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Thoughts on the Parsha ~
Parshas Va'eira
Frogger: Croak or Croak
By: Daniel Listhaus
וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל משֶׁה אֱמֹר
אֶל אַהֲרֹן נְטֵה אֶת יָדְךָ בְּמַטֶּךָ עַל הַנְּהָרֹת עַל הַיְאֹרִים וְעַל
הָאֲגַמִּים וְהַעַל אֶת הַצְפַרְדְּעִים עַל אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם
“Hashem said to Moshe,
‘Say to Aharon, ‘Stretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers, over
the canals, and over the reservoirs, and raise up the frogs over the land of
Egypt.’ ”
-Va'eria 8:1
Rashi[1]
writes that the reason the first of the makkos (plagues) brought
upon Mitzrayim was dam (blood) was because the Egyptians
worshipped the Nile and Hashem strikes a nation first by destroying its
acclaimed deity. Clearly we see from Rashi that besides for the
well-known fact that every single makkah brought on Mitzrayim was
calculated middah-kneged-middah (measure for measure), there was also significance
to the order. If so, we could ask the following question. If the first makkah
of blood was primarily a strike against the deity of Egypt, there must be a
special significance to the makkah of tzfardayim (frogs) as
well. Why specifically was the plague of frogs chosen to spearhead the makkos
brought upon the Mitzrim directly?
When
the Torah relates what Hashem told Moshe to warn Pharaoh regarding the invasiveness
of the plague of frogs, the passuk[2]
relates that the frogs were going to come into the houses, bedrooms, beds, the
servants’ houses, the ovens, and kneading bowls. The Torah[3]
then says that they will even enter into the people themselves. Rashi[4]
details that the frogs would enter the Egyptians intestines and croak. Why
does Rashi feel it necessary to write that the frogs were croaking? It
seems like such a meaningless detail? We
do not find Rashi giving impressions of the various animal noises later
by the makkah of arov (wild animals), so why is so significant that
it be mentioned by the tzfardayim?[5]
The
sifsei chochomim[6]
notes that when Moshe davened to Hashem for the tzfardayim to be
removed, the passuk says that Moshe screamed out to Hashem – a description
which is not used by any of the other makkos. The reason that Moshe had
to scream by this particular makkah for it to stop, as the Sifsei Chochomim
explains, was because there is a halacha[7]
by davening that one has to be able to hear what he is saying;
however, when Moshe was davening by tzfardaya, the frogs were
croaking so loudly that Moshe literally had to scream in order to hear himself daven!
Again,
what is the significance of the frogs croaking that Rashi feels it
necessary to mention it as opposed to it being an obvious sound effect which
came with the makkah, and that the passuk itself alludes to by
saying that by this makkah specifically Moshe had to literally scream
his davening to be yotzei because the croaking was so loud?
In
Perek Shirah it states, “Hatzfardaya omeir: Baruch Shem Kavod
Malchuso L’olam Va’ed!” – “The frog says: Blessed is the Name of His
glorious kingdom forever and ever!” The Gemara[8]
states that when Yaakov avinu wanted to tell his the shevatim what
would be at the end of days, the shechina departed from him. At that
point Yaakov was terrified that perhaps one of his sons was unworthy and wicked
like Eisav. His sons, noticing Yaakov’s hesitation, immediately declared “Shema
Yisroel Hashem Elokeinu Hashem Echad” to
which Yaakov responded “Baruch shem kavod malchuso l’olam
va’ed.” The Gemara continues to say that for us, we want to
declare Baruch shema as part of the Shema as Yaakov did,
however because it is not stated explicitly in the Torah as a passuk by Shema
we compromise by saying it quietly.
This
Holy expression which B’nei Yisroel would declare aloud only on Yom
Kippur upon hearing the Shem Ha’meforash (explicit Name of Hashem) from
the Kohen Gadol, is one which to this day we reserve to say it aloud
only once a year on Yom Kippur. Its Aramaic form however – Y’hei
sheih rabbah m’vorach l’olam u’leolmei almaya” is the pinnacle of kaddish
which we recite multiple times throughout davening. Like its lingual
twin, Y’hei shmeih rabbah is so Holy that the Gemara[9]
teaches that one who says it with all his strength has the ability to tear
up a harsh heavenly decree. This Holy expression, one that the malachim
(angels) themselves use to praise Hashem, and that we only say in an
undertone and need to translate to Aramaic to recite aloud, and that we reserve
Yom Kippur to say it aloud like the malachim on a day that we ourselves
are like malachim, is something which frogs everywhere croak constantly.
Perhaps this is why the frogs were chosen to head the makkos after
having dam smite the Egyptian “deity”. What better to start an attack Mitzrayim
– a nation which denied Hashem – than a declaration throughout the land that
Hashem is One and it is He Alone Who reigns forever and ever!
Mark Twain is
quoted to have said, “Eat a live frog every morning, and nothing worse will happen
to you the rest of the day”. Although perhaps the imagination alone of conquering
such a disgusting feat is enough to motivate one to get through the hardest of
tasks, with our aforementioned lesson we could have our own real take of
starting a day with a frog perspective. If we just think about the croak of the
frog and internalize that Hashem runs the world, we would be so calm and
reassured that we would be able to easily get through the day and all that
comes our way.
The Gemara[10]
relates a couple of stories of rabanim who were seen being
excessively cheerful during davening despite the mishna[11]
saying that one should daven with a sense of seriousness and
trepidation. When questioned about their attitude during davening, the rabanin
replied that the reason they were so happy was because they were wearing tefillin.
Rashi there explains that wearing tefillin, which bear
witness to the fact that Hashem is the Ruler and sole Authority, indeed is a reason
for one to be overjoyed. What could possibly be more comforting and elating than
the realization that Hashem’s malchus (kingship) rules the world
and we are His humble servants? This is precisely the idea of Baruch shem
kavod malchuso l’olam va’ed with which we compliment the passuk of Shema.
Sometimes, life
could feel like a giant game of Frogger. We have goals in mind which when put
into a mission statement could sound so simple: Cross the street. Yet, the task
could sometimes appear impossible with all the traffic and obstacles which seem
to be never ending and out to get us. We could choose to be depressed, give up
hope and croak, or we can choose to take inspiration from the croaking of the
frogs and live each day happy with the comforting realization that Hashem is in
charge; and once that frog could be swallowed at the begging of each day,
indeed nothing could possibly be able to ruin that feeling.
May Hashem help
us internalize what it means to be subjects of His malchus so that we
could achieve the madreiga (level) of being elated and comforted with
the fact that Hashem is running the world.
[1]
Shemos 7:17
[2]
Shemos 7:28
[3]
Shemos 7:29
[4]
Rashi ibid.
[5]
See also Rashi Shemos 8:17 where Rashibrings the Medrash which
gives reason for the order of the makkos comparing to the strategy of an
enemy army taking over a country. First they cut off the water supply, then
they blow shofars and make a lot of noise to scare them, From this medrash
too it seems that the croaking of the frogs was the primary force of the makkah.
[6]
Shemos 8:8
[7]
Shulchan Aruch 101:2
[8]
Pesachim 56a
[9]
Shabbos 119b
[10]
Berachos 30b-31a
[11]
Mishnayos Berachos 5:1
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