The Elgavish Hailstones Held in the Air Until Gog and Magog

Our Rabbis taught: One who sees the elgavish stones must give thanks and praise to the Omnipresent. What is the meaning of elgavish? It was taught: they stood still upon a man (al-gav-ish) and they came down upon a man. They stood still upon a man: this is Moses, as it is said, "Now the man Moses was very humble" (Numbers 12:3), and it is written, "the thunders and the hail ceased, and the rain did not pour down to the earth." And they came down upon a man: this is Joshua, as it is said, ["a man in whom is spirit," and it is written] "And it came to pass, as they fled before Israel, while they were at the descent of Beth-horon, that the LORD cast down great stones from heaven upon them" (Joshua 10:11). "The thunders and the hail ceased." And where do they rest? Our Rabbis said: they hang suspended in the air until Gog and Magog come, as it is said, "and an overflowing rain, and great hailstones." "And Pharaoh saw that there was relief" (Exodus 8:11). So it is with the wicked: when they see that trouble has come upon them, they humble themselves; when the trouble passes and they see the relief, they return to their evil deeds. The nations of the world add sin upon sin, but of Israel it is said, "Your iniquity is finished, O daughter of Zion; He will exile you no more" (Lamentations 4:22), and the Holy One, blessed be He, gathers them into Jerusalem, as it is said, "Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the adversary, and gathered them out of the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the sea" (Psalms 107:2-3).