מדרש אויף שמות 24:9

(Fol. 25) MISHNAH: It once happened that two witnesses came and said: "We saw the moon in the eastern part of the horizon in the morning, and in the evening, in the western part of the horizon." R. Jochanan b. Nuri declared them to be false witnesses; but when they came to Yamnia, Rabban Gamaliel accepted their testimony as valid. On another occasion two other witnesses came and said: "We saw the moon on its proper day, but could not see it on the next evening of the intercalary day." R. Gamaliel accepted their testimony, but R. Dosa b. Harkinas said: "They are false witnesses; for how can they testify of a woman that she gave birth, when on the next day she appears to be pregnant?" "I approve of your opinion," remarked R. Joshua. Upon this, R. Gamaliel sent word to R. Joshua, saying: "I order thee to come to me with your staff and your money, on the Day of Atonement, — which is to come according to your computation." R. Akiba went to him (R. Joshua) and found him grieving. He then said to him: "I can prove that all which Rabban Gamaliel has done is proper, for it is said (Lev. 23, 4) These are the feasts of the Lord, holy convocations which ye shall proclaim, etc.; i.e., whether at their proper time, or not at their proper time, shall their convocations be considered as holy festivals." R. Joshua then went to R. Dosa b. Harkinas. "If we are to reinvestigate the decisions of the Beth Din of R. Gamaliel." R. Doso b. Hankinas said to him, "then we must also reinvestigate the decisions of all the tribunals of justice which have existed from the time of Moses till the present day! But it is said (Ex. 24, 9) "Moses, Nadah, Abihu, and seventy elders went up [to the Mount]. Why were not the names of the elders also specified? To teach us that every three men which are appointed in Israel to form a Beth Din (judiciary tribunal), are equal to the Beth Din of Moses." E. Joshua then took his staff and money in his hand, and went to Yamnia, to Rabban Gamaliel, on the very day on which the Day of Atonement would have been according to his computation. Then Rabban Gamaliel arose and kissed him on his forehead, saying: "Enter in peace, my teacher and my disciple! My teacher in knowledge; my disciple — since thou didst fulfil my words."

Another interpretation (of Gen. 28:12): AND BEHOLD, THE ANGELS OF GOD. This refers to Moses and Aaron, as stated (in Exod. 24:9): THEN THERE WENT UP MOSES AND AARON.²²The passage continues: NADAB, ABIHU, AND SEVENTY OF THE ELDERS OF ISRAEL. (Gen. 28:13:) AND BEHOLD, THE LORD STOOD UPON IT. (Exod. 19:20:) AND THE LORD CAME DOWN UPON MOUNT SINAI. (Gen. 12:13, cont.:) AND SAID: I AM THE LORD, THE GOD OF YOUR FATHER ABRAHAM AND THE GOD OF ISAAC. It is also stated on Sinai (in Exod. 20:1): I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD.

“The Lord said to Moses: Extend your hand toward the heavens, and there will be hail throughout the land of Egypt, upon man, upon animal, and upon all the grasses of the field, in the land of Egypt (Exodus 9:22).
“The Lord said to Moses: Extend your hand toward the heavens” – that is what is written: “Whatever the Lord wished, He has done…” (Psalms 135:6). David said: Even though the Holy One blessed be He decreed: “The heavens are the heavens of the Lord and the earth He has given to the children of men” (Psalms 115:16) [it is to be understood in this way]. To what is this matter comparable? It is [comparable] to a king who decreed and said that Romans may not go down to Syria and Syrians may not go up to Rome. Similarly, when the Holy One blessed be He created the world, He decreed and said: “The heavens are the heavens of the Lord; but the earth He has given to the children of men.” When He sought to give the Torah, He cancelled the first decree and said: Those below will ascend to those above, and those above will descend to those below, and it is I who begins, as it is stated: “The Lord descended onto Mount Sinai” (Exodus 19:20), and it is written: “To Moses He said: Ascend to God” (Exodus 24:1). That is: “Whatever the Lord wished, He has done, in the heavens and on the earth.”
Likewise, when He sought to , He said: “Let the waters be gathered” (Genesis 1:9), and when He sought to act, He made the dry land into sea and the depths, as it is stated: “Who summons the water of the sea” (Amos 5:8; 9:6), and it says: “All the fountains of the great deep burst” (Genesis 7:11). When He sought to do so, he made the sea and the depths into dry land, as it is stated: “And the children of Israel walked on dry land in the midst of the sea” (Exodus 14:29), and it says: “He led them through the depths, as through a wilderness” (Psalms 106:9). Likewise in Egypt, regarding Moses, who was on the land, He gave him license to control the actions of the heavens, as it is stated: “The Lord said to Moses: Extend your hand toward the heavens…”
Why did He bring hail upon them? It is because they [the Egyptians] set Israel to be planters of vineyards, gardens, orchards, and trees; therefore He brought hail upon them and broke everything. “Upon man, upon animal” – when the Holy One blessed be He saw that they did not heed His words that He had said to them: “Now send, gather [your livestock…every man and animal that will be found in the field… will die]” (Exodus 9:19), the Holy One blessed be He said: They deserve that the hail shall fall upon everything.⁴Since they did not listen to God’s warning.