It wasn't random, you know. Jewish tradition often sees a deeper, more poetic justice at play.
Take the plague of pestilence, for example. We read in Exodus (9:2-9:3): "For if you refuse to let them go, and continue to hold them, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon your cattle...there will be a very severe pestilence.” But Shemot Rabbah, a classical collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, asks a crucial question: Why this plague? Why pestilence specifically targeting livestock?
The answer, according to the Midrash, lies in the Egyptians' cruelty. They forced the Israelites into hard labor, specifically tasking them with herding cattle, flocks, and all sorts of animals in the mountains and wildernesses. This wasn't just about getting free labor; it was a calculated attempt to prevent the Israelites from having families and growing in number.
So, the Holy One, blessed be He, responded in kind. "I will bring upon them a fine herder," He essentially said, "a pestilence that will kill their animals, which will no longer require herding." The very thing the Egyptians used to oppress the Israelites would become their downfall. It's a powerful image, isn't it? A divine hand directly addressing the instruments of oppression.
And it didn’t stop there. Exodus 9:4 tells us: “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.” Shemot Rabbah takes this a step further, asking, what does "nothing of all that belongs to the children of Israel will die" really mean?
The Midrash tells us that even if an animal was partially owned by an Egyptian, but an Israelite had a legitimate claim to part of it, that animal would be spared! This served as a tangible proof of the Israelite's claim, a clear sign of divine intervention. Talk about a cosmic courtroom!
Then there's the fascinating detail in Exodus 9:7: "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.” Shemot Rabbah again zooms in: What does "not even one" signify? Even an animal that was half-owned by an Israelite and half-owned by an Egyptian was spared from the pestilence. It's a remarkable level of detail, emphasizing the complete and utter distinction between the Israelites and the Egyptians in the eyes of God.
So, what does this all mean? It's more than just a story about a plague. It’s about divine justice, about God seeing the suffering of the oppressed and responding in a way that is both powerful and profoundly specific. It's a reminder that even in the midst of immense suffering, there is hope, and that God is paying attention to the details, to the nuances of our lives, and acting accordingly. And perhaps, most powerfully, it's a lesson about the consequences of using others for our own selfish gain.