“Upon you, upon your people, and upon all your servants, the frogs will ascend” (Exodus 7:29). “Upon you, upon your people” – Pharaoh began with the transgression first, as it is stated: “He said to His people…” (Exodus 1:9), and the plague began with him first, as it is stated: “Upon you,” then “upon your people,” and then “and upon all your servants.” Rabbi Aḥa said: “Upon you” – this is an indication that he would drink water and one drop would descend onto his heart and would become a frog, and it would split there.9It would split there into many frogs.
Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Every place where there was soil and a drop of water, a frog would be created there. Ḥizkiya son of Rabbi said: If it were in accordance with this opinion, the houses of the prominent people, which were made of marble and tiles, would not have been afflicted. Rather, it teaches that a frog would ascend from the depths and say to the marble: ‘Make room for me so I can ascend and perform the will of my Creator.’
The marble would split, and [the frog] would [then] ascend and remove their genitals and neuter them, as it is stated: “And frogs that destroyed them [vatashḥitem]” (Psalms 78:45), as it is stated: “Because their corruption [moshḥatam] is in them” (Leviticus 22:25).10This verse is written in the context of the prohibition to bring a castrated animal as an offering.