Sotah

For he said: I have no son.  Had he, then, no sons? Behold it is written: And unto Absalom there were born three sons and one daughter!  — R. Isaac b. Abdimi said: [His meaning was] that he had no son fit for the kingship. R. Hisda said: There is a tradition that whoever burns his neighbour's produce will not leave a son to succeed him; and he [Absalom] had burnt [the produce] of Joab, as it is written: Therefore he said unto his servants, See, Joab's field is near mine, and he hath barley there; go and set it on fire. And Absalom's servants set the field on fire. IT IS THE SAME IN CONNECTION WITH THE GOOD. MIRIAM etc. Is this like [the other cases mentioned]? There she waited a short while [for Moses], here [the Israelites waited for her] seven days?  — Abaye said: Read that in connection with the good [the principle of measure for measure] does not apply. Raba said to him, But the Mishnah teaches IT IS THE SAME IN CONNECTION WITH THE GOOD! But, said Raba, the Mishnah must be understood thus: It is the same in connection with the good that there is the same measure; nevertheless the measure in the case of the good is greater than the measure in the case of punishment. And his sister stood afar off.  R. Isaac said: The whole of this verse is spoken with reference to the Shechinah: 'and stood', as it is written: And the Lord came and stood etc.  'His sister', as it is written: Say unto wisdom, thou art my Sister.  'Afar off, as it is written: The Lord appeared from afar unto me.  'To know', as it is written: For the Lord is a God of knowledge.  'What', as it is written: What doth the Lord require of thee?  'Done', as it is written: Surely the Lord God will do nothing.  'To him', as it is written: And called it Lord is peace. Now there arose a new king etc.  Rab and Samuel [differ in their interpretation]; one said that he was really new, while the other said that his decrees were made new. He who said that he was really new did so because it is written 'new'; and he who said that his decrees were made new did so because it is not stated that [the former king] died and he reigned [in his stead]. Who knew not Joseph — he was like one who did not know [Joseph] at all. And he said unto his people, Behold the people of the children of Israel.  A Tanna taught: He [Pharaoh] originated the plan first, and therefore was punished first. He originated the plan first, as it is written: And he said unto his people; therefore he was punished first, as it is written: Upon thee, and upon thy people, and upon all thy servants. Come, let us deal wisely with him  — it should have been with them! — R. Hama b. Hanina said: [Pharaoh meant,] Come and let us outwit the Saviour of Israel. With what shall we afflict them? If we afflict them with fire, it is written: For, behold the Lord will come with fire,  and it continues, For by fire will the Lord plead etc.  [If we afflict them] with the sword, it is written: And by His sword with all flesh.  But come and let us afflict them with water, because the Holy One, blessed be He, has already sworn that he will not bring a flood upon the world; as it is said: For this is as the waters of Noah unto Me, etc.  They were unaware, however, that He would not bring a flood upon the whole world but upon one people He would bring it; or alternatively, He would not bring [the flood] but they would go and fall into it. Thus it says: And the Egyptians fled towards it.  This is what R. Eleazar said: What means that which is written: Yea, in the thing wherein they zadu [dealt proudly] against them?  In the pot in which they cooked were they cooked. Whence is it learnt that 'zadu' means cooking? — Because it is written: And Jacob sod [wa-yazed] pottage. R. Hiyya b. Abba said in the name of R. Simai: There were three in that plan,  viz. Balaam, Job  and Jethro. Balaam who devised it was slain; Job who silently acquiesced was afflicted with sufferings; Jethro, who fled, merited that his descendants should sit in the Chamber of Hewn Stone,  as it is said: And the families of scribes which dwelt at Jabez; the Tirathites, the Shimeathites, the Sucathites. These are the Kenites that came of Hammath, the father of the house of Rechab;  and it is written: And the children of the Kenite, Moses' father-in-law etc. And fight against us and get them up out of the land  — it should have read 'and we will get us up!'  — R. Abba b. Kahana said: It is like a man who curses himself and hangs the curse upon somebody else. Therefore they did set over him taskmasters  — it should have read 'over them'! — It was taught in the School of R. Eleazar b. Simeon, It indicates that they brought a brick-mould and hung it round Pharaoh's neck; and every Israelite who complained that he was weak was told, 'Art thou weaker than Pharaoh?' Missim ['taskmasters'] — i.e., something which forms [mesim].  'To afflict him with their burdens'- it should have read 'them'! — The [meaning is] to afflict Pharaoh with the burdens of Israel. And they built for Pharaoh store cities [miskenoth]. Rab and Samuel [differ in their interpretation]; one said, [They were so called] because they endangered [mesakkenoth] their owners,  while the other said because they impoverished [memaskenoth] their owners,  for a master has declared that whoever occupies himself with building becomes impoverished. Pithom and Raamses  — Rab and Samuel differ [in their interpretation];  one said: Its real name was Pithom, and why was it called Raamses? Because one building after another collapsed [mithroses]. The other said that its real name was Raamses, and why was it called Pithom? Because the mouth of the deep [pi tehom] swallowed up one building after another. But the more they afflicted him, the more he will multiply and the more he will spread abroad  — it should have read 'the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroadð! — Resh Lakish said: The Holy Spirit announced to them. 'The more he will multiply and the more he will spread abroad'. And they were grieved [wa-yakuzu] because of the children of Israel  — this teaches that they were like thorns [kozim] in their eyes. And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve