104 Exodus Retold
13. The Israelites Were "Begged" to Leave Egypt (19:3d)
The fact that the Egyptians were now pursuing (cStc.lKc..:>) as fugitives (
158The use of (31) Now the territory of the land of Egypt was a distance of 400 miles.160 The land of Goshen, where Moses and the Israelites were, was in the middle [~] of the land of Egypt, whereas Pharaoh's royal palace [i1.1T"15l1 ~ rr:n J"ii:!l?:l1] was at the beginning of the land of Egypt. So he called to Moses and Aaron on the night of the Passover. His voice could be heard as far as the land of Goshen. Pharaoh entreated [)lTI:I] [them] with a sorrowful voice[:::!~ '1:':::!]. He said, "Get up. Leave my people's presence, you and the Israelites, too. Go worship YHWH as you have said. (32) Take also your sheep and your cattle and from my belongings ['71 )r.J'l], as we have spoken, and go. I ask only that you pray for me that I not die." (33) When Moses and Pharaoh and the Israelites heard Pharaoh's weeping voice [~:::!'1:'], they did not pay attention [1m~ 16] until he and all his officials and all the Egyptians came. They urged the people of the house of Israel to hurry and leave the land, for they said, "If they remain here one more hour, we will all die."161 But what of the origin of the tradition? If "petitioning" is not part of the Exodus narrative, why would the tradition have arisen in the first place? As indicated in the Targum, the biblical motive seems to be Exod 12:31. There, the urgency and panic of Pharaoh's actions are evident. It is the Passover. Moses and the Israelites have been instructed by YHWH to remain indoors, in Goshen, to escape death. Pharaoh is in his palace surrounded by the shrieks of terrified countrymen. What does he do? He "calls to Moses and Aaron" (11i1~'?, i1WO'? ~1P'\ v. 12:31a). The Targum understands the lamed not in the sense of summoning them by means of a messenger, but actually calling to them, perhaps a loud cry of frustration and grief, or even yelling out the window! They hear him, of course (or else the ensuing commands of Pharaoh would not be heard), even halfway across the country, 200 miles away. But according to the Targum, the Israelites do not react until their enemies suffer further humiliation and present themselves. Also, Pharaoh calls to them at night (i1'?''?), which further emphasizes the urgency of the matter; this simply could not keep until morning. The words of Pharaoh that follow in vv. 31b-32 sound like complete capitulation: "Take everything, whatever you want, sheep, cattle, anything. Just get out. The only thing we want from you is your blessing: make the plague stop."162 Although Pharaoh's actions are not explicitly 160The Aramaic is Oiel, representing Persian miles. 161 Ginzberg retells a similar midrash, but, unfortunately, without notes as to its origin (Legends, 2.368-70). 162Ginzberg also comments on the urgency of the expulsion, but, again without notes: "So the Egyptians were happier to be rid of the Hebrews than these were to be free" (Legends, 2.374). See also Ps 105:38: "The Egyptians rejoiced when they left"