Kedumah 98 (15683) 187

וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל-מֹשֶׁה, הַשְׁכֵּם בַּבֹּקֶר וְהִתְיַצֵּב לִפְנֵי פַרְעֹה--הִנֵּה, יוֹצֵא הַמָּיְמָה; וְאָמַרְתָּ אֵלָיו, כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה, שַׁלַּח עַמִּי, וְיַעַבְדֻנִי. כִּי אִם-אֵינְךָ, מְשַׁלֵּחַ אֶת-עַמִּי--הִנְנִי מַשְׁלִיחַ בְּךָ וּבַעֲבָדֶיךָ וּבְעַמְּךָ וּבְבָתֶּיךָ, אֶת-הֶעָרֹב; וּמָלְאוּ בָּתֵּי מִצְרַיִם, אֶת-הֶעָרֹב, וְגַם הָאֲדָמָה, אֲשֶׁר-הֵם עָלֶיהָ. וְהִפְלֵיתִי בַיּוֹם הַהוּא אֶת-אֶרֶץ גֹּשֶׁן, אֲשֶׁר עַמִּי עֹמֵד עָלֶיהָ, לְבִלְתִּי הֱיוֹת-שָׁם, עָרֹב--לְמַעַן תֵּדַע, כִּי אֲנִי יְהוָה בְּקֶרֶב הָאָרֶץ. וְשַׂמְתִּי פְדֻת, בֵּין עַמִּי וּבֵין עַמֶּךָ; לְמָחָר יִהְיֶה, הָאֹת הַזֶּה. וַיַּעַשׂ יְהוָה, כֵּן, וַיָּבֹא עָרֹב כָּבֵד, בֵּיתָה פַרְעֹה וּבֵית עֲבָדָיו; וּבְכָל-אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם תִּשָּׁחֵת הָאָרֶץ, מִפְּנֵי הֶעָרֹב. וַיִּקְרָא פַרְעֹה, אֶל-מֹשֶׁה וּלְאַהֲרֹן; וַיֹּאמֶר, לְכוּ זִבְחוּ לֵאלֹהֵיכֶם--בָּאָרֶץ. וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה, לֹא נָכוֹן לַעֲשׂוֹת כֵּן, כִּי תּוֹעֲבַת מִצְרַיִם, נִזְבַּח לַיהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ: הֵן נִזְבַּח אֶת-תּוֹעֲבַת מִצְרַיִם, לְעֵינֵיהֶם--וְלֹא יִסְקְלֻנוּ. דֶּרֶךְ שְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים, נֵלֵךְ בַּמִּדְבָּר; וְזָבַחְנוּ לַיהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ, כַּאֲשֶׁר יֹאמַר אֵלֵינוּ. וַיֹּאמֶר פַּרְעֹה, אָנֹכִי אֲשַׁלַּח אֶתְכֶם וּזְבַחְתֶּם לַיהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם בַּמִּדְבָּר--רַק הַרְחֵק לֹא-תַרְחִיקוּ, לָלֶכֶת; הַעְתִּירוּ, בַּעֲדִי. וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה, הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי יוֹצֵא מֵעִמָּךְ וְהַעְתַּרְתִּי אֶל-יְהוָה, וְסָר הֶעָרֹב מִפַּרְעֹה מֵעֲבָדָיו וּמֵעַמּוֹ, מָחָר: רַק, אַל-יֹסֵף פַּרְעֹה הָתֵל, לְבִלְתִּי שַׁלַּח אֶת-הָעָם, לִזְבֹּחַ לַיהוָה. וַיֵּצֵא מֹשֶׁה, מֵעִם פַּרְעֹה; וַיֶּעְתַּר, אֶל-יְהוָה. וַיַּעַשׂ יְהוָה, כִּדְבַר מֹשֶׁה, וַיָּסַר הֶעָרֹב, מִפַּרְעֹה מֵעֲבָדָיו וּמֵעַמּוֹ: לֹא נִשְׁאַר, אֶחָד. וַיַּכְבֵּד פַּרְעֹה אֶת-לִבּוֹ, גַּם בַּפַּעַם הַזֹּאת; וְלֹא שִׁלַּח, אֶת-הָעָם

Hashem said to Moses, "Arise early in the morning and station yourself before Pharaoh — behold, he goes out to the water — and you shall say to him, 'So said Hashem; Send out My people that they may serve Me. For if you do not send out My people, behold, I shall incite against you, your servants, your people, and your houses, the swarm of wild beasts; and the houses of Egypt shall be filled with the swarm, and even the ground upon which they are. And on that day I shall set apart the land of Goshen upon which My people stands, that there shall be no swarm there; so that you will know that I am Hashem in the midst of the land. I shall make a distinction between My people and your people — tomorrow this sign will come about.' " Hashem did so and a severe swarm of wild beasts came to the house of Pharaoh and the house of his servants; and throughout the land of Egypt the land was being ruined because of the swarm. Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, "Go — bring offerings to your God in the land." Moses said, "It is not proper to do so, for we will offer the deity of Egypt to Hashem, our God — behold, if we were to slaughter the deity of Egypt in their sight, will they not stone us? We will go on a three-day journey in the Wilderness, and bring offerings to Hashem, our God, as He will tell us." Pharaoh said, "I will send you and you shall bring offerings to Hashem, your God, in the Wilderness; only do not go far off — entreat for me!" Moses said, "Behold! I leave you and I shall entreat Hashem — and the swarm will depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people — tomorrow. Only let Pharaoh not continue to mock, by not sending out the people to bring offerings to Hashem." Moses left Pharaoh's presence and entreated Hashem. Hashem did in accordance with Moses' word and He removed the swarm of wild beasts from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people — not one remained. But Pharaoh made his heart stubborn even this time, and he did not send out the people.