וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְהוָה֮ אֶל־מֹשֶׁה֒ אֱמֹר֙ אֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֔ן נְטֵ֣ה אֶֽת־מַטְּךָ֔ וְהַ֖ךְ אֶת־עֲפַ֣ר הָאָ֑רֶץ וְהָיָ֥ה לְכִנִּ֖ם בְּכָל־אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃
E disse o Senhor a Moshe: "Diga a Aharon: 'Estenda a sua vara e golpeie o pó da terra, e ele se tornará piolhos em toda a terra do Mitzrayim.'"
Midrash Tanchuma Buber
Now all the plagues which the Holy One brought upon the Egyptians, he is going to bring upon Edom (i.e., Rome). It is so stated (in Is. 23:5): <AS AT THE REPORT CONCERNING EGYPT, > THEY SHALL TREMBLE AT THE REPORT OF TYRE (TsR).24Although the Buber text reads TsWR, the midrashic interpretation here requires TsR, which is the reading of the Masoretic text. R. Eleazar has said: When Tyre is written with a vowel letter (i.e., TsWR), what is written is speaking about the region of Tyre. But in every place in which it is written as TsR without the W, what is written is speaking about this wicked Roman Empire, because it is oppressing Israel (rt.: TsRR).25Tanh. (Buber), Exod. 2:15; Tanh., Exod. 2:13; 3:4; Exod. R. 9:13; PRK 7:11; PR 17:8. In Egypt he brought the plague of blood upon them. So also shall it be in Edom (i.e., Rome), as stated (in Joel 3:3–4 [2:30–31]): THEN I WILLSET PORTENTS IN THE HEAVENS AND ON THE EARTH: BLOOD, FIRE, <AND PILLARS OF SMOKE; THE SUN SHALL BE TURNED INTO DARKNESS > AND THE MOON INTO BLOOD. In Egypt he brought frogs upon them because their voice (qol) was strong. So also shall it be in Edom, as stated (in Is. 66:6): A SOUND (qol) OF TUMULT FROM THE CITY, <A NOISE (qol) FROM THE TEMPLE! THE THUNDER (qol) OF THE LORD IS REPAYING RETRIBUTION TO HIS ENEMIES>. In Egypt he brought gnats upon them. [So] also shall it be in Edom, [as stated] (in Is. 34:9): ITS26The pronoun refers to Edom. STREAMS SHALL BE TURNED TO PITCH AND ITS DUST TO BRIMSTONE DUST can only mean gnats, just as it says (in Exod. 8:12 [16]): <HOLD OUT YOUR ROD> AND STRIKE THE DUST OF THE EARTH, AND IT SHALL BECOME GNATS < THROUGHOUT THE LAND OF EGYPT > …. In Egypt he brought swarms of flies ('RWB, rt.: 'RB) upon them. So also shall it be in Edom, as stated (in Is. 34:11): BUT THE PELICAN AND THE BITTERN SHALL POSSESS IT (i.e., Edom), [EVEN THE OWL AND THE RAVEN ('WRB, rt.: 'RB) SHALL DWELL IN IT.] In Egypt he brought pestilence upon them. So also shall it be in Edom, as stated (in Ezek. 38:22): I WILL ENTER INTO JUDGMENT AGAINST HIM WITH PESTILENCE. In Egypt he brought boils upon them. So also shall it be in Edom, as stated (in Zech. 14:12): AND THIS SHALL BE THE PLAGUE…: THEIR FLESH SHALL ROT AWAY. In Egypt he brought hail upon them. So also shall it be in Edom, as stated (in Ezek. 38:22): AND I WILL POUR TORRENTIAL RAIN, HAILSTONES <… UPON HIM…>. In Egypt he brought locusts upon them. So also shall it be in Edom, as stated (in Ezek. 39:17): SON OF MAN,[… ] SAY TO EVERY WINGED BIRD < AND TO EVERY LIVING CREATURE OF THE FIELD: ASSEMBLE, COME AND GATHER>…. In Egypt he brought darkness. So also shall it be in Edom (in Is. 34:11, cont.): AND HE SHALL STRETCH OVER IT THE MEASURING LINE OF THE EMPTINESS <AND WEIGHTS OF NOTHINGNESS>.27The Hebrew words for EMPTINESS and NOTHINGNESS echo the VOID AND WITHOUT FORM in Gen. 1:2. In Egypt he smote their first-born. So also shall it be in Edom, as stated (in Ezek. 32:30): THERE ARE ALL THE PRINCES OF THE NORTH <AND THE ALL THE SIDONIANS WHO HAVE GONE DOWN WITH THE SLAIN…>. R. Meir says (citing Is. 34:7, which refers to Edom): AND THE WILD OXEN SHALL COME DOWN WITH THEM….28Cf. Codex Vaticanus Ebr. 34 which adds the interpretation that these WILD OXEN (re’emim) are the Romans. Just as in Egypt, when he had exacted retribution from their gods, he afterwards exacted retribution from them; in Edom (rt.: 'DM) also, when he has exacted retribution from their prince, he shall afterwards exact retribution from them. It is so stated (in Is. 24:21): AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS IN THAT DAY THAT THE LORD SHALL PUNISH THE HOST OF HEAVEN IN HEAVEN AND THE KINGS OF THE EARTH (rt.: 'DM) {IN} [ON] THE EARTH (rt.: 'DM).
Shemot Rabbah
“The Lord said to Moses: Say to Aaron: Extend your staff, and strike the dust of the earth, and it will become lice throughout the land of Egypt” (Exodus 8:12).
“The Lord said to Moses: Say to Aaron: Extend your staff, and strike the dust of the earth” – Rabbi Tanḥum said: The Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: ‘It is not proper that the dust that protected you when you killed the Egyptian15See Exodus 2:12. will be stricken by you.’ Therefore, they were stricken with these three plagues by means of Aaron.16The first three plagues came from either the water or the dust, both of which had protected Moses in his youth.
“They did so; and Aaron extended his hand with his staff, and struck the dust of the earth, and there were lice upon man, and upon beast; all the dust of the earth became lice throughout the land of Egypt” (Exodus 8:13).
“Aaron extended his hand with his staff” – why did He bring lice upon them? It is because they designated [the Israelites] as sweepers of the streets and the marketplaces; that is why their dust turned into lice. They would dig a square cubit but there was no dust there, as it is stated: “All the dust of the earth became lice.”
“The magicians did so with their spells to bring out the lice, but they could not; and there were gnats upon man, and upon beast” (Exodus 8:14).
“The magicians did so with their spells to bring out the lice, but they could not” – Rabbi Elazar said: From here you learn that a demon is unable to create something smaller than a barley-bulk. The Rabbis say: They cannot even create something the size of a camel; rather, this it can gather and this it cannot gather.17If the item is smaller than a barley-bulk, the demons cannot even gather it from a different location.
“The magicians said to Pharaoh: It is the finger of God; but Pharaoh’s heart was hardened and he did not heed them, as the Lord had spoken” (Exodus 8:15).
“The magicians said to Pharaoh: It is the finger of God” – when the magicians saw that they were unable to produce the lice, they were immediately aware that the actions were the actions of God and not the action of demons, and they no longer sought to compare themselves to Moses and produce the plagues.
“The Lord said to Moses: Say to Aaron: Extend your staff, and strike the dust of the earth” – Rabbi Tanḥum said: The Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: ‘It is not proper that the dust that protected you when you killed the Egyptian15See Exodus 2:12. will be stricken by you.’ Therefore, they were stricken with these three plagues by means of Aaron.16The first three plagues came from either the water or the dust, both of which had protected Moses in his youth.
“They did so; and Aaron extended his hand with his staff, and struck the dust of the earth, and there were lice upon man, and upon beast; all the dust of the earth became lice throughout the land of Egypt” (Exodus 8:13).
“Aaron extended his hand with his staff” – why did He bring lice upon them? It is because they designated [the Israelites] as sweepers of the streets and the marketplaces; that is why their dust turned into lice. They would dig a square cubit but there was no dust there, as it is stated: “All the dust of the earth became lice.”
“The magicians did so with their spells to bring out the lice, but they could not; and there were gnats upon man, and upon beast” (Exodus 8:14).
“The magicians did so with their spells to bring out the lice, but they could not” – Rabbi Elazar said: From here you learn that a demon is unable to create something smaller than a barley-bulk. The Rabbis say: They cannot even create something the size of a camel; rather, this it can gather and this it cannot gather.17If the item is smaller than a barley-bulk, the demons cannot even gather it from a different location.
“The magicians said to Pharaoh: It is the finger of God; but Pharaoh’s heart was hardened and he did not heed them, as the Lord had spoken” (Exodus 8:15).
“The magicians said to Pharaoh: It is the finger of God” – when the magicians saw that they were unable to produce the lice, they were immediately aware that the actions were the actions of God and not the action of demons, and they no longer sought to compare themselves to Moses and produce the plagues.
Midrash Tanchuma
When He desired it to happen, He said: Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together (Gen. 1:9). And when He was so inclined, He made the sea become dry and turn into land, as is said: And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea, upon the dry ground (Exod. 14:22). Therefore, whatsoever the Lord pleased, that hath He done, etc. With regard to the heavens, it is said: Stretch forth thy hand toward heaven that there may be hail (ibid. 9:22), and in reference to the earth it is stated: Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the earth (ibid. 8:12). What is written above concerning this matter? For now I have stretched out My hand … But in very deed for this cause have I made thee to stand (ibid. 9:16), so that you will not die as a result of the first plague, and so that My name may be declared throughout all earth (ibid., v. 36).