Tanach
Shemot 7:19-25 שמות ז׳:י״ט-כ״ה
Part of: VaeraVaera, Aliyah 4Chapter 7
Reading: Hebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlyHebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlySimple English onlyFaithful translation onlySide by sideRashi
וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה אֱמֹר אֶֽל־אַהֲרֹן קַח מַטְּךָ וּנְטֵֽה־יָדְךָ עַל־מֵימֵי מִצְרַיִם עַֽל־נַהֲרֹתָם ׀ עַל־יְאֹרֵיהֶם וְעַל־אַגְמֵיהֶם וְעַל כׇּל־מִקְוֵה מֵימֵיהֶם וְיִֽהְיוּ־דָם וְהָיָה דָם בְּכׇל־אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם וּבָעֵצִים וּבָאֲבָנִֽים׃
Adonoy said to Moshe, “Say to Aharon, ‘Take your rod and extend your hand over the waters of Egypt—over their rivers, over their canals, over their lakes, and over every place where their water is gathered, and it [the water] will become blood. There will be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, [even] in [vessels] of wood and [vessels] of stone.”
Adonoy said to Moshe, “Say to Aharon, ‘Take your rod and extend your hand over the waters of Egypt—over their rivers, over their canals, over their lakes, and over every place where their water is gathered, and it [the water] will become blood. There will be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, [even] in [vessels] of wood and [vessels] of stone.”
Rashi
נהרותם. הם נהרות המושכים כעין נהרות שלנו:
The rivers. [נְהָרוֹת] are the flowing rivers, just like our rivers.
יאוריהם. הם בריכות נגרים העשויות בידי אדם משפת הנהר לשדות, ונילוס מימיו מתברכים ועולה דרך היאורים ומשקה השדות:
Their canals. [יְאוֹרִים] are man-made irrigation canals that extend from the river’s edge to the fields. The waters of the Nile rise [periodically] and travel by way of the canals to irrigate the fields.
אגמיהם. קבוצת מים שאינן נובעין ואין מושכין, אלא עומדין במקום אחד, וקורין לו אשטנ"ק:
Their lakes. [אֲגַם is] a gathering of waters that do not spring up or flow but are stationary in one place, and called [in Old French] estanc.
בכל ארץ מצרים. אף במרחצאות ובאמבטאות שבבתים:
Throughout all the land of Egypt. Also in their bathhouses and the baths in their homes.
ובעצים ובאבנים. מים שבכלי עץ ובכלי אבן:
In the wood and stones. [Meaning] the water in the wooden vessels and the stone vessels.
וַיַּֽעֲשׂוּ־כֵן מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן כַּאֲשֶׁר ׀ צִוָּה יְהֹוָה וַיָּרֶם בַּמַּטֶּה וַיַּךְ אֶת־הַמַּיִם אֲשֶׁר בַּיְאֹר לְעֵינֵי פַרְעֹה וּלְעֵינֵי עֲבָדָיו וַיֵּהָפְכוּ כׇּל־הַמַּיִם אֲשֶׁר־בַּיְאֹר לְדָֽם׃
Moshe and Aharon did exactly as Adonoy commanded them. He [Aharon] lifted the rod and struck the water in the river before the eyes of Pharaoh and before the eyes of his [Pharaoh’s] servants, and all the water of the river turned into blood.
Moshe and Aharon did exactly as Adonoy commanded them. He [Aharon] lifted the rod and struck the water in the river before the eyes of Pharaoh and before the eyes of his [Pharaoh’s] servants, and all the water of the river turned into blood.
וְהַדָּגָה אֲשֶׁר־בַּיְאֹר מֵתָה וַיִּבְאַשׁ הַיְאֹר וְלֹא־יָכְלוּ מִצְרַיִם לִשְׁתּוֹת מַיִם מִן־הַיְאֹר וַיְהִי הַדָּם בְּכׇל־אֶרֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃
The fish that were in the river died, and the river became so polluted that the Egyptians were unable to drink the water from the river. There was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.
The fish that were in the river died, and the river became so polluted that the Egyptians were unable to drink the water from the river. There was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.
וַיַּֽעֲשׂוּ־כֵן חַרְטֻמֵּי מִצְרַיִם בְּלָטֵיהֶם וַיֶּחֱזַק לֵב־פַּרְעֹה וְלֹא־שָׁמַע אֲלֵהֶם כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר יְהֹוָֽה׃
The sorcerers of Egypt did likewise with their magic art. Pharaoh’s heart remained hardened and he did not listen to them, just as Adonoy had spoken.
The sorcerers of Egypt did likewise with their magic art. Pharaoh’s heart remained hardened and he did not listen to them, just as Adonoy had spoken.
Rashi
בלטיהם. לחש שאומרין אותו בלט ובחשאי. ורבותינו אמרו, בלטיהם מעשה שדים, בלהטיהם מעשה כשפים (סנהדרין סז:):
With their magic art. [בְּלָטֵיהֶם refers to a] magical incantation which is said (בַּלָט) secretly and in a (לַחַשׁ) whisper. Our Sages say: בְּלָטֵיהֶם refers to works of demons, whereas בְּלַהֲטֵיהֶם (v. 11) refers to witchcraft.
ויחזק לב פרעה. לומר על ידי מכשפות אתם עושים כן, תבן אתם מכניסין לָעֲפָרִיִּים (מנחות פה.) עיר שכולה תבן, אף אתם מביאין מכשפות למצרים שכולה כשפים:
Pharaoh’s heart remained hardened — by claiming, “You are doing this through witchcraft, you are importing straw to Efarayim — a city that is full of straw, you, too, are bringing witchcraft to Egypt which is full of witchcraft.”
וַיִּפֶן פַּרְעֹה וַיָּבֹא אֶל־בֵּיתוֹ וְלֹא־שָׁת לִבּוֹ גַּם־לָזֹֽאת׃
Pharaoh turned and went into his house, and paid no attention even to this [miracle].
Pharaoh turned and went into his house, and paid no attention even to this [miracle].
Rashi
גם לזאת. למופת המטה שנהפך לתנין ולא לזה של דם:
Even to this. [I.e., neither] to the wonder of the rod that turned into a serpent, neither to this [wonder] of the blood.
וַיַּחְפְּרוּ כׇל־מִצְרַיִם סְבִיבֹת הַיְאֹר מַיִם לִשְׁתּוֹת כִּי לֹא יָֽכְלוּ לִשְׁתֹּת מִמֵּימֵי הַיְאֹֽר׃
The Egyptians dug around the river for water to drink, for they could not drink from the waters of the river.
The Egyptians dug around the river for water to drink, for they could not drink from the waters of the river.
וַיִּמָּלֵא שִׁבְעַת יָמִים אַחֲרֵי הַכּוֹת־יְהֹוָה אֶת־הַיְאֹֽר׃ {פ}
Seven full days [passed] after Adonoy had struck the river.
Seven full days [passed] after Adonoy had struck the river.
Rashi
וימלא. מנין שבעת ימים שלא שב היאור לקדמותו, שהיתה המכה משמשת רביע חדש, ושלשה חלקים היה מעיד ומתרה בהם (שמו"ר ט, יב):
[Seven] full [days passed]. [וַיִמָּלֵא refers to] the number of seven days that the river did not revert to its original condition. For each plague functioned for a quarter of a month, and for three quarters [of a month] he would caution and warn them.
אמר אל אהרן. לפי שהגין היאור על משה כשנשלך לתוכו, לפיכך לא לקה על ידו לא בדם ולא בצפרדעים, ולקה על ידי אהרן:
Say to Aharon. Since the river protected Moshe when he was thrown into it, therefore it was not struck by him, neither at the plague of blood nor at the plague of frogs, but was struck by Aharon.