Rashi on TanakhExodus 9

Holding them. [מַחֲזִיק בָּם means] holding them, as in “(וְהֶחֱזִיקָה) and she took hold of his private parts.”

Behold, the hand of Adonoy is directed. [הוֹיָה] is in the present tense, for this is how [the verb הָיָה] is expressed in the feminine gender: in the past tense: הָיְתָה — she was, in the future tense: תִּהְיֶה — she shall be, and in the present tense: הוֹיָה — she is; the same form as רוֹעָה, רוֹצָה, עוֹשָׂה .

[Adonoy] will distinguish. [וְהִפְלָה means] He will set apart.

Full handfuls. Jelones in Old French — handfuls.

Furnace soot. [פִּיחַ is] that which is blown from dying embers that have been burnt in a furnace, in Old French olves — furnace ashes. פִּיחַ having the same root as הַפָּחָה — blowing, for the wind blows and disperses them.

And let Moshe throw it. And since anything thrown with force is thrown only with one hand, [we may conclude that] there were a number of miracles: One, that Moshe’s one fistful held both his and Aharon’s handfuls. And another, that the soot spread over the entire land of Egypt.

A rash which will break out into boils. As Onkelos translates it: לְשִׁיחֲנָא סַגִּי אַבַעְבּוּעִין, (a rash producing boil) [meaning] that through it (שְׁחִין) boils sprouted all over them.

A rash. שְׁחִין has the meaning of heat. There are several instances of this in the Mishnah: [e.g.] שָׁנָה שְׁחוּנָה — “a hot year.”

In man and beast. Should you ask: from where did they have these animals, has it not already been stated: “and the livestock in Egypt died”? [I would answer] that the decree was only on those [that remained] in the fields exclusively, as it is said: “at your livestock that are in the field,” and whoever feared the word of Hashem made his livestock flee into the house. It is likewise taught in the Mechilta concerning: “He took 600 selected chariots.”

All My plagues. We learn from here that מכת בכורות is equivalent to all the plagues.

For now. I [could] have extended my hand, etc. I.e., “for had I wished, [then] when My hand was [striking] at your livestock when I struck them with pestilence, I would have sent it and struck you and your people together with the animals — and you would have been obliterated from the earth. but it is for this reason that I have let you survive, etc.

But you are still oppressing my people. [מִסְתּוֹלֵל בְּעַמִי is] as Onkelos translates it: “You are oppressing My people.” It (מִסְתּוֹלֵל) has the same root as מְסִלָה, which is translated by Onkelos as: “a well-worn path.” Chalchier in Old French — a trodden path. I have already explained at the end of Parshas Miketz that any word whose first root letter is סָמֶ"ךְ and intends to convey the הִתְפָּעֵל conjugation one places the prefix letter ת' in the middle of the root letters as in this case (מִסְתּוֹלֵל) and for example וְיִסְתַּבֵּל הֶחָגָב — “the grasshopper will drag itself,” יִסְתַּבֵּל having the root סָבֹל — carry a load, [or] כִּי תִשְׂתָּרֵר עָלֵינוּ — “that you would make yourself our ruler” תִשְׂתָּרֵר having the root of שַׂר וְנָגִיד — “a prince and a nobleman,” [or] מִשְׂתַּכַּל הֲוֵית — “I was reflecting.”

Tomorrow at this time. [כָּעֵת מָחָר means] at the same time tomorrow. He scratched a mark in the wall [and said,] “Tomorrow when the sun reaches here the hail will come down.

It was founded. [הִוָּסְדָה means] that it was founded. Every word whose first root-letter is a י', e.g., יָסֹד (founded), יָלֹד (gave birth) יָדֹעַ (knew), יָסֹר (removed), when it is put in the הִתְפָּעֵל form the letter ו' replaces the letter י', as in הִוָּסְדָה or הִוָּלְדָה וַיִּוָּדַע — “it became known,” [or] וַיִּוָּלֵד לְיוֹסֵף — “There was born to Yoseif,” [or] “With words will a servant לֹא יִוָּסֶר — not be rebuked.”

Send [word] and gather. שְׁלַח הָעֵז is as Onkelos translates it: “send [word] and gather.” Similarly: “The inhabitants of Geibim (הֵעִיזוּ) gathered,” [or:] “(הֵעִיזוּ) gather! children of Binyamin.”

And will not be brought into the house. יֵאָסֵף is a term meaning gathering in.

Made flee. הֵנִיס means caused to flee from the word “וַיָּנָס .”

Toward the Heavens. [עַל הַשָּׁמַיִם means] toward the heavens. But the midrashic explanation is: Hashem lifted Moshe over the heavens.

Flashing Among the Hailstones. [This was] a miracle within a miracle; the fire and the hail intermingled, yet the hail is water! And to do the bidding of their Creator they made peace between themselves.

Enough. [I.e.] let it be sufficient for Him with what He has already brought down.

When I leave the city. [אֶת הָעִיר has the same meaning as] מִן הָעִיר — from the city. But within the city he would not pray because it was full of idols.

You are not yet in fear. [טֶרֶם תִּירְאוּן is translated:] “You are not yet in fear.” Similarly, wherever טֶרֶם appears in Scripture it has the meaning: not yet, and does not mean: before; as in טֶרֶם יִשְׁכָּבוּ — [which Onkelos translates] “They did not yet lie down,” [or: טֶרֶם יִצְמָּח — [which Onkelos translates:] “did not yet sprout. This one (i.e., טֶרֶם תִּירְאוּן), too, has a similar meaning: “I know that you [and your servants] do not yet fear, and that the moment there will be relief you will continue with your corruption.

The flax and barley have been broken. [נֻכָּתָה meaning] has been broken, from the same term as פַּרְעֹה נְכֹה — the lame Pharaoh; [or] נְכָאִים — broken. Similarly לֹא נֻכּוּ [means “were not broken”]. It would not be correct to explain it as a term meaning “striking,” for the letter נ' cannot replace the letter ה' so that נוּכָּתָה can be explained as הוּכָּתָה, or נֻכּוּ to be the same as הוּכּוּ . But rather, the נ' is part of the word-root and is [grammatically] the same form as וְשֻׁפוּ עַצְמוֹתָיו — “his bones were bared.”

Since the barley was ripe. [Meaning] it has already ripened and is standing in its stalks and they [therefore] broke and fell. So, too, the flax has already become full-grown and has hardened so as to stand on its stems.

The barley was ripe. [אָבִיב meaning] stood in its stalks, from the same term as: בְּאִבֵּי הַנָּחַל — “the stalks of the stream.”

Since they are late in sprouting. [אֲפִילֹת meaning] late, and were still soft [and pliable] and were able to stand [even] in the face of [a] hard [blow]. Although it has been stated: “All the vegetation in the fields was struck by the hail” one can explain the plain meaning of the verse as referring to the vegetation that stood in their stalks (i.e., were ripe), and were vulnerable to be broken by the hail. [However], in Midrash Rabbi Tanchuma, some Sages dispute this and explain כִּי אֲפִילֹת [as meaning] a wonder of wonders (פֶּלֶא =wonder) occurred that they were not struck.

Did not reach. [לֹא נִתַּךְ meaning] did not reach. Even those that were already in the air [never] reached the ground. Similar to this is: “וַתִּתַּךְ עָלֵינוּ the curse and the oath” in the Book of Daniel [וְתַּגִּיעַ עָלֵינוּ meaning:] it reached us. Menachem ben Saruk classified it in the category of כְּהִתּוּךְ כֶּסֶף meaning: the pouring (melting) of metal. I agree with his opinion, as Onkelos translates “וַיִּצֹק as וְאַתִּיךְ [and] “לָצֶקֶת” לְאַתָּכָא — to cast. So, too, לֹא נִתַּךְ לָאָרֶץ [has the meaning:] [The hail] was not poured to the ground.