Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Exodus 8:25/רמב"ן על שמות ח׳:כ״ה

אוְסָר הֶעָרֹב מִפַּרְעֹה מֵעֲבָדָיו וּמֵעַמּוֹ מָחָר כַּאֲשֶׁר אָמַר פַּרְעֹה בְּמַכַּת הַצְפַרְדְּעִים "לְמָחָר", כֵּן רָצָה מֹשֶׁה לַעֲשׂוֹת גַּם בָּזֹאת שֶׁיִּתְפַּלֵּל וְיָסוּרוּ מָחָר, וְהִנֵּה סָר הֶעָרֹב וְהָלְכוּ לָהֶם, לֹא כַּאֲשֶׁר הָיָה בַּצְפַרְדְּעִים, מִן הַטַּעַם שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ (שמו"ר יא ג) שֶׁרָצָה הקב"ה לְצַעֵר אוֹתָם בַּמַּכּוֹת, לֹא לְהוֹעִיל לָהֶם כְּלָל. וּמֹשֶׁה נִשְׁמַר בְּכָךְ בְּאָמְרוֹ, כִּי אָמַר לְפַרְעֹה "לְהַכְרִית הַצְפַרְדְּעִים" שֶׁיִּרְמֹז לְמִיתָתָם כְּמוֹ שֶׁפֵּרַשְׁתִּי (רמב"ן על שמות ח':ה'):

1AND MOSES SAID: BEHOLD, I GO OUT FROM THEE, AND I WILL ENTREAT THE ETERNAL THAT THE SWARMS WILL DEPART FROM PHARAOH, FROM HIS SERVANTS, AND FROM HIS PEOPLE, TOMORROW.¹⁹³ (Verse 24)? Ramban proceeds to answer this question. Just as Pharaoh, during the plague of the frogs, had asked that it be removed tomorrow,¹⁹⁴ so did Moses want to do it in this case as well; he would pray that the swarms [of beasts] shall depart tomorrow. And then G-d removed the swarms,¹⁹⁵ and they vanished completely, unlike the case of the frogs, [where Scripture states that they died].¹⁹⁶ This was for the reason, as stated by our Rabbis,¹⁹⁷ that the Holy One, blessed be He, desired to afflict them with plagues from which they would derive no benefit.¹⁹⁸ Now Moses guarded himself when he spoke to Pharaoh, saying to destroy the frogs,¹⁹⁹ which alludes merely to their death, as I have explained there,¹⁹⁹ [while here in the case of swarms, he said that the swarms will depart].