Tafsiran yang Mengutip untuk Mazmur 105:34

ואחריו לא יהיה כן, “and after it there will never be its equal.” The plague of locusts during the life of the prophet Joel could not be compared with the plague in Egypt, as the latter comprised a single species of locusts, whereas in Israel at the time of Joel there were a number of different species of locusts combining to make the experience so memorable. (compare Rashi) Nachmanides questions the above, quoting Psalms 78,46: “He gave their crops over to the grubs, their produce to the locusts.” He also quotes another verse in Psalms 105,34 “Locusts came at His command, grasshoppers without number.” According to both these verses there were more than one species of locusts that invaded Egypt during the plague described in our chapter. Perhaps, in order to reconcile the apparently conflicting statement by Rashi with the verses mentioned fro the Book of Psalms, Rashi meant to say that the species of locusts which invaded Egypt in our chapter was a much larger one than people had ever become familiar with, whereas the species that appeared in the time of Joel were larger than the several species which became manifest in the days of Moses. This attempt to resolve the problem is futile, as there is no question that when the Torah in our chapter discusses the uniqueness of this plague of locusts it means that neither prior to that time nor afterwards did such a plague ever again occur on such a scale. Rabbeinu Chananel, on this verse, writes first of all, that the Torah means that such a plague of locusts, which had been predicted by a prophet, never occurred again. The invasion of the land of Israel in the time of the prophet Joel had not been announced beforehand by a prophet. Furthermore, ever since the prayer of Moses to have the plague of locusts removed, Egypt was never again plagued by locusts. [My edition of Rabbeinu Chananel does not contain such a statement, Ed.] At any rate, Rabbeinu Chananel feels that just as Joshua requested the miracle of the sun and moon being arrested in their orbits until he had mopped up the opposing armies, Moses predicted the miracle of the plague of locusts, and he did not even have to request it.] It is possible to understand the plain meaning of our text differently. Just because a plague of locusts was something quite common in those regions in those times, and moreover, seeing that the one which occurred during the reign of Pharaoh, was orchestrated by a completely natural event, namely a strong east wind blowing, it was necessary for the Torah, i.e. in this instance Moses, to mention the fact that it would occur, to point out when and how it would occur, and that it would be disproportionately severe in the damage it would cause, so much so that it would be more severe than anything like it ever, before or after. This would bring home to the victims that this was not a natural disaster but a punitive act by the Creator.

ואחריו לא יהיה כן, “and after it there will never again be its equal.” The Torah refers to a plague consisting of a single species of locusts, seeing that the prophet Yoel 2,2 describes a plague consisting of a variety of species of locusts, a plague which surpassed that of the one which occurred in Egypt now. The verse in Yoel speaks of “a day of densest cloud spread like soot over the hills; a vast enormous horde- nothing like it ever happened, and it shall never happen again through the years and ages.” In Yoel 2,25 when the prophecy had become true the prophet records: “consumed by grubs and locusts the great army I let loose against you, etc.” In Psalms 105,34 David elaborates on this plague in Egypt explaining that there are altogether seven species of locusts, naming them ארבה, סלעם, חרגול, חגב, גזם, ילק, חסיל. Interestingly, the name ארבה occurs seven times in our paragraph. The species called ארבה is the largest and most voracious of them all, as it is described as “My great army” by G’d in Yoel 2,25.

The likes of which never had been and never would be. Ramban and Re”m explain Rashi at length, but I say that Rashi’s own words elsewhere explain his intention. Rashi says on Sefer Yoel (2:2): “But the species of Arbeh on its own was not like that of Egypt.” This supports Re”m who said that the Arbeh of Moshe was greater than the Arbeh of Yoel, while the plague of Yoel was greater because of the multiple species it included. (Nachalas Yaakov) Some object and say that also the plague of Moshe had three species, as it is written (Tehillim 78:46) “Arbeh, Chasil,” and (105:34) “Yelek.” We could answer that the multiple terms in Tehillim are only for rhetorical purpose [while in truth there was just Arbeh]. Similarly [we find multiple terms used rhetorically]: “He killed with hail their vineyards, and their sycamores with hail-stones” (ibid. 78:47). And likewise, “He trapped their cattle by the hail, their herds by the plague.”(ibid. v. 48)