Mesirut Nefesh – Va’eira
וְאִם מָאֵן אַתָּה לְשַׁלֵּחַ הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי נֹגֵף אֶת כָּל גְּבוּלְךָ בַּצְפַרְדְּעִים. וְשָׁרַץ הַיְאֹר צְפַרְדְּעִים וְעָלוּ וּבָאוּ בְּבֵיתֶךָ וּבַחֲדַר מִשְׁכָּבְךָ וְעַל מִטָּתֶךָ וּבְבֵית עֲבָדֶיךָ וּבְעַמֶּךָ וּבְתַנּוּרֶיךָ וּבְמִשְׁאֲרוֹתֶיךָ. וּבְכָה וּבְעַמְּךָ וּבְכָל עֲבָדֶיךָ יַעֲלוּ הַצְפַרְדְּעִים (שמות ז, כז-כט).
Very few of us associate "good things" with frogs. Most of us tend to regard them as slimy, gross creatures that make a grating, irritating, croaking noise. They are not endearing creatures one can cuddle, certainly not the kind of creature a princess would want to kiss.
They are used in scientific experiments and are often ingredients in "black magic" rituals. They are "treif" creatures that are best to stay away from as many transmit parasites/bacteria and excrete toxins which may be harmful if you touch them (no they don't cause warts – that is a myth).
If frogs have such a bad rep., one could easily ask "Why did HKB"H create them in the first place? What possible purpose could frogs have?" Hopefully, after this shiur, you will have a completely different perspective on frogs. In writing this shiur I have made use of an incredible work called צפרדעים בחז"ל, written by HaRav Dr. Gedalya Mordechai Stern שליט"א, a talmid chacham with a passion for dentistry and … frogs.
As we all know, the second plague that HKB"H unleashed on Egypt was frogs. Why frogs?
The Midrash (שמות רבה י, ד) says that this was mida keneged mida for the fact that the Egyptians forced the Israelite slaves to bring them impure crawling creatures which were repugnant to them שֶׁהָיוּ מִשֶּׁעָבְדִין בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל וְאוֹמְרִים לָהֶן הֵבִיאוּ לָנוּ שְׁקָצִים וּרְמָשִׂים.
R' Akiva, in this Midrash (and also in Sanhedrin 67b), says that HKB"H originally only brought one frog which gave birth to all the other frogs. According to the other opinion, R' Elazar ben Azarya, it was only one frog which then called to all the other frogs. These frogs infested every aspect of the Egyptians' lives and made their entire existence repugnant.
Rashi (Shmot 8, 2), quoting this Midrash, says that it started with only one frog. This frog was making such a racket that the Egyptians started beating it with sticks. Suddenly swarms of frogs began to emerge from this single frog - the more they beat it, the more frogs emerged.
The Mishnat R' Eliezer (19) says that it was a miracle within a miracle, that in one day the entire river filled up with frogs and that they left their natural habitat, water, and came on land.
The Lubavitch Rebbe (אוצר לקוטי שיחות ג', שמות) says that this was punishment for Pharaoh who considered himself a god לִי יְאֹרִי וַאֲנִי עֲשִׂיתִנִי (יחזקאל כט, ג). Pharaoh never recognized a Higher Power, so HKB"H sent frogs, seemingly "meaningless" creatures, to show Pharaoh that even the most meaningless creatures exist, simply to follow the will of HKB"H.
As the psukkim (above) tell us, the frogs arose from the Nile and swarmed into Pharaoh's house, into his bedroom, his bed, into his ovens and inside his bread. It began with Pharaoh and then spread to the entire country.
The Midrash (שמות רבה י, ו) says that the frogs even entered the Egyptians' bodies and they could hear them croaking inside them. The Zohar (חלק ב דף כט/ב) says that the frogs entered the bread in the ovens and multiplied inside the bread. The Egyptians ate this bread and thus the frogs entered their stomachs and were croaking and dancing inside them. This loud croaking tormented the Egyptians until they dropped dead.
There was nothing random about the plague of frogs. Every detail was meticulously designed by HKB"H, with a specific purpose.
R' Bachyei, quoting a Midrash, says that the frogs never exceeded the bounds of Egypt by even 1mm. Egypt and their neighboring country Kush were embroiled in a land dispute over the exact location of the border. The frogs resolved this dispute because the exact point where the frogs ended, delineated the border.
The Zohar (above) says that the frog infestation in the bedroom and on the bed was limited to Pharaoh only and not to the entire country. This is why it is written in the singular וּבַחֲדַר מִשְׁכָּבְךָ. The reason for this began with the first Pharaoh, in the time of Avraham.
When Sarah was taken to Pharaoh's palace, he was so smitten by her beauty he commissioned his artists to paint a portrait of Sarah on the wall of his bedroom. This was not enough for Pharaoh - he ordered his artists to also paint Sarah's portrait on a wooden tablet.
Each time Pharaoh went to bed, he took this tablet with him. This portrait on the wall and on the wooden tablet became a "heritage" to all the Pharaohs after him who also made use of this portrait of Sarah for sinful purposes.
Specific emphasis is placed in the passuk on the frogs jumping into the ovens and the bread. By the same measure the passuk could also have said that the frogs jumped into the baths and the sinks and the toilets and the cupboards and the pantry and the jacuzzi. Undoubtedly the frogs invaded those as well, but the passuk restricts itself to mentioning specifically the ovens and the bread. Why davka the ovens and the bread?
In a previous shiur (Va'eira 2021) I quoted sefer Meir Panim saying that the purpose of the Ten Plagues was to do a tikkun for the sin of Adam and Chava who ate a chametz bread from the fruit of the עֵץ הַדַּעַת which was wheat. Eating the forbidden bread baked by Chava in an oven - made Adam and Chava mortal and they eventually died. The frogs willing to die in the ovens and the bread was a tikkun for this.
In this shiur, however, I would like to focus on another aspect of this component of the plague.
As we said before, the frogs invaded everything! Millions and millions of frogs, each infesting another place in the house and also inside the Egyptians' bodies. Imagine if you were a frog and HKB"H says to you "OK Kermit, I want you to jump in this new, pyrolytic, self-cleaning Bosch oven, during the cleaning cycle, at 400°C".
Even if Kermit was in Sesame Street and sesame goes good on bread, if I were Kermit I would reply "Excuse me HKB"H, would you mind terribly if I could jump in the jacuzzi rather, or in the pantry?"
You see, the chances of a frog surviving for more than 20 seconds at 400°C are pretty slim. Similarly, if the frog inside the bread was eaten by an Egyptian, the prospects for that frog to survive were bordering on zero.
However, the frogs in ancient Egypt were made of sterner stuff. Chazal tell us that those frogs ordered by HKB"H to jump into the fire and the bread, did so without question, without hesitation. On the contrary they did so eagerly, singing as they went.
The Zohar (חלק ב דף כט/ב) says that as they jumped into the fiery ovens, they were singing Tehillim - בָּאנוּ בָּאֵשׁ וּבַמַּיִם וַתּוֹצִיאֵנוּ לָרְוָיָה (תהילים סו). HKB"H miraculously saved them and they didn't die in the ovens. Similarly, the frogs who were swallowed by the Egyptians also did not die when the Egyptians did.
The Gemara (Sahedrin 53b) says that Chananya, Mishael and Azarya willingly jumped into the fire – because of the frogs in Egypt!
Everyone knows the story (Sefer Daniel) of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Bavel, who destroyed the first Beit HaMikdash. Nebuchadnezzar sent his emissaries to seek out the wisest children in his kingdom and bring them to his palace. Chananya, Mishael and Azarya, amongst those who were exiled after the destruction of the Mikdash in the time of king Yehoyakim, were selected and taken to the king. They grew up in the palace and refused to eat any food except for seeds. Because of their wisdom, when they grew older, Nebuchadnezzar appointed them as important advisors.
One day Nebuchadnezzar decided to create a golden statue of himself 30m high. Next to the statue was an orchestra and a soldier. The soldier called out "When you hear the orchestra play, everyone must bow down to the statue!" Everyone, Jew and non-Jew alike, had to bow down to the statue. If anyone refused, they were thrown into a fiery furnace and died instantly.
Chananya, Mishael and Azarya refused to bow down. The Midrash in Shir HaShirim says they could easily have avoided any incident by not passing the statue and taking a different route. Instead, they chose to davka pass the statue and not bow down. People informed on them to Nebuchadnezzar, who angrily summoned them to his court. "Do you not know what the furnace is?" asked Nebuchadnezzar, who was fond of the three and wanted to give them a second chance.
Chananya, Mishael and Azarya said they were not interested and under no circumstances would they bow down to the statue. They feared HKB"H and would bow down only to Him. A furious Nebuchadnezzar ordered that they fan the fire in the furnace higher than normal and throw Chananya, Mishael and Azarya into the fire.
The soldiers who threw them into the fire were burnt to a cinder, just approaching the flames, but the three tzaddikim entered to the very center of the furnace and nothing happened to them. HKB"H sent the angel Gavriel to cool the air around them.
Everyone, including Nebuchadnezzar, could see this miraculous sight of three (four with the angel Gavriel) people walking around in the fire. Eventually the king ordered them to exit the furnace and everyone could see that they had not been harmed in any way.
Not a hair was singed, their clothes didn't even smell of smoke! Nebuchadnezzar was so impressed by this that he decreed everyone should respect the Jews and treat them well, on pain of death. Chananya, Mishael and Azarya were promoted to higher positions in the king's court.
The Gemara (Pesachim 53b) says that Chananya, Mishael and Azarya learned a kal va'chomer from the frogs in Egypt. The frogs were not obligated to die עַל קִדּוּשׁ ה' and despite this they threw themselves willingly into the ovens. How much more are we, who are obligated in this mitzva, required to do so.
The Zohar (מדרש הנעלם, פרשה אחרי מאמר חנניה מישאל ועזריה) says that the moment they tied Chananya, Mishael and Azarya up to throw them in the fire, Chananya said ה' לִי לֹא אִירָא מַה יַּעֲשֶׂה לִי אָדָם. ה' לִי בְּעזְֹרָי וַאֲנִי אֶרְאֶה בְשׁנְּאָי (תהילים קיח, ו-ז). Mishael said כֵן כֹּה אָמַר ה' אֶל בֵּית יַעֲקֹב אֲשֶׁר פָּדָה אֶת אַבְרָהָם לֹא עַתָּה יֵבוֹשׁ יַעֲקֹב וְלֹא עַתָּה פָּנָיו יֶחֱוָרוּ. כִּי בִרְאֹתוֹ יְלָדָיו מַעֲשֵׂה יָדַי בְּקִרְבּוֹ יַקְדִּישׁוּ שְׁמִי וְהִקְדִּישׁוּ אֶת קְדוֹשׁ יַעֲקֹב וְאֶת אֱ-לֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל יַעֲרִיצוּ (ישעיהו כט, כב-כג). Azarya said שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל ה' אֱ-לֹקֵינוּ ה' אֶחָד.
The Zohar asks, "Why did they decide to throw themselves in the fire?" and brings a story with David HaMelech. One day David was resting on the bank of the river and singing שָׁמְרָה נַפְשִׁי כִּי חָסִיד אָנִי וכו' (תהילים פו, ב). The frogs asked him "Are you indeed a chassid?" David replied "Am I not a chassid?
I am expert in the halachot of טֻמְאָה וְטָהֳרָה, I get up each night בְּשָׁלֹשׁ מִשְׁמָרוֹת to sing praises to HKB"H, to study Torah and to play music with the angels for HKB"H. The frogs replied "We have done more for HKB"H than you!" David asked them "What have you done?" They answered "We burnt our bodies in the fire in the ovens in Egypt!"
Chananya, Mishael and Azarya, while they were being bound to be thrown in the flames, said in their hearts "We will be like the frogs".
The Zohar concludes with a passuk נִגַּשׂ וְהוּא נַעֲנֶה וְלֹא יִפְתַּח פִּיו כַּשֶּׂה לַטֶּבַח יוּבָל וּכְרָחֵל לִפְנֵי גֹזְזֶיהָ נֶאֱלָמָה וְלֹא יִפְתַּח פִּיו (ישעיהו נג, ז). Why is Rachel called נֶאֱלָמָה? When the other nations rule, Rachel is muted, as the passuk says כֹּה אָמַר ה' קוֹל בְּרָמָה נִשְׁמָע נְהִי בְּכִי תַמְרוּרִים רָחֵל מְבַכָּה עַל בָּנֶיהָ מֵאֲנָה לְהִנָּחֵם עַל בָּנֶיהָ כִּי אֵינֶנּוּ (ירמיהו לא, יד).
קוֹל בְּרָמָה נִשְׁמָע – that is יְרוּשָׁלַיִם שֶׁל מַעְלָה
רָחֵל מְבַכָּה עַל בָּנֶיהָ – as long as Am Yisrael is in galut, Rachel weeps for them, for she is their mother.
מֵאֲנָה לְהִנָּחֵם עַל בָּנֶיהָ כִּי אֵינֶנּוּ – why does she refuse to be comforted? כִּי אֵינֶנּוּ. The passuk should say כִּי אֵינָם, why does it use the singular אֵינֶנּוּ? Because her husband is קוֹל (Yaakov is referred as קוֹל - הַקֹּל קוֹל יַעֲקֹב) and he has left her and is no longer connected with her (this is an allegory for HKB"H leaving Am Yisrael).
Come see, says the Zohar, Rachel does not weep for one short hour, but all the time we are in galut. This is why HKB"H caused Egypt to have a קוֹל, as it says וְהָיְתָה צְעָקָה גְדֹלָה בְּכָל אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם אֲשֶׁר כָּמֹהוּ לֹא נִהְיָתָה וְכָמֹהוּ לֹא תֹסִף (שמות יא, ו). HKB"H also afflicted them with other קוֹלוֹת, the cries of the frogs in their bellies, that caused them to drop down dead in the street. עַד כָּאן הַזֹּהַר.
In the beginning of Perek Shira (a list of all HKB"H's creatures and which songs of praise they sing to Him), it says –
אָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זַ"ל עַל דָּוִד הַמֶּלֶךְ ע"ה, בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁסִּיֵּם סֵפֶר תְּהִלִּים זָחָה דַּעְתּוֹ עָלָיו, אָמַר לִפְנֵי הקב"ה: יֵשׁ בְּרִיָּה שֶׁבָּרָאתָ בְּעוֹלָמְךָ שֶׁאוֹמֶרֶת שִׁירוֹת וְתִשְׁבָּחוֹת יוֹתֵר מִמֶּנִּי? בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה נִזְדַּמְּנָה לוֹ צְפַרְדֵּעַ אַחַת וְאָמְרָה לוֹ: דָּוִד אַל תָּזוּחַ דַּעְתְּךָ עָלֶיךָ, שֶׁאֲנִי אוֹמֶרֶת שִׁירוֹת וְתִשְׁבָּחוֹת יוֹתֵר מִמְּךָ.
When David HaMelech completed sefer Tehillim he was feeling pretty good about himself and he said "HKB"H, is there another creature that You created in Your world that sings praises to you more than me?" At that point the frog says to David "Don't think you are so high and mighty! I sing more praises than you!"
What song of praise does the frog sing to HKB"H? It is listed in Perek Shira, chapter 4 - צְפַרְדֵּעַ אוֹמֶרֶת. בָּרוּךְ שֵׁם כְּבוֹד מַלְכוּתוֹ לְעוֹלַם וָעֶד.
Do you know who else sings that song of praise to HKB"H? The angels. This is the reason we say this line in קְרִיאַת שְׁמַע silently, so as to not offend the angels. Only on Yom Kippur may we say it aloud, because on that day we resemble angels.
Until now you thought that the frog's croak was a rasping, grating noise. In fact, it is the highest form of praise that is uttered by the angels in Heaven! You will never listen to the croak of a frog in the same way again.
Frogs may seem like meaningless creatures, but HKB"H created them with a purpose – to teach us mesirut nefesh. To be willing to follow HKB"H and listen to what He says, even at the ultimate cost. The frog is perhaps the most elevated of all HKB"H's creatures (after humans).
We read about incidences of mesirut nefesh throughout the generations, with Chananya, Mishael and Azarya, with Daniel in the lion's den, with the Maccabees, with Chana and her seven sons, with the עֲשָׂרָה הֲרוּגֵי מַלְכוּת, with the Kedoshim who perished in the Holocaust uttering אֲנִי מַאֲמִין with their last breath.
We need not look that far back. We are witnessing the same mesirut nefesh this very day, every minute of the day, with our brave soldiers who dropped everything, their families, their businesses, their lives … and answered the call of duty.
Many, too many, unfortunately, have paid the ultimate price. They are the ultimate Kedoshim, on the level of the angels and the price they have paid is a tikkun for us all. They are a reminder to each of us of the level of mesirut nefesh we are required to achieve in our own lives, in service of HKB"H.
Just like the frogs in Egypt.
Shabbat Shalom
Eliezer Meir Saidel
Machon Lechem Hapanim
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