ייִדישער מחשבֿה אויף בראשית 7:21

So behold, the first three plagues, blood, frogs, and lice, are in the lower realms. As this is [the case] when the Nile turns into blood (Exodus 7:20); when the Nile swarms with frogs (Exodus 7:28), and the land with lice (Exodus 8:3). Whereas the plague of the mix of animals, the pestilence, and the boils were not at all in the lower realms, but rather with those that dwell on the earth’s surface. For example, the mix of animals dwells on the earth’s surface, as opposed to the frogs and lice which are in the water and the ground. But the mix of animals, which are dangerous wild animals, and the pestilence upon the domesticated animals (Exodus 9:3), and the boils upon man and domesticated animals (Exodus 9:9-10), were all upon animals which are on the earth’s surface. But this is not the case with the first ones, their habitat is not on the [its] surface. As the frogs only live in the water, and the lice only live in the ground, and not on the world’s surface. For swarming creatures that swarm upon the earth (alluding to Genesis 7:21) are not considered living on the earth’s surface; only animals and man, which are not from those which swarm on the earth. But even if the lice were considered as if they were on the Earth’s surface – which is not at all the case – it is inappropriate to call the plague of lice something on the earth’s surface. For behold, the plague was upon the ground, as it is written: Hold out your rod and strike the dust of the earth, etc. (Exodus 8:12)! And the next three are in the sky. For the hail is in the sky, as it is written in the verse (Exodus 9:23); the locusts are from those that surely fly (alluding to Genesis 1:20) in the firmament of the sky; and the darkness was so that the Egyptians could not use the luminaries of the sky. So you see that the next three plagues were in the sky. And afterwards was the plague of the firstborn, which was above everything. For behold, it was upon man’s supernal soul, and the soul has a greater value than the sky. Hence there is an order unique to the plagues of blood, frogs, and lices; an order unique to the plagues of the mix of animals, pestilence, and boils; and an order unique to the plagues of hail, locusts, darkness, and the firstborn.