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By Rabbi Shloimie Lindenbaum
ובכל ארץ מצרים תשחת הראץ מפני הערב (פרק ח פסוק כ)
When Hashem sends the plague of wild animals to punish the Egyptians, the Torah tells us that “land was being ruined because of the swarm [of wild animals]”. Why was the land so badly affected because of the animals? R’ Sholom Shwadron explained, earlier the Torah tells us that Hashem will send the animals “and even the ground upon which they are”. Some explain this to mean that Hashem had each animal be accompanied by it’s natural habitat. This way the animals would feel at home and would wreak maximum destruction. If we try to imagine a swarm, not just of animals, but of varying habitats, consuming Egypt, then we can easily understand why the land itself was ruined. The constant change of temperature and environment did not allow for normalcy, not only for the people, but even for the land.
ואשר לא שם לבו אל דבר ה’ (פרק ט פסוק כא)
Hashem warns that for the seventh plague He will send hail on Egypt which will kill all the animals that are outdoors. He therefore advised them to bring their animals inside. However, the Torah tells us that anyone who feared Hashem gathered them in, but those who did not take His Word to heart, left their animals in the fields. R’ Chaim Shmulevitz wonders, why did one need fear of Heaven to listen to the warning? The first six plagues were brutal- any sensible person would take precautions to avoid the seventh? R’ Chaim answers that we see from here the power of thinking and internalizing messages. One can live through experiences which clearly display the Hand of G-d, but if one does not contemplate them, trying to make them a part of their life, they will continue to live as before. We must pay attention to our life experiences and internalize the messages to teach us how to continue living properly.
A big thank you to R’ Betzalel Reifman for contributing both pieces this week.
