Derasha 35 on Shemos 2:3

Parashas Shemos · Passuk 2:3

The Complete Passuk

וְלֹא־יָכְלָ֣ה עוֹד֮ הַצְּפִינוֹ֒ וַתִּֽקַּֽח־לוֹ֙ תֵּ֣בַת גֹּ֔מֶא וַתַּחְמְרָ֥הֿ בַחֵמָ֖ר וּבַזָּ֑פֶת וַתָּ֤שֶׂם בָּהּ֙ אֶת־הַיֶּ֔לֶד וַתָּ֥שֶׂם בַּסּ֖וּף עַל־שְׂפַ֥ת הַיְאֹֽר׃

Chabad.org — English translation + Rashi

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Sotah 12a (verified).

Sefaria — Exodus 2:3

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text — Sotah 12a
״וְלֹא יָכְלָה עוֹד הַצְּפִינוֹ״. אַמַּאי? תִּצְפְּנֵיהּ וְתֵיזִיל! אֶלָּא, כֹּל הֵיכִי דַּהֲווֹ שָׁמְעִי מִצְרָאֵי דְּמִתְיְלִיד יָנוֹקָא, מַמְטוּ יָנוֹקֵי הָתָם כִּי הֵיכִי דְּלִישְׁמְעִינְהוּ וּמְעַוֵּי בַּהֲדַיְהוּ.

English: “And she could no longer hide him” — whenever the Egyptians heard that a child had been born, they would bring a [crying] infant there so that [the hidden child] would cry along with them.

In context: See the cited source for the full section.

Type of Learning

Custom

What Is Learned

The concealment became impossible once Egyptian search parties used this method.