rava: We learned in the mishna: And the Rabbis concede to Rabbi Eliezer with regard to a vow concerning a matter that is between him and his father and mother, that they may broach dissolution with him by raising the issue of the honor of his father and mother. Granted, according to Abaye, who said: If so, vows are not dissolved properly, here, since he was impudent toward him by stating a vow that subjects his parent to a prohibition, he was impudent toward him and has demonstrated that he is not concerned for their honor. In such a case, there is no concern that he would pretend to regret his vow due to his parents’ honor. This is why the Rabbis concede to Rabbi Eliezer. But according to Rava, who said: If so, there are no requests for dissolution made to a halakhic authority, here, in the case of one whose vow involves his parents, why may they broach dissolution in this way? Why is there not a concern that people will assume that this dissolves all vows automatically? The Gemara answers: The Sages say in response: Since it is not sufficient and applicable for all vows not to request dissolution from a halakhic authority, because the Rabbis maintain that in general, the honor of one’s parents cannot be used to broach dissolution, here too, they may broach dissolution by invoking the honor of a parent. There is no concern that this may lead one to think that vows are dissolved automatically, as this extenuation applies only to this particular vow. § The mishna teaches: And Rabbi Eliezer further said: They may broach dissolution by asking about a new situation, but the Rabbis prohibit it. The Gemara inquires: What is the reason of Rabbi Eliezer? Rav Ḥisda said: For the verse states that God told Moses he could return to Egypt from Midian, despite having vowed to Yitro that he would not do so: “For all the men are dead that sought your life” (Exodus 4:19), and he took the vow only because it would be dangerous for him to return to Egypt. The Gemara explains the proof: But death is a new circumstance, and Moses’ vow was dissolved based on the men dying. Therefore, it can be understood from here that they may broach dissolution by asking about a new situation. The Gemara asks: And as for the Rabbis, what is their reason for not accepting this proof? The Gemara answers: They hold: These people who were seeking Moses’ life, had they indeed died? But Rabbi Yoḥanan said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai: Wherever it is stated in the Torah the term striving (Exodus 2:13), in reference to the men who slandered Moses, or standing (Exodus 5:20), in reference to those who complained against Moses and Aaron, they are none other than Dathan and Abiram. Dathan and Abiram were alive during the rebellion of Korah, which occurred years later, so they could not have been dead when God instructed Moses to return to Egypt. Rather, Reish Lakish said: They did not literally die, but the verse means that they lost their property and their status in the community, which meant their opinions were no longer granted credibility, and consequently, Moses could safely return to Egypt. Such a turn of events is not considered to be a new circumstance. The Gemara relates: Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: Any person who does not have children is considered like a dead person. The source is as is stated in the words Rachel said to Jacob: “Give me children, or else I am dead” (Genesis 30:1). And it was taught in a baraita: Four are considered as if they were dead: A pauper, and a leper, and a blind person, and one who has no children. A pauper, as it is written: “For all the men are dead” (Exodus 4:19). As explained above, they were not actually dead but had descended into poverty, and yet they were considered dead. A leper, as it is written that Aaron said to Moses with regard to Miriam’s leprosy: “Let her not, I pray, be as one dead” (Numbers 12:12). And a blind person, as it is written: “He has made me to dwell in dark places, as those that have been long dead” (Lamentations 3:6). And one who has no children, as it is written: “Give me children, or else I am dead” (Genesis 30:1).

נדרים ז׳ ב

אָמַר רַבִּי אִילָא אָמַר רַב נִדָּהוּ בְּפָנָיו אֵין מַתִּירִין לוֹ אֶלָּא בְּפָנָיו נִדָּהוּ שֶׁלֹּא בְּפָנָיו מַתִּירִין לוֹ בֵּין בְּפָנָיו בֵּין שֶׁלֹּא בְּפָנָיו אָמַר רַב חָנִין אָמַר רַב הַשּׁוֹמֵעַ הַזְכָּרַת הַשֵּׁם מִפִּי חֲבֵירוֹ צָרִיךְ לְנַדּוֹתוֹ וְאִם לֹא נִידָּהוּ הוּא עַצְמוֹ יְהֵא בְּנִידּוּי שֶׁכׇּל מָקוֹם שֶׁהַזְכָּרַת הַשֵּׁם מְצוּיָה שָׁם עֲנִיּוּת מְצוּיָה וַעֲנִיּוּת כְּמִיתָה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר כִּי מֵתוּ כׇּל הָאֲנָשִׁים וְתַנְיָא כׇּל מָקוֹם שֶׁנָּתְנוּ חֲכָמִים עֵינֵיהֶם אוֹ מִיתָה אוֹ עוֹנִי:

Nedarim 7b

They disagree with regard to a case when the language one uses is: I am ostracized from you, as Rabbi Akiva holds that it is a language of distancing and therefore expresses a vow, and the Rabbis hold that it is a language of excommunication, and not the terminology with which people express vows. The Gemara comments: And Rav Pappa disagrees with the opinion of Rav Ḥisda, as demonstrated in the following incident: There was a certain man who said: I am excommunicated from the property of the son of Rav Yirmeya bar Abba. He came before Rav Ḥisda to ask whether this statement was effective in generating a prohibition or not. Rav Ḥisda said to him: There is no one who, in practice, is concerned for that opinion of Rabbi Akiva. Apparently, Rav Ḥisda holds that they also disagree with regard to the phrase: I am excommunicated from you. This indicates that the dispute between the tanna’im is not with regard to specific terms but with regard to the more general question of whether terms of ostracism or excommunication are terms that can also express vows. § Rabbi Ila said that Rav said: If one ostracized another individual in his presence, one may dissolve it for him only in his presence. If one ostracized him not in his presence, one may dissolve it for him in his presence or not in his presence. Rav Ḥanin said that Rav said: One who hears mention of the name of God in vain by another individual must ostracize him for doing so. And if he did not ostracize him, he himself, the listener, shall be ostracized, as wherever mention of God’s name in vain is common, poverty is also common there. And poverty is so harsh that it is considered like death, as it is stated: “For all the men are dead who sought your life” (Exodus 4:19). The Sages had a tradition that Dathan and Abiram had sought to have Moses killed in Egypt and that they were the men referred to in the quoted verse (see 64b). They were still alive at that time but had become impoverished. And additionally, it is taught in a baraita: Wherever it says that the Sages set their eyes on a particular individual, the result was either death or poverty. This also indicates that death and poverty are equivalent. Rabbi Abba said: I was standing before Rav Huna, and he heard a certain woman utter a mention of the name of God in vain. He excommunicated her and immediately dissolved the excommunication for her in her presence. The Gemara comments: Learn three things from this. Learn from this that one who hears mention of the name of God in vain by another individual must ostracize him; and learn from this that if one ostracized another in his presence, one may dissolve it for him only in his presence; and learn from this that there is nothing, i.e., no minimum time that must pass, between ostracism and nullification of the ostracism. Rav Giddel said that Rav said: A Torah scholar can ostracize himself, and he can nullify the ostracism for himself. The Gemara asks: Isn’t it obvious that he can nullify the ostracism for himself, just as he is able to do for others? The Gemara answers: It states this lest you say, as per the popular maxim: A prisoner cannot free himself from prison, and since he is ostracized he cannot dissolve the ostracism for himself; therefore it teaches us that he can do so. The Gemara asks: What are the circumstances where a Torah scholar might ostracize himself? It is like that case involving Mar Zutra Ḥasida. When a student in the academy was liable to receive excommunication, Mar Zutra Ḥasida would first excommunicate himself and then he would excommunicate the student of Torah. And when he would enter his home, he would dissolve the excommunication for himself and then dissolve the excommunication for the student. And Rav Giddel said that Rav said:

ר"ן על נדרים ז׳ ב:ה׳

שנאמר כי מתו כל האנשים וגו' - דלא מתו ממש כדאמרינן לקמן בפרק ר''א (נדרים דף סד:) דמהוי הוו דכל מקום שנאמר נצים ונצבים אינם אלא דתן ואבירם ואינהו הוו במחלוקת של קרח אלא דמפני שהענו אמר כי מתו דאע''ג דאמרינן התם דארבעה חשובין כמת עני וסומא ומצורע ומי שאין לו בנים הכא ודאי מעניות קאמר דאין לומר שנסתמו דהא כתיב במחלוקתו של קרח (במדבר ט״ז:י״ד) העיני האנשים ההם תנקר וליכא למימר נמי שהיו מצורעין דהא כתיב (דברים יא ו) בקרב כל ישראל וליכא למימר שנתרפאו במתן תורה דהא אמרינן שחזרו למומן במעשה העגל וליכא למימר דמשום שלא היה להם בנים אמר כי מתו דא''כ היכי א''ל מפני זה שוב מצרימה וכי מפני שלא היה להם בנים לא היו נשמעין למלכות להלשינו אל פרעה אלא ודאי מפני שירדו מנכסיהם ולא היו דבריהם נשמעים:

Ran on Nedarim 7b:5

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משנה נגעים ז׳

(א) אֵלּוּ בֶהָרוֹת טְהוֹרוֹת. שֶׁהָיוּ בוֹ קֹדֶם לְמַתַּן תּוֹרָה, בְּנָכְרִי וְנִתְגַּיֵּר, בְּקָטָן וְנוֹלַד, בְּקֶמֶט וְנִגְלָה, בָּרֹאשׁ וּבַזָּקָן, בַּשְּׁחִין וּבַמִּכְוָה וְקֶדַח וּבַמּוֹרְדִין. חָזַר הָרֹאשׁ וְהַזָּקָן וְנִקְרְחוּ, הַשְּׁחִין וְהַמִּכְוָה וְהַקֶּדַח וְנַעֲשׂוּ צָרֶבֶת, טְהוֹרִים. הָרֹאשׁ וְהַזָּקָן עַד שֶׁלֹּא הֶעֱלוּ שֵׂעָר, הֶעֱלוּ שֵׂעָר וְנִקְרְחוּ, הַשְּׁחִין וְהַמִּכְוָה וְהַקֶּדַח עַד שֶׁלֹּא נַעֲשׂוּ צָרֶבֶת, נַעֲשׂוּ צָרֶבֶת וְחָיוּ, רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן יַעֲקֹב מְטַמֵּא, שֶׁתְּחִלָּתָן וְסוֹפָן טָמֵא. וַחֲכָמִים מְטַהֲרִים:(ה) מִי שֶׁהָיְתָה בוֹ בַהֶרֶת וְנִקְצְצָה, טְהוֹרָה. קְצָצָהּ מִתְכַּוֵּן, רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר, לִכְשֶׁיִּוָּלֶד לוֹ נֶגַע אַחֵר וְיִטְהַר מִמֶּנּוּ. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, עַד שֶׁתִּפְרַח בְּכֻלּוֹ. הָיְתָה בְרֹאשׁ הָעָרְלָה, יִמֹּל:

Mishnah Negaim 7

(1) The following bright spots are clean:Those that one had before the Torah was given, Those that a non-Jew had when he converted; Or a child when it was born, Or those that were in a crease and were subsequently uncovered. If they were on the head or the beard, on a boil, a burn or a blister that is festering, and subsequently the head or the beard became bald, and the boil, burn or blister turned into a scar, they are clean. If they were on the head or the beard before they grew hair, and they then grew hair and subsequently became bald, or if they were on the body before the boil, burn or blister before they were festering and then these formed a scar or were healed: Rabbi Eliezer ben Jacob said that they are unclean since at the beginning and at the end they were unclean, But the sages say: they are clean.

(2) If their color changed, whether to be lenient or stringent: How is it "to be lenient"? If it was white like snow and it became white like the lime of the Temple, or like wool or like the skin of an egg, or [as white] as the second shade of a rising or the second shade of bright white. How is it "to be stringent"? If it was the color of the skin of an egg and it became like white wool, the lime of the Temple or like snow. Rabbi Eliezer ben Azariah rules that they are clean. Rabbi Eliezer Hisma says: if the change was to be lenient it is clean, but if it was one to be stringent it must be inspected as if it were a new one. Rabbi Akiva says: whether the change was to be lenient or to be strict it must be inspected as if it were a new one.

(3) A bright spot in which there were no signs of uncleanness: At the beginning, or at the end of the first week, he is isolated; At the end of the second week or after it had been pronounced clean, he is pronounced clean. If while the priest was about to isolate him or to pronounce him clean, signs of uncleanness appeared in it, he certifies him as unclean. A bright spot in which there are signs of uncleanness, he certifies him as unclean. If while the priest was about to certify it as unclean the signs of uncleanness disappeared: If at the beginning, or at the end of the first week, he isolates him; But if at the end of the second week or after the spot had been pronounced clean, he is pronounced clean.

(4) One who plucks out signs of uncleanness or burns quick flesh transgresses a negative commandment. And as regards cleanness: If they were plucked out before he came to the priest, he is clean; But if after he had been certified as unclean, he remains unclean. Rabbi Akiva said: I asked Rabban Gamaliel and Rabbi Joshua while they were on the way to Narbata, "What is the ruling if the plucking occurred while he was isolated?" They said to me, "We did not hear anything [about this case], but we have heard that if they were plucked before he came to the priest he is clean, and if after he had been certified as unclean he remains unclean." I began to bring them proofs: whether the man stands before the priest or whether he is isolated, he is clean unless the priest had pronounced him unclean. When does he attain cleanness [after he has been certified unclean]? Rabbi Eliezer says: after another nega arises in him and he has attained cleanness after it. But the sages says: only after another nega has spread over his whole body or after his bright spot has been reduced to less than the size of a split bean.

(5) If one had a bright spot and it was cut off, he becomes clean; If he cut it off intentionally: Rabbi Eliezer says: [he is clean] only after another nega arises in him and he has attained cleanness after it. But the sages say: only after it has spread over all his body. If it was on the tip of one's foreskin, he should be circumcised.

ברטנורא על משנה נגעים ז׳:א׳:א׳

אלו בהרות טהורות, שהיו בו קודם מתן תורה. מי שהיתה בו צרעת קודם מתן תורה, לא היה טמא מחמת אותו נגע לאחר מתן תורה, דכתיב (ויקרא י״ג:ב׳) אדם כי יהיה בעור בשרו, פרט לזה שכבר היה. וכל הני נמי דחשיב, מהתם נפקי דבעינן שיוולד הנגע בשעה שראוי ליטמא בו ולא קודם, כמו גר עד שלא נתגייר וקטן עד שלא נולד, וכן כולם:

Bartenura on Mishnah Negaim 7:1:1

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תוספות על נדרים ז׳ ב:ה׳

עניות כמיתה דכתיב כי מתו כל האנשים המבקשים את נפשך - גבי דתן ואבירם דע''כ לא מתו אז במצרים שהרי היו במדבר וליכא למימר שהיו סומין ומצורעים החשובים כמתים סומין ליכא למימר דכתיב (במדבר ט״ז:י״ד) העיני האנשים ההם תנקר ומצורעים נמי לא שהרי היו בקרב ישראל וליכא למימר שנתרפאו במתן תורה שהרי חזרו למומן במעשה העגל וליכא למימר שלא היו להם בנים דהא כתיב (שם) (הם) ונשיהם ובניהם וטפם ועוד דמשום שלא היו להם בנים לא נמנעו מלהיות קרובים למלכות כבתחילה אבל בשביל עניות ודאי נמנעו מלהיות קרובים למלכות:

Tosafot on Nedarim 7b:5

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תוספות על עבודה זרה ה׳ א:י״ח:א׳

אלא שירדו מנכסיהם - דליכא למימר סומים היו דהא כתיב בעדת קרח (במדבר ט״ז:י״ד) העיני האנשים ההם תנקר ומצורעים נמי לא הוו דהא בעדה בתוך המחנה היו יושבין וכ"ת דבמתן תורה נתרפאו דהא אותן שנתרפאו כבר חזרו למומן במעשה העגל ושלא היו להם בנים ליכא למימר דבשביל כך לא היו פחות קרובים למלכות להלשינו כבתחלה וי"מ דמשמע ליה שירדו מנכסיהם דמחמת כן אין להן כח עוד להזיק אבל כל הנך היו יכולין להזיקו ע"י ממונם ופשטיה דקרא מיירי בפרעה וימת מלך מצרים:

Tosafot on Avodah Zarah 5a:18:1

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מדרש תנחומא, צו י״ג

אַרְבָּעָה הֵם חַיִּים וּקְרָאָם הַכָּתוּב מֵתִים. וְאֵלּוּ הֵן, הָאֶבְיוֹן, וְהַמְצֹרָע, וְהָעִוֵּר, וּמִי שֶׁאֵין לוֹ בָּנִים. הַמְצֹרָע מִנַּיִן. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: בִּשְׁנַת מוֹת הַמֶּלֶךְ עֻזִּיָּהוּ. וְלָמָּה כִּנָּהוּ הַכָּתוּב מֵת. אֶלָּא שֶׁנִּצְטָרֵעַ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: בִּשְׁנַת מוֹת הַמֶּלֶךְ עֻזִּיָּהוּ, כְּשֶׁנִּצְטָרֵעַ ... הוּא הָיָה יוֹם הָרַעַשׁ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בּוֹ: וְנַסְתֶּם כַּאֲשֶׁר נַסְתֶּם מִפְּנֵי הָרַעַשׁ בִּימֵי עֻזִּיָּה מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה וְגוֹ' (זכריה יד, ה). כִּי בְּיוֹם שֶׁעָמַד עֻזִּיָּה לְהַקְטִיר בַּהֵיכָל, רָעֲשׁוּ שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ וּבָאוּ הַשְּׂרָפִים לְשָׂרְפוֹ בַּשְּׂרֵפָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְאֵשׁ יָצְאָה מֵאֵת יקוק וַתֹּאכַל אֶת הַחֲמִשִּׁים וּמָאתַיִם אִישׁ מַקְרִיבֵי הַקְּטֹרֶת, עַל שֶׁהִקְרִיבוּ קְטֹרֶת זָרָה ... אַף הַצָּרַעַת זָרְחָה בְּמִצְחוֹ וְהָיָה נֶחְשַׁב כַּמֵּת. וְכֵן אַתָּה מוֹצֵא בְּמִרְיָם ... אַל נָא תְּהִי כַּמֵּת (במדבר יב, יב). מַה מֵּת מְטַמֵּא בְּבִיאָה, אַף מְצֹרָע מְטַמֵּא בְּבִיאָה ... הֱוֵי, הַמְצֹרָע חָשׁוּב כַּמֵּת. וּמִי שֶׁאֵין לוֹ בָּנִים מִנַּיִן. מֵרָחֵל שֶׁאָמְרָה לְיַעֲקֹב, הָבָה לִי בָנִים וְאִם אַיִן מֵתָה אָנֹכִי (בראשית ל, א). וּמִנַּיִן הָעִוֵּר שֶׁחָשׁוּב כַּמֵּת. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: בַּמַּחְשַׁכִּים הוֹשִׁיבַנִי כְּמֵתֵי עוֹלָם (איכה ג, ו). וּמִנַּיִן הָאֶבְיוֹן. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: כִּי מֵתוּ כָּל הָאֲנָשִׁים הַמְבַקְּשִׁים אֶת נַפְשֶׁךָ (שמות ד, יט):

Midrash Tanchuma, Tzav 13

(1) "This is the law of the burnt offering" (Leviticus 6:2): And what is [the meaning of] burnt offering (olah, literally that which rises)? Rather, it is that it rises in front of the Holy One, blessed be He, and atones for the iniquities of Israel. Since at the time that Avraham made the sacrifice of the ram - as it is stated (Genesis 22:13), "And Avraham raised his eyes and he saw, and behold there was a ram after" - what is [the meaning of] "after?" Rather, [it is to say that] after the Holy One, blessed be He, saw that [Avraham] came to sacrifice his son, Yitzchak, as a burnt-offering with all of his heart and with all of his soul, He sent him a ram [as a replacement]. The Sages said that the ram to be offered instead of Yitzchak was created from the six days of creation. And that is [the meaning of] that which is written, "and behold there was a ram after, etc." "And he took the ram, etc." (Genesis 22:13) - there the Holy One, blessed be He, promised him that at the time when his children would offer burnt-offerings, they would be immediately accepted. The Sages, may their memory be blessed, said, "Were it not that Avraham delayed to check the knife, Yitzchak would have been slaughtered. But he did delay to check the knife. Immediately, the mercy of the Holy One, blessed be He, was aroused for Yitzchak. And the Holy One, blessed be He, said to His retinue, 'See how alacritous this righteous one is to fulfill the words of My statement.' Immediately, He told an angel to rescue him, as it is stated (Genesis 22:11), 'And he said, "Avraham, Avraham," and he said, "Here I am."'" And why did he say, "Avraham, Avraham," twice? Since it was [Avraham's] will to slaughter him and do the will of his Maker, the angel was hurrying and said, "Avraham, Avraham." And from where [do we know] that he checked the knife? As it is stated (Genesis 22:10), "and he took the knife." Count the letters of "and he took the knife" (in Hebrew), and you will find twelve, like the tally of examinations that one does on the knife - upon the flesh, the fingernail and on the three sides (of the knife). And from where [do we know this]? As it is stated (I Samuel 14:34), "and you shall slaughter with this (zeh)" - zeh has a numerical value (gematria) of twelve. And what is [the meaning of] (Leviticus 6:1), "And the Lord spoke to Moshe, saying?" [That it should be said] to Aharon. From here we learn that Moshe only said that which the Holy One, blessed be He, would tell him. And therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, said to his credit (Numbers 12:7), "Not so My servant Moshe; in all of My house, he is faithful." And so does it state to Shmuel's credit (I Samuel 3:20), "And all of Israel, from Dan to Beersheva, knew that Shmuel was faithful as a prophet for the Lord." You find that [prophecy] began to come to him when the sons of Eli sinned in front of the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is stated (I Samuel 3:3), "The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Shmuel was laying in the chamber of the Lord." And was he [really] laying in the chamber of the Lord? Rather this is its explanation: The lamp of God had not yet gone out in the chamber of the Lord in which was the ark of the Lord, and Shmuel was laying in his place, [which was] in a different place. "And the Lord called to Shmuel, and he said, 'Here I am'" (I Samuel 3:4) - but he did not understand who was calling him, since he was [still] a youth, as it is stated (I Samuel 2:26), "And Shmuel the youth proceeded to grow in favor with the Lord, as well as with people." "And he ran to Eli and he said, 'Here I am, as you have called me'" (I Samuel 3:5) - as he thought that [it was Eli that] had called him - "and he said, 'I did not call you my son, return and lay down.'" "And the Lord called Shmuel again, a third time, and he rose and went to Eli and said, 'Here I am, as you have called me'; and Eli understood that the Lord was calling to the youth. And Eli said to Shmuel, 'Go lay down, and if He calls to you, say, "Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening"'" (I Samuel 3:8-9) - but he did not say, "Speak, Lord," but [only] (I Samuel 3:10), "Speak." As he said in his heart, "I do not know if it is the Lord or an angel or something else." And he is equated with Moshe: [About] Moshe, the Holy One, blessed be He, said, (Numbers 12:7), "Not so My servant Moshe; in all of My house, he is faithful"; and [about] Shmuel He said (I Samuel 3:20), "And all of Israel, from Dan to Beersheva, knew that Shmuel was faithful as a prophet for the Lord." Therefore the verse states (Jeremiah 15:1), "Even if Moshe and Shmuel would stand in front of me, My soul would not be towards this people." And he was equated to Moshe and Aharon [together], as stated (Psalms 99:6), "Moshe and Aaron among His priests, and Shmuel among those who call His name." [Shmuel] would brighten the eyes of Israel, as it is stated (I Samuel 3:3), "The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Shmuel was laying in the chamber of the Lord." Moshe and Shmuel were not like Yechezkel, as he said everything that he saw, and as it is stated [it appears that the next section is corrupted, and that the reference is meant to be from Ezekiel 1 - see Etz Yosef] (Isaiah 6:1), "In the year that King Uzziah died, I beheld the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne; and the skirts of His robe filled the Temple." And therefore Scripture calls him, "Son of Man." Four are living but Scripture calls them dead, and these are them: the destitute, the metsora (one stricken with a spiritual skin disease), the blind and one with no children. From where [do I know this about] the metsora? As it is stated, "In the year that King Uzziah died." And why does the verse call him dead (given that he had not yet died)? Rather, because he had become a metsora. As it is stated, "In the year that King Uzziah died," [meaning] that he had become a metsora. "Seraphs stood above Him" (Isaiah 6:2) - in the heavens to serve Him - ["Each of them had six wings:] with two he covered his face" - from modesty that his body should not show before His body - "with two he covered his legs" - so that he not see and peer towards the side of the Divine Presence - "and with two he would fly." And does he [really] fly with the wings? Rather, it is as a result of this that they, may their memory be blessed, ordained that a man should hover on his feet when the prayer leader says (Isaiah 6:3), "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts." And Tanchuma said, "The covering of the feet was because their heel is like the heel of the calf, such that they would not remind [God] about Israel's sin with the calf." "And one called to the other and said" (Isaiah 6:4) - they would get permission from one another, so that one not preempt the other and begin [alone], and [so] become liable for burning; rather they all started as one, and answered, etc. - "and the measure of the doorposts shook" - these were the doorposts of the chamber - "from the voice of the caller" - from the voice of the angels calling. This was the day of the earthquake, about which it is stated (Zechariah 14:5), "it shall be stopped up as it was stopped up as a result of the earthquake in the days of Uzziah, the king of Yehudah." As on the day that Uzziah stood to offer incense in the [Temple] chamber, the heavens and the earth shook and the Seraphs came to burn him (lesorfo) with burning (serefah), as it is stated (Numbers 16:35), "And fire went out from the Lord, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men offering the incense," because they offered a foreign fire. And this is [why] it calls them Seraphs, as they came to burn him. And the heavens also came to burn him. And the earth [came] to swallow him, as it thought that his judgement was to be swallowed like Korach, who dissented about the priesthood. [So] a heavenly voice emerged and said, "A reminder for the Children of Israel [...], and not be like Korach and like his assembly who dissented about the priesthood" (Numbers 17:5) - "not be like Korach," with swallowing; "and not like his assembly," with burning. But rather "like the Lord spoke through the hand of Moshe, saying to him" - through the hand of Moshe at the bush, as it is stated (Exodus 4:6), "'Put your hand into your bosom and take it out,' and behold his hand was afflicted with tsaraat like snow." [This is] meaning to say that the dissenter be afflicted with tsaraat. And the tsaraat even broke out on his forehead. And [so] he was considered as if he were dead. And so [too,] do you find with Miriam, as it is stated, "Go out, the three of you" (Numbers 12:4). There was no need for Moshe to go out, as he did not say anything to [Aharon]. Rather it was so that he would be available to pray for Miriam, [in order] to heal her. "And He called Aharon and Miriam" (Numbers 12:5) - why did He call them and leave Moshe. As we [only] say part of a person's praise in front of them, but all of it not in front of him. And so [too,] do we find with Noach. Not in front of him, [God] said, "A perfectly righteous man" (Genesis 6:9); but in front of him, He said, "as I have seen you to be righteous in front of Me" (Genesis 7:1). Another interpretation of [why Moshe was not called]: So that he not hear the redressing of Aharon. He said, "Hear nah My words" (Numbers 12:6) - nah is always an expression of pleading - "if you have a prophet of God, I will make Myself known to him though a vision to him" - My Divine Presence will not be revealed to him through a clear lens, but rather through a dream or a trance." And why [were they disciplined]? Because they spoke [badly] about Moshe, as it is stated (Numbers 12:6), "And Miriam and Aharon spoke (tedaber) about Moshe." And dibbur is only a harsh expression in each place." And so it states (Genesis 42:30), "The man, the master of the land spoke (deeber) harsh things to us." [Whereas] ameera is only an expression of supplication. And so it states (Genesis 19:7), "And He said (vayomer), 'Do not act evilly, my brothers.'" "And He said, 'Hear nah My words'" (Numbers 12:6) - all nah is an expression of pleading. And why did it say Miriam first and Aharon afterwards? However it was because she started first, and therefore the verse mentioned her first. And what did they say? "But was it only to Moshe that God spoke?" (Numbers 12:2) That is to say did He only speak to Moshe, that he separated from his wife? "Did he not also speak to us?" (Numbers 12:2) In the same way did He speak to us and we have not separated from the way of the world (marital relations). And how did Miriam know that Moshe separated from the woman? Rabbi Natan said, "Miriam was alongside Tsipporah when they said to Moshe, 'Eldad and Meidad are prophesying in the camp' (Numbers 11:27); and when Tsipporah heard, she said, 'Woe to the wives of these [men]!' And from what time did Moshe separate? In fact, when the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moshe at Sinai before the giving of the Torah that he should sanctify the people, and say to them, 'for three days do not come close to a woman' (Exodus 19:15). They [then] separated from their wives and Moshe separated from his wife. And after the giving of the Torah, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, 'Go tell them, "You return to your tents," but you stay here with me' (Deuteronomy 5:27-28) - and do not go back to the way of the world. And [so Miriam knew] when Tsipporah said, 'Woe to the wives of these - they are called to prophecy [and] will be separating from their wives just like my husband separated from me.' And from then, Miriam knew and told Aharon. And if Miriam who did not have intention to disgrace Moshe was punished, all the more so with one who recounts the disgrace of his fellow with evil speech, will that person be punished with tsaraat." "As he took a Cushite (Ethopian) woman" (Numbers 12:1) - the numerical value of Cushite is [equal to that of] beautiful looks. The tally of this one is like the tally for that one. "The Cushite woman" tells [us] that everybody concedes about her beauty, in the same way as everyone speaks about the blackness of a Cushite. "About the matter of the woman" (Numbers 12:1) - about the matter of her divorce. "As he took a Cushite woman" (Numbers 12:1) - what do we learn to say [from here]? Rather, there is a woman who is pleasant in her looks but unpleasant in her deeds, or pleasant in her deeds but unpleasant in her looks, but this one was pleasant in everything. And now he divorced her? And she is called a Cushite because of her pleasantness; in the same way as a man will call his pleasant son, Cushite, so that the [evil] eye not [come to] overpower him. "And the man Moshe was very humble (anav)" (Numbers 12:3) - humble, [meaning] lowly and patient. Another interpretation: "Very anav" is from the expression of answering (oneh), meaning to say that if he had heard these words, he would have known to answer and respond with appropriate arguments. "And the Lord said suddenly" (Numbers 12:4) - when he revealed Himself to them suddenly and they were impure [as a result of] the way of the world, they yelled out, "Water, water." [This was] to show that Moshe acted properly when he separated from his wife, since the Divine Presence was constantly revealed to him, and there was no set time for speaking [with God]. And so did He say to them, "I speak to him face to face" (Numbers 12:8) - face to face did I tell him to separate from the woman - "and a (clear) vision and not with riddles" - and this vision is a vision of speech. And perhaps it is a vision of the Divine Presence? [Hence] we learn to say (Exodus 33:20), "You are not able to see My face." And if you ask, "Behold, it is written (Numbers 12:8), 'and he sees the picture of the Lord?'" [The answer is] that is a vision 'from the back,' like the matter that is stated (Exodus 33:23), "and you shall see My back." "Why were you not afraid to to speak about My servant, about Moshe?" (Numbers 12:8) It does not state, "about My servant, Moshe," but rather "about My servant, about Moshe." [This is] meaning to say, about My servant, even if it is not Moshe; and about Moshe, even if he is not My servant - it would be worthwhile to be afraid in front of him. And all the more so, since he is My servant, and the servant of a king is [like] the king. And you should have said, "The King does not love him for nothing." And if you say that [the King] does not know about [Moshe's] deeds, that is more grievous than the first [mistake of not associating him with the King]! "And the Lord waxed angry at them and left" (Numbers 12:9) - teaches that [only] after He let them know their foulness did He proclaim their excommunication. All the more so with flesh and blood, should a person not get angry with his fellow until after he makes [the other's] foulness known to him. "And the cloud left the tent" - and afterwards - and behold, Miriam was inflicted with tsaraat like snow" (Numbers 12:10). There is a [relevant] parable about a king who said to [his son's] pedagogue, "Strike my child, but do not strike him until I go away from you, as my mercy is upon him." "Please do not place the sin upon us that we sinned and that we blundered. Let her not be like a dead" (Numbers 12:11-12) - just like a dead body transmits impurity through intercourse, so does a metsora transmit impurity through intercourse. "About which upon its exit from its mother's womb" (Numbers 12:12) - it should have stated, "from our mother's womb," but so did Scripture phrase it. And so [too, instead of] "half of its flesh," it should have stated, "half of our flesh." But according to its understanding, it appears to me thus: It is not fitting to leave our sister to be like the dead. Since she exited the womb of the mother of this one (Moshe) that has it in his ability to help, and [yet] doesn't help, behold half of his flesh will be eaten away - as [Aharon's] brother is his flesh. Another interpretation: "Let her not be like the dead" - if you do not heal her with prayer, who will quarantine her, and who will render her impure? As it is impossible for me to observe her, since I am a relative - and a relative may not examine scabs - and there is no other priest in the world. This is [the meaning of] that which is stated, "about which upon its exit from its mother's womb." "God, please, heal her please" (Numbers 12:12) - the verse came to teach you the way of the world (manners), such that one requesting a thing must first say two or three words of supplication, and then make his requests afterwards. "Saying" - what do we learn to say [from here]? [Moshe] said to Him, "Answer me if You will heal her or not," so that He answered him, "And if her father spit in her face [...]" (Numbers 12:14). And why did Moshe not prolong this prayer? So that Israel not say, "His sister is given over to distress and he prolongs his prayer?" "Let her be quarantined for seven days and afterwards she will be gathered" (Numbers 12:14) - and I say that all expressions of gathering that exist with a metsora are because he is sent out from the camps. And when he is healed, he is gathered to the camp; [and] all gathering is an expressions of bringing in. "And the people did not travel until Miriam was gathered" (Numbers 12:15) - the Omnipresent awarded her this honor for the sake of one hour that she delayed for Moshe, when he was sent out to the Nile, as it is stated (Exodus 2:4), "And his sister stood from a distance." She delayed for an hour and all of Israel delayed for her sake for seven days. [The comparison that the Torah nonetheless makes between Miriam when she is struck by tsaraat and a dead body shows that] a metsora is considered like dead. And from where [do we know] that one who does not have children [is considered like dead]? From Rachel, as she said to Yaakov (Genesis 30:1), "Give me children or I am dead." And from where [do we know] that one blind is considered like dead? As it is stated (Lamentations 3:6), "He has made me sit in the darkness, like the dead of yore." And from where [do we know] that one destitute [is considered like dead]? As it is stated (Exodus 4:19), "for all of the men that are seeking your soul (to kill you) are dead." Another interpretation: "This is the law of the burnt-offering, etc." So did our Rabbis teach: The burnt-offering was complete holiness, as it did not come for iniquities. The guilt-offering was brought for thefts. But the burnt-offering was not brought for a sin nor for theft, but it rather came for a thought of the heart. And so one who would have a thought in his heart about something would bring a sacrifice of a burnt-offering, as it is stated (Ezekiel 20:32), "And what goes up (which can also be read as a burnt-offering) upon your spirits."And know that a burnt-offering only comes for a thought of the heart. You learn it from Job, who would sacrifice for his sons, as it is stated (Job 1:5), "And after a round of feasting days, Job sent and prepared them; and rising early in the morning, he would offer burnt-offerings." They said to him, "Job, why are you doing this?" And he would say (Job 1:5), "Perhaps my children have sinned and blasphemed God in their hearts." Hence you find that he arranged atonement for them for the thought of the heart. And this is [how to understand] the sacrifice of the burnt-offering.

חידושי אגדות על מסכת עבודה זרה ה׳ א

אכן כאדם תמותון מאי מיתה עניות כו' ד' חשובים כמתים אלו כו'. משמע ליה זו המיתה עניות ולא כל אינך דחשיב ליה נמי כמיתה דהכי משמע קרא אכן כאדם הראשון שחטא ונגזר עליו מדת עניות כדכתיב ארורה האדמה וגו' ואכלת עשב השדה בזעת אפיך וגו' כן אתם חבלתם מעשיכם נגזר עליכם עניות בוהיו לאכול היפך שא"ל למען ייטב וגו' וד' חשובים כמתים מפורש במסכת נדרים וע"ש בתוספות וכאן וק"ל:

Chidushei Agadot on Avodah Zarah 5a

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שמות רבה ה׳:ד׳

(ד) וַיֹּאמֶר יקוק אֶל משֶׁה בְּמִדְיָן לֵךְ שֻׁב מִצְרָיִם, אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן לִמְדָתְךָ תּוֹרָה דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ, שֶׁהַנִּשְׁבַּע בִּפְנֵי חֲבֵרוֹ לֹא יַתִּירֶנּוּ אֶלָּא בְּפָנָיו, שֶׁלֹא יַחְשְׁדֶּנּוּ שֶׁהוּא נִשְׁבַּע לַשֶּׁקֶר, שֶׁכֵּן אַתָּה מוֹצֵא שֶׁמּשֶׁה נִשְׁבַּע לְיִתְרוֹ וְהָלַךְ לְמִדְיָן וְהִתִּיר שְׁבוּעָתוֹ בְּפָנָיו, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיֹּאמֶר יקוק אֶל משֶׁה בְּמִדְיָן, אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בְּמִדְיָן נִשְׁבַּעְתָּ לֵךְ וְהַתֵּר שְׁבוּעָתְךָ בְּמִדְיָן. כִּי מֵתוּ כָּל הָאֲנָשִׁים וגו', וְכִי מֵתוּ וַהֲלוֹא דָתָן וַאֲבִירָם הֵם, וְהֵם הָיוּ עִם קֹרַח בְּמַחְלָקוּתוֹ, אֶלָּא מַאי מֵתוּ שֶׁנִּתְעַנּוּ. אַרְבָּעָה הֵן חֲשׁוּבִין כְּמֵתִים, סוּמָא, וּמְצֹרָע, וְעָנִי, וּמִי שֶׁאֵין לוֹ בָּנִים [וכלן קרא, במסכת עבודת כוכבים].

Shemot Rabbah 5:4

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שמות רבה א׳

(כט) וַיַּךְ אֶת הַמִּצְרִי, בַּמֶּה הֲרָגוֹ רַבִּי אֶבְיָתָר אָמַר הִכָּהוּ בְּאֶגְרוֹף, וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים מַגְרֵפָה שֶׁל טִיט נָטַל וְהוֹצִיא אֶת מֹחוֹ. רַבָּנָן אָמְרֵי הִזְכִּיר עָלָיו אֶת הַשֵּׁם וַהֲרָגוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות ב, יד): הַלְּהָרְגֵנִי אַתָּה אֹמֵר: (ל) הַלְהָרְגֵנִי אַתָּה אֹמֵר, אַתָּה מְבַקֵּשׁ לֹא נֶאֱמַר, אֶלָּא אַתָּה אֹמֵר, מִכָּאן אַתָּה לָמֵד שֶׁשֵּׁם הַמְפֹרָשׁ הִזְכִּיר עַל הַמִּצְרִי וַהֲרָגוֹ. כֵּיוָן שֶׁשָּׁמַע כֵּן נִתְיָרֵא מִלָּשׁוֹן הָרָע, וַיֹּאמַר אָכֵן נוֹדַע הַדָּבָר:

Shemot Rabbah 1

(1) And these are the names of the Sons of Israel that came into Egypt with Yaakov, every man came with his household – There it is written (Mishlei 13, 24): “He who spares the rod hates his son; but he who loves him discipline shim in his youth.” Ordinarily in the world, if a person says to his friend: “So-and-so hit your son”, he would be ready to reduce his livelihood. And why is it taught “ He who spares the rod hates his son”?! In order to teach you, that anyone who refrains from disciplining his son in the end causes him to fall into evil ways and will hate him. This is what we have found with Yishmael, who behaved wickedly on Avraham his father but did not rebuke him, with the result that he fell into evil ways and he hated him and he left from his house with nothing. What did Yishmael do when he was fifteen years old? He started to bring idols from the market and he would play with them and worship them as he had seen others do, immediately (Bereishit 21, 9) “And Sarah saw the son of the Egyptian Hagar that she had given birth for Avraham was fooling around etc…” And there is no fooling except for idol worship, like that it says (Shemot 32,6): And they rose up to fool around. Immediately (Bereishit 21,10): And she said to Avraham , Send out this maid-servant and her son, perhaps my son will learn from him. Immediately, (Bereishit 21,11) And this thing was very bad in the eyes of Avraham etc...on account of his son because he had become evil. (Bereshit 21,12) And G-d said to Avraham, do not let it be evil in your eyes etc... From here you can learn, that Avraham was secondary to Sarah in prophecy, following on, (Bereishit 21,14): And Avraham got up in the morning and he took bread and a bottle of water, to teach you, that he hated Yishmael because of his evil ways, and sent him and his mother Hagar empty-handed and expelled them from his house because of this. Do you really think that Avraham, of whom it is written (Bereishit 13,2): And Avraham was very rich in cattle etc... that he would send his wife and his son from his house empty-handed, without clothes or means of a livelihood?! Rather, this is to teach you, since he turned evil, he stopped thinking about him. What was his end? After he had been expelled, he sat at the cross-roads and was a bandit, as it says (Bereishit 16,12): And he was a wild man. And similar to this (Bereishit 25,28): And Yitzchak loved Esav, therefore he turned to evil ways, because he was not rebuked, like we were taught: Five transgressions the evil Esav transgressed on that day: He seduced an engaged lady, and killed a man, denied resurrection, and rejected the fundamentals of religion and spurned his birthright, that he desired the death of his father, and sought to kill his brother, as it says (Bereishit 27,41):May the days of mourning for my father be brought close etc.. And he forced Ya'acov to flee from his father. And he even went with Yishmael, to learn from his evil ways and to add to his wives, as it says (Bereshit 28,9): And Esav went to Yishmael. Similarly with David, that he did not rebuke or chastise his son Avshalom, he turned to evil ways and sought to kill his father, and he lay with concubines, and becoming the cause if his wandering, bare-footed and crying, and many thousands and myriads of Israelites were slaughtered, and he caused much suffering upon them which did not end. As it is written (Psalms 3,1): A song of David, when he fled from Avshalom his son, just as it was writtenafter (Psalms 3,2) How great in number have my enemies become etc.

(2) Furthermore: "And these are the names..." Rabbi Abahu said: Whenever the text states "These" (eileh), it comes to contrast the preceding text. "And these" (ve-eileh) connotes addition to the preceding remarks. "These are the stories of the heavens and earth", comes to constrast the "chaos and void". "And these are the names" comes to add praise to the seventy people (in Jacob's household that descended into Egypt) mentioned above, in that all of them were righteous.

(3) And these are the names of the Children of Israel who came to Egypt, Jacob and his sons, each man and his household came - Israel is comparable to the multitude of the heavens, here it is said names, and it is said of stars names, as it is said (Psalms 147:4): "He counteth the number of the stars; He giveth them all their names," even the Holy One Blessed is He, when Israel descended to Egypt, counted how many they were, and because they are compared to the stars, He gave them all names, as it is written: "And these are the names of the Children of Israel, etc."

(4) ...“That came to Egypt” - Did they actually come today? Thye had been there for many years! Rather [the intention is that] the entire time that Joseph remained alive they did not feel the burden of Egyptian oppression. Once Joseph died they began to feel oppressed. This is why it says “that are coming” because it was only at this point that they really entered Egypt.

(5) “And these are the names of the children of Israel” For the purpose of understanding the process of redemption they are mentioned here. Reuven [corresponds to] “For I have surely seen the depredation of My nation.” Shimon [corresponds to] “And the Lord heard their pleas.” Levi [corresponds to the part of the story-line wherein] HaShem empathized with their suffering [as it says] “from within the bush” to fulfill the verse “I am with him in his pain”. Judah [corresponds to] their thanks that they gave to HaShem. Issachar [corresponds to] the wages that HaShem provided for their time in slavery in the form of the plunder of Egypt and the Sea, to fulfill the verse, “And after they shall leave with great wealth.” Zevulun [corresponds to] the presence of HaShem that dwelt among them in the wilderness, as it is written, “Make for Me a sanctuary and I will dwell amongst you.” And Zevulun refers to the Temple as it is written, “I have built a home of great bounty for your eternal residence.” Benjamin [corresponds to] the verse, “Your right hand is exalted through might.” Dan [corresponds to] the verse, “And also that nation I shall judge.” Naftali [corresponds to] the Torah and mitzvot that HaShem gave them about which it is written, “They are sweeter than honey and drippings of the comb.” Gad [corresponds to] the Manna that was given to them by HaShem which is described as “coriander seed.” Asher [corresponds] to the praise that they received from all other people of the world, as it is written, “And all the nations of the land will praise you as you will be a desirable land, so says HaShem.” Joseph corresponds to the future redemption that HaShem will add to the previous redemption, and save Israel from the wicked kingdom just as He redeemed them from Egypt, as it is written, “And it will be on that day HaSHem will again send His Hand and add to their redemption."

(6) Rabbi Yehshua said in the name of Rabbi Levi: why is the sequence of the names of the tribes different in different places? To prevent the children of the older ones from asserting they are dominant, rather all of them are equal. Another interpretation – They are the roof of the world, and in order to make a roof stable it is necessary to notice where it is uneven and bolster it with a thicker part. Hence they are in this sequence.

(7) Even though Joseph has earned the position of king he never lorded it over his brothers or his father's family. Just as he was insignificant in his own self-perception when he was a slave in Egypt, he stayed the same when he was king.

(11) "And Yosef and his brothers and their entire generation passed away," to teach you that as long as one of them was still alive from the original ones that came down to Egypt, the Egyptians did not enslave the Israelites. "And the children of Israel reproduced and spawned," even though Yosef and his brothers died, their God did not die, instead "the children of Israel reproduced and spawned." Another point: Each one gave birth to six children in one litter, as it says: "And the children of Israel reproduced and spawned ..." Some say: Twelve [children in each litter] as it is written: "reproduced" - two, "spawned" - two, "they were many" - two, "they were massive" - two, "very much" - two, "and the land was filled with them" - two, for a total of twelve. "They were massive," some say: six children in each litter. And don't be incredulous, since the scorpion is one of the crawling creatures, and it gives birth to seventy at a time. Rabbi Natan says, "And the land was filled with them," like a field of reeds. "A new king arose," since the Egyptians saw this, they enacted new decrees upon them. That which is written: "A new king arose," Rav and Shmuel [interpret it]. One says: literally new. The other says: his decrees were new, he established decrees and punishments on them. The rationale of the one that says it was literally a new king, as it is written: "new." The rationale of the one that says it is referring to new decrees, since it is not written: "and he died, and a king was anointed." "Who did not know Yosef" -- according to the one who said it was a new king, this makes sense. According to the one who said he established new decrees, how does he explain ["that did not know Yosef"]? That he was _like_ one who did not know Yosef at all. The Rabbis say: Why does it call him a "new king"? Wasn't this the same Pharaoh as before? But the Egyptians said to Pharaoh: "let us mix it up with this nation." He said to them: "You are crazy! Until now we have eaten only because of them; how can we mix it up with them?! Were it not for Yosef we would all be dead." When he didn't listen to them, they deposed him from the throne for three months, until he said to them: "Whatever you want to do I am with you," and they re-appointed him. That is why it says, "A new king arose." The Rabbis took their opening text from this verse (Hosea 5:7): "Against God they have rebelled since they have given birth to foreign children, now the new moon will consume their parts." To teach you that when Yosef died they stopped performing circumcision; they said: Let us be like the Egyptians. From this you learn that Moshe circumcised them on their leaving Egypt. And when they did this [stopped observing circumcision], God converted the love of the Egyptians for them into hatred, as it says (Psalms 105:25): "He changed their mind to hate his nation, to harass his servants", to fulfill the verse (Hosea 5:7): "Now the new moon will consume their parts" [translator's note: the word "new moon," "hodesh," is re-vocalized by the Midrash to the word "new," "hadash."]. "A new king," since he arose and enacted new decrees against them. "Who did not know Yosef," and did he really not know Yosef?! Rabbi Abin said: It is like a parable of one who stoned to death the king's friend. The king said, Cut off his head, for tomorrow he will do the same thing to me. therefore Scripture says of him [Pharaoh] - in other words: today, "he did know Yosef," tomorrow, he will say (Exod. 5:2): "I do not know Adonai."

(15) ...and when the Israelite women conceived, they would return to their homes. When they were about to go into labor, the women would go out into the fields and give birth in the apple orchards, as it is written: "I woke you under the apple [tree]" (Song of Songs 8:5). And the Lord Blessed be He would send an angel from the heavens who cleaned them and made them beautiful, just as a new mother grooms her infant, as it is written: "And as for your birth, on the day you were born..." (Ezekiel 16:4), and He grants them two round cakes, one of oil and the other of honey, as it is written: "And He [God] suckled Him [ The Children of Israel] with honey from the rock..." (Deuteronomy 32:13). And as soon as the Egyptians would become aware of this, they sought to kill them. And a miracle happened, and the cihldren were swallowed up by the earth, and bulls would come and plow the ground above them, as it is written: "Upon my back the plowers plowed" (Psalms 129:3). And once the Egyptians would pass, the infants would rise up from the mud like grass from the field, as it is written: "I have made you grow like the plantlings in the field..." (Ezekiel 16:7) And when the babes grew, they would flock to their homes in great droves, as it says: "And you came in all your finest and dressiest," (Ezekiel 16:7) - do not read "finest and dressiest" but rather "flocked in droves." And when the Lord Blessed be He revealed Himself at the Sea of Reeds, they were the first to recognize Him instantly, as it says: "THIS is my God, and I will praise Him." (Exodus 15:2).

(16) And the king of Egypt said to the midwives, etc. Who are the midwives. Rav says a woman and her daughter in law - Yocheved and Elisheva bat Aminadav. And Rabi Shmuel bar Nachman says a woman and her daughter Yocheved and Miriam. That one of their names was Shifra - she beautified the baby when it would come out full of blood. Puah - that she squirted wine into the babies mouth after it came out of its mother. Another thing, Shifra: that B"Y were fruitful and multiplied under her. Puah: that she would cause the newborn to cry out when it was thought to be stillborn. Another thing, Shifra that she beautified her actions before Hashem Another thing, Puah - that she appeared to B"Y for Hashem - she taught B"Y. Puah - she was insolent (hofi’ah panim) toward Pharaoh and looked down her nose at him. She told him: “Woe to you on the day of judgment, when God will come to demand punishment of you.” Pharaoh immediately became enraged and wanted to kill her. Shifra, that she beautified her daughters words to Paraoh and mollified him and said to him: “Do you take notice of her? She is a baby, and knows nothing” (Ex. Rabbah, loc. cit.). Rav Chanina the son of Rav Yitzchak said: Shifra: that she supported Yisrael for Hashem that for them the world was created that it says, By His breath He made the heavens. In another midrashic account, she was called Puah because of her insolence which, in this depiction, was directed against her father Amram. When Pharaoh ordered the Israelite boys to be cast into the Nile, Amram said: “Shall an Israelite lie with his wife for nothing?” He immediately separated from Jochebed and divorced her. When the Israelites saw this action by Amram, who was the head of the Sanhedrin at the time, they also divorced their wives. Puah told her father: “Father, your decree is harsher than that of Pharaoh! He only decreed against the males, but you have decreed against both the males and the females. It is doubtful whether the decree of the wicked Pharaoh will come to pass, but you are righteous, and so your decree will be fulfilled.” Amram immediately took back his wife, and following his lead, all the other Israelite men did the same. Miriam was accordingly given the name of Puah, since she was insolent (hofi’ah panim) to her father.

(22) "And there went a man of the house of Levi" - Where did he go? R. Judah b. Zebina said: "He went with his daughter's advice." We are taught: Amram was the greatest man in his generation, etc. (above). "And took a daughter of Levi" - It did not say "and took back," but rather, "and took." R. Judah b. Zebina said: "This means that he acted toward her as if it was their first marriage; he placed her upon the litter, and Miriam and Aaron danced before them, and the ministering angels said (Ps. 113:9): 'The joyful mother of children.'" "A daughter of Levi" - How can this be? She was one hundred thirty years old and he calls her "a daughter"?! As R. Hama b. Hanina said: "She was Jochebed; she was conceived on the way [to Egypt] and born between the walls, as it says (Num. 26:59): 'Who was born to Levi in Egypt' - born in Egypt but not conceived. Thus he calls her "a daughter." R. Judah b. Zebina said: "Because the signs of virginity were reborn in her."

(25) And his sister stood from afar... - Why did Miriam stand from afar? Rabbi Amram said in the name of Rav: Because Miriam prophesied and said "In the future, Mother will give birth to a child that will be the savior of the Jewish people." When Moshe was born, the entire house was filled with light. [Miriam's] father arose and kissed her on the head. He [Amram] said to her [Miriam]: "My daughter, your prophecy has been fulfilled". That is what is said (Exodus 15:20) "And Miriam the Prophetess, the brother of Aharon, took the tambourine..." Was she only the brother of Aharon and not the brother of Moshe? Rather, she had stated that prophecy while she was the sister of Aharon and not (yet) the sister of Moshe. When they put him (Moshe) in the river, her mother arose and hit her on the head and said to her daughter: "My daughter, where is your prophecy!?" And this is why the verse says "And his sister stood by from afar", for she wanted to know what would be the results of her prophecy. And the Rabbis say the entire verse was said with the Divine Spirit. "And she stood" similar to (Samuel I 3:10) "And G-D came and stood". "His Sister" similar to (Proverbs 7:4) "Say to wisdom, she is your sister". "From afar" similar to (Jeremiah 31:2) "From afar G-D is seen to me". "To know what will happen to him" similar to (Samuel I 2:3) "For G-D is all knowing".

"And his sister stood back" - Why did Miriam stand back? Rabbi Amram said in the name of Rav: "Because Miriam had prophesied: 'In the future, my mother will give birth to a son who will save Israel'. When Moses was born, the whole house was filled with light; her father rose and kissed her on the head. He said to her: 'My daughter! Your prophecy has come to pass' - as it is written [Exodus 15:20]: 'And Miriam the prophetess, sister of Aaron, took up the timbrel.' [Why was she called] 'Sister of Aaron,' and not 'sister of Moses'?! Because when she issued her prophecy, she was [only] the sister of Aaron - Moses had not been born yet. When she cast him into the Nile, her mother rose and struck her on the head. She said: 'My daughter! What has become of your prophecy?!' This is why it is written 'his sister stood back etc.': in order to know would become of her prophecy. And our rabbis taught: This entire verse speaks [not of Miriam, but] of the Holy Spirit. 'And she stood...' refers to 'The LORD came and stood...' [I Samuel 3:10]; '[His] sister' refers to 'Say to Wisdom: "You are my sister"' [Proberbs 7:4]. 'Back' refers to 'The Lord appeared to me from far back' [Jeremiah 31:3]. 'In order to know what would happen to him' refers to 'For the LORD is a God of knowledge.' [I Samuel 2:3]".

(26) "And the child (Moses) grew" - Twenty four months she nursed him, and you say "and the child grew"?! Rather he grew, not in the way of the [rest] land. “And she brought him to the daughter of Pharaoh…” The daughter of Pharaoh would kiss and hug and adore him (Moses) as if he were her own son, and she would not take him out of the king’s palace. And because [Moses] was so beautiful, everyone yearned to see him. One that would see him would not leave his presence. And it was that Pharaoh would kiss him (Moses) and hug him, and he would remove Pharaoh’s crown and place it on his own head, as he would do to him in the future when he was great. And just as the Holy One Blessed is He said to Hiram (Ezekiel 28:18), “…I have brought fire from within you, it will consume you…”, similarly the daughter of Pharaoh raised the one who would punish her father in the future. And even the anointed king, that is destined to punish Edom, sits among them in their [own] province, as it says (Isaiah 27:10) “…there shall the calf (the Messiah) graze and there lie down and destroy its branches.” And some of the observers sitting among them were the magicians of Egypt that said, “We are wary of this, that he is taking your crown and placing it on his head, that he not be the one we say (i.e. prophesy) that will take the kingship from you.” Some said to kill him, and some said to burn him. And Jethro was sitting among them and said to them, “This child has no intent [to take the throne]. Rather, test him by bringing in a bowl [a piece of] gold and a coal. If he outstretches his hand towards the gold, [surely] he has intent [to take the throne], and you should kill him. And if he outstretches his hand towards the coal, he [surely] does not have intent [to take the throne], and he does not deserve the death penalty.” They immediately brought the bowl before him (Moses), and he outstretched his hand to take the gold, and Gabriel came and pushed his (Moses’) hand, and he grabbed the coal. He then brought his hand along with the coal into his mouth and burned his tongue, and from this was made (Exodus 4:10) “slow of speech and slow of tongue.” “And she called his name ‘Moshe’” – From here you can learn about the merit of those that perform acts of kindness. Even though Moses had many names, the only name that was set throughout the Torah, was the name that Bathyah daughter of Pharaoh called him. Even the Holy One Blessed is He did not call him by another name.

(27) And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown up (Exodus 2:11). Moses was 20 years old at the time, and some say 40 years old.
"When Moses was grown up" - and does not everyone grow up? Rather, this tells you that he grew up [in a manner] unlike the whole world.
"He went out unto his brethren." This righteous man went out twice, and the Holy One Blessed is He wrote them one after another. "And he went out the second day" (Exodus 2:13)--this is two.
"And [he] looked on their burdens." What is, "And [he] looked?" For he would look upon their burdens and cry and say, "Woe is me unto you, who will provide my death instead of yours, for there is not more difficult labor than the labor of the mortar." And he would give of his shoulders [i.e. use his shoulders to] assist each one of them. Rabbi Eliezer the son of Rabbi Yose the Galilean said: [If] he saw a large burden on a small person and a small burden on a large person, or a man's burden on a woman and a woman's burden on a man, or an elderly man's burden on a young man and a young man's burden on an elderly man, he would leave aside his rank and go and right their burdens, and act as though he were assisting Pharaoh. The Holy One Blessed is He said: You left aside your business and went to see the sorrow of Israel, and acted toward them as brothers act. I will leave aside the upper and the lower [i.e. ignore the distinction between Heaven and Earth] and talk to you. Such is it written, " And when the LORD saw that [Moses] turned aside to see" (Exodus 3:4). The Holy One Blessed is He saw Moses, who left aside his business to see their burdens. Therefore, "God called unto him out of the midst of the bush" (ibid.).

(28) Another interpretation: "And he saw their suffering" that they did not have rest. He went and said to Pharaoh, " One who has a slave, if he does not rest one day a week, he will die! While your slaves, if you don't allow them rest one day a week , they will die!" He said to them, "Go and do for them as you are saying." Moses went and established the Sabbath day for them to rest. "And he saw an Egyptian man." What did he see? R. Huna say in the name of Bar Kaprah, for 4 things the Israelites were redeemed from Egypt, one was for not changing their names (Shir ha-Shirim Rabbah, Vayikra Rabba 32). And from where do we learn that they didn't engage in adultery? Because it happened once and the verse publicized it, as it's written: And his mother's name was Shlomit bat Divri etc. (Lev 24:10). Our teachers say there were taskmasters among the Egyptians and officers from the Israelites, one taskmaster appointed over ten officers. One officer appointed over ten Israelites. And the taskmasters would go to the houses of the officers at daybreak to make them go call the workers. Once an Egyptian taskmaster went to [do so to] an Israelite officer and he set his eye on his wife who was beautiful without blemish. He called the man and brought him out of his house, then the Egyptian returned and had relations with his wife and she thought that he was her husband and became pregnant from him. Her husband returned and found the Egyptian leaving his house. He asked her, Did he touch you? She said yes, but I thought he was you. When the taskmaster saw that he suspected him he returned him to hard labor and struck him and sought to kill him. Moshe saw this and looked at him and saw with Ruah Hakodesh what he did in the house, and saw what would be done in the field, and said surely he deserves death, as it is written: One who strikes a man shall die. And not only this, but moreover he slept with the wife of Datan and therefore deserved killing, as it says: The adulterer and adulteress shall surely die (Lev 20:10), and that is why it is written: And he turned this way and that etc., he saw what he did to him at home and what he did to him in the field.

(30) And he said: Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? R. Yehudah says: Moshe was of twenty years at that time. They said to him: you are not yet worthy of being a ruler and a judge over as, for [it is said, Avot 5:21] "at forty [one aquires] wisdom." R. Nehemia said: He [Moshe] was of forty years at that time. They said to him: surely you are a man [of age], only you are not worthy to be a ruler and a judge over us. The sages say: They said to him: are you indeed the son of Yocheved? Then why do they call you son of Batya?! and you presume to be a ruler and a judge over us?! We will let be known what you did to the Egyptian. "Do you mean [Lit. say] to kill me?’ It is not written "do you mean", but "do you say". From this you learn, that [Moshe] uttered the proper name [of G-d] unto the Egyptian and killed him. When he [Moshe] heard this, his became fearful of Lashon Ha'ra [the evil tongue]. And he [Moshe] said "surely the thing is known". R. Yehudah son of R. Shalom said in the name of Hanina the Great and our sages who [in turn] said in the name of R. Alexandri: Moshe would wonder to himself and say: "what was Israel's sin, for which they became more enslaved than all other nation?" When he heard his [the Hebrew who struck his fellow's] words, he [Moshe] said: "such Lashon Harah [evil tongue] is amongst them, how would they be worthy of redemption?". And so he [Moshe] said: "Surely the thing is known" - now I know what is the cause of their enslavement....'He went out on the second day and behold to Hebrew men were fighting' - this was Datan and Aviram- who are called NITZIM fighting because of their end -- they were the ones who said this, they left over the Manna, they were the ones who said (Numbers 14:4) 'Appoint a head and let us return to Egypt', they rebelled at the Sea of Reeds. another explanation NITZIM they intended to kill each other...from here we recognize that a person who lifts up his hand to strike his friend, even though he doesn't (actually) hit him is called a wicked person....to teach that both of them were wicked

רש"י על בראשית כ״ט:י״א

(א) ויבך. לְפִי שֶׁצָּפָה בְרוּח הַקֹּדֶש שֶאֵינָהּ נִכְנֶסֶת עִמּוֹ לִקְבוּרָה. דָּ"אַ לְפִי שֶׁבָּא בְּיָדַיִם רֵקָנִיּוֹת; אָמַר, אֱלִיעֶזֶר עֶבֶד אֲבִי אַבָּא הָיוּ בְיָדָיו נְזָמִים וּצְמִידִים וּמִגְדָּנוֹת וַאֲנִי אֵין בְּיָדִי כְלוּם; לְפִי שֶׁרָדַף אֶלִיפַז בֶּן עֵשָׂו בְּמִצְוַת אָבִיו אַחֲרָיו לְהָרְגוֹ וְהִשִּׂיגוֹ, וּלְפִי שֶׁגָּדַל אֶלִיפַז בְּחֵיקוֹ שֶׁל יִצְחָק, מָשַׁךְ יָדָיו. אָמַר לוֹ מָה אֱעֱשֶׂה לַצִּוּוּי שֶׁל אַבָּא? אָמַר לוֹ יַעֲקֹב טֹל מַה שֶּׁבְּיָדִי, וְהֶעָנִי חָשׁוּב כַּמֵּת:

Rashi on Genesis 29:11

(1) ויבך AND HE WEPT- because he foresaw by the Holy Spirit that she would not be buried with him in the cave of Machpelah (Genesis Rabbah 70:12). Another explanation is: he wept because he came with empty hands. He thought: Eliezer, my grandfather’s servant, had with him rings, bracelets and all good things, whilst I have nothing with me (Genesis Rabbah 70:12). This was because Eliphaz Esau’s son pursued Jacob by his father’s order to kill him, and overtook him. But because Eliphaz had been brought up on Isaac’s lap, (cp. Deuteronomy Rabbah 2:13) he withheld his hand. He said to him (Jacob), “But what shall I do as regards my father’s order?” Jacob replied, “Take all I have and you can say that I am dead for a poor man may be accounted as dead" (Nedarim 64b).