Why God Struck Egypt with Hail and Spared the Wheat

"Stretch out your hand," etc., [that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt] (Exodus 9:22). Why did He strike them with hail? Because the Egyptians thought that the Israelites would be their vinedressers. David said, "He killed their vines with hail, and their sycamores with hanamal" (Psalms 78:47). And how did it come down? Rabbi Pinhas and Rabbi Yehudah the Levite son of Rabbi Shalom — one of them said: it came down like this chalazon (snail), cutting down the trees, "He killed their vines with hail," etc. And one said: it came down like this hanamal, "and their sycamores with hanamal." It is written, "but the wheat and the spelt were not struck" (Exodus 9:32) — rather, it came down upon each and every thing according to its strength: upon the beast according to its strength, and upon the grass according to its strength, and upon man according to its strength. What is written above on the matter? "But for this purpose I have raised you up," etc. (ibid. 9:16) — to recount My wonders I have raised you up, in that I did not put you to death in the first plagues, "in order to show you My power, and in order that My name be recounted throughout all the earth" (ibid.).