שמות א:טו-כב

{טו} וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרַ֔יִם לַֽמְיַלְּדֹ֖ת הָֽעִבְרִיֹּ֑ת אֲשֶׁ֨ר שֵׁ֤ם הָֽאַחַת֙ שִׁפְרָ֔ה וְשֵׁ֥ם הַשֵּׁנִ֖ית פּוּעָֽה:{טז} וַיֹּ֗אמֶר בְּיַלֶּדְכֶן֙ אֶת-הָ֣עִבְרִיּ֔וֹת וּרְאִיתֶ֖ן עַל-הָֽאָבְנָ֑יִם אִם-בֵּ֥ן הוּא֙ וַֽהֲמִתֶּ֣ן אֹת֔וֹ וְאִם-בַּ֥ת הִ֖וא וָחָֽיָה: {יז} וַתִּירֶ֤אןָ הַֽמְיַלְּדֹת֙ אֶת-הָ֣אֱ-לֹקִ֔ים וְלֹ֣א עָשׂ֔וּ כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֛ר דִּבֶּ֥ר אֲלֵיהֶ֖ן מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרָ֑יִם וַתְּחַיֶּ֖יןָ אֶת-הַיְלָדִֽים: {יח} וַיִּקְרָ֤א מֶֽלֶךְ-מִצְרַ֨יִם֙ לַֽמְיַלְּדֹ֔ת וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לָהֶ֔ן מַדּ֥וּעַ עֲשִׂיתֶ֖ן הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֑ה וַתְּחַיֶּ֖יןָ אֶת-הַיְלָדִֽים: {יט} וַתֹּאמַ֤רְןָ הַֽמְיַלְּדֹת֙ אֶל-פַּרְעֹ֔ה כִּ֣י לֹ֧א כַנָּשִׁ֛ים הַמִּצְרִיֹּ֖ת הָֽעִבְרִיֹּ֑ת כִּֽי-חָי֣וֹת הֵ֔נָּה בְּטֶ֨רֶם תָּב֧וֹא אֲלֵהֶ֛ן הַֽמְיַלֶּ֖דֶת וְיָלָֽדוּ: {כ} וַיֵּ֥יטֶב אֱ-לֹקִ֖ים לַֽמְיַלְּדֹ֑ת וַיִּ֧רֶב הָעָ֛ם וַיַּֽעַצְמ֖וּ מְאֹֽד: {כא} וַיְהִ֕י כִּֽי-יָֽרְא֥וּ הַֽמְיַלְּדֹ֖ת אֶת-הָֽאֱ-לֹקִ֑ים וַיַּ֥עַשׂ לָהֶ֖ם בָּתִּֽים: {כב} וַיְצַ֣ו פַּרְעֹ֔ה לְכָל-עַמּ֖וֹ לֵאמֹ֑ר כָּל-הַבֵּ֣ן הַיִּלּ֗וֹד הַיְאֹ֨רָה֙ תַּשְׁלִיכֻ֔הוּ וְכָל-הַבַּ֖ת תְּחַיּֽוּן: (פ)

Exodus 1:15-22

(15) The king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, (16) saying, “When you deliver the Hebrew women, look at the birthstool: if it is a boy, kill him; if it is a girl, let her live.” (17) The midwives, fearing God, did not do as the king of Egypt had told them; they let the boys live. (18) So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this thing, letting the boys live?” (19) The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women: they are vigorous. Before the midwife can come to them, they have given birth.” (20) And God dealt well with the midwives; and the people multiplied and increased greatly. (21) And because the midwives feared God, He established households for them. (22) Then Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, “Every boy that is born you shall throw into the Nile, but let every girl live.”

רש"י על שמות א׳:ט״ו:ב׳-ג׳

שפרה. יוכבד, על שם שמשפרת את הולד (שם):

פועה. זו מרים, שפועה ומדברת והוגה לולד (שם), כדרך הנשים המפיסות תינוק הבוכה.

Rashi on Exodus 1:15:2-3

(2) שפרה SHIPHRAH — This was Jochebed; she bore this additional name because she used to put the babe after its birth into good physical condition (משפרת) by the care she bestowed upon it (Sotah 11b). (3) פועה PUAH — This was Miriam, and she bore this additional name because she used to Call aloud and speak and croon to the babe just as women do who soothe a child when it is crying (Sotah 11b).

רש"י על שמות א׳:ט״ז:ג׳

אם בן הוא וגו'. לא היה מקפיד אלא על הזכרים, שאמרו לו אצטגניניו שעתיד להולד בן המושיע אותם:

Rashi on Exodus 1:16:3

(3) 'אם בן הוא וגו IF IT BE A SON etc. — He was particular only about the male children because his astrologers had told him that there was to be born to a Hebrew woman a son who would become their deliverer (Exodus Rabbah 1:18).

רש"י על שמות א׳:י״ז:א׳

ותחיין את הילדים. מספקות להם מים ומזון.

Rashi on Exodus 1:17:1

(1) ותחיין את הילדים This may mean THEY MAINTAINED THE CHILDREN IN LIFE — they provided them with food (Sotah 11b). The Targum renders ותחיין the first time it occurs (i. e. in this verse) by וקימא (which means, “and they — the women — preserved the babes”). and the second time (Exodus 1:18) by וקימתן (which means, “and ye women have preserved etc.”) The Targum is able to distinguish between the two meanings of this word, but this cannot be done in Hebrew because in the Hebrew language in the case of fem. plur. this word and similar forms (ending in נָה or ןָ) are used in the sense of “they did something” (3rd person) and in the sense of “ye did something” (2nd person). For example: (Exodus 2:19) “And they (the daughters of Jethro) said, (וַתֹּאמַרְןָ) “An Egyptian man etc.”, which is the past tense (the Rashi text must read here לשון עָבַר) (imperf. with Vau conv.), just as one would use וַיֹאמְרוּ if one were speaking of men; (Jeremiah 54:25) “Ye women have spoken (ותדברנה) with your mouths”, having the same meaning as דברתן, and corresponding to ותדברו when used of men; (Ezekiel 13:19) “And ye (women) have profaned Me (ותחללנה) among My people” which is a past tense, the same as חללתן corresponding to ותחללו when used of men.

רש"י על שמות א׳:כ״א:א׳

ויעש להם בתים. בתי כהנה ולויה ומלכות שקרויין בתים, כמו שכתוב: "לבנות את בית ה' ואת בית המלך" (מלכים א ט'), כהנה ולויה מיוכבד ומלכות ממרים‪.‬ כדאיתא במסכת סוטה:‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

Rashi on Exodus 1:21:1

(1) ויעש להם בתים HE MADE THEM HOUSES — houses (dynasties) of the priesthood and the Levites and of royalty which are all termed בתים, “houses”, as it is said, (1 Kings 9:1) “and Solomon built the house of the Lord and the house of the king”: “the house of the Lord” i. e. a dynasty of priests and Levites — from Jochebed (Shifrah); and “the house of the king”, i. e. a royal dynasty — from Miriam (Puah), just as it is stated in Treatise Sotah 11b.

רש"י על שמות א׳:כ״ב:א׳

לכל עמו. אף עליהם גזר (סוטה י"ב), יום שנולד משה אמרו לו אצטגניניו, היום נולד מושיען, ואין אנו יודעים אם ממצרים אם מישראל, ורואין אנו שסופו ללקות במים, לפיכך גזר אותו היום אף על המצריים, שנאמר כל הבן הילוד, ולא נאמר הילוד לעברים; והם לא היו יודעים שסופו ללקות על מי מריבה:

Rashi on Exodus 1:22:1

(1) לכל עמו This may be translated AND PHARAOH GAVE COMMAND REGARDING ALL (לכל) HIS PEOPLE — Regarding them, too, he made a decree (Sotah 12a). For on the day when Moses was born his astrologers said to him, “To-day their deliverer has been born, but we know not whether he is born of an Egyptian father or of an Israelite; but we see by our astrological art that he will ultimately suffer misfortune through water”. Pharaoh therefore made a decree that day regarding the Egyptians also, as it is said here, “Every son that is born [ye shall cast into the river]”, and it is not stated “[every son] who is born to the Hebrews”. They (the astrologers), however, were not aware that Moses was ultimately to suffer misfortune through the waters of Meribah and not through the waters of the Nile (Exodus Rabbah 1:18; Sotah 12a; cf. also Rashi on Numbers 20:13).