Shemos 1:10 · unit 1

Parashas Shemos · Passuk 1:10

The Complete Passuk

הָ֥בָה נִֽתְחַכְּמָ֖ה ל֑וֹ פֶּן־יִרְבֶּ֗ה וְהָיָ֞ה כִּֽי־תִקְרֶ֤אנָה מִלְחָמָה֙ וְנוֹסַ֤ף גַּם־הוּא֙ עַל־שֹׂ֣נְאֵ֔ינוּ וְנִלְחַם־בָּ֖נוּ וְעָלָ֥ה מִן־הָאָֽרֶץ׃

Let us deal shrewdly with them, so that they may not increase; otherwise in the event of war they may join our enemies in fighting against us and rise from the ground.”arise from the ground Meaning, perhaps, from their wretched condition, cf. Hos. 2.2; or “gain ascendancy over the country.” In contrast to others “get them up out of the land.”

Chabad.org — 1:10

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to R’ Chama bar Chanina — Sotah 11a (verified).

Sefaria — Sotah 11a

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text — Sotah 11a

הבה נתחכמה לו — להם מבעי ליה. אמר ר׳ חמא ב״ר חנינא: באו ונחכם למושיען של ישראל.

English: “Come, let us deal wisely with him” — it should have said “with them.” R’ Chama bar Chanina said: Come, let us deal wisely with the Redeemer of Israel.

On the daf / in context: The singular “lo” is read as a reference to the future redeemer rather than to the people as a whole. The Egyptians therefore chose water (the Nile) as the instrument of destruction, thinking the Holy One had sworn never to bring another flood; they did not realize the oath applied only to a flood upon the entire world.

Type of Learning

Custom — diyuk from singular versus plural.

What Is Learned

Chazal teach that the counsel was aimed at the future savior of Israel; the choice of water as the means of death was a calculated attempt to evade the divine oath against a universal flood.

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