What is your interpretation? Do you think the midwives are lying? Is it possible they are telling the truth? Does it matter to you whether they are lying here?
Rashbam 3:11
11 But Moses said to God, Who am I? Anyone who wants to understand the essential meaning of these verses in context will pay close attention to the explanation I am about to give. For my predecessors have not understood one bit of it. Moses' reply was directed to two things that the Holy One said to him: 1) that he should free the Israelites by Pharaoh's command. Moses replies to each in turn. First, Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?--even to bring him an offering or a gift. Am I worthy of entering the king's court, a foreigner like me? Second, And free the Israelites from Egypt? That is, even if I were worthy of entering Pharaoh's presence for other matters, as far as freeing the Israelite goes, what could I say to Pharaoh that he would accept? Is Pharaoh foolish enough to listen to me and send a huge people, who are his slaves, away free from his land? What could I say to Pharaoh that he would accept, so that by my speaking I will free them from Egypt with Pharaoh's permission? 12 The Holy One answered him in the same order: 1) I will be with you, and will grant you favor in the king's eyes, and you shall go to Pharaoh without fear. As far as your fear when you are actually in Pharaoh's presence, that (pointing to the bush) shall be your sign that it was I who sent you. Don't you see from the burning of the bush that I (the angel) am the emissary of the Holy One? This is he sign for you to be confident that I will be with you... 2) As for your question, Shall I free the Israelites from Egypt, that is, what arguments can I offer to Pharaoh that wil convince him to free them. When you have freed the people from Egypt, I command you now that you shall worship God at this mountain and offer sacrifices. This command will enable you to argue (in 5:1,3) that Pharaoh must let them go in order to sacrifice to God... God's commandment to Moses to bring the people to sacrifice was a stratagem, so he would have some plausible reason to give Pharaoh for letting them go. Those who explain this passage in any other way are completely mistaken.
Does this interpretation seem plausible to you? Do you think it's ethical? Does it change anything about your understanding of the Exodus to imagine that Pharaoh didn't know the Israelites were planned to leave for good?
Because Rav Yehuda said that Shmuel said In these three things the Rabbis were accustomed to change their words (i.e. lie) In their tractates, and their beds, and their hospitality.
If a person is asked by a respected rabbi whether she is familiar with a certain tractate, she may lie and say no, even if she is knowledgable of that matter, in order to learn from the respected rabbi. She should not lie if someone seeks her help in understanding the tractate.
According to Rashi, the meaning of "bed" is that if a rabbi is asked whether he engaged in sexual relations with his wife, he may, for the sake of modesty, answer that he has not. Tosafot does not accept this explanation since people do not normally ask someone whether or not he slept with his wife. Tosafot offers that one may lie if he was asked whether or not he slept in a particular bed. The bed may be stained from an emission and this could be embarrassing.
"Hospitality" refers to a situation where one is asked whether a host was hospitable or not. If one is too effusive in his praise, he may cause too many people to want to stay with these people. It is therefore better to lie and downplay how good his host was.
A Song: Lying is an occupation
Lying is an occupation,
Used by all who mean to rise;
Politicians owe their station,
But to well concerted lies.
These to lovers give assistance,
To ensnare the fair-one's heart;
And the virgin's best resistance
Yields to this commanding art.
Study this superior science,
Would you rise in Church or State;
Bid to Truth a bold defiance,
'Tis the practice of the great.