“For if you refuse to let them go, and continue to hold them, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon your cattle that are in the field, upon the horses, upon the donkeys, upon the camels, upon the herds, and upon the flocks; there will be a very severe pestilence” (Exodus 9:2–9:3). “Pharaoh hardened his heart.… The Lord said to Moses.… For if you refuse.… Behold, the hand of the Lord is” (Exodus 8:28–9:3) – why did He bring pestilence upon them?
It is because they tasked Israel to be herders of cattle and herders of flocks, and [of] all animals in the mountains and the wildernesses, so they would not procreate. The Holy One blessed be He said: I will bring upon them a fine herder,5This is pestilence that will kill their animals, which will no longer require herding. as it is stated: “Behold, the hand of the Lord is [upon your cattle].” “The Lord will distinguish between the cattle of Israel and the cattle of Egypt; and nothing of all that belongs to the children of Israel will die” (Exodus 9:4).
What is “and nothing of all that belongs to the children of Israel will die”? Even an animal that was in the possession of an Egyptian, and an Israelite had a grievance that he owns part of it, would be spared, and that would prove the claim of the Israelite. “Pharaoh sent, and behold, not even one of the cattle of the Israelites died. But the heart of Pharaoh was stubborn, and he did not let the people go” (Exodus 9:7).
“The Lord set an appointed time.… The Lord did this matter.… Pharaoh sent…” (Exodus 9:5–7) – what is “not even one”? Even an animal [that] half of it belonged to an Israelite and half of it belonged to an Egyptian did not die.