Vayikra Rabbah 32:5 with Translations

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Another matter: “The son of an Israelite woman…went out” – that is what is written: “A locked garden is my sister, my bride; a locked fountain, a sealed spring” (Song of Songs 4:12). Rabbi Pinḥas said: “A locked fountain” – these are the virgins. “A locked garden” – these are the married women. “A sealed spring” – these are the males.²⁵The meaning is that none engaged in in illicit sexual activity, other than the one Israelite woman mentioned in the verse who had a son with an Egyptian man. It is taught in the name of Rabbi Natan: “A locked garden,” “a locked fountain” – these are two forms of intercourse, typical and atypical.²⁶The reference is to vaginal and anal intercourse.
Another matter: Rabbi Pinḥas said in the name of Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba: “A locked garden” (Song of Songs 4:12) – because Israel restrained themselves from licentiousness in Egypt, they were delivered from Egypt. As a result, “your branches [shelaḥayikh]” (Song of Songs 4:13) – your being sent out [shiluḥayikh],²⁷The midrash reads the term “your branches [shelaḥayikh]” to mean “your being sent out [shiluḥayikh],” which is the result of what was indicated in the previous verse, namely that they restrained themselves from licentiousness. just as it says: “It was when Pharaoh sent out [beshalaḥ]” (Exodus 13:17). Rabbi Huna said in the name of Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba: Sarah our matriarch descended to Egypt and restrained herself from licentiousness, and all the women restrained themselves by her merit. Joseph descended to Egypt and restrained himself from licentiousness, and all of Israel restrained themselves by his merit.²⁸Sarah refrained from licentiousness when Pharaoh had her taken so that he could marry her (see Genesis 12:14–20), and Joseph refrained from licentiousness with the wife of Potifar (see Genesis 39:7–12). In so doing, they bequeathed to their descendants the spiritual fortitude to withstand such temptation.
Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said: The restraint from licentiousness was itself sufficient for Israel to have been redeemed on its account. Rav Huna said in the name of bar Kappara: Due to four matters, Israel was redeemed from Egypt: Because they did not change their name, their language, they did not speak slander, and there was not one among them who was found to be steeped in licentiousness. They did not change their name; Reuben and Simeon descended [to Egypt], and Reuben and Simeon ascended. They did not call Judah Rupa, nor Reuben Luleyani, nor Joseph Leisteis, and nor Benjamin Alexandri.
They did not change their language. There it is written: “The survivor came and told Abram the Hebrew” (Genesis 14:13), and here: “They said: The God of the Hebrews called upon us” (Exodus 5:3); and it is written: “That it is my mouth that is speaking to you” (Genesis 45:12) – in the sacred tongue.
They did not speak slander, as it is stated: “Speak now in the ears of the people, [and they shall ask each man from his neighbor and each woman from her neighbor, silver vessels and gold vessels]” (Exodus 11:2). You find that this matter had been entrusted to them for twelve months, and not one of them informed on another.²⁹The Israelites knew twelve months before the Exodus that they would ask to borrow goods from the Egyptians and that they would then leave Egypt never to return. Nonetheless, none of them told the Egyptians about this plan.
And there was not one among them who was found to be steeped in licentiousness. Know that it was so, as there was one, and the verse publicized her, as it is stated: “And the name of his mother was Shelomit, daughter of Divri, of the tribe of Dan” (Leviticus 24:11).³⁰The verse mentions the name of this woman who had conceived from an Egyptian man in order to emphasize that no other Israelite women had conceived from Egyptian men. “Shelomit” – as Rabbi Levi said: She was very talkative in greetings: Greetings to you, greetings to you.³¹She would strike up conversations with everyone, including men. “Daughter of Divri” – that she caused a matter [davar] to befall her son. “Of the tribe of Dan” – it is a disgrace for him, a disgrace for his family, a disgrace for the tribe from which he emerged.

The Sefaria Midrash Rabbah, 2022

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The Sefaria Midrash Rabbah, 2022

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...Rabbi Hun stated in the name of Bar Kappara: Israel were redeemed from Egypt on account of four things; because they did not change their names, they did not change their language, they did not go tale-bearing, and none of them was found to have been immoral. 'They did not change their name', having gone down as Reuben and Simeon, and having come up as Reuben and Simeon. They did not call Reuben 'Rufus' nor Judah 'Leon', nor Joseph 'Lestes', nor Benjamin 'Alexander'. 'They did not change their language', as may be inferred from the fact that it is written elsewhere, 'And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew' (Genesis 14:13), while here it is written, 'The God of the Hebrews has met with us' (Exodus 15:3), and it is written 'It is my mouth that speaks unto you' (Genesis 45:12), which means that he spoke in Hebrew.

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