<b>And the Lord said unto Moses: “Stretch forth thy hand toward heaven that there may be hail” (Exod. 9:22).</b> Scripture says (elsewhere in allusion to this verse): <i>Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that hath He done, in heaven and in the earth</i> (Ps. 135:6). In reference to the heaven, the Holy One, blessed be He, said: <i>The heavens are the heavens of the Lord</i> (Ps. 115:16), and in regard to the earth, <i>The earth hath He given to the children of men</i> (ibid.). This may be compared to a king who decreed that the people of Rome should not migrate to Syria and that the people of Syria should not migrate to Rome. And similarly, the Holy One, blessed be He, decreed when he created the world: <i>The heavens are the heavens of the Lord; and the earth He hath given to the children of men</i>. However, when He decided to give the Torah, He abrogated the first decrees and declared: Let the earthly beings ascend on high and the heavenly creatures descend below, and I will be the first (to do so), as it is said: <i>And the Lord came down upon Sinai</i> (Exod. 19:20). And it is also written: <i>And to Moses He said: “Come up unto the Lord”</i> (ibid. 24:1). Hence, <i>Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that hath He done</i>.

When He desired it to happen, He said: <i>Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together</i> (Gen. 1:9). And when He was so inclined, He made the sea become dry and turn into land, as is said: <i>And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea, upon the dry ground</i> (Exod. 14:22). Therefore, <i>whatsoever the Lord pleased, that hath He done</i>, etc. With regard to the heavens, it is said: <i>Stretch forth thy hand toward heaven that there may be hail</i> (ibid. 9:22), and in reference to the earth it is stated: <i>Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the earth</i> (ibid. 8:12). What is written above concerning this matter? <i>For now I have stretched out My hand … But in very deed for this cause have I made thee to stand</i> (ibid. 9:16), so that you will not die as a result of the first plague, and so that <i>My name may be declared throughout all earth</i> (ibid., v. 36).