“The Lord said to Moses: Say to Aaron: Extend your hand with your staff over the rivers, over the canals, and over the pools, and cause frogs to ascend upon the land of Egypt” (Exodus 8:1). “The Lord said to Moses: Say to Aaron: Extend your hand” – Rabbi Tanḥum said: The Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: ‘The water that protected you when you were cast into the Nile will not be stricken by you.’
“Aaron extended his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs ascended and covered the land of Egypt” (Exodus 8:2). “Aaron extended his hand” – why did He bring frogs upon them? It is because they were enslaving Israel and saying to them: ‘Bring us repugnant creatures and creeping animals’;11The Israelites considered this a revolting and humiliating task. therefore, He brought frogs upon them. When they would pour into a cup it would fill with frogs.
“And the frogs [hatzfarde’a]12Both Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya expound their opinions from the fact that the Hebrew word for frogs is in the singular. ascended and covered…” – it is taught: Rabbi Akiva says: It was one frog, and it spawned and filled the entire land of Egypt. Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya said to him: ‘Akiva, what are you doing engaged in aggada; stop your statements, and go engage in the laws of leprosy and impurity of tents.13Your expertise is in matters of halakha, including the most intricate topics, but not aggada.
There was one frog that whistled to [the others], and they came.’ “The magicians did so with their spells, and caused the frogs to ascend upon the land of Egypt” (Exodus 8:3). “The magicians did so with their spells” – because they believed these were the actions of demons.