שמות, פרק ט׳, פסוק כ״ב

The initiation of the plague of hail marks a dramatic turning point in the sequence of plagues in Egypt. The devastation now shifts from earthly domains to a strike originating high in the heavens. This shift serves to demonstrate absolute control over all forces of nature and every layer of creation, from the inanimate and botanical to animals and humans.

Moses is instructed to signal the beginning of the plague by stretching out his hand [קאסוטו]. Interestingly, while the explicit instruction was to stretch out his hand, Moses actually extended his staff [ברכת אשר על התורה]. God originally intended for the miracle to be performed through Moses's hand alone. However, out of deep humility, Moses chose to use his staff. He did this to avoid attributing such immense power to himself, emphasizing instead that true dominion over the heavens belongs entirely to God [אלשיך]. Reconciling this, the primary approach among commentators is that the instruction actually meant Moses should stretch out his hand while it held the staff [אבן עזרא, שד״ל, ביאור יש״ר].

The instruction to reach toward the heavens is understood simply as pointing upward to the sky [רש״י, מזרחי, ביאור יש״ר, קאסוטו], specifically toward the atmosphere where hail naturally forms [אבן עזרא, תולדות יצחק]. Yet, a deeper perspective suggests that God actually elevated Moses above the heavens themselves. Up until this moment, Moses was granted authority only over earthly matters. Now, he was given permission to govern heavenly forces, bringing down both abundance and destruction from the skies [רש״י, שפתי חכמים, משכיל לדוד].

This heavenly connection also hints at the very nature of the plague. Just as the heavens are conceptually composed of fire and water, the hail was a miraculous mixture of these two opposing elements [שפתי כהן]. The appearance of fire and water existing together inside hollow balls of ice was a supernatural phenomenon that defied the laws of nature. It displayed God's unique ability to create peace between inherently conflicting forces.

The onset of the plague is announced as a broad strike across the entire land of Egypt, which is immediately followed by a detailed account of its specific victims [ביאור יש״ר]. The hail targeted the people and livestock whose owners ignored God's explicit warning to bring them indoors [קאסוטו]. The emphasis on the specific location of the plague reveals that it was a highly focused and differentiated event. One specific type of hail fell upon the humans and animals, while a completely different kind was designated for the vegetation [מלבי״ם].

This plague was designed to strike all parts of creation simultaneously. To maximize the devastation of the crops, the fire descended first. This intense heat dried out and hardened the soft, moist plants. Consequently, when the heavy hail followed and struck the brittle vegetation, the plants shattered completely under the crushing force of the impact [אלשיך].