Tanach
Shemot 9:8-12 שמות ט׳:ח׳-י״ב
Part of: VaeraVaera, Aliyah 6Chapter 9
Reading: Hebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlyHebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlySimple English onlyFaithful translation onlySide by sideRashi
וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה וְאֶֽל־אַהֲרֹן קְחוּ לָכֶם מְלֹא חׇפְנֵיכֶם פִּיחַ כִּבְשָׁן וּזְרָקוֹ מֹשֶׁה הַשָּׁמַיְמָה לְעֵינֵי פַרְעֹֽה׃
Adonoy spoke to Moshe and Aharon, “Both of you take full handfuls of furnace soot and let Moshe throw it heavenward before the eyes of Pharaoh.
Adonoy spoke to Moshe and Aharon, “Both of you take full handfuls of furnace soot and let Moshe throw it heavenward before the eyes of Pharaoh.
Rashi
פיח כבשן. דבר הַנִּפָּח מן הגחלים עוממים הנשרפים בכבשן, ובלע"ז אולב"ש. פיח לשון הפחה, שהרוח מפיחן ומפריחן:
Furnace soot. [פִּיחַ is] that which is blown from dying embers that have been burnt in a furnace, in Old French olves — furnace ashes. פִּיחַ having the same root as הַפָּחָה — blowing, for the wind blows and disperses them.
וזרקו משה. וכל דבר הנזרק בכח, אינו נזרק אלא ביד אחת, הרי נסים הרבה, אחד שהחזיק קומצו של משה מלא חפנים שלו ושל אהרן, ואחד שהלך האבק על כל ארץ מצרים:
And let Moshe throw it. And since anything thrown with force is thrown only with one hand, [we may conclude that] there were a number of miracles: One, that Moshe’s one fistful held both his and Aharon’s handfuls. And another, that the soot spread over the entire land of Egypt.
וְהָיָה לְאָבָק עַל כׇּל־אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם וְהָיָה עַל־הָאָדָם וְעַל־הַבְּהֵמָה לִשְׁחִין פֹּרֵחַ אֲבַעְבֻּעֹת בְּכׇל־אֶרֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃
It will become a fine dust [and settle] over the whole land of Egypt. It will settle on man and beast causing a rash which will break out into boils [affecting] the whole land of Egypt.”
It will become a fine dust [and settle] over the whole land of Egypt. It will settle on man and beast causing a rash which will break out into boils [affecting] the whole land of Egypt.”
Rashi
לשחין פרח אבעבועות. כתרגומו לשחין סַגִּי, אֲבַעְבּוּעִין שעל ידו צומחין בהן בועות:
A rash which will break out into boils. As Onkelos translates it: לְשִׁיחֲנָא סַגִּי אַבַעְבּוּעִין, (a rash producing boil) [meaning] that through it (שְׁחִין) boils sprouted all over them.
שחין. לשון חמימות, והרבה יש בלשון משנה, שנה שחונה:
A rash. שְׁחִין has the meaning of heat. There are several instances of this in the Mishnah: [e.g.] שָׁנָה שְׁחוּנָה — “a hot year.”
וַיִּקְחוּ אֶת־פִּיחַ הַכִּבְשָׁן וַיַּֽעַמְדוּ לִפְנֵי פַרְעֹה וַיִּזְרֹק אֹתוֹ מֹשֶׁה הַשָּׁמָיְמָה וַיְהִי שְׁחִין אֲבַעְבֻּעֹת פֹּרֵחַ בָּאָדָם וּבַבְּהֵמָֽה׃
They took the furnace soot and stood before Pharaoh. Moshe threw it heavenward, and it caused a rash which broke into boils in man and beast.
They took the furnace soot and stood before Pharaoh. Moshe threw it heavenward, and it caused a rash which broke into boils in man and beast.
Rashi
באדם ובבהמה. ואם תאמר מאין היו להם הבהמות, והלא כבר נאמר וַיָמָת כֹּל מִקְנֵה מִצְרָיִם, אלא לא נגזרה גזרה אלא על אותן שבשדות בלבד, שנאמר בְּמִקְנְךָ אֲשֶׁר בַּשָׂדֶה, והַיָּרֵא אֶת דְּבַר ה' הֵנִיס אֶת מִקְנֵהוּ אֶל הַבָּתִּים. וכן שנויה במכילתא אצל וַיִקַּח שֵׁשׁ מֵאֹות רֶכֶב בָּחוּר (שמות יד, ז):
In man and beast. Should you ask: from where did they have these animals, has it not already been stated: “and the livestock in Egypt died”? [I would answer] that the decree was only on those [that remained] in the fields exclusively, as it is said: “at your livestock that are in the field,” and whoever feared the word of Hashem made his livestock flee into the house. It is likewise taught in the Mechilta concerning: “He took 600 selected chariots.”
וְלֹֽא־יָכְלוּ הַֽחַרְטֻמִּים לַעֲמֹד לִפְנֵי מֹשֶׁה מִפְּנֵי הַשְּׁחִין כִּֽי־הָיָה הַשְּׁחִין בַּֽחַרְטֻמִּם וּבְכׇל־מִצְרָֽיִם׃
The sorcerers could not stand before Moshe as a result of the rash, for the rash affected the sorcerers as well as all of Egypt.
The sorcerers could not stand before Moshe as a result of the rash, for the rash affected the sorcerers as well as all of Egypt.
וַיְחַזֵּק יְהֹוָה אֶת־לֵב פַּרְעֹה וְלֹא שָׁמַע אֲלֵהֶם כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר יְהֹוָה אֶל־מֹשֶֽׁה׃ {ס}
Adonoy caused Pharaoh’s heart to remain hard and he did not listen to them just as Adonoy had spoken to Moshe.
Adonoy caused Pharaoh’s heart to remain hard and he did not listen to them just as Adonoy had spoken to Moshe.
מלא חפניכם. ילויינו"ש בלע"ז
Full handfuls. Jelones in Old French — handfuls.