The Book of Exodus gives us a glimpse into just that, with the plague of the swarms descending upon Egypt.

We pick up the story in Exodus 8:20: "The Lord did so; and heavy swarms came into the house of Pharaoh, and into the house of his servants; and throughout the land of Egypt the land was ruined due to the swarms." But Shemot Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbinic interpretations on Exodus, asks: why Pharaoh first?

The answer, according to the Midrash, is poetic justice. As it says "The Lord did so; and heavy swarms came into the house of Pharaoh"– he was afflicted first, as he began with the wicked counsel first, as it is stated: “Pharaoh commanded…” (Exodus 1:22), and then, “the house of his servants.” Pharaoh initiated the oppression of the Israelites, so he faced the initial wave of divine retribution. He sowed the seeds of suffering, so he reaped the first harvest.

Then we get to the negotiation, that tense back-and-forth between Moses and Pharaoh. Pharaoh, desperate, calls for Moses and Aaron, offering a compromise: "Go sacrifice to your God in the land." But Moses isn't having it. "It is not proper to do so," he replies, "as we will sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians to the Lord our God; behold, were we to sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, would they not stone us?" (Exodus 8:21–22).

What’s Moses getting at here? Well, the Egyptians worshipped certain animals. Sacrificing them would be a direct affront, a guaranteed riot. As Shemot Rabbah explains, “Pharaoh called.… Moses said: It is not proper to do so – because the Egyptians prostrate themselves to these animals as a god." So Moses proposes a three-day journey into the wilderness to sacrifice, "as He will command us" (Exodus 8:23).

But is there something else going on here? According to Shemot Rabbah, there might be. "We will go on a three-day journey into the wilderness – in order to mislead them.” A bit of trickery? Perhaps.

Pharaoh, still trying to bargain, says: "I will let you go, and you will sacrifice to the Lord your God in the wilderness; just do not go very far; entreat for me." And Moses responds: "Behold, I am leaving you, and I will entreat the Lord, and the swarms will depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people, tomorrow; only let Pharaoh not continue to be deceitful by not letting the people go to sacrifice to the Lord” (Exodus 8:24–25).

"Pharaoh said: I will let you go.… Moses said: Behold, I am leaving you" – what is “behold”?, the Midrash asks. "The prayer will be immediate, so that the swarm will depart from you tomorrow. That is what is written: “The swarms will depart…[tomorrow].” Moses is emphasizing the immediacy of God's response, a powerful demonstration of divine power.

And it happens just as Moses said. "Moses left Pharaoh, and entreated the Lord. The Lord did according to the word of Moses; and He removed the swarms from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; not one remained” (Exodus 8:26–27). "Moses left.… The Lord did according to the word of Moses; and He removed the swarms."

But why swarms in the first place? Shemot Rabbah offers two intriguing possibilities. Rabbi Yehuda suggests the Egyptians were in the habit of ordering the Israelites to capture dangerous animals for them, bears, lions, leopards, just to cause them suffering. So, God sent swarms of beasts as a taste of their own medicine.

Rabbi Nehemya, on the other hand, believes the swarms were species of hornets and mosquitoes.

The Midrash then notes that Rabbi Yehuda’s interpretation seems more accurate. We know this because regarding the frogs it is written: "The frogs died” (Exodus 8:9), because there was no benefit from their skins; however, regarding the swarms there was [potential] benefit from their hides; therefore, “not one remained.” Had they been hornets or mosquitoes they could have been left to reek. In other words, the Egyptians could potentially use the dead animals from the swarm, so God made sure they were all gone.

What does this all mean? It is a reminder that our actions have consequences, sometimes immediate and direct. It's a story about power, negotiation, and the delicate balance between divine will and human agency. And maybe, just maybe, it's a cautionary tale about the dangers of mistreating those under your power.