Some time after that, when Moses had grown up, he went to his kinsfolk and witnessed their labors. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his kinsmen. He turned this way and that and, seeing no one about, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. When he went out the next day, he found two Hebrews fighting; so he said to the offender, "Why do you strike your fellow?" He retorted, "Who made you chief and ruler over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?" Moses was frightened, and thought: Then the matter is known! When Pharoah learned of the matter, he sought to kill Moses; but Moses fled from Pharoah.
(לא) וַיִּשְׁמַע פַּרְעֹה, שֶׁעָמְדוּ דָּתָן וַאֲבִירָם וְהִלְשִׁינוּ עָלָיו. וַיְבַקֵּשׁ לַהֲרֹג אֶת משֶׁה, שָׁלַח פַּרְעֹה וְהֵבִיאוּ סַיִּף שֶׁאֵין כְּמוֹתָהּ, וּנְתָנוֹ עֶשֶׂר פְּעָמִים עַל צַוָּארוֹ וְנַעֲשָׂה צַוָּארוֹ שֶׁל משֶׁה כְּעַמּוּד הַשֵּׁן וְלֹא הִזִּיקַתּוּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שיר השירים ז, ה): צַוָּארֵךְ כְּמִגְדַּל הַשֵּׁן. וַיִּבְרַח משֶׁה מִפְּנֵי פַּרְעֹה, אָמַר רַבִּי יַנַּאי וְכִי אֶפְשָׁר לְבָשָׂר וָדָם לִבְרֹחַ מִפְּנֵי הַמַּלְכוּת, אֶלָא בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁתָּפְסוּ אֶת משֶׁה וְחִיְּבוּהוּ לְהַתִּיז אֶת רֹאשׁוֹ, יָרַד מַלְאָךְ מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם וְנִדְמָה לָהֶם בִּדְמוּת משֶׁה וְתָפְשׂוּ אֶת הַמַּלְאָךְ וּבָרַח משֶׁה. אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי נַעֲשׂוּ כָּל הַסַּנְקְלִיטִין שֶׁהָיוּ יוֹשְׁבִין לִפְנֵי פַּרְעֹה מֵהֶם אִלְמִין מֵהֶן חֵרְשִׁין מֵהֶן סוּמִין, וְהָיָה אוֹמֵר לָאִלְמִין הֵיכָן משֶׁה וְלֹא הָיוּ מְדַבְּרִים, לַחֵרְשִׁין וְלֹא הָיוּ שׁוֹמְעִין, לַסּוּמִין וְלֹא הָיוּ רוֹאִין. זֶה שֶׁאָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְמשֶׁה (שמות ד, יא): מִי שָׂם פֶּה לָאָדָם, מִי שָׂם פֶּה לְפַרְעֹה שֶׁאָמַר בְּפִיו הָבִיאוּ אֶת משֶׁה לַבִּימָה לְהָרְגוֹ, (שמות ד, יא): אוֹ מִי יָשׂוּם אִלֵּם, מִי שָׂם הַסְּגָנִים אִלְמִים חֵרְשִׁים וְסוּמִין שֶׁלֹא הֱבִיאוּךָ. וּמִי עָשָׂה עַצְמְךָ פִּקֵּחַ שֶׁתִּבְרַח, (שמות ד, יא): הֲלֹא אָנֹכִי ה', שָׁם הָיִיתִי עִמְּךָ וְהַיּוֹם אֲנִי עוֹמֵד לְךָ.
(31) “Pharaoh heard this matter and he sought to kill Moses. Moses fled from before Pharaoh, and he settled in the land of Midyan, and sat alongside the well” (Exodus 2:15).
“Pharaoh heard” – because Datan and Aviram arose and informed on him.
“He sought to kill Moses.” Pharaoh sent and they brought an incomparable sword and he struck his neck ten times, but Moses’s neck became like an ivory tower and it did not harm him, as it is stated: “Your neck is like an ivory tower” (Song of Songs 7:5).
“Moses fled from before Pharaoh.” Rabbi Yannai says: Is it possible for flesh and blood to flee from the monarchy? Rather, at the moment that they apprehended Moses and sentenced him to beheading, an angel descended from the heavens and appeared to them in the image of Moses. They seized the angel and Moses fled.
OR
Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: All the legal advisers who were sitting before Pharaoh became [impaired]; some mute, some deaf, and some blind. He [Pharaoh] was saying to the mutes: ‘Where is Moses?’ but they did not talk; to the deaf, but they did not hear; to the blind, but they did not see.
That is what the Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: “Who gives a mouth to man?” (Exodus 4:11). Who gave a mouth to Pharaoh, who said with his mouth: ‘Bring Moses to the platform to execute him’? “Or who makes one mute,” (ibid.) – who rendered the deputies mute, deaf, and blind so they did not bring you? And who made you clever so you would flee? “Is it not I, the Lord?” (ibid.). I was with you there, and I stand with you today.