תהלים, פרק ע״ח, פסוק מ״ז

The destruction of Egyptian agriculture during the plagues is painted not merely as property damage, but as a violent clash with the forces of nature. The plague of hail struck a fatal blow to the very life of the country's trees, portraying the devastation as an act of killing.

The primary approach among commentators is that describing the trees as being killed is a metaphor meant to capture the absolute shattering and sheer scale of the ruin [רד״ק, אבן עזרא, מצודת ציון, מאירי]. However, others suggest a more literal understanding. Plants possess a form of life, a vegetative soul, making them capable of experiencing death in a real sense [רד״ק, מאירי]. Furthermore, this death was brought about by the unnatural fire flashing within the hail, which entirely burned away the deep internal moisture of the trees, draining them of their life [אלשיך].

The devastation specifically targeted vines and sycamores, as these made up the vast majority of trees growing in Egypt at the time [רד״ק]. Sycamores, understood to be a type of desert fig tree, are known for their thick trunks and rough branches [רד״ק, אבן עזרא, מצודת ציון, מאירי]. Highlighting such sturdy, deep-rooted, and moisture-rich trees emphasizes the terrifying power of the plague. Remarkably, while these massive trees were destroyed, weaker crops like wheat and spelt survived. This survival was not due to any weakness in the hail, but was rather a deliberate miracle arranged by God to ensure there would be vegetation left for the subsequent plague of locusts to consume [אלשיך].

The exact nature of the final force that finished off the trees remains a subject of discussion. The primary approach among commentators is that it was a particularly heavy form of hail, consisting of massive stones from the sky or exceptionally hard ice that smashed the branches and dried out whatever moisture remained [רד״ק, אבן עזרא, מצודת ציון, מלבי״ם, חומת אנך, מאירי]. Conversely, another tradition identifies this destructive agent not as ice, but as a harmful insect, such as a specific breed of locust or grasshopper [רש״י, אבן עזרא בשם חסאון, חומת אנך בשם הרא״ם]. A related view suggests it was a type of aphid or louse that specifically targets and infests sycamore trees [ביאור שטיינזלץ].