202. "And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river" (Shemot 2:5). When the children of Yisrael severed themselves from the Torah, "the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river," immediately. The attribute of Judgment, WHICH IS CALLED 'THE DAUGHTER OF PHARAOH,' would come down to wash herself with the blood of Yisrael, MEANING WITH THEIR BLEMISH, because of the disregard of the Torah - BECAUSE 'RIVER' MEANS TORAH. "And her maidens walked along by the river's side," because of the disregard to the Torah, for those who studied it loosened their hands from it.
203. Rabbi Yehuda said, Everything in the world depends upon repentance and prayer that the person prays to the Holy One, blessed be He - one who sheds tears during his prayer especially, for there is no gate that these tears cannot enter. It is written, "And when she had opened it, she saw the child" (Ibid.). "And she opened," refers to the Shechinah, who stands over Yisrael as a mother over her children, and She always opens with the merit of Yisrael.
204. As soon as she opened it, "she saw the child," MEANING "a darling child" (Yirmeyah 31:19), referring to the children of Yisrael who are constantly sinning before their King. But they immediately beseeched the Holy One, blessed be He; they returned in repentance and wept before Him as a son weeps before his father. As it is written, "Behold, a weeping boy" (Shemot 2:6). Since he wept, all the difficult decrees were removed from him. It is written, "And she had compassion on him" (Ibid.), because she was stirred with compassion and she pitied him.
205. "And said, 'This is one of the Hebrews' children'" (Ibid.). For they are soft-hearted, not children of the idol worshippers, who are stiff-necked and hard-hearted. "...The Hebrews' children..." are soft-hearted in THE MERIT OF the fathers and mothers, to repent before their Master. "And the maid went and called the child's mother" (Ibid. 8). THIS IS IN REFERENCE TO RACHEL THE MATRIARCH who was weeping. This is the verse, "A voice was heard in Rama, lamentation, and bitter weeping: Rachel weeping for her children..." (Yirmeyah 31:14). And he is crying, MEANING YISRAEL, and the mother of the child is weeping, REFERRING TO RACHEL, THE MOTHER OF YISRAEL.
206. Rabbi Yehuda said, Concerning the future, this is what is written: "They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them" (Ibid. 8). HE ASKS, What is the meaning of, "They shall come with weeping?" AND HE ANSWERS, In the merit of the weeping of the mother of the child, THE MOTHER OF YISRAEL, who is Rachel, they will come, and will be gathered from the exile. Rabbi Yitzchak said, The redemption of Yisrael is dependent only upon weeping, MEANING when the tears that Esau wept before his father will be finished and come to an end. THEN THEY WILL BE REDEEMED, as is written, "And Esau raised his voice and wept" (Beresheet 27:38). These tears lowered Yisrael into exile. THEREFORE, as soon as these tears cease through the weeping of Yisrael, they will go out of exile. This is the meaning of, "They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them."