Said R. Judah: ‘The proof of this is that immediately after the words “The king of Egypt died” the text continues “and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God”, which shows that until then their crying had not been answered.’
R. Eleazar said: ‘Observe the loving-kindness of the Holy One, blessed be He. When He has pity on Israel He suppresses the attribute of Justice and thus lets her obtain mercy. This is the meaning of the saying (T. B. Ber. 59a): “The holy One, blessed be He, lets drop two tears into the Ocean”. What are the two tears?’ R. Jose said: ‘This saying is not authentic, for R. Kattina, when he heard it from a certain sorcerer, said to him “You are a liar”.’
Said R. Eleazar: ‘There is no need for us to accept the words of a sorcerer, we have a definite statement that in the ten crowns of the King there are two tears of the Holy One, blessed be He, namely two measures of chastisement, which comes from both of these tears, as it says: “These two (desolation and destruction) have happened unto thee” (Isa. 51, 16). And when the Holy One remembers His children, He drops them into the great Sea, which is the Sea of Wisdom, in order to sweeten them, and He turns the attribute of Justice into the attribute of Mercy, and takes compassion on Israel.’
Said R. Judah: ‘We read later, “And behold the Egyptian marched after them” (Ex. 14, 10). These words are referred by R. Jose to the angelic prince of Egypt; how, then, can you say that the “king of Egypt” here refers to this same prince?’ Said R. Isaac: ‘The later Scriptural saying, in fact, confirms the former, for it does not say “the king of Egypt marched after them”, but “the Egyptian”, because he was not king any longer, having fallen from his former dignity. ‘
R. Jose said: ‘It is written: “Behold a day cometh to the Lord” (Zech. 14, 1); and again, “But the day shall be one and it shall be known to the Lord” (Ibid. 5, 7). Are we to suppose from this that the other days are not the Lord’s? It is, however, as R. Abba has said: all the other days are given over to the angelic principalities of the nations, but there is one day which will be the day of the Holy One, blessed be He, in which He will judge the heathen nations, and when their principalities shall fall from their high estate. Of that day it is written: “And the Lord alone shall be exalted on that day” (Isa. 2, 11).’
אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה, בֹּא וּרְאֵה שֶׁכַּךְ הוּא, שֶׁכָּל זְמָן שֶׁהַשַׂר שֶׁלָּהֶם נִתְנָה לוֹ שְׂרָרָה עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל, לא נִשְׁמַע צַעֲקָתָם שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל, כֵּיוָן שֶׁנָּפַל הַשַּׂר שֶׁלָּהֶם, כְּתִיב וַיָּמָת מֶלֶךְ מִצְרַיִם, וּמִיָּד וַיֵּאָנְחוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מִן הָעֲבוֹדָה וַיִזְעָקוּ וַתַּעַל שַׁוְעָתָם אֶל הָאֱלֹהִים. שֶׁעַד אוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה לא נַעֲנוּ בְּצַעֲקָתָם.
Said R. Judah: ‘The proof of this is that immediately after the words “The king of Egypt died” the text continues “and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God”, which shows that until then their crying had not been answered.’
אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, בֹּא וּרְאֵה רַחֲמָנוּתוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, כְּשֶׁהוּא מְרַחֵם עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל, כּוֹפֶה לְמִדַּת הַדִּין, וּמוֹרִידָהּ, וּמְרַחֵם עֲלֵיהֶם. וְהַיְינוּ דִּתְנָן, שֶׁהַּקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מוֹרִיד שְׁתֵּי דְּמָעוֹת לַיָּם הַגָּדוֹל. מַאן אִינּוּן שְׁתֵּי דְּמָעוֹת. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי, לָאו מִלָּא בְּרִירָא הִיא, דְּהָא אֲמַר לֵיהּ לְאוֹבָא טַמְיָא, דְּהוּא כָּדִיב, וּמִלֵיה כְּדִיבָן.
R. Eleazar said: ‘Observe the loving-kindness of the Holy One, blessed be He. When He has pity on Israel He suppresses the attribute of Justice and thus lets her obtain mercy. This is the meaning of the saying (T. B. Ber. 59a): “The holy One, blessed be He, lets drop two tears into the Ocean”. What are the two tears?’ R. Jose said: ‘This saying is not authentic, for R. Kattina, when he heard it from a certain sorcerer, said to him “You are a liar”.’
אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, לָאו בָּתַר אוֹבָא טַמְיָא אַזְלִינָן, דִּבְרִירָא דְּמִלָּה הוּא, דִּתְנָן, בַּעֲשָׂרָה כִּתְרֵי מַלְכָּא, אִית תְּרֵין דִּמְעִין לְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְהֵן שְׁתֵּי מִדּוֹת דִּין, שֶׁהַדִּין בָּא מִשְּׁתֵּיהֶן, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (ישעיהו נ״א:י״ט) שְׁתַּיִם הִנֵּה קוֹרְאוֹתַיִךְ. וּכְשֶׁהַקָדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא זוֹכֵר אֶת בָּנָיו, הוּא מוֹרִיד אוֹתָם לַיָּם הַגָּדוֹל, שֶׁהוּא (ויקרא קל"ז ע"ב) יָם הַחָכְמָה לְהַמְתִּיקָן, וְהוֹפֵךְ מִדַּת הַדִּין לְמִדַּת רַחֲמִים, וּמְרַחֵם עָלַיְיהוּ. אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה, שְׁתֵּי דְּמָעוֹת, שֶׁמֵּהֶם בָּאִים הַדְּמָעוֹת, מֵהֶם בָּא הַדִּין.
Said R. Eleazar: ‘There is no need for us to accept the words of a sorcerer, we have a definite statement that in the ten crowns of the King there are two tears of the Holy One, blessed be He, namely two measures of chastisement, which comes from both of these tears, as it says: “These two (desolation and destruction) have happened unto thee” (Isa. 51, 16). And when the Holy One remembers His children, He drops them into the great Sea, which is the Sea of Wisdom, in order to sweeten them, and He turns the attribute of Justice into the attribute of Mercy, and takes compassion on Israel.’
אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה כְּתִיב, (שמות י״ד:י׳) וְהִנֵּה מִצְרַיִם נוֹסֵעַ אַחֲרֵיהֶם. וְאָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי זֶה שַׂר שֶׁל מִצְרַיִם הוּא, וְאַתְּ אָמַרְתְּ וַיָּמָת מֶלֶךְ מִצְרַיִם, זֶה שַׂר שֶׁל מִצְרַיִם. אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק, הַאי מִלָּה קָא מְסַיֵּיעַ לְהַהוּא דִּלְעֵילָּא, כְּתִיב הָכָא וְהִנֵּה מִצְרַיִם, וּכְתִיב הָתָם וַיָּמָת מֶלֶךְ מִצְרַיִם. מְלַמֵּד דְּעַכְשָׁיו לא הָיָה מֶלֶךְ, דְּהוֹרִידוּהוּ מִגְּדוּלָתוֹ. וּלְפִיכָךְ כְּתִיב, וְהִנֵּה מִצְרַיִם, וְלָא כְּתִיב מֶלֶךְ מִצְרַיִם. וּמַה דְּאָמַר וַיָּמָת. כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (שמות ד׳:י״ט) כִּי מֵתוּ כָּל הָאֲנָשִׁים הַמְבַקְשִׁים אֶת נַפְשֶׁךָ.
Said R. Judah: ‘We read later, “And behold the Egyptian marched after them” (Ex. 14, 10). These words are referred by R. Jose to the angelic prince of Egypt; how, then, can you say that the “king of Egypt” here refers to this same prince?’ Said R. Isaac: ‘The later Scriptural saying, in fact, confirms the former, for it does not say “the king of Egypt marched after them”, but “the Egyptian”, because he was not king any longer, having fallen from his former dignity. ‘
אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, בֹּא וּרְאֵה, כָּל מַלְכֵי מִצְרַיִם פַּרְעֹה שְׁמָם. וּבְכָאן לֹא נֶאֱמַר אֶלָּא מֶלֶךְ מִצְרַיִם סְתָם. וּבִמְקוֹמוֹ פַּרְעֹה, וְהוּא פַּרְעֹה מַמָּשׁ. תָּא חֲזֵי, בְּעוֹד דְּאִית שׁוּלְטָנוּתָא דִּלְעֵילָּא, אִית שׁוּלְטָנוּתָא בְּעַמָּא דִּלְתַתָּא, אִתְעָדֵי שׁוּלְטָנוּתָא דִּלְעֵילָּא, אִתְעָדֵי שׁוּלְטָנוּתָא דִּלְתַתָּא.
אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי, כְּתִיב (זכריה י"ד) הִנִּה יוֹם בָּא לַיְיָ' וְגוֹ' וְהָיָה יוֹם אֶחָד הוּא יִוָּדַע לַיְיָ' וְגוֹ'. וְכִי שְׁאַר יוֹמִין לָאו אִינּוּן דִּילֵיהּ. אֶלָּא אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא, מְלַמֵּד, שֶׁשְּׁאָר הַיָּמִים, נִתָּנִים לְשָׂרִים, וְאוֹתוֹ יוֹם, אֵינוֹ שֶׁל הַשָּׂרִים, אֶלָּא שֶׁל הַקָדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, כְּדֵי לַעֲשׂוֹת דִּין בַּעֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת. מִפְּנִי שֶׁבְּאוֹתוֹ יוֹם, יִפְּלוּ כָּל הַשָּׂרִים מִמַּעֲלָתָם. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, (ישעיהו ב׳:י״א) וְנִשְׂגַּב ה' לְבַדּוֹ בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא. שֶׁאוֹתוֹ יוֹם לא יִהְיֶה מַעֲלָה לְשָּׂרִים.
R. Jose said: ‘It is written: “Behold a day cometh to the Lord” (Zech. 14, 1); and again, “But the day shall be one and it shall be known to the Lord” (Ibid. 5, 7). Are we to suppose from this that the other days are not the Lord’s? It is, however, as R. Abba has said: all the other days are given over to the angelic principalities of the nations, but there is one day which will be the day of the Holy One, blessed be He, in which He will judge the heathen nations, and when their principalities shall fall from their high estate. Of that day it is written: “And the Lord alone shall be exalted on that day” (Isa. 2, 11).’