(1) וַיָּרֵ֧עוּ אֹתָ֛נוּ הַמִּצְרִ֖ים וַיְעַנּ֑וּנוּ וַיִּתְּנ֥וּ עָלֵ֖ינוּ עֲבֹדָ֥ה קָשָֽׁה׃
וַיָּרֵעוּ אֹתָנוּ הַמִּצְרִים. כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר. הָ֥בָה נִֽתְחַכְּמָ֖ה ל֑וֹ פֶּן־יִרְבֶּ֗ה וְהָיָ֞ה כִּֽי־תִקְרֶ֤אנָה מִלְחָמָה֙ וְנוֹסַ֤ף גַּם־הוּא֙ עַל־שֹׂ֣נְאֵ֔ינוּ וְנִלְחַם־בָּ֖נוּ וְעָלָ֥ה מִן־הָאָֽרֶץ׃
() וַיְעַנּוּנוּ. כְּמוֹ שֶּׁנֶּאֱמַר. וַיָּשִׂ֤ימוּ עָלָיו֙ שָׂרֵ֣י מִסִּ֔ים לְמַ֥עַן עַנֹּת֖וֹ בְּסִבְלֹתָ֑ם וַיִּ֜בֶן עָרֵ֤י מִסְכְּנוֹת֙ לְפַרְעֹ֔ה אֶת־פִּתֹ֖ם וְאֶת־רַעַמְסֵֽס:
() וַיִתְּנוּ עָלֵינוּ עֲבֹדָה קָשָׁה. כְּמוֹ שֶֹׁנֶּאֱמַר. וַיַּעֲבִ֧דוּ מִצְרַ֛יִם אֶת־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בְּפָֽרֶךְ:
2) וַנִּצְעַ֕ק אֶל־יְהֹוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֣י אֲבֹתֵ֑ינוּ וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ע יְהֹוָה֙ אֶת־קֹלֵ֔נוּ וַיַּ֧רְא אֶת־עָנְיֵ֛נוּ וְאֶת־עֲמָלֵ֖נוּ וְאֶת־לַחֲצֵֽנוּ׃
() וַנִּצְעַק אֶל-יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי אֲבֹתֵינוּ. כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר. וַיְהִי֩ בַיָּמִ֨ים הָֽרַבִּ֜ים הָהֵ֗ם וַיָּ֙מָת֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרַ֔יִם וַיֵּאָנְח֧וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל מִן־הָעֲבֹדָ֖ה וַיִּזְעָ֑קוּ וַתַּ֧עַל שַׁוְעָתָ֛ם אֶל־הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים מִן־הָעֲבֹדָֽה:
() וַיִּשְׁמַע יְהֹוָה אֶת קֹלֵנוּ. כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר. וַיִּשְׁמַ֥ע אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶת־נַאֲקָתָ֑ם וַיִּזְכֹּ֤ר אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶת־בְּרִית֔וֹ אֶת־אַבְרָהָ֖ם אֶת־יִצְחָ֥ק וְאֶֽת־יַעֲקֹֽב:
() וַיַּרְא אֶת עָנְיֵנוּ. זוֹ פְּרִישׁוּת דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ. כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר. וַיַּ֥רְא אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיֵּ֖דַע אֱלֹהִֽים:
() וְאֶת עֲמָלֵנוּ. אֵלּוּ הַבָּנִים. כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר.
1 The Egyptians thought evil of us...va'yareu - “did evil against us” - let us plot against them, they are dangerous and seek to take over our land; va'ya'ahnunu “afflicted us” - taskmasters were set over us and we were forced into; avodah kasha - “hard labor” the government officials and normal citizens were complicit in the evildoing and lorded over us...
2. We called out to God, the God of our Ancestors, and God heard our voices, saw our
…”affliction” ohnyeinu…
“Back-breaking work” - amaleinu and “the pressure” lachatzeinu...
And the midrash explains:
ohnyeinu = abstinence and family crises (not affliction with taskmasters)
amaleinu = raising children in secret (not responding to the evil policies)
lachatzeinu = stress enough to kill us, living with devastating psychological pressure (not the overlording by the Egyptians)
....
How do the subjects of the verses in each of the two sections help us understand the midrashic commentaries? The Egyptians are the subject of the first section, the Jewish People in the second verse under discussion.
Of the various types of suffering described what is the worst? Which can a person control?
How did the Jewish People react to each of the types of suffering? What are some of the other stories and episdoes in the Tanakh or the Exodus story particularly that come to mind when thinking about the responses we see to these various types of suffering?
What is another way to define the suffering in your midrashic imagination?
