וַיֵֹּשֶב יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּשִּׁטִּים. יְלַמְּדֵנוּ רַבֵּנוּ, בִּזְכוּת כַּמָּה דְּבָרִים נִגְאֲלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִּצְרַיִם. כָּךְ שָׁנוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ, בִּזְכוּת אַרְבָּעָה דְּבָרִים, שֶׁלֹּא שִׁנּוּ אֶת שְׁמוֹתָם, וְלֹא שִׁנּוּ אֶת לְשׁוֹנָם, וְלֹא גִּלּוּ מִסְתָּרִים שֶׁלָּהֶם, וְלֹא נִפְרְצוּ בָּעֲרָיוֹת. לֹא שִׁנּוּ שְׁמוֹתָן, שֶׁרְאוּבֵן וְשִׁמְעוֹן יָרְדוּ, וּרְאוּבֵן וְשִׁמְעוֹן עָלוּ. לֹא שִׁנּוּ אֶת לְשׁוֹנָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: כִּי פִּי הַמְדַבֵּר אֲלֵיכֶם (בראשית מה, יב), שֶׁהָיוּ מְסַפְּרִין בִּלְשׁוֹן הַקֹּדֶשׁ. לֹא גִּלּוּ מִסְתָּרִין שֶׁלָּהֶן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְשָׁאֲלָה אִשָּׁה מִשְּׁכֶנְתָּהּ (שמות ג, כב). וְהָיָה הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה מֻפְקָד אֶצְלָם שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר חֹדֶשׁ, וְלֹא גִּלָּה אֶחָד מֵהֶן לַמִּצְרִים. וְלֹא פָּרְצוּ בָּעֲרָיוֹת, שֶׁכָּךְ כְּתִיב: גַּן נָעוּל אֲחוֹתִי כַּלָּה (שה״ש ד, יב), אֵלּוּ הַזְּכָרִים. גַּל נָעוּל מַעְיָן חָתוּם (שם), אֵלּוּ הַבְּתוּלוֹת. תֵּדַע לְךָ, שֶׁהֲרֵי אַחַת הָיְתָה וּמְפַרְסְמָהּ הַכָּתוּב, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיֵּצֵא בֶּן אִשָּׁה יִשְׂרְאֵלִית וְגוֹ' (ויקרא כד, י). וְכָל אוֹתָן אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה שֶׁהָיוּ בַּמִּדְבָּר, לֹא סָרְחוּ בָּעֲבֵרָה, עַד שֶׁבָּאוּ לַשִּׁטִּים. לְפִיכָךְ כְּתִיב: וַיֵּשֵׁב יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּשִּׁטִּים, שִׁטִּים, שֶׁעָשׂוּ שְׁטוּת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: נוֹאֵף אִשָּׁה חֲסַר לֵב (משלי ו, לב). (Numb. 25:1:) “While Israel was staying at Shittim, [the people began to go whoring].” Let our master instruct us: By virtue of how many things was Israel redeemed from Egypt?85Numb. R. 20:22. Thus have our masters taught: Israel was redeemed from Egypt by virtue of four things: (1) that they did not change their names, (2) that they did not change their language, (3) that they did not disclose their secrets,86Gk. and Lat.: mysteria. and (4) that they were not unbridled in unchastity.87Lev. R. 32:5; Cant. R. 4:12:1; PRK 11:6; M. Pss. 114:4; also Mekhilta de Rabbi Ishmael, Pisha 5; Exod. R. 1:28. They did not change their names. Thus Reuben and Simeon went down (to Egypt), and Reuben and Simeon (with no name change) came up (from Egypt). They did not change their language, as stated (in Gen. 45:12), “that it is my mouth (i.e., my language) which is speaking unto you.” Thus they were talking in the sacred tongue. They did not reveal their secrets, as stated (in Exod. 3:22), “But each woman shall borrow [objects of silver, objects of gold, and clothing] from her neighbor [and from the woman who sojourns in her house].” Now the command was entrusted to them for twelve months, but they never revealed it to the Egyptians. And they were not unbridled in unchastity, as stated (in Cant. 4:12), “A locked garden is my sister my bride,” these are the males; “a locked fountain, a sealed spring,” these are the virgins (the females). You yourself know that it is so, since there was [but] one exception and Scripture aired her case (in Lev. 24:10), “Now there went out the son of an Israelite woman….”88If he were not a bastard, his father’s name would have been given. Now in all those forty years that they were in the desert, they never committed the sin of unchastity, until they came to Shittim. It is therefore stated (in Numb. 25:1), “While Israel was staying at Shittim, [the people began to go whoring].” At Shittim, because they had committed folly (shetut),89The word can also mean “idolatry.” as stated (in Prov. 6:32), “One who commits adultery with a woman has no sense.”