R. Judah said in the name of R. Isaac: ‘Why did the Egyptians so desire to prevent Israel from multiplying, and what motive prompted their supernal representative to put such a desire into their hearts? Because he knew and made known to them that a son would be born to the Israelites through whom judgement should be brought upon the gods of Egypt;
for, according to R. Johanan, when Moses said that God “will exercise judgement against all the gods of Egypt” (Ex. 12, 12), Duma, the celestial Prince of Egypt, ran away four hundred parasangs, and the Holy One said to him: “It is My decree!” In that hour his power and his dominion was taken from him, and he was banished, instead, to the lower regions and appointed over the realms of Gehenna, as judge of the souls of the wicked.’ R. Judah said that he was appointed over the dead.
R. Hanina said: ‘It is written: “Upon their gods also the Lord executed judgements” (Num. 33, 4). Can we speak of judgements being executed on gods made of silver or gold, of wood or stone?’ R. Jose replied: ‘Those made of silver and gold were melted of themselves, and the wooden rotted of themselves.’
R. Eleazar said: ‘The god of Egypt was the sheep, and so the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded to burn it in fire, so that its evil smell should go forth; and that it should be burnt with “its head with its legs and the inwards thereof’ (Ex. 12, 9). And in addition, its bones were thrown into the market-place, a thing which distressed the Egyptians beyond all else. This was the “judgement” implied in the verse cited.’
R. Judah said: ‘ “Against their gods” refers in a literal sense to their Chieftains, in fulfilment of the prophecy: “The Lord will punish the host of the high heaven on high” (Is. 24, 21). The wise men among the Egyptians knew all this, and all the more so their Chieftain. Hence they said: “Come, let us deal wisely with them”.’
Said R. Johanan: ‘They had many idols, but their chief god was the Nile, and the Lord executed judgements on them all.’ Said R. Abba: ‘The exposition of R. Johanan is the correct and self-evident one. For we know that first the gods of a nation are punished and then the nation itself. So here, first the Nile and wood and stones were smitten, as Scripture says: “and there shall be blood throughout the land of Egypt, both in wood and stone” (Ex. 12, 16), the wood and stone being the very gods which the Egyptians worshipped.’ R. Isaac remarked: ‘But it is written, “the host of the high heaven on high”, whereas the Nile was not on high.’ Said R. Johanan: ‘The greater part of its waters resemble their prototype on high.’ R. Isaac said: ‘First their Chieftain was smitten and then the rest of their gods.’
R. Simeon, the son of R. Jose, said: ‘The punishment of the Egyptian nation itself was accomplished at the sea, in regard to which it is written: “There remained not so much as one of them” (Ibid. 14, 28), and before that, judgements were executed against their gods. Hence the words of Pharaoh, saying: “Come, let us deal wisely with them lest they multiply, and it come to pass that, when befalleth us any war, etc.” There was here a premonition of what actually came to pass-“they also join themselves unto our enemies”-a premonition of the heavenly hosts that stood by the Israelites-“and fight against us” -a prediction of what Moses declared, saying: “The Lord will fight for you” (Ibid. 14, 16)-“and get them up out of the land”- as in fact we read: “for the children of Israel went out with a high hand” (Ibid. 14, 8).’
אָמַר רִבִּי יוּדָאי אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק, מַה הֲוָה מַחֲשַׁבְתְּהוֹן דְּמִצְרָאֵי, דְּמִמְנַע מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל פִּרְיָה וּרְבִיָּה, וְשֻׁלְטָנָא דִּמְמָנָא עֲלֵיהוֹן דְּאָעִיל בְּלִבְּהוֹן כַּךְ. אֶלָּא, אָמַר לְהוֹן, הֲווֹ יַדְעִין, דְּזַמִּין בְּרָא חֲדָא לְמֵיפַק מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל, דְּיִתְעֲבֵיד דִּינָא בֶּאֱלהֵיהוֹן עַל יְדֵיהּ.
R. Judah said in the name of R. Isaac: ‘Why did the Egyptians so desire to prevent Israel from multiplying, and what motive prompted their supernal representative to put such a desire into their hearts? Because he knew and made known to them that a son would be born to the Israelites through whom judgement should be brought upon the gods of Egypt;
דְּאָמַר רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן, בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁאָמַר מֹשֶׁה, (שמות י״ב:י״ב) וּבְכָל אֱלהֵי מִצְרַיִם אֶעֱשֶׂה שְׁפָטִים הָלַךְ דּוּמָה שָׂרוֹ שֶׁל מִצְרַיִם, ד' מֵאוֹת פַּרְסָה. אָמַר לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, גְּזֵרָה נִגְזְרָה לְפָנַי, דִּכְתִּיב, (ישעיהו כ״ד:כ״א) יִפְקֹד יְיָ' עַל צְבָא הַמָּרוֹם בַּמָּרוֹם וְגוֹ'. בְּאוֹתָה שָׁעָה נִטְּלָה הַשְּׂרָרָה מִמֶּנּוּ, וְנִתְמַנָּה דּוּמָה שַׂר שֶׁל גֵּיהִנָּם, לִידוֹן שָׁם נַפְשׁוֹת הָרְשָׁעִים. וְרִבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר עַל הַמֵּתִים נִתְמַנָּה.
for, according to R. Johanan, when Moses said that God “will exercise judgement against all the gods of Egypt” (Ex. 12, 12), Duma, the celestial Prince of Egypt, ran away four hundred parasangs, and the Holy One said to him: “It is My decree!” In that hour his power and his dominion was taken from him, and he was banished, instead, to the lower regions and appointed over the realms of Gehenna, as judge of the souls of the wicked.’ R. Judah said that he was appointed over the dead.
אָמַר רִבִּי חֲנִינָא, כְּתִיב (במדבר ל״ג:ד׳) וּבֵאלֹהֵיהֶם עָשָׂה יְיָ' שְׁפָטִים. וְכִי בֶּאֱלהַּ שֶׁל כֶּסֶף, וְשֶׁל זָהָב, וְשֶׁל עֵץ, וְשֶׁל אֶבֶן, יֶשׁ שְׁפָטִים. אֶלָּא אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי, שֶׁל כֶּסֶף וְשֶׁל זָהָב הָיוּ נִתָּכִים מֵאֲלֵיהֶם, וְשֶׁל עֵץ מִתְרַקְּבִין.
R. Hanina said: ‘It is written: “Upon their gods also the Lord executed judgements” (Num. 33, 4). Can we speak of judgements being executed on gods made of silver or gold, of wood or stone?’ R. Jose replied: ‘Those made of silver and gold were melted of themselves, and the wooden rotted of themselves.’
אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, אֱלוֹהַּ שֶׁל מִצְרַיִם שֶׂה הָיָה, וְצִוָּה הַקָדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לַעֲשׂוֹת בּוֹ שְׁפָטִים, לִשְׂרוֹף אוֹתוֹ בָּאֵשׁ, כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר, (דברים ז׳:כ״ה) פְּסִילֵי אֱלֹהֵיהֶם תִּשְׂרְפוּן בָּאֵשׁ. כְּדֵי שֶׁיְּהֵא רֵיחוֹ נוֹדֶף. וְעוֹד, (שמות י״ב:ט׳) רֹאשׁוֹ עַל כְּרָעָיו וְעַל קִרְבּוֹ. וְעוֹד, שֶׁעַצְמוֹתָיו מוּשְׁלָכִים בַּשּׁוּק. וְזֹאת הָיְתָה לְמִצְרַיִם קָשֶׁה מִכּוּלָּן, הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב, שְׁפָטִים.
R. Eleazar said: ‘The god of Egypt was the sheep, and so the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded to burn it in fire, so that its evil smell should go forth; and that it should be burnt with “its head with its legs and the inwards thereof’ (Ex. 12, 9). And in addition, its bones were thrown into the market-place, a thing which distressed the Egyptians beyond all else. This was the “judgement” implied in the verse cited.’
אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה בֵּאלהֵיהֶם מַמָּשׁ וְזֶהוּ שַׂר שֶׁלָּהֶם, לְקַיֵּים, יִפְקוֹד ה' עַל צְבָא הַמָּרוֹם בַּמָּרוֹם וְעַל מַלְכֵי הָאֲדָמָה עַל הָאֲדָמָה. וְכָל זֶה הָיוּ יוֹדְעִים הַחֲכָמִים שֶׁבָּהֶם, וְכָּל שֶׁכֵּן שַׂר שֶׁלָּהֶם. עַל כֵּן כְּתִיב, הָבָה נִּתְחַכְּמָה לוֹ.
R. Judah said: ‘ “Against their gods” refers in a literal sense to their Chieftains, in fulfilment of the prophecy: “The Lord will punish the host of the high heaven on high” (Is. 24, 21). The wise men among the Egyptians knew all this, and all the more so their Chieftain. Hence they said: “Come, let us deal wisely with them”.’
רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן אָמַר, הַרְבֵּה עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה הָיוּ בְּמִצְרַיִם, וְנִילוּס אֱלוֹהַּ שֶׁלָּהֶם הָיָה, וּבִכְלַל אֱלהֵיהֶם הָיָה הוּא, וּבְכוּלָּם עָשָׂה ה' שְׁפָטִים. אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא, הָא דְּר' יוֹחָנָן דַּיְיקָא, וּפְשִׁיטָא, מִשּׁוּם דֶּאֱלֹהֵיהֶם נִלְקִים בַּתְּחִלָּה, וְאַחַר כַּךְ הָאוּמָה, וְכֵן נִילוּס נִלְקָה בַּתְּחִלָּה, וְהָעֵצִים וְהָאֲבָנִים, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (שמות ז׳:כ״א) וַיְהִי הַדָּם בְּכָל אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם וּבָעֵצִים וּבָאֲבָנִים, שֶׁהָיוּ לָהֶם אֱלהוּת מַמָּשׁ. וְאָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק, עַל צְבָא הַמָּרוֹם בַּמָּרוֹם כְּתִּיב, וְנִילוּס לֹא הָיָה בַּמָּרוֹם. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן, רוֹב מֵימָיו כְּדוּגְמָתָן בַּמָּרוֹם. אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק, שַׂר שֶׁלָּהֶם נִלְקָה בַּתְּחִלָּה, וְאַחַר כַּךְ שְׁאַר אֱלהֵיהֶם.
Said R. Johanan: ‘They had many idols, but their chief god was the Nile, and the Lord executed judgements on them all.’ Said R. Abba: ‘The exposition of R. Johanan is the correct and self-evident one. For we know that first the gods of a nation are punished and then the nation itself. So here, first the Nile and wood and stones were smitten, as Scripture says: “and there shall be blood throughout the land of Egypt, both in wood and stone” (Ex. 12, 16), the wood and stone being the very gods which the Egyptians worshipped.’ R. Isaac remarked: ‘But it is written, “the host of the high heaven on high”, whereas the Nile was not on high.’ Said R. Johanan: ‘The greater part of its waters resemble their prototype on high.’ R. Isaac said: ‘First their Chieftain was smitten and then the rest of their gods.’
רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בְּרִבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר, לָקוּת אוּמָה שֶׁל מִצְרַיִם מַמָּשׁ, לָא הָיָה אֶלָּא בַּיָּם, דִּכְתִּיב, (שמות י״ד:כ״ח) לא נִשְׁאַר בָּהֶם עַד אֶחָד. וְקוֹדֶם זֶה, נַעֲשָׂה שְׁפָטִים בֵּאלהֵיהֶם. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, הָבָה נִּתְחַכְּמָה לוֹ פֶּן יִרְבֶּה וְהָיָה כִּי תִקְרֶאנָה. וְנִתְנַבְּאוּ עַל הֶעָתִיד, כְּפִי מַה שֶאֵירַע לָהֶם. וְנוֹסַף גַּם הוּא עַל שׂוֹנְאֵינוּ, נִבְּאוּ עַל מַחֲנוֹת עֶלְיוֹנִים, שֶׁיִּהְיוּ שְׁרוּיִים בְּתוֹכָם. וְנִלְחַם בָּנוּ, נִבְּאוּ עַל מַה דִּכְתִּיב, (שמות י״ד:י״ד) ה' יִלָּחֵם לָכֶם וְגוֹ'. וְעָלָה מִן הָאָרֶץ, כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמַר (שמות י״ד:ח׳) וּבְנִי יִשְׂרָאֵל יוֹצְאִים בְּיַד רָמָה.
R. Simeon, the son of R. Jose, said: ‘The punishment of the Egyptian nation itself was accomplished at the sea, in regard to which it is written: “There remained not so much as one of them” (Ibid. 14, 28), and before that, judgements were executed against their gods. Hence the words of Pharaoh, saying: “Come, let us deal wisely with them lest they multiply, and it come to pass that, when befalleth us any war, etc.” There was here a premonition of what actually came to pass-“they also join themselves unto our enemies”-a premonition of the heavenly hosts that stood by the Israelites-“and fight against us” -a prediction of what Moses declared, saying: “The Lord will fight for you” (Ibid. 14, 16)-“and get them up out of the land”- as in fact we read: “for the children of Israel went out with a high hand” (Ibid. 14, 8).’