Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 10

12God said to Moses, “Raise your arm over Egypt for the locusts, so that they will ascend over Egypt. They will eat all the vegetation in the land, whatever the hail left over.”   יבוַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהֹוָ֜ה אֶל־משֶׁ֗ה נְטֵ֨ה יָֽדְךָ֜ עַל־אֶ֤רֶץ מִצְרַ֨יִם֙ בָּֽאַרְבֶּ֔ה וְיַ֖עַל עַל־אֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם וְיֹאכַל֙ אֶת־כָּל־עֵ֣שֶׂב הָאָ֔רֶץ אֵ֛ת כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֥ר הִשְׁאִ֖יר הַבָּרָֽד:
בָּֽאַרְבֶּה - means: For the purpose of the plague of locusts.   בָּֽאַרְבֶּה.  בִּשְׁבִיל מַכַּת הָאַרְבֶּה:
13Moses raised his staff over Egypt, and all that day and night God directed an east wind over the land. When morning came, the east wind had carried the locusts into the country.   יגוַיֵּ֨ט משֶׁ֣ה אֶת־מַטֵּ֘הוּ֘ עַל־אֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֒יִם֒ וַֽיהֹוָ֗ה נִהַ֤ג רֽוּחַ־קָדִים֙ בָּאָ֔רֶץ כָּל־הַיּ֥וֹם הַה֖וּא וְכָל־הַלָּ֑יְלָה הַבֹּ֣קֶר הָיָ֔ה וְר֨וּחַ֙ הַקָּדִ֔ים נָשָׂ֖א אֶת־הָֽאַרְבֶּֽה:
וְרוּחַ הַקָּדִים - The east wind. It was an east wind that carried the locusts, because it blew from the Land of Israel towards Egypt, since Egypt was to the southwest of the Land of Israel, as is explained elsewhere.   וְרוּחַ הַקָּדִים.  רוּחַ מִזְרָחִית נָשָׂא אֶת הָאַרְבֶּה, לְפִי שֶׁבָּא כְּנֶגְדוֹ, שֶׁמִּצְרַיִם בִּדְרוֹמִית מַעֲרָבִית הָיְתָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁמְּפֹרָשׁ בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר:
14The locusts ascended all over Egypt and landed on all the territory of Egypt as a very severe plague; never before had there been such a plague of locusts, and never again will there be anything like it.   ידוַיַּ֣עַל הָֽאַרְבֶּ֗ה עַ֚ל כָּל־אֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם וַיָּ֕נַח בְּכֹ֖ל גְּב֣וּל מִצְרָ֑יִם כָּבֵ֣ד מְאֹ֔ד לְ֠פָנָ֠יו לֹא־הָ֨יָה כֵ֤ן אַרְבֶּה֙ כָּמֹ֔הוּ וְאַֽחֲרָ֖יו לֹ֥א יִֽהְיֶה־כֵּֽן:
וְאַֽחֲרָיו לֹא־יִֽהְיֶה־כֵן - Never again will there be anything like it. And that plague of locusts that was in the days of Joel, of which it says: “There has never been anything like it” 1 – from which we can learn that it was more severe than that of the days of Moses – it is so because that plague that was in the days of Joel was made up of many different kinds of locusts, for there were together the arbeh, yelek, chasil, and gazam species, but that of the days of Moses was mainly of only one kind, which caused such devastation the like of which had never been and will never be through only one species.   וְאַֽחֲרָיו לֹא־יִֽהְיֶה־כֵן.  וְאוֹתוֹ שֶׁהָיָה בִימֵי יוֹאֵל שֶׁנֶּ' "כָּמוֹהוּ לֹא נִהְיָה מִן הָעוֹלָם" (יואל ב'), לָמַדְנוּ שֶׁהָיָה כָּבֵד מִשֶּׁל מֹשֶׁה. (אוֹתוֹ שֶׁל יוֹאֵל הָיָה) עַל יְדֵי מִינִין הַרְבֵּה, שֶׁהָיוּ יַחַד אַרְבֶּה, יֶלֶק, חָסִיל, גָּזָם, אֲבָל שֶׁל מֹשֶׁה לֹא הָיָה אֶלָּא מִין אֶחָד, וְכָמוֹהוּ לֹא הָיָה וְלֹא יִהְיֶה:
15They covered the entire surface of the land so that the land became dark. They ate up all the vegetation of the land and all the fruit of the trees that the hail had left over; no foliage was left on the trees or among the vegetation of the field all throughout Egypt.   טווַיְכַ֞ס אֶת־עֵ֣ין כָּל־הָאָ֘רֶץ֘ וַתֶּחְשַׁ֣ךְ הָאָ֒רֶץ֒ וַיֹּ֜אכַל אֶת־כָּל־עֵ֣שֶׂב הָאָ֗רֶץ וְאֵת֙ כָּל־פְּרִ֣י הָעֵ֔ץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר הוֹתִ֖יר הַבָּרָ֑ד וְלֹֽא־נוֹתַ֨ר כָּל־יֶ֧רֶק בָּעֵ֛ץ וּבְעֵ֥שֶׂב הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה בְּכָל־אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם:
כָּל־יֶרֶק - means: green leaf; “verdure” in Old French (“greenery”).   כָּל־יֶרֶק.  עָלֶה יָרֹק, וירדו"רא בְּלַעַז:
16Pharaoh hastily summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “I have sinned against God, your God, and against you.   טזוַיְמַהֵ֣ר פַּרְעֹ֔ה לִקְרֹ֖א לְמשֶׁ֣ה וּלְאַֽהֲרֹ֑ן וַיֹּ֗אמֶר חָטָ֛אתִי לַֽיהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֖ם וְלָכֶֽם:
17So now, please forgive my offense just this once, and entreat God, your God, just to remove this death from me!”   יזוְעַתָּ֗ה שָׂ֣א נָ֤א חַטָּאתִי֙ אַ֣ךְ הַפַּ֔עַם וְהַעְתִּ֖ירוּ לַֽיהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֑ם וְיָסֵר֙ מֵֽעָלַ֔י רַ֖ק אֶת־הַמָּ֥וֶת הַזֶּֽה:
18Moses and Aaron left Pharaoh’s presence and Moses pleaded with God.   יחוַיֵּצֵ֖א מֵעִ֣ם פַּרְעֹ֑ה וַיֶּעְתַּ֖ר אֶל־יְהֹוָֽה:
19God thereupon reversed the wind direction, causing a very strong west wind to blow, and it carried away the locusts and plunged them into the Sea of Reeds. Not a single locust remained within all Egypt’s borders.   יטוַיַּֽהֲפֹ֨ךְ יְהֹוָ֤ה רֽוּחַ־יָם֙ חָזָ֣ק מְאֹ֔ד וַיִּשָּׂא֙ אֶת־הָ֣אַרְבֶּ֔ה וַיִּתְקָעֵ֖הוּ יָ֣מָּה סּ֑וּף לֹ֤א נִשְׁאַר֙ אַרְבֶּ֣ה אֶחָ֔ד בְּכֹ֖ל גְּב֥וּל מִצְרָֽיִם:
רֽוּחַ־יָם - means: A west wind   רֽוּחַ־יָם.  רוּחַ מַעֲרָבִי:
יָמָּה סּוּף - Into the Sea of Reeds. I am of the opinion that the Sea of Reeds was partially to the west, along the entire southern side, and also to the east of the Land of Israel. Thus the west wind plunged the locusts into the Sea of Reeds opposite the land of Egypt to the east. And so too we find regarding the borders of the Land of Israel, that the Sea of Reeds turns towards the eastern side of the Land, as it says: “from the Sea of Reeds to the Philistine Sea,” 2 i.e., from the east to west, for the Philistine Sea was to the west, as it says about the Philistines: “inhabitants of the sea coast, the nation of Kerethites.” 3   יָמָּה סּוּף.  אוֹמֵר אֲנִי שֶׁיַּם סוּף הָיָה מִקְצָתוֹ בַּמַּעֲרָב, כְּנֶגֶד כָּל רוּחַ דְּרוֹמִית, וְגַם בְּמִזְרָחָה שֶׁל אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, לְפִיכָךְ רוּחַ יָם תְּקָעוֹ לָאַרְבֶּה בְּיָמָּה סוּף כְּנֶגְדּוֹ. וְכֵן מָצִינוּ לְעִנְיַן תְּחוּמִין שֶׁהוּא פּוֹנֶה לְצַד מִזְרָח, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "מִיַּם סוּף וְעַד יָם פְּלִשְׁתִּים" (לקמן כג לא) מִמִּזְרָח לְמַעֲרָב, שֶׁיָּם פְּלִשְׁתִּים בַּמַּעֲרָב הָיָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בַּפְּלִשְׁתִּים "יוֹשְׁבֵי חֶבֶל הַיָּם גּוֹי כְּרֵתִים" (צפניה ב'):
לֹא נִשְׁאַר אַרְבֶּה אֶחָד - Not a single locust remained - not even those that were salted, i.e., those of them that the Egyptians had salted.   לֹא נִשְׁאַר אַרְבֶּה אֶחָד.  אַף הַמְּלוּחִים שֶׁמָּלְחוּ מֵהֶם:
20God made Pharaoh stubborn, and he did not send forth the Israelites.   כוַיְחַזֵּ֥ק יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶת־לֵ֣ב פַּרְעֹ֑ה וְלֹ֥א שִׁלַּ֖ח אֶת־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל:
21God said to Moses, “Raise your hand toward the sky so that there will be darkness by day upon Egypt, and the darkness at night will be darker still. Later, the darkness will become palpable.”   כאוַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהֹוָ֜ה אֶל־משֶׁ֗ה נְטֵ֤ה יָֽדְךָ֙ עַל־הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וִ֥יהִי ח֖שֶׁךְ עַל־אֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם וְיָמֵ֖שׁ חֽשֶׁךְ:
וְיָמֵשׁ חשֶׁךְ - means: “darkness shall become darker for them more than the darkness of night,” i.e., the darkness of night shall become deeper and darker.   וְיָמֵשׁ חשֶׁךְ.  וְיַחֲשִׁיךְ עֲלֵיהֶם חֹשֶׁךְ יוֹתֵר מֵחֶשְׁכּוֹ שֶׁל לַיְלָה, חֹשֶׁךְ שֶׁל לַיְלָה יַאֲמִישׁ וְיַחֲשִׁיךְ עוֹד:
וְיָמֵשׁ - is the equivalent of וְיַאֲמֵשׁ “it shall become dark.” We find many words in which an א is omitted, for since the sound of the א is not so pronounced, Scripture is not particular about omitting it; for instance: וְלֹא יַהֵל שָׁם עֲרָבִי, 4 where לֹא יַהֵל is the same as לֹא יַאֲהֵל, meaning: “he will not set up his tent”; and similarly: וַתַּזְרֵנִי חַיִל “You girded me with strength,” 5 where וַתַּזְרֵנִי is the same as וַתְּאַזְּרֵנִי. But Onkelos translated וְיָמֵשׁ in the sense of “removing,” similar to לֹא יָמִישׁ “He did not remove” 6 – בָּתַר דְּיֶעְדֵּי קְבַל לֵילְיָא “after the darkness of night has departed,” i.e., when it is nearly daybreak. However, according to his translation, the statement does not fit in with the ו of וְיָמֵשׁ, since it is written after “there will be darkness.” And the aggadic explanation interprets וְיָמֵשׁ in the sense of מְמַשֵּׁשׁ בַּצָּהֳרַיִם “groping at midday,” 7 i.e., the darkness was double and redoubled, and so thick that it was palpable (מַמָּשׁ).   וְיָמֵשׁ.  כְּמוֹ וְיַאֲמֵשׁ; יֵשׁ לָנוּ תֵבוֹת הַרְבֵּה חֲסֵרוֹת אָלֶ"ף, לְפִי שֶׁאֵין הֲבָרַת הָאָלֶ"ף נִכֶּרֶת כָּל כָּךְ, אֵין הַכָּתוּב מַקְפִּיד עַל חֶסְרוֹנָהּ, כְּגוֹן "וְלֹא יַהֵל שָׁם עֲרָבִי" (ישעיהו י"ג), כְּמוֹ לֹא יַאֲהֵל – לֹא יַטֶּה אָהֳלוֹ, וְכֵן "וַתַּזְרֵנִי חַיִל" (שמואל ב' כ"ב), כְּמוֹ וַתְּאַזְּרֵנִי; וְאֻנְקְלוֹס תִּרְגֵּם לְשׁוֹן הֲסָרָה, כְּמוֹ לֹא יָמוּשׁ; "בָּתַר דְּיֶעְדֵּי קְבַל לֵילְיָא" – כְּשֶׁיַּגִּיעַ סָמוּךְ לְאוֹר הַיּוֹם; אֲבָל אֵין הַדִּבּוּר מְיֻשָּׁב עַל הַוָּי"ו שֶׁל וְיָמֵשׁ, לְפִי שֶׁהוּא כָתוּב אַחַר וִיהִי חֹשֶׁךְ. וּמִקְרָא אַחֵר פּוֹתְרוֹ לְשׁוֹן "מְמַשֵּׁשׁ בַּצָּהֳרַיִם" (דברים כ"ח), שֶׁהָיָה כָפוּל וּמְכֻפָּל וְעָב עַד שֶׁהָיָה בוֹ מַמָּשׁ:
22So Moses raised his hand toward the sky. There was an opaque darkness in all Egypt for three days.   כבוַיֵּ֥ט משֶׁ֛ה אֶת־יָד֖וֹ עַל־הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם וַיְהִ֧י חֽשֶׁךְ־אֲפֵלָ֛ה בְּכָל־אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרַ֖יִם שְׁל֥שֶׁת יָמִֽים:
שְׁלשֶׁת יָמִֽים - There was an opaque darkness…for three days…. i.e., חֹשֶׁךְ שֶׁל אֹפֶל (lit. “darkness of intense darkness”), that “no man could see his brother” for those three days, and a further three days of darkness with a greater intensity, that “no one could rise from his place” – he who was sitting could not stand up, and he who was standing could not sit down. And why did God bring darkness upon the Egyptians? For there were in that generation wicked people among Israel who did not want to leave Egypt, and they died in the three days of thick darkness so that the Egyptians not see their downfall and say: “They are also being smitten like us.” Another reason is that the Israelites searched the Egyptians’ houses during the darkness and saw all their utensils; and when the Israelites left Egypt and asked the Egyptians for utensils and they replied, “We have nothing,” the Israelite would respond, “I have seen it in your house, and it is in such and such a place.”   וַיְהִי חֽשֶׁךְ־אפלה: שְׁלשֶׁת יָמִֽים.  חֹשֶׁךְ שֶׁל אֹפֶל, שֶׁלֹּא רָאוּ אִישׁ אֶת אָחִיו אוֹתָן ג' יָמִים. וְעוֹד שְׁלוֹשֶׁת יָמִים אֲחֵרִים חֹשֶׁךְ מֻכְפָּל עַל זֶה, שֶׁלֹּא קָמוּ אִישׁ מִתַּחְתָּיו – יוֹשֵׁב אֵין יָכוֹל לַעֲמֹד, וְעוֹמֵד אֵין יָכוֹל לֵישֵׁב; וְלָמָּה הֵבִיא עֲלֵיהֶם חֹשֶׁךְ? שֶׁהָיוּ בְיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּאוֹתוֹ הַדּוֹר רְשָׁעִים וְלֹא הָיוּ רוֹצִים לָצֵאת, וּמֵתוּ בִשְׁלוֹשֶׁת יְמֵי אֲפֵלָה, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יִרְאוּ מִצְרִיִּים בְּמַפַּלְתָּם וְיֹאמְרוּ, אַף הֵם לוֹקִים כָּמוֹנוּ. וְעוֹד, שֶׁחִפְּשׂוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל וְרָאוּ אֶת כְּלֵיהֶם, וּכְשֶׁיָּצְאוּ וְהָיוּ שׁוֹאֲלִים מֵהֶן וְהָיוּ אוֹמְרִים אֵין בְּיָדֵנוּ כְלוּם, אוֹמֵר לוֹ, אֲנִי רְאִיתִיו בְּבֵיתְךָ, וּבְמָקוֹם פְּלוֹנִי הוּא (שמות רבה):
וַיְהִי חֽשֶׁךְ־אפלה: שְׁלשֶׁת יָמִֽים - means “a group of three days”; “terzeyne” in Old French. And similarly wherever it says שִׁבְעַת יָמִים its meaning is: a “seteyne” (group of seven) of days.   שְׁלשֶׁת יָמִֽים.  שִׁלּוּשׁ שֶׁל יָמִים, טרציינ"א בְּלַעַז, וְכֵן שִׁבְעַת יָמִים בְּכָל מָקוֹם שטיי"נא שֶׁל יָמִים:
23No Egyptian man could see his brother. For the next three days, no Egyptian could rise from his place. There was light for all the Israelites in their dwellings.   כגלֹֽא־רָא֞וּ אִ֣ישׁ אֶת־אָחִ֗יו וְלֹא־קָ֛מוּ אִ֥ישׁ מִתַּחְתָּ֖יו שְׁל֣שֶׁת יָמִ֑ים וּלְכָל־בְּנֵ֧י יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל הָ֥יָה א֖וֹר בְּמֽוֹשְׁבֹתָֽם: