1. In this week’s parashah we find the hail kiled all the cattle of Egypt, yet it continues to say that Pharaohs people are to gather the animals for the next plague. If all th animals of Egypt were killed in the first plague, what animlas were left for the second plague?
2. If all the waters of Egypt turned to blood what water did they have for drinking.
3. The miracle would have been greater if the magicians would have turned the blood water back to clean drinkable water rather than making more undrinkable water, it is as if they were punishing themselves more.
1. Not all of the animals were killed in the plague of hail. The verse writes that those Egyptians who feared the word of God (after all the plagues they had been to, it is incredible that there were those who didn’t, which just demonstrates the stubbornness of human nature) brought their animals into the homes, protecting them from the hail.
2. The verse (7:24) states that the Egyptians dug channels for themsleves, yet it does not state that the Egyptians could drink from this water, and many commentators write that they were unable to drink it. The Midrash explains that the Egyptians were able to purchase water from the Children of Israel, and this water would not become blood. Rabbeinu Bachya (7:24) addresses the question, and writes that only the sweet drinking water turned to blood, whereas salty, mirky water did not turn to blood, and the Egyptians were able to drink it.
3. The Egyptians were unable to turn the blood back to water, because they could not go against the Divine decree. However, they wished to show that they, too, had the power to turn water into blood, just as Moshe/Aharon did.
