Daily Chumash Shabbos, Vaeira: Plague of Hail

Shevi’i

• If you still oppress My people and refuse to release them, tomorrow I will rain upon you a very heavy hail of which there has never been before in Egypt.
• Hashem warns the Egyptians to bring in their livestock: Now, send your cattle and everything you have in the field into your homes, as anything that remains outside will be destroyed through the hail. The G-d fearing Egyptians adhered to Hashem’s warning, and brought their slaves and livestock inside. However, those who did not heed His call, left them outside in the field.
• Hashem’s instructions to Moshe to perform the plague: Hashem said to Moshe: Stretch your hand towards the heavens and hail will fall in all the land of Egypt, on the people and the animals, and on all the vegetation of the earth of Egypt.
• The plague: Moshe did as he was told and stretched his hand towards the heavens and Hashem sent thunder and hail and fire struck the ground. The hail contained fire blazing within it. It was very heavy, nothing like Egypt has every seen as a nation. The hail struck everything in the field, from man to animal to vegetation. It broke all the trees. Only in the land of Goshen where the Jewish people lived was there no hail.
• Pharaoh summons Moshe: Pharaoh summoned Moshe and Aaron and told them that he has truly sinned this time, and that Hashem is the righteous and he and his nation are the sinners. Pharaoh asked that Moshe pray to Hashem for the thunder and hail to end and he will send them out without refusing any longer. Moshe replied that he will leave the city and stretch his hands to Hashem in prayer so that the thunder and hail should end so that they know that the earth belongs to Hashem, although he knows that Pharaoh and his people have yet to fear G-d.
• The damage: The flax and the barley were destroyed although the wheat and spelt survived the hail as they had yet to ripen.
• Moshe prays: Moshe left his audience with Pharaoh and left the city. He stretched his arms to Hashem in prayer, and the thunder and hail ceased, and the rain stopped falling.
• Pharaoh refuses to let them go: Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail ceased and he hardened his heart