וַיִּקְרָא֙ גַּם־פַּרְעֹ֔ה לַֽחֲכָמִ֖ים וְלַֽמְכַשְּׁפִ֑ים וַיַּֽעֲשׂ֨וּ גַם־הֵ֜ם חַרְטֻמֵּ֥י מִצְרַ֛יִם בְּלַהֲטֵיהֶ֖ם כֵּֽן׃
Ale wezwał téż i Faraon mędrców i czarowników i uczynili i oni, wróżbici Micraimu, czarami swoimi to samo.
Midrash Tanchuma
And Aaron forthwith cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a serpent (Exod. 7:10). Whereupon Pharaoh said: “Is this the full power of your God? Why, my magicians travel throughout the world performing such feats.” Then Pharaoh called also (ibid., v. 11) the youths, and babes of five, yea, even of four years, and each of them cast his rod. It is written: Pharaoh called also because he disdained at first to summon his magicians and sorcerers. Our sages of blessed memory said: He actually performed a great miracle with that rod. When one serpent is able to swallow other serpents, that is not unusual, but this serpent turned itself back into a rod again, as it is written: But Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods (ibid., v. 12). If a man made bundles out of the rods that were cast to the ground to become serpents, there would have been more than ten bundles, yet Aaron’s rod swallowed them all and it became no larger than it was previously. When Pharaoh beheld that, he was amazed and exclaimed: “Surely if he should command the rod to swallow Pharaoh and his throne, it could swallow them.” That was the sign that He had given to Moses at the bush when He said: This which is in thy hand, cast it to the earth (ibid. 4:2). The word this alludes to Pharaoh, who is compared to a snake, as is said: The Lord with His sore and great and strong sword will punish leviathan the slant serpent (Isa. 27:1). When Moses withdrew from Pharaoh’s presence, the wicked one said: “If this son of Amram comes near me again, I will slay him, I will hang him, I will burn him.” That is why, when Moses returned, Pharaoh became like a rod. And Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he harkened not unto them, as the Lord had spoken (Exod. 7:13). With reference to the first five plagues, the words Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, etc., are written, but after the fifth plague occurred and he still would not permit them to leave, the Holy One, blessed be He, said: Henceforth, even if he desires to send them away, I will not allow it. Hence, with reference to the last five plagues it is written: But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart (ibid. 10:20). Moses decreed what was to transpire, and the Holy One, blessed be He, executed it, as it is said:: Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee (Job 22:28).
Shemot Rabbah
“Pharaoh also called for the wise men and the sorcerers; and they too, the magicians of Egypt, did so with their spells” (Exodus 7:11).
“Pharaoh also called for the wise men and the sorcerers.” At that moment, Pharaoh began laughing at them and clucking at them like a hen, saying to them: ‘Are these the signs of your God? The way of the world is that people bring merchandise to a place that needs it. Do they bring fish brine to Spain, fish to Akko? Do you not know that all sorcery is in my control?’ Immediately, he sent and brought children from their schools, and they too performed this [wonder]. Moreover, he called his wife and she did so, as it is stated: “Pharaoh also [gam] called.” What is gam? It is that he called even his wife and she did so. “They too [gam], the magicians of Egypt, did so.” What is gam? It is that he called even four- and five-year-old children, and they did so.
“Pharaoh also called for the wise men and the sorcerers.” At that moment, Pharaoh began laughing at them and clucking at them like a hen, saying to them: ‘Are these the signs of your God? The way of the world is that people bring merchandise to a place that needs it. Do they bring fish brine to Spain, fish to Akko? Do you not know that all sorcery is in my control?’ Immediately, he sent and brought children from their schools, and they too performed this [wonder]. Moreover, he called his wife and she did so, as it is stated: “Pharaoh also [gam] called.” What is gam? It is that he called even his wife and she did so. “They too [gam], the magicians of Egypt, did so.” What is gam? It is that he called even four- and five-year-old children, and they did so.
Shemot Rabbah
“The magicians of Egypt did so with their spells; and Pharaoh's heart hardened, and he did not heed them, as the Lord had spoken” (Exodus 7:22).
“The magicians of Egypt did so” – this teaches that they believed it was an act of sorcery. “With their spells [belateihem]” – Rabbi Aivo bar Nagrei said that Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said: Belateihem is an act of demons; belahateihem (Exodus 7:11) is an act of sorcery. Likewise it says: “And the flame [lahat] of the ever-turning sword, to guard the way to the tree of life” (Genesis 3:24), as all acts of sorcery are performed by angels of destruction.
“Pharaoh turned and came to his house, and he did not take this to heart either” (Exodus 7:23).
“Pharaoh turned” – he was not concerned, and did not take heed of God’s plague.
“All the Egyptians dug around the Nile for water to drink, as they could not drink from the water of the Nile” (Exodus 7:24).
“All the Egyptians dug around the Nile” – Rabbi Yehuda says: Only [the water] in the Nile was afflicted. Rabbi Neḥemya says: [The water] above and below [the ground] was afflicted; the water of all of Egypt was afflicted with blood. Rabbi Yehuda said to him: ‘How do I interpret “All the Egyptians dug around the Nile.”’ He said to him: ‘Because the Egyptians were saying that all the water that Moses and Aaron saw were turned into blood, and they would dig to obtain water that their eyes had not seen.’16However, they did not actually find water, as even the water underground had turned to blood.
Rabbi Berekhya said: What is that which is written: “All the water that was in the Nile turned into [vayehafekhu] [blood]” (Exodus 7:20)? This is analogous to a servant who was being beaten by his master on his stomach, and he would turn himself around and receive the beatings on his back. So, too, the Nile would reverse [mehapekh] itself so that the plague would not affect it, but it was to no avail, as all of its water turned into blood.
Rabbi Yosei bar Avin said: A generalization, a detail, and a generalization, you may infer only matters similar to the detail. “Over the water of Egypt” (Exodus 7:19) – this is a generalization; “over their rivers, over their streams, and over their ponds” (Exodus 7:19) – this is a detail; “and over all their pools of water” (Exodus 7:19) – this is another generalization. What do you include [in the inference]? Everything that is similar to them.17That is, the water in the vessels did not turn to blood. What is “and in the wood and in the stone” (Exodus 7:19)? Our Rabbis, of blessed memory, say: Even their idols were afflicted with blood, as it is stated: “They say to wood: You are my father” (Jeremiah 2:27).
Another interpretation: “And in the wood and in the stone” (Exodus 7:19) – the water that they would drink with a Jew in one vessel, in a wooden vessel or in a stone vessel, would be transformed into blood in his mouth. Some say that even their pedestals and their lavatories were afflicted with blood. When one of them would go and sit on a bed, on a stone, or on a boulder, they would ruin their garments with blood. Likewise, it says: “The blood was throughout the land of Egypt” (Exodus 7:21.
“The magicians of Egypt did so” – this teaches that they believed it was an act of sorcery. “With their spells [belateihem]” – Rabbi Aivo bar Nagrei said that Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said: Belateihem is an act of demons; belahateihem (Exodus 7:11) is an act of sorcery. Likewise it says: “And the flame [lahat] of the ever-turning sword, to guard the way to the tree of life” (Genesis 3:24), as all acts of sorcery are performed by angels of destruction.
“Pharaoh turned and came to his house, and he did not take this to heart either” (Exodus 7:23).
“Pharaoh turned” – he was not concerned, and did not take heed of God’s plague.
“All the Egyptians dug around the Nile for water to drink, as they could not drink from the water of the Nile” (Exodus 7:24).
“All the Egyptians dug around the Nile” – Rabbi Yehuda says: Only [the water] in the Nile was afflicted. Rabbi Neḥemya says: [The water] above and below [the ground] was afflicted; the water of all of Egypt was afflicted with blood. Rabbi Yehuda said to him: ‘How do I interpret “All the Egyptians dug around the Nile.”’ He said to him: ‘Because the Egyptians were saying that all the water that Moses and Aaron saw were turned into blood, and they would dig to obtain water that their eyes had not seen.’16However, they did not actually find water, as even the water underground had turned to blood.
Rabbi Berekhya said: What is that which is written: “All the water that was in the Nile turned into [vayehafekhu] [blood]” (Exodus 7:20)? This is analogous to a servant who was being beaten by his master on his stomach, and he would turn himself around and receive the beatings on his back. So, too, the Nile would reverse [mehapekh] itself so that the plague would not affect it, but it was to no avail, as all of its water turned into blood.
Rabbi Yosei bar Avin said: A generalization, a detail, and a generalization, you may infer only matters similar to the detail. “Over the water of Egypt” (Exodus 7:19) – this is a generalization; “over their rivers, over their streams, and over their ponds” (Exodus 7:19) – this is a detail; “and over all their pools of water” (Exodus 7:19) – this is another generalization. What do you include [in the inference]? Everything that is similar to them.17That is, the water in the vessels did not turn to blood. What is “and in the wood and in the stone” (Exodus 7:19)? Our Rabbis, of blessed memory, say: Even their idols were afflicted with blood, as it is stated: “They say to wood: You are my father” (Jeremiah 2:27).
Another interpretation: “And in the wood and in the stone” (Exodus 7:19) – the water that they would drink with a Jew in one vessel, in a wooden vessel or in a stone vessel, would be transformed into blood in his mouth. Some say that even their pedestals and their lavatories were afflicted with blood. When one of them would go and sit on a bed, on a stone, or on a boulder, they would ruin their garments with blood. Likewise, it says: “The blood was throughout the land of Egypt” (Exodus 7:21.