שמות, פרק ט׳, פסוק כ׳

The warning of the impending hail creates an unprecedented division within the Egyptian royal court. While many ignore the danger, a minority of Egyptians actively heed the divine warning. This group is not made up of ordinary citizens, but rather the elite members of Pharaoh's inner circle [קאסוטו]. Moses actually anticipated that certain individuals would take God's warning seriously, which is why he explicitly instructed them to gather their livestock indoors [ספורנו].

There are varying perspectives on what motivated these ministers. Their reaction suggests more than a simple fear of punishment; it reflects a deep reverence for God's majesty. These individuals showed respect for the God of Israel and genuinely believed that He protects those who honor Him [ביאור יש"ר]. Alternatively, their fear was driven by a heavy conscience, as they anticipated a severe penalty for their past sins [קיצור בעל הטורים]. This profound dread is completely understandable given the nature of the threat. A storm of hail was a massive, unprecedented event in a country like Egypt, which does not experience rain or hail, making it a highly unusual punishment for their wrongdoings [רמב״ן]. A specific tradition even suggests that the biblical figure Job was among Pharaoh's advisors and was the one who feared God, though other opinions argue that Job lived in a much earlier era [תורה תמימה, אבן עזרא הקצר].

Taking the threat seriously, these top ministers acted immediately on that very day [אבן עזרא]. They swiftly brought their personal servants and livestock into the safety of sturdy homes, actively protecting them from the coming devastation [רש"י, ביאור שטיינזלץ, קאסוטו]. However, this act of obedience ultimately led to a dark irony. The horses and beasts of burden saved by these God-fearing Egyptians were the exact same animals that Pharaoh and his army later used to pursue the Israelites to the Red Sea. This tragic outcome forms the basis of a harsh historical observation: even the best among the Egyptians ultimately deserved punishment, as the very property they saved was eventually used to harm the Israelites [תורה תמימה, קיצור בעל הטורים].