וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ אִ֖ישׁ מִבֵּ֣ית לֵוִ֑י וַיִּקַּ֖ח אֶת־בַּת־לֵוִֽי׃

A man from the house, the tribe, of Levi went and took a daughter of the head of the tribe of Levi.

וַתַּ֥הַר הָאִשָּׁ֖ה וַתֵּ֣לֶד בֵּ֑ן וַתֵּ֤רֶא אֹתוֹ֙ כִּי־ט֣וֹב ה֔וּא וַֽתִּצְפְּנֵ֖הוּ שְׁלֹשָׁ֥ה יְרָחִֽים׃

The woman conceived and bore a son; she saw him that he was good; it was immediately apparent that he was special, and she concealed him for three months because of the murderous decree upon all newborn Hebrew boys.

וְלֹא־יָכְלָ֣ה עוֹד֮ הַצְּפִינוֹ֒ וַתִּֽקַּֽח־לוֹ֙ תֵּ֣בַת גֹּ֔מֶא וַתַּחְמְרָ֥ה בַחֵמָ֖ר וּבַזָּ֑פֶת וַתָּ֤שֶׂם בָּהּ֙ אֶת־הַיֶּ֔לֶד וַתָּ֥שֶׂם בַּסּ֖וּף עַל־שְׂפַ֥ת הַיְאֹֽר׃

After some time passed, she could no longer conceal him because his voice became stronger as he grew, leading to the possibility that he would be discovered by the king’s agents or other informants. The woman refused to capitulate to the king’s decree, so she took drastic action, and she took a wicker basket for him and coated it with clay on the inside and with pitch on the outside, to make it waterproof; she placed the child in it and placed it among the reeds growing on the bank of the Nile.

וַתֵּתַצַּ֥ב אֲחֹת֖וֹ מֵרָחֹ֑ק לְדֵעָ֕ה מַה־יֵּעָשֶׂ֖ה לֽוֹ׃

His older sister, Miriam (see 15:20), who was herself quite young, stationed herself at a distance, to know what would be done to him. Although she could not protect him from the decree, she watched from a distance to see what would be his fate. Perhaps because the child was noticeably special, they expected great things to come from him; she therefore wanted to see if these expectations would be fulfilled.

וַתֵּ֤רֶד בַּת־פַּרְעֹה֙ לִרְחֹ֣ץ עַל־הַיְאֹ֔ר וְנַעֲרֹתֶ֥יהָ הֹלְכֹ֖ת עַל־יַ֣ד הַיְאֹ֑ר וַתֵּ֤רֶא אֶת־הַתֵּבָה֙ בְּת֣וֹךְ הַסּ֔וּף וַתִּשְׁלַ֥ח אֶת־אֲמָתָ֖הּ וַתִּקָּחֶֽהָ

At that moment, Pharaoh’s daughter went down from her palace to bathe in the Nile, and her maidens, her servants, walked alongside the Nile to bathe as well, or to accompany and serve the princess. She, the princess, saw the basket among the reeds, and since it seemed unusual, she sent her maidservant and she took it .

וַתִּפְתַּח֙ וַתִּרְאֵ֣הוּ אֶת־הַיֶּ֔לֶד וְהִנֵּה־נַ֖עַר בֹּכֶ֑ה וַתַּחְמֹ֣ל עָלָ֔יו וַתֹּ֕אמֶר מִיַּלְדֵ֥י הָֽעִבְרִ֖ים זֶֽה׃

She opened it and she saw the child, and behold, a boy was crying. She had compassion for him, and she said: This is from the children of the Hebrews. Perhaps she concluded that an Egyptian woman would not have abandoned a child in such a manner, or perhaps she was able to identify him as a Hebrew due to his skin color or facial features.

וַתֹּ֣אמֶר אֲחֹתוֹ֮ אֶל־בַּת־פַּרְעֹה֒ הַאֵלֵ֗ךְ וְקָרָ֤אתִי לָךְ֙ אִשָּׁ֣ה מֵינֶ֔קֶת מִ֖ן הָעִבְרִיֹּ֑ת וְתֵינִ֥ק לָ֖ךְ אֶת־הַיָּֽלֶד׃

Presumably, the discovery of the child caused a stir. Miriam, who until now was standing at a distance, noticed the gathering of maidens around the baby and approached them: His sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter: Shall I go and call a wet nurse for you from the Hebrews, and she will nurse the child for you? It would seem that Pharaoh’s daughter picked up the crying child, but was unable to calm him. The child was too young to eat food, and she could not nurse him; if she wanted to keep the child, she needed a wet nurse. Miriam suggested a Hebrew wet nurse, not necessarily because the child was himself a Hebrew, but because Hebrew women were a source of cheap labor, especially in light of the fact that many of their babies were murdered by the Egyptians. These women would certainly be delighted to receive such employment.

וַתֹּֽאמֶר־לָ֥הּ בַּת־פַּרְעֹ֖ה לֵ֑כִי וַתֵּ֙לֶךְ֙ הָֽעַלְמָ֔ה וַתִּקְרָ֖א אֶת־אֵ֥ם הַיָּֽלֶד׃

Pharaoh’s daughter was indifferent regarding the ethnicity of the wet nurse: Pharaoh’s daughter said to her: Go. The girl went, and summoned the child’s mother. This was obviously the preferable scenario, as the mother could now nurse her own child, and Pharaoh’s daughter would be unaware that the wet nurse was in fact his biological mother.

וַתֹּ֧אמֶר לָ֣הּ בַּת־פַּרְעֹ֗ה הֵילִ֜יכִי אֶת־הַיֶּ֤לֶד הַזֶּה֙ וְהֵינִקִ֣הוּ לִ֔י וַאֲנִ֖י אֶתֵּ֣ן אֶת־שְׂכָרֵ֑ךְ וַתִּקַּ֧ח הָאִשָּׁ֛ה הַיֶּ֖לֶד וַתְּנִיקֵֽהוּ׃

Pharaoh’s daughter said to her: Take this child and nurse him for me, and I will pay your wages. Since Pharaoh’s daughter took an interest in the well-being of the child, he could safely be reunited with his mother. Now, the child’s mother would care for him just as before, and would even receive payment for nursing him. The woman took the child and nursed him.

וַיִגְדַּ֣ל הַיֶּ֗לֶד וַתְּבִאֵ֙הוּ֙ לְבַת־פַּרְעֹ֔ה וַֽיְהִי־לָ֖הּ לְבֵ֑ן וַתִּקְרָ֤א שְׁמוֹ֙ מֹשֶׁ֔ה וַתֹּ֕אמֶר כִּ֥י מִן־הַמַּ֖יִם מְשִׁיתִֽהוּ׃

The child grew, and once he was weaned, he could be cared for by a woman who was not a wet nurse. So she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he was a son to her. Pharaoh’s daughter adopted the child, and she called his name Moses [ Moshe ], and she said: I named him thus because I drew him from the water [ meshitihu ].

וַיְהִ֣י ׀ בַּיָּמִ֣ים הָהֵ֗ם וַיִּגְדַּ֤ל מֹשֶׁה֙ וַיֵּצֵ֣א אֶל־אֶחָ֔יו וַיַּ֖רְא בְּסִבְלֹתָ֑ם וַיַּרְא֙ אִ֣ישׁ מִצְרִ֔י מַכֶּ֥ה אִישׁ־עִבְרִ֖י מֵאֶחָֽיו׃

Despite being raised by Pharaoh’s daughter as a son of the Egyptian aristocracy, Moses was aware of his Hebrew ethnicity: It was in those days, Moses grew to adulthood, and he went out to his brethren to familiarize himself with them. Until now, because the lowly Hebrews did not enter the court of Pharaoh, Moses was unfamiliar with them. And he saw their burdens, and he saw an Egyptian man beating a Hebrew man from his brethren. At this point, Moses felt a solidarity with the Hebrews.

וַיִּ֤פֶן כֹּה֙ וָכֹ֔ה וַיַּ֖רְא כִּ֣י אֵ֣ין אִ֑ישׁ וַיַּךְ֙ אֶת־הַמִּצְרִ֔י וַֽיִּטְמְנֵ֖הוּ בַּחֽוֹל׃

He, Moses, turned this way and that, and he saw that there was no one in the vicinity. The area appeared secluded, although it seems that Moses did not look very carefully, as will become clear later on. He smote the Egyptian, killing him in a miraculous manner, or thanks to his strength of body and spirit, which Moses maintained until the age of 120 years. And Moses then hid him by burying the body in the sand , and he assumed that this was the conclusion of this incident.

וַיֵּצֵא֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשֵּׁנִ֔י וְהִנֵּ֛ה שְׁנֵֽי־אֲנָשִׁ֥ים עִבְרִ֖ים נִצִּ֑ים וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ לָֽרָשָׁ֔ע לָ֥מָּה תַכֶּ֖ה רֵעֶֽךָ׃

Still not entirely familiar with the Hebrews, but feeling a familial bond to them, he, Moses, emerged to see them again on the second day, and behold, two Hebrew men were fighting. Apparently, the two men did not merely exchange insults; at least one of them physically assaulted the other. And he, Moses, said to the wicked one, the one who struck the other: Why do you strike your neighbor?

וַ֠יֹּאמֶר מִ֣י שָֽׂמְךָ֞ לְאִ֨ישׁ שַׂ֤ר וְשֹׁפֵט֙ עָלֵ֔ינוּ הַלְהָרְגֵ֙נִי֙ אַתָּ֣ה אֹמֵ֔ר כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר הָרַ֖גְתָּ אֶת־הַמִּצְרִ֑י וַיִּירָ֤א מֹשֶׁה֙ וַיֹּאמַ֔ר אָכֵ֖ן נוֹדַ֥ע הַדָּבָֽר׃

He, the assailant, said: Who appointed you to be a leader and a judge over us, that you see fit to judge me? Since you hold no position of judicial authority, what can you do to me? Indeed, I am aware of your use of force; do you propose to kill me, as you killed the Egyptian? Moses was frightened, because he knew he had broken the law, and he said: Indeed, although I thought my actions went unseen, the matter is known.

וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ע פַּרְעֹה֙ אֶת־הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֔ה וַיְבַקֵּ֖שׁ לַהֲרֹ֣ג אֶת־מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיִּבְרַ֤ח מֹשֶׁה֙ מִפְּנֵ֣י פַרְעֹ֔ה וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב בְּאֶֽרֶץ־מִדְיָ֖ן וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב עַֽל־הַבְּאֵֽר׃

Pharaoh heard this matter. Perhaps the Hebrew man ceased to strike his colleague, but he did not remain silent, and the matter reached the ears of Pharaoh. It is unknown how Pharaoh related to the abandoned child his daughter brought home years earlier. Perhaps he only tolerated his presence, much as a parent might tolerate an abandoned kitten that his child rescued from the street, and therefore, once he became aware of what Moses had done, he sought to kill Moses, just as a parent might react toward his child’s pet after learning that the animal began to cause damage. Moses fled from Pharaoh, and he settled in the land of Midyan, and since he was a total stranger, he sat beside the well, which was an informal meeting place.

וּלְכֹהֵ֥ן מִדְיָ֖ן שֶׁ֣בַע בָּנ֑וֹת וַתָּבֹ֣אנָה וַתִּדְלֶ֗נָה וַתְּמַלֶּ֙אנָה֙ אֶת־הָ֣רְהָטִ֔ים לְהַשְׁק֖וֹת צֹ֥אן אֲבִיהֶֽן׃

The priest of Midyan had seven daughters, who shepherded his flock, since he was not a wealthy man. They came to the well, drew water, and filled the troughs in order to give their father’s flock to drink.

וַיָּבֹ֥אוּ הָרֹעִ֖ים וַיְגָרְשׁ֑וּם וַיָּ֤קָם מֹשֶׁה֙ וַיּ֣וֹשִׁעָ֔ן וַיַּ֖שְׁקְ אֶת־צֹאנָֽם׃

The shepherds came and drove them away; Moses stood and rescued them. Once again, Moses demonstrated his extreme sensitivity to injustice. Despite being completely unfamiliar with these girls, he responded to the injustice occurring before him. And not only did he save them, but he also gave their flock to drink. Although he was a total stranger, he sought to assist them in any way possible.

וַתָּבֹ֕אנָה אֶל־רְעוּאֵ֖ל אֲבִיהֶ֑ן וַיֹּ֕אמֶר מַדּ֛וּעַ מִהַרְתֶּ֥ן בֹּ֖א הַיּֽוֹם׃

The girls did not engage Moses in lengthy conversation: They came to Re’uel, their father, and he said: Why were you so quick to come today? This question makes it clear that the girls were regularly driven away from the water by the other shepherds. Normally, they would return home late, as they needed to wait until the other shepherds finished giving their flocks to drink. It seems that their father was unable to offer much help to his daughters.

וַתֹּאמַ֕רְןָ אִ֣ישׁ מִצְרִ֔י הִצִּילָ֖נוּ מִיַּ֣ד הָרֹעִ֑ים וְגַם־דָּלֹ֤ה דָלָה֙ לָ֔נוּ וַיַּ֖שְׁקְ אֶת־הַצֹּֽאן׃

They said: An Egyptian man rescued us from the shepherds, and he also drew water for us and gave the flock to drink. Apparently, Moses spoke to them in Egyptian, or perhaps he was dressed in Egyptian garb. The Midyanite girls were unattuned to the differences between Moses, a Hebrew, and the native Egyptians.

וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֶל־בְּנֹתָ֖יו וְאַיּ֑וֹ לָ֤מָּה זֶּה֙ עֲזַבְתֶּ֣ן אֶת־הָאִ֔ישׁ קִרְאֶ֥ן ל֖וֹ וְיֹ֥אכַל לָֽחֶם׃

He, Re’uel, said to his daughters: And where is he? After this stranger intervened on your behalf and assisted you with giving water to the flock, why did you leave the man? He must be waiting by the well for someone to strike up a conversation with him. At the very least, call him, and let him eat bread with us.

וַיּ֥וֹאֶל מֹשֶׁ֖ה לָשֶׁ֣בֶת אֶת־הָאִ֑ישׁ וַיִּתֵּ֛ן אֶת־צִפֹּרָ֥ה בִתּ֖וֹ לְמֹשֶֽׁה׃

Moses decided, or desired, to live with the man, due to the pleasant manner in which he was accepted, and perhaps due to the personalities of his hosts; and he gave his daughter Tzipora to Moses. It would thus appear that Re’uel had additional motivations for accepting Moses into his home.

וַתֵּ֣לֶד בֵּ֔ן וַיִּקְרָ֥א אֶת־שְׁמ֖וֹ גֵּרְשֹׁ֑ם כִּ֣י אָמַ֔ר גֵּ֣ר הָיִ֔יתִי בְּאֶ֖רֶץ נָכְרִיָּֽה׃ (פ)

She bore a son, and he called his name Gershom, as he said: I was a stranger [ ger ] in a foreign land, over there [ sham ].

וַיְהִי֩ בַיָּמִ֨ים הָֽרַבִּ֜ים הָהֵ֗ם וַיָּ֙מָת֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרַ֔יִם וַיֵּאָנְח֧וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל מִן־הָעֲבֹדָ֖ה וַיִּזְעָ֑קוּ וַתַּ֧עַל שַׁוְעָתָ֛ם אֶל־הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים מִן־הָעֲבֹדָֽה׃

It was during those many days; the king of Egypt died. Presumably, this was the same king whose daughter raised Moses. Since the children of Israel were slaves of the government and labored on its behalf, the death of the king could have kindled hope for some measure of respite. However, the opposite occurred: The children of Israel sighed due to the work, and they cried out, and their plea rose to God from the work.

וַיִּשְׁמַ֥ע אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶת־נַאֲקָתָ֑ם וַיִּזְכֹּ֤ר אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶת־בְּרִית֔וֹ אֶת־אַבְרָהָ֖ם אֶת־יִצְחָ֥ק וְאֶֽת־יַעֲקֹֽב׃

God heard their groan and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob, their forefathers.

וַיַּ֥רְא אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיֵּ֖דַע אֱלֹהִֽים׃ (ס)

God saw the children of Israel, and God knew; God connected Himself to them (see commentary on 1:8).