שמות רבה י״בShemot Rabbah 12

Section 1א׳

וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל משֶׁה הַשְׁכֵּם בַּבֹּקֶר וגו', הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (איוב לו, כב): הֶן אֵל יַשְׂגִּיב בְּכֹחוֹ מִי כָמֹהוּ מוֹרֶה, אָמַר רַבִּי בֶּרֶכְיָה הֶן אֶחָד, שֶׁכֵּן בְּלָשׁוֹן יְוָנִי קוֹרִין לְאֶחָד הֶן, כְּלוֹמַר אֶחָד אֱלֹהֵינוּ יַשְׂגִּיב בְּכֹחוֹ, מַעֲצִים כֹּחַ הַצַּדִּיקִים לַעֲשׂוֹת רְצוֹנוֹ, וּמִי כָמֹהוּ מוֹרֶה, שֶׁהוּא מוֹרֶה דֶרֶךְ לַעֲשׂוֹת תְּשׁוּבָה. וְכֵן אַתָּה מוֹצֵא בְּמשֶׁה שֶׁהִשְׂגִּיב הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא כֹּחוֹ לָלֶכֶת בִּשְׁלִיחוּתוֹ וְלַעֲשׂוֹת צִוּוּיוֹ, וְהָיָה מוֹרֶה לְפַרְעֹה הָרָשָׁע שֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה תְּשׁוּבָה, שֶׁלֹא חָפֵץ לִשְׁלוֹחַ הַמַּכָּה עַד שֶׁיַּזְהִירֶנּוּ שֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה תְּשׁוּבָה, שֶׁכֵּן כְּתִיב: הַשְׁכֵּם בַּבֹּקֶר וְהִתְיַצֵּב לִפְנֵי פַרְעֹה, הָיָה נוֹתֵן כֹּחַ בְּמשֶׁה לְהַשְׁכִּים וּלְהִתְיַצֵּב לִפְנֵי פַרְעֹה, וְהָיָה מוֹרֶה דֶרֶךְ לְפַרְעֹה כְּדֵי שֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה תְּשׁוּבָה, שֶׁכֵּן כְּתִיב: וְאָמַרְתָּ אֵלָיו כֹּה אָמַר ה' אֱלֹהֵי הָעִבְרִים. כִּי בַּפַּעַם הַזֹּאת וגו', לָמָּה לֹא נֶאֱמַר כָּאן (שמות ח, טז): הִנֵּה יוֹצֵא הַמָּיְמָה, כֵּיוָן שֶׁרָאָה פַּרְעֹה שֶׁבְּעֵת שֶׁהָיָה יוֹצֵא הַמַּיְמָה משֶׁה מַקְדִּימוֹ בַּדֶּרֶךְ, נִמְנַע שֶׁלֹא לָצֵאת כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹא יִפְגַע בּוֹ משֶׁה, אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לֵךְ אֶצְלוֹ בְּהַשְׁכָּמָה עַד שֶׁלֹא יֵצֵא מִבֵּיתוֹ. כִּי בַּפַּעַם הַזֹּאת וגו', כִּי עַתָּה שָׁלַחְתִּי אֶת יָדִי וגו', אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אִי רָשָׁע סָבוּר אַתָּה שֶׁלֹא אוּכַל לְהַכְחִידְךָ מִן הָעוֹלָם, לְמֹד מִמַּכַּת הַדֶּבֶר בְּעֵת שֶׁשָּׁלַחְתִּי אוֹתוֹ הַדֶּבֶר אִלּוּ הָיִיתִי מְשַׁלְּחוֹ עָלֶיךָ וְעַל עַמְּךָ הָיִיתָ נִכְחַד מִן הָאָרֶץ, אֲבָל לֹא שְׁלַחְתִּיו עָלֶיךָ אֶלָּא כְּדֵי שֶׁאַרְאֲךָ כֹּחַ גְּבוּרָתִי וּתְסַפֵּר כֹּחִי בְּכָל הָאָרֶץ, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (שמות ט, טז): וְאוּלָם בַּעֲבוּר זֹאת הֶעֱמַדְתִּיךָ. עוֹדְךָ מִסְתּוֹלֵל בְּעַמִּי, שֶׁהָיָה עוֹשֶׂה אוֹתָם כִּמְסִילָה שֶׁהַכֹּל דָּשִׁין עָלֶיהָ, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמַר (ישעיה נא, כג): אֲשֶׁר אָמְרוּ לְנַפְשֵׁךְ שְׁחִי וְנַעֲבֹרָה וַתָּשִׂימִי כָאָרֶץ גֵּוֵךְ.

“The Lord said to Moses: Rise early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and say to him: So said the Lord, God of the Hebrews: Let My people go, and they will serve Me. For this time, I will send all My plagues against your heart and upon your servants and against your people, so that you will know that there is none like Me on the entire earth” (Exodus 9:13-14). “The Lord said to Moses: Rise early in the morning” – that is what is written: “Behold [hen], God is exalted in His power, who teaches like Him?” (Job 36:22). Rabbi Berekhya said: Hen means one, as in the Greek language, one is called hen. In other words, our God is one. “Exalted in his power” – He increases the strength of the righteous to perform His will. And “who teaches like Him?” – as He teaches the path of repentance. So you find with Moses, whom the Holy One blessed be He strengthened to go on His mission and perform His commands. He taught the wicked Pharaoh to repent because He did not want to send the plague until he forewarns him to [allow him to] repent, as it is written: “Rise early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh.” He would give Moses strength to rise early and stand before Pharaoh, and he taught the wicked Pharaoh about the path of repentance, as it is written: “And say to him: So said the Lord, God of the Hebrews…. For this time…” “Why isn’t it stated here “behold, he is going out to the water” (Exodus 8:16)? Once Pharaoh saw that when he would go out to the water, Moses would precede him on the path, he refrained and did not go out, so that Moses would not encounter him. The Holy One blessed be He said to him: Go to him early, before he leaves his house. “For I could have now extended My hand and afflicted you and your people with pestilence, and you would be eliminated from the earth” (Exodus 9:15). “For this time (Exodus 9:14)…For I could have now extended My hand…” The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Woe, wicked one, do you believe that I am unable to eradicate you from the world? Learn from the plague of pestilence. When I sent that pestilence, had I sent it upon you and on your people, you would have been eradicated from the land. However, I only sent it upon you in order to show you the power of My might, and so that you would tell of My strength throughout the land.’ That is what is written: “However, for this I have sustained you [in order to show you My power, and so that My renown will be told of throughout the earth]” (Exodus 9:16). “You continue to oppress My people, not letting them go” (Exodus 9:17). “You continue to oppress [mistolel] My people.” He would make them like a road [mesila] on which everyone treads, as you say: “…who said to your soul: Bow down, so we may pass, and set down your body like the ground” (Isaiah 51:23).

Section 2ב׳

הִנְנִי מַמְטִיר כָּעֵת מָחָר בָּרָד כָּבֵד מְאֹד, זַבְדִי בֶּן לֵוִי אָמַר סָרַט לוֹ סְרִיטָה עַל הַכֹּתֶל אָמַר לוֹ כְּשֶׁתַּגִּיעַ הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ לְכָאן יֵרֵד מָחָר הַבָּרָד. אֲשֶׁר לֹא הָיָה כָמֹהוּ בְּמִצְרַיִם, לוֹמַר לָךְ שֶׁלֹא הָיָה כָמוֹהוּ בָּעוֹלָם וְלֹא בְּמִצְרַיִם, אֵינוֹ אוֹמֵר וְלֹא יִהְיֶה כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר בְּמַכַּת בְּכוֹרוֹת (שמות יא, ו): וְכָמֹהוּ לֹא תֹסִף, אֲשֶׁר לֹא הָיָה כָמֹהוּ, כְּלוֹמַר לְשֶׁעָבַר לֹא הָיָה אֲבָל עָתִיד לִהְיוֹת לְהַבָּא, אֵימָתַי בִּימֵי גוֹג וּמָגוֹג, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (איוב לח, כג): אֲשֶׁר חָשַׂכְתִּי לְעֶת צָר לְיוֹם קְרָב וּמִלְחָמָה, וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (יחזקאל לח, כב): וְגֶשֶׁם שׁוֹטֵף וְאַבְנֵי אֶלְגָּבִישׁ. וְעַתָּה שְׁלַח הָעֵז אֶת מִקְנְךָ, בּוֹא וּרְאֵה רַחֲמָיו שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֲפִלּוּ בִּשְׁעַת כַּעֲסוֹ רִחֵם עַל הָרְשָׁעִים וְעַל בְּהֶמְתָּם, לְפִי שֶׁמַּכַּת הַבָּרָד לֹא הָיָה מְשַׁלְּחוֹ עֲלֵיהֶן אֶלָּא עַל יְבוּל הָאָרֶץ, וְהָיָה מַזְהִירָן שֶׁיִּשְׁמְרוּ עַצְמָן וְאֶת בְּהֶמְתָּם, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹא יִלְקוּ בַּבָּרָד. הַיָּרֵא אֶת דְּבַר ה' מֵעַבְדֵי פַרְעֹה, אָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה, זֶה הָיָה אִיּוֹב. וַאֲשֶׁר לֹא שָׂם לִבּוֹ, זֶה הָיָה פַּרְעֹה וְעַמּוֹ.

“Behold, I will rain down tomorrow at this time very severe hail, that there has not been like it in Egypt since the day it was founded until now” (Exodus 9:18). “Behold…tomorrow at this time…very severe hail.” Zavdi ben Levi said: He scratched a mark on the wall. He said to him: ‘When the sun reaches here, the hail will fall tomorrow.’ “That there has not been like it in Egypt” – to tell you that there had not been like it in the world and not in Egypt. It does not say that there will not be like it, like it said about the plague of the firstborn: “Nor will be like it any more” (Exodus 11:6). “That there has not been like it” – in other words, in the past there has not been, but there is destined to be in the future. When? In the days of Gog and Magog; that is what is written: “Which I have reserved for a time of trouble, for a day of battle and war” (Job 38:23), and so it says: “Torrential rain and hailstones” (Ezekiel 38:22). “Now, send and gather your livestock and everything that is yours in the field; every man and animal that will be found in the field and will not be gathered into the house, the hail will fall upon them and they will die” (Exodus 9:12). “Now send, and gather your livestock” – come and see the mercy of the Holy One blessed be He; even at the time of His anger, He had mercy on the wicked and on their animals, as He did not send the plague of hail upon them, but only on the crops of the land. He cautioned them that they preserve themselves and their animals, so they would not be stricken with the hail. He who feared the word of the Lord among the servants of Pharaoh drove his servants and his livestock into the houses. And he who disregarded the word of the Lord, he left his servants and his livestock in the field (Exodus 9:20-21). “He who feared the word of the Lord among the servants of Pharaoh.” Our Rabbis, of blessed memory, said: That was Job; “and he who disregarded,” that was Pharaoh, and his people.

Section 3ג׳

וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל משֶׁה נְטֵה יָדְךָ עַל הַשָּׁמָיִם, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (תהלים קלה, ו): כֹּל אֲשֶׁר חָפֵץ ה' עָשָׂה וגו', אָמַר דָּוִד אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁגָּזַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא (תהלים קטו, טז): הַשָּׁמַיִם שָׁמַיִם לַה' וְהָאָרֶץ נָתַן לִבְנֵי אָדָם, מָשָׁל לְמָה הַדָּבָר דּוֹמֶה, לְמֶלֶךְ שֶׁגָּזַר וְאָמַר בְּנֵי רוֹמִי לֹא יֵרְדוּ לְסוּרְיָא וּבְנֵי סוּרְיָא לֹא יַעֲלוּ לְרוֹמִי, כָּךְ כְּשֶׁבָּרָא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֶת הָעוֹלָם גָּזַר וְאָמַר: הַשָּׁמַיִם שָׁמַיִם לַה' וְהָאָרֶץ נָתַן לִבְנֵי אָדָם, כְּשֶׁבִּקֵּשׁ לִתֵּן הַתּוֹרָה בִּטֵּל גְּזֵרָה רִאשׁוֹנָה וְאָמַר הַתַּחְתּוֹנִים יַעֲלוּ לָעֶלְיוֹנִים וְהָעֶלְיוֹנִים יֵרְדוּ לַתַּחְתּוֹנִים, וַאֲנִי הַמַּתְחִיל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות יט, כ): וַיֵּרֶד ה' עַל הַר סִינַי, וּכְתִיב (שמות כד, ט): וְאֶל משֶׁה אָמַר עֲלֵה אֶל ה', הֲרֵי כֹּל אֲשֶׁר חָפֵץ ה' עָשָׂה בַּשָּׁמַיִם וּבָאָרֶץ וגו'. כְּמוֹ כֵן כְּשֶׁבִּקֵּשׁ אָמַר (בראשית א, ט): יִקָּווּ הַמַּיִם, וּכְשֶׁבִּקֵּשׁ עָשָׂה אֶת הַיַּבָּשָׁה יַם וּתְהוֹם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (עמוס ה, ח, ט, ו): הַקּוֹרֵא לְמֵי הַיָּם, וְאוֹמֵר (בראשית ז, יא): בַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה נִבְקְעוּ כָּל מַעְיְנוֹת תְּהוֹם רַבָּה. וּכְשֶׁבִּקֵּשׁ עָשָׂה אֶת הַיָּם וּתְהוֹמוֹת יַבָּשָׁה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות יד, כט): וּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הָלְכוּ בַיַּבָּשָׁה בְּתוֹךְ הַיָּם, וְאוֹמֵר (תהלים קו, ט): וַיּוֹלִיכֵם בַּתְּהֹמוֹת כַּמִּדְבָּר. וְכֵן בְּמִצְרַיִם, בְּמשֶׁה שֶׁהָיָה בָּאָרֶץ, נָתַן לוֹ רְשׁוּת לִשְׁלֹט בְּמַעֲשֵׂה שָׁמַיִם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל משֶׁה נְטֵה יָדְךָ עַל הַשָּׁמַיִם וגו'. לָמָּה הֵבִיא עֲלֵיהֶם בָּרָד, לְפִי שֶׁשָֹּׂמוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל נוֹטְעֵי כְּרָמִים וְגַנּוֹת וּפַרְדֵּסִים וְאִילָנוֹת, לְפִיכָךְ הֵבִיא עֲלֵיהֶם בָּרָד וְשִׁבַּר אֶת הַכֹּל. עַל הָאָדָם וְעַל הַבְּהֵמָה, כֵּיוָן שֶׁרָאָה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא שֶׁלֹא שָׁמְעוּ לִדְבָרָיו מַה שֶּׁאָמַר לָהֶם (שמות ט, יט): שְׁלַח הָעֵז, אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, כְּדַי שֶׁיָּבוֹא הַבָּרָד עַל הַכֹּל.

“The Lord said to Moses: Extend your hand toward the heavens, and there will be hail throughout the land of Egypt, upon man, upon animal, and upon all the grasses of the field, in the land of Egypt (Exodus 9:22). “The Lord said to Moses: Extend your hand toward the heavens” – that is what is written: “Whatever the Lord wished, He has done…” (Psalms 135:6). David said: Even though the Holy One blessed be He decreed: “The heavens are the heavens of the Lord and the earth He has given to the children of men” (Psalms 115:16) [it is to be understood in this way]. To what is this matter comparable? It is [comparable] to a king who decreed and said that Romans may not go down to Syria and Syrians may not go up to Rome. Similarly, when the Holy One blessed be He created the world, He decreed and said: “The heavens are the heavens of the Lord; but the earth He has given to the children of men.” When He sought to give the Torah, He cancelled the first decree and said: Those below will ascend to those above, and those above will descend to those below, and it is I who begins, as it is stated: “The Lord descended onto Mount Sinai” (Exodus 19:20), and it is written: “To Moses He said: Ascend to God” (Exodus 24:1). That is: “Whatever the Lord wished, He has done, in the heavens and on the earth.” Likewise, when He sought to , He said: “Let the waters be gathered” (Genesis 1:9), and when He sought to act, He made the dry land into sea and the depths, as it is stated: “Who summons the water of the sea” (Amos 5:8; 9:6), and it says: “All the fountains of the great deep burst” (Genesis 7:11). When He sought to do so, he made the sea and the depths into dry land, as it is stated: “And the children of Israel walked on dry land in the midst of the sea” (Exodus 14:29), and it says: “He led them through the depths, as through a wilderness” (Psalms 106:9). Likewise in Egypt, regarding Moses, who was on the land, He gave him license to control the actions of the heavens, as it is stated: “The Lord said to Moses: Extend your hand toward the heavens…” Why did He bring hail upon them? It is because they [the Egyptians] set Israel to be planters of vineyards, gardens, orchards, and trees; therefore He brought hail upon them and broke everything. “Upon man, upon animal” – when the Holy One blessed be He saw that they did not heed His words that He had said to them: “Now send, gather [your livestock…every man and animal that will be found in the field… will die]” (Exodus 9:19), the Holy One blessed be He said: They deserve that the hail shall fall upon everything.