Comentario sobre Exodo 7:11

בלהטיהם The Targum renders this by בלחשיהון: with their secret spells. There is no other example of this word in the Bible. One may compare it to the first word in (Genesis 3:24) “the להט of the sword that turned round” — it appeared to turn round through some magic spell.

AND THEY ALSO, THE MAGICIANS OF EGYPT, DID IN LIKE MANNER ‘B’LAHATEIHEM’ (WITH THEIR SECRET ARTS). Our Rabbis have said¹¹²Sanhedrin 67b. that these are deeds of sorcerers who perform their arts through angels of destruction,¹¹³A term found in Kiddushin 72 a, and designating a supernatural being holding destructive power. the word b’lahateihem being derived from the expressions: eish loheit (flaming fire);¹¹⁴Psalms 104:4. the flame ‘t’laheit’ (burned up) the wicked.¹¹⁵Ibid., 106:18. The purport [of the saying of the Sages] is that these deeds of sorcery are done by means of “the flaming ones,” angels of a fire that burns in man, and he does not know that the fire burns in him and pays no attention to it. It is similar in sense to the expression, “And the Eternal opened the eyes of the young man of Elisha, and behold there were horses of fire and chariots of fire.”¹¹⁶The verse, II Kings 6:17, reads: And the Eternal opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. Perhaps these are identical with the angels that dwell in the atmosphere of the spheres of the [four] elements,¹¹⁷The four elements — fire, air, earth and water — are the basic components of all created things that are beneath the firmament, which is below the lunar sphere. See Rambam, Hilchoth Yesodei Hatorah 3:11 and 4:1. which are called sarim (lords).¹¹⁸See my Hebrew commentary, p. 310, that it is possible there is another reading here. Instead of sarim (lords), the word should be sheidim (demons). The first reading seems to be more correct here. I will explain this theme again [in the Book of Leviticus 17:7] with the help of the Rock.
But the word b’lateihem, [mentioned further in 8:3 — And the magicians did in like manner ‘b’lateihem’] — is explained [by the Rabbis] as meaning sheidim (demons) — the word being derived from the Hebrew word lat (secret): Speak with David ‘balat’ (secretly) — since the demons come quietly inasmuch as they are ethereal bodies whose presence is not felt. This is why Scripture states [in Verse 11 before us] that Pharaoh called for the wise men and the sorcerers, for the wise men who knew [the art of] incanting and assembling the demons were the leaders and elders of the Egyptians.
The term chartumei mitzrayim (the magicians of Egypt) includes both of them, [i.e., the wise men and the sorcerers]. We do not know the root of the word chartumei. Now Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra says that it is either an Egyptian or Chaldean word since we find it only mentioned in their accounts.¹¹⁹Here, and in the Book of Daniel 2:2, and other places there. The more likely explanation is that of Rashi, who said¹²⁰Rashi’s interpretation is found in Genesis 41:8. that it is an Aramaic compound-word: char tami (those who excite themselves by means of the bones [of the dead]). It is known that the greater part of this craft is one with the bones of dead persons or the bones of animals, just as they mentioned in the case of the yid’oni.¹²¹Leviticus 19:31. “The yid’oni takes the bone of a bird [or a beast] called yido’a, puts it into his mouth, burns incense, recites certain prayers, performs a certain ritual until he is in a condition akin to fainting, and falls into a trance in which he predicts the future” (Maimonides,”The Commandments,” Vol. II, p. 10).

בלהטיהם, “with their incantations.” A reference to a variety of activities all connected to witchcraft. Nachmanides explains that the word בלהטיהם is derived from the root להט, flame, i.e. that the activities of the Egyptian necromancers were concentrated on the use of the element of fire, one of the four basic components of the material universe. Apparently, the forces, i.e. “angels” in charge of this are afflicting man with fever (heat) i.e. an invisible flame. The fact that these sorcerers understood some of these processes in nature contributed to Pharaoh discounting the miracle, as in his eyes Moses was nothing but a more accomplished sorcerer. In non-professional parlance, the agents causing such frustrating phenomena are known as שדים, demons. What distinguishes this “demonic” activity is the fact that its approach is invisible, and therefore more frightening than visible phenomena. Just as we get no warning of attacks by viruses or similar disease carrying pollutants in the atmosphere, so these harmful phenomena not only cause disease and death, but they inspire fear in addition.