Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Exodus 9:10/אבן עזרא על שמות ט׳:י׳
אויקחו את פיח הכבשן. מלא חפניהם כאשר הזכיר ומשה זרק הכל יתכן שהחרטומים לא לקו במכת הצפרדעים והערוב, בעבור חכמתם בקשו דרך בחכמת התולדות להרויח להם מעט ועתה נבערה חכמתם על כן הזכיר זה, ובעבור שלא עמדה המכה הרבה לא בקש פרעה שיעתירו, ובעבור שהמכה הראשונה עמדה ז' ימים, לא נלמוד ממנה על דרך הפשט שככה עמדה כל מכה, ועוד אחר הכתוב נרדוף, וידוע כי מכת הדבר היתה שעה אחת, ומכת החשך ג' ימים, על כן אין לנו דרך לדעת באיזו חדש בא משה והתחילו המכות, רק אם היתה קבלה ביד חכמינו הקדושים קבלנו ושמענו:
1AND THEY TOOK THE SOOT OF THE FURNACE. Each as earlier noted took handfuls of soot and Moses threw all of it heavenward.45 It is possible that the magicians were not smitten with the plague of frogs and swarms. Through their wisdom and their knowledge of natural law they searched for a way to gain a small respite.46 However, their knowledge now failed them, as Scripture tells us.47 (v. 11). Pharaoh did not ask Moses and Aaron to entreat the Lord48 because the plague did not last long. We cannot conclude from the plain meaning of the text that since the first plague lasted for seven days all the other plagues did so too. Additionally, we shall pursue the text of Scripture. It is known that the plague of murrain lasted for one hour49 and the plague of darkness for three days. There is no way to ascertain in which month Moses came and the plagues commenced.50 2:10, “the judgment of the Egyptians endured twelve months.” Similarly Seder Olam, 3. Also, according to the rabbis, since Israel was delivered in Nisan and the plagues lasted a year they had to commence in Iyar (Seder Olam 3). It is possible to further interpret the rabbinic statement that the judgment of the Egyptians lasted for one year to mean that it lasted for one year from the time that Moses first appeared before Pharaoh. If we assume the aforementioned then Moses first appeared before Israel and Pharaoh in the month of Iyar. Furthermore, if we accept the fact that the judgment of the Egyptians lasted for a year then each of the ten plagues struck a little over a month apart (Tiferet Israel on Eduyot 3:10). Cf. Shemot Rabba 9:12, “Rabbi Judah and Rabbi Nehemiah: One says Moses warned them for 24 days before (he plague struck and the plague ravaged them for seven days. The other one says he warned them for seven days and the plague ravaged them for 24 days.” However, if our holy sages received this via tradition we accept and abide by it.51